4th Grade - Gateway 2

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2a.

Texts of various genres in each unit focus on building knowledge by investigating an Essential Question. Students listen to read-alouds, read texts, engage in discussions, and write and answer questions connected to texts to build knowledge around the topic. A “Build Knowledge Routine” within daily lessons supports student reflection on what they have learned about the Essential Question through discussions and writing. Small group instruction includes texts centered around the same topics to increase the ability of students to read and comprehend increasingly complex texts independently.  

Texts are connected by a grade-appropriate cohesive topic/line of inquiry. Texts build knowledge and the ability to read/listen and comprehend complex texts across a school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Text Set 1 explores the Essential Question, “How do people respond to natural disasters?” Students participate in an interactive read-aloud about ways avalanches can be prevented in “Avalanche!” (author not cited). Students read about how some natural disasters are caused by fast-moving changes to the earth’s surface in the shared read “A World of Change” (author not cited). In the anchor text, Earthquakes by Sneed B. Collard III, students learn about earthquakes and tsunamis. In the paired selection, “Weathering the Storm” by Anne Whittemoore, students learn about precautions to take during storms.

• In Unit 3, Genre Study 3, Weeks 5–6, students read texts centered around the Essential Question, “In what ways can advances in science be helpful or harmful?” Students read the anchor text, “A New Kind of Corn” (TIME for Kids), shared read, “Food Fight” (TIME for Kids) and Reader’s Theater, Nat Love, Western Hero (author not cited). Additional texts, “Flowering and Nonflowering Plants” and “Seasonal Changes” (authors not cited), add opportunities for students to build knowledge on the topic. In the small group instruction that accompanies this text set, students read the leveled reader, The Battle of the Pests by Linda Bennett, which is also connected to the essential question, supporting students in developing their ability to read and comprehend increasingly complex texts as they build knowledge about a topic.

• In Unit 5, Text Set 1 explores the Essential Question, “In what ways do people show they care about each other?” Students participate in a narrative nonfiction interactive read-aloud about how money is not necessary to show you care about someone in “A Special Birthday Hug!” (author not cited). Students read another narrative nonfiction text about how to show someone you care when you are not with them in the shared read, “Sadie’s Game” (author not cited). The realistic fiction anchor text, Mama, I’ll Give You the World by Roni Schotter, is about a daughter who organizes a birthday party for her mother. The paired selection, “Miami by Way of Fujian” (author not cited), is about an adopted girl who visits the orphanage where she was born.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2b.

Instructional materials include multiple opportunities across the school year in each text set for students to analyze key ideas, details, author’s craft, and structure. Text-dependent questions and tasks align with the correlated standard. Tasks include discussing how authors use various elements and structures to help create meaning or shape the text. The questions and tasks are coherently sequenced and build upon each other toward a culminating task. 

For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details (according to grade-level standards). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 2, students read “The Ant and the Grasshopper” (author not cited) and answer questions about the text before analyzing the meaning beyond the text. Questions include, “What is this story about? Why is the character walking or acting a certain way? What problem does the main character have? Will he/she solve it? If so, how? How does the setting affect the events of the plot? What information is conveyed in the stage directions?” and “How does the play’s structure shape meaning?” Students use information from the questions to analyze how the information in the text helps the reader understand the difference between Africa’s rainy season and its dry season.

• In Unit 4, Weeks 1 and 2, students read See How They Run by Susan E. Goodman. Students look at details in the text as they answer the question, “What examples show how the Founding Fathers used ideas from Greek and Roman governments?” Partners discuss how George Washington and the Founding Fathers created the government. Students list clues from the text, make inferences, and answer the question, “Why does the author include Benjamin Franklin’s quote in the sidebar?” Students explore words and phrases that help them understand his message and collect evidence. Students collect text evidence to answer the question, “Why does the author give specific, real-life examples of kids as leaders?”  These questions and tasks prepare students to write to the prompt, “Why is it important for people to participate in government?”

• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 2, students read “Your World Up Close” and answer questions to gain information to answer the unit’s Essential Question, “What can  you discover when you look closely at something?” The teacher reminds students that readers improve their understanding when they think about what they read and summarize the central idea and relevant details in the passage. Students answer the question, “What details are important and which are unimportant?” and work to locate relevant details. Students use these details to write a summary in their own words, leaving out unimportant details. 

For most texts, students analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level standards).

