3rd Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations for texts being organized around a topic/topics to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently. Anchor texts, supporting texts, daily tasks, and Performance Based Assessments are centered on the topic(s) for each Module and Unit.

The modules in each unit are built around a unit topic. In each module the anchor text and supporting texts center around the topic.

• Unit 1 centers around the topic of Observing the World Around Us.
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand that close observation can help identify problems and find solutions.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand how things change over time.
• Unit 2 centers around the topic of Connecting Character, Culture, and Community.
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand that people have a rich cultural heritage and a variety of traditions.
  • In Module B, students are expected to recognize that families and communities differ from place to place around the world.
• Unit 3 centers around the topic of Seeking Explanations.
  • In Module A, students are expected to understand how people use stories to explain the world.
  • In Module B, students are expected to identify reasons that explain how and why things occur in nature.
• Unit 4 centers around the topic of Becoming an Active Citizen.
  • In Module A, students are expected to identify qualities of active citizenship.
  • In Module B, students are expected to understand that governments around the world differ.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations for containing sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.

Each lesson includes a Language or Reading Analysis section in which students analyze language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. Language or Reading Analysis is also included in some small group lessons.

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 6, students complete an Event Order Chart graphic organizer to discover temporal words or phrases within the text.
• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 14, students study author’s word choice during the language analysis support in small groups. Students analyze pages from the selection to find descriptive words or phrases that develop the setting or characters. Students are looking for words that the author has used to create an effect in the story. Questions that are asked during the extension of this lesson include the following: “Which words and phrases show that the narrator is scared?”, “Which words or phrases show that the narrator is comfortable with her grandmother?”, and "What effect do these words have on the story?” These questions are sequenced and scaffolded to allow students to pull out words and phrases and then tell the effect that the words have on the story.
• In Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 6, students study how authors “carefully organize events so that the events seem to unfold naturally throughout the story.” Questions included in this lesson to guide students include the following: “Will I present my event sequence in chronological order?”, “How do my events cause other events?”, and “How are they affected by other events?” Students then create a list of ideas for events that could unfold to aid in a later writing
• In Unit 2, Module A, Lesson 12, students analyze a character's motivations and feelings over time and how this affects the character’s actions. Students complete a before and after t-chart and host a text talk discussion.
• In Unit 3, Module A, Lesson 5, students analyze figurative language to find meaning during the daily lesson, and then during the language analysis extension students answer questions that include the following: “How does figurative language help make writing more interesting?”, “Where did the writer use similes and personification?”, and “Are there times when a simple description might be a better choice than using a simile or personification? Why?”
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 7, students complete a Word Meanings graphic organizer to find words or phrases that may have more than one meaning and determine if the author is using the literal or non-literal meaning of the word and why.
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 1, students study the structure of informative/explanatory writings. The teacher states that when writing informational texts, students must ask themselves questions such as “Are there words the reader needs to have explained?”, “Are there steps that must be followed in a particular order?”, and “How do you know about the topic? Did you learn from your own observations and experience, or did you learn about the topic from reading books or talking to people?”
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 9, students complete a graphic organizer that organizes the cause and effect relationships in scientific ideas. Students study the cause-and-effect structure of scientific texts that show relationships between ideas and concepts.
• In Unit 4, Module B, Lesson 1, students complete a main idea and key details graphic organizer about government and farmers’ relationships.
• In Unit 4, Module A, Lesson 8, students engage in a class discussion to answer questions including the following: “Why does the author provide so many number facts in the first paragraph on page 20?”, “Look at the abuses that the author describes. What was the purpose of these bad practices?”, and “How can you tell how the author feels about the strike, Clara, and the factory girl who picketed in 1990? Show me where the text says so.” Students discuss the tone created by the words the author chooses to use when writing

The Scaffolded Instruction Handbook also includes lessons to support the unit lessons.

• On page 12 of the Scaffolded Instruction Handbook, students discuss how italics can be used to represent sounds, to represent thoughts you say in your head, or to give emphasis.
• On page 50 of the Scaffolded Instruction Handbook, students read the title and headlines and look at the illustrations of a text. Students answer questions that include the following: “How is the text organized?”, “How is the text divided?”, and “What information about the text do the title, section headings, and illustrations give you?”
• On page 101 of the Scaffolded Instruction Handbook, students discuss the many types and uses of figurative language from the text. Students answer questions that include the following: “What two things are being compared?”, “What are the clue words in the text?”, and “What is the meaning of the comparison?”

The instructional materials for Grade 3 meet the expectations that the materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

The majority of questions in a module require students to analyze text. Many of the questions measure at levels 2 and 3 on the Depth of Knowledge scale. Students reason, analyze and evaluate the text or texts, and questions and tasks are sequenced so that students analyze and integrate knowledge during each lesson.

