myPerspectives Texas English Language Arts - Klasse 7 (2023)

Rating for 2.1

Rating for 2.1
Materials include high quality text for ELAR instruction and cover a range of student interests.

The materials include high-quality texts for ELAR teaching, which represent the quality of content, language and writing, prepared by experts in various disciplines. The texts cover a range of student interests and include increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical and cross-cultural texts.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

Unit 1 includes multiculturally diverse poems such as Pat Mora's 'Abuelita Magic', Langston Hughes' 'Mother to Son' and Frank Horne's 'To James'. Materials deliver increasingly complex thematic units. For example, this first unit includes text selections that focus on the topic of Crossing Generations and includes lyrics such as "Two Kinds" by acclaimed multicultural author Amy Tan. In this short story, students can easily connect with the young protagonist who is being pressured to be awesome by her immigrant mother.

Unit 2 features acclaimed author Ray Bradbury's sci-fi fantasy Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed with its radio adaptation to allow students to compare the story across media. The engaging science fiction texts included in the unit engage students with scenarios that contain imaginary elements, while the non-fiction texts explore exciting topics such as outer space and potential life on Mars.

Unit 3 contains a range of diverse and engaging contemporary and classical texts such as: B. an excerpt from the classic storyA Christmas songby Charles Dickens, with a media connection to filmGeizhals🇧🇷 The unit also includes the contemporary poem "Trying to Name What Doesn't Change" by multicultural poet Naomi Shihab Nye, the multicultural short story "Thank You, M'am" by Langston Hughes and Leo Tolstoy's traditional fable "The Grandfather and her little grandson.” This unit contains selections thematically related to the more abstract theme of transformation, focusing on the fundamental question: “Can humans really change?” The unit begins with an excerpt from the classic storyA Christmas songby Charles Dickens and features the realistic short story "Thank You, Ma'am" by Langston Hughes. These texts feature characters undergoing major changes. However, these changes are subtle or experimental, far removed from most seventh graders and require more complex thinking and understanding.

Unit 4 contains an excerpt from the contemporary essaysilent sourceby Rachel Carson, a zoology expert whose writing has raised awareness of human impact on the environment. The unit also includes an excerpt of contemporary workmy side of the mountainwritten by award winning writer Jean Craighead George. In this highly interesting story, the young protagonist runs away to live alone in the Catskill Mountains.

Unit 5 contains contemporary non-fictionBlack Sunday: The Story That Gave Us the Dust Bowlby Erin Blakemore, in which the author dramatically portrays one of the worst sandstorms in US history. The author provides detailed information about the dust basin and reports on the impact of the storm on affected farmers and families. This selection of non-fiction combined with an excerpt of the classic fiction textGrapes of Wrathby John Steinbeck. The fictional story describes ordinary families during the Dust Bowl and Great Depression. They prepare to leave their Oklahoma farms to try a new life in California. The excerpt vividly conveys the heartbreak families experience because they can only take what fits in a pickup truck when trying to sell the possessions they lived with and cherished throughout their lives. This unit contains increasingly complex texts on overcoming adversity. In this unit, students must connect texts and genres related to the same topic - the Great Depression. Vivid images and detailed descriptions provide high-quality content, language, and writing that enhance student understanding as they explore the topic, "How Do We Overcome Obstacles?"

In Unit 5, students also read one of five adversity management texts provided. One selection is Four Skinny Trees, a multicultural snippet fromThe house on Mango Streetby Sandra Cisneros. Cisneros, who has won numerous awards for her poetry and short stories, adapted the book from her own experiences and writes a series of vignettes about a young Latina growing up in Chicago and coming to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. be. In addition, the unit includes contemporary journalism entitled The Girl Who Fell From Heaven by Juliane Koepcke. In this selection, Koepcke recalls being trapped deep in the Amazon rainforest as the sole survivor of a 1972 plane crash. The unit also includes a selection of multiculturally diverse BBC biographies. The selection focuses on Malala Yousafzai, who gained national attention at the age of 17 with her anonymous diary about life under Taliban rule in north-west Pakistan. Yousafzai, who was shot in the head by militants in Pakistan, is the youngest person to receive the Nobel Peace Prize for her work promoting every child's right to an education. The materials also include a multicultural diverse treatiseFacing the lion: Growing Maasai in the African savannahby Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. He describes the difficulties he faced in getting an education. Materials also include the classic fairy tale “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” byThe jungle Bookvon Rudyard Kipling.

Rating for 2.2

Rating for 2.2
Materials span a variety of text types and genres throughout content that meet TEKS requirements for each grade level.

The materials include various text types and genres throughout the content that meet the TEKS requirements. Materials also include printed and graphic resources from a variety of texts.

Examples of literary texts include:

• "Two kinds ofThe club happiness of joyby Amy Tan (realistic fiction)
• Extract fromMom & I & Momby Maya Angelou (Memoirs)
• "An Hour with Abuelo" by Judith Ortiz Cofer (realistic fiction)
• "They Were Dark and Their Eyes Gold" by Ray Bradbury (Sci-Fi Fantasy)
• "Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed" by Ray Bradbury and Michael McDonaghue (audio drama)
• Science Fiction Cradle Song by C.S. Lewis (lyric poem)
• "How Music Came into the World" by Dianne De Las Casas (Myth)
• „Jaguar“ by Francis X. Alarcón (Gedicht)
• "The Sparrow" by Paul Laurence Dunbar (poem)
• Extract frommy side of the mountainvon Jean Craighead George (Adventure Story)
• "The Grandfather and His Grandson" by Leo Tolstoy (fable)
• "Hey come on!" by Shinichi Hoshi, translated by Stanleigh Jones (magic realism)

Examples of information texts include:

• „The Case for Missing Words: Saving the World’s Endangered Languages“ von Alice Andre Clark (empfohlener Artikel)
• "Tutors teach seniors new high-tech tricks" by Jennifer Ludden (Human Interest Story/News)
• "'Gotcha Day' is no cause for celebration" by Sophie Johnson (opinion piece)
• "Mars can wait. Oceans can't." by Amitai Etzioni (nonfiction/persuasive)
• "Future of Space Exploration May See Men on Mars and Alien Planets" by Nola Taylor Redd (news article)
• „Creature Comforts: Three Biology-Based Tips for Builders“ von Mary Beth Cox (Wissenschaftliche Ressource)
• "A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill and Electrifies a Nation" by Sarah Childress (featured article)
• "Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl" by Erin Blakemore (historical text)

Examples of graphic and printed resources include, but are not limited to:

Unit 1 features an image gallery entitled "Mother Daughter Drawings" by Mica and Myla Hendricks. The photos, illustrations and accompanying text form the narrative of a mother teaching her daughter to draw, revealing a moving story of shared creativity between the two generations.

Unit 2 contains photos, illustrations and graphics to support the basic texts and student understanding. The unit focuses on “Imagining the Future” and a space exploration selection includes vivid photos of space shuttles, astronauts, the night sky and the moon.

Unit 4 explores the theme of nature through a variety of texts accompanied by photos, illustrations and graphics. Additionally, the unit includes Hillary Schwei's photo gallery, Urban Farming Is Growing a Greener Future, which introduces students to urban farming concepts through a series of illustrative photos with meaningful captions. Photos contain descriptive captions to provide information for students and teachers.

Rating for 2.3

Rating for 2.3
The texts are appropriately challenging and at an appropriate level of complexity to support students at their grade level.

