8th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for anchor texts are of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading and consider a range of student interests.

The materials provide students with a variety of high-quality literature, informational texts, and images.The majority of anchor texts in the units are engaging, well-written, content-rich published works and feature many award-winning authors. The text supports the topic units and the skills presented in each lesson and considers a range of student interests such as: heroism, future life, slavery, and the Holocaust.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, students read an excerpt from the book, A Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave by Frederick Douglass. Students read about the actual feelings of a person living in slavery and escaping to freedom. This pivotal book in our history is used to have students examine the actions that lead to a hero.
• In Unit 2, students read the essay, “The Promise of a Post-Driver Life”, by Edward Humes. In this essay, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author shares his conjectures about life in the future. Humes envisions a future of driverless cars and the many benefits that will occur because of the switch from human drivers to autonomous transport. Students will be engaged in this essay because the topic is high-interest, and it includes strong academic vocabulary.
• In Unit 2, students read the novel, Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury. In this dystopian novel, Bradbury challenges readers to imagine a world in which books are outlawed and burned. Students will be engaged in this text, because it includes vivid language to help the reader paint vibrant mental illustrations, allowing them to think deeply about the true message of the novel and confront widely-accepted ideals.
• In Unit 3, students read an excerpt from the memoir, Night, by Elie Weisel. Students read this text about his experiences in German concentration camps as a Jewish prisoner. Students also read an excerpt from Wiesel’s Nobel Acceptance Speech which expresses that one person can make a difference. These readings contain content-rich vocabulary and detailed first-hand descriptions of a devastating time in world history.
• In Unit 4, students read the short story, “The Open Window” by Saki. This short story includes images of the author, as well as a doorway leading into a beautiful garden and open field below. The short story also includes several vocabulary words: duly, rectory, moor, scarcity, laboured, delusion, and mackintosh. This helps students to learn about the words in a more relatable context.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations that materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

The materials represent a mix of informational and literary texts. While some units are not as balanced, the overall program has approximately a 50% literary to 50% informational mixture. For example, Unit 2 is more focused on informational text. Genres include, but are not limited to: articles, essays, short stories, poems, dramas, and novels.

The following are examples of literature found within the instructional materials:

• Unit 1: “The Drummer Boy at Shiloh” by Ray Bradbury (short story)
• Unit 2: The Giver by Lois Lowry or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (novels)
• Unit 3: Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Eve Bunting (children’s book)
• Unit 4: “Who’s on First?” by Bud Abbott and Lou Costello (comedic skit)

The following are examples of informational text found within the instructional materials:

• Unit 1: “A Definition of Gentleman” by John Henry Newman (essay)
• Unit 2: “The Very Human Problem Blocking the Path to Self-Driving Cars” by Alex Davies (article)
• Unit 3: “Address by Cesar Chavez, President, United Farm Workers of America, AFL‐CIO”by Cesar Chavez (speech)
• Unit 4: “Brothers” by Jon Scieszka (essay)

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task.

The texts in the materials are appropriate for Grade 8 according to quantitative and qualitative analysis, and in relation to the associated student task. Some of the Grade 8 materials fall within the 6–8 grade level band (925L–1185L) in terms of quantitative measures and are within the appropriate rigor range in terms of qualitative measures. Other texts fall below the 6–8 grade level in terms of quantitative and qualitative measures, including the main novel students read in Grade 8. The range of Lexile levels in the Grade 8 materials is 630–1590L. Eleven of the texts fall below the band, twelve texts within the band, and twelve texts above the stretch band. Thus, 66% of the texts fall outside of the band for Grades 6–8. Additionally, some texts are quantitatively well-below grade level, but the accompanying student tasks are moderately difficult. Substantial scaffolding is often provided.

Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, the overall quantitative levels are 770L–1230L. In this unit, students read narrative and informative pieces, which are qualitatively and quantitatively accessible for students to navigate working across texts. Out of the seven texts included in the “Text Complexity Grade 8” document, four of them fall within the Lexile band; two are above the band; and one falls below the band. In addition to the readings, students use the Hero’s Journey archetype to analyze text structures. They also examine the ideas and language used in texts.
• Activity 1.12: Text: “Soldier Home After Losing His Leg in Afghanistan” by Gale Fiege. Lexile: 1050L. Qualitative: Moderate. Task Demand: Accessible-Understand.
• Activity 1.13: Text: “Where I Find My Heroes” by Oliver Stone. Lexile: 960L. Qualitative: Low Difficulty. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze.
• Activity 1.14: Text: “White House Funeral Sermon for Abraham Lincoln” by Dr. Phineas D. Gurley. Lexile:1130L. Qualitative: Moderate. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze.
• In Unit 2, the overall quantitative levels are 820L–1590L. Students read a novel, an essay, short-story, and articles which are qualitatively and quantitatively accessible for students to navigate working across texts. Most texts fall in the appropriate Lexile band for Grade 8, and the texts that fall below or above provide appropriate usage of tasks that make the texts appropriate. Students use the text to explore topics, build knowledge, analyze, and synthesize text.
• Activity 2.2: Text: “In a Dreadfully Perfect World” by Benjamin Obler. Lexile: 1180L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze.
• Activities 2.4–2.9 students read one of two novels. Text: The Giver by Lois Lowry. Lexile: 760L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task Demand: Challenging-Create. Or Text: Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Lexile: 890L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task Demand: Challenging-Create. Both texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the Grade 6–8 band.
• Activity 2.11: Text: “Private Eyes” by Brooke Chorlton. Lexile: 1110L. Qualitative: Moderate. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze.
• Activity 2.3: Text “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. Lexile 820L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task Demand: Moderate Analyze.
• In Unit 3, the overall quantitative levels are 590–1290L. Students read a memoir, novel, drama, informational texts, poetry, and a speech. While some texts are qualitatively and quantitatively complex for students, quantitative and qualitative measures fall below grade level for several texts. Some texts are well below grade level, but the accompanying student tasks are moderately difficult. Students synthesize information from multiple texts throughout the unit to support their positions with rhetorical devices and appropriate structure.
• Activity 3.4: Poem: “First They Came for the Communists” by Martin Niemöller. No quantitative or qualitative measures are provided.
• Activity 3.11: Novel Excerpt: Prisoner B‐3087 by Alan Gratz. Lexile 690L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task Demand: Moderate
• Activity 3.16: Informational Text: “See It, Believe It, Do It” an excerpt from Do Something! A Handbook for Young Activists from Vision to Action by Nancy Loblin. Lexile: 1290L. Qualitative: Low Difficulty. Task Demand: Accessible-Comprehend.
• Activity 3.18: Informational Text: “Public Service Announcements.” No author listed. Lexile: 1290L. Qualitative: Low Difficulty. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze.
• In Unit 4, the overall quantitative levels are 710–1410L. Students read essays, articles, novels, poems, a short story, and a play. While some texts are qualitatively and quantitatively complex for students, quantitative and qualitative measures fall below grade level for several texts.Tasks integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Through these tasks, students synthesize skills and knowledge learned over the course of the school year. Some texts are quantitatively well-below grade level, but the accompanying student tasks are moderately difficult. Substantial scaffolding is often provided.
• Activity 4.2: Text: “Made You Laugh” by Marc Tyler Nobleman. Lexile: 910L. Qualitative: Low Difficulty. Task Demand: Accessible-Understand.
• Activity 4.4: Text: “Brothers” by Jon Scieszka. Lexile: 1110L. Qualitative: Low Difficulty. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze.
• Activity 4.13: Text: excerpt from Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. Lexile: 710L. Qualitative: Moderate. Task Demand: Moderate-Analyze..
• Activities 4.16–4.21: Text: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Lexile: NA Drama. Qualitative: Not provided. Task Demand: Not provided.
• Activity 4.18: Text: “Fear Busters—10 Tips to Overcome Stage Fright!” by Gary Guwe. Lexile: 900L. Qualitative: Low Difficulty. Task Demand: Accessible-Understand.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials support students’ literacy skills (understanding and comprehension) over the course of the school year through increasingly complex text to develop independence of grade level skills (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels).

The materials provide an opportunity for students to read a variety of texts at various levels of complexity. Each unit consists of an assortment of increasingly complex texts and focuses on the development of student literacy strategies for reading complex texts independently. Units include texts with a range of complexity levels within the grade level stretch band, and the levels of most texts are located in a complexity chart in the Teacher Wrap section of the materials. Texts are scaffolded through multiple reading groupings such as in pairs, small groups, read alouds, and independently. Literacy skills are also supported through the use of graphic organizers and instruction on various strategies, such as close reading, marking the text, and guided reading. The complexity of anchor texts and literacy skills taught throughout the school year support students’ proficiency in reading independently at grade level at the end of the school year.

