12th Grade - Gateway 1

The StudySync materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading.

StudySync materials provide opportunities to read across genres and levels of complexity, cover a range of diverse topics and student interests, and are age-appropriate for the grade level. Additionally, the textual enhancements often provide historical context and background information on the author and the text itself. With the exception of short stories, poems, letters, and essays, StudySync materials sometimes rely on the use of text excerpts. The StudySync Library includes the following note about text excerpts: “Please note that excerpts in the StudySync® library are intended as touchstones to generate interest in an author's work. StudySync® believes that such passages do not substitute for the reading of entire texts and strongly recommends that students seek out and purchase the whole literary or informational work.”

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next?, “Commencement Address at Wellesley College,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “the text examines how one’s identity can transform the future.” The text is relevant, and students can connect with the message as seniors preparing for graduation. The content is age-appropriate. Students can gain more information about challenging concepts and vocabulary by hovering over certain words or phrases, such as kola nut.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students read “The Postmaster,” by Rabindranath Tagore. This short story, written as a parable, shares the friendship between an unhappy, selfish adult man and a young orphan who cares for him. The story references geographical locations in India, which will provide students the opportunity to gain knowledge about this time in history. Students will analyze story elements such as characterization, conflict, and the theme of loneliness and love.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, the author Fredrick Douglass stresses that self-made individuals do not inherit their position by birth, but instead achieve success through their efforts in an excerpt taken from his text, “Self-Made Men.” The topic is engaging for students and includes rich language and challenging vocabulary. Students can connect the topic to their own lives.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students read “Freedom,” by Ursula K. Le Guin. In this acceptance speech of the 2014 National Book Foundation Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters Award, Le Guin challenges readers and writers to consider the cost of marketing and finances versus the importance of creativity. Students will need to evaluate the importance of making money in regards to artistic freedom.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T. S. Eliot, is classic poetry which is appropriate for the grade level. The video includes imagery connecting to the content before students read independently. Where appropriate, additional information is available to students by hovering over a word or phrase, such as Michelangelo. Written in a unique tone and stream-of-consciousness style, the poem will challenge readers. Some of the diction will require students to use context clues to determine meaning. Students analyze style to make inferences about the poem’s speaker.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, the “Commencement Address at the New School,” by Zadie Smith, may stretch the thinking of the reader and allow students to reflect on how they might make positive changes in the world. Throughout the speech, the rich language adds to its complexity.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis.

StudySync materials provide texts that are at the appropriate level of complexity for Grade 12. Texts that fall below the Lexile range are made more complex by their qualitative features and classroom activities that encourage students to delve deeper into the theme, author’s purpose, word choice, and more. Texts that are above the Lexile range are often paired with more accessible texts to aid in overall understanding and have appropriate supports in place to help students grasp the author's purpose and demonstrate comprehension. However, some of the quantitative information indicated, in the StudySync materials, is often different from other sources, such as The Lexile Framework for Reading website. In some cases the materials provide Lexile levels for the excerpt, rather than the Lexile levels of the published texts.

The English Language Arts (ELA) Grade Level Overview for Grade 12 provides additional information relating to qualitative features for each text, and guidance is available for teachers to assist students in accessing more complex text around a common topic.

Examples of texts with appropriate text complexity include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next?, “We Choose to Go to the Moon” by John F. Kennedy
• Quantitative: 1470L
• Qualitative: Many of Kennedy’s sentences are quite long; Paragraph 17 is a single sentence with over 150 words. The sentences are not always complex but do include rhetorical devices such as parallelism and figurative language. Students will need to make frequent inferences based on Kennedy’s use of imagery.
• Reader and Task: Students examine the reasons President Kennedy lists for wanting to cultivate the space program and send Americans to the Moon by the end of the 1960s: “Based on his speech, what do you think motivates him? Do you find his use of rhetoric persuasive?” Students use evidence from the text to support their answer.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, “A Letter to NFL GMs” by Shaquem Griffin
• Quantitative: 970L
• Qualitative: An open letter is a letter written for a specific person or group of people, but the letter is also published for anyone else to read. Shaquem Griffin’s open letter is addressed to General Managers of the National Football League. He wants this specific group to read his letter, but he also wants to share his story with people in general. Readers will need to link the purpose of this letter to the stories that are contained within it.
• Reader and Task: Students write a response in which they answer these questions. “Why do you think Shaquem Griffin chose to write an open letter to general managers in the NFL? What is Griffin’s point of view in the letter, and how does he use his personal experiences to defend it? What do you think he hoped to accomplish by publishing this letter online?” Students use textual evidence to support their responses.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, After Being Convicted of Voting in the 1872 Presidential Election by Susan B. Anthony
• Quantitative: 1200L
• Qualitative: Technical language related to law, such as indictment for the alleged crime and powers derived from the consent of the governed, may challenge readers. Lengthy sentences with multiple phrases and clauses may also pose a challenge.
• Reader and Task: Students write an argumentative (or persuasive) speech in which they convince the audience that Susan B. Anthony’s argument strengthens with each paragraph of her speech. Students must quote passages from the text to support their claims and provide a concluding statement that follows from and supports the argument.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• Quantitative: Excerpt 1610L, Full Text 790L
• Qualitative: This text uses archaic and unfamiliar words that may prove to challenge students. The text makes references to several people, places, and events that may be unfamiliar to contemporary American readers.
• Reader and Task: Students write a response in which they describe the dualities and contrasts presented in Chapter 1. Students support their response with textual evidence.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell
• Quantitative: 1070L
• Qualitative: Contemporary American readers may find it hard at times to discern Orwell’s meaning; he is writing for early 20th century British readers familiar with topics, such as imperialism and words like sub-inspector, orderly, and sahib. The term imperialism describes a system in which a country establishes colonies to increase its wealth and power. Imperial Britain colonized several countries, including India, Nigeria, Jamaica, and Burma.
• Reader and Task: Students write a short essay, responding to this question: “What do you think is the point of view Orwell is expressing in his essay ‘Shooting an Elephant?’ Analyze the literary elements and figurative language in the text to determine the author’s point of view.” Students use textual evidence to support their response.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, “Ghosts” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
• Quantitative: 940L
• Qualitative: The narrator’s motivations and actions are implied and not explicit. The story takes place after the Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War (1967–1970). Students may be unfamiliar with the historical and cultural context of the setting.
• Reader and Task: Students discuss: “‘Ghosts’ has two main characters: the narrator, James Nwoye, and his acquaintance Ikenna Okoru.” Students consider these questions: “How are the men different in personality and experiences? How are they similar? What do the men’s stories, taken together, tell you about the Biafran war and its inevitable effects on Nigeria?” Students support their ideas with textual evidence.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 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.

For each grade level, StudySync materials include an ELA Grade Level Overview, which begin with an Introduction addressing text types, theme, and the unit’s Essential and supporting questions. The ELA Grade Level Overview addresses text complexity by explaining the qualitative and quantitative features, as well as the reader and task measure for each text. Additionally, the Grade Level Overview explains the rationale for the purpose and placement of each text. Student materials include a rationale for the use of each text in its introduction, and accompanying tasks deepen students’ understanding of the texts’ connections to unit themes and guiding questions.