Materials include text that is appropriately challenging and of an appropriate level of complexity to support students at their grade level. The publisher provides a text complexity analysis that shows that the texts are at the appropriate quantitative level and qualitative resources for the grade level.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The editor inserts a text complexity analysis at the beginning of each text in all materials. The analysis includes quantitative measures: lexical level and text length. Under the heading "Text Complexity", the analysis also includes qualitative measures in the following areas: content knowledge requirements, text and sentence structure, language and vocabulary conventions, and ideas and meaning. Each area is ranked from 1 to 5, with 1 being the least complex and 5 being the most complex. Each area also includes a rationale for the qualitative assessment of the text. While Lexil levels increase as units progress, the materials within each unit offer a variety that allows for different levels of achievement. Because of Lexile's varying levels, text sizes, and qualitative complexities, the materials are suitable for all 7th grade students.

In Unit 1, students read Alice Andre-Clark's article, The Case of the Disappearing Words. According to text complexity analysis, this selection has a lexical level of 1130L and contains 1209 words. Text and sentence structure come third because the structure of the main article is clear; Connections between ideas are clear; Each section contains detailed information. Content knowledge requires a score of four as selection depends on subject-specific knowledge of subjects, including world languages ​​and cultures. The Conventions and Vocabulary measurement scores four because the language, while fairly accessible, contains words and phrases from other languages; the vocabulary is subject-specific. Some sentences are complex with multiple clauses.

Unit 2 has a set of series-level texts with lexile levels from 490 L to 1400 L. For example, Ray Bradbury's "Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed" has a lexile of 490, Mary Roach's "Packing for Mars" snippet has a lexile of 1020 and "Mars Can Wait". Oceans Can't” by Amitai Etzioni has a lexil of 1400. The ideas and meanings rank fourth in the text complexity column because the text contains multiple layers of meaning. The text gets a three for language and vocabulary conventions, as the language is not contemporary and contains some complex sentences as well as descriptive and figurative sentences.

Unit 4 contains several series-level texts with lexile levels ranging from 600 to 1080. For example, the Mythos "How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun" by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac has a lexile of 600. The text of Mentor "Rethinking the Wild", whose Author not specified in the materials has a lexil of 980 . an excerpt fromOf wolves and humansby Barry Lopez is 1010L, and an excerpt from "Silent Spring" is Rachel Carson 1080L.

In Unit 5, Lexil levels range from 600L to 1330L. The text "Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl" by Erin Blakemore has a lexical level of 1060L with a text length of 596. With regard to the qualitative measures, the complexity analysis outlines the content knowledge requirements: "Selection depends on having some background knowledge about the World Economic Crisis and its Effects”. The description of the text and sentence structure reads: “The structure of the essay is generally clear. Connections between important ideas are explicitly stated. Many sentences contain verbatim quotes, statistics, and descriptive details.” The language and vocabulary conventions are: “The language is fairly simple. Help on the page and contextual information clarify subject and term-specific vocabulary. Precise wording helps clarify complex sentences.” The ideas and meaning are: “The controlling idea is stated explicitly. Vivid supporting evidence helps make the content more accessible to students.”

Rating for 3.a.1

Rating for 3.a.1
The materials contain questions and tasks that help students to analyze and integrate knowledge, ideas, themes and connections within and between texts.

The materials contain questions and assignments that help students analyze and integrate knowledge, ideas, themes, themes, and connections within and between texts. Most questions and tasks build conceptual knowledge, are text specific/dependent, target complex text elements, and integrate multiple TEKS. Questions and assignments require students to make connections to personal experiences, other texts, and the world around them, identifying and discussing big ideas, themes, and important details.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

In Unit 1, students will focus on the transformative power of love to heal family relationships and the fundamental question posed at the beginning of the unit, "What can one generation learn from the next?" while mating Maya Angelous Read Choices, Mom & Me & Mom, a memoir, and the Learning to Love My Mother interview. Students answer role-playing questions such as "What does Angelou learn when she smiles at her mother?" the passage "Mama & Me & Mama". While the Learning to Love My Mother interview asks students to draw conclusions in the analysis and discussion questions, such as: B: "What does this detail say about Vivian Baxter's personality and the effect she had on her daughter?" and "Why do you think this news is so important to her?"

In Unit 2, students compare within genres. They read two compelling non-fiction books: Mars Can Wait. Oceans can't.” by Amitai Etzioni and an excerpt fromPack for Marsby Maria Roach. After reading both texts, the students compare and contrast by answering the questions: “What practical benefits does Etzoini think we can derive from exploring the ocean? To explain. Does Roach care if there are practical benefits to space exploration? To explain. How might Etzioni respond to Roach's ideas about the value of "joy" or "playfulness"? To explain. What are the main benefits Etzioni sees in robots exploring space? Why does Roach think robotic research isn't enough?”

In Unit 3, after reading "Thanks, M'am" by Langston Hughes, students make a personal connection to the story with the following prompt: "Did anything about this story surprise you?" Explain.” In “Comprehension Questions,” students answer text-related questions that require them to identify and discuss important details from the text. For example, "How did Mrs. Jones and Roger meet?" "What does Roger want from Mrs. Jones?" "What does Mrs. Jones do instead?" B. “What purpose have you set for reading this story? How did a purpose impact your reading experience?” In addition, students answer text-dependent questions that require multiple TEKS integration, and then discuss their answers with a group Does Mrs. Jones Trust Him?” Students repeat and also discuss what Ms. Jones in paragraph 37 means when she says, "Everyone has something in common." The students then reason why Roger cannot speak when he leaves Ms. Jones' apartment. Students will also read A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, Acts I and II, a dramatic adaptation of the classic novelA Christmas songby Charles Dickens. After reading Act 1, students make personal connections by answering the question, "What do you think is the worst thing Scrooge does in Act 1?" Explain.” The questions also target complex text elements and require students to identify and discuss big ideas, themes, and important details. Examples include: "Why is Marley dragging a chain of money boxes and other objects in Scene 3? What does the chain mean? Suggest something about the life Marley lived? Explain it. Which scenes from his past does Scrooge visit? What influence does each individual have during their lifetime on their current attitude and personality? Explain it. Why is the past so painful for Scrooge? Give details from the text to support your interpretation.”

In Unit 4, students read and compare How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac and How Music Came to the World by Dianne De Las Casas. After reading the two myths, students make text-to-text connections around the stories' big ideas, fill in a diagram to identify two themes from each myth, and provide textual evidence from the stories to support their answers substantiate The partners then discuss whether the themes they have identified are conveyed implicitly or explicitly in the myths. Finally, students study their answers and develop a universal theme shared by both stories and identify evidence in both choices that supports that theme. The materials also provide text-specific multiple choice and short answer questions that require students to compare and contrast the details and themes of the two choices. For example, a multiple-choice question asks why the two myths could depict the sun differently. A short-answer question is: "What qualities do the animal characters in the sun myth and the ghost characters in the song myth possess that allow them to be successful in their own stories?" What do these characteristics say about the values ​​of the cultures that first told these stories?”

Unit 5 contains TEKS-based reflection questions, referred to as “practice questions” throughout the unit. For example, to prepare students to read and compare genres, a "practice questions" activity requires students to determine whether items in a list drive ideas or themes, and then explain their reasoning. After reading Erin Blakemore's Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl, students answer a “practice question” that clearly identifies specific items from the text to classify, distinguish, interpret, and connect .

Score for 3.a.2

Score for 3.a.2
The materials contain questions and assignments that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, technique and structure of individual texts.

