12th Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1a. 

The materials include publishable texts featuring engaging characters, universal topics, and themes that should appeal to students. Across the year, literary anchor texts are written by a broad range of well-known authors that feature characters from multiple cultures and rich language. Informational texts are grade-appropriate and published in popular news and magazine sources. 

Anchor texts are of high-quality and consider a range of student interests, are well-crafted, content rich, and engage students at their grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, Module 1, students read “The Silence,” a short story by Haruki Murakami. The text uses simple language and is told in the first-person point of view. The narrator reflects on past events, but most action occurs in the present. The narrator draws on many prose conventions, such as dialogue and paragraph format. Students reflect on whether silence is helpful or harmful when they are not getting along with someone.

• In Unit 5, Modules 1–3, students read the play Antigone by Sophocles. This classic Greek tragedy is middle to end of the year appropriate for Grade 12. Antigone is frequently used as a high-interest late high school exposure to more ancient Greek drama, mythology, language, and structure. 

• In Unit 7, Module 3, students read two poems by Emily Dickinson; “I dwell in Possibility” and “Tell all the truth but tell it slant.” Structural elements used add to the complexity of the poems. Students connect by considering “a time when you or someone you know made a choice to be different and why it was important for you to make that choice.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1c. 

The materials include texts that have the appropriate level of complexity according to qualitative and quantitative analysis and relation to their associated student task. Each Teacher Unit Guide includes a rationale for the purpose of each unit in the curriculum, and Each Teacher Module Guide includes a connection of each text to the unit.  According to review analysis, anchor texts have the appropriate complexity in relationship to associated student tasks and unit themes. Of the 57 texts analyzed for Grade 12, 27 are within the suggested Lexile bands, 12 are below, and six are above (12 have no Lexile level because they are Non-Prose). When texts are below the quantitative level, qualitative measures such as knowledge demands, language, or structure make them more complex. The Teacher’s Guide, Module Preview, and Connection to Unit briefly describe student tasks associated with the texts. Student tasks are found to be grade-level appropriate, with necessary scaffolding for more complex tasks.  The materials include a linked spreadsheet in each Unit-At-A-Glance, which provides quantitative and qualitative data for each text in the curriculum and an associated reader and task analysis of each text.

Anchor/core texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Module 3, students read the informational text, “Now That Computers Connect Us All, For Better and Worse, What’s Next?” by Matthew Hutson online. The publisher-provided quantitative measure is 1010L-1200L, while the verified measure is 1210L, and the qualitative measure is moderately complex. This text has the appropriate complexity for student tasks. After reading, students complete five comprehension questions and two Pause and Reflect questions online. Next, students complete the Analyze section online to highlight sentences that support them in answering the writing prompt. Students then complete the Student Guide, Apply Your Learning task to determine and trace a central idea through details, which can be completed individually, in pairs, or in small groups. During the Write section, students summarize the text online and use the Student Guide, Appreciate the Author’s Craft graphic organizer to use part of the writing rubric to find examples from the text that meet the Advanced level. Next, students use the Share Your Argument Builder to share their argument builder with a partner, listen to peers, and record valuable ideas. Lastly, students use prior work to answer the writing prompt, “Why does the author use evidence, such as details about AI and popular culture, to raise issues about the future of AI?” This writing task is completed online.

• In Unit 6, Module 3, students read “How to Pay for College Using Overlooked Strategies.” This text has a publisher-provided quantitative measure of 1410-1600L and a verified measure of 1510L, which is above the suggested Lexile band for Grade 12. However, the qualitative measure is moderately complex. After reading, students complete five comprehension questions and two Pause and Reflect questions online. Students discuss their responses and use the Student Guide, Share Your Reflections graphic organizer to record Pause and Reflect answers and discuss reflections. Next, students complete the Analyze section online to highlight sentences that support them in answering the writing prompt, “How do the authors use specific techniques (language, structural, etc.) to emphasize what they see as the most overlooked strategies for financing college?” Students then complete an Apply Your Learning task using the Student Guide. This task is focused on understanding the impact of an author’s choices of words and images. They answer questions such as, “In the first paragraph, how do the word choices of the authors illustrate how appeals work differently from the typical financial aid process? Identify multiple words that have a negative connotation. How do these words emphasize the circumstances under which appeals are granted?” During the Write section online, students summarize the text and use the Student Guide, Share Your Argument Builder graphic organizer to share their argument builder with a partner, listen to peers, and record valuable ideas. Lastly, students use prior work to answer the writing online prompt.

• In Unit 7, Module 5, Read Across Genres, students read a series of poems related to the unit themes, including “Borderlands” by Gloria Anzaldua. Because this is a set of poems, there is no quantitative measure (NP). This text is rated as qualitatively moderately complex. Students read the text and answer five multiple-choice comprehension questions. In the Student Guide, Analyze a Poem’s Structure and Theme, students’ instructions state: “Imagine you are the actual speaker of each of the poems. Use your voice to savor the sensory details and images. Use the guiding questions below to help you explore each aspect of the poetry. You may also revisit SOAPSTone as a strategy for understanding the poem. Then share Your findings with a partner.” Additionally, they compare this poem to another poem, “Phenomenal Woman,” with the prompt, “Compare the forms of ‘Phenomenal Woman’ and ‘To Live in the Borderlands.’ Explain the poetic form each poet uses and explain how the use of rhyme and rhythm supports the meaning of each poem. Include examples that support your analysis.”

Anchor/Core texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by an accurate text complexity analysis and a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Teacher Guide for each module provides a Module Preview with how the selection connects to the unit and the knowledge and skills focus for the text. The Unit-At-a-Glance provides a link to “Detailed Text Complexity Analysis,” which includes quantitative and qualitative analysis of each text and reader and task considerations. This spreadsheet includes the following columns: 

  • Lesson Title and ThinkCERCA Platform Link

  • Citation or Publisher Permissions Line

  • Author Bio and Awards

  • Grade Level

  • Unit

  • Unit Name

  • Anchor or Read Across Genres Text

  • Lesson Primary CCSS Reading Standard

  • Certified Lexile

  • ATOS

  • Flesch-Kincaid

  • Ease Score

  • Qualitative Measures

    • Structure

    • Language Conventionality and Clarity

    • Knowledge Demands

    • Purpose/Meaning of the Text

  • Quantitative Measures

  • Reader and Task Considerations

  • Recommended Placement

  • Info vs. Lit Text

  • Portfolio Writing Genre

  • Formative and Summative Tasks

• In Unit 2, Module 2, students read “Artificial Intelligence Is Now Used to Predict Crime. But Is It Biased?” by Smithsonian Magazine. The Detailed Text Complexity Analysis Spreadsheet includes the following information under Reader and Task Considerations for the educational purpose of this text: “‘Artificial Intelligence Is Now Used to Predict Crime. But Is It Biased?’ was chosen as a anchor text because it is an excellent example of an argumentative text of the unit theme, ‘Designing Our Communities,’ which asks students to explore the question: ‘Should robots and other forms of artificial intelligence be used to perform important tasks in our communities?’” The Recommended Placement Section states, “While the Flesch-Kincaid Ease and Grade level scores are slightly high for Grade 12, the Lexile and ATOS scores are solidly within range for Grade 12 text complexity. These latter scores along with ThinkCERCA's platform supports that provide scaffolds make this text suitable for all Grade 12 readers.”

• In Unit 3, Module 1, students read “The Silence” by Haruki Murakami. The Detailed Text Complexity Analysis Spreadsheet includes the following information under Reader and Task Considerations for the educational purpose of this text: “‘The Silence’ was chosen as a anchor text because it is an excellent example of the unit theme, ‘Developing a Purpose’ which asks students to explore the question: ‘How can stories help us reexamine our lives and our role in the lives of others?’”  The Recommended Placement Section states, “Various quantitative measurements place "The Silence" into lower text complexity bands than is appropriate; the qualitative analysis would indicate that there are enough complex features to warrant its placement in the 12th grade.”

• The accuracy of the provided quantitative measures was verified using MetaMetrics or determined using the Lexile Text Analyzer on The Lexile Framework for Reading site. The accuracy of the provided qualitative measures was verified using literary and informational text rubrics.

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1e.  

The materials identify opportunities for students to engage in reading a wide variety of text types and genres to support the achievement of grade-level expectations across the school year; however, the materials do not provide teacher guidance to foster independent reading, such as accountability procedures, schedules, or tracking evidence. Students read 57 texts during lessons labeled as individual, small group, pairs, or Whole-Class learning. Students generally engage with about eight texts in each of the seven units across the school year. These texts represent various text types and genres, including fiction, poetry, informational texts, myths, speeches, opinions, and memoirs. Materials provide suggestions and guidance for independent reading. 

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety of text types and genres. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Module 4, students read the essay “Where I Lived and What I Lived For” by Henry David Thoreau. Students build vocabulary, reflect on factors that inform identities and critical influences that shape who people become, analyze how Thoreau uses personal experiences to convey ideas and make inferences about the author’s point of view. 

• In  Unit 3, Module 3, students read a philosophical fiction short story, “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Ursula K. LeGuin. Students explore how authors layer different types of conflict throughout a story to reveal themes about serious social issues and moral dilemmas.

• In Unit 6, Module 1, students read “Conan O’Brien Commencement Address.” This speech was presented to the 2011 graduates of Dartmouth College. Students identify how an author uses humor, anecdotes, and direct quotes to convey a message.

