8th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials for Grade 8 partially meet the expectations of indicator 2b, as most texts and materials require students to analyze language and/or author's word choice (according to grade level standards). Students analyze key ideas and details, structure, and craft, but the focus is on literary terms more consistently than on building knowledge through rich word study and academic vocabulary application.

Sequences of questions and tasks support students' development in skills around how to analyze the components of text, enabling them to navigate the content and draw conclusions in order to articulate their evidence-based claims, but these questions and tasks do not always target the deep meanings and themes of the texts themselves.

An example of how the materials partially meets the expectation of the indicator is in Unit 3. The students are using a graphic organizer and working in small groups to analyze the language choices in the texts they are studying. They also are directed to do research outside the core texts. In this sample, students work to understand denotation and connotation. A side bar labeled, "Academic Vocabulary" explains, "A euphemism is an inoffensive expression that is a substitute for one that is considered too harsh or blunt." There is a "Word Connections: Roots and Affixes" box that explains, "Euphemism comes from the Greek prefix eu-, meaning 'well' or 'pleasing,' and the Greek root pheme which has the meaning of 'speak.' A person who uses a euphemism speaks with pleasing words."

Students are then given a graphic organizer task: "The Nazis deliberately used euphemisms to disguise the true nature of their crimes. Euphemisms replace disturbing words with diction that have more positive connotations. Work with a small group to analyze how the Nazis manipulated language to disguise the horror of their policies. Research the term euphemism and its use in Nazi Germany. If doing an online search, use an effective search term to find the true meanings of the terms below." The graphic organizer offers the terms (listed as "euphemisms") "relocation," "disinfecting or delousing centers," "camp," and "the final solution." The chart has students fill in the following foe each term: "Denotation (literal definition)," "meaning in context of the Holocaust," "Analyze the Difference in Connotation."

While this lesson activity provides a lot of opportunity for students to study an important literary component, the task does not support students in growing knowledge further with rich academic vocabulary. The focus on the denotation and connotation alone is a missed opportunity as there are other rich words and phrases students have available for this selection.

The Grade 8 materials partially meet the expectations of indicator 2c. Text-dependent questions and tasks are sometimes sequenced for students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within single texts and across multiple texts. Students read to analyze a variety of texts and work with questions and tasks to understand the forms through which ideas are conveyed. The focus on the skills of analysis are present, but the materials do not consistently support students’ building knowledge of the content provided by the texts. Rich texts are used as a vehicle to learn the component parts of texts, but students are not consistently guided to engage in deeper critical thinking about the texts themselves over the course of the school year.

Students read to analyze a variety of texts to understand storytelling. Through close reading and analyzing narrative elements skilled writers use to develop text, students learn to write real and imagined narratives. Students analyze components, organizational structures, and language of narrative text. Students closely read several short stories, analyzing plot development, figurative language, and theme. Students will have practice creating new forms, but opportunities to uncover and understand the core themes, content, and characterization in texts may not be fully supported. Work across texts is focused on surface-level components rather than deeper meanings that may be analyzed through closer work.

For example, in Activity 2.6, Students will read "Banned Books Week: Celebrating the Freedom to Read." As students read the article, they are directed to "...mark the text to indicate information relating to the central idea of the text." After reading students "Create a quick write explaining why books are an important part of our society. Which values do they symbolize? You may use the informational text to guide your response." While these questions do require critical thinking, there is no support for the teacher to guide students who misunderstand or who do not identify key components and elements within the text. The note-taking method does require students to pull evidence from the text, but there is little accountability to ensure knowledge is grown.

In Activity 1.14, the learning targets indicate that students will "Analyze two sets of texts about two historical heroes" and "Compare a poem of tribute to an autobiographical excerpt." After this, they will write a written response. Students are given annotation guidance to consider during reading:

• The two texts that follow were both written to remember and praise Abraham Lincoln after his assassination. As you read, think about how these authors see Lincoln as a heroic figure.
• Use the Key Ideas and Details prompts to make meaning of each text, and use the TP-CASTT strategy to aid analysis of the poems.
• As you read, think about how you could use information from these texts in your heroism definition essay.

There are questions that occur in the sidebars during the reading of "Fredrick Douglass":

• In the first six lines circle all the uses of the word “it” and “thing.” What is “it”? And how is it described?
• How is the cause of both Lincoln and Douglass the same according to these tributes to these men’s lives?

There are questions that occur in the sidebars during the reading of "from The Narrative of The Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave":

• What images does Douglass use to describe his first feelings of freedom and his fear of capture?
• How did Douglass live his life as a heroic example to others?
• What kind of mental, emotional, and physical courage did Frederick Douglass convey in this excerpt from his autobiography?

After reading, students are given a cross-text prompt: Compare Hayden’s poem to Douglass’s autobiographic narrative. What topic of the autobiographic narrative do you see reflected in Robert Hayden’s tribute to Douglass?

The expository writing prompt asks students to do some comparison from the texts and provides these directions:

• Walt Whitman and Dr. Phineas Gurley treat the death of Lincoln as the death of a heroic figure. Robert Hayden also presents Frederick Douglass as a heroic figure. How does Douglass’s autobiographical writing give detail to an understanding of Douglass as a heroic person?
• Think about the texts you just read. How are Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass heroic? Draft a definition paragraph using the example strategy. Be sure to:

• • Begin with a topic sentence that answers the prompt.
  • Provide supporting detail and commentary to develop ideas.
  • Use formal style and appropriate diction for the purpose and audience.
  • Reflect on your writing: How does use of the example strategy strengthen a definition?

Throughout this activity, students are given some sample questions that prompt their thinking about the text, but the instructional supports to guide students is minimal. The focus of the questions and writing tasks use the text to support the writing's development, but do not consistently encourage students to do a careful read to build their knowledge.