The materials contain questions and assignments that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craftsmanship, and structure of individual texts. Questions and assignments support students' analysis of the literary and textual elements of the texts by asking students to explore the author's purpose, choices, and language in various ways.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

In Unit 1, students read “Two Types” ofThe club happiness of joyby Amy Tan and complete the Close Read activity. Close Read helps students make annotations, ask questions, and draw conclusions. Questions include, "Why did the author choose to reveal the narrator's contrasting emotions?" and "Why did the author choose to reveal the narrator's contrasting emotions?" After reading, students compose a retelling of the story from the mother's point of view. Other ways to analyze elements of the text include reflective questions such as, "What words did you choose specifically to bring the mother's point of view to life?"

In Unit 2, students read “They Were Dark and Eyed Gold” by Ray Bradbury. During the Close Read activities, students study authors' language and choices, analyze the literary elements of texts, draw inferences, and draw conclusions about author intent and how author choices convey meaning. For example, in paragraph 2, students mark the things that are being compared. The materials challenge students to notice what is unusual about the comparisons. From the comparisons, the students conclude what mood or impression Bradbury created. Later, in paragraph 34, students mark details that describe a character's inner thoughts. The materials challenge students to analyze why these thoughts are repeated and expressed in incomplete sentences. Students conclude what this usage says about the emotional state of the character. In paragraph 41, students mark examples of descriptive language used by the author. The materials ask what idea these descriptions suggest about the setting. Students analyze how the author's choice of language creates tension. After reading "Mars Can Wait, Oceans Can't" by Amitai Etzioni; The teacher prompts the students to read parts of the text carefully and asks the students: "Discuss why the author is referring to famous people and well-known news sources" and "Discuss the author's claim that the argument that people in Sending into space involves 'public relations'". Students then work in groups to practice analyzing essay features and structure. Students use labels for the five types of evidence (fact, expert opinion, example, personal observation, and anecdote ), provide an example of each type from the essay and explain how the evidence supports the claim.Then students identify two counterclaims that the author addresses in the essay and explain the author's reasons and evidence for refuting these opposing views. At the end of this segment, the teacher asks, "What audience do you think the author is trying to reach with this essay ? Do they mostly agree or disagree with him? Explain” and “Do you think the target audience would be persuaded by the author's reasoning? Why or why not?"

In Unit 3, students read a “Mentor Text,” the fictional short story “The Golden Windows,” by Laura E. Richards. All units begin with a mentor's text that supports the unit's common theme to build foundational knowledge and provide students with a template for their later writing in the unit. As students read, the teacher reminds them to determine the purpose of the story and the ideas the author is developing. Students write their own short stories about a character who had a meaningful life experience during the Whole Group Performance Task. The materials relate to the mentor's text and challenge students to highlight the author's sensory language and think about how this makes the writing interesting. Additionally, during review, the materials include an excerpt from Mentor Text and ask students to review certain author decisions: "Why did the author add these descriptive details? Why did the author replace explanation with dialogue? 🇧🇷

Unit 4 contains questions to help students analyze the author's perspective. After reading an excerpt fromsilent sourceby Rachel Carson, students use a table to distinguish between subjective and objective points of view and answer questions such as "Reread the essay and decide whether it is told from the objective subjective point of view. List the evidence from the text that supports your analysis.” Students continue to study the language of the text to see how they can change the language to change the point of view.

Unit 5 uses an excerpt from the autobiographythe story of my lifeby Helen Keller to focus on the author's purpose and message by analyzing the structure of an autobiography. In the Facilitate section, students discuss why an author might tell their own life story in chronological order.

Rating for 3.a.3

Rating for 3.a.3
Materials include a coherent year-long plan that students can interact with and build key academic vocabulary across texts.

Materials include a coherent year-long plan for students to interact and build essential academic vocabulary within and between texts, including ways to use words in appropriate contexts and differentiated vocabulary development for all students.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The research behind the materials supports "generative vocabulary" and recognizes that there are too many English words to teach vocabulary alone or within word lists without further instruction. Therefore, it introduces academic and conceptual vocabulary in all units, with a focus on teaching morphemes (roots, suffixes, prefixes), dictionary knowledge and vocabulary strategies (e.g. contextual cues). Each unit begins by introducing five academic vocabulary words common to the specific genre highlighted in that unit. As the materials introduce academic vocabulary at the beginning of each unit, students first learn each word and its origin and word parts (i.e. word stems). Students then read two mentor sentences for each word from the vocabulary to study the words in context. Then, with a partner, students read each word in their mentor's sentences aloud and determine the meaning and usage of each word, using a dictionary if necessary, and writing the answers on the board in their textbook. Finally, students list at least two related words for each word in the vocabulary. In addition, each text within the unit provides instructions on the “Vocabulary of Concepts”. The materials introduce words of the concept vocabulary prior to text selection. Students engage in a short vocabulary strategy activity such as B. assessing their vocabulary knowledge, learning how to use contextual cues to determine word meaning, and practicing dictionary skills. As students read the text, the materials provide vocabulary definitions of concepts so students can see word meanings in and out of context. In addition to the definitions, the materials often provide in-text vocabulary tips, techniques, strategies, and activities. After reading the text selection, students engage in various conceptual vocabulary activities involving language and vocabulary learning. The materials also provide selection assessments that include questions that test understanding of the vocabulary of the concepts. The students individualize and differentiate their learning and vocabulary development through “word networks”. Each unit includes a word grid or graphic organizer/concept card with the unit's thematic theme at the center. Students fill in the word network by adding words that they think are related to the topic as they read the texts throughout the unit.

Unit 1 includes several ways to build academic vocabulary. Each text includes glossary terms in the margins of the text, and there is an online audio component and Spanish translation for the glossary. In addition, this unit includes scaffolding facilities to support students struggling with glossary terms. The Teacher Edition margins provide guidance, suggesting "if students are having trouble defining... please explain" and additional ways to teach vocabulary meaning, often suggesting more familiar root words and related words. For example the wordPhilanthropsplits upPhil, which means love, andanthropowhat it means to be human. The unit's academic vocabulary is related to non-fiction storytelling and includes the wordsdialogue, consequence, perspective, remarkable,econtradictoryand the Latin root of each word -logue-, -sequ-, -spec-, -not-, -dict-🇧🇷 Students practice building knowledge about these words by completing a table that includes each word and two mentor phrases. First, students read aloud each word, its root, and the mentor's sentences. Students then determine the meaning and usage of each word using the mentor's phrases and a dictionary if necessary. Finally, for each word, students list at least two related words. In addition, in the picture-to-task Mother-Daughter Drawings, students learn media vocabulary to support understanding of the pictures including the wordscomposition,Licht, Sombra, zPortionfor students to use as they review, discuss, and write about the choices. The teacher encourages students to use the terms to describe the classroom drawings or paintings.

In unit 2, the materials offer a differentiation from vocabulary lessons. For example, the teacher guides ELs to understand their academic vocabulary. In Beginner ELs, the teacher shows a word, says the word out loud, and asks the student to repeat it. Then the teacher writes a context sentence and repeats it for all words. For advanced ELs, the teacher displays each word, says the words out loud, and asks the students to repeat the words. Small groups then create contextual sentences using the academic vocabulary. In advanced ELs, the teacher shows the words, the students read the words, then the partners discuss what they mean, confirming ideas with a dictionary and forming sentences in context. In Advanced Advanced ELs, the teacher displays the vocabulary and has the students read it aloud. The subjects check their meaning with a dictionary and write sentences in context. Then the students divide their work into small groups.

In Unit 3, students readA Christmas songby Charles Dickens. Teachers point out that the wordmisanthropebegins with the prefixnot correct-, meaning "evil"; unfavorable; Lack of." The teacher gives example wordsnot correctfor each meaning (misjudge, doubt, distrust🇧🇷 Do the students find other words in the text with the prefix or think of other words they are familiar with and start with?not correct🇧🇷 They try to define the word and use a dictionary to confirm their answers.

