6th Grade - Gateway 2

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that texts are organized around a topic/topics (or, for grades 6-8, topics and/or themes) to build students’ ability to read and comprehend complex texts independently and proficiently.

Grade 6 materials provide opportunities for students to engage with texts organized into genre studies. Each genre study is a collection of texts that are organized around an essential question and topic. The instructional framework for reading the texts begins with students listening to an interactive read-aloud about the topic to build background knowledge. Then students participate in a shared reading of the topic before completing a close read of the anchor text on the topic. Students also read more texts to support answering the essential question through a paired selection to the anchor text. At times, this paired selection may also be a different genre than the study focus to demonstrate how other types of texts can also help to build knowledge. Differentiated texts for small group instruction are also related to the genre study topic as well. There are also suggested books to put in the classroom library that align to the topic.

Texts are connected by an appropriate topic that helps students answer the essential question of the unit. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Genre Study 2, the essential question is “What was life like for people in ancient cultures?” Students read and write about various cultural practices and what life was like for people in ancient cultures. Some of the texts in this unit to build knowledge include:

  • “The Special Guest” (unknown author): a historical fiction interactive read-aloud about a boy from a wealthy Chinese family living in the Eastern Han Empire during the reign of Emperor Mingdi.

  • “Yaskul’s Mighty Trade” (unknown author): this historical fiction text is a shared read about the importance of trade along the Silk Road in the ancient Kushan Empire.

  • “Roman Diary” by Richard Platt and illustrated by David Parkins: a historical fiction anchor text about the experiences of a young slave girl in ancient Rome.

  • “The Genius of Roman Aqueducts” (unknown author): the paired selection expository text that explains how Romans were able to bring water into their city.

  • Egyptian Diary by Richard Platt and Trouble in Timbuktu by Cristina Kessler: books recommended for independent reading.

• In Unit 4, Genre Study 2, the essential question is “When are decisions hard to make?” Students read dramas and expository text exploring people making hard decisions.

  • “Treasure in the Attic” (unknown author): a shared reading drama “about a decision that two cousins need to make when they discover a long-lost family heirloom.” 

  • “The Case of the Magic Marker Maker” by Rene Saldana: the anchor text which is a drama about a young detective who has to make some tough decisions. 

  • “Dramatic Decisions: Theater Through the Ages” (unknown author): an expository text exploring how drama has been used as a platform for difficult decisions through history. 

  • Mixed Messages (unknown author): a leveled reader that explores a hard decision and is written as a three-act play.

  •  Decisions (unknown author): a leveled reader drama about a girl who has to make a decision about babysitting. 

  • The Missing Swimsuit (unknown author): a four-act leveled reader drama about a missing swimsuit and making a hard decision. 

  • Something Fishy (unknown author): a four-act leveled reader drama that explores the essential question of a character making a hard decision. 

• In Unit 6, Genre Study 1, students focus on informational texts and text features to answer the essential question, “How have people used natural resources?” 

  • “Technology in the Ground” (unknown author): an interactive read aloud that explains how much of our current technology depends on metals found deep in the earth. The text also explains the challenge of retrieving the metals and the growing demand for these elements across the globe. 

  • “The Fortune of Fragrance” (unknown author): the shared read text that explains how humans learned to extract aromas from natural elements to create a successful fragrance market. 

  • “The Story of Salt” by Mark Kurlansky: this anchor text teaches students about the historical importance of salt. It explores how salt helped build ancient civilizations and empires as well as encouraged scientific discoveries.

  • “The Not-so Golden Touch” (unknown author): this satirical myth explores how human judgment and values about resources such as gold can be faulty.

  • The Spice Trade by David Murphy: a leveled reader about the historical supply and demand of the spice trade.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials contain sets of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.

Grade 6 materials provide opportunities for students to analyze text through sequenced questioning. Students analyze texts through discussion, writing, and multiple reads. Questions generally begin with a focus on key ideas and details to help students later address the author's use of language or word choice, craft, and structure.