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students explore the unit’s Essential Question, “How can we transform the future?” by reading a variety of informational texts, a select few poems, and works of fiction. A personal essay, “Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and On Life,” by Anne Lamott is paired with President John F. Kennedy’s speech, “We Choose to Go to the Moon.” The two texts prompt a discussion on the nature of goals and ambitions and the need for self-determination to achieve dreams. Thematically, they fit well within the unit and provide ample opportunity for students to personally reflect on the unit’s guiding question. While the essay is within the Grade 11–CCR Lexile Range, the speech is above the Lexile Range. Qualitative features like figurative language and rhetorical devices increase the complexities of both texts. The Grade Level Overview provides support for teachers in aiding student understanding of the authors’ word choice and rich language. It states, “Explain that the sentences are not always complex, but that they are filled with rhetorical devices such as parallelism and figurative language.”
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students explore the literary focus on the medieval period and English renaissance literature as well as the unit’s Essential Question, “How do challenges cause us to reveal our true selves?”, while continuing to push their text analysis and critical thinking abilities. Although the genre focus of this unit is fiction, students also have the opportunity to read poems, Shakespearean drama, a graphic novel, and informational texts. The selections in this unit fall in a Lexile band of 970L–1470L with most texts residing in the 1000L–1200L range, which is below the Grade 11–CCR Lexile Range. Unit 2 invites students to question what is revealed about one’s own identity when facing challenges. One of the first texts in the unit, an excerpt from Seamus Heaney’s translation of Beowulf, occasionally presents students with archaic and challenging language. Despite falling below the Grade 11–CCR Lexile Range, the text’s qualitative difficulty is offset by its pairing alongside Gareth Hinds’ graphic novel adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon epic, which provides a compelling visual access point. To analyze literature across literary periods and genres, the materials group the poem, “Truth Serum,” by Naomi Shihab Nye with a soliloquy from Shakespeare’s Richard III and “The Pardoner’s Prologue” from Chaucer's The Canterbury Tales. Even though all three texts do not have a listed Lexile level, they feature a speaker whose relationship to the truth is a source of power.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students consider the topic of leadership as they grapple with the Essential Question, “How do leaders fight for their ideas?” Students read a variety of fiction, argumentative texts, and informational texts. By delving into the pairing of “Liberty Tree,” by Thomas Payne and “To His Excellency, General Washington,” by Phillis Wheatley, students “utilize literary techniques to relate complex themes about leadership, revolution, independence, and freedom.” Complex structures and word choice increase the difficulty of these two poems. The Grade Level Overview guides teachers, encouraging them to “allow students to hear [Liberty Tree] being sung” and explaining that “students should use context clues and a dictionary to help define any unfamiliar words.”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, the literary focus is Romanticism and Victorianism, and the genre focus is poetry. Selections help students answer the Essential Question, “What is the power of story?” In this unit, two texts that introduce Victorian Literature and address the power of story in a social and political context are paired. The first text in the pairing, the poem, “The Cry of the Children,” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning, protests child labor during the Industrial Revolution. This text provides qualitative challenges for students as they will need to understand archaic vocabulary from the 1840s and build background knowledge of child labor during this time period. The other selection, an excerpt from the novel Tale of Two Cities written by Charles Dickens, addresses the injustice for the poor. The text is above the grade level band at 1610L and its qualitative features, such as archaic and unfamiliar words, further raise the overall complexity by challenging students to look for synonyms, antonyms, and other context clues to infer word meaning.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students explore Modernism and the Essential Question, “What causes individuals to feel alienated?” The unit consists of poetry, short stories, and nonfiction texts which delve into themes of alienation. “Shooting an Elephant,” the short story by George Orwell, fits the quantitative complexity band for Grade 12 and its qualitative features, such as historical context and difficult vocabulary make it a more challenging read. “Orwell uses a specific event to address the complexities, violence, and human costs of imperialism and oppression.” The Grade Level Overview guides teachers in aiding students’ comprehension. “Students will unpack Orwell’s perspective while engaging in skill lessons on Author’s Purpose and Point of View, Connotation and Denotation, and Figurative Language.” This final text of the unit engages students in the Essential Question by encouraging them to “discuss Orwell’s technique of showing alienation through a character’s discomfort in a foreign land” (in their Extended Writing Projects).
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, the literary focus on Postmodernism and Postcolonialism, with a genre focus on fiction, helps students answer the Essential Question, “How are we shaped by change?” One selection, the poem, “Love After Love,” written by Derek Walcott, challenges readers to consider how love relationships change and shape us. The figurative language and imagery add to the text’s qualitative complexity and will challenge readers to reread and close read the text. A graphic organizer is provided for students to organize elements of form, sound, and graphics in order to comprehend the text better.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

StudySync materials provide students with the opportunity to read a variety of texts, including literary and non-fiction selections that cover a variety of topics and range in complexity. Students experience accessible texts that are challenging qualitatively in their language and style, as well as quantitatively complex text that stretch from 1000L–1760L. The grade-level materials include both literary and nonfiction texts covering a variety of topics and range of complexities. Independent reading includes classic and contemporary texts, and teachers can select Proficiency Levels for English Learners, including “Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Advanced-High,” as well as “Approaching” for “Below Level” readers. Teachers can adjust the levels as students demonstrate proficiency and assist students by scaffolding up throughout the year to reach grade-level proficiency.