The Teacher Edition presents vocabulary from the content area in the area of ​​vocabulary development. The wordsCharacter, Conflict, Development, Dialogue, Direction, Drama, zcenaare gender-specific words given to students. The teacher guides the students to explore the connections between these words and to discuss problems using the terms. For example, "What is an example of a conflict faced by a character in a story you recently read?"

Score for 3.a.4

Score for 3.a.4
Materials include a clearly defined plan to support and hold students accountable as they engage in independent reading.

Materials include a clearly defined plan to support and hold students accountable as they engage in independent reading. Procedures and protocols, along with support for teachers, encourage independent reading by providing a plan for students to select texts and read them independently over a period of time, and planning and accountability for achieving independent reading goals.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

In the introduction to each unit there is a section entitled “Unit Goals”. One of the goals is "I can read a selection of my choice independently and make meaningful connections to other texts". Before the unit begins, students rate each statement from 1 to 5 (1 means not at all good to 5 means very good) on how well they are achieving the objective. Upon completing the unit, they return to their goals, reflect on their growth, and reevaluate themselves. This meta definition contains a self-reading statement.

The materials support the students in selecting texts and reading them independently. Students independently read and collect evidence related to the main topic of the unit in the final section of each unit. The teacher encourages the students to reflect on what they have already learned about the topic of the unit and what else they would like to know. Students establish a purpose for their reading by describing three general purposes: reading to learn, reading for fun, reading to form a position. The materials provide an independent video on learning strategies and a table listing the learning strategies. The materials state: "Throughout your life, in school, in your community, and in your career, you must trust yourself to learn and work independently. Use these strategies to stay focused while reading independently for long periods of time.” Categories of strategies include scheduling, note-taking, and purposeful reading. The materials list some ideas for them and students can add their ideas in these categories. Teachers advise students to scan and preview the selections they want to read. Teachers can use the provided summaries, insights, and text complexity analysis to make suggestions for student choices.

Book Club is a flexible part of the materials. The Teacher's Guide provides an overview of two book club suggestions for each unit and a list of additional novels that fit the theme of each unit. Within the overview of the two book club choices for each unit, the teacher guide provides the lexile level of the book, a summary of the choices, and a link to the unit's key connections. It links the book club's title to the unit's key text choices. The materials also provide teacher resources for starting the book club, author reviews and background information, reading comprehension strategies, and TEKS-oriented questions and projects. At the bottom of each Book Club page is a Flexible Pacing and Implementation section that describes how Book Club can be used as a supplement to the unit, as a replacement for unit selection, or as a standalone learning extension. It provides the recommended pace for each option.

The materials provide audio, interactive digital text, and an assessment for each independent learning choice. They provide procedures, routines, and protocols that enable students to study independently and then share their learning with their classmates. As they read, students write down their choices. They then fill out a “careful reading guide” to help them analyze their choices. Mindful Reading Tasks ask students to record the title, purpose of reading, and minutes read. He instructs the students to look at the sections that they found interesting to see what they can conclude from them. It also asks students to “think about the author's choices of literary elements, techniques, and structure. Pick one and jot down your thoughts.” Another question asks them to describe their interaction with the digital text and how it affected their reading experience. The guide includes a section where students can do a Quick Write with the prompt: “Choose a paragraph from the text that piques your interest. Explain the power of this passage.” In addition, students share their independent learning with their peers after reading.

In Unit 2 is one of the book club's suggestionsJames and the Giant Peachby Roald Dahl. The teacher guide suggests three ways for students to read this book club text. One way is to supplement the unit by having the students readJames and the Giant Peach20 to 30 minutes daily at home to complement unit choices and activities. The recommended pace is one chapter per day. Another option is to have the students readJames and the Giant Peachin the classroom instead of group learning choices. The materials bring teachers into the unit at a glance while planning standard coverage. The recommended pace for this option is two chapters per day. A third option is to extend independent learning by having students readJames and the Giant Peachin the classroom and at home instead of choices for independent learning. The recommended pace is four chapters per day, and the materials guide teachers to expand independent learning as needed.

In Unit 3, students begin the self-study section by watching a video in the textbook that explains how to carry out self-study strategies. The materials offer independent learning strategies for social-emotional learning, e.g. B. Creating a schedule in which students include goals and deadlines as they understand them, and creating a schedule of what to do each day. Another strategy for students is to take notes. Students jot down important ideas and information and review their notes before sharing what they have learned with the class.

Score for 3.b.1

Score for 3.b.1
The materials support students in developing typesetting skills in different types of text for a variety of purposes and audiences.

The materials support students in developing typesetting skills in different types of text for a variety of purposes and audiences. The materials offer students the opportunity to write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imaginary people, events and ideas; Information texts for the transmission of ideas and information to specific target groups for specific purposes; argumentative texts to influence the attitudes or actions of a specific audience on specific issues; and correspondence in a professional or friendly structure.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The digital platform features “literacy videos” across multiple genres, including argument, information, personal narrative, research, and short story writing. These video collections show students the different styles of writing and specific elements and skills that correlate with those styles. For example, the Argumentative Essay Collection contains eight videos: Argumentative Essay, Counterclaim and Rebuttal, Structure including Counterclaim and Rebuttal, Logical Organization, Commas with Non-Restrictive Elements, Rhetorical Devices and Logical Fallacies, Overgeneral Logical Fallacy, and Single Logical Fallacy. Each video is a few minutes long and teachers can show them to the class all at once or assign them to individual students on the digital platform.

In Unit 1, after reading the realistic short story "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, students retell a scene of their choice from the mother's point of view. Students note key details that help identify the mother's character traits and motives, present a clear sequence of events, and use storytelling techniques such as dialogue and description to convey their thoughts and feelings. After writing the retelling, students reflect on their writing by answering questions such as, "What features of the short story did you use in your writing?" What storytelling technique do you think was most effective in portraying the mother's character?” After reading Alice Andre-Clark's The Case for Disappearing Words, students create a guidebook. Teachers and students discuss characteristics of travel guides, identify the countries covered in the text, and discuss the requirements for sentence assignments. Next, students identify and gather relevant information from at least two different types of sources that will help them answer the following questions: "Who speaks the language? Why is the language endangered? Are there efforts to save it? If yes, which ones are they?

In Unit 2, students write an editorial in which they position themselves on the question, “Is space exploration important?” Students support their position with evidence from reading the unit, prior knowledge, and observations. Teachers remind students to use elements of an editorial in their writing.

In Unit 3, the lyrics relate to the fundamental question “Can people change?”. Students write a short story about a character who has had a significant life experience. Students craft their story to answer if their character really changes. The materials guide them to incorporate the elements of a short story into their writing. The materials describe the purpose, features, and structure of a short story: “Interesting, well-developed characters; clearly described scenario; a deeper meaning, insight, or theme; an effective narrative point of view; vivid and accurate wording and descriptive details; literary implements and crafts, including dialogue; Standard English Conventions". Teachers instruct partners to re-read the mentor text for the session and use it as a model story. Students take a closer look at the activity in their digital notebooks and answer questions about purpose, genre, narrative point of view, and structure. Teacher materials instruct teachers to walk around the room and do quick checks with students by asking them questions like, "What kind of characters are you interested in?"