• In Unit 1, Weeks 1 and 2, students read Earthquakes by Sneed B Collard III. The teacher guides students using the following questions to help them determine the organization of the text, “How does the author introduce the information about Earth’s crust and the upper mantle?” and “What does this tell you about how the author organizes the information?” Students fill in a Venn Diagram showing how Tsunamis and Earthquakes are alike and different. Students collect and cite text evidence to answer the question, “How is Dr. Cifuentes’s account of the earthquake different from the information in the rest of the selection?” Students focus on text structure as they answer questions about headings in subsections of the text, such as, “How do you know that ‘Tsunami Terror’ is a good heading for this section?” Students complete a graphic organizer, collecting evidence from the text, words, and phrases about tsunamis. These tasks and others lead students to respond to a writing prompt, “Why is it important to understand how earthquakes affect people?”

• In Unit 4, Week 5, Lesson 3, students read a collection of poems. After reading “Swimming to the Rock” (author not cited), students answer the question, “How does the poet help you visualize how the speaker feels as she watches her father and brothers swim?” Students collect words and phrases from the text that show what she sees as she watches them swim and then tell why that evidence is important. After reading “The Moondust Footprint” by Joshua Katz, students answer the question, “What words and phrases does the poet use to express the mood and feeling of the speaker?’ Students collect words and phrases from the text and fill out a graphic organizer leading them to tell the mood they create. Students read the poem “Genius” by Nikki Grimes and answer the question, “How does the poet use figurative language to help you understand what the speaker is like?” These tasks and others lead to a “Show Your Knowledge” task where students write a poem about the word “Success.”

• In Unit 5, Week 5, Lesson 2, students read “The Founding of Jamestown” and answer questions about how an author uses text structure and text features to build understanding in an expository text. Students answer, “What text structure and text features does the author use on page 65?” and “How does the illustration relate to the text?” Students read selected paragraphs and the sidebar information to determine, “What information does the main text provide about Pocohantas?” and “What was the author’s purpose for including a sidebar about Pocohantas?” After reading the entire text, students analyze the author’s craft by answering, “How does the author help you understand that Jamestown is still important today?”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2c.

Materials provide students with multiple opportunities to engage in the analysis of knowledge and ideas in the unit texts. Students can build knowledge and integrate ideas within individual texts and across multiple texts. Questions and tasks are coherently sequenced to build the skills needed to complete the culminating task. Students regularly examine illustrations and determine how to create meaning or clarify parts of a text. Each text set provides a chance to use information from multiple texts to build knowledge and create a project integrating the information from the texts in the unit. 

Most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 3, students read a TIME for Kids article, “Kids in Business,” and answer the question, “Why does the author use a graph to help you see how effective Better World Books has been at raising money?” Students collect and cite text evidence about how Better World Books works, what the graph shows, and what the graph means. Students complete the sentence starter, “The author uses a graph to help me…”

• In Unit 4, Week 6, Lessons 1 through 4, students read the play “All the Money in the World” (author not cited). The teacher reviews the features of a play and the list of characters and builds the character’s background. The teacher assigns roles, and the students practice the Reader’s Theater presentation of the play. Activity cards guide students to partner read and make an audio recording to listen to and critique rate, phrasing, and expression. With a partner, students write new dialogue and stage directions for the characters, practice reading it, and give each other feedback.

• In  Unit 5, Week 3, Lesson 5, students read Mama, I’ll Give You the World by Roni Schotter and discuss the text and answer the question, “Why is the illustration of Mama and Luisia an important part of the story?” Students use the question and answer to build an understanding that through her actions, Luisa has changed Mama’s perspective and actions. In Week 4, Lesson 7, students read “Miami by Way of Fujian” (author not cited) and compare illustrations of Mariel’s school in Miami and the orphanage garden in Fujian. To build a better understanding of the two locations, students answer, “What difference do you see? What similarities?”

Sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze across multiple texts and within single texts. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In  Unit 2, Week 4, Lesson 8, students compare characters from Ranita, The Frog Princess by Carmen Agra Deedy and “Pecos Bill and the Bear Lake Monster” (author not cited) to describe how Ranita and Pecos Bill are both bold fantasy figures who end up being helpful. Students use information from multiple texts to explain how an illustration shows how animals feel. Students use the characters from Ranita, The Frog Princess, and “Pecos Bill and the Bear Lake Monster” to explain how an illustration shows a character’s emotions when answering, “The selections and the illustration all…” Student prompts include “Use details in the illustration to help you understand how the animals feel. How does that compare to how people might feel in the same situation?”