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. The materials also include a mechanism for teachers and/or students to monitor progress toward grade-level independence. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students read a variety of literature and nonfiction texts that help them explore the unit’s Essential Question, “How can we transform the future?” The unit begins with a SyncStart lesson and the argumentative text “Are the New ‘Golden Age’ TV Shows the New Novels?” by Adam Kirsch and Mohsin Hamid. Multiple Skill lessons on annotation, context clues, reading comprehension, text-dependent responses, and collaborative conversations accompany the text to offset its complexity and set a foundation for the school year. A set of two more informational articles—“Community Colleges vs. Technical Schools,” by Ursula McPike and “Overcoming Impostor Syndrome,” by Dena Simmons—allow students to compare and contrast text structures and the author's purpose. An excerpt from Franz Kafka’s complex novel The Metamorphosis and the speech “We Choose to Go to the Moon,” by John F. Kennedy will challenge students; both include a number of skills lessons that provide support. Throughout the unit, students complete several Blasts connected to the “What’s Next” podcast series, which gives students access to different types of texts that are thematically linked. Plessy v. Ferguson is the most challenging text in the unit but provides students an opportunity to examine reasons and evidence, rhetoric, and technical language as they complete a close read. Throughout the unit, students independently engage in the readings, within small groups, or during the whole group read aloud. Short quizzes, written responses, the Extended Writing Project, and the end-of-the-unit assessment allow teachers to monitor progress toward grade-level independence.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students read both literary and nonfiction texts, such as poetry, informational texts, drama, argumentative texts, and informational texts. Students think about the theme and Essential Question as they focus on the medieval period and English renaissance literature, analyzing excerpts from Beowulf, by Gareth Hinds and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, by Anonymous (translated by Simon Armitage), among others. Independent reading includes diverse selections, such as reading the graphic novel Beowulf, by Gareth Hinds and the poem “Truth Serum,” by Naomi Shihab Nye. They will also study the genre of fiction while reading the short story “The Postmaster,” by Rabindranath Tagore and dramas such as Richard III and Hamlet by William Shakespeare. Nonfiction texts, such as “A Letter to NFL GMs” by Shaquem Griffin and “Men We Reaped” by Jesmyn Ward, encourage students to think about how real-life individuals deal with challenges and discover their true selves in the process. Teachers can monitor students’ progress through frequent assessments of literacy skills using measures, such as the Reading Quiz after “Truth Serum,” which includes the following question: “Which of these inferences is best supported by the passage below (lines 1-6)?”
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students read a variety of literature and nonfiction texts that help them explore the unit’s Essential Question, “How do leaders fight for their ideas?” The unit begins with an excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels. A Skill lesson on the point of view and a close read support students in understanding the author’s perspective, tone, and word choice. The unit’s two poems— “Liberty Tree” by Thomas Payne and “To His Excellency, General Washington” by Phillis Wheatley—are paired together. The pairing helps students to compare and contrast poetic structure as well as complex themes about leadership, revolution, independence, and freedom. A number of informational texts are read independently, including the “Preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” the speech “After Being Convicted Of Voting In The 1872 Presidential Election” by Susan B. Anthony, “Hawaii’s Story, by Hawaii’s Queen,” Frederick Douglass’s “Self-Made Men,” and Nelson Mandela’s “I Am Prepared to Die.” These texts connect to the unit’s Essential Question and allow students to analyze argument, claims and evidence, and rhetoric. Students complete a Skill: Informational Text Structure lesson while analyzing “Leadership During a Crisis” by Point/Counterpoint, a set of point and counterpoint essays. Finally, students independently read the unit’s short story, “A Warrior’s Daughter.” Throughout the unit, students engage in the readings independently, within small groups, or during the whole group read aloud. Short quizzes, written responses, the Extended Writing Project, and the end-of-the-unit assessment allow teachers to monitor progress toward grade level independence.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students read both literary and nonfiction texts, such as poetry, excerpts from novels, and informational texts. Students have opportunities to read both classic and contemporary texts. Students think about the theme and Essential Question as they focus on Romanticism and Victorianism. Students explore examples of Romantic literature, including the poems “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” by John Keats, and “Lines Composed a Few Miles Above Tintern Abbey,” by William Wordsworth, They will also review Victorian literature through the poem, “The Cry of the Children,” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning as well as excerpts from the seminal classics A Tale of Two Cities, by Charles Dickens and Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë. Students study the genre of poetry while reading poems from other literary periods, including “Facing It,” by Yusef Komunyakaa, “Stung,” by Heid E. Erdrich, “Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude,” by Ross Gay, and “Dear Mama,” by Wanda Coleman. The nonfiction texts “Jabberwocky Baby,” by Wanda Coleman, “Freedom,” by Ursula K. Le Guin, and “Why I Write,” by Joan Didion encourage students to think about the power of storytelling in other areas of life. Teachers can monitor students’ progress through frequent assessments of literacy skills using measures, such as the Reading Quiz after A Tale of Two Cities, which includes questions such as: “Which of these statements would the narrator most likely agree with?”
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students read a variety of literature and nonfiction texts that help them explore the unit’s Essential Question, “What causes individuals to feel alienated?” The unit focuses on Modernism and argumentative texts but begins with students reading two poems. “The Great Figure,” by William Carlos Williams and “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,” by T.S. Eliot allows students to delve into Modernism while comparing and contrasting poetic structures and elements. Next, students will read the poems “Miss Rosie” by Lucille Clifton and “The Idler” by Alice Dunbar-Nelson alongside the short story, “A Cup of Tea,” by Katherine Mansfield. These texts allow students to compare Modernist themes and stylistic elements within and across genres. Students independently read an argumentative excerpt from A Room of One’s Own and the short story, “The New Dress,” both by Virginia Woolf and the contemporary poem, “Hurricane Season,” by Fareena Arefeen. Students complete Skill lessons on informational text structure, central or main idea, and word meaning to support their understanding of Winston Churchill’s complex speech, “Be Ye Men of Valour.” An excerpt from Killers Of The Dream, by Lillian Smith and “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell round out the unit. Students analyze the different perspectives of the two texts before writing an analysis of literary elements, figurative language, and the author’s point of view in the latter. Throughout the unit, students engage in the readings independently, within small groups, or during the whole group read aloud. Short quizzes, written responses, the Extended Writing Project, and the end-of-the-unit assessment allow teachers to monitor progress toward grade-level independence.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students read both literary and nonfiction texts, such as poetry, argumentative texts, informational texts, and short stories. Students think about the theme and Essential Question as they focus on the literary periods of postmodern and postcolonial literature, analyzing excerpts from postmodern texts, such as “The Mysterious Anxiety of Us and Them,” by Ben Okri and postcolonial works such as “A Small Place,” by Jamaica Kincaid and “Ghosts,” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Students also study the genre of fiction by reading the graphic short story, “ARK,” by Ehud Lavski and Yael Nathan as well as the short stories, “The Museum,” by Leila Aboulela and “A Temporary Matter,” by Jhumpa Lahiri. Students will consider how our world is changing today through the argumentative texts Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald, “News Literacy in the Misinformation Age” by The News Literacy Project in partnership with StudySync, and “Honesty on Social Media,” by Point/Counterpoint. The speeches “Tryst with Destiny,” by Jawaharlal Nehru and Zadie Smith’s “Commencement Address at the New School” and the poems, “Love After Love,” by Derek Walcott and “Dawn Revisited,” by Rita Dove encourage students to think about the lasting effects of change as they read across genres. Teachers can monitor students’ progress through frequent assessments of literacy skills using measures, such as the Reading Quiz after students read the excerpt from Blindspot: Hidden Biases of Good People, by Mahzarin R. Banaji and Anthony G. Greenwald which includes the following question: “According to the authors, what strategy do survey researchers use to find impression managers?”

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 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).

StudySync materials provide students the opportunities to develop comprehension strategies. Each unit has multiple Skill lessons that cover comprehension strategies like annotation, context clues, text evidence, arguments and claims, theme, allusion, and more. In the “Your Turn” section of the lesson, students respond to text-dependent/specific multiple-choice questions or writing prompts that require students to support their ideas with evidence. Additionally, every text that students read independently includes five to 10 multiple-choice Reading Comprehension questions that are mostly text-dependent/specific. The End-of-Unit assessment requires students to answer text-dependent/specific multiple-choice questions. Lesson plans include guidelines to ensure teachers are helping students center the text in their discussions and writings. These include guiding questions to connect the texts to the Essential Question, Check for Success Questions throughout the lesson, and Collaborative Conversation prompts.