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.5, the teacher reads aloud the poem, “Ithaka” by C. P. Cavafy and encourages students to attend to the use of figurative language. In the Teacher Wrap, the materials suggest the students reread the text and answer the text dependent questions in small groups. The text dependent questions focus on how figurative language communicates ideas, creates mood, and conveys the theme in the poem.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.2, students listen and mark the text as the teacher reads aloud the essay, “In a Dreadfully Perfect World” by Benjamin Obler. In the Teacher Wrap, the complexity level of this text quantitatively is a 1180 Lexile (complex text) and qualitatively a “moderately difficult” text. Students are analyzing informational text by studying the compare-contrast organizational pattern and evaluating details in the text to determine key ideas, examine the text’s compare-contrast pattern, and complete a Venn diagram comparing utopian and dystopian works using details from the essay. The teacher facilitates a discussion, and decides on the reading approach, in pairs or independently, for the second read of the text. In the Teacher Wrap, the text complexity is listed quantitatively as a 1180 Lexile and qualitatively as moderately difficult. At the end of the activity, students “write a short paragraph comparing and contrasting utopian and dystopian societies, settings, and characteristics.”
• In Unit 3, students read several texts about the Holocaust and analyze their themes. In Activity 3.4, students read an excerpt from Night by Elie Wiesel and the poem “First they Came for the Communists” by Martin Niemöller. In the Teacher Wrap, the complexity level of Night quantitatively is a 630 Lexile (accessible text) and qualitatively a “moderately difficult” text. The first reading of the poem is completed in pairs. The second read is completed chorally, where individual students read aloud the first three stanzas and then chorally read the last stanza. After reading, in small groups, students complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting the two texts based on the structure, language, and theme of each text. In Activity 3.5, students read the children’s book Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust, by Eve Bunting. At the end of the activity, students respond independently to the following prompt: “Write a paragraph explaining how the theme of this story is similar to the theme of Wiesel's excerpt and Niemöller's poem.”
• In Unit 4, Embedded Assessment 1, students independently write an analysis of a humorous text using the skills from the previous units and activities. In the Teacher Wrap, the materials suggest that teachers provide the humorous texts for the students, differentiating by reading levels. Students analyze the text, select evidence which supports their theses, draft their analyses, evaluate their writing, and revise their analyses independently.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria that anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level. 

The Text Complexity Grade 8 document includes an analysis of the quantitative, qualitative, and reader/task measures of each text. The publisher-provided document includes a clear rationale for the purpose and placement of the texts chosen, as well as detailed Task Considerations and Reader Considerations. Further analytical considerations about texts can be found in the Teacher Wrap section. Such considerations include specific instructional applications for teachers, including how to support student analysis of the text with appropriate grouping and reading routines such as paired reading and whole-group read alouds. The materials also include specific sections in which the texts are woven together for a particular educational purpose. For example, the Knowledge Quest sections that are embedded throughout each of the units provide a collection of texts around a specific topic to allow students to integrate information about a topic from multiple sources.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.14, students read an excerpt from “White House Funeral Sermon for Abraham Lincoln” by Dr. Phineas D. Gurley to analyze key ideas and details. The Lexile Level is 1130L, which is within the appropriate Lexile Band for Grades 6-8. The qualitative measure is moderate due to the dense and archaic language. The task measures are moderate for eighth grade. Also, in this activity is a Knowledge Quest section that includes two poems and an excerpt from an autobiography which allow students to integrate knowledge from multiple texts about similar topics. The overall text complexity rating of this text is complex.

• In Unit 2, students read a novel for the first half of the unit. Teachers choose either: The Giver by Lois Lowry. Lexile: 760L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task: Challenging (Create). Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury. Lexile: 890L. Qualitative: Moderate Difficulty. Task: Challenging (Create) For these novels, limited text complexity information is found in the Teacher Wrap section, and detailed information is not provided in the “Text Complexity Grade 8” document.

• In Unit 3, Activity 3.14, students read the informational text, “Wangari Maathai” from BBC News, to analyze how one person can make a difference. The Lexile Level is 1190L, which is in the appropriate Lexile Stretch Band for Grades 6-8. The qualitative measure is moderate due to the clear literal language and vocabulary support offered to students. The task measures are moderate for eighth graders. Also, in this activity is a Knowledge Quest section that includes Wangari Maathai’s Nobel Speech, as well as two other informational texts so that students can integrate knowledge across multiple texts. The overall text complexity rating of this text is complex.

• In Unit 4, Activity 4.13, students read an excerpt from Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman. The Lexile level is 710L, which is below the appropriate Lexile Band level for Grade 8. Other information provided is as follows: “...the qualitative measures indicate a moderate difficulty level, due to its multiple points of view and subtly conveyed chronology.” The task demands are accessible and focus on students working “...collaboratively to sequence the events in the excerpt. Then they use the RAFT strategy to transform the excerpt into a monologue from the point of view of one character…” The overall text complexity rating for this text is complex.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations for anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of texts to achieve grade level reading.

The materials consist of multiple complex texts and scaffolded instruction to help students develop the skills and strategies necessary to achieve grade level proficiency in reading. Students engage in reading complex texts aloud as a class, independently, in pairs, and small groups. Texts are organized in units with texts that support the unit’s theme. Genres include, but are not limited to, film clips, novels, poetry, and informational texts. Each unit contains a variety of texts and activities that require students to think deeply, monitor their understanding, and apply the knowledge they learn through meaningful tasks and assessments. In the Teacher Wrap, the teacher is provided with opportunities to monitor student progress through formative and summative assessment data both anecdotally and through formal assessments. Students are also prompted throughout the activities and after assessments to reflect on their own learning.

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety and volume of texts to become independent readers at the grade level.