In Unit 5, students write an informational essay answering the question, “What does it mean to overcome adversity?” Students support their ideas with details from their reading, prior knowledge, and personal observations. Students use the elements of informational essays in their writing and the Against the Odds mentor text to enrich their understanding of informational essays. In addition, students will write a feature film proposal after reading the passage "High School Teammates Carry On" by Tom Rinaldi. Students work together to assert and defend a strong position, detailing why they think the story would make a great film. Students must have the following items: logline, character profiles, and defense. The teacher reminds the students to use persuasive language so that the reader invests money and time in this project. After reading an excerpt fromsilent sourceby Rachel Carson, students write a formal letter to the author. They answer the question, "Does Carson's description inspire or discourage readers?" The teacher reviews the characteristics and structure of a formal letter and encourages students to use an appropriate structure for their letter according to the guidelines in their student textbooks.

Rating for 3.b.2

Rating for 3.b.2
Most writing assignments require students to use clear, concise information and statements based on well-supported texts to demonstrate knowledge gained through text analysis and synthesis.

The materials require students to use clear, concise information and well-reasoned, text-based assertions to demonstrate knowledge gained through text analysis and synthesis. The materials offer students the opportunity to use evidence from texts to support their opinions and claims, and to demonstrate in writing what they have learned from reading and listening to texts.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The materials provide students with consistent opportunities to use clear, concise information and well-supported text-based statements while completing their Essential Question Notes (EQ) in each unit. EQ Notes asks students to record their thoughts and observations on the texts and related issues in each unit based on their observations as they read. The materials provide a graphic for your EQ notes, divided into three columns: "Title, My Ideas/Notes, Text Credits". Students take notes while reading and after reading. At the end of each text, the materials remind students to complete their EQ notes and ask a question that helps them focus on the main topic of the text.

In Unit 1, students read "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan and answer questions such as: "Catete a conclusion you drew that helped you understand something about a character not mentioned in the text. What evidence did you use to reach this conclusion?” After reading Alice Andre-Clark's article, “The Case of the Disappearing Words: Saving the World's Endangered Languages,” students write in their notebooks while answering different types of questions that require specific evidence from the text to support their answers. For example: “What surprised you most about this article? Cite a specific passage or detail that led to your answer.” Another question is: “Based on the article, what can you conclude as an important part of any effort to save an endangered language? Justify your answer by citing evidence from the text.” Additional items for students to answer in writing are: “Read paragraphs 13 and 14 again. What core idea is expressed in these paragraphs? Identify examples of two types of evidence that support this” and “Explain in your own words the main idea of ​​the article. Name two different types of evidence that support your answer. Explain each choice.”

In Unit 2, after reading several texts on the theme Imagining the Future, students write a critique of one of the texts, which is described as "a detailed analysis and evaluation of a work of literature". In the criticism, the students point out strengths and weaknesses in a text of their own choosing. They include the following characteristics in their assessment: "an analysis of a character, conflict, setting, theme, or other element of the text," "a well-founded statement of the effectiveness of the work," and "accurate use of content." -Area vocabulary”, in particular literary terms”. The materials provide guidance on choosing text, finding a writing focus, developing an aspiration, and writing a draft.

In Unit 3, after reading Act I ofA Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, a drama based on the Charles Dickens novel, students answer analytical questions in their notebooks and use textual evidence to support the answers. For example, "Why is Marley dragging a chain of cash boxes and other metal objects in Scene 3?" Students must then deduce what the current says about Marley's life. Students should return to the text and provide evidence by analyzing the next question: 'What scenes from his past does Scrooge visit? How has each event in your life contributed to your current attitude and personality? Explain.” The third question is, “Why is the past so painful for Scrooge?” and reminds students to “cite details from the text to support their interpretation.” After reading Act II, the Students complete tasks and answer questions that require them to justify their answers with evidence from the text, for example: “Consider this possible theme of the story: Anyone can change if they want to. Give at least three details from the play that support this theme. Explain your choice.

In Unit 4, students write down their observations and thoughts on the topicsilent sourceby Rachel Carson with the fundamental question, "What is the relationship between humans and nature?" Through this descriptive essay, students analyze what they have learned about the relationship between humans and nature. Students summarize in an analytical question that says, “State the main idea of ​​paragraph 2 in one sentence. What specific details support this basic idea?”

In Unit 5, students engage with texts related to the fundamental question, How do we overcome obstacles? After reading Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Bowl of Dust by Erin Blakemore, students are asked, “What have you learned about dealing with adversity from reading this text? Go to the Essential Questions Notes and write down your observations and thoughts on Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Bowl of Dust. At the end of the unit, students have the opportunity to write an informative essay in response to the main question, using evidence from different texts of the unit.

Score for 3.b.3

Score for 3.b.3
As the year progresses, convention writing skills are applied in increasingly complex contexts, with opportunities for students to publish their writing.

As the year progresses, convention writing skills are applied in increasingly complex contexts, with opportunities for students to publish their writing. The materials make it easier for students to use elements of the writing process consistently to produce diverse texts and provide opportunities to practice and apply academic language conventions in speaking and writing, including punctuation and grammar. These are taught systematically, in and out of context. The materials provide editing exercises in students' own writing throughout the year.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

In all units, students practice the writing process in its entirety during the Whole Group Learning Performance Assignment and at the end of each unit during the Performance Based Assessment.

In Unit 1, students read an excerpt from Two Kinds by Amy Tan and then practice using nouns and pronouns. Students use a table that provides examples of common nouns, proper nouns, and possessive nouns in Two Types. Students then read a paragraph and mark the nouns. Students also work through example sentences and have the opportunity to write original sentences that use and identify nouns and pronouns.

In Unit 3, the lyrics relate to the fundamental question, "Can people really change?" As a performance task following the Whole-Group Learning segment, students write a short story about a character who had a significant life experience Has. Students create their story to answer the question of whether their character really changes. Students incorporate elements of a short story into their writing. The materials describe the purpose, features, and structure of a short story: “Interesting, well-developed characters; clearly described scenario; a deeper meaning, insight, or theme; an effective narrative point of view; vivid and accurate wording and descriptive details; literary implements and crafts, including dialogue; Standard English Conventions". Students take a closer look at the activity in their digital notebooks and answer questions about purpose, genre, and narrative points. The materials provide guidance on free writing during the writing planning phase. Diligent instruction provides scaffolds for students who are having trouble getting started by providing sentence structures or letting teachers guide them to focus on their writing. Another planning page provides a framework for students to organize their ideas under headings such as Gather Your Ideas, Focus on Character and Situation, and Plan a Coherent Structure. Teachers speak to students as they plan, helping them review examples of characters and conflicts and guiding them in developing their ideas. After planning, students prepare to write their first draft by looking back at the mentor text and “reading like a writer,” paying particular attention to how the author uses sensory details and draws the reader's attention . The materials give tips on how to deepen thoughts while writing, e.g. B. the inclusion of dialogues. After writing their essays, students check for coherence by rereading them, making sure events are flowing clearly and related ideas are logically connected. At this point, students look for fragments, passages, and comma splices that might impede the flow of the paper. Students also add transitions to the paper. The teacher reminds students that the purpose of the review is to strengthen their writing, and the teacher revisits the mentor text and the specific choices the writer made during the review. Students focus specifically on class-level subject-verb agreement editing skills in complex sentences and commas with adjectives during editing. After editing, the students publish and present their essays. The instructions encourage students to share their writing with the class or school community in one of the following ways: 1. Print out the story, add illustrations, and then share with the class. 2. Record reading your story dramatically, use an app to add sound effects or music, then upload your reading to the school's website.