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in a volume of reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Unit planner includes a pacing guide for 50-minute class periods. The 50-minute guide includes 22-26 days of lessons. These include one day to preview the unit and set personal goals, one day to explore the theme, approximately three days for each of the four close reading texts, two days for the five Read Across Genres texts, two days for Debate or Socratic Discussion, five days for the portfolio writing assignment, and one day to reflect on learning. Most units consist of three to four close-reading texts and five Read Across Genres of texts. 

• In Unit 5, students read one play. Each text is read over three days for a total of twelve days. Students can complete these lessons individually, in pairs, in small groups, or as a whole class. On Days 1 and 2, students preview the unit theme and journal response to a guiding question, complete a vocabulary map, and make a personal connection to the text. On Day 3, students complete a Before You Read The Play lesson. On Days 4–13, students read Antigone by Sophocles and complete the Before You Read, Read and Analyze, and Write tasks, repeating the pattern for the play’s three parts. On Days 14–16, students engage in the Read Across Genres: Compare Texts and Multimedia and Read Across Genres: Informational Texts activities for two days. Lessons in each unit follow this pattern in a similar way using different texts.

There is sufficient teacher guidance to foster independence for all readers (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each Unit-At-a-Glance includes a section on independent reading opportunities. For example, the Unit 1 Unit-At-a-Glance includes the following teacher guidance: 

  • “Reserve one to two days for introducing the protocols for student choice during the first month of school: 

    • Introduce best practices for choosing appropriately challenging reading by showing the overview video. 

    • Allow students to brainstorm topics and types of books they may find interesting. 

    • Provide the suggested titles book list but also assure students that they need not restrict their choices only to those titles. 

    • Visit the library and let students select books based on the strategies introduced in the introductory video. 

    • Provide a class period or more for students to ‘get hooked on their book’ of choice while you conduct 1:1 conferences with students to understand their S.M.A.R.T. goals and progress. 

    • Model your expectations of how to complete reading logs and share submission and grading expectations.”

  The Unit 2 Unit-At-a-Glance includes the following guidance:

  • “Select model book logs that demonstrate the expectations of the independent reading protocol and remove student names. Share digital copies of the exemplar work and review its exemplar qualities with the class.”

  Under Resources, Curriculum Resources, Grade 12, Reading, Implementing Independent Reading, slide 8, the materials include a blank reading log with sentence stems to support students in writing about texts. 

• Each Unit-At-a-Glance includes a link to “Independent Reading Options” for the Unit. There are four independent reading options provided to students for each unit. Each of the options is thematically linked to the content in each unit. The materials include a summary of each text to support students in making a selection based on their individual interests (student choice structure). The materials present teachers with several independent reading structures in the Implementing Independent Reading Guide. In addition to this “student choice” structure, teachers could choose to implement book clubs in two different structures: “one longer work, small groups” or “multiple longer works, small groups.” The materials include the pros and cons of all three structures for independent reading so that teachers can make the right choice for their students. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1f. 

The materials contain text-specific and text-dependent questions, tasks, and assignments requiring students to engage with the text directly. Students read texts multiple times to demonstrate comprehension and complete tasks that require textual evidence to support what is explicitly stated and make valid inferences. The materials follow a specific pattern across all units where students read texts with embedded pauses and reflection questions. They complete the Check step, where they answer five text-specific multiple-choice questions. In the next step, Analyze, they highlight details that will help them provide evidence for a text-dependent writing prompt. The Teacher Guide provides guidance for each step of the lesson; however, this guidance is often general and restates the information found in the Student Guide. Direct instruction and teacher modeling are not always directly related to each text. Guidance is often not specific to text-dependent questions and tasks of each lesson, and they are the same for Grades 9–12. The Resources tab contains training, on-demand videos, and Teacher Toolkit materials to support general planning and implementation.  

Text-specific and text-dependent questions and tasks support students in making meaning of the core understandings of the texts being studied. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Module 4, students read an excerpt from Where I Lived and What I Lived For by Henry David Thoreau and answer five multiple-choice questions. After answering the questions, students answer the prompt: “Using specific evidence from the text, what can readers infer about Thoreau’s views on society and human independence from this essay? Consider what views Thoreau explicitly states versus those that he implies in your response.”

• In Unit 3, Module 4, students read “A Brief and Fearful Star” by Carmen Maria Machado. During the Analyze step, students highlight the text to mark sentences that will help them answer the writing prompt, “Analyze how the post-apocalypse has impacted the narrator and their family. How does the history of the monsters contribute to their point of view? How does their mother’s death force the narrator to face their fears of leaving home and going out into the world?” 

• In  Unit 4 Module 2, students read “A 105-Mile-Long City Will Snake through the Saudi Desert. Is That a Good Idea?” by Bill Chappell. In the Check step, students answer five multiple-choice questions: 

  • “What is the impact of the author’s use of descriptive language at the start of the article? 

  • Read the sentence from the article: ‘The designs revealed today for the city's vertically layered communities will challenge the traditional flat, horizontal cities and create a model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability…’ Which word most closely matches the meaning of preservation as it is used in the sentence? 

  •  How does the author’s use of headings support the central idea of the article? 

  • How do the visuals support the Saudi Arabian leaders’ claim that the new city will be a ‘model for nature preservation and enhanced human livability’? 

  • Which evidence from the text best supports the idea that The Line could create unforeseen ecological harm while solving existing concerns?” 

  After the Check step, students begin to analyze by highlighting specific information in the text and summarizing to answer the prompt, “How does the author use sections, bullet points, photos, and videos to help readers understand the main idea in the article?”

Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation of text-based questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• The Teacher Guide provides general guidance for each lesson step in each unit. 

• In Unit 2, Module 2, students read “Artificial Intelligence is Now Used to Predict Crime. But Is It Biased?” by Randy Rieland. The Teacher Guide includes guidance for the Share Your Reflections section. Guidance states,

  •   “Assist students in switching between the Pause and Reflect questions online and recording their responses in the Student Guide.

  • Facilitate pairs or small groups for students to discuss their responses. 

  • Remind them to record their discussion reflections in the Student Guide.”

• In Unit 4, Module 2, students read “A 105-Mile-Long City Will Snake through the Saudi Desert. Is That a Good Idea?” by Bill Chappell. The Teacher Guide includes guidance for the Share Your Reflections section. Guidance states,

  •   “Assist students in switching between the Pause and Reflect questions online and recording their responses in the Student Guide.

  • Facilitate pairs or small groups for students to discuss their responses. 

  • Remind them to record their discussion reflections in the Student Guide.”

• In Unit 7, Module 4, students read “The Yellow Wallpaper” and “The Hacienda” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. In the Develop section, students plan an argument using the prompt, “Compare and contrast the women who are wives and the stories’ narrators in ‘The Yellow Wallpaper’ and ‘The Hacienda.’ How do the texts establish their narrators as protagonists?” The Teacher Guide includes the following guidance for this section:

  • “Explain to students that their claims should answer all aspects of the prompt, provide a clear focus for the writing, and present the points they will cover in their writing. 

  • Remind students to provide at least two reasons to support the claim. 

  • Explain to students that no reason can be submitted without supporting evidence, and that no evidence can be provided without an explanation of reasoning.

  • Guide students in sharing their CERCA plans with peers.”

• In the Resources tab, Training Courses, materials provide video training modules for teachers, including “Establishing Literacy Routines with CERCA Slides, Direct Instruction Lessons, Skill Practice Lessons, and Six Steps for Close Reading and Writing Lessons.” The On-Demand Video Library contains on-demand training videos, such as “Must Moments in Literacy” videos, demonstrating the conditions needed for successful implementation and the common challenges. The Help Center, Teacher Toolkit, Graphic Organizers to Support Close Reading, Effective Writing, and Critical Thinking provides teachers with graphic organizers for reading texts.

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1g. 

The materials provide frequent and varied opportunities and protocols to support students’ speaking and listening skills across the year. In each unit, students have opportunities for evidence-based partner, small group, and whole class discussions using formal protocols, such as Socratic Discussions, Debates, Panel Discussions, and Performances. The materials provide direct instruction and skills practice lessons around each speaking and listening protocol in a tab at the top of every unit. These lessons are the same across Grades 9–12. The student guide includes worksheets to help students prepare for more formal speaking and listening activities. Each unit incorporates various speaking opportunities for students to react to and reflect on the unit content. The materials provide teacher guidance to help the teacher support students throughout the lesson. The guidance provides lesson rationale, Lesson snapshots, Lesson Roadmap, Support for English Language Development, Support for Students with Exceptional Needs, and Support for Further Exploration and Thinking. In the Resources tab, teachers can access materials to support implementation, such as training courses, on-demand videos, the Help Center, the ThinkCERCA Blog, and rubrics. 

Materials provide varied protocols to support students’ developing speaking and listening skills across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Direct Instruction and Skills Practice slideshow lessons in each unit include instructions for performing each speaking and listening task. Topics and protocols include: 

  • Rules for Discussion

    • Be prepared.

    • Define goals and roles.

    • Participate in a respectful way.

    • Ask and respond to questions.

    • Reflect on ideas.

  • How to Deliver an Oral Presentation

    • Keys to a strong oral presentation

    • Types of oral presentations 

    • Organization

    • Tips for writing note cards

    • Presentation language - formal and informal

    • Appropriate use of voice, props, and gestures.

  • Socratic Discussions

    • What is a Socratic Discussion?

    • Steps to answer the Socratic Question

    • Prepare Reasoning for the Discussion

    • Create your argument and forming a counterargument

    • Respectful speaking and listening rules including expressing ideas civilly, questioning members to bring in all viewpoints, making eye contact to show active listening.