Materials include a mechanism for teachers and/or students to monitor progress toward grade level independence. Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.12, students do a shared reading of the poem, “A Man” by Nina Cassian. Students reread the text independently while responding to text-dependent questions. Next, students complete a shared reading of the article, “Soldier home after losing his leg in Afghanistan” by Gale Fiege. Students reread the text in pairs or small groups while responding to the text-dependent questions. In Activity 1.13, teachers read the article, “Where I Find My Heroes” by Oliver Stone, aloud to students. Students reread the text in small groups while completing the Working from the Text graphic organizer. In Activity 1.14, students do a shared small group reading of a pair of texts about either Abraham Lincoln or Frederick Douglass. The Lincoln group reads an excerpt from “White House Funeral Sermon for Abraham Lincoln” by Dr. Phineas D. Gurley and the poem, “O Captain! My Captain!” by Walt Whitman. The group does a shared reading of the poem for the class. The Douglass group reads an excerpt from the autobiography, The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave by Frederick Douglass, and the poem, “Frederick Douglass” by Robert Hayden. The teacher reads the autobiography aloud to the class. Throughout the activity, students in both groups engage in discussion and respond to text-dependent questions which require them the return to and reread the texts.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.2, the teacher reads aloud an essay, titled “In a Dreadfully Perfect World” by Benjamin Obler. Then students reread the text independently or in pairs, per teacher choice. In Activity 2.3, students read the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut. The teacher conducts a read-aloud of the first two paragraphs and models annotating for the setting. Then, students read the text in small groups, continuing to annotate. Students reread the text with a small group and answer text-dependent questions. In Activity 2.4, students begin a novel study of either The Giver by Lois Lowry (760L and moderate difficulty) or Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (890L and moderate difficulty). This lesson covers pages 1-19 of The Giver, or pages 1-21 of Fahrenheit 451. In this activity, students preview the novel and begin independently reading. In Embedded Assessment 1, the students complete an assessment to write an essay that “communicates your understanding of dystopia or the Hero’s Journey.” After the assessment, students are asked to reflect on their progress. The teacher uses a rubric to score the assessment.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.4, students work in pairs to read and discuss an excerpt from Elie Wiesel’s critically acclaimed memoir, Night. In the Teacher Wrap, the teacher is directed to “Move from pair to pair and listen in as students answer the text-dependent questions. If they have difficulty, scaffold the questions by rephrasing them or breaking them down into smaller parts. See the Scaffolding the Text-Dependent Questions boxes for suggestions.” In Activity 3.5, students continue learning about the Holocaust by listening to a teacher-led read aloud of the book, Terrible Things: An Allegory of the Holocaust by Eve Bunting. Students analyze the allegory in the book and also read the poem, “First They Came for the Communists” by Martin Niemöller. After reading the texts, students work with a group to perform a dramatic reading from one of the passages. In Activity 3.6, students participate in literature circles to analyze diction in Holocaust texts. In Activity 3.7, students continue working literature in circles to analyze documents on the Holocaust website to further deepen their understanding of what happened during this time in history.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.5, students independently read an essay, entitled “I’ve Got a Few Pet Peeves about Sea Creatures” by Dave Barry. After reading, students answer questions regarding the use of comedic features in the text, examining specific word choices and examining the personal stories included in the piece. Based on this, students conduct an audience analysis to explain the effect that this piece likely has on the audience, helping the teachers understand if students understand the main ideas. In Activity 4.6, students independently read an article, entitled “Underfunded Schools Forced to Cut Past Tense from Language Programs” (The Onion). Both independently and collaboratively, students examine the satirical elements in this piece through a variety of questions and charts. Based on student responses, teachers are able to monitor progress. In Activity 4.7, students independently read a short story, entitled “The Open Window” by Saki (H.H. Munro). Students conduct a character analysis, noting various aspects of the characters, in preparation to answer questions regarding the characters, as well as the word choices and their effect on the plot.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials are divided into four units of study, with a variety of texts and activities that provide students ample opportunities to engage directly with the texts when completing tasks. “Returning to the Text” and “Working with the Text” are two sections in the materials that require students to return to the text to complete text-dependent questions and activities. Also, most writing tasks and assessments include instructions to provide text evidence to support the students' thinking. In the Teacher Wrap section, teachers are given guidance, instructions, and suggestions for the planning and implementation of text-dependent questions to utilize with the reading in class.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.12, “Returning to the Text,” after reading the poem “A Man” by Nina Cassian, students return to the text to answer text-dependent questions and are instructed to “Use text evidence to support your responses.” For example, Question 1 states: “What kinds of things is the man afraid of not being able to do? What do these worries tell you about his character?” This question requires students to “Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.6, “Teacher Wrap,” teachers are provided with guidance in planning, and implementing text-dependent questions and activities. For example, with the text, “Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read” by American Library Association, the materials instruct the teacher to, “Remind students that a plot is the rising and falling action of a story with the climax, forms a chain of main events.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.3, “Working from the Text,” after reading the short story, “Harrison Bergeron” by Kurt Vonnegut, students are instructed to do the following: “Question 16: Return to the text and take notes on the setting and the rules of the society. Underline any sentences that give you this information. Question 17: Use your annotations about the setting and the rules of the society to complete the following chart. Practice embedding quotations in your responses.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.11, students engage with the text directly by completing the activity: Writing to Sources: Informational Writing. In this activity, students “write a short, objective summary of the excerpt from Prisoner B-3087, including its theme and how the characters, setting, and plot relate to the theme. Students must be sure to: include a topic sentence that states the theme; include details and quotes from the text in the summary; explain how characters, setting, and plot relate to the theme.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.19, “Returning to the Text,” after reading a speech from Cesar Chavez, students return to the text to complete text-dependent questions. For example, Question 4 states, “Think about the logic of Chavez’s argument about the relationship between human health and pesticides. How does the author depend on logical reasoning and relevant evidence (logos)?” This question requires students to “Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text.”
• In Unit 4, National ELA Grade 8 Unit 4 Part 2 Summary Assessment, students are required to engage with the text with this assessment. An example is as follows: “Read this excerpt from “The Battle of the Frogs and Mice.” Then answer Question 3: What element of humor is best expressed by Ares’ comment?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for having sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates skills (may be writing, speaking, or a combination).