• In Unit 4, Week 2, Lesson 9, students read the paired text, “The Birth of American Democracy” (author not cited), and look at the lyrics from the song, “Drill, Ye Tarriers.” Students use these texts to answer the question, “How does the government protect people’s rights?” Students discuss questions with a partner, such as, “Do you think what the foreman did is fair?” and “Do you think there should be laws that protect workers and make sure they are treated fairly?” Students cite evidence and write to the prompt, “‘See How They Run,’ ‘The Birth of American Democracy,’ and ‘Drill, Ye Tarriers’ show how the government is important because…”

• In Unit 5, Week 2, Lesson 10, students demonstrate how they build knowledge across the text set by using information from all three texts to answer, “What do we discover when we look closely at something?” Students write a journal entry synthesizing information from three or more texts that they have read to write the entry. Students use the information from multiple texts to answer, “How do the photographer of the photo below and the authors of A Drop of Water and ‘The Incredible Shrinking Potion’ help you understand what you can discover when you look at things closely?” Students are prompted to look closely at how the photograph shows horses running and then compare it to the way texts show how you can learn information when you look closely at something.

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2d.

Materials provide multiple opportunities for students to complete culminating tasks directly tied to the studied topics. The Show Your Knowledge lesson is a culmination of students’ knowledge gained throughout the text set related to the Essential Question. These culminating tasks allow students to synthesize ideas and information from the readings and require students to use notes captured while reading and new vocabulary learned in the unit. The tasks vary and integrate reading, writing, listening, and speaking. Tasks include but are not limited to writing a blog entry, writing a recipe, creating a timeline, writing an invitation, creating a public service announcement, and planning a podcast. Tasks can be completed independently, in partnerships, or in a group and presented or displayed. The audience, classmates, and teacher provide feedback to the presenters.

Culminating tasks are evident and varied across the year and they are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards (reading, writing, speaking, listening) at the appropriate grade level, and comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics through integrated skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening). Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In Unit 2, Week 4, Lesson 10, students complete a Build Knowledge project by writing a story demonstrating an answer to the question, “Why is it important to understand how animal characters change familiar stories?” Students review the anchor charts and notes in their Reader’s Notebook and discuss the prompt. Students write stories that can be fiction or nonfiction, containing characters and a plot. Students are encouraged to use vocabulary from the text set as they write their stories. Students present their stories in small groups, and volunteers are asked to share with the class. The audience is asked to identify one thing they liked about the story and why. Students brainstorm other ways they could respond to the texts from the text set. 

• In Unit 3, Week 5, Lesson 5, during Show Your Knowledge, students explore the Essential Question, “In what ways can advances in science be helpful or harmful?” Students create a comic strip depicting their opinion about agricultural advances they read about in texts. Students use their Build Knowledge notes from their Reader’s Notebook and write a pro and con list about agricultural advances using text evidence for support. Students display and read aloud their comic strip while the class writes down one thing they agree with and one thing they disagree with and discuss these with the writer. The provided rubric includes the following: “I synthesized knowledge from three or more texts, I included three or more words from my reader’s notebook, and I supported all of my ideas with text evidence.”

• In Unit 6, Week 4, Lesson 10, students complete a Build Knowledge project by writing about a tradition in their life to show how traditions can connect people. Students review anchor charts and the notes they took in their Reader’s Notebook and discuss the prompt. Students consider different traditions they read about in the text set and write about traditions in their own lives and why they are important. Students choose a tradition and write why it is important using words from the text set vocabulary list. Students share their stories and brainstorm other ways they could respond to the texts from the text set. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2e.

Materials follow a cohesive plan across the year to support students in developing and increasing writing skills and achieving grade-level proficiency in writing. The Teacher Manual provides guidance in each unit for the teacher to facilitate the writing process with students. The materials include guidance and support in each unit for both students and teachers in the form of protocols, routines, rubrics, graphic organizers, and student models. Students read texts in a particular genre and perform writing tasks in the same genre. Students engage in writing tasks that increase in rigor and length across the year. Materials have uniformity in the organization and layout of the writing activities. 

Materials include writing instruction that aligns to the standards for the grade level and supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• In the first four units, extended writing projects focus on Writing to Sources. Students follow the Writing Process outlined in The Instructional Routines Handbook as they develop argumentative and expository essays. Lessons support students working through each step: analyze the rubric, analyze the student model, analyze the prompt, analyze the sources, plan, draft, and revise.