    • Sentence frames provided for questions and statements to build effective discussion

  • Panel Discussion

    • What is a panel discussion?

    • Panel members - each bringing a different type of expertise or point of view on the topic

    • The Moderator and audience roles 

    • Format - brief introduction by each panel member, questions from the moderator, questions from the audience, and brief closing by each panel member

    • How to prepare

    • Respectful speaking and listening rules including expressing ideas civilly, questioning members to bring in all viewpoints, making eye contact to show active listening.

    • Sentence frames provided for questions and statements to build effective discussion

  • Pitch Deck

    • Definition of Pitch Deck

    • How to prepare for the pitch

    • How to prepare reasoning

    • Characteristics of a great pitch deck

    • Listening rules of the audience

  • Debate Game 

    • Preparing reasoning and evidence for the discussion

    • Forming a counterargument

    • How to speak and listen in a Socratic Discussion

    • Speaking and listening rules

    • Questions and statements to build effective discussion

  • Performance

    • Prepare

    • Perform

    • Be a Respectful Audience Member

Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each unit contains one module focused on a speaking and listening activity. The Teacher Guide for this module includes guidance for all parts of the activity. 

• Under Resources, Speaking and Listening, Speaking and Listening Toolkit- Grade 12, materials include a toolkit for teachers and students. This toolkit includes observation tools and guidance for each Speaking and Listening activity type in the curriculum. 

• In Unit 3, Module 2, Share Your Reflections,  the Teacher Guide states: “Facilitate pairs or small groups for students to discuss their responses.”

• In Unit 6, Module 6, students create a Pitch Deck. The Teacher Guide provides guidance for teachers to lead students through the step-by-step process of building a Pitch Deck. Teachers “Conduct the Poll Again” activity and Reflect on the Pitch Deck presentations in their groups by answering questions such as “What did people do well? and What could we improve?” Afterward, the teacher prompts students to answer the following questions from the Student Guide: 

  • “What were the strongest arguments, ideas, and evidence presented?

  • Did your ideas about the topic change?

  • Did you learn more about the topic?”  

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1h. 

The materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching. Materials provide multiple opportunities over the school year for students to demonstrate what they are reading and researching through varied speaking and listening tasks. Unit tasks include Socratic Discussions, Debates, Performances, and Pitch Decks. They all require students to synthesize information from the unit texts and include text evidence in their speaking and listening tasks. Texts build knowledge, and tasks require students to use evidence to support their thinking and research. Materials include multiple opportunities for pair, small group, and class discussions. Direct Instruction lessons include Speaking and Listening protocols, and the protocols include formats for peer feedback and reflection. Materials provide teacher guidance for speaking and listening opportunities. 

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned exchange of ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 3, Module 6, students participate in a Socratic Discussion on the Essential Question, “How can stories help us reexamine our lives and our roles in the lives of others?” Students reflect on the Essential Question, then prepare for the discussion by making a claim and supporting it with three reasons and evidence from the texts. They also make notes on the counterargument.

• Work with peers to promote civil, democratic discussions and decision-making, set clear goals and deadlines, and establish individual roles as needed. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Module 6, students participate in a Socratic Discussion on the question, “How do the expectations of society influence the decisions you make?” In the Student Guide, students are presented with the guidelines for participating in the lesson: “Prepare observations about the texts you have read, and be ready to share your evidence and explain your reasoning effectively. The goal is not to just share your point of view or ‘win’ but to explore a text together, so good listening is important. Take notes. Speak respectfully. You might not agree with everything your peers share about the topic or text, but you can still express your ideas civilly. Consider a Socratic discussion an opportunity to expand the circle to include all points of view on complex topics so that regardless of whether or not people agree, they have considered many aspects of the issues deeply and are truly well-informed when they take a position. This kind of collaboration is an important skill for success in school, the workplace, civic life, and in your personal life.”

• Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 6, students create a Pitch Deck using what they have learned from unit texts and their own retrospection. Students create a set of recorded slides that accompany a presentation. The Teacher Guide provides guidance for the activity before, during, and closing, focused on the Essential Question,  “What are the risks and rewards of various post-secondary choices?” Using the template in the Student Guide, students create a Pitch Deck using text selections from the unit and other sources. The template includes Title Page, Defining a Career Pathway, My Interests, My Career Pathway Options, Possible Careers, Possible Challenges, Pitch Your Top Career Path, Explanation of Career Pathway Selected, Post-Secondary Plan, and Closing Page. 

Speaking and listening work requires students to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; ensure a hearing for a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions; and promote divergent and creative perspectives. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Explore the Theme, Preview the Essential Question, Knowledge, Understanding, and Skills lesson, students explore the Essential Question, “Should robots and other forms of artificial intelligence be used to perform important tasks in our communities?” In a class discussion, the teacher asks several related questions, giving students an opportunity to brainstorm their initial thoughts, including, “Does artificial intelligence do more harm than good for communities and wider society? Is AI a force for community safety or a harmful step in the wrong direction? Should communities use AI in the healthcare sector? Is AI that is used for instruction and grading ethical?” 

  • In Unit 6, Explore the Theme Overview, Facilitation Notes, the Essential Question is, “What are the risks and rewards of various post-secondary choices?” During the lesson, the teacher asks the following guiding questions, “Do you have a plan for financing your post-secondary path? When life seems unfair, what are the best options to move forward? How do we balance the cost of college with the benefits of education? How can various strategies help us achieve our goals? How do you know when you are an adult?” There was no evidence found of students posing questions.

• Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives; synthesize comments, claims, and evidence made on all sides of an issue; resolve contradictions when possible; and determine what additional information or research is required to deepen the investigation or complete the task. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 4, the Student Guide includes instructions for planning and taking part in a Panel Discussion. Student instructions state to plan for the following parts: “an opening statement, opportunities to answer 3-5 questions from the moderator and the audience, and a closing statement.” Guidance is provided for students during the discussion: “Listen Respectfully: During the panel discussion, it is important to listen to others so your answers to questions can add new information to the discussion. While all of you are looking at similar topics, you will also use evidence differently. It is important to listen to your peers closely so that you can answer appropriately.”

• Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Module 6, students prepare for and conduct a debate on the Essential Question, “Should robots and other forms of artificial intelligence be used to perform important tasks in our communities?” Students review four informational articles, a video, two opinion texts, and two visual texts. Students take notes on each source as they prepare for the debate. There was no evidence found for evaluating the credibility and accuracy of sources.

• Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric, assessing the stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone used. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Module 1, students build a claim and write an argument to the prompt, “Using evidence from the text, which do you see having a greater influence on the narrator’s identity: his sense of self, societal expectations, duty, or an understanding stranger?” After writing their argument, students conduct a peer review. The peer reviewer uses the Student Checklist for Peer and Self Editing, which includes statements such as, “Takes a clear stance based on the question, States an alternative or opposing viewpoint, Explains why the alternative viewpoint is not as strong as the claim, Includes three or more clear facts or examples that support the claim and reasons, etc.” After students receive feedback from their peers, they complete a feedback loop worksheet answering questions, “From the feedback provided, what is one thing you agree with? From the feedback provided, what’s one thing you’ll improve before you complete the next assignment? And from the feedback you received, what is one question you have?”

  • In Unit 7, Module 2, students summarize “What Redburn Saw at Launcelott’s-Hey” by Herman Melville and “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Students share their summaries with a partner. Students become familiar with the online Share Your Argument Builder to build a claim using the prompt, “How are symbols and/or motifs used in  ‘The Minister’s Black Veil’ and ‘What Redburn Saw at Launcelott’s-Hey’ to communicate the duties and responsibilities that individual citizens have when living collectively in a society?” Students share their arguments in small groups and use the Student Checklist for Peer and Self Editing. As students receive peer feedback, they take notes in the student guide. The ThinkCERCA Feedback Loop Example is another resource to help students reflect on the feedback they receive. There was no evidence found for identifying fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.

• Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range of formal and informal tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Module 6, students prepare for and conduct a debate on the Essential Question, “Should robots and other forms of artificial intelligence be used to perform important tasks in our communities?” Students prepare for a whole-class Debate Game in which the class is divided into two teams, each with one to four speakers. The remaining team members participate by helping to develop arguments, plan rebuttals, and write closing arguments. Teams take turns presenting their arguments to each other, develop rebuttals or counterarguments, and then state their objections to the opposing argument. Students are encouraged to listen carefully and take notes while the opposing team presents. At the end of the debate, the class answers a reflection question: “What side were you first leaning toward in the debate? Has it changed? What role did your peers have in your learning?” Then they discuss as a class, “Which arguments were the strongest on both sides during the debate?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1i. 

The materials include a variety of on-demand, process writing, and short-focused project opportunities across the school year. Digital resources are incorporated since the materials are accessed in the publisher’s online platform. Learning opportunities are available for full class, small group, pairs, or individual work. On-demand writing tasks include goal setting, unit preview analysis, Quick Journal, Topic Overview, Connect, Write to Impress, Reflect on Your Learning, and Text Summaries. The Your Portfolio section includes Process writing tasks at the end of each unit, which are connected to the unit in theme and writing tasks. The tasks include personal narrative, argumentative essay, short story, research paper, cause and effect essay, and literary analysis. Other process writing tasks include the Develop step online, Share Your Argument Builder in the Student Guide, and Research Big Ideas. The process writing tasks are expected to be completed over three to five days. The Student Guide provides guidance for each step of the writing process. The online lesson interface also provides guidance for students through sentence frames, graphic organizers, and peer editing checklists. Because the materials are mainly accessed digitally, students have many opportunities to incorporate digital resources while composing written work online. The Teacher Guide provides a Lesson Snapshot and Lesson Roadmap. Support for English Language Learners, Students with Exceptional Needs, and Further Exploration and Thinking are also provided.