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide students with quality tasks that integrate skills including writing and speaking tasks required by the standards. Text-dependent questions and speaking opportunities are coherently sequenced to build to a culminating task. Some examples of culminating tasks that provide opportunities for students to demonstrate an understanding of their learning through writing, speaking, or a combination of both include the Embedded Assessments in each unit. Opportunities include completing graphic organizers, text-dependent questions, class discussions, and performances/presentations.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Embedded Assessment 1, students write an informational essay and participate in a collaborative discussion. Students respond to the following prompt: “Write an argumentative essay in which you convince an audience to support your claim about a debatable idea. Use your research and experience or observations to support your argument.” Students gather evidence from texts read in class by answering series of text-dependent questions in Activities 2.10-2.17. For example, in Activity 2.17, Independent Reading Checkpoint, students respond to the following question about the texts they have read on their topic: “Which information supports your claim? Which information counters your claim? How can you use this information to strengthen your argument?”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.8, students research and draft a narrative of a Holocaust victim, and then present their narrative. At the beginning of the activity, students reflect on the victims, perpetrators, rescuers, and bystanders of the Holocaust. They research ID cards from the Holocaust victims from the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum. Based on that research students then “...draft a story about the victim’s experiences.” After time to revise and edit, students practice and then present their narrative. “Prepare and present an oral reading of your revised narrative to a small group of peers.” Finally, students discuss the following with a partner: “How did the process of researching a person from the Holocaust and trying to see the world from that person's perspective add to your understanding of the Holocaust? What evidence supported your understanding of the Holocaust experience?”.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.15, students read and interpret meaning from Shakespeare, and “Deliver a line with proper inflection, tone, gestures, and movement.” Students begin this lesson by analyzing several insulting lines from Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. After analyzing the lines, the students select one and complete a graphic organizer to answer how they will use inflection, tone, and gestures to enhance the line. After time to rehearse students “...role-play by becoming that character and feeling that emotion.” This activity helps students prepare for Embedded Assessment 2: Performing a Shakespearean Dialogue.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small groups, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide multiple opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that help support the growth of students’ speaking and listening skills over the course of the grade. The tasks encourage and/or require the discussion to incorporate the vocabulary, text, or topics of the unit. Some of the discussion protocols include, but are not limited to, performance, literature circles, and small group discussions. Teacher guidance is located in the Teacher Wrap for providing support and scaffolding for evidence-based discussions, including modeling and the use of academic vocabulary and syntax. All the tasks are appropriate and connect to the standards required for Grade 8.