In Unit 5, students write an informational essay for the whole group learning achievement task. During the editing process, students learn about comma splices and other types of approaches. The editing practice references Mentor Text and provides examples of continuous sentences and corrected complex sentences. The teachers guide the students through examples and instructions. Students practice editing three sentences, correcting each comma splice or comma to create complex sentences. Students apply this skill as they complete their informational essays. Additionally, after reading the passage "A Work in Progress" by Aimee Mullins, the teacher discusses Mullin's informal use of the grammar. The teacher guides the students to understand the situations where formal and informal grammar are appropriate. Students work independently to rewrite each informal grammar example so that it follows standard English grammar rules. An example is: “Really, he said that. Wow.” The student examples reflect the formal grammar, such as B. “That's what he said.” Students then discuss with their groups how these changes affect the text of someone they know. Students write as if they are speaking directly to an audience. Students then exchange paragraphs with one member of their group, rewriting the other's standard paragraphs in English.

Score for 3.b.4

Score for 3.b.4
Materials include practice for students to write legibly in cursive. (only series 3-5)

Score for 3.c.1

Score for 3.c.1
The materials help students to listen to and talk about texts.

The materials help students listen to and speak about texts by providing opportunities that focus on the texts learned in class, allowing for demonstrations of comprehension. Most oral assignments require students to use clear, concise information and well-reasoned, text-based statements to demonstrate knowledge gained through text analysis and synthesis.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

Unit 2 begins with a "launch activity" that includes a four-corner debate. Have students ponder the statement, "Money spent on space missions could be better spent here on Earth." Students take a stand, forming like-minded groups that move to a corner of the room and ask clarifying questions about how : "What examples from the text or your background knowledge led you to take a position?" After defending against claims based on the text, a representative of each group presents their position. After the groups have presented their claims, the students have the opportunity to switch positions and go to a new corner.

In Unit 3, students will read Learning Rewires the Brain by Alison Pearce Stevens. The materials guide students through answering the review and discussion questions, and then share their answers with the group. In these oral discussions, students use evidence from the text to support their answers. As students share various texts and evidence of learning, students synthesize this information to further develop their perspective. The questions are all text-dependent and require a sufficient understanding of the text. For example, one question asks students to “identify at least two ways that information such as the research discussed in this article can affect people's lives. Explain your reasoning and cite evidence from the article.” Later, in the Close Read activity, students share a passage from the article that they found particularly interesting. They discuss what they noticed, what questions they have, and what conclusions they draw. The listeners focus on gaining new insights from the discussions.

In Unit 4, after reading Mary Beth Cox's "Creature Comforts: Three Biology-Based Tips for Builders," students answer several analysis and discussion questions that require them to analyze, compare and contrast, summarize, and focus on activities of in- deep reading. The first question is, "What is the author's guiding idea or thesis?" How does their introduction make this idea understandable for non-scientists?” The second question is: “What are the three ideas based on biology and how do they differ? ” The third question asks students to reread and summarize a section of the article and then review the purpose that the section serves. Each question and assignment students discuss requires them to think critically as they analyze previously read text. Later, in the Close Read area, students share passages from the text that they found particularly interesting and discuss what struck them, what questions they still have, and what conclusions they came to. These oral discussions require students to use textual evidence to support their answers, summarize information to further develop their perspective, and allow teachers to monitor students' responses to ensure they are relying on textual evidence to support their points substantiate After reading the mentor's text, Rethinking Nature, students research an interdisciplinary perspective activity on efforts to help birds. As students research, the teacher asks them to find answers to the questions provided: “Who was involved and where? Which birds did you want to help? what was done Was the effort successful? Why or why not? When students are done researching, they share their information with the class and discuss how it relates to the mentor's text.

In Unit 5, students participate in a group discussion on "A Work in Progress" by Amy Tan. The groups analyze one of the two quotes from the text and discuss the questions: “What does the quote mean? What happens that prompts the author to express these ideas? Do you think it would help society if more people felt what this author feels? Why or why not?"

Score for 3.c.2

Score for 3.c.2
The materials encourage students to engage in productive teamwork and student-led discussions in both formal and informal settings.

The materials encourage students to engage in productive teamwork and student-led discussions in both formal and informal settings. The materials provide instruction and practice with class-level protocols for discussion to express their own thoughts and opportunities for students to give organized presentations or presentations and speak clearly and concisely using language conventions.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

In the "Peer-Group Learning" area of ​​each unit, the students work in small groups. Before reading the texts, groups of students follow a routine that includes taking a stand on a topic, establishing rules for their group, using the rules when discussing their ideas, naming their group, and creating a communication plan. Teachers go around reminding students to communicate politely. The materials encourage teachers to post "Responsible Conversations" suggestions. These prompts remind students to ask clarifying questions, clarify their thoughts, and build on the ideas of others. The materials contain suggested phrasing and phrases that the students can use, e.g. B. "Could you please repeat what you said" and "I think you said... Did I understand you correctly?"

The digital platform offers six additional digital speaking and listening lessons: Talking and Discussing - Level 1, Talking and Discussing - Level 2, Assessing Presentations - Level 1, Assessing Presentations - Level 2, Presenting - Level 1, Creating a Presentation – Level 2. Each digital lesson provides instructions on listening and speaking skills and practice questions to check student comprehension.

In Unit 1, after reading Tutors Teach Seniors New High-Tech Tricks by Jennifer Ludden, students work in groups to share parts of the article that they found most interesting. Logs contain explanations of what should be communicated, e.g. B. what they noticed, questions and conclusions. The materials include a sample passage and discussion topics to further facilitate and support student-led discussion. Teacher materials remind students to use accountable talk in their discussions. The peer group learning segment includes mentoring and practice with class-level protocols for discussion. Groups begin by discussing the question, “What ideas and experiences can youth and adults share?” The guidelines encourage students to take turns speaking and working to create an open exchange of ideas, listen carefully to one another, and encourage creative thinking . The group then decides on the rules they will follow as they work together. The materials provide two example rules: “Everyone must participate in group discussions. People shouldn't interrupt.”

In Unit 2, students select a selection of units and write a review to present to the group. Criticism includes an analysis of a text element, a reasoned claim about the effectiveness of the work, and the appropriate use of the vocabulary of the content area, especially literary terms. Students use the language guide provided to rehearse their criticism and then reinforce their presentation. The conversation guide includes skills (eye contact, speaking rate, volume, pronunciation, gestures, and conventions) and tips (conventions: "Avoid slang unless you're using it to make a point. Realize this isn't an informal conversation." . Use correct grammar.")

In Unit 4, students work with their group in the Peer Group Learning section to create an oral presentation that highlights interesting aspects of three poems about animals that the group has previously read: "Turtle Watchers" by Linda Hogan, Jaguar by Francis X. Alarcón and The Sparrow by Paul Laurence Dunbar. The groups decide on a scenic reading or a multimedia presentation. Students plan, assign roles, and use a graphic organizer to brainstorm ideas. After the rehearsal, students present their oral reading to the class and ask for comments and feedback. Audiences rate presentations and give respectful feedback. In addition, the students discuss in groups the question "What is our relationship with nature?". The materials include protocols such as "As you take turns sharing your positions, make sure you provide examples that support your ideas." Groups practice productive teamwork by listing group rules, enforcing rules throughout the process, naming the group, and creating a communication plan. Teacher materials include instructions for forming groups, such as B. "You may want to form peer-learning groups so that each group consists of students with different learning abilities."

In Unit 5, students readthe story of my lifeby Helen Keller and watch a scene fromthe miracle workerfilm adaptation. Students work in groups to write and critique the autobiography or film. The materials provide series-level protocols, including how-tos, tips, and examples for planning, drafting, rehearsing, and presenting the critique. Students learn to use conventions effectively. The materials include guidelines such as: "If you are the moderator, ask for feedback on the ideas you have shared. If you are the listener, ask for more information or clarification.” Teacher materials include reminders such as “Remind students that before they can critique a work, they must become familiar with it”.