Materials include on-demand writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Module 2, students read “The Party” by Ava Kadishson Schieber. After reading about the topic in the Overview, students think about related experiences and respond in writing using the prompt, “Describe a time when you felt uncomfortable or out of place in a particular situation. Use vivid sensory details to describe how you felt, what you were thinking, and what actions you took as a result?” Using a Think-Pair-Share, students share their reflections. 

• In Unit 3, Module 4, prior to reading “A Brief and Fearful Star” by Carmen Maria Machado, students complete the following on-demand task: “Write a very brief response based on your personal experience. There is no right or wrong answer. What parts of your identity are most important to you? How do you think your identity would be different without any knowledge about your past?”

• In Unit 5, Module 1, prior to reading Antigone Part 1 by Sophocles, students answer a Quick Journal: “Think of what your own family, chosen family, or an important community that you are part of considers its most deeply held values and beliefs. Why are these values so important to the group? When have you felt compelled to uphold these values? When have you felt conflicted about them? Then answer the following question: What is our responsibility to uphold our family values?” Students share their writing in pairs or small groups.

Materials include process writing opportunities that cover a year’s worth of instruction. Opportunities for students to revise and edit are provided. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 3, students write a short story for the prompt, “Think about the ways in which people are affected by their relationships. Write a short story in which characters have a profound effect on the people that they know, care about, or interact with.” In the 50-minute class pacing guide, students write the story in five days, and the process includes one day for pre-writing, two days for drafting, one day for editing and revising, and one day for sharing and reflecting. The Student Guide includes a checklist with relevant skills lessons for each writing process step, a final narrative rubric, a graphic organizer to map the narrative, a peer editing checklist, a worksheet on “show, don’t tell,” and a reflection page. A student exemplar is included for students to read and answer questions about as part of the online lessons. The Teacher Guide includes guidance for each step of the writing process.

• In Unit 4, students write an informative essay for the prompt, “Based on the readings and other research, what are the issues and solutions around how a community lives sustainably? ” In the 50-minute class pacing guide, students write the essay in five days, and the process includes one day for pre-writing, two days for drafting, one day for editing and revising, and one day to share and reflect. The Student Guide includes a checklist with relevant skills lessons for each step of the writing process, a final narrative rubric, a graphic organizer to map each cause and effect showing the play's tensions and conflicts, a peer editing checklist, and a reflection page. A student exemplar is included for students to read and answer questions about as part of the online lessons. The Teacher Guide includes guidance for each step of the writing process.

• In Unit 7, students write a literary analysis essay for the prompt, “Using the stories, poetry, and other texts from this unit, write a comparative analysis to compare and contrast the messages two or more works of American literature present about the ways community shapes and is shaped by the people within it. Use evidence from two texts and others in the unit to support your answer.” In the 50-minute class pacing guide, students write the essay in five days, and the process includes one day for pre-writing, two days for drafting, one day for editing and revising, and one day to share and reflect. The Student Guide includes a checklist with relevant skills lessons for each step of the writing process, a final argumentative rubric, graphic organizers to map the similarities and differences between the texts, a graphic organizer for organizing the essay, a peer editing checklist, and a reflection page. A student exemplar is included for students to read and answer questions about as part of the online lessons. The Teacher Guide includes guidance for each step of the writing process.

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

• All units include interactive digital components such as video/slideshow skills lessons, online reading of texts including audio and multiple choice comprehension questions, guided writing lessons which include digital highlighting and note taking on the texts as a prewriting step, sentence frames, and instruction for each step in the writing process, and interactive rubric checklists.  

• In Unit 2, students write an argumentative essay for the following prompt: “Based on your readings, what is the best way to design and utilize AI to help, not harm, communities?” Students write the essay in the online lesson, Portfolio: Writing Your Argumentative Essay, which includes multiple typing steps. In the Develop step, students draft a claim with reasoning, evidence, and a counterargument. In the Create step, students write a draft, including an introduction and conclusion. The digital interface provides help if students click a “Need help getting started” link, which opens up general instructions about structure, instructions, body, conclusion, and audience.

• In Unit 3, students view a website during Read Across the Genres and complete an on-demand writing. Instructions include: “Interact with and read the UN Sustainable Development Goals by the United Nations website. Summarize why the United Nations might have created these expectations for peace and prosperity by 2030. Do you think the timeline is achievable? Then answer, Who bears the responsibility for improving the quality of life, peace, and prosperity? Is it the individual, the government, or both?” 

• In Unit 6, students create a Pitch Deck on the online platform. They use knowledge from unit texts and their own retrospection to create the presentation on the Essential Question, “What are the risks and rewards of various post-secondary choices?” Students insert required information using a template that includes the following topics: Title Page, The Importance of Activities, My Interests, My Current Activities, My Extracurricular Path Options, Possible Challenges, Pitch Your Top Activity, Explanation of Activity Selected, Postsecondary Plan, and Closing Page.

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1j. 

The materials provide opportunities for students to address different types of writing. The materials focus on argumentative writing skills; the CERCA acronym stands for Claims, Evidence, Reasoning, Counterarguments, and Audience. In each unit, the first four modules include multiple writing lessons connected to an argumentative or informative/explanatory prompt related to unit texts. For this reason, the distribution of writing types across all tasks is 33.3% argumentative, 41.7% informational/explanatory, and 25% narrative, which reflects the 40/40/20 writing distribution requirement. At each grade level, the Portfolio writing tasks are personal narrative, argumentative essay, short story, research paper, cause-and-effect essay, personal statement, and literary analysis. Some writing instruction is included throughout the materials through a series of slide decks that present guidance for students in planning, drafting, and revising. The Teacher Guide includes extra writing instruction guidance in Show and Tell, and Teach Academic Writing Skills boxes. Rubrics included require students to implement the elements of writing as required by the standards.

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

• Percentage or number of opportunities for argumentative writing: Two units address argumentative writing. Portfolio writing assignments include an argumentative essay in Unit 2 and a literary analysis in Unit 7. Four (33.3%) of writing opportunities over six units are argumentative.

  • Unit 1: 0

  • Unit 2: 2

  • Unit 3: 0

  • Unit 4: 0

  • Unit 5: 0

  • Unit 6: 0

  • Unit 7: 2

• Percentage or number of opportunities for informative/explanatory writing: Two units address informative/explanatory writing.  Portfolio writing assignments include a research paper in Unit 4, and the other is a cause-and-effect essay in Unit 5. Five (41.7%) of writing opportunities over seven units are informative/explanatory.

  • Unit 1: 0

  • Unit 2: 0

  • Unit 3: 0

  • Unit 4: 2

  • Unit 5: 2

  • Unit 6: 1

  • Unit 7: 0

• Percentage or number of opportunities for narrative writing: Three units address narrative writing.  Portfolio writing assignments include a personal narrative in Unit 1, a short story in Unit 3, and a personal statement in Unit 6. Three (9%) of writing opportunities are narrative.

  • Unit 1: 1

  • Unit 2: 0

  • Unit 3: 1

  • Unit 4: 0

  • Unit 5: 0

  • Unit 6: 1

  • Unit 7: 0

• Explicit instruction in argumentative writing:

  • In Unit 2, Module 7, students write an argumentative essay for the prompt, “Based on your readings, what is the best way to design and utilize AI to help, not harm, communities?” Students use online modules, graphic organizers, and direct instruction to write an argumentative essay in an estimated three to five days. In the Student Guide, students use the Choose Your Argument guide and the Map Your Argument graphic organizer. During the Draft, students navigate online to the Portfolio: Writing Your Argumentative Essay to complete the Develop and Draft section. In the final section, Edit, students revise and edit the draft. In this section, students navigate online to Portfolio: Writing the Argumentative Essay and review the revising and editing sections. Next, students pair and use the Make It Powerful graphic organizer in the Student Guide to find the most important appeal sections and look for neutral words that can be improved upon. Students then navigate to the Portfolio: Writing Your Argumentative Essay, Review step and use the Share Your Argument graphic organizer in the Student Guide to work with a partner to read and listen to the argument to locate major parts that need more development. In the Portfolio: Writing Your Argument Essay, students complete the Review step and then complete the Share Your Argument in the Student Guide. In this step, students work with a partner to complete a graphic organizer answering the following questions: “What is your claim? What evidence do you have to support it? Do you have a counterargument?” The Read and Analyze step within Portfolio: Writing Your Argumentative Essay is completed next. In the Student Guide, students edit their drafts with a partner according to the Edit the Draft Together guide. A Student Checklist for Peer and Self Editing Argumentative Writing is available as needed. Students write a brief reflection of their experience. In closing the lesson, this reflection may take the form of a quick-write, exit ticket, or turn and talk.    

• Explicit instruction in informative/explanatory writing:

  • In Unit 5, Module 6, students write a cause-and-effect essay for the prompt, “Choose a character from Antigone and explain how their internal conflicts shape their actions and reveal Sophocles’ commentary on a particular aspect of being human. Consider the characters’ competing desires, ambitions, obligations, and influences in your response.” Direct instruction is provided in a self-paced digital lesson, Writing the Cause and Effect Essay, including slides defining a cause and effect essay, how to organize the essay, what should be included in the introduction, examples of reasons and evidence in a cause-and-effect essay, using transitions and figurative language, and conclusion tips. A five-question quiz follows the slide show to check for understanding. In the Student Guide, a checklist of tasks is included for the pre-writing, drafting, and revising steps, as well as an informative rubric. A graphic organizer is provided with prompts and guidance for students to make “because” and “as a result” statements. Students complete writing online in the Portfolio: Writing Your Cause and Effect Essay Writing Lesson and are guided through each step with sentence frames and organizing features, including plan, outline, draft, and review. The Teacher Guide includes guidance for the pre-writing, drafting, and editing stages. These notes include rationale, lesson snapshot and roadmap, and support for English language Development and students with exceptional needs. 