Materials provide multiple opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials, including support for teachers to identify students struggling with these skills. Support for evidence-based discussions encourages modeling and a focus on using academic vocabulary and syntax. Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.11, students respond to text-dependent questions after watching the clips from the film, Big Hero 6. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers facilitate student discussion of the text-dependent questions: “Guide a collaborative conversation with students to review their Hero's Journey Archetype graphic organizers. Ask students to discuss the events on Hiro's Road of Trials and what he learned as a result. Guide them in analyzing how the events develop the theme of the film. Have students add a paragraph explaining how the theme is developed by events in the film to the last row of their graphic organizers.” Students are encouraged to cite evidence from the text.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.9 students answer two questions about the hero’s boon. ”Interpret the hero’s boon: What did the hero achieve through this journey?” and “Which characteristics helped the hero to achieve the boon or influence the resolution to the conflict?” Then in small groups, they “share their answers and evaluate others’ interpretation of the hero’s boon.” In the Teacher Wrap, the teacher reminds students to use text evidence to support or disagree with the interpretation.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.3, students learn the protocol for and roles of Literature Circles. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers model literature circle practices for students to help grow students’ skills. Students practice and participate in literature circles to discuss the Holocaust texts. Students are encouraged to cite evidence from the text in fulfilling the responsibilities of their jobs in the Literature Circle.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.5, students read through a comedic text. The teacher facilitates a whole-group discussion using the “Knowledge Quest” questions. As the group participates in the discussion, in the Teacher Wrap, the teacher is directed to provide scaffolding and modeling so that students are able to improve their speaking and listening skills. Students then prepare for a Socratic Seminar. In the Teacher Wrap, in preparation, the teacher is told to revisit Unit 2 where the actual protocols are provided and to review with students the procedure and norms. Teacher directions include, “Set up a fishbowl (inner and outer circles) so that only half of your class is discussing at a time. After 10 minutes, switch the inner and outer circles so that everyone has an opportunity to discuss.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectation that materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide students with various opportunities to develop speaking and listening skills throughout the year. Students engage in a multitude of discussions and listening tasks which increase with difficulty over the course of the school year. Students demonstrate learning by completing such tasks that include, but are not limited to, discussions, performances, and Socratic Seminars. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers are provided with guidance on modeling and monitoring of the tasks. They are also provided with scaffolds and extensions so teachers can support struggling and accelerated students. The tasks encourage and/or require students to cite evidence from the texts and sources from the activity.

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading and researching through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Some examples are as follows:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.2, students participate in a discussion with a small group around different quotes about challenges. The teacher places the students in groups of four and gives one quote to each group. Teachers are instructed to “Give the group a set amount of time to define unfamiliar words using print or digital resources.” Then students use a graphic organizer to paraphrase the quote, provide examples, and then characterize the quote as “... an obstacle, a difficult task or an opportunity.” Then they compose a sentence that connects the “...challenge to the concept of heroism.” In the Teacher Wrap, guidance is provided for teachers to differentiate as needed including, but not limited to, “asking and answering simple questions.” The teacher is prompted to circulate and monitor the discussion and to “Model steps in the process as needed.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.6, students participate in a Socratic Seminar. The students begin by completing a graphic organizer to gather evidence for the discussion about the value behind certain laws and whether you agree or disagree with the law. These are connected to the various utopian and dystopian texts they have read in class and independently. The students record speaking and listening goals before beginning. In the Teacher Wrap, teachers are instructed to discuss the strategy and model it. The teacher gives clear expectations of the inner and outer circle’s roles and expectations. Further scaffolding is listed such as using poker chips of colored cards to maintain a balance of those participating. Sentence starters are also provided for students as needed. Finally, after the Socratic Seminar, students reflect on their speaking and listening goals.
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.3, students compare and contrast utopian ideals and dystopian reality by analyzing Kurt Vonnegut’s “Harrison Burgeron.” Students are expected to use evidence from the text to develop their talking points in the group discussion. Teachers listen as groups discuss, stopping to provide guidance and scaffolding for students who are struggling; teachers will assess student understanding of the text based on how students respond during the discussion.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.3, students practice participating in literature circle discussions. Teachers are instructed to support struggling students: “If students need additional help participating in their Literature Circle roles, provide them with a Collaborative Dialogue graphic organizer. Have students use this organizer to help them actively listen and participate during collaborative discussions about the Holocaust and related texts.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.18, students build their speaking and listening skills by practicing for a scene they will present. Students analyze two informational texts about stagefright, and apply what they learn to their performance. As students prepare for their presentations, they rehearse their lines in small groups, and the teacher provides additional guidance to ensure students are growing in their speaking and listening skills.
  

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the expectations that materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g., multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide a mix of on-demand and process writing, which include short and longer writing tasks and projects, throughout the school year. Writing tasks include short on-demand writing, such as Quickwrites, and other short writing tasks, such as Independent Reading Links and Writing to Sources activities. Students also have opportunities to return to previous writing in order to revise and edit their original drafts. Finally, most units have two Embedded Assessments that require longer process writing including prewriting, revising, and editing the drafts. Some Embedded Assessments can be completed as on-demand writing tasks at the discretion of the teacher. Additionally, students conduct research using digital resources.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.7, Quickwrite, after reading an excerpt of the Odyssey by Homer, students “write an explanation of how Odysseus' character influences the events and resolution of the Odyssey excerpt. Include at least two examples of text evidence to support your response.”
• In Unit 1, Activity 1.16, Independent Reading Link, students complete the following task: “Prepare a short persuasive written presentation. In it, describe a text you have independently read or are reading that incorporates the Hero's Journey archetype. Include an active recommendation of the text and provide clear reasons for that recommendation. Include relevant vocabulary from your activities so far. Present your presentation orally.”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.3, Writing to Sources: Informational Text, students complete a short, on-demand writing responding to the following prompt: “Write a short paragraph explaining how “Harrison Bergeron” conveys the conflict between the needs or ideals of society and the realities of individuals. Be sure to: begin with a topic sentence that describes the setting and explains how it influences the values and beliefs of characters, provide examples from the text and use at least one direct quotation to support your ideas, and write sentences using the words utopia and dystopia in ways that demonstrate their meanings.”
• In Unit 2, Embedded Assessment 2: Writing an Argumentative Essay, students “write an argumentative essay in which you convince an audience to support your claim about a debatable idea. Use your research and evidence or observations to support your argument.” Planning, prewriting, drafting, evaluating and revising, and checking and editing for publication are included in this writing task.
• In Unit 3, Embedded Assessment 2, students create a multimedia presentation that utilizes researched information to inspire the audience of peers to make a difference on a national or global scale. A graphic organizer assists students through the planning, researching, drafting, and presenting stages of the writing process. In this graphic organizer, students are prompted to consider online resources to find information about national or global issues.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.4, students use the TWIST graphic organizer (Tone, Word Choice, Imagery, Style, and Theme) to plan and write their own anecdote. After planning and writing the anecdote, students share the draft with a partner and get peer feedback.
  