The instructional materials for Grade 8 partially meet the expectations for indicator 2d, with questions and tasks supporting students' ability to complete culminating tasks that integrate skills (e.g. combination of reading, writing, speaking, and listening). This integration appears in different parts of each unit as students build their component skills which are then applied in a presentation or production of writing, speaking, or a combination. What is inconsistently applied is students' demonstrating knowledge of the topic or theme through these tasks; students are infrequently engaged in identifying key ideas and new learnings from the readings.

In the forward of each unit in Teacher Edition, in Planning the Unit section, there is a comprehensive Instructional Activity and Pacing Guide that outlines expectations of Culminating Tasks and maps students' sequence of instructional expectations toward mastery of skills needed. Text dependent questions and lessons throughout each unit build to these embedded assessments. Students complete coherent activities as they read texts and practice writing and speaking, and then have an opportunity to demonstrate their new learning via integrated tasks that show their knowledge and literacy skills.

Although students are instructed to focus on the texts as they complete these tasks, the attention given to the skills or writing and reorganizing and note taking may make them a higher priority than the content or knowledge within the texts. There is minimal support for the teacher to identify and guide students who have misunderstandings about the content or themes of the texts themselves; rather, most direction is targeted at the application of skills.

Examples of how the materials work with culminating tasks in this manner include the following:

In Unit 1, students write a "Definition Essay" after reading a series of poems, sermons, and other texts about historical figures and literary characters who embody heroism and character. The instructions include strong support around the writing of the essay, scaffolding students' experiences through the writing process (for example, providing samples of introductory paragraphs and thesis statements.) The prompt for the assignment is as follows (1.14):

Think about people who deserve status as heroes—from the past, from the present, from life, and from literature. What defines a hero? Write a multi-paragraph essay that develops your definition of heroism. Be sure to use strategies of definition (function, example, and negation) to guide your writing.

The rubric and suggested reflection steps focus on the craft of writing the essay, but do not connect back to the rich poetry and texts read prior to the task at hand. There is limited support for the teacher to ensure that students will make connections between the task and knowledge and themes across texts.

Another example is in Unit 3. For Embedded Assessment 1, "Presenting Voices of the Holocaust," students are to "Present a panel discussion in front of your peers in which you explain how the theme or central idea of “finding light in the darkness” is developed in a narrative you have read." However, the culminating task focuses on development of the product itself, instead of re-engaging students with the texts to build knowledge and find connections to other themes and concepts. Guidance for the culminating task includes questions:

Planning:

• How was the theme or central idea of “finding light in the darkness” developed in your Holocaust narrative?
• How did supporting details such as character, plot, and setting contribute to the theme?
• How can you use the organizers supplied in the unit to help you plan your final presentation?
• How will you assign talking points to each group member to include an introduction, at least two supporting details, and a conclusion?

Drafting

• How will the introductory talking point present a hook, summary of the text, and thematic statement?
• How will the supporting talking points explain how an individual, event, or place contributed to theme?
• How will the concluding talking point restate the theme, summarize the main points of the discussion, and elicit textual connections (text to self, text, or world) from the entire group?

Rehearsing:

• How will you prepare notes to respond to and build on ideas and questions presented by other group members?
• How will your group create smooth transitions between speakers?
• How will you provide constructive feedback to each other and incorporate each other’s suggestions?
• How will you use precise diction in order to establish and maintain a formal style?
• How will you use eye contact, volume, and pronunciation to express your ideas clearly?

Reflecting:

• After completing this Embedded Assessment, think about how you went about accomplishing this task, and respond to the following:
• How was the theme or central idea of “finding light in the darkness” developed in the different Holocaust narratives that you heard about in the panel discussions?
• What did you learn from studying and discussing narratives about the Holocaust that you can apply to your own life?

In the rubric, there is only one element of one component that attends to connecting the work to the texts read: "provides relevant elaboration to develop the topic, including textual evidence, details, commentary, and questions." All other rubric components are about the writing and presentation skills.

The instructional materials for Grade 8 partially meet the expectations of indicator 2e. Although there is a list at beginning of each unit with academic and literary terms that are tied to instruction of the unit, there is little support to transfer knowledge beyond each individual unit, and the words that are of focus are not consistently used to build knowledge for further application. The majority of words studied are centered on literary terms, rather than providing students a broad array of academic terms and vocabulary that can be leveraged into further critical reading and study.

Academic vocabulary and Literary terms are introduced before texts, in-texts, and during student activities. Students use their Reader/Writer notebook to record new words and their meanings. Graphic organizers for word study are found in resources at the end of the TE. In the electronic version of the textbook, there is audio support for the pronunciation of the terms as well as a Spanish translation. Each unit provides a list of academic vocabulary and literary terms for the teacher to focus on. The materials include specific questions requiring the students to apply knowledge and understanding of newly learned literary terms and embedded assessments which require the students to utilize and apply knowledge of literary terms and vocabulary (write a story using dialogue, vivid verbs, an figurative language that captures a real or imagined experience and includes characters, conflict, and a plot with exposition, climax, and resolution). The materials provide "Learning Strategy" boxes. Some of the vocabulary learning strategies suggested include QHT, close reading, paraphrasing, and graphic organizers.

Materials provide minimal teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year long vocabulary development component. Students are given a list of academic and literary terms at beginning of each unit, but these words do not consistently appear across multiple units. Students engage with vocabulary instruction in context of reading and writing, but the demands of each unit are different. Although vocabulary instruction is embedded, there is little attention given to struggling student's needs outside of differentiated instruction tips for ELL students and minimal support for advanced learners. Vocabulary is repeated in contexts but not always across multiple texts.