• Explicit instruction in narrative writing:

  • In Unit 3, Module 7, students compose a short story for the prompt, “Think about the ways in which people are affected by their relationships. Write a short story in which characters have a profound effect on the people that they know, care about, or interact with.” Students read four short stories as anchors for the task. In Module 7, Portfolio: Writing the Short Story, students read Direct Instruction, Writing the Short Story, and answer five multiple-choice questions. Before writing, students read the Narrative Writing Rubric. The Teacher Guide includes the following guidance for this section “Show and Tell—Endings in Narrative: Begin the lesson with an activity on different types of narrative endings, such as implicit, surprise, and ambiguous resolutions. An implicit resolution subtly hints at the outcome without explicitly stating it; a surprise resolution introduces an unexpected twist or revelation; an ambiguous resolution leaves the conclusion uncertain or open to interpretation. Discuss as a class how authors and creators craft these various types of conclusions to create ambiguity and different narrative experiences. Use an escape room experience and discuss three possible escapes: discovering a hidden passage behind a bookshelf, deciphering a complex puzzle to unlock a secret door, or unraveling a series of clues to reveal a hidden key. In groups of three, students will create a setting from which a character must escape (such as Rapunzel in the tower). Students will then write three different endings for it: an implicit resolution, a surprise resolution, and an ambiguous resolution. After completing their endings, groups will exchange their scenarios and provide feedback on which ending they find most effective.”  Students read a Student Exemplar and begin writing the short story. Students complete the two steps, Think: Develop and Create: Draft and Review. The Teacher Guide includes guidancefor pre-writing, drafting, revising, and editing, which correspond to short story development in the Student Guide. 

Different genres/modes/types of writing are distributed throughout the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing. 

  • Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Module 7, students complete online lessons and pre-writing activities and write an argumentative essay. In the Student Guide, Map Your Argument, students complete graphic organizers to develop a Hook, Claim/Counterclaim, Evidence, and Rhetorical Appeals. Students answer the questions, “What opinion do you have about the issue? What opposing viewpoint might critics have?”  

  • Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience's knowledge level and concerns. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2, Module 7, Develop, students plan an argument by filling in various boxes. They enter their claim in one box and click to enter information into the following additional boxes: Add Another Reason, Add Another Evidence, Add Another Reasoning, and Add Another Counterargument. In Share Your Argument, when the initial draft is complete, students pair with a partner and ask questions to help strengthen each other’s argument using greater detail. Students ask the following questions: “What is your claim? What evidence do you have to support it? Do you have a counterargument?” The graphic organizer has a Share and Listen column for students to complete. In the Share column, students list three major parts of the person’s argument that need development, and in the Listen column, students list major parts of their own argument that needs development.

  • Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 7, Module 7, Use Transition Sentences, when the initial literary analysis draft is complete, students partner to look for sentences in the essay that need transitions and determine how to choose words that transition from one idea to the next. When completed, students reflect on whether or not the revisions reinforced the relationships between ideas in the essay and if there are opportunities to revise to develop those ideas further. 

  • Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 2,  Module 7, Teacher’s Guide, Student Learning Description, Writing the Argumentative Essay, students view slides to learn components of an argumentative essay. In the Check section, one slide is included that references tone and style, which reminds students to maintain a formal style and objective tone and also provides examples of what to avoid. No evidence was found that supports students during the writing process to establish and maintain an objective tone and formal style. In the Review section, students can edit their text and review their work, including punctuation and spelling, before clicking the submit box.

  • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 7, Module 7, Teacher’s Guide, Student Learning Description, Writing a Literary Analysis, students view slides to learn components of a Literary Analysis. In the Check section, two slides are related to the conclusion. One provides a definition, and the second is an example. In the Student Guide, Organize Your Essay, a graphic organizer has a space for students to write a conclusion.

• Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 5, Module 6, students write a cause-and-effect essay for the prompt,  “Choose a character from Antigone and explain how their internal conflicts shape their actions and reveal Sophocles’ commentary on a particular aspect of being human. Consider the characters’ competing desires, ambitions, obligations, and influences in your response.” In the Student Guide, a graphic organizer is provided for students to map out each cause and effect they will highlight in their essay. No other formatting support was found.

  • Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Module 8, students write a research paper for the prompt, “Based on the readings and other research, what are the issues and solutions around how a community lives sustainably?” A graphic organizer, Write It and Cite It, is provided in the Student Guide for the revising stage. They review the online lesson, Citing and Documenting Sources, and then instructions state: “Look for places in their paper where they have not introduced, summarized, or provided a concluding sentence for their evidence.” In the graphic organizer, Map your Research Paper, student directions state: “As you read the texts and sources, you collected evidence that supports your solution. In this space, select at least three pieces of evidence that will be the basis for your three body paragraphs. Be sure to note which sources you used.”

  • Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 5, Module 6, students write a cause-and-effect essay for the prompt,  “Choose a character from Antigone and explain how their internal conflicts shape their actions and reveal Sophocles’ commentary on a particular aspect of being human. Consider the characters’ competing desires, ambitions, obligations, and influences in your response.” In the Student Guide, students pair with another student and look for sentences in the essay that need transitions. Then, they determine how to choose words that transition from one idea to the next. Example transition words and revision steps are provided.

  • Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Module 8, students write a research paper based on the prompt, “Based on the readings and other research, what are the issues and solutions around how a community lives sustainably?” The rubric for this assignment includes checklist items, “Uses precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.” No further instruction is found in the Student or Teacher Guide.

  • Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Module 8, students write a research paper for the prompt, “Based on the readings and other research, what are the issues and solutions around how a community lives sustainably?” The rubric for this assignment includes checklist items, “Writer establishes and maintains a formal style and objective tone throughout this longer research project. The style of writing is appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.” No further instruction is found in the Student or Teacher Guide.

  • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 4, Module 8, students write a research paper for the prompt, “Based on the readings and other research, what are the issues and solutions around how a community lives sustainably? ” In the Student Guide, the graphic organizer, Map Your Research Paper, the guidance includes, “In your conclusion, you will want to restate your claim, summarize the problem, and then use your solution to motivate readers. What is your call to action? What do you want readers to remember?”

• Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 6, Module 7, students write a personal narrative for the prompt: “Where do you see yourself ten years from now? How will you get there? What will you need to achieve your goals?” In Map Your Plan, students complete a chart with four categories: Hook, Building a Plan, Making Your Plan a Reality, and Postsecondary Plan and Conclusion. In the Hook section, the following instruction is provided: “In this paragraph, you will paint a picture of your future plan. Specifically, you should hook your reader by explaining where you want to be in ten years. You should state this clearly and concisely in a way that excites readers about your plan.” In the Hook box, students answer the question, “How will you tell your reader about your plan?”

  • Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Module 7, Student Guide, Show, Don’t Tell, students instructions state: “When you have finished an initial draft, pair with another writer and ask each other to find a character, description of the setting, and an event in each other’s stories. Then determine how you might show, not tell, by using descriptions for each.” A chart is provided with four categories: Character, Setting, and Event. An example of character description is included: “Experiment with ways to describe your character by showing what they feel rather than telling the reader what they feel. Instead of saying, ‘She was very surprised,’ have the character do or say something that shows surprise. ‘Her eyes grew wide, and when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out.’”

  • Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Module 7, Student Guide, Map Your Story, students complete a graphic organizer with the following instruction: “[Write] as many descriptive details as you can about your character, setting, and events in your story. Organize your writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end.” In the Middle box, instructions state: “Write about the events in the story that comprise the Rising Action, leading up to the turning point, or Climax. What is the Climax, the most exciting part?”

  • Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Module 7, Student Guide, Show, Don’t Tell, students instructions state: “When you have finished an initial draft, pair with another writer and ask each other to find a character, description of the setting, and an event in each other’s stories. Then determine how you might show, not tell, by using descriptions for each.” A chart is provided with four categories: Character, Setting, and Event. An example of character description is included: “Experiment with ways to describe your character by showing what they feel rather than telling the reader what they feel. Instead of saying, ‘She was very surprised,’ have the character do or say something that shows surprise. ‘Her eyes grew wide, and when she opened her mouth to speak, nothing came out.’”

  • Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

    • In Unit 3, Module 7, Student Guide, Map Your Story, students complete a table with the following instructions: “Organize your writing with a clear beginning, middle, and end.” Additional questions are provided: “What are the events that comprise the story’s Falling Action? How do the events in the Falling Action resolve the conflicts? This is your Resolution.” 

Where appropriate, writing opportunities are connected to texts and/or text sets (either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 5, Modules 1-3, students read Antigone and write a cause-and-effect essay for the prompt, “Choose a character from Antigone and explain how their internal conflicts shape their actions and reveal Sophocles’ commentary on a particular aspect of being human. Consider the characters’ competing desires, ambitions, obligations, and influences in your response.” Students use their reflections on the various causes and effects of conflicts driven by the setting, characters, and language to answer the prompt and write their essays. This pattern is followed in all units.

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1k. 