Instructional materials include questions, tasks, and assignments that are text-dependent/specific over the course of a school year. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students read an excerpt from The Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka. After a Skill lesson on story structure, they answer the following text-specific questions: “What is the most likely reason that Kafka has his main character mention his parents' debt before the parents appear in the story?” and “This passage consists largely of a long, unhurried series of thoughts from Gregor Samsa. What is the most likely reason Kafka uses such slow pacing at the opening of this story?” The Teacher Edition offers support to guide students in this task, help them understand skills, and jumpstart their conversations. A question support example provided for teachers is, “What information about Gregor Samsa is stated clearly and in detail?”
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students complete an Independent Read of “Truth Serum,” by Naomi Shihab Nye. Students answer questions, such as “Which of these lines from the text best supports the correct answer to Question 3?” After reading “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight,” by Anonymous (translated by Simon Armitage), students respond to questions and complete tasks that require thinking, speaking, and/or writing; these questions and tasks focus on the central ideas and key details of the text. For example: “What are King Arthur and his court doing when the Green Knight arrives? (See lines 1–11: They are having an elaborate meal.) What happens after Gawain beheads the Green Knight? (See lines 309–339: The Green Knight picks up his severed head, reminds Gawain of his promise, and rides away.)” Students then engage in collaborative conversations as they discuss a prompt in small groups. “Ask students to first break down the prompt before they discuss relevant ideas and textual evidence. How does the portrayal of Gawain in this excerpt reveal the values and code of conduct of medieval knights? Use textual evidence and original commentary to support your response.”
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students closely read United States v. The Amistad in order to respond to the text-specific prompt, “Explain the meaning of the verdict, citing textual evidence from both Adams’s argument and the majority opinion of the Court. Using sound and logical arguments, describe what further legal and social changes need to be made in the United States of the 1840s.” The Teacher Edition includes support for the teachers to use with students during a Check for Success. One support is a reminder about the prompt, and another is a scaffolded question: “What does the word ‘equality’ mean? What does it mean to be truly free?” Students read The Federalist Papers: No. 10. After a Skill lesson on primary and secondary sources, students answer the following multiple-choice questions: “Which of the following statements best represents how Madison is supporting the purpose of the address in the passage? and “How does Madison appeal to the importance of his argument?”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students read “Stung,” by Heid E. Erdrich. During the first read, the Teacher Resources: Lesson Plan guide gives instructions on questions and tasks that require thinking, speaking, and/or writing; these questions and tasks focus on the central ideas and key details of the text. For Example: “What happens to the speaker at the beginning of the poem? (See line 1: She gets stung by a bee.) What does the speaker do that causes this to happen? (See lines 10 and 11: The bee was inside a flower when the speaker squeezed that flower in her hand.)”
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students read the short story, “Shooting an Elephant,” by George Orwell. After a Skill lesson on the author's purpose and point of view, students answer the following questions: “Orwell’s point of view in paragraphs 12-13 is effective because—” and “How does the information in Paragraph 14 reinforce Orwell’s purpose for writing this text?” Students write a literary analysis referencing three different texts from the unit. Student instructions support tasks with text-specific responses. The Teacher Edition includes a Check for Success that provides teachers with strategies to guide students through the writing process, including guiding questions such as “How does the author show how the character or speaker is feeling?”
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students may self-select a text during a StudySync Blast. The StudySync Library includes the titles students choose to explore for independent reading. Within these opportunities, students answer Think questions such as “How does the narrator view the ‘cannibals’ with whom he interacts?” when reading an excerpt from Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials containing sets of sequences of text-dependent/text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding.

StudySync materials provide students with opportunities to engage in discussions, write short responses, and craft essays while reading across genres. Throughout each unit, text-dependent tasks and questions help students prepare for the culminating tasks. Each unit ends with an Extended Writing Project or an Extended Oral Project. The tasks take students through each step of the writing process and require them to use reading and writing skills they have been working on throughout the units. Tasks include both shorter and extended written and oral projects with different purposes and opportunities to practice various genres, such as narrative, argumentative, informative/explanatory, literary analysis, and rhetorical.

Tasks are supported with coherent sequences of text-dependent questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students explore the question, “How can we transform the future?” Students complete various readings and answer questions building toward the Extended Writing Project, during which students write an informative personal essay addressing the following: “How will our understanding of who we are shape the goals we develop for ourselves?” Before writing the essay, students read “Community Colleges vs. Technical Schools,” by Ursula McPike and “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome,” by Dena Simmons. Students write a personal response after reading “Community Colleges vs. Technical Schools” in response to the following: “Write a journal entry in which you weigh your options after high school. Consider your hopes for the future as well as the resources and supports that will be available to you. Which experiences would best prepare you for your career, or perhaps help inform your decision? What might your next steps be?“ Students complete a writing task following a close reading of “Overcoming Imposter Syndrome": “Select a topic related to your life after high school that you would like to learn more about (for example, how to find a job or how to select a dorm roommate). Then write an informational article about this topic, applying informational text structures to your article to support your main idea or claim.”
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students grapple with the Essential Question, “How do challenges cause us to reveal our true selves?” The Extended Writing Project asks students to respond to a prompt that states, “Select an issue in today’s society that is causing conflict in your own life or among groups of people [and] write… about this conflict.” Students must create an outline that shows a character’s development and its impact on the overall plot. Throughout the unit, students complete several tasks that prepare them to write a personal or fictional narrative. They read Jesmyn Ward’s The Men We Reaped and explore characterization through the lens of setting. First, students engage in a Collaborative Conversation, and then they write in response to the following prompt: “Write a response in which you evaluate how the social and economic contexts of the settings influence the characterization and plot.” Students must support their ideas with textual evidence. Students engage in the Close Read lesson on Beowulf translated by Seamus Heaney. As students reflect on how the text demonstrates the unit’s literary focus of the medieval period, they write in their Writer’s Notebook. Students also break into small groups to discuss the writing prompt. This opportunity allows them to practice adapting speaking based on the context and the task, as well as adjusting responses based on the perspective of other students relating to the text.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students explore the question, “How do leaders fight for their ideas?” Students complete various readings and answer questions building toward the Extended Writing Project, during which students write an argumentative essay addressing the following: “What is one truth you are aware of that many members of your community don’t know?” Before writing the argumentative essay, students read the Preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, by Gouverneur Morris, James Madison, et al. and United States v. The Amistad, by U.S. Supreme Court. Students respond to a writing prompt following the reading of the Preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights: “The Constitution is a statement of ‘how we choose to rule ourselves.’ What are the goals established in the Preamble and how do the amendments in the Bill of Rights advance those goals? Connect the goals of the Preamble to three amendments of your choosing.” Then, students read the case of United States v. The Amistad and practice writing an argumentative response while answering the following prompt: “Imagine you are John Quincy Adams. Write a speech that you would give to the media, outside on the courthouse steps, just following the verdict in the case (as indicated in the majority opinion of the Court delivered by Justice Story). Explain the meaning of the verdict, citing textual evidence from both Adams’s argument and the majority opinion of the Court. Using sound and logical arguments, describe what further legal and social changes need to be made in the United States of the 1840s.”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students explore the Essential Question, “What is the power of story?” The Extended Writing Project, a research essay, requires students to respond to the following prompt: “Think of a daily behavior that the average person may not know is damaging to nature...Then, write an informative research essay, using both informative text structures and source materials to support your claim.” Students are encouraged to make their essays informative and convincing. Several tasks help them prepare for this culminating task. For example, students independently read Barrett Browning’s protest poem, “The Cry of the Children.” They answer quiz questions to delve into the author’s use of language and the persuasive tone of the text. Then, they discuss and write in response to the following prompt: “Think about a cruel situation you would like to end… Write a poem, as Elizabeth Barrett Browning did, to raise awareness of the issue and persuade the reader that the situation should not be tolerated.” Students read a paired selection of literary and nonfiction works by the same writer to understand how it might feel to be restricted and held back by society. Students begin reading the novel Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë, followed by Wanda Coleman’s essay, “Jabberwocky Baby” and poem, “Dear Mama.” After closely reading the poem, “Dear Mama,” students write their own story in letter format similar to Coleman’s style, integrating figurative language and responding to the task requirements.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students explore the question, “What causes individuals to feel alienated?” Students complete various readings and answer questions building toward the Extended Writing Project, during which students write a literary analysis addressing the following: “Why is alienation such a common theme in modernist literature?” Before writing the literary analysis, students read three poems as they compare texts within and across genres: “Miss Rosie,” by Lucille Clifton, “The Idler,” by Alice Dunbar-Nelson, and “A Cup of Tea,” by Katherine Mansfield. After reading “Miss Rosie,” students respond to a literary analysis writing prompt: “In your essay, consider and respond to questions such as the following: What story does this poem tell? What relationship does the speaker of the poem have with Miss Rosie? How would the story be different if Miss Rosie were telling her own story? What message is being conveyed by this story?” After reading “The Idler,” students discuss the following: “What is the speaker’s opinion of the idler’s approach to life? What makes you think so? Support your interpretation with textual evidence. What are your own thoughts about the idler’s way of living? Discuss with your classmates what you would want to tell him. Describe any personal experiences that led to your beliefs.” Students discuss the topic with peers and write a response. Students respond to a writing prompt following the reading of “A Cup of Tea:” “Write a response in which you compare and contrast the ideas and attitudes expressed about wealth and poverty in ‘Miss Rosie,’ ‘The Idler,’ and ‘A Cup of Tea.’”
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students explore the Essential Question, “How are we shaped by change?” The Extended Oral Project is based on the following prompt: “Select a topic, issue, person, or event that is important to you, but that was not covered in your formal studies. Develop an argument to support the claim that this topic, issue, person, or event should be included in future high school instruction so that the details and significance will be heard and remembered.” Throughout the unit, text-based questions and tasks prepare students for the argumentative oral presentation. Earlier in the unit, students read the Point/Counterpoint essay, “Honesty on Social Media” (authors not cited). After answering Quiz and Think questions that delve into both sides, students prepare for a discussion on the text. In small groups, they discuss the following: “Which article did you find the most convincing?... Discuss how the writers’ use of evidence and language contribute to the persuasiveness of the text.”