  • In Unit 2, Weeks 1–4, there are 13 lessons on expository writing. Lessons scaffold to an expository essay about how plants, animals, and humans depend on each other to survive in their environment. In Week 1, students analyze the rubric and begin to analyze the student model. In Week 2, Lessons 6-8, students continue to analyze the student model with a focus on how the student synthesized information from the three sources. In Week 3, students analyze the prompt and sources and begin to plan and organize their ideas. In Week 4, students create their first draft focusing on transitional strategies and revise and conduct peer conferences.

  • In Unit 3, Weeks 1–4, there are 13 lessons on argumentative writing. Lessons scaffold to an argumentative essay about the civil rights movement. In Week 1, students analyze the rubric, learn about elements of argumentative writing, such as making a claim and supporting it and begin to analyze the student model. In Week 2, students continue to analyze the student model to identify how a logical progression of ideas and evidence supports the development of an opinion, making it clearer for the reader to understand. In Week 3, students analyze the prompt, identify specific evidence from sources to support the claim, and begin to organize their ideas in a logical order. In Week 4, students revise, edit, proofread, conduct peer conferences, and complete a self-evaluation.

• In Units 5 and 6, writing projects focus on genres students have read using anchor texts or paired texts as mentor texts. Students consider their purpose and audience as they plan and choose a topic, write a draft, revise and edit the draft with peer and teacher conferences, publish, and present their work.

  • In Unit 5, Weeks 1–4, there are 12 lessons on narrative writing. Lessons scaffold to a personal narrative about a time in their life when they tried their hardest to do something. In Week 1, students analyze the expert model, the anchor text Weathering the Storm by Anna Whittemore, select a topic, and plan a sequence of events. In Week 2, lessons focus on writing a draft with sensory details. In Week 3, students revise, conduct peer conferences, and edit and proofread. In Week 4, students publish, present, and evaluate.

• Students write daily in their Writer’s notebooks for various purposes, including  writing to weekly prompts, writing self-chosen pieces, completing craft mini lessons, listing and reviewing spelling words, and completing grammar assignments. A digital version is also available for students.

Materials include a variety of well-designed lesson plans, models, and protocols for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development.

• The Instructional Routines Handbook outlines the writing process routine. Lessons support students working through each step: expert model, plan, draft, revise, edit and proofread, then publish and present.

• The Instructional Routines Handbook includes guidance for the “Analytical Writing Routine,” which includes steps to analyze the prompt, state a clear topic or opinion, cite text evidence, and provide a strong conclusion. Within this routine, additional skills are taught, such as note-taking, Think Aloud, quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing.

• In Unit 2, Weeks 1–4, students write an expository essay about how plants, animals, and humans depend on each other to survive in their environment. In Week 1, an expository writing rubric is used. In Week 2, students analyze the student model. Think-alouds guide students to look at the sources and note how the author synthesized the information from those sources. In Week 3, Lesson 1, the teacher guides the students through the “Analyze the Prompt” routine. Teachers create an expository essay anchor chart that presents a clear central idea about a topic, facts, and details that effectively support and develop the central idea and transitional words and phrases that help connect ideas. In Week 3, Lesson 5, a graphic organizer is provided for students to organize their essays, including the central idea, supporting ideas, and relevant evidence from each of the three sources. 

• In Unit 3, Weeks 1–4, students write an argumentative essay. In Week 1, Lesson 4, students look at argumentative writing and use a Think Aloud to support the progression of ideas in argumentative writing. In Week 2, the materials provide model essay examples to support the logical development of an opinion. In Week 3, Lesson 5, the materials provide a graphic organizer to plan using evidence in a logical order to develop the argument.

• In Unit 5, Weeks 1–4, students write a personal narrative. In Week 1, Lesson 3, students analyze the expert model. In Lesson 4, students free write to gather ideas about times they tried their hardest to do something difficult. In Lesson 5, students plan their sequence of events using a graphic organizer. In Week 3, Lesson 3, students conduct peer conferencing using a revising checklist. There is also a video, “Peer Conferencing,” students can watch to view a model of the process. The materials provide a peer conferencing routine with four steps, “Listen carefully as the writer reads their work aloud, begin by telling what you liked about the writing, ask a question about the order of events to make sure the writer used the most logical sequence, and give suggestions for adding descriptive details and making the conclusion stronger.”