For most texts, students analyze language and/or the author's word choice. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Weeks 1–2, after reading “Into the Volcano” by Donna O’Meara, students answer the question “How do the author’s specific word choices impact the meaning and tone of this section?” Students reread page 19 in the Literature Anthology and answer “How do the author’s real-life experiences and descriptive language broaden your understanding of volcanoes?”

• In Unit 3, Week 1–2, after students read an excerpt of Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidtt, the teacher directs the students to go back and reread the excerpt and answer the question, “In Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy, what tone did Gary D. Schmidt create by using vivid verbs to describe Turner’s experiences?” 

• In Unit 5, Week 5, students read “Tools of the Explorer’s Trade” from Time for Kids. Students respond to the question, “How does the author feel about the use of the North Star and the astrolabe as a navigational tool?”  Then students discuss how the author’s word choice helps the reader understand the point of view. Materials provide the teacher with specific phrases from the text to monitor the student responses. 

For most texts, students analyze key ideas and details. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 5, students read “Ozymandias” by Percy Bysshe Shelly and practice the skill of identifying the theme by using key details. To help build the skill, students answer the questions: “What details tell what happened to the statue of Ozymandias?” and “What message do these details help the poet convey?”

• In Unit 3, Week 5, after students read “Make Your City Green” (unknown author), students reread paragraph 2 and answer the questions: “According to the author, what is the difference between modern and outdated buildings?” and “What benefits of a green rooftop does the author include?”

• In Unit 5, Weeks 3–4, students complete a shared read of “Journey to Freedom” (unknown author). During the reading, students stop after specified paragraphs to discuss and track key details as they answer a series of questions including the following: “ Why does father scold Abigail? “How does Abby feel about her meeting with Mr. Carrington?” “Why does Abby tell Mr. Carrington that the herbs were for a cake?”

For most texts, students analyze craft and structure. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Weeks 3–4, students read “Little Blog on the Prairie” by Cathleen Davitt Bell and illustrated by Craig Orback, and answer questions, such as “How does the author use Gen’s text messages to help you understand how she is dealing with her new experience?” 

• In Unit 4, Week 1–2, as students read “She Had to Walk Before She Could Run” (unknown author), they look at a photograph and the table in the texts to respond to the following question: “How does the photograph support the information in the table?” Then students discuss “Why did the author include the table instead of giving the information in a paragraph.”

• In Unit 6, Weeks 3–4, students complete a shared read of “Messages in Stone and Wood” (unknown author). In the Author’s Craft section, students answer the following question: “How [is] this heading formatted differently from the others in the selection?” After students notice the quotation marks in the heading, they then answer this question: “What does this tell you about the author’s purpose for this section?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials contain a coherently sequenced set of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas across both individual and multiple texts.

Grade 6 materials provide opportunities for students to engage with texts and text-dependent questions that help build knowledge. All lessons include sequenced sets of text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge. 

Sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas in single texts across the year. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 1, students read " The Democracy Debate" (unknown author) and answer questions such as: “How did Aristotle believe a democracy should be run?” “How do Cicero’s ideas help you formulate a question that you would like to answer?” Students also answer the following question: “How are Cicero’s ideas about democracy different from those of Socrates?”

• In Unit 3, Week1–2, students read a personal narrative, “Confronting a Challenge” (unknown author) and answer a series of questions including, but not limited to the following:  “What is the narrator’s challenge? How does the author show how the narrator changes from the beginning of the story to the end? How can a role model help someone overcome challenges?”

• In Unit 4, Week 3-4, students read the drama, The Case of the Magic Marker Mischief Maker by Rene Saldana and answer a series of questions including, but not limited to the following:  “What do the stage directions tell you about how Mickey feels? How does the author use what the characters say to create dialogue? Why does Mrs. Abrego say it was easy to jump to conclusions about Buncho? What does Mickey say when Principal Abrego asks him, ‘Can you help me?’ How does the author use what Buncho says to help you understand Bucho’s character?”