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols to engage students in speaking and listening activities and discussions (small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) which encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

StudySync provides students opportunities for whole group and small group discussions and Collaborative Conversations. In each Skill Lesson, Turn and Talk and Discuss the Model activities allow students to share ideas and review parts of the lessons. In each Close Read, students engage in a Collaborative Conversation to discuss the text and prepare to complete a writing prompt. There are opportunities for teachers to reinforce academic vocabulary throughout the unit, and students revisit important vocabulary in a Skill Lesson on vocabulary review in each unit.

Materials provide multiple opportunities, protocols, and questions for discussions across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next?, students read Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Annie Lamott. In the independent read lesson, students work together in the Introduce the Text and Collaborative Conversation activities. In pairs, students watch a video preview and answer questions to activate prior knowledge and experience. In the write section of this lesson, students work in small groups to break down the prompt. Students engage in Collaborative Conversation after a Skill Model and reviewing a Checklist for Collaborative Conversations. The checklist includes the following: come to discussions prepared, having read or researched the material under discussion; pose questions that relate the current discussion to broader larger ideas and engage others to join the discussion; summarize points of agreement and disagreement.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students read the poems “Facing It,” by Yusef Komunyakaa and “Ode on a Grecian Urn,” by John Keats, together. After engaging in a close read of the latter, students break into groups for a Collaborative Conversation. Students may use their annotations to guide the discussion, as they respond to the prompt. The lesson plan gives instructors insight on scaffolding and grouping so that students get the most out of the discussion before they begin writing an essay in response to the prompt. The Speaking and Listening Handbook includes handouts to guide and support students through each stage of the Collaborative Conversation—Preparing for a Discussion, Determine Goals and Deadlines, and Establish Rules. The Preparing for a Discussion guidance states: “Before a discussion, distribute the Preparing for a Discussion handout and talk to students about the topics below. Allow students enough time to work together to fill out the first page of the handout. Students should fill out the second page on their own, after reading the material under study.” As students transition to the Determine Goals and Deadlines step, teachers “Explain to students that all discussion group members should know and understand the goal or purpose of the discussion” and suggest that students “develop a timetable to ensure that their group will be able to accomplish all discussion goals.” During the final stage, Establish Rules, teachers explain the importance of creating and maintaining an open and respectful environment so the discussion allows everyone’s ideas to be heard. Teachers “Have students brainstorm a list of rules for the discussion. Ask students to explain why each rule can help establish a respectful and productive discussion. Then agree on which rules to keep.” The rules should be posted in a central location for all students to reference. Rules may be updated as needed.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students read The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams, and employ speaking and listening skills in discussions. For example, in the Close Read lesson, students work in groups to complete the Skill Focus, which entails reading, annotating, and discussing the prompt. Students begin by working together and answering questions about the text. Teacher directions suggest that students transition to independent work once the group has completed the skills focus. The teacher then breaks students into Collaborative Conversation groups where they use StudySync TV as a model, the Close Read prompt, their Skills Focus annotations, and notes, ideas, and reactions to collaboratively explore the text. The Speaking and Listening Handbook includes handouts to guide and support students through each stage of the Collaborative Conversation—Preparing for a Discussion, Determine Goals and Deadlines, and Establish Rules. The Preparing for a Discussion guidance states: “Before a discussion, distribute the Preparing for a Discussion handout and talk to students about the topics below. Allow students enough time to work together to fill out the first page of the handout. Students should fill out the second page on their own, after reading the material under study.” As students transition to the Determine Goals and Deadlines step, teachers “Explain to students that all discussion group members should know and understand the goal or purpose of the discussion” and suggest that students “develop a timetable to ensure that their group will be able to accomplish all discussion goals.” During the final stage, Establish Rules, teachers explain the importance of creating and maintaining an open and respectful environment so the discussion allows everyone’s ideas to be heard. Teachers “Have students brainstorm a list of rules for the discussion. Ask students to explain why each rule can help establish a respectful and productive discussion. Then agree on which rules to keep.” The rules should be posted in a central location for all students to reference. Rules may be updated as needed.

Materials and supports provide grade level appropriate opportunities for discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students participate in a Skill Lesson on the unit’s academic vocabulary. First, students review terms from the unit, including the terms Anglo-Saxon, chivalry, exploit, feudalism, humanism, Renaissance, and more. After identifying definitions and answering a few questions about the terms, students participate in a Collaborative Conversation. Teachers encourage students to use as many Literary Period and Academic Vocabulary words as they can in response to the discussion prompt. The Lesson Plan provides guidance on grouping students and encourages teachers to provide a discussion guide and speaking frames in order to scaffold the conversation.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students read an excerpt from Gulliver’s Travels (Part 1,) by Jonathan Swift, while employing speaking and listening skills and modeling the use of academic vocabulary words in the First Read lesson. Students discuss satire and humor through guidance provided in the Revisit Academic and Content Vocabulary section. Students use both Academic and Literary Focus Vocabulary words in their discussion, choosing a minimum of five of the 10 words to integrate into the discussion.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students complete a Skill Lesson on the unit’s academic vocabulary. First, students review terms from the unit, including the terms commence, decolonization, exploit, duration, formidable, postcolonialism, and more. After identifying definitions and answering a few questions about the terms, students participate in a Collaborative Conversation. Teachers encourage students to use as many Literary Period and Academic Vocabulary words as they can in response to the discussion prompt. The Lesson Plan provides guidance on grouping students, and encourages teachers to provide a discussion guide and speaking frames in order to scaffold the conversation.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking (and discussions) about what they are reading and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and support.