The materials provide frequent opportunities for students to complete evidence-based writing tasks across the school year. The Teacher Guide provides a Module Overview, which identifies the evidence-based writing prompt and genre. Writing opportunities are largely focused on developing and planning an argument, though analysis and synthesis are also included. Each unit includes opportunities to write claims about the text and support the claim with reasons and evidence from the text. In each unit module, the Write section includes tasks such as summarizing the selection, developing and building an argument, completing a draft, and reviewing the draft. Students work with a peer to complete graphic organizers or obtain feedback that occurs frequently during writing. When drafting, students can use an Automated Feedback feature for grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling, but the tool does not provide support for strengthening the argument. However, not all of the drafting tasks are required assignments throughout the program. While some of the module's writing pieces are essential for completion, most are optional. During the Closing of the Lessons, students reflect and share progress as a whole class. At the end of each unit, Your Portfolio writing tasks provide opportunities to write a short story, research paper, literary analysis, personal narrative, cause and effect essay, and argumentative essay. These are closely tied to the texts in their respective units and often require the synthesis of multiple texts. The Student Guide provides several graphic organizers to help students organize their thoughts and text evidence to support their claims. The Teacher Guide provides guidance for specific writing instruction throughout the materials, including reasons for the writing instruction focus, what students should be able to do, and what to focus on to grow as a writer. There is direct instruction guidance for teachers to implement. Teachers and students have access to slideshow lessons and support in the Student Guide. The materials include scaffolds for students in the Student and Teacher Guides.

Materials provide opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Module 2, students read “Artificial Intelligence Is Now Used to Predict Crime. But Is It Biased?” by Randy Rieland and write an argument to the prompt, “As the author selects and arranges evidence, how does he build a case for or against using AI in crime prevention? Does he provide sufficient evidence for his position?” In the Write section, Develop, students use an interactive argument builder to make a claim and add reasons and evidence from the text to support their claim. Students may click the “Need help getting started?” link that provides sentence frames to guide students in making their claims, adding reasons and evidence, and writing a counterargument. The Teacher Guide includes guidance such as 

  • “Explain to students that their claims should answer all aspects of the prompt, provide a clear focus for the writing, and present the points they will cover in their writing.

  • Remind students to provide at least two reasons to support the claim. 

  • Explain to students that no reason can be submitted without supporting evidence, and that no evidence can be provided without an explanation of reasoning.

  • Guide students in sharing their CERCA plans with peers.”

  The Student Guide includes a graphic organizer to assist students in organizing their claims and evidence. Direct Instruction slideshows are available on topics such as Citing Evidence to Support Analysis in Informational Texts and Integrating Evidence Effectively. As students Draft their responses, the Teacher Guide includes the following guidance: 

  • “A Have students drop their drafts into the drafting space and develop their CERCAs.

  • Feedback Focus:  Encourage students to share different aspects of their CERCA drafts to ensure they have included a strong claim, supportive reasons, and evidence.”

  Teachers may click on the ThinkCERCA Argumentative Writing Feedback Bank provided in the Writing Resources in the Feedback Guidance document to find examples of writing feedback they can give students based on how well they perform on certain skills against the rubric. For example, if a student performs at a 3 out of 5, the teacher can say: “Stellar effort with your evidence! Reread your claim and then your evidence. Choose another quotation to ensure that the evidence you have is adequate enough to develop your claim and counterclaim.” In the Teacher Guide, Preview Key Concepts and Skills section, teacher guidance states, “Show and Tell - Supporting Arguments: Before presenting the Direct Instruction lesson, ask students to share a thumbs up or down on how many have written and received feedback on more than one argument about a text in the past 12 months. The class may be familiar with many concepts related to Supporting Claims with Evidence, so the brief review of some of these concepts may be done independently or as a class depending on familiarity. After the Key Academic Terms have been introduced or reviewed, have students form groups of 4 students. Assign the topic based on the image in the unit overview or the statement, ‘We live out the roles others assign to us.’ Give each group two minutes to craft a paragraph including a claim, reason, evidence, and reasoning. Ask for volunteers and discuss a few sample paragraphs, noting strengths and areas for improvement as a class. Repeat with a new topic. Finally, gauge student comfort with understanding how to support arguments effectively. Repeat as warm-up until mastered.” Additional Direct instruction is found in the Teacher Guide in the Draft and Review section: “Show and Tell - Making Claims: Ask students to create claim statements based on the prompt. Have 2-3 students offer to workshop their claims. Have students record the prompt separately on a piece of paper. Then have them circle the main question they must answer, draw a box around the specific aspects of the main question they must address, breaking the question down into as many parts as necessary. In pairs, have students list all the questions or tasks outlined in the prompt, then review them as a class. Model the checklist with several of the claims. Then have students revise their claims and continue to develop.” 

• In Unit 4, Module 1, students read “What Is a Carbon Footprint - And How to Measure Yours” by Kieran Mulvaney and plan a response for the prompt, “How does the author help readers understand and use the idea of a carbon footprint?” Students include a claim, reasons and evidence, reasoning, and a counterargument. Sentence frames are provided for each of the required components. The Rubric tab provides evaluation criteria. The Teacher Guide includes the following guidance: 

  • “ Explain to students that their claims should answer all aspects of the prompt, provide a clear focus for the writing, and present the points they will cover in their writing. 

  • Remind students to provide at least two reasons to support the claim. 

  • Explain to students that no reason can be submitted without supporting evidence and that no evidence can be provided without an explanation of reasoning. 

  • Guide students in sharing their CERCA plans with peers.”

  As students draft their CERCA paragraphs, The Teacher Guide includes guidance such as: 

  • “Have students drop their drafts into the drafting space and develop their CERCAs.

  • Feedback Focus: Encourage students to share different aspects of their CERCA drafts to ensure they have included a strong claim, supportive reasons, and evidence.”

• In Unit 7, Module 2, students read “What Redburn Saw at Launcelott's-Hey” by Herman Melville and “The Minister’s Black Veil” by Nathaniel Hawthorne.  Then, students write a CERCA response to the prompt, “How are symbols and/or motifs used in "The Minister's Black Veil" and "What Redburn Saw at Launcelott’s-Hey" to comment on the duties and responsibilities that individual citizens have when living collectively in a society?” As students plan their arguments, the Teacher Guide includes guidance such as: 

  • “Explain to students that their claims should answer all aspects of the prompt, provide a clear focus for the writing, and present the points they will cover in their writing. 

  • Remind students to provide at least two reasons to support the claim. 

  • Explain to students that no reason can be submitted without supporting evidence and that no evidence can be provided without an explanation of reasoning.

  • Guide students in sharing their CERCA plans with peers.” 

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 2, students read informational news articles, opinion articles, and visual texts about artificial intelligence. In Module 7, they write an argument for the prompt, “Based on your readings, what is the best way to design and utilize AI to help, not harm, communities?” Student directions state to add evidence from the unit texts. The Student Guide provides a Map Your Argument worksheet with the following instructions: “As you read the texts, the writers used strong and credible evidence in the form of summaries, quotations, and examples that supported the arguments and issues. What evidence have you evaluated from your readings that supports your claim and allows you to further support your argument with reasoning?”

• In Unit 6, students read a speech and three magazine articles. In Module 7, students write a personal statement for the prompt, “Where do you see yourself ten years from now? How will you get there? What will you need to achieve your goals?” In the Student Guide, Plan Your Future, students’ instructions state: “Use your previous classwork to reflect on your ideas in order to determine what you want to write about.”

• In Unit 7, Module 7, students develop a comparative analysis for the prompt, “How do foundational works of American literature depict the role of community in shaping culture? Using the stories, poetry, and other texts from this unit, write a comparative analysis about the ways community shapes and is shaped by the people within it. Use evidence from two texts and others in the unit to support your answer.” Students complete online lessons to support their writing and complete pre-writing activities. During Pre-Write, students complete three online lessons: Writing the Literary Analysis, Portfolio: Writing Your Literary Analysis, and analyzing an exemplar. In the Student Guide, students select texts for comparison, Compare Similarities, Analyze Differences, and Finalize Your Analysis. Students develop and draft their writing on the ThinkCERCA platform. Students complete the Writing the Literary Analysis module and answer five Check questions at the end. The Portfolio: Writing Your Literary Analysis section takes students through the process of drafting, reviewing, and submitting their essays.

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1l. 

The materials provide explicit instruction on grammar and usage standards, and opportunities for students to demonstrate the application of grammar skills in context are available. The materials include a Language and Styles Best Practices Toolkit, which is presented as a resource “for teachers and students to improve audience outcomes on writing rubrics.” This toolkit provides key definitions, generic examples, and a strategy for that particular skill, including capitalization and spelling, punctuation, end punctuation, subjects and predicates, subject-verb agreement, tense, commas, varied sentence structures, redundancy, clarification, modifiers, parallelism, formal and objective style, active and passive language, and style. The materials also include direct, explicit instruction that scaffolds instruction of grammar and usage standards, especially for how students apply the skills in larger writing contexts. The Direct Instruction slideshows include 26 grammar topics. Students practice grade-level grammar standard lessons through a mix of online lessons and corresponding tasks in the Student Guide. Teachers facilitate learning by helping students move to the next online module, moving students into pairs or small groups, having students read or share aloud, having students reflect on takeaways at the close of the module, and monitoring learning progress. Illuminating Key Concepts sections in the Teacher Guides provide additional teacher guidance on teaching specific grammar and usage skills throughout the lessons. The lessons are connected to reading a text and answering questions in the Write to Impress, Build Vocabulary, Citing Evidence, Understanding Author’s Craft, or Sharpen Your Sentences tasks. These opportunities to practice grammar skills give a brief explanation of the standard with examples, general instructions that tell students to experiment with the skill and apply it to writing, and a chart to complete with single-sentence responses to prompts. While there is evidence of focused work for spelling, it is not present throughout the modules. Using quotations and correct citations is addressed by reminding students to review an online MLA Style Manual. In essay writing, grading rubrics state students should follow standard conventions, and teachers are to use the Language and Style Guide for instruction of specific skills during Module 7, Your Portfolio. 