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide opportunities for students to engage in multiple genres of writing, including, but not limited to narrative, argumentative, and informative/explanatory. For each mode of writing, students learn about the mode through both reading texts and writing tasks throughout the unit. In the SpringBoard materials, each unit focuses on a mode of writing. Unit 1 focuses on narrative and informative, Unit 2 focuses on informative/explanatory and argumentative, and Unit 4 includes informative/explanatory. These writing tasks include on-going writing activities and cumulative embedded writing assessments. The small on-going writing tasks, such as Writing Prompts or Writing to Sources, provide scaffolding of the focused writing process included in the Embedded Assessment. They allow teachers and students to monitor students’ progress in writing and also give students opportunities to practice the focused type of writing prior to assessments. The majority of writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets within the unit, as they serve as model texts for the type of writing students are expected to create. Scoring Guides are provided for writing assessments for both students and teachers prior to writing.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activities 1.1-1.9, students learn about the narrative mode and read example narratives, such as an excerpt of the Odyssey by Homer, to illustrate the elements of an effective narrative. In Unit 1, Embedded Assessment 1, students engage in narrative writing by responding to the following prompt: “Think about all the heroes you have encountered in fiction and real life. What type of hero appeals to you? Write and create an illustrated narrative about an original hero. Use the Hero's Journey archetype to develop and structure your ideas.”
• In Unit 2, Activities 2.1-2.9, students learn about the informative mode and read example informational pieces, such as “In a Dreadfully Perfect World” by Benjamin Obler, to illustrate the elements of effective informative writing. In Unit 2, Embedded Assessment 1, students engage in informative writing by responding to one of the following prompts: “Write an essay that compares and contrasts life in the dystopian society of the novel you read with our modern-day society.” or “Write an essay that explains how the protagonist (hero) changes as a result of conflict with his dystopian society (Road of Trials) and how this change connects to the novel's theme (the Crossing or Return Threshold).”
• In Unit 2, Activity 2.13, Writing to Sources: Argument, students respond to the following prompt after reading the texts, “The Promise of a Post-Driver Life” by Edward Humes and “It’s Time to Tap the Brakes on Self-Driving Cars” from The Times Editorial Board: “Now that you have evaluated both arguments for sound or faulty reasoning including logical fallacies, select one of them to challenge. After selecting an argument, choose one quote from the text to support your challenge. Use the TLQC format you learned in Unit 1 (Activity 1.15) to state the importance of the evidence.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.14, Writing Prompt: Informational Text, students respond to the following prompt: “Explain a cause that you believe in to your classmates. Use the RAFT strategy to plan a first draft including selecting an appropriate genre. Some genres to consider are campaign posters, speeches, public service announcements, or digital texts such as: websites, podcasts, or commercials. Be sure to: include an opening statement that introduces your cause and why you support it; choose an appropriate genre for the topic, audience, and purpose; and incorporate elements that are characteristic of the genre.”
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.14, Writing to Sources: Informational Text, the students respond to the following task: “Select an anecdote in audio or visual format. Write a paragraph explaining the humor the author creates and its intended response. Be sure to: clearly state how the anecdote uses the elements of humor; include examples from the text to support your analysis; use precise diction; and use participles, gerunds, and infinitives in your writing.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria for materials include frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level.