StudySync materials provide students with opportunities to engage in collaborative discussions, deliver presentations, and listen to and provide feedback to peers. Students engage in a variety of tasks throughout each unit that targets their speaking and listening skills. Every text, that is accompanied by Skill Lessons, includes a Collaborative Conversation during which students participate in a discussion before writing in response to the same prompt. Often, speaking and listening tasks are followed by a written reflection so that students can evaluate the discussion. Students complete all Skills Focus work in pairs or small groups. Tasks require students to support their ideas with evidence from the texts. Lesson Plans provide teachers with question prompts to help struggling students identify useful evidence.

Students have multiple opportunities, over the school year, to demonstrate what they are reading and researching through varied grade-level-appropriate speaking and listening opportunities.

Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students read the nonfiction text Plessy v. Ferguson, by the U.S. Supreme Court. After a close read, students prepare for a written response by engaging in a Collaborative Conversation. The prompt asks students to “Compare and contrast the arguments in Justice Brown’s majority opinion with Justice Harlan’s dissenting opinion in Plessy v. Ferguson. Which rhetorical strategies does each use most effectively to advance their arguments? Which arguments or instances of legal reasoning have not withstood the test of time?” Students support their ideas with evidence from the text, and they write a short response to reflect on the discussion. The Lesson Plan encourages teachers to provide students with a prompt to scaffold the discussion.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students read “The Pardoner’s Prologue,” by Geoffrey Chaucer. To demonstrate understanding of what they read, students work in small groups, using StudySyncTV to guide them through the close read prompt. Students use today’s society and imagine a corrupt or foolish person. After working together to gain an understanding of the prompt, students write a short satirical monologue. Instructional supports available for teachers to utilize include Check for Success, scaffolded questions, discussion guides, and speaking frames. Students also observe and perform a dramatic scene in order to give and receive peer feedback during an Extended Oral Project. The guidance includes the following: “Make sure your scene is easy for your audience to understand. Include dialogue so that your group members know what to say. Also include stage directions that give instructions and describe a scene. Use transitions to make the sequence of events clear.” Students use an Oral Presentation Checklist as they listen to their peers’ presentations.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students read the Point/Counterpoint article, “Leadership During a Crisis (authors not cited). After multiple Skill Lessons, students engage in a close read and prepare a discussion in response to the following prompt: “Which side of the argument do you agree with? Why do you agree with that side? Do you fully agree with the writer, or do you notice any weaknesses in the writer's use of media, evidence, and counterarguments? Which argument is more substantial?” Students write their ideas in a graphic organizer before beginning the debate and support their ideas with evidence from the text. Teacher-facing materials give insight on possible scaffolds and how to support mixed-level groups.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students read “The Cry of the Children,” by Elizabeth Barrett Browning. In the Independent Read Lesson, students participate in a small group discussion about a writing prompt. The prompt is detailed and contains many components including using figurative language to “...stir the sympathies of your readers and persuade them to take action” that students must address. Students discuss ideas and textual evidence to support their responses to the prompt. The materials include scaffolding and differentiation support in the form of discussion guides and speaking frames, along with facilitation notes that teachers may use to guide students through the process.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students closely read the poem “The Idler,” by Alice Dunbar-Nelson. Students review a rubric and the following discussion prompt before beginning their discussion: “What is the speaker’s opinion of the idler’s approach to life? What makes you think so?... What are your own thoughts about the idler’s way of living? Discuss with your classmates what you would want to tell him. Describe any personal experiences that led to your beliefs.” Students must fill out a graphic organizer to prepare and support their ideas with evidence from the text. Teacher-facing materials encourage teachers to give a prompt to scaffold the discussion. Following the conversation, students write a reflection evaluating the discussion and their participation in it.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students give an argumentative oral presentation. During the planning phase, students provide substantive feedback to two peers using Peer Review Instructions: “How well does this response answer the prompt? What part of the oral presentation are you most excited to see or hear? Are there any ideas that could be improved on? How so?” Assessment of the final presentation aligns with speaking and listening standards such as: “The presentation introduces strong and specific information, findings, and evidence in a focused and coherent manner. Lines of reasoning are organized and easy to follow, and alternative or opposing perspectives are effectively addressed.”

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g., multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

StudySync materials provide multiple opportunities for students to engage in writing tasks and projects. Students complete Skill Lessons and Close Reads, which require students to write short responses or answer Think questions. Many texts read independently also require students to answer short response questions. Students practice writing informational, narrative, and argumentative pieces throughout the year. Each unit includes an End-of-Unit Assessment with passages and writing prompts to assess student performance against the key reading, writing, and language standards covered in the unit. Students also complete Extended Writing Projects with a consistent Instructional Path: Plan, Draft, Revise, and Edit and Publish. Additionally, they use digital materials such as recordings, StudySyncTV episodes, and films to deepen their analyses of the texts.

Materials include a mix of both on-demand and process writing that covers a year’s worth of instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Students participate in on-demand writing.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students complete a close read of “The Pardoner’s Prologue,” by Geoffrey Chaucer and craft a monologue to a prompt: “In ‘The Pardoner's Prologue,’ Chaucer satirizes medieval society by highlighting the greediness of a church official who shamelessly tries to swindle people, convincing them to give him money in exchange for pardons. Think of today’s society and imagine a person who represents some sort of corruption or foolishness. Then, write a short satirical monologue to expose that person’s true motives.”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students participate in a Timed Writing task. After reviewing a checklist on timed writing, students plan and write a response in a timed writing situation. Reminders include the following: “Develop your draft into a focused, structured, and coherent piece of writing; use a strategic organizational structure appropriate to the purpose, audience, topic, and context; and, develop an engaging idea that reflects depth of thought with effective use of details, examples, and commentary.”
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, after closely reading the poem “Love After Love,'' by Derek Walcott, students write a reflection based on group discussions.
• Students participate in process writing.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students write a personal or fictional narrative around an issue in society that causes conflict to their lives. Students develop a narrative structure with a beginning, middle, and end and integrate characteristics of fiction, including setting, characters, plot, theme, and point of view. Skill Lessons support students in adding dialogue, details, figurative language, and appropriate word choice. Guidance during planning includes instruction related to the characteristics of fiction writing: “setting, characters, plot, theme, and point of view.” Students include the following in their narratives: “a plot with a beginning, middle, and end; a clear setting; characters and dialogue; a distinct conflict and resolution; and, a clear theme.”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students complete an Extended Writing Project in which they plan, draft, revise, and edit and publish an informative research essay in response to a prompt. During the planning phase, students generate ideas. Questions for consideration include but are not limited to the following: “What topic about the human impact on nature do you find most interesting? What is your reason for writing? How will knowing your audience help you write a better essay? What questions do you want to research?”
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students complete an Extended Oral Project in which they create an argumentative oral presentation in response to a prompt. The project includes an Instructional Path: Plan, Draft, Revise, and Edit and Present. During the planning phase, the materials provide characteristics of an effective argumentative oral presentation as guidance. Characteristics include, but are not limited to the following: the organizational elements of classical speeches, including an introduction, body, transitions, and a conclusion; the art of persuasion and rhetorical devices; the appropriate use of formal or informal language; and purposeful vocabulary, tone, and voice.