Materials include explicit instruction of the grade-level grammar and usage standards. Materials include authentic opportunities for students to demonstrate application of skills in context, including applying grammar and convention skills to writing. 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. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Module 1, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Understand Inconsistent Usage and How Conventions Change, students read a passage from “On the Rainy River” by Tim O’Brien; instructions state:  “Observe the phrase back-to-the-stone-age hawk, which is not typical for formal writing, and the way the author intentionally uses the derogatory word, jingo.” Students complete a chart with two passages from the text: “Experiment with rewriting the following sentences from O’Brien’s narrative. Change the conventional language and usage that might be contested by modern usage standards. Then apply your learning to your writing.” The Teacher Guide, Usage and Conventions section includes guidance for how to go over this concept with students. The guide states, “The term jingo is a dated, derogatory term referring to people who are particularly in favor of war, especially in the name of patriotism. Ask students to reflect on what other terms appear in the text that are similar or if they can think of what has replaced this dated term. Additionally, the sample passage highlights the informal language used by the author. If desired, ask students to find additional examples in the text. Following this, review the instructions and have students complete the activity. After, students should share some of their favorite sentences, identifying the types of phrases and clauses they used.”

• 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. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 1, Module 2, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Resolve Issues in Usage, students read an excerpt from “The Party” by Ava Kardishson Schrieber with the instructions, “Notice how she uses nonessential phrases, descriptive clauses, and numerous commas to create reader interest.” Students complete a chart with one provided example and two boxes to complete; instructions state: “Read the following examples of the author’s complex language usage. Resolve the contested language usage by rewriting the sentences with more clarity. Consult reference materials such as Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as needed. Then apply your learning to your writing.” The Teacher Guide, Usage section includes guidance on how to go over this concept with students. The guide states, “ In this activity, students are asked to resolve issues with complex language usage and nonessential phrases and clauses. Review the sample passage with students, asking students to note nonessential phrases and descriptive clauses. Additional sentences from the passage or text may be used if required. Review the instructions and have students complete the activity. Emphasize that they should consult reference materials as necessary. Once the activity has been completed, have students share their sentences and discuss their changes and the effects.”

  • In Unit 4, Module 2, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Consult Reference Materials, students’ instructions state: “Review the Using Reference Materials lesson in ‘A 105-Mile-Long City Will Snake Through the Saudi Desert. Is That a Good Idea?’ author Bill Chappell discusses the prospect of renewable energy in the Middle East. By examining the author’s language usage and consulting specialized reference materials, readers will be able to utilize these resources in their writing.” Five sentences are provided with bold-faced words. Students complete a chart: “Consult a dictionary, a thesaurus, or a glossary and identify the following information about the words in the chart below: precise meaning, part of speech, pronunciation, etymology, a synonym, and standard usage. Indicate the resource you used and your rationale for using it.” Students choose between monolithic or bankrolled, dystopian or diversify. The Teacher Guide, Illuminating Key Concepts in Language and Grammar—Using Reference Materials section includes guidance on how to go over this concept with students. The guide states, “Explain to students that reference materials are resources that provide definitions or basic explanations of a topic, including dictionaries, encyclopedias, glossaries, and thesauruses. After completing the Direct Instruction, have students summarize the three major types of reference materials in small groups. Then, have students look at the Write to Impress Student Guide lesson. Have students discuss the meaning of the passage, especially considering context clues. As a class, discuss how the word “teeming” is used in this short passage. Look up “teeming” in both a dictionary and a thesaurus. Facilitate a class discussion on how the different definitions might change the meaning of the sentence and how context helps narrow the meaning. Then, have students complete the chart. “

• Students have opportunities to observe hyphenation conventions. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 6, Module 1, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Use Punctuation, students review six hyphenation rules with bold examples from the unit text, “Conan O’Brien’s Commencement Address.” One example includes, “After a prefix for clarity: ...your perceived failure can become a catalyst for profound re-invention.” Students complete a chart with three specific rules of hyphenation; directions state: “Respond to the writing prompt using three hyphen conventions. Writing Prompt: How does Conan O’Brien use humor, anecdotes, and quotes to convey the message that failure happens on the path to success?” One example is provided. This is the only lesson in the curriculum on hyphens. The Teacher Guide, Illuminating Key Concepts in Language and Grammar—Punctuation section includes guidance on how to go over this concept with students. The guide states, “Punctuation serves a number of functions in writing, including denoting the manner in which text is meant to be read or showing relationships between ideas. Prior to having students complete this activity, review with them the function and usage of hyphens. Hyphens can be used for any of the following: in a compound adjective before a noun, a compound adjective when used as a noun, a compound adjective when being used as both a compound adjective and noun, compound numbers consisting of two words (from 21 to 99), and after a prefix to enhance clarity. Hyphens are NOT used with the suffix -ly and after the noun being described. When reviewing the rules in the activity, discuss with students the function and form of each hyphenation convention. Have students identify some of these hyphenation conventions in the text and review them together to ensure understanding. Then review the instructions with the students. Once students have completed the activity, have students share which hyphenation convention they found the most challenging and why.”

• Students have opportunities to spell correctly. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • In Unit 2, Module 7, Read the Final Argumentative Rubric, in the Audience Appeal section, one of the bullets is, “This piece of writing is strengthened by a skillful command of the conventions of standard English grammar, usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling and has very few errors.” This is carried out during peer feedback tasks using graphic organizers in the Student Guide, such as during Practice Feedback using the exemplar and during Edit the Draft Together using their own piece of writing. 

  • In Unit 3, Module 1, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Spell Correctly, instructions state: “As you write, pay careful attention to common spelling errors in these words. Proofread your sentences carefully to avoid these three common spelling mistakes.” Common mistakes are provided along with an example: “If a word can have -ly added to its adjective form, add to form an adverb. If an adjective ends in an -l, add -ly to form an adverb. If a word ends in -y, change the -y to -i before adding -ly.” Students complete a chart with the following instructions: “Read through the rules. Then, choose a word and write a sentence about the author’s message in ‘The Silence.’” The Teacher Guide, Illuminating Key Concepts In Language And Grammar—Spelling section includes guidance on how to go over this concept with students. The guide states, “Spelling correctly helps accurately represent and communicate ideas. This activity has students practice spelling words correctly and changing adjectives to adverbs. After completing the Direct Instruction, review the activity’s sample sentences with the students. Discuss how to change adjectives to adverbs. Adding -ly to an adjective forms an adverb. Adjectives that end in -l should have -ly added to them, the resulting word being spelled with two l’s. If an adjective ends in -y, change the -y to an -i- before adding the suffix -ly. After reviewing the instructions of the activity, students should complete the activity. Emphasize that students’ sentences should answer the prompt in the instructions. Have students share their work to ensure understanding.”

• Students have opportunities to vary syntax for effect, consulting references (e.g., Tufte’s Artful Sentences) for guidance as needed, and apply an understanding of syntax to the study of complex texts when reading. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

  • In Unit 2, Module 1, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Vary Syntax for Effect, students read examples of simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentences with their part of sentence explanation. Students complete a graphic organizer with the instructions, “Using the chart below, experiment writing a variety of sentences as you respond to the prompt. Then, apply your learning to your writing. Writing Prompt: How does the author use evidence such as details about AI and popular culture to appeal to the audience in this text about the future of AI?” Students answer the question using one of each type of sentence: compound, complex, and compound-complex. This is the only lesson in the curriculum on varying syntax. The Teacher Guide, Illuminating Key Concepts in Language and Grammar—Syntax section includes guidance for teachers on how to go over this concept with students. The guide states, “. Review the sample sentences and structures. Simple sentences consist of a subject and verb, while compound sentences are two sentences joined by a comma and coordinating conjunction. Complex sentences are sentences that include a subordinate (or dependent) clause in addition to a subject and verb. Compound-complex sentences are compound sentences that also include a subordinate (or dependent) clause. Instruct students to identify the different parts (subordinate clause, subject, verb, and coordinating conjunction) of each of the sample sentences. Review students’ answers together before reviewing the instructions. Emphasize that the sentences they write should address the prompt in the instructions. Once students have completed the activity, review their sentences and discuss what effects the different types of syntax had on their writing.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 12 meet the criteria for Indicator 1m. 

The materials include a way for students to interact with and build text-specific vocabulary in the texts. The materials include a scope and sequence with the vocabulary tasks for each unit. Vocabulary facilitates students’ understanding of what they are reading. In each module, in the Student Guide, the Build Your Vocabulary activities provide one to four words that appear in the text for students to work with. While reading the text online, vocabulary words are blue so that students can click on them for a definition. Vocabulary support is also built into the online lessons through a glossary of terms. Some vocabulary words were repeated within a unit or across a unit. The year-long vocabulary plan is included in the Unit Planning Tools document for explicitly teaching vocabulary strategies and debriefing vocabulary words. The Build Your Vocabulary activities are listed as essential, and the materials also include online direct instruction, student guide tasks, and some additional offline resources. The Unit Planning Tool includes teacher guidance to support vocabulary instruction, including explicit vocabulary instruction strategies that differentiate between academic vocabulary terms and CERCA words, and a vocabulary presentation resource that provides the vocabulary terms and definitions organized by unit.  

Materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year-long vocabulary development component. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Each Unit Planning Tools document provides a Vocabulary Instruction Guidance document for each unit. This document includes definitions of Key Academic Terms, CERCA words, and Focus Words (words from the reading selections). Throughout the program, the following 17 word learning strategies with guidance are provided for teachers: Morphology, Word Relationships, Prefixes, Synonyms, Frayer Model, Context Clues, Map a Word, Antonyms, Shades of Meaning, Compare and Contrast, Word Analysis, Concept Map, Word Study, Roots Words, Word Web, Analogy Chart, and Etymology of Words. Each Unit focuses on two to four of these strategies. For Unit 1, four explicit Vocabulary Strategy Instructions are presented with key strategies: “Frayer Model -Analyzing words using characteristics, examples and non-examples, Word Relationships - finding common ideas or relationships with groups of words, Map a Word - Populating a graphic organizer with meaningful aspects of new words, [and] Word Analysis - Breaking apart words to discover their meaning.” There is a link to additional guidance, including establishing vocabulary notebooks and routines. An additional link to twenty-two Vocabulary Best Practice lessons. 

• Unit Planning Tools include a Key Vocabulary document for each unit. This document includes a link to a slideshow of Explicit Vocabulary Instruction Resources. The slideshow includes how to set up a Vocabulary Notebook, and slides on all of the vocabulary routines provided in the materials. This document includes key academic terms and CERCA words for the unit, as well as a slide show of the Focus words and their definitions for each module. ThinkCERCA defines these different types of vocabulary words as follows and provides the following high-level teacher guidance for each type: 

  • “Key Academic Terms include high-value vocabulary introduced in class and reviewed in the unit’s Direct Instruction. After leading students through the presentation, provide instruction to support understanding of the key concepts and skills they represent and have students record new terms. (See unit Direct Instruction for resources.)

  • CERCA Words found in the Build Your Vocabulary sections of the student guide deepen key conceptual understandings and enable the expression of reasoning. (The word may not appear in the text, but it captures a key concept for interpreting the text.) Use the Explicit Vocabulary Instruction in the Teacher’s Guide to provide students with explicit support for vocabulary skill development prior to facilitating the collaborative learning experience.

  • Focus Words are a subset of words from reading selections. They enrich grade level readings and often appear in assessments. (After teaching the Focus Words using the slide show and modeling the vocabulary strategies, use Best Practices Facilitation Resources in the Teacher’s Guide to help students develop strategies for vocabulary using engaging tasks.)”

• Throughout the Teacher Guides, general Vocabulary Explicit Strategy Instruction Guidance is provided. For example, in Unit 1, Module 1, Teacher Guide, for the Build Your Vocabulary Activity, teachers have the following guidance: “Explicit Vocabulary Instruction—Use the Frayer Model: Use the Explicit Vocabulary Instruction resources to help students build vocabulary and deepen understanding of key concepts in a reading, Have students analyze 2-3 essential terms, using the graphic organizer to define the word, list characteristics and examples, and even non-examples. This process encourages discussion and collaboration as students work individually or in groups to complete the model, ultimately leading to a shared understanding of the key terms.”

• The Student Guide provides one Build Your Vocabulary worksheet per module, including Map a Word, Word Analysis, Word Web, and Analogy Chart. The worksheets often include two to three vocabulary terms. In Map a Word, students write the word and definition, part of speech, root word or origin, picture of the word, synonym, antonym, and sentence using the word. In Word Analysis, students write the word, give an example, a definition or explanation, and respond to “makes me think of/connotation. In Word Web, students name words or phrases that are synonyms or closely related to the center word. In the Analogy Chart, students list a familiar concept, the new concept (word), similarities, differences, relationship categories, and what they now understand about the new concept. Other Student Guide activities that may include vocabulary practice include Raise Your Score and Write to Impress, where students practice using context clues to determine word meaning. A glossary of vocabulary terms is included with each text, and those terms are highlighted within the text so that students may click on them to see the definitions. Some general guidance is found in the Unit Planning Tools Document.

• In Unit 5, Module 1, Teacher Guide, Build Your Vocabulary, teacher guidance states:

  • “Introduce the Build Your Vocabulary task and review the example provided.

  • Organize students into small groups and assign them one or more words per group. 

  • Assist each group in sharing their findings with the entire class.”

  Additional guidance states: “Explicit Vocabulary Strategy Instruction—Context Clues: Use the Explicit Vocabulary Strategy Instruction resources to introduce or review context clues. Use the terms in the task and provide student-friendly definitions. Illustrate the word with examples and ask students to generate their own examples. Model the process by sharing an example, such as resolute. Since we later hear a the same character described as steadfast, we might be able to guess that this suggests this character is firm on their beliefs. Have students develop additional examples of how these three relatively familiar words might mean slightly different things in different contexts. Then have students write a sentence using a new word that shows two different contexts in which the word might have slightly different meanings.”

Vocabulary is repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts) and across multiple texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Your Portfolio: Writing Your Personal Narrative, 12 vocabulary words are listed, which are the same for Grades 9, 10, 11, and 12, including cohesive, concrete, eliminate, enhance, enthralling, envision, mechanics, omniscient, simultaneously, speech patterns, vital, and weave.  

• In Unit 1, Module 2, the words elusive and emigrated are listed as vocabulary words, and both words are found again in Module 3.

• In Unit 5, Module 3, Student Guide, omnipotent and inexorable appear in a word analysis chart. Both terms are found in the glossary and the text, and inexorable is used in the topic overview. They are not found in the quiz or writing prompt.

• In Unit 6, Module 1, Student Guide, Build Your Vocabulary - Map a Word, students complete a chart for the term fairness. Students read “Conan O’Brien Commencement Address,” which includes a glossary list of vocabulary terms and definitions that students will encounter in the text. The word fairness does not appear in this list. There is no instruction around the term before reading the text. As students read the text, the vocabulary terms appear in blue font, and students may click on the term to see a definition. Five multiple-choice questions are presented in the Check step after reading the text. None of these questions address vocabulary terms from the text. Fairness does not come up in the rest of the lesson for Module 1. 

Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and to high-value academic words (e.g., words that might appear in other contexts/content areas). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Module 3, the Teachers Guide lists Key Vocabulary Words such as bias, cardiologist, catalog, corsage, crucified, dainty, elusive, emigrated, forsake, immigrant, institutions, lukewarm, mandatory, notions, persona, racism, ridicule, self-worth, semblance, social hierarchy, tumultuous, and vulnerable. In the Student Guide, Build Your Vocabulary - students complete a Map a Word activity before reading the module text; instructions state: “Analyzing vocabulary will help you better understand, discuss, and write about a text. Complete the analysis of vocabulary terms for the selection. Use a dictionary if necessary. Fill in as many parts as you can.” Students fill in one chart for the words persona, vulnerable, and social hierarchy. Sections to map include definition, part of speech, root word or origin, picture, synonym, antonym, and sentence using the word.  The Teacher Guide includes the following guidance for this part of the lesson: “Explicit Vocabulary Strategy Instruction—Map a Word: Working in groups, assign words to students. Explain that a good way to learn words is to take a deep dive to explore all aspects of a word, not just the definition. Hand out the Map a Word practice sheet and have student pairs complete the sheet with the words you assign. (words: persona, vulnerable, social hierarchy).” Students read “Prom” by Hasan Minhaj, which includes a vocabulary list with 71 words. There were no differences between the two vocabulary word lists. When reading online, all 71 vocabulary words are blue, and students can click on them for the definition. 

• In Unit 3, vocabulary words are provided for four anchor texts, ranging from approximately 30 to 60 words for the stories. The following words are listed to use in their vocabulary lessons for each story: “The Silence” by Haruki Murakami - adversity, deliberation, physiological; “Ride”  by Linda Nagata - sedately, autonomous, degenerate; “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” by Linda Nagata - decorous, imperious, utopian; “A Brief and Fearful Star” by Maria Machado - post-apocalyptic, precipice, prophetic. Learning these words is meant to support students in understanding, discussing, and writing about each text. 

• In Unit 7, Module 1, Student Guide, Write to Impress - Acquire New Vocabulary, student instructions state: “Using the context of the surrounding language, determine the definitions of the words from the selection. Next, verify the definitions using a dictionary or glossary. Then use the words to write sentences that describe how the plot events or a character demonstrate a theme from this story.” They are presented with the terms pliant, malleable, tribulation, and curtain from “Rip Van Winkle.” These academic, domain-specific words are tied to Puritanical values. Teacher Guidance for this part of the lesson states, “Illuminating Key Concepts in Language and Vocabulary: Acquire New Vocabulary: There are many ways to ascertain the meaning of unfamiliar or new words, including using context clues and consulting reference materials (such as a dictionary). Encourage students to try to use context clues first when determining the meaning of unfamiliar words before they consult a dictionary. This way, the definitive source acts as a confirmation. Review the passage in the activity with the students. Select some words that are not already a part of the activity from this passage. Confirm the definition of these words by showing students the definition in a dictionary or other relevant source. Following this, review the instructions of the activity, emphasizing that students use context clues before then confirming the definition in the dictionary. Additionally, remind them to create a sentence for each word that answers the prompt mentioned in the final sentence of the instructions. After the activity is completed, have students share their sentences and discuss.”