Rating for 3.d.1

Rating for 3.d.1
The materials encourage students to engage in short-term, sustained recursive inquiry processes to confront and analyze different aspects of a topic using relevant sources.

The materials encourage students to engage in short-term, sustained, recursive investigation processes to confront and analyze different aspects of a topic using relevant sources. The materials support the identification and synthesis of quality primary and secondary sources and student practice in organizing and presenting their ideas and information according to the research purpose and appropriate class audience.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The digital platform contains a folder with courses and videos with research guidance. The guidance ranges from "Integrating Citations, Citations and Visuals" to "Sources and Evidence". The Sources and Evidence lesson thoroughly defines primary and secondary sources and provides a list of examples of each type. The lesson also provides guidance on font evaluation criteria and includes examples of good and suspect fonts. Students learn to assess whether a source is relevant, up-to-date, qualified and credible. The digital classroom also offers student comprehension checks.

In Unit 1, students read The Case of The Disappearing Words by Alice Andre-Clark and write a travel guide about a place in the world that is facing threats to their language. Students collect and synthesize information from at least two different types of sources. Materials include tips such as, "Through synthesis, you incorporate information from more than one source to arrive at your own insight." Students assemble information by answering questions such as, "Why is the language threatened?"

In Unit 3, after readingA Christmas Carol: Scrooge & Marley Act 1by Charles Dickens, students take part in survey for research and extension. In Act 1 Scene 2, Scrooge refers to workhouses and the Poor Law. Students research poor laws and workhouses in Victorian England and identify at least two relevant sources from which to glean information. Volunteers share their findings as well as the sources they used to conduct their research. Students must practice the comprehension strategy of paraphrasing in their own words to reflect the ideas they found during their research. The teacher reminds students that when paraphrasing or directly quoting, they should give proper credit to their sources.

While each unit contains short assignments following individual text choices that provide teachers with opportunities to expand learning with research and inquiry activities, the materials in Units 3 and 4 provide repeated practice for deeper research and inquiry through culminating activities. In Unit 3, groups of students read the academic article Learning Rewires the Brain by Alison Pearce Stevens and create a research report on the characteristics of the article text. The groups assign specific research tasks to each member, develop a plan, and decide on a method of presentation—such as a written text, an oral report, or a multimodal presentation. The Materials contain instructions to paraphrase and not to plagiarize. In Unit 4, the materials provided a culminating research activity with more depth and academic rigor and greater opportunities for student independence. In this unit, students read texts related to learning about nature. The performance task at the end of the whole group study requires students to write a formal research paper. You answer a focused research question on the following broad topic: Specific forms of communication between animals and humans. The materials provide videos and resources to help students understand primary and secondary sources, assess source reliability, cite information, add research details, and add direct citations. Teachers direct students back to Mentor Text and ask them to find items for writing research. The materials also provide the following tools: a questionnaire on audience, purpose and sources; a pre-writing plan with sample research questions and instructions for refining your chosen question; a graphical organizer for merging primary and secondary sources; a guide to evaluating sources; How to write a thesis and create an outline; proofreading and editing; instructions and guidance for establishing coherence; rules for correct citation; and tips for sharing research results with a wider audience, e.g. B. to make copies to share with the class or the community.

In Unit 4, after reading an excerpt fromsilent sourceby Rachel Carson, students write a research paper on the meaning of the text and its impact on the fight against DDT prohibition and the eventual victory of Prohibition. As students ask questions and identify a variety of relevant resources, the materials distinguish between primary and secondary sources: "Primary sources are first-hand accounts of events, such as B. Diaries, letters and newspaper articles. Secondary sources are texts by authors who did not witness the events themselves. They contain stories and biographies.” In addition, the students answer the key question “What is the relationship between humans and nature?”. Writing a research report. Students review primary and secondary sources by reading the definitions. The students write research questions and provide credible sources based on key questions such as "Who published the individual sources?". Students learn to paraphrase using guidelines such as "Make sure your paraphrases reflect the meaning and order of ideas in the original text."

In Unit 5, students read an excerptGrapes of Wrathby John Steinbeck and Complete Inquiry and Research. Students conduct research to learn more about how the novel influenced or inspired films, history, and other literary works. The teacher asks the volunteers to share their insights and sources.

Score for 3.e.1

Score for 3.e.1
The materials contain interrelated activities that expand students' knowledge and provide opportunities for greater independence.

The materials contain interrelated activities that expand students' knowledge and provide opportunities for greater independence. Materials include questions and assignments designed to help students develop and apply knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking and language. The materials contain a coherent series of high-quality, text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas in single texts and across multiple texts. Tasks integrate reading, writing, speaking, listening and thinking; add vocabulary, syntax and fluency components as needed; and offer opportunities for more independence.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

In the Independent Study section of each unit, students practice using greater independence by reading, analyzing and commenting on texts of their own choosing. They use their writing skills to complete a Close Reading Guide, which contains questions that force them to draw conclusions, analyze the text, and analyze the author's syntax and stylistic choices. This activity integrates text-dependent writing with the following prompt: "Choose a paragraph from the text that piques your interest. Explain the power of this passage.” In addition, after reading, students share their independent learning orally with their peers. Their digital notebook offers three sections for them to jot down notes while listening to others share their independent learning. The final activity is a reflection where students review all of their notes, highlight the key lessons learned, and then write about how those lessons contribute to their understanding of the unit's topic.

In Unit 1, students read "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan. Before reading, students practice the comprehension strategy of drawing conclusions so they can apply this strategy as they read. For example, one conclusion they draw as they read is: “Ask students to look at the picture and read the story title, endnote, and first two paragraphs and draw a conclusion about the narrator's mother Students also learn concept vocabulary before reading, review that vocabulary in context as they read, and then answer vocabulary questions after reading. Some vocabulary questions include, but are not limited to, the following: “What other words in the selection are associated with the concept of conflict or struggle? Why would a famous chef think his cooking is beyond reproach?” After reading, students answer the Answer, Comprehension, and Analysis questions. The answer question asks the students to make a personal connection to the text: “What aspects of the story did you find surprising or funny? Explain.” Comprehension questions ask students to recall details from the text and to think about the comprehension strategy of drawing conclusions: “Quote a conclusion you made that helped you understand something about a character that was not mentioned in the text that conclusion?” Analysis questions are high-quality text-dependent questions that require students to use critical thinking to compare and contrast text elements, analyze cause and effect, make inferences, evaluate, and make judgments about the text to fell. For example, a question is: "Do you think the mother really knows and understands the daughter? Explain it." After this series of questions, the students also analyze and interpret the text by doing careful reading to re-read it, analyze it, ask questions and draw conclusions based on their evidence.

In the performance task of Unit 2, students select a selection from the Peer Group Learning section of the unit and write a critique to present to their group. The criticism includes an analysis of a textual element (i.e., character, conflict, setting, theme, etc.), a well-founded claim about the effectiveness of the work, and the correct use of the vocabulary of the content area, particularly literary terms. Students begin by selecting text and then finding the focus. The materials provide sample questions to help students narrow focus, such as, “What details bring the environment to life? How does the language come alive for me as a reader?” The students then develop their statements by re-reading the chosen texts to observe details related to their chosen central question. The students then write a draft of their criticism in the form of a short essay. The guidelines instruct students to leave extra space in the margins for notes that will help them deliver their presentations orally. In addition, professors remind students to use strong, memorable language and accurate vocabulary of content areas to clearly express ideas and defend their point of view. Students use the language guide provided to practice their criticism and strengthen their presentations.