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2f.

Materials contain guidance for teachers to facilitate learning using research to develop topic knowledge and research skills. During each text set within the units, students work with a partner or group to complete a two-week science or social studies research project. The projects are varied and require students to research a topic directly related to the unit topic and Essential Question. Students work collaboratively to build knowledge, practice written and oral presentations and apply research skills across the school year. Longer research projects are available in a digitally delivered program called Inquiry Space. These six-week projects guide students through the research, writing, and presenting process. 

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills according to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; take notes and categorize information, and provide a list of sources.

  • In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 2, during the Inquiry project, students research the life cycles of two insects. The teacher models how to follow the five-step research plan. In Step 1, the teacher models how to set goals for the project and brainstorm local insects to research. Students write questions they would like to answer through their research. In Step 2, the teacher models how to find resources to use. In Step 3, the teacher models to how take notes while researching, and students record information from sources in their own words and cite those sources. In Step 4, students create a compare and contrast chart to organize their information and draw a sketch of the life cycle of each of their researched insects. In Step 5, students create a final version of their researched diagram and write their report. Students discuss options for presenting to the class. 

  • In Unit 5, Week 3, Lesson 2, during the Inquiry project, students research a community organization that helps people. The teacher models how to  follow the five-step research plan. In Step 1, the teacher models how to set research goals and students set goals and brainstorm local community organizations that help people. Students write questions they would like to answer in the process. In Step 2, the teacher models finding resources to use. In Step 3, the teacher models how to take notes while researching, and students record information from sources in their own words, cite those sources, and look for images that show the actions of the community organization. In Step 4, students analyze their data and organize the information and images. The teacher models how to create a strong beginning and conclusion for their research paper. In Step 5, students write their reports and discuss options for presenting to the class. 

Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic via provided resources. 

• The Research Roadmap blackline master outlines the five steps in the research process. It includes questions to guide students, as well as graphic organizers to find, record, and organize information.

• The Instructional Routines Handbook outlines the Five-Step Research Process Routine, the Online Research Routine (Used with Inquiry Space in grades 3-6), and additional guidance for planning a presentation, listening to a presentation, and strategies to teach research and inquiry as well as a presentation rubric.

• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 2, during the Inquiry Project, teachers guide students through researching volunteers who helped solve their community’s problems. For example:

  • “Have partners decide on one or more important discoveries that require the use of a microscope. Have them brainstorm and write down questions to help focus their research.” Teachers guide students in using an online recording tool.

  • “Work with students to find print and digital resources they can use for their research. Review their sources to make sure they are reliable and relevant.”

  • “Have students begin by finding information that will answer their research questions. Remind them to use only valid sources. Help students find relevant images and to cite all their sources.”

• In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 2, during the Inquiry project, teachers guide students through researching what their classmates believe is important. For example: 

  • “Have partners brainstorm different Native American tribes from Florida and decide on two tribes to research and compare. Explain that they will research the traditions and culture of each tribe. Direct partners to choose at least three categories to research, such as homes, clothing, and systems of government.”

  • “Discuss with students the kinds of digital and print resources they can use for their research. Sources should be reliable and may include books, magazines, and websites about Native American groups in Florida.”

  • “Remind students to look over their research questions before they start. Review with students how to take notes in their own words and cite their sources. Help them gather images to use in their chart.”

  • “Show students how to analyze and organize their information. Remind them that the purpose of the chart is to compare the way of life of the two Native American groups. Have students create a draft of their chart.”

Materials provide many opportunities for students to synthesize and analyze content tied to the texts under study as a part of the research process.

• Conduct short research projects that build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.

  • In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 2, students complete a science research project with a partner or group to create a disaster safety pamphlet. Students answer the Essential Question, “How do people respond to natural disasters?” Students follow the five-step research process: 

    • Step 1: Brainstorm a list of natural disasters and choose one for their pamphlet. Create a list of questions to research and answer. 

    • Step 2: Identify sources such as books, magazines, websites, and videos to find information and images. 

    • Step 3: Find and record information and cite sources. The materials provide guidance on avoiding plagiarism, paraphrasing, and quoting sources. Students are to create a list of sources. 

    • Step 4: Organize and synthesize information. 

    • Step 5: Create and present to the class. The Instructional Routines Handbook includes presentation rubrics.