• In Unit 6, Weeks 3–4, students read the informational text, “Pharaoh's Boat” (unknown author).  During reading, students answer a sequence of questions, such as: “How does the author help you understand Mallakh’s feeling of history?” and “How does the author help you understand Ahmed’s struggle to rebuild the ancient ship?” After reading, students summarize and analyze what they have read to answer the following question: “Why does the author include the history of pharaohs and their importance to Egyptian culture?”

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

• In Unit 1, Week 2, students read “Into the Volcano” and “The Volcano Lady“ by Donna O’Meara. Students use notes taken from multiple texts to answer the essential question, “How do natural forces affect Earth?” Students discuss what they have learned from each text about how erupting volcanoes continue to change the landscape of planet Earth. Then students write in response to the following prompt that integrates ideas from two texts and a photograph: “How is the way the artist uses color and technique to paint the ocean similar to the way Donna O’Meara uses words and phrases to describe volcanoes in the selections you read this week?”

• In Unit 4, Week 5, students read the poem, “Primer Lesson” by Carl Sandburg and the poem, “If I can stop one Heart from breaking” by Emily Dickinson. When reading “Primer Lesson” students answer this question: “How does the descriptive language...help you understand the poem’s message?” Then while reading  “If I can stop one Heart from breaking” students respond to the following question: “How does the language indicate the speaker’s feelings?” After reading both poems, students answer these questions: “What are these two poems saying about responsibility?” and “How are these poems similar to others you have read about being answerable for your actions?” 

• In Unit 5, Week 2, students complete reading the anchor text, Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 by Charles C. Mann and complete a writing prompt about how the author uses text features to help the reader understand the importance of the innovation of maize. Then, students read the paired selection, “Looking Back to Move Forward,” which focuses on how ancient medicinal practices can inform modern science and innovation. After answering a series of questions that highlight key details in the paired selection, students analyze and compare the texts through the lens of the essential question, “How do people benefit from innovation?” Then, students use the notes they took to demonstrate how both texts are similar and different.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that the questions and tasks support students’ ability to complete culminating tasks in which they demonstrate their knowledge of a topic or theme through integrated skills (e.g., combination of reading, writing, speaking, listening).

Culminating tasks provide opportunities throughout the program for students to show what they know and are able to do. Students complete writing prompts or similar tasks after reading the shared read and anchor text in each Genre Study. At the end of each Genre Study, students complete a Show What you Learned task to make connections across all the readings in that study. Students discuss the prompt with a partner, find text evidence, and finally demonstrate their knowledge on an independent writing task.

Culminating tasks of quality are evident across a year’s worth of material. Tasks are supported with coherent sequences of text-dependent questions and tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, the Genre Study focuses on realistic fiction that helps answer the essential question, “How do new experiences offer new perspectives?” Throughout this Genre Study, students read realistic fiction texts, such as “Little Blog on the Prairie,” “Cow Music,” and “The Writing on the Wall” to respond to this essential question. Students answer text-based questions and complete tasks such as graphic organizers that help them better understand how characters interact and authors use imagery. For the culminating task at the end, students make text connections between the anchor text and the paired text by answering the question, “How is the sculptor in the photograph using art to share a perspective in the same way that the characters do in ‘Little Blog on the Prairie’ and ‘The Writing on the Wall’?” Using a checklist as a guide for a successful presentation, students are expected to rehearse their presentation, present ideas in a logical sequence, speak slowly and clearly using persuasive tone and expression, and engage directly with the audience by making eye contact and answering questions. 