• In Unit 1, Module A, Lesson 6, students read the text The Case of the Gasping Garbage and study how characters’ actions contribute to the sequence of events in a text. Students build understanding by reading the text and explaining how the character’s actions of identifying problems and finding solutions through close observation contribute to the sequence of events. Student turn and talk to answer the question, “Why do Neil and Drake make signs to post on the road?" During the second read, students cite evidence to focus on key details of how Drake and Nell use close observation to identify problems and find solutions and to determine how these actions contribute to the story’s event sequence. Students answer questions that include the following: “What do you know about Drake so far?”, “What do you know about Nell so far?”, and "What problem do Drake and Nell Identify in Chapter 3?” Students then analyze temporal words and phrases used in the text and write about establishing a situation in a narrative text.
• In Unit 3, Module B, Lesson 12, students read the text Living Through a Natural Disaster and use its illustrations and other text features to better understand weather and natural disasters. Students turn and talk about how the map on page 13 helps readers better understand the text. Students cite evidence to focus on the various structures and features that readers use to understand a text. Students answer questions that include the following: “When and where was the photograph on this page taken?”, "What evidence in the photograph supports the main idea of the paragraph?”, and “What are two reasons the Haung He overflows its banks?” Students then take notes and quote from a source and write a paragraph from their notes. Students then share their writing and focus on how information from the illustrations helped increase their understanding of the text.

Multiple lessons in each module require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

• In Unit 2 Module A, Lesson 17, students analyze and answer questions across the texts The Year of Miss Agnes and The Frog Princess. Students compare and contrast key details related to character relationships in The Year of Miss Agnes and The Frog Princess. Students discuss questions that include the following: “How are Mamma and the headman’s attitudes toward their children similar?” and “Compare and contrast the cultures of the Tlingit nation, the Frog People, and the Alaskan village in The Year of Miss Agnes.” Student compare and contrast the central message in both texts.
• In Unit 4 Module B, Lessons 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts What is a Government, A More Perfect Union, and Who Really Created Democracy. Students describe, compare, and contrast government processes and structures. Students discuss questions that include, “How do What is a Government? Who Really Created Democracy? and A More Perfect Union tell about Democracy?” Students then compare and contrast the points of view of each of the texts.

Other examples of lessons that integrate knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts include:

• In Unit 1 Module A, Lessons 16, 17, 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts The Case of the Gasping Garbage and Thunder Cake and “Location, Location, Location.”
• In Unit 1 Module B, Lessons 17 & 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts The Moon Seems to Change, Treasure in the Trees, and About Earth.
• In Unit 2 Module B, Lessons 12, 16, 17, and 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts The Song of Sky and Sand and City Homes.
• In Unit 3 Module A, Lessons 10, 16, 17, and 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts Knots on a Counting Rope and Storm in the Night (Lesson 10); The Storm in the Night and Paul Bunyan (Lesson 16); "The Myth of Icarus" and "Anansi’s Long, Thin Legs" (Lesson 17); and Storm in the Night, Knots on a Counting Rope and Paul Bunyan (Lesson 18).
• In Unit 3 Module B, Lessons 10, 16, 17, and 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts Weather and Living Through a Natural Disaster (Lesson 16), On the Same Day in March and Living Through a Natural Disaster (Lesson 17), and all three texts for Lesson 18.
• In Unit 4 Module A, Lessons 10, 16, 17, and 18, students analyze and answer questions across the texts Brave Girl, Below Deck, A Titanic Story, and Back of the Bus.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts.

The materials use a generative approach to vocabulary instruction. In each module of the curriculum, there are Benchmark Vocabulary words that are, according to the Publisher's Guide, important for understanding concepts within the text. This vocabulary is addressed during Focused Reading Instruction where students find and read sentences from the text with the words. Students develop contextual understanding of the Benchmark Vocabulary words in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.

• There are benchmark vocabulary routines for informational texts where students learn 2-6 words. Teachers write the sentence or display the passage that contains the unknown word. Then they encourage students to use context clues or go back in the text to help determine the word. The materials suggest that teachers have students create a semantic map as a class and give students time to talk with a partner using the word.
  • In Unit 4, Module B, benchmark vocabulary words include, but are not limited to, system, goods, export, inspired, influential, colonies, participating, issue, protest, centuries, control, serve, and aristocrat.
• There is a benchmark vocabulary routine for literary texts where students learn 2-6 new words. Teachers write the sentence or display the passage that contains the unknown word. Then students look up the word in the dictionary. Then the teacher uses the word in other ways, and the class discusses the word in more depth. Students compare and contrast the word with synonyms and have a conversation with a partner using the word.
  
  • In Unit 3, Module A, benchmark vocabulary words include, but are not limited to, mileage, margin, catalog, snares, invented, pioneers, migrated, plentiful, preserve, and scarce.

In each module of the curriculum, there are By-the-Way Words that are sophisticated or unusual words for known concepts that can be stumbling blocks to comprehending a text. The words are defined quickly during reading without interfering with the fluent reading of the text. These words are addressed during Close Reading.