  • In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 2, with a partner or in small groups, students conduct a social studies research project to create a slideshow about parts of government in their community and the roles and responsibilities of each part. Students use the Essential Question, “Why do we need a government?” Students follow the five-step research process: 

    • Step 1: List questions they want to research to answer about how the government in their community is organized. 

    • Step 2: Identify sources such as books and websites to find information about what each part of their local government does.

    • Step 3: Find and record information from sources, take notes, and cite those sources. 

    • Step 4: Organize and synthesize information making sure to include how their local government is organized and the roles and responsibilities of each part. 

    • Step 5: Create and present the slideshow using the Presentation rubrics provided in the Instructional Routines Handbook.

• Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

  • In Unit 3, Week 1, Lesson 5, students use text details to describe in depth how the character feels by rereading Aguinaldo by Lulu Delacre. Students answer the prompt, “How do you know how Marilla feels about going on the field trip?” Students draw on specific clues in the text and list the text evidence that helps them understand what Marilla was feeling before answering the question.

  • In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 5, students examine how authors use reasons and evidence by rereading the anchor text, Spiders, by Nic Bishop. Students answer the prompt, “I know how the author feels about the spider’s senses because…,” and draw evidence from the text to show the evidence the author gives to help them understand his feelings about the spider. 

The materials reviewed for Grade 4 meet the criteria for Indicator 2g.

Materials contain instruction, practice, and assessment aligned to grade-level standards. Various instructional approaches are used to coherently support and increase student literacy development. Ample time is provided for students to engage in opportunities that spiral logically over the year. Instruction, tasks, practice, and assessments fully address the intent of the grade-level standards. Students answer questions about illustrations, plot, and characters, as well as participate individually and collaboratively in activities such as summarizing or retelling details, comparing and contrasting, and answering standards-aligned questions about texts. A pacing guide and organizational structures are in place to track and monitor student progress as they work toward meeting learning goals and grade-level standards. 

Over the course of each unit, the majority of instruction is aligned to grade-level standards. Examples include, but are not limited to, the following:

• The Scope and Sequence, Standards Correlations, Suggested Lesson Plans, and Pacing Guide documents clearly illustrate coverage of each grade level standard. The majority of discussions, questions, and writing directly align to grade-level standards identified within each lesson. The planning portion of the Teacher’s Edition contains a Weekly Standards tab where the standards taught within the week’s lessons are listed. Each daily plan includes specific standards covered in the lesson, separated by the activity in which they are covered. A grade-level standards correlation document lists when each standard is taught throughout the year. Students read and comprehend complex grade-level texts in each text set. Texts increase in complexity across the year. Mini-lessons are included with each text set and guide students to examine skills and strategies needed to experience success in reading, writing, speaking, and listening tasks.

Over the course of each unit, the majority of questions and tasks are aligned to grade-level standards. 

• Each text set connects to reading, writing, and building knowledge goals. Students have opportunities to closely read and analyze complex texts and respond to standards-aligned, text-based questions. Questions and tasks require students to cite text evidence and make inferences based on information not explicitly stated. Questions require students to infer and synthesize information. Questions and tasks build to and prepare students for the Unit Diagnostics and Culminating Tasks.

Over the course of each unit, the majority of assessment questions are aligned to grade-level standards. 

• Placement and Diagnostic Assessments, Unit Assessments, Progress Monitoring, and Benchmark Assessments include grade-level standard-aligned questions and tasks. The end-of-unit projects are aligned to standards, and standards are noted in the daily plans. Progress Monitoring and Benchmark assessments are aligned to the grade-level standards; however, the specific standards are not listed on each assessment and would require the teacher to list standards associated with each assessment. Unit Diagnostics and the end-of-unit Culminating Tasks align to grade-level standards. Each lesson includes standards-aligned explicit instruction, as well as questions and tasks, that prepare students for the corresponding Unit Assessment. Each Unit Diagnostic builds knowledge in preparation for the Culminating Task.

By the end of the academic year, standards are repeatedly addressed within and across units to ensure students master the full intent of the standard.

• The Scope and Sequence and Standards Correlations documents illustrate how standards spiral across the materials. Most standards are covered in multiple units, ensuring students have several opportunities to practice skills across the year, even if the teacher cannot cover all six units in the school year. The first unit provides a foundation for knowledge-building that progresses across the year. Each unit ends with Extended Writing and Connect and Reflect. Across the year, standards are repeated to facilitate mastery of the standards. Students have many opportunities to demonstrate proficiency by having authentic conversations about complex texts and writing to develop deeper meaning.