Opportunities for students to revise and/or edit are provided. For example, some examples include:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, after reviewing an example of a revised Student Model, students will use a revision guide to revise their informative essay for clarity, development, organization, style, diction, and sentence fluency.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students use a checklist to guide them during the editing phase of the Extended Writing Project. Questions for consideration include, but are not limited to the following: ”Have I followed all the rules for hyphens? Can I defend any contested usage I have chosen? (Consult a style guide, such as Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style by Virginia Tufte, as appropriate.) Have I spelled everything correctly?”
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students complete an Extended Writing Project after reading all the texts in the unit. They write in response to the prompt, “Why is alienation such a common theme in Modernist literature?” Students use characters from three different texts “to examine how the authors explore the theme of alienation.” Skill Lessons on Planning, Drafting, Revising, and Editing and Publishing walk students through each step of the writing process. Students also examine a Student Model and discuss it with their classmates.

Materials include digital resources where appropriate. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students listen to a series of podcasts of the same name. Students engage in a discussion about topics introduced in the podcast before responding to the following focus question in their Writer’s Notebook: “How do you tell the story of who you are and who you want to become?” Later, students edit their responses into a 140 character Blast and engage in a peer review to get feedback on their responses.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, materials include digital resources to help develop student writing. In the sonnet “Ozymandias,” by Percy Bysshe Shelley, students use digital resources such as a video preview to connect to the text and a short video documentary, “A Strange Relativity: Altered Time for Surgeon-Turned-Patient” to understand relevancy between two mediums.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students complete Blast: Juggling Justices. Students explore background information and research links about a topic and then respond to a question with a 140-character response. The teacher can choose to Jigsaw Research Links by assigning each group a different research link to read and discuss the source’s information.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. (Writing opportunities incorporate digital resources/multimodal literacy materials where appropriate. Opportunities may include blended writing styles that reflect the distribution required by the standards.)

StudySync materials provide students with the opportunity to engage in multiple styles of writing during the Extended Writing Project. These projects incorporate multiple Skill Lessons, take students through each step of the writing process, and result in longer writing assignments. The projects also vary in type, with students writing narratives, informative/explanatory essays, literary analyses, and argumentative responses. Materials provide opportunities for students/teachers to monitor progress in writing skills during short constructed responses, essays, and student responses in the Writer’s Notebook. The Teacher Edition and Lesson Resource offer step by step directions, including answers to questions to help the teacher guide the writer. The student experiences multiple opportunities to monitor the development of their writing through graphic organizers, Skills Lessons, and StudySyncTV.

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres and modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing.
• In Unit 1, What’s Next?, students read John F. Kennedy’s speech, “We Choose to Go to the Moon.” After several Skill Lessons that help them dig deeper into the text, students write a short rhetorical analysis in response to the following prompt: “Examine the reasons President Kennedy lists for wanting to cultivate the space program and send Americans to the Moon by the end of the 1960s. Based on his speech, what do you think motivates him? Do you find his arguments and use of rhetoric persuasive?” Students must support their argument with textual evidence.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students write an argumentative essay during the Extended Writing Project. Students respond to the following prompt: “What is one truth you are aware of that many members of your community don’t know? This could be a sad truth; for example, the water at your local beach is too polluted to swim in. Or it could be a happy truth; for example, the timid owner of a cleaning service left enough money in her will to fund two college scholarships. Write a persuasive essay with the intent of showing others how much this truth matters.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students reread “A Room of One’s Own," by Virginia Woolf, and write an argumentative essay based on Woolf’s statement "Genius like Shakespeare’s is not born among labouring, uneducated, servile people.” Students must argue whether they think “genius” among “working classes” is possible in today’s society. The lesson includes a My Thesis graphic organizer that helps students organize their thoughts and reasons.
• Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing.
• In Unit 1, What’s Next?, the Extended Writing Project focuses on informative writing. Students write a personal essay that addresses the Essential Question, “How can we transform the future?” Students use an informative student model to adapt and improve their essay. Materials include Skill Lessons on the informative writing genre to support students’ work.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students read “Preamble to the Constitution and the Bill of Rights,” by Gouverneur Morris, James Madison, et al. Students write an explanatory essay about the goals established in the Preamble and how amendments advance those goals. Students use a Textual Evidence Chart to answer the prompt and then find evidence to support their thoughts from three amendments.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students closely read The Glass Menagerie, by Tennessee Williams and respond to a compare and contrast prompt. Students explain and evaluate two versions of the play. The students' explanatory response must include textual evidence from both the audio recordings and the play.
• Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students complete an Extended Writing Project that requires them to write an original narrative. The prompt states, “Select an issue in today’s society that is causing conflict in your own life or among groups of people. Write a personal or fictional narrative about this conflict. If you are writing a personal narrative, explain how this conflict has affected your life or the lives of your friends or family. Then describe how you or someone in your life has demonstrated leadership skills in response to this conflict.” Students complete Skill Lessons that walk them through each step of the writing process before submitting their final narratives.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students closely read Gulliver’s Travels (Part 1), by Jonathan Swift, in order to imagine or describe a movie scene. In this lesson, students watch StudySyncTV and discuss the conflict between characters. In the writing section of this lesson, students write a personal response as they select a scene to change.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students reread “The New Dress,” by Virginia Woolf, in order to write a narrative. During this writing assignment, students compose a portion of a short story, developing a character whose appearance on the outside does not match his or her feelings. Student-facing materials include a graphic organizer to help students plan their story events in chronological order.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials, including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis.

StudySync materials provide students the opportunity to engage in short writing responses that connect to texts during the reading lessons. Students write literary analyses, argumentative responses, rhetorical analyses, and more while supporting their ideas with evidence from the texts. Additionally, each unit ends with an Extended Writing Project that requires students to review across texts and genres to write lengthier writing tasks and support their claims and arguments with evidence from the texts. Students write to practice and apply writing standards that require them to write with a task, purpose, and audience in mind, to delineate and evaluate arguments, and to develop a short research response.