• In Unit 1, Module B, while reading the text The Moon Seems to Change, By-The-Way Words include full, sliver, and new.

Students demonstrate their understanding of the generative vocabulary process by using words in conversations, in their writings, and in the Performance-Based Assessments.

The instructional materials for Grade 3 meet the expectations for materials including instruction in writing aligned to the standards, including well-designed plans, models, and protocols to support students writing.

Each writing lesson focuses on a standard based writing type (narrative, opinion, or informative/explanatory). Students receive explicit instruction that guides them through the writing process. Students have writing models from anchor and supporting texts that they can use to examine writers’ styles and techniques. Student have the opportunity to apply writing skills during Independent Writing Practice and share their work at the end of each lesson. Students develop grammar, usage, and convention skills by practicing in their Reader’s and Writer’s Journal.

Each module has a writing goal:

• In Unit 2, Module A, the goal is that writers understand that character's dialogue and actions help develop the events in the story. This aligns with the standard W.3.3 which states that students will write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences.
• In Unit 1, Module B, which focuses on informative writing, students write a magazine article about something in the natural world that they are interested in.

Each module lesson includes writing that is connected either by genre or topic to the texts being read in the lesson. Writing lessons align to the grade-level standards as seen in Unit 2, Module A:

• Standard W.3.3a requires students to establish a situation and introducing a narrator and/or characters in writing and it is addressed in Lesson 4 of this module.
• Standard W.3.3b requires students to use dialogue and descriptors of actions, thoughts, and feelings in writing and is taught in Lessons 8 and 9 of this module.
• Standard W.4.1c requires that students use temporal words in writing and is taught in Lesson 7 of this module.
• Standard W.4.1d requires students to include a closure in writing is taught in Lesson 12 of this module.

Teachers support students during writing and tasks offer multiple opportunities for students to revisit and edit writings edit as their skills develop.

Several of the lessons connect to texts or text sets. For example, in Unit 4, Module B, Lesson 3, students write an opinion piece about the text they read that day. However, not all lessons are connected to texts. For example, in Unit 4 Module A, Lesson 3, students are taught to write an introduction for an opinion piece, but the topic is not connected to a text.

All of the performance based assessments have a presentation opportunity to share students’ writings. For example, in Unit 1, Module B, students put together all of their magazine articles into one magazine and then orally share. In several of the performance based assessments, there are research opportunities for students. For example, in Unit 4, Module B, students are writing about how weather affects people and are given opportunities to research weather and the effects on people.

The instructional materials for Grade 3 fully meet the expectations of indicator 2g. Students engage in a progression of short research projects to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

There are multiple research opportunities in each unit. Students are led through the research process across the school year and the research requirements for students between Unit 1 and Unit 4 increase in complexity.

• In Unit 1, Module B, the performance based assessment requires students conduct research from both the texts that they read throughout the unit as well as additional sources online to create a magazine article.
• In Unit 2, Module B, the performance based assessment requires students to compare and contrast two different communities using the texts, Deep Down and Other Extreme Places to Live as well as City Homes.
• In Unit 3, Module B, the performance based assessment requires students to use information from Weather and Living Through a Natural Disaster to create an engaging news report that explains how weather affects people.
• In Unit 4, Module B, students research the various ways that governments help their people and combine that with what they learned in the book, What is a Government, in their performance based assessment.
• In Unit 4, Module B, students conduct a research project on government, using both the texts from the unit and additional sources online. After conducting the research, students use what they have learned about the topic to an opinion and support it with reasons.

The materials also include a center option called The Research Center that can be visited daily. Suggested research topics are included in each module. For example, in Unit 2, Module B suggestions include researching an unknown culture or comparing and contrasting two cultures.

The materials reviewed for Grade 3 meet the expectations that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class. Independent reading is part of the daily reading instruction. A number of resources are provided to assist students as they engage in a volume of independent reading. Students are provided regular opportunities to apply their learning in the reading lessons to texts of their own choosing. The instructional materials provide students a number of opportunities to extend and apply what they have learned to a “just right” text of their choice.

• The Independent Reading Routine on page TR14 of Teacher’s Guide provides teachers with support and a rationale for implementation.
• An Independent Reading Rubric is included on TR16 of the Teacher’s Guide.
• Students are guided in how to apply the content of the day's Reading Analysis lesson to their self-selected text.
• Students monitor their reading by recording it in their daily reading log. They gauge and record their engagement.
• Students can review books they read on Pearson Realize as well as find an Independent Reading Activity that is appropriate for the text they are reading.
• Each module includes 15 leveled texts which can be used for independent reading.
• Each module includes center time which involves independent reading. During independent reading, the teacher can have the student focus on either a process focus or a strategy focus. A process focus is where students either focus on independence, stamina, or engagement. The strategy focus has students focus on fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, or critical thinking.