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide frequent opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using textual evidence. Most writing opportunities are focused around students’ analyses and claims developed from reading text closely and working with sources. Students have short informal writing tasks, such as Writing to Sources and Independent Reading Checkpoint, as well as longer writing tasks, such as Embedded Assessments, where they must provide reasons and cite evidence to support their claims. Over the course of the units, students engage in informative and argumentative writing in which they analyze texts and support their claims with text evidence. These writing tasks help build students' writing skills over the course of the school year.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Activity 1.14, Writing to Sources, students “think about the four texts in this activity. Explain how Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass were heroic. Draft a definition paragraph using the elements of a well-developed explanatory body paragraph.” Additionally, students are instructed to “provide supporting details and commentary to develop ideas.”
• In Unit 1, Activity 1.9, Independent Reading Checkpoint, students analyze their independent reading selection, and provide evidence for their claims in responding to the following prompt: “What accomplishments did the protagonist in your independent reading text achieve? What vivid language did the author use to describe these accomplishments? Explain why you think these accomplishments do or do not make this character a hero. Describe any personal connections that you have made to this text. Use complex and compound-complex sentences in your explanation, and include correctly punctuated dialogue from the excerpt.”
• In Unit 2, Embedded Assessment 2, Writing an Argumentative Letter, students “write an argumentative essay in which you convince an audience to support your claim about a debatable idea.” Students are instructed to “Use your research and experience or observations to support your argument.”
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.9, Writing to Sources: Informational Text, students write an informative text responding to the following prompt: “One of the themes of Life Is Beautiful is the ability to find the good in a very difficult situation. Write a draft of an informational essay that describes some of the ways Holocaust victims found hope in the dark reality of their lives. Make sure you use at least two examples from the movie and/or the texts in your writing.” Students use evidence from the movie and the texts they have read to support their claims.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.10, Writing to Sources: Informational Text, students compare and contrast two poems, “Mooses” by Ted Hughes and “Is Traffic Jam Delectable?” by Jack Prelutsky, to explain how each poet uses comedic language to share a universal theme. Students are required to use precise language to refer to the humorous elements and to support their claims with evidence from the texts.
  
  

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 8 meet the criteria that materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for the grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

The Grade 8 SpringBoard materials provide three types of grammar and conventions lessons: Language Checkpoints, Grammar and Usage, Language, and Author’s Craft. Language Checkpoint lessons are isolated lessons in which students complete tasks in which they work with models and return to their own reading and writing to examine a specific area of grammar or conventions. Grammar and Usage lessons and Language and Author’s Craft lessons are embedded within the materials, incorporate the texts within the units, and progress to more sophisticated contexts throughout the school year. Grammar and convention lessons are identified by a green symbol in the Planning a Unit section and the Teacher Wrap section, so teachers can easily identify the location of these standards in the materials.

Materials include explicit instruction of grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. Some examples are as follows:

• Students have opportunities to explain the function of verbals (gerunds, participles, infinitives) in general and their function in particular sentences.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.4, Language & Writer’s Craft, students engage in a short lesson on the uses of infinitives, participles, and gerunds in sentences. They practice by completing the following task: “Practice: In your Reader/Writer Notebook, write a brief summary of Jon Scieszka's anecdote using one infinitive, one gerund, and one participle.”
• Students have opportunities to form and use verbs in the active and passive voice.
• In Unit 3, Activity 3.8, Language & Writer’s Craft, students engage in a short lesson on active and passive voice of verbs. Students practice by completing the following task: “Practice: Find some examples of active and passive voice in your reading or writing. Write several examples in your Reader/Writer Notebook and try changing them to the opposite voice to see which has more impact.”
• Students have opportunities to form and use verbs in the indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, and subjunctive mood.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.6, Language & Writer’s Craft, students receive instruction on inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood. In part of the instructional review, the materials include the following information: “As you've learned, there are two major verb voices in language (active and passive), and five major verb moods(indicative, imperative, interrogative, conditional, subjunctive). When writers shift voice and mood inappropriately, it can cause confusion for the reader.”
• Students have opportunities to recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood.
• In Unit 4, Activity 4.6, Language & Writer’s Craft, student-facing materials provide an explanation and examples of inappropriate shifts in verb voice and mood. Students then practice revising the following sentence to assure the voice and mood are consistent: “We should spend our tax dollars preparing kids for the future, and you must get rid of the past tense.”
• Students have opportunities to use punctuation (comma, ellipsis, dash) to indicate a pause or break. Students have opportunities to use an ellipsis to indicate an omission.
• In Unit 3, Activity LC 3.10, Language Checkpoint, teachers instruct students on the use of punctuation to indicate pauses or breaks within sentences, including commas, ellipses, and dashes. Students utilize parts of the play, The Diary of Anne Frank by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, to practice explaining the functions of these punctuation marks. Students then revise and rewrite sentences and a paragraph containing commas, ellipses, and dashes. For further practice, students write a short scene including these punctuation marks.
• Students have opportunities to spell correctly.
• In Unit 2, Embedded Assessment 1, students write an informational essay. They may select one of two prompts to respond to in this assessment, both of which focus on dystopian societies. In the Checking and Editing for Publication Stage of Writing, students must “Confirm that your final draft is ready for publication” by answering the following question: “How will you proofread and edit your draft to demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and usage?” Spelling correctly is also included in the Scoring Guide for this assignment. The expectation is that students “demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, spelling, grammar, and usage (including a variety of syntax)” as they craft their essays.