• In Unit 3, Week 5, the Genre Study focuses on argumentative texts to answer the essential question, “What steps can people take to promote a healthier environment?” Students read several argumentative texts throughout the unit to answer this question and engage in discussing the texts with a partner and writing about them. Students read texts with environmental themes including, but not limited to the following:  “Make Your City Green,” “Stewards of the Environment,” and “Modern Transit for an Ancient City.” As students read “Make Your City Green,” students discuss questions to support the essential question including, but not limited to the following:  “Why are native plants good for the environment?” and “How are citizens of green cities solving the problem of imported plants?” Students write a response to the prompt, “How does the author try to persuade the reader that it is possible to create a modern green city?” Students write a persuasive article of their own about an environmental topic of their choosing. The culminating task in the Show What you Learned section requires students to write a final response that synthesizes knowledge about what steps they can take to promote a healthier environment.

• In Unit 5, Weeks 1–2, the Genre Study focuses on expository informational text and text features to answer the essential question, “How do people benefit from innovation?” Students read texts about ancient technology and innovating moves that changed the world. These texts include “The Science of Silk,” Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491,” and “Looking Back to Move Forward.” After studying how text features help the reader in “The Science of Silk,” students answer the prompt, “How does the author help you understand how people benefited from innovations in sericulture and silk production?” Then students read the anchor text, Before Columbus: The Americas of 1491 and use cause and effect to identify how the development of maize impacted the growth and culture of ancient Mesoamericans civilizations. After a series of questions during reading, students respond to the prompt, “How does Charles C. Mann use text features and organization of this selection to help you understand how people benefited from the innovation of maize?” Students then read the paired selection text, “Looking Back to Move Forward” and work more independently on analyzing how text features support reader comprehension. Then, to wrap up the unit, students use the anchor text as a model research report to begin planning their own research report on another innovation from a historical civilization. In the Show What You Learned section, students also demonstrate what they have learned about innovation across the Genre Study. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts. 

Grade 6 materials provide students the opportunity to interact with and build key academic vocabulary words in and across texts and contexts. Students interact with vocabulary through practice exercises, reading in context, word families, and affixes. The Teacher Edition offers daily recommendations in the Expand Vocabulary Students to help students engage with the unit vocabulary. Students also keep track of their vocabulary words in Build Your Word List in their Writing Notebook. Students complete vocabulary tasks in the Reading Writing Companion and End-of-Unit assessments on the vocabulary strategy. Materials provide teacher guidance in the form of videos, articles, and a handbook. Materials introduce different academic vocabulary and other vocabulary words during the week. Materials also provide a vocabulary development component in the Tier 2 Intervention Vocabulary Teacher Edition booklet. This booklet includes Teach/Model sections to help support vocabulary instruction and also suggests routines found in the Instructional Routine Handbook.

Students complete vocabulary tasks before reading, while reading, and after reading. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In the Instructional Routine Handbook, teacher guidance includes a three-step routine, Define/Example/Ask, that can be used throughout the year to utilize the Visual Vocabulary Cards. Visual Vocabulary Cards are used in each unit. 

  • Use the Visual Vocabulary Cards to introduce new vocabulary words. Follow the instructions on the back of the card. For example,

    • 1. Define: Define the word in simple, student-friendly language.

      • To cooperate is to work together to get something done.

    • 2. Example: Provide an example of how the word in a meaningful sentence, relevant to students’ lives.

      • I cooperate with my sister to clean our room.

    • 3. Ask: Ask questions that require students to apply the word. They can give an example or explanation, or identify a synonym or antonym.

      • How do you and your family cooperate to get jobs done?

• In Unit 2, Week 3, students read “Yaskul’s Mighty Trade.” (unknown author) The teacher introduces words in context and provides instruction for identifying the denotation and connotation of words. On Day 1, students work in pairs to decide whether the connotation of tossed, little, and shrewd from “Yaskul’s Mighty Trade” is more positive or negative. On another day, students talk about targeted vocabulary words, such as exotic and write about the exotic animals they might find at a zoo.

• In Unit  3, Week 1, the teacher uses the Visual Vocabulary cards to introduce a set of eight vocabulary words to students. Students then practice using context clues to figure out the meaning of each word. Throughout the unit, students complete a daily vocabulary task with these words. For example on Day 6, the teacher displays the words context and achieve. After defining and discussing these two words, the teacher displays the word context and contextual. Students then work with a partner to look up additional words with the same root and discuss their meaning. 

• In Unit 4, Weeks 1–2, as students read Seeing Things His Own Way by Marty Kaminsky, students add the words blizzard and treacherous along with a definition to the Build Vocabulary section in their Writer's Notebook. 

• In Unit 6, Week 5, during Day 2 of the Expand Vocabulary section, teachers “help students generate different forms of this week’s words by adding, changing, or removing inflectional endings.” The suggested process for teachers is as follows:

  • Draw a T-chart on the board. Write incentive in the first column. Then write incentives in the second column. 

  • Have students share sentences using each word form. 

  • Students can add to the chart doing the same for horizons, and then share sentences using the different forms of the word. 

  • Have students copy the chart into their Writer's Notebook.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a cohesive, year-long plan to support students’ increasing writing skills over the course of the school year, building students’ writing ability to demonstrate proficiency at grade level at the end of the school year.

Grade 6 materials provide students the opportunity to write and respond to texts throughout the year. Within each unit, teachers prepare students for a specific writing task. Students read texts in the same genre as the writing task to prepare for their own writing. In addition, throughout the unit, students take notes and respond to questions by analyzing texts in the Reading/Writing Companion and in the Writer’s Notebook. Students write in their Writer’s Notebooks each day. Students respond to prompts, check their writing during independent time and make necessary revisions, write pieces they choose themselves, use freewriting and mapping to generate ideas, and write responses to reading to deepen their understanding. A digital writer’s notebook is offered as well.  As students progress through the units, they write longer pieces with more complex prompts that meet grade-specific standards as they work through the steps of the writing process. Materials include supports, such as student models and instructional videos. Guidance also encourages teachers to review students’ work and give feedback at any time.

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

• In Unit 3, students read realistic fiction texts and write a realistic fiction narrative. Students write in their Reading Writing Companion while reading in response to questions and tasks. Examples that support their development as writers include:

  • In Week 1, Day 1, students engage in a shared reading, “Facing the Storm” (unknown author), and respond to the reading by summarizing the text and “including details about how Isabel changes by the end of the story.” 

  • In Week 1, Days 3–6 students read an excerpt from Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy by Gary D. Schmidt. While reading students collect text evidence on a Theme Chart that they use to answer “How does Gary D. Schmidt use Turner's encounter with the whale to help you understand the message of the story?”

  • In Week 1, Day 5, students examine a model and create an anchor chart of a realistic fiction story and begin planning their own story on Day 6 and Day 7. 

  • In Week 1, Days 7–8, students read “Confronting a Challenge” (unknown author) and write about how the setting of the story advanced the plot.

  • In Week 2, Days 8–9, students begin to draft their realistic fiction story. Materials include writing lessons on narrative elements, including point of view and developing characters. 

  • In Week 3, Day 6, students participate in a lesson on word choice and receive time to read and revise their draft. Materials provide students with some questions to evaluate their draft for word choice and mood. 

  • In Week 3, Day 7 students peer edit by using a routine for peer editing. Students also use the Revision Checklist in the Reading/Writing Companion.. 

  • In Week 4, Days 8–9, students edit and proofread their work using the Edition Checklist in the Reading/Writing Companion. 

  • In Week 4, Day 10, students present their writing by creating a class anthology of their stories. 

• In Unit 5, Weeks 5–6, students read and analyze argumentative texts and practice analytical writing to write their own opinion essay. Students write in their Reading/Writing Companion while reading and responding to questions and tasks. Examples that support their development as writers include:

  • In Week 5, Days 1–2 students complete a shared read of “Tools of the Explorer’s Trade.” After summarizing the text, students analyze the use of text features and the author's point of view in the text before responding to the writing prompt, “How does the author use text organization and text features to convey how navigational technology has evolved over time?” 

  • In Week 5, Day 3, students read the anchor text, “Out of this World” by Time for Kids, again focusing on analyzing the use of text features and the author's point of view. They respond to the prompt, “How does the author use text features to help you understand the evolving technology used in the space program?”

  • In Week 5, Day 4, students read the paired text selection, “Space Shuttles on the Move” by Time for Kids. As they analyze the text structure, students focus on a series of questions, such as the following:  “How does the author present a solution to the problem posed in the first paragraph?” and “How does the second paragraph convey this solution was a good idea?” Then, students connect the text features with the question, “How does the caption offer further support for the solution?”

  • In Week 5, Days 4–5, students study “Save our Planet” from the Literature Anthology as an expert model to help them plan their opinion essay about who they believe should be in charge of space exploration. They then begin planning and writing the draft. 

  • In Week 6, Day 3, students edit and proofread their opinion essay. 

  • In Week 6, Days 4–5, students publish and present their essays as well as evaluate their own writing using their Presenting Checklist in the Reading/Writing Companion.

Instructional materials include well-designed lesson plans, models, and protocols for teachers to implement and monitor students’ writing development. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 4, Day 6, students conduct a peer review with a four-step routine. Materials provide sentence starters, such as the following: “I enjoyed this part of your draft because...” or "To clarify this idea, you could add supporting details that…” The routine, which is an important aspect of the writing process, engages students in providing constructive feedback and involves the following steps:

  • “Step 1: Listening attentively as the writer reads his or her work aloud.

  • Step 2: Beginning feedback with a positive comment about the writing.

  • Step 3: Asking a thoughtful question to get the writer to think critically about the writing.

  • Step 4: Offering suggestions that will help strengthen the writing.”

• In Unit 3, Week 4, Days 7–10, the Reading/Writing Companion includes a Revision Checklist and an Editing Checklist for students to use to improve their writing. Materials also provide rubrics, and students evaluate their own writing using the rubrics. 

• In Unit 6, students plan, draft, revise, and publish a research report. At the end of Week 2, students use their Reading/Writing Companion to help them plan their topic. Materials include a Topic/Example/Detail Graphic Organizer to guide students’ planning. Students then review the assignment rubric so that they know what features are important to write an effective research report. During the planning, students also examine page 124 of their Reading/Writing Companion, which shares a list of questions students should ask when evaluating sources.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a progression of focused research projects to encourage students to develop knowledge in a given area by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

Research projects are sequenced across a school year to include a progression of research skills appropriate for the grade level. Materials support teachers in employing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic via provided resources. The Instructional Routines Handbook states that the Research and Inquiry Lessons have a suggested outline to use for projects throughout each unit/Genre Study. This routine includes:

1. “Set Research Goals: Introduce the project and clearly identify the research focus and end product. During this time, students may generate inquiry questions, assign roles to group members, and/or create a research plan.

2. Identify Sources: Brainstorm and identify reliable sources, such as texts read in class, digital media, print sources, and interviews with experts.

3. Find and Record Information: Guide students as they search for relevant information from their sources. Ensure they take notes from various sources, find answers to their inquiry questions, and record information so they can cite their sources.

4. Organize: Help students review and analyze the information they have gathered. They should identify the most useful information by annotating or highlighting their notes, using a graphic organizer to sort and clarify categories of related information, and identifying any areas where they need further information.

5. Synthesize and Present: Guide students to synthesize their information and create the research product. Then have them plan how to best present their work and they may include audio and/or visual displays to enhance presentations. Before presenting, students check that key ideas are included in the presentation and they rehearse the presentation.”

Specific examples of research projects throughout the year as well as the skills taught include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Genre Study 3, students create a news report about a major economic downturn in U.S. history. This research project focuses on learning to generate and clarify questions about a topic. The project lasts for two weeks and includes details about the causes and effects of the downturn, as well as how the crisis was resolved. Students discuss their research plan and shared responsibilities. 

• In Unit 2, Genre Study 2, students learn how to distinguish between credible and noncredible sources of information by finding relevant information directly connected to the topic they are researching in those sources. Students create a journal entry of a person from an ancient civilization. In this two-week research project, students combine facts from their research about the civilization with creative ideas about the person’s feelings and point of view, using appropriate pronouns. Groups discuss their research plan and shared responsibilities.

• In Unit 3, Genre Study 2, students begin a research project in order to demonstrate the synthesis of a topic. The teacher models with the text, “Jewels from the Sea.” Then each pair or group selects a “craft made by a cultural, ethnic, or geographic group of people.” The final product is a formatted, foldable pamphlet. Students use a research process to complete this project: Step 1: Set Research Goals, Step 2: Locate Relevant Information, Step 3: Record Information, Step 4: Synthesize, and Step 5: Present. 

• In Unit 4, Genre Study 3, students conduct research into a volunteer organization that interests them and use that research to practice using proper conventions in writing a formal email. Students brainstorm and research with a partner, gather and record their findings, and then craft a formal email asking for more information from the organization and how to join it. 

• In Unit 5, Genre Study 2, students research the National Museum of African American History and Culture and select an exhibit from the museum. Over a two-week period, students practice the skill of paraphrasing as they plan, create, and revise a pamphlet with visual elements about the exhibit they chose. 

• In Unit 6, Genre Study 1 and 2, students study an expert model of a research report to prepare to write, revise, and publish one of their own. In Genre Study 1, after reading multiple texts on how people have used natural resources past and present, students choose a spice to research. After choosing their sources, students then plan and write a rough draft. During Genre Study 2 students complete peer conferences, edit and proofread their work, and then, publish and present their work to their peers. 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials provide a design, including accountability, for how students will regularly engage in a volume of independent reading either in or outside of class.

Grade 6 materials provide opportunities for students to read independently in and out of class. The materials include accountability in the form of independent reading responses and a reading log. In addition, there are also steps for an independent reading routine that provides guidance for teachers. There are many opportunities for independent reading to occur throughout the day. The publisher suggests that students spend a total of 30–40 minutes participating in independent reading each day, and this includes both whole class texts, as well as independent book choices during small group time. Materials provide a bibliography in each unit and genre study for independent reading book choices that align to the topic and/or genre that students are reading in whole group lessons. In addition, materials include a School-To-Home letter each week that provides information for families on children reading at home.

Examples include, but are not limited to: 

• In the Instructional Routine Handbook, materials provide an independent reading routine for students to follow while the teacher works with groups or confers with individuals. The steps in the routine include:

  • “Select a book that interests you. Check the book to make sure it is the one you want to read (teachers should teach students the five finger rule to help students determine if the book is just right).

  • Read the book each day during Independent Reading time. Use the skills and strategies that you have been working on.

  • Think about what you’re reading. Use Thinking Codes to record your thoughts or write about them in your Writer’s Notebook.

  • Record what you’ve read at the end of each independent reading session. Keep track on your Reading Log. There are many suggestions for keeping students accountable for their independent reading in the Additional Strategies section of the Instructional Routines Handbook. Using a Reading Log is just one way suggested by the publisher. 

  • Share your opinion of the book when you are done. Tell a friend, write a review, make a poster, or ask a teacher for ideas.

  • Begin again! Time to pick a new book!”

Additionally the Instructional Routine Handbook provides guidance on holding Book Talks with students about their Independent Reading selections. The steps in the routine include:

• “Summarize the story. 

• Talk about the parts you liked best.

• Talk about interesting words you found. As I was reading, I wrote down the word, avalanche. It is an interesting word, and at first I didn’t know what it meant. I read on and used context clues to figure it out.

• Take turns asking and answering questions.

• Illustrate your favorite part of the story and tell why it is your favorite part.

• Use the “Steps in a Book Talk” and “Rules for your Book Talk” posters on pages 95 and 96 in the online Teacher Resource Book.”

The Teacher Resource Book also includes a tracking system that provides reading response forms for various genres, such as nonfiction and poetry. Students can also respond in their Writing Notebook without using this form.