Writing opportunities are focused around students’ analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with texts and sources to provide supporting evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students read and analyze the Supreme Court case Plessy v. Ferguson. Following a close read of the text, students analyze the arguments made in the case by writing in response to the following prompt: “Which rhetorical strategies does each use most effectively to advance their arguments? Which arguments or instances of legal reasoning don’t seem to have withstood the test of time? Explain your response using textual evidence from each argument.”
• In Unit 2, Uncovering Truth, students read the argumentative essay “Hamlet and His Problems,” by T.S. Eliot and then write an explanatory essay. Students analyze the text to determine why Eliot claims that the play, Hamlet, is an artistic failure. Students must support their writing with examples and ideas from the essay to support Eliot’s claim.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, students read and analyze Phyllis Wheatley’s poem, “To His Excellency, General Washington” alongside Thomas Paine’s poem, “Liberty Tree.” After several Skill lessons, students write a short response comparing and contrasting the texts. The prompt states, “Which themes about freedom or the American Revolution are explored in ‘To His Excellency, General Washington’? How are these themes similar to or different than those in ‘Liberty Tree?’ Which figures and images seem to overlap? Support your writing with textual evidence from ‘To His Excellency, General Washington.’”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students read the informational essay “Why I Write,” by Joan Didion and write an explanatory essay. Students analyze numerous aspects relating to Joan Didion’s writing in order to explain multiple questions about her writing. For example, students observe content and style, including figurative language, to determine how the writer establishes point of view. Students use textual evidence to support their points in the short paper.
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, students read Winston Churchill’s speech, “Be Ye Men of Valour.” They complete multiple Skill lessons while analyzing the text, and write a rhetorical analysis after a close read. The prompt allows them to evaluate informational text structure and how it impacts the persuasiveness of a text. The prompt states, “Write a response in which you summarize the main argument of Churchill's speech and evaluate the structure of the speech. In your response, address the following question: Does the arrangement of ideas make the speech more persuasive? Remember to support your response with textual evidence.”
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students read “News Literacy in the Misinformation Age,” by The News Literacy Project in partnership with StudySync, in order to write a personal response. They answer questions that relate to the characteristics of fake news and information. They make sense of the motivation behind organizations that release fake information to the public. Students' responses assess whether the reasoning is valid and evidence is relevant and sufficient.

The StudySync instructional materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for materials including instruction and practice of the grammar and conventions/language standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application in context.

Each grammar lesson introduces skills to students. Then students participate in group work discussing a model of the skills. Finally, they complete independent work that requires them to answer multiple-choice questions and put the grammar/convention skills into practice by writing sentences. Each lesson is concise and follows a routine of Teach/Model and Practice/Apply with suggestions for differentiated practice. The Routines section provides routines for spelling, decoding multisyllabic words, reading "big words," reading decodable text, high-frequency words, and fluency. These routines are used with appropriate lessons throughout the component. Opportunities exist for students to learn from models that provide examples of editing using modeled student writing. Before students submit their writing, they utilize a checklist with grammar/convention guidelines to ensure that they have applied the skills within their writing. During the unit and at the end of each unit, assessments require students to demonstrate proficiency of conventions and other aspects of language.

Materials include instruction of all grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to the following:

• Students have opportunities to apply the understanding that usage is a matter of convention, can change over time, and is sometimes contested.
• The materials include opportunities for teachers to search for specific Skills Assignments that align to Grade 12. Teachers can use the search for new Skills Assignments or add existing assignments to the unit using the "Add to Unit" feature. For example, Contested Usage includes the vocabulary terms contested usage, grammar usage, and word usage. It includes a Model for students with an opportunity to practice the skill as a Your Turn: “Determine whether the statements regarding situations of contested usage are true or false...Some people use the word literally for emphasis, but others think it is incorrect to do so.”
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students write an informative research essay for the Extended Writing Projects. During the writing process, they receive direct instruction on several grammar skills including contested usage. The lesson begins with students reviewing the definitions of the terms. Then, students work in groups to review examples of contested rules for word and grammar usage. Finally, they work independently to identify grammar rules that have been broken and evaluate sentences that reflect contested usage. Students determine whether the sentences are effective or not.
• Students have opportunities to resolve issues of complex or contested usage, consulting references (e.g., Merriam-Webster's Dictionary of English Usage, Garner's Modern American Usage) as needed.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students complete an Extended Writing Project, which includes using a style guide, as appropriate, to improve their command of standard English conventions, syntax, and MLA citations. During drafting, the materials ask students to “use an additional style guide, such as Artful Sentences: Syntax as Style, by Virginia Tufte, to help you vary your syntax, or the grammatical structures of sentences.” Following this lesson, students complete a lesson relating to Contested Usage. The materials include instruction for “Resolving Usage Issues” in the Model section of the lesson. “If you are unsure whether it is acceptable to break a rule or if you want to resolve questions you may have about usage, you can always check a reference work on the subject. Several worth recommending are Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of English Usage, Bryan A. Garner’s Garner’s Modern American Usage, and Theodore Bernstein’s Miss Thistlebottom’s Hobgoblins.”
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, during the Extended Writing Project, grammar and conventions instruction is evident as students write a literary analysis. When applying Grammar Skill: Commonly Misspelled Words, the materials guide students to keep a list of words they often misspell and then refer to online or print resources for pronunciation, access to Latin or Greek roots, or other causes that may lead to a better understanding of how to spell the word. Multiple Skills Lessons walk them through the writing process, and one focuses on using a Style Guide to improve writing. Students work in groups to evaluate a model that shows how consulting a style guide can help resolve common writing errors. Finally, students work independently to identify the types of solutions found in a style guide, and to consult a style guide of their choice to help them “correct errors related to convention in their essays.”
• Students have opportunities to observe hyphenation conventions.
• In Unit 4, Sculpting Reality, students write an informative research essay for the Extended Writing Project. During the writing process, they receive direct instruction on several grammar skills, including hyphens. They begin by reviewing the two uses for hyphens. Students work in groups to evaluate a model that shows examples of hyphens in compound adjectives, prefixes, compound nouns, time span, and closed and open compounds. Finally, students work independently to match hyphenated words with the rules they demonstrate, answer multiple-choice questions about how best to change sentences to reflect hyphen conventions, and write sentences of their own. The End-of-Unit Assessment includes several questions to assess proficiency of the standards students practice. For example, Question 31 states: “What change, if any, is necessary in the underlined portion in the following passage? Where she’d lacked self-confidence in the past, she now felt more-inclined to pursue a new challenge.”
• Students have opportunities to spell correctly.
• In Unit 1, What’s Next, students complete the Grammar Skill: Basic Spelling Rules I lesson and apply basic spelling rules during the editing and publishing step of the Extended Writing Project. For example, the materials provide students with a model that explains spelling patterns for ie and ei. Modeling is available for the rule for adding suffixes, the silent e, and a final y. Students study an example from a unit text and then an explanation relating to the spelling pattern. The End-of-Unit Assessment includes questions that address the Language standards students learn, practice, and apply.
• In Unit 2, Uncovering the Truth, students complete the Grammar Skill: Basic Spelling Rules lesson. After learning spelling rules and seeing how commonly misspelled words are spelled correctly using text examples, students practice spelling correctly. After exploring a model, students answer questions in the Your Turn section: “Select the correctly spelled word to fill each blank...The doctor was assisted _____ by the nurse. A. capabley B. capablely C. neither.” The instruction follows the Vocabulary, Model, and Your Turn structure, which uses gradual release to support student understanding and practice.
• In Unit 3, Against the Wind, while completing the Extended Writing Project, students heed the writing checklist during the Argumentative Writing Process: Edit and Publish that asks students, “Have I spelled everything correctly?”
• In Unit 5, Fractured Selves, spelling is addressed in the editing and publishing step of the writing process as students write a literary analysis. Students apply what they have learned in Grammar Skill: Commonly Misspelled Words to practice spelling correctly. Students apply a four-step spelling strategy: Say It, See It, Write It, and Check It. Students then study examples from the text that show the correct and incorrect spelling usage.
• In Unit 6, Times of Transition, students practice spelling correctly during the Edit and Present step of the Extended Oral Project. Students review edits, such as fixing misspelled words, in a student sample: “As my classmates and I prepare preparing to graduate from high school ...”