In Unit 5, students read two texts about the Dust Bowl, "Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us The Dust Bowl" by Erin Blakemore and an excerptGrapes of Wrathby John Steinbeck. Skills increase as students recall basic Black Sunday information and apply that knowledge to itGrapes of Wrath.Materials for teachers include suggested discussions to check comprehension such as: “Ask students to use what they learn in Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl and the final grade to explore why people go through their belongings and go after them travel west. After reading, a series of multiple-choice questions will clarify the similarities and differences in each text: "While both texts describe the impact of the Dust Bowl, the authors focus on different aspects to present their points of view. Which answer option best demonstrates the different approaches of the authors?” The students then analyze the texts with open-ended questions: “How does the genre of each text affect the way the author presents historical facts?” Tasks build up and call for greater independence through a timed compare-and-contrast essay: “Examine the similarities and differences in how Steinbeck and Blakemore express their perceptions of the Dust Bowl. In what ways can both genres present truths about historical events?”

Rating for 3.e.2

Rating for 3.e.2
Materials provide spiral and scaffolding exercises.

The materials provide spiral and lattice exercises, including distributed exercises throughout the year. The project includes scaffolds for students to demonstrate the integration of literacy skills that take place throughout the school year.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The materials support distributed practice of skills related to the author's purpose throughout the year. The author's purpose teaching begins in Unit 1 in the context of text choices within the unit, such as: Examples include realistic short stories, feature articles, human interest stories, memoirs, a television interview, and poetry. For example, reading Two Species, an excerpt fromThe club happiness of joyby Amy Tan, the materials explain that the author's goal in realistic short stories is to entertain the reader while providing insights into life or human nature. In this discussion, the teacher clarifies that “human nature” refers to people's general characteristics, feelings, and behaviors. The teacher also helps students connect an author's purpose and a realistic story they know by asking, "What funny story have you read or seen that sounds true?" what was fun What did that reflect in real life?”

In Unit 2, the instructions become more detailed. It includes learning segments on genre/lyrical elements that focus on the author's intent and message in a science fiction fantasy, radio play adaptation, and poetry. Some of the student reading samples include the poem "Science-Fiction Cradlesong" by C.S. Lewis and an excerpt from Jane Goodall's autobiography.My life with chimpanzees🇧🇷 Before reading the text, students study the non-fiction genre of autobiographies and learn about the author's purpose in this genre – to tell the author's life story in a meaningful way. While discussing this purpose, the teacher introduces the students to the idea that the author is not writing about everything that happened in her life; Instead, she focuses on major turning points in her life. Additionally, there are genre/lyric elements in this introductory section that relate to the author's purpose and message, including the four general purposes of writing – to describe, inform, narrate, and persuade. Students learn that an autobiography tells a story—the story of the author's own life—and that the primary purpose of an autobiography is storytelling. By telling his own life story, the author is also expressing insights and sharing a message. Explicit direction in genre/text elements about the author's intent and message continues after reading. In this segment, students review the information taught before and during the reading and engage in an activity that lists brief passages from the text. Students make notes about the author's purpose and message in each passage, discuss how the passages relate, interpret Goodall's "big idea" in each passage, and connect their learning to explain what the autobiography's title tells them about the story Purpose and Message of Goodall Says .

The study of author intent continues in Unit 3 as students read science fiction, informational texts, an argumentative essay, and a reflective essay. Instruction follows the same general order as Unit 2, with information about the author's purpose in introducing each text and more detailed, genre-specific instructions before and after reading a reflective essay.

Unit 4 follows the same structure, discussing the author's purpose before reading a drama, retelling, poem, and reflective essay. however, the author's purpose instruction in this unit is augmented by explicit instruction regarding the author's language and voice in a reflective essay. The teacher explains that an author's voice is often determined by the purpose of the author's writing, and points out that the voice in a reflective essay is likely to be much more informal than in other genres. This activity relates to the author's goal of connecting with readers and creating a sense of shared understanding. Students learn language-related concepts such as diction and syntax and look at examples that illustrate these concepts. Practice rereading passages to identify the author's diction and syntax.

The final unit of material, Unit 5, continues the study of the author's purpose in a memoir, biography, adventure story, historical fiction, and nonfiction novel.

In addition to the distributed exercises and spiral exercises throughout the year, materials provide a framework. For example, the materials in Unit 3 provide a framework when it comes to addressing the complexity of the text. As the students prepare to read "Thanks, M'am" by Langston Hughes, the teacher may use scaffolding based on the student's understanding. The Differentiate for Text Complexity section includes subtopics of these frameworks: Language and Vocabulary Conventions and Ideas and Meaning. For language and vocabulary conventions, lower-performing students who are confused by slang are given guiding questions to help them understand. To understand the different levels of meaning, the grade level performers focus on individual paragraphs in Ideas and Meaning. Teachers instruct students to first relate the events that happened and then reread each paragraph to see how Ms. Jones and Roger are conveying feelings or ideas.

Rating for 5.1

Rating for 5.1
Materials include support for students who demonstrate knowledge above class level.

Materials include supporting students who have class-level literacy skills through student planning and learning opportunities.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The materials clearly identify grade levels and differentiated activities as “Above Level” and are color-coded dark purple, making them easy for teachers to identify when planning and differentiating students who are performing above expectations in literacy. Activities marked with the Above Level label include variety and are not just additional assignments, but opportunities for students to delve deeper into the concepts of the lesson.

In Unit 1, students read "Two Kinds" by Amy Tan, and the materials include differentiated activities for students who demonstrate knowledge above the class level: "If students are ready for more challenges, ask them to work in pairs and do the metaphorical meaning of the last choice theorem". The teacher prompts the students by asking, "How do the two pieces of music reflect the character's experience?" The teacher then asks each pair to write an answer together and present it to the class. When working with the genre and text elements of character, conflict and solution, work is differentiated for the upper school within the actual lesson planning. The teacher has the students identify the third character with another distinct quality, e.g. B. Prudence. The teacher asks, "How could this trait influence your actions and lead to a different solution?" There is a further differentiation in the ability to infer. The teacher explains that the conclusions can build on each other. First, students read again the conclusion drawn in the example graph at the beginning of the lesson (The mother seems ambitious.) Then have students review paragraph 3 and “Based on the details in this paragraph, why might a mother be so ambitious?” 🇧🇷She lost everything before she came to America and is desperately trying to make things better.) In preparation for reading "The Case of the Disappearing Words" by Alice Andre-Clark, differentiation beyond level offers students the opportunity to select enriching activities based on personal interest. Students interested in world cultures research and present selection cultures. Students interested in technology research presenting information on language learning applications.

In unit 3,A Christmas song,Act 1, a drama based on the Charles Dickens novel, has college students create new stage directions to change the mood of the play. Students can playfully make the characters talk or switch roles between Kate and Peg.

In unit 4 when reading an excerpt fromsilent sourceby Rachel Carson, the materials provide students with an opportunity to discuss the images in the text and the mood the images create. Above-average performers rewrite the passage to create a lighthearted, uplifting mood or an exciting, electric mood.

In Unit 5, before reading Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl, by Erin Blakemore, students review the photo, caption, endnote, and first three paragraphs, pausing to review two or three details write that address their purpose for reading the historical text. Students who are above the grade level return to these notes after reading and rate how well the selection met the objective. Another high school activity instructs students to research famous figures associated with this era, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt or Hugh Bennett, Director of the Soil Erosion Service. The students also read an excerptGrapes of Wrathby John Steinbeck. Pupils who are above their grade level during this time put themselves in the shoes of migrant workers and explain why