The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading and include a mix of informational texts and literature. The included texts have been previously published and are worthy of careful reading. The texts address a range of interests, including real-world topics, picture books, folktales/folklore, while also integrating science and social studies topics. Anchor texts encompass multiple themes and integrate content areas. Texts are examined multiple times for multiple purposes and are used to expand big ideas and build academic vocabulary. Most texts are engaging, build knowledge, and facilitate access to future text while building towards independent grade-level reading.

Examples of how these materials meet the expectations of this indicator include, but are not limited to: In Module 1: A Season of Change, students observe change through the cycle of the four seasons and investigate the cause of those changes.

• "Weather" by Eve Merriam is included in the poetry collection, Catch a Little Rhyme. Readers will use their senses to experience rain in this poem.

• The Little Yellow Leaf  is written by Carin Berger. She also illustrated the book with collages of different papers. Her illustrations were recognized as one of New York Times Best Illustrated Books. Readers will read short lyrical phrases with descriptions of nature as the little yellow leaf’s thoughts about falling are shared. 

• A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni pairs bright illustrations with his text about the different colors the chameleon encounters as he looks for his own color. The chameleon meets a fellow chameleon and learns to value companionship.

• How Do You Know It's Fall? by Lisa M. Herrington & Randy C. Bilk uses photographs and accessible text that teaches the reader about the season of fall.

• Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro is part of the Let’s Read and Find Out Science 2. The reader learns the science content of how leaves change their color in autumn. Diagrams are used to contribute and clarify a text.

• Sky Tree: Seeing Science Through Art by Thomas Locker is an Outstanding Science Trade Books for Children (NSTA/CBC). The exquisite paintings and wondrous text are paired with questions about nature; science comes alive through art.

In Module 2: The American West, students closely read stories and informational texts to build their knowledge of the American West's history, land, and people. Students have the opportunity to describe the connection between a series of historical events in a text.

• Journey of a Pioneer by Patricia Murphy is a historical fiction text about a family’s experience on the Oregon Trail. Students will have access to this DK Readers Level 2 Series. Students will have access to academic vocabulary while learning about history. 

• The Buffalo Are Back by Jean Craighead George is an IRA Teachers’ Choice 2011 winner. The book includes detailed watercolor paintings by Wendell Minor.

• Plains Indians by Andrew Santella is an informational text on the cultures, customs and interactions of the Plains Indians. This text is part of a First Nations of North America Series.

• The Legend of the Bluebonnet, a folktale written and illustrated by Tomie dePaola, is a retelling of a Native American legend. 

• Johnny Appleseed : A Tall Tale is retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg. The brightly illustrated book allows the reader access to academic vocabulary while reading about John Chapman’s travels west.

• The Story of Johnny Appleseed,written and illustrated by Aliki, retells the story of John Chapman whose devotion to planting apple trees made him a legendary figure in American history. 

• John Henry: An American Legend by Ezra Jack Keats won the Association for Childhood Education International Books for Children Bibliography in 1983.

• John Henry written by Julius Lester, illustrated Jerry Pinkney is a 1995 Caldecott Honor Book, readers will learn about this African-American folk hero while Jerry Pinkney’s illustrations show the energy of John Henry.

In Module 3: Civil Rights Heroes, students closely read a variety of informational texts and study historical images to build their knowledge of Civil Rights leaders.

• I Have a Dream by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is the illustrated picture book of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous speech. Students will have access to academic vocabulary that supports them in determining the meaning of words and phrases in a text relevant to the topic, civil rights. 

• Martin Luther King, Jr and the March on Washington written by Frances E. Ruffin is a biography.

• Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story by Ruby Bridges is an autobiography that allows students to learn about Ruby Bridges’ life. Students are able to access the simple text and historical photographs.

• The Story of Ruby Bridges by Robert Coles uses quotes and watercolor illustrations so students can experience Ruby’s courage, faith, and hope.

• Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family's Fight for Desegregation, written and illustrated by Duncan Tonatiuh, is a 2015 Pura Belpre Illustrator Honor Book and a 2015 Robert F. Silbert Honor book. Students read about another aspect of U.S. civil rights history. 

In Module 4: Good Eating, students build knowledge about how food nourishes their bodies, and how food brings together and nourishes communities. 

• The Digestive System by Christine Taylor-Butler uses text features to locate key facts or information in a text efficiently. There are diagrams that show how the digestive system works that students will use to clarify a text. 

• Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition by Lizzy Rockwell has engaging illustrations done in watercolors and colored pencils. Students learn about the nutrient groups, their function and which food contains them and how the food is digested.

• The Vegetables We Eat by nonfiction author and illustrator, Gail Gibbons, explains how vegetables grow on farms and become nutritious food. 

• Stone Soup, Bone Button Borscht by Aubrey Davis is a classic retelling that has won many awards including the Tiny Torgi Literary Award.

• Stone Soup, a French folktale by Marcia Brown, won a Caldecott Medal. Students learn how a community comes together to create a meal. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations that materials reflect the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level. Literary texts include picture books and folktales. In addition, the supplemental materials include articles, poems, and videos, which add to the variety of text types. 

Texts representing the balance of text types and genres include: 

Module 1 Core Texts

• “Weather”, Eve Merriam (Poem)

• How Do You Know It’s Fall?, Lisa M. Herrington (Informational)

• The Little Yellow Leaf, Carin Berger (Narrative)

• A Color of His Own, Leo Lionni (Narrative)

• Why Do Leaves Change Color?, Betsy Maestro (Informational)

• Sky Tree, Thomas Locker (Informational Picture Book)

Module 1 Supplementary Texts

• “Autumn Landscape”, Maurice de Vlaminck (Painting)

• “Bathers at Asnières”, Georges Seurat (Painting)

• “Hunters in the Snow”, Pieter Bruegel the Elder (Painting)

• “Paris Street, Rainy Day”, Gustave Caillebotte (Painting)

Module 2 Core Texts

• The Buffalo Are Back, Jean Craighead George (Informational)

• Journey of a Pioneer, Patricia J. Murphy (Informational)

• Plains Indians, Andrew Santella (Informational)

• Johnny Appleseed, Steven Kellogg (Narrative)

• John Henry: An American Legend, Ezra Jack Keats (Narrative)

• John Henry, Julius Lester (Narrative)

• The Legend of the Bluebonnet, Tomie dePaola (Narrative)

• The Story of Johnny Appleseed, Aliki (Narrative)

Module 2 Supplementary Text

• “Among the Sierra Nevada Mountains, California”, Albert Bierstadt (Painting)

• “Buffalo Dusk”, Carl Sandburg (Poem)

Module 3 Core Texts

• I Have A Dream, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; Paintings, Kadir Nelson (Informational Picture Book)

• Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington, Frances E. Ruffin; Illustrations, Stephen Marchesi (Informational Picture Book)

• Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story, Ruby Bridges (Informational Picture Book)

• The Story of Ruby Bridges, Robert Coles; Illustrations, George Ford (Informational Picture Book)

• Separate is Never Equal: Sylvia Mendez and Her Family’s Fight for Desegregation, Duncan Tonatiuh (Informational Picture Book)

Module 3 Supplementary Text

• “Selma to Montgomery March, Alabama”, 1965, James Karales (Photograph)

• “Words like Freedom”, Langston Hughes (Poem)

• “Dreams”, Langston Hughes (Poem)

• “Civil Rights - Ruby Bridges” (Video)

• “The Man Who Changed America” (Video)

• “Ruby Bridges Interview” (Video)

• “Sylvia Mendez and Sandra Mendez Duran” (Video)

• “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”, Stephen Griffith (Music)

• “Ain’t Gonna Let Nobody Turn Me Around”, The Freedom Singers (Music)

• “This Little Light of Mine”, Stephen Griffith (Music)

• “America (My Country Tis of Thee)”, Stephen Griffith (Music)

• “Different Voices”, Anna Gratz Cockerille (Article)

• “When Peace Met Power”, Laura Helweg (Article)

Module 4 Core Texts

• The Digestive System, Christine Taylor-Butler (Informational Picture Book)

• The Digestive System, Jennifer Prior (Informational Picture Book)

• Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition, Lizzy Rockwell (Informational Picture Book)

• The Vegetables We Eat, Gail Gibbons (Informational Picture Book)

• Bone Button Borscht, Aubry Davis (Narrative)

• Stone Soup, Marcia Brown (Narrative)

Module 4 Supplementary Text

• “Food and Family” (video)

• “My Food Journey” (video)

• “Try Something New” (video)

• “Planting Seeds: The White House Garden and a Brooklyn School Farm” (video)

• “Fruit Veggie Swag” (video)

• “The Beaneater” (painting)

• “Cakes” (painting)

• “Two Cheeseburgers, With Everything (Dual Hamburgers)” (painting)

• “Can Milk Make You Happy?” (Article)

• “Debate! Should Sugary Drinks Be Taxed?” (Article)

• “Eating Your A, B, C’s…” (Article)

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task.

Anchor texts are at the appropriate level of rigor and complexity. Many of the anchor texts used for shared and interactive reading are at the high end of the range or appropriate for higher grade levels, but planned scaffolding described in the lesson plans outlined in the teacher materials ensure that these texts are accessible. The anchor texts will build knowledge at a variety of complexity levels and on a range of topics. Wit and Wisdom has evaluated each core module text using nationally-recognized measures for quantitative and qualitative criteria as outlined in Appendix A in the Common Core State Standards. These evaluations can be found in Appendix A of each Wit and Wisdom Module. The associated tasks described in the lesson plans that support the use of these readings include the following:

• An Essential Question that guides the overall work of the module

• A Focusing Question for each set of lessons associated with the anchor text selections and is aligned to the expectations for the End-of-Module Task and the Essential Question

• A Content Framing Question that guides each lesson 

• A Vocabulary Deep Dive lesson that focuses on the complex vocabulary of the anchor text

Example include: 

• In Module 1, students closely read the text,  A Color of His Own by Leo Lionni, with a Lexile of AD 640L (Literary). This text includes rich illustrations and complex sentences. This text has a chronological structure and simple illustrations. Students practice identifying story elements, working extensively with problem and resolution to recognize how authors describe the process of change and how characters react to change.

• In Module 2, students closely read two texts, The Legend of Blue Bonnet (740L) and Plains Indians (700L), to build their knowledge of the American West's history, land, and people. Immersion in rich texts around a topic builds students’ vocabularies to include words related to the Great Plains, Native Americans, pioneers, and life on the prairies.

• In Module 3, students closely read the text, Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story by Ruby Bridges (410L). Students examine images to build understanding of informational text, identifying the most important points in images and texts and recognizing how different authors present different points. 

• In Module 4, students closely read two similar texts about the digestive system, The Digestive System by Christine Taylor-Butler (750L) and The Digestive System by Jennifer Prior (660L), that use typical non-fiction text structure and features and present a detailed investigation of how our bodies convert food to nutrients. Students consider the many different text features presented and learn how to efficiently derive information from them.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the requirement for supporting students' ability to access texts with appropriate text complexity across the year.

Most of the texts, both core and supporting, fall within the grade-level band for second grade. As seen in the quantitative and qualitative analyses of the included texts, there is clear, defined scaffolding of the texts to ensure that students are supported to access and comprehend grade-level texts at the end of the year. Over the course of the school year, students have appropriately rigorous texts read to them in aggregate and across modules, there is broad variance in how they engage with these texts. Examples that demonstrate this include, but are not limited to:

• In Module 1, students listen to the picture book, A Color of His Own. The relatively lengthy introduction about animals’ colors will provide opportunity for discussion and analysis. Students are then led through a series of text-dependent questions. 

• In Module 2, students listen to The Buffalo are Back. Students use this text for the first five lessons of the module. Students listen actively and share their observations. The text is revisited several times concluding with students reflecting on new knowledge of how the prairie changes throughout history. 

• In Module 3, students read two informational texts, Martin Luther King, Jr., and the March on Washington and Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story, Ruby Bridges. Teachers lead students on how to read the text closely to make connections and how to experiment with collecting evidence from two sources. 

• In Module 4, students listen to Bone Button Borscht. This text is compared to Stone Soup. The module has lessons that guide students on how to use informational text features with texts that have a quantitative level 570-750L.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectation that anchor texts and series of connected texts are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level. 

Each module core text is evaluated using quantitative and qualitative criteria as outlined Appendix A while supporting text as referenced in Appendix E. Quantitative metrics are provided for each anchor text according to Lexile Level. Qualitative measures are provided for each anchor text in four categories: meaning/purpose, structure, language, and knowledge demands. Metrics provided for qualitative measures are in narrative form. Reader and Task considerations are sometimes included in the appendixes within the description of the text. This information can be found in the Appendix A: Text Complexity portion of materials. Within each module, the texts are focused on a theme/topic, which provides some rationale as to why the text was chosen.

For example, the following contains the Text Complexity analysis and rationale found in Appendix A of Module 2:

Title and Author:  The Buffalo Are Back, Jean Craighead George

Description of text: This narrative nonfiction book is written in four sections detailing the fate of the buffalo during the Westward Expansion and their comeback under the oversight of President Theodore Roosevelt.

Quantitative Measure: 800L

Qualitative Measures:

• Meaning/Purpose: This informational text, told through a narrative style, shows the many layers of interrelationships between buffalo, American Indians, settlers, grass, government, and President Theodore Roosevelt. This look at historical events emphasizes the profound impact one change can have on the world.

• Structure: This book is narrative nonfiction—a hybrid of a narrative story and informational text. There are four distinct sections highlighted by clear headings. Told chronologically with watercolor illustrations, the text and illustrations provide a succinct narrative of the American prairie lands from the 1800s to recent times.

• Language: Heavy use of topic-specific vocabulary, as well as many similes and metaphors used to explain historical events, may present challenges to students. However, some language is supported with in-text explanations and illustrations.

• Knowledge Demands: The reader would benefit from nuanced knowledge of Westward Expansion during this period of time in history.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for supporting materials providing opportunities for students to engage with anchor and supporting texts and to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade-level reading proficiency.

Over the course of the year, students are provided opportunities to engage with anchor texts through read-alouds. Additionally, each module includes supplementary texts of varying lengths. Students engage in each selection multiple times and for multiple purposes to build towards grade-level reading proficiency. Instructional materials provide a Volume of Reading Guide located in Appendix D. Materials also provide Volume of Reading Questions that can be used for small group reading or independent reading. Students also have opportunities to participate in Echo Reading of anchor and supplementary texts. 

For example:

• In Module 2, students listen to a variety of texts about the topic, The American West, including The Buffalo Are Back, Journey of a Pioneer, Plains Indians, Johnny Appleseed, John Henry: An American Legend, John Henry, The Legend of the Bluebonnet, The Story of Johnny Appleseed. Over the course of the module, students revisit texts multiple times to build knowledge about the topic. Students also listen to and Echo Read the supplementary poem, “Buffalo Dusk.”

• In Module 4, students listen to a variety of texts about the topic, Good Eating, including The Digestive System, Good Enough to Eat: A Kid’s Guide to Food and Nutrition, The Vegetables We Eat, Stone Soup, and Bone Button Borscht. Students demonstrate independence in both informational and literary texts to understand key information in the text. Students also listen to a variety of supplementary texts including, “Two Cheeseburgers, With Everything (Dual Hamburgers)”, “Can Milk Make You Happy?”, “Debate! Should Sugary Drinks Be Taxed?”, and “Eating Your A, B, C’s…”. Familiarity with different types of texts allows students to use the words, pictures, and diagrams to think more deeply about a text and about the foods we eat and how our bodies use it. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations of most questions, tasks, and assignments being text-dependent and requiring students to engage with the text directly.

Each module provides opportunities for students to respond to text-dependent questions as well as non-text dependent. Non-text dependent questions are used to build knowledge and make connections for students in the readings. Modules begin with an overarching Essential Question. Within each lesson, there are text-dependent focus questions, content framing questions, and craft questions that drive students toward the learning goals and associated tasks tied to the texts and standards. 

Text-dependent question examples include:

• In Module 1, the Focusing Question for Lessons 20-24 states: "How does weather impact leaves in fall?"

• In Module 1, Lesson 22, students answer the text-dependent questions, "How does a leaf change colors?"

• In Module 2, the Focusing Question for Lessons 11-15 states: "What was life like for pioneers in the early American West?"

• In Module 2, Lesson 13, students answer, "How is Journey of a Pioneer both a story and an informational text? Give one example from your chart. Describe what it is like to read a text that tells a story and provides information. Can you think of another text in this module that tells a story and provides information?"

• In Module 3, the Focusing Question for Lessons 24-29 states: "How did the Mendez family respond to injustice?"

• In Module 3, Lesson 25, students answer the following text-dependent questions: "What’s happening in this part of the text? How would you say this quotation expressively to show what is happening in the text?"

• In Module 4, the Focusing Question for Lessons 1-8 is: "How can food nourish my body?"

• In Module 4, Lesson 5, students answer, "What is the digestive tract? The digestive tract is compared with a long, winding tube. How does this comparison help you understand the diagram on page 12?"

Text-dependent task examples include:

• In Module 1, students work in pairs to create a Moving Tableau to represent the story’s problem, using evidence from the story, A Color of His Own. 

• In Module 2, students read Plains Indians and then use a Wonder Wheel to ask and answer questions about Plains Indians. 

• In Module 3, students compare and contrast the main points of two texts on Martin Luther King Jr.’s speech, "I Have a Dream."

• In Module 4, students use text features to navigate an informational text to identify what is happening in The Digestive System by Christine Taylor-Butler and The Digestive System by Jennifer Prior. 

Additional materials that support students engaging with the text include:

• Response Journals are used to record key details from the texts read.

• Knowledge Journal Charts are used for the new information they have learned from studying the content.

• Evidence Organizer is used to organize information that is gathered from the text to answer a text-dependent question.

• Text Evidence Charts are used to record supporting details from the text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet expectations for materials containing sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent questions and activities that build to a culminating task.

Every module offers an End-of-Module (EOM) Task. The lessons, questions, and tasks leading up to the EOM Task offer support to complete the task. The EOM Tasks require the students to include evidence from the text and apply a skill that was taught through the text they have read. For example, students include evidence from two of the texts in Module 1 as they write a paragraph describing how changes in fall weather impact plants or animals. In Module 2, students write an informative paragraph comparing the life of one legendary person they have learned about in this module to real-life pioneers and explain the differences. In Module 3, students write a narrative from either the point of view of Ruby Bridges or Sylvia Mendez about their responses to injustice. And in Module 4, students write an opinion paragraph about which meal they would choose to nourish their body and why. Students support their response using evidence from the module resources.

The associated tasks described in the lesson plans and in each module include the following:

• An Essential Question that guides the overall work of the module

• A Focusing Question for each set of lessons associated with the anchor text selections and is aligned to the expectations for the EOM Task and the Essential Question

• A Content Framing Question that guides each lesson 

• A Vocabulary Deep Dive lesson that focuses on the complex vocabulary of the anchor text

• A New Read Assessment and a Socratic Seminar that contain elements that support success on EOM Task

Examples include:

• In  Module 1: A Season of Change, the Essential Question is, “How does change impact people and nature?” Focusing questions through the module include: 

  • What changes in “Weather”? 

  • How do changes in fall weather impact people and nature? 

  • How does the Little Yellow Leaf change? 

  • How does the chameleon change? 

  • How does weather impact leaves in fall? 

  • How does Sky Tree show the cycle of seasons? 

  • How does change impact people and nature? 

  • The Socratic Seminar includes: Compare and contrast the change that two characters experience in A Color of His Own and The Little Yellow Leaf. 

At the end of this Module, students complete the EOM Task: As the culmination of this exploration in the EOM Task, students write a paragraph for the classroom text about how changes in fall weather impact plants or animals. Students use evidence from two texts in the module to complete the task.

• In Module 3, Civil Rights Heroes, the Essential Question is, “How can people respond to injustice?” Focusing questions throughout the module include: 

  • What injustices did people face before the Civil Rights Act of 1964? 

  • What was Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for the world? 

  • How did Ruby Bridges respond to injustices? 

  • How did the Mendez family respond to injustice? 

  • How can people respond to injustice? 

  • Students participate in two Socratic Seminar:“Explain why Martin Luther King Jr.’s words are powerful.” and “Explain how responding to injustice can impact the world.” At the end of the module, students complete the following EOM Task: "Write an exploded moment narrative from either the point of view of Ruby Bridges or Sylvia Mendez about their responses to injustice."

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet expectations that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.  

In the majority of the lessons, there are discussion protocols for turn-and-talks, whole group discussions, and small group discussions. There are opportunities in all of these routines for students to speak and listen about what they read. Collaborative routines are included in the daily lessons along with protocol explanations and discussion structures. This is found in the “Implementation Guide: A Guide for Teachers.”

Instructional routines are included through lessons for students to Think-Pair-Share which allows students to individually process their thoughts about a question, then collaboratively discuss the question with peers. Question Corners allows students to express their ideas and opinions in response to a question by moving to and standing in an area assigned to a specific response or point of view. Mix and Mingle allows students to circulate around the room. On a cue (e.g., stop music, chant, call out directions), students stand back to back with a partner, listen to the question, think, then turn around and discuss the question. Socratic Seminars allow students to prepare for and participate in a structured, text-based, academic conversation. Students apply the skills of speaking and listening to express what they have learned from their reading and writing. Examples include:

• In Module 1, Lesson 8, students participate in a Jigsaw activity to discuss what knowledge has been gained about the seasons using academic vocabulary.

• In Module 2, Lesson 24, students participate in the activity, Give-One-Get-One-Move-On, to compare the two texts about Johnny Appleseed.

• In Module 2, Lesson 20, students participate in a Grammar Safari that provides students the opportunity to discuss Johnny Appleseed using past tense verbs.

• In Module 4, Lesson 13, students participate in a Gallery Walk to discuss knowledge gained using academic vocabulary in the four modules. Students answer questions about characters and setting of Bone Button Borscht.

Each of the four modules include Socratic Seminars allowing students to prepare for and participate in a structured, text-based, academic conversation. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for supporting students' listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching with relevant follow-up questions and evidence. Each module provides an Essential Question, Focusing Questions, and Content Framing Questions within groups of lessons to guide students understandings and synthesis of the content. Students have opportunities to discuss these questions within each daily lesson plan. Additionally, each of the four modules include Socratic Seminars allowing students to prepare for and participate in a structured, text-based, academic conversation. 

In Module 1,  a Speaking and Listening Anchor Chart is developed with students to meet the speaking and listening goals set for the module and aligned to the CCSS Speaking and Listening Standards. This chart is reviewed and used to give structure to whole group, small group and partner discussions. 

Examples of discussion questions/tasks include: 

• In Module 1, Lesson 8, the teacher is provided with follow-up questions to teachers to increase “the richness of the conversation” including: "How does the text show change? Why do these changes matter?"

• In Module 1, students participate in two Socratic Seminars: "Synthesize information from How Do You Know It’s Fall? to demonstrate understanding of changes in fall. Compare and contrast the change that two characters experience in A Color of His Own and The Little Yellow Leaf."

• In Module 2, students participate in two Socratic Seminars: "Identify characteristics of what life was like for the Plains Indians in the early American West. Analyze the two versions of Johnny Appleseed and identify differences between the way the legend is told."

• In Module 2, Lesson 25, the teacher is provided with follow-up questions to guide the discussion during Socratic Seminar: "Of the two books, which legend was 'taller,' or more exaggerated? In each text, which specific illustrations were best matched to the storytelling? Of the two books, which seemed more like a biography, the true telling of a person’s life story? According to Aliki, which of Johnny Appleseed’s challenges was the greatest one? According to Kellogg, which challenge was greatest? How did Johnny Appleseed respond to the challenges?"

• In Module 3, students participate in two Socratic Seminars: "Explain why Martin Luther King Jr.’s words are powerful.Explain how responding to injustice can impact the world."

• In Module 3, Lesson 14, students Think-Pair-Share about the question, “What did you notice about Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story?”

• In Module 4, students participate in two Socratic Seminars: "Compare and contrast Stone Soup and Bone Button Borscht . What happened when you tried eating something new?"

• In Module 4, Lesson 2, students Think-Pair-Share about the following question: "What did you notice about these sections of The Digestive System (Taylor-Butler)?"

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, the teacher is provided with follow-up questions to guide students’ discussion during Socratic Seminar: "How are the stories alike? How are they different? How do characters in both stories feel in the end?"

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet expectations that materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

Throughout the modules, students have multiple opportunities for on-demand writing, as well as process writing. Students have opportunities to learn about the writing process through Craft Lessons where students work to revise and edit their drafts. Students use Response Journals to record their writing. Focusing Question Tasks provide students with opportunities for on-demand writing. 

For example:

• In Module 1, Lesson 14, students use the Information Writing Checklist to review their information paragraphs in response to the Focusing Question, “How does the Little Yellow Leaf change?”

• In Module 2, Lesson 5, students answer the Focusing Question, “How did the actions of the American Indians, settlers, and President Theodore Roosevelt impact the prairie in the American West?”

• In Module 2, Lesson 35, students revise their End-of-Module paragraphs using the Informative Writing Checklist. 

• In Module 3, the Focusing Question Task 1 prompt states: “Write an informative paragraph using evidence from two different sources about injustices before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”

• In Module 3, Lesson 5, students write an ITEEC (Introduction, Topic Statement, Evidence, Evidence, Conclusion)  informational paragraph that answers Focusing Question 1.

• In Module 3, students respond to the Focusing Question Task 2, “Write an informative paragraph using evidence from two different sources that answer the question, What was Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream for the world? Write an informative paragraph using two sources.”

• In Module 3, students respond to the Focusing Question Task 3, “Write an exploded moment narrative from the point of view of Ruby Bridges about the injustices she faced as she walked into the school.”

• In Module 4, Lesson 8, students revise their responses to the Focusing Question using the Informative Writing Checklist: “Choose either the stomach or the small intestine. What important jobs does this organ do as part of the digestive system?”

• In Module 4,Lesson 20, students respond to the Focusing Question Task, “Where does nourishing food come from? Describe how food is created on a big farm. Write an informative paragraph that includes the steps and the connections between them.”

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet the expectation that materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. 

A variety of prompts include the distribution of opinion, narrative, and informative/explanatory writings as required by the Grade 2 standards. Module materials focus on different text types of writing throughout the year. Focusing Question Tasks require specific writing skills and each of these Focusing Question Tasks scaffolds the level of skill needed to complete the task successfully. These skills culminate and are assessed with the End-of-Module Task within each module. 

The primary writing focus of Module 1 is informational writing. The primary focus of Module 2 is informational writing. The focus of Module 3 is informational writing for Focusing Question 1 and 2. Students write a narrative for Focusing Questions 3, 4, and 5. In Module 4, the primary writing focus is informative shared research and opinion writing. In each module, students begin by unpacking prompts and learning to respond, orally and in writing. 

Some examples of text types of writing addressed throughout the year include: 

• In Module 1, Lesson 8, students use the Informative Writing Anchor chart to guide them in drafting their topic statements in response to the Focusing Question Task. 

• In Module 2, Lesson 14, students learn how to add details to their informative paragraphs about the Focusing Question Task, “What challenges do the Pioneers face and how do they respond?” Students continue crafting their responses by creating a topic sentence and clearly explained details. 

• In Module 2, Lesson 23, students learn how to write using a digital book-making tool. Students add fun facts to their informative drafts about the lesson of Johnny Appleseed. 

• In Module 2, Lesson 34, students plan their informative paragraph about, “How was one legendary person different from real-life pioneers?” Students use the Informative Writing Anchor Chart to guide their writing of a topic statement and evidence. 

• In Module 3, students write different text types on the same topic:

  • Students write an informative paragraph using evidence from two different sources about injustices before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

  • Students write an informative paragraph describing Martin Luther King Jr.’s dream.

  • Students write an exploded moment narrative from the point of view of Ruby Bridges about the injustices she faced as she walked into the school.

  • Students write an exploded moment narrative from the point of view of Ruby Bridges about her response to injustice as she stops in the middle of the crowd.

  • Students write an exploded moment narrative from the point of view of Sylvia Mendez as she sits in the courtroom during the Mendez family’s trial.

  • Students write an exploded moment narrative from either the point of view of Ruby Bridges or Sylvia Mendez about their responses to injustice. This narrative includes an informational paragraph that answers the question and is written from first person point of view.

• In Module 4, Lesson 6, students use the shared research gathered from Lessons 1-5 to craft their informative paragraph about the Focusing Question: "Choose either the stomach or the small intestine. What important jobs does this organ do as part of the digestive system?" Students are to include an introduction, topic statement, two pieces of evidence from The Digestive System, and a conclusion. 

• In Module 4, Lesson 12, students learn the structure of an opinion paragraph. Students learn how to use the I-OREO format (Introduction, Opinion Statement, Reason, Evidence, Opinion Conclusion) to craft their opinion paragraphs. In Lesson 13, students begin to write their opinion statements and collect evidence to support their statements. In Lesson 15, students write about the Focusing Question: "Who benefited the most from making the soup in Bone Button Borscht?" Students are to include the pieces from their I-OREO. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 2 meet the expectations for the materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support recall of information, opinions with reasons, and clear information appropriate for the grade level. 

Over the course of a year, students have multiple opportunities for evidence-based writing during daily lessons. Students use sticky notes to annotate texts, complete graphic organizer, and record knowledge they learned from the text in their Knowledge Journals. Additionally, each lesson utilizes Focusing Question Tasks that build to an End-of-Module (EOM) Task that incorporate written and oral responses to text-based questions/prompts. 

Examples include: 

• In Module 1, students write a topic statement using key terms from the Focusing Question and module vocabulary to collaboratively write an informative paragraph on the impact of fall on people and nature.

• In Module 1, students complete a New Read Assessment: "Read A Color of His Own and identify story elements of character, setting, problem, and resolution. Use an evidence organizer to record evidence of change using temporal words first, then, and finally."

• In Module 2, Lesson 12, students record major events on index cards from the text, Journey of a Pioneer, and add them to the Major Events Timeline. 

• In Module 2, Lesson 17, students work in small groups and use a sentence frame to recount events from the text, The Legend of the Bluebonnet.

• In Module 3, Lesson 1, the Extension asks students the Essential Question, “What have you learned so far about how Martin Luther King Jr. responded to injustice?” Students Stop and Jot in their Response Journals to answer this question and share responses with a partner.

• In Module 3, Lesson 4, Using Handout 4B: Evidence Organizer students will write evidence from text and video about the injustices people faced before the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

• In Module 3, Lesson 5, students write an informative paragraph using evidence to the question, “What were the injustices people faced before the Civil Rights Act of 1964?” 

• In Module 3, Lesson 11, students craft introduction and conclusion sentences drawing on evidence from Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington.

• In Module 4, Lesson 9, students make independent observations about Stone Soup and Stop and Jot observations in their Response Journals. 

• In Module 4, Lesson 11, students complete a SCAPE chart to identify the text elements in Bone Button Borscht.

The instructional materials for Grade 2 meet expectations that materials include explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application in and out of context. 

Language standards are addressed throughout each module in the Deep Dive Style and Conventions portion of module lessons. The instructional strategies of the lessons include teacher modeling, Think Aloud, use of sentence frames, Anchor Charts, and Think-Pair-Share. Students are supported in their use of the grammar and convention focus through speaking and writing in their Response Journals. Over the course of the year, students apply grammar and convention skills to context. Examples include: 

Students have opportunities to use collective nouns. For example:

• In Module 2, Lesson 27, students play a game to help remind them of common collective nouns. After the game, students complete the Collective Noun handout. 

Students have opportunities to form and use frequently-occurring irregular plural nouns. For example: 

• In Module 2, Lesson 7, using Plain Indians students will form and use frequently occurring irregular plural nouns. The teacher uses a sentence frame to model identifying the correct irregular plural noun. Students then complete the Irregular Plural Noun handout. 

Students have opportunities to use reflexive pronouns. For example: 

• In Module 4, Lesson 10, using Bone Button Borscht, students identify and match reflexive pronouns in Bone Button Borscht with their antecedent.

Students have opportunities to form and use the past tense of frequently occurring regular verbs. For example: 

• In Module 1, Lesson 11, students use the text, The Little Yellow Leaf, to find verbs in the text and place on a Sticky Note to add to the Graffiti Wall. Students are reminded that verbs ending in -ed occur in the past. 

Students have opportunities to use adjectives and adverbs and choose between them depending on what is to be modified. For example: 

• In Module 3, Lesson 5, using Martin Luther King, Jr. and the March on Washington, students explain the purpose of adverbs and identify what they modify.

• In Module 3, Lesson 7, using "I Have a Dream" by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., students identify and explain the purpose of adjectives. 

• In Module 3, Lesson 15, using Ruby Bridges Goes to School: My True Story, students expand sentences, choosing between adjectives and adverbs depending on the word that is being modified. 

Students have opportunities to produce, expand, and rearrange complete simple and compound sentences. For example: 

• In Module 1, Lesson 7, using How Do You Know It’s Fall?, students apply the term, subject, to sentences with single subjects noting that subjects do not always refer to people.

• In Module 1, Lesson 8, using How Do You Know It’s Fall?, students continue to build understanding of sentence elements by identifying the verbs that correspond with the subjects of sentences in Deep Dive 7.

Students have opportunities to capitalize holidays, product names, and geographic names. For example: 

• In Module 2, Lesson 12, using Journey of a Pioneer, students edit sentences to ensure capitalization of holidays and geographic names.

Students have opportunities to use commas in greetings and closings of letters. For example: 

• In Module 4, Lesson 20, students Think-Pair-Share about the question, “Where will you place commas in your letter?” Then, using Handout 20A, students write a letter accurately using commas in the greeting and closing.

Students have opportunities to use an apostrophe to form contractions and frequently occurring possessives. For example: 

• In Module 4, Lesson 4, using The Digestive System by Christine Taylor-Butler, students identify examples of contractions and explain the role of the apostrophes in contractions.

• In Module 4, Lesson 16, using Stone Soup, students identify and explain the purpose of apostrophes in possessive nouns.

Students have opportunities to generalize learned spelling patterns when writing words. For example: 

• In Module 4, Lesson 25, the teacher posts the following sentence with a spelling error circled: The teeth grined food. The teacher then guides students through using spelling patterns to help spell the word correctly. Students then read an entry in their Response Journals and circle misspelled words. They use spelling patterns to try to correct misspellings. 

Students have opportunities to consult reference materials, including beginning dictionaries, as needed, to check and correct spellings. For example: 

• In Module 4, Lesson 26, students use spelling patterns or a spelling reference tool to check and/or correct the spelling of at least two words in their Focusing Question Task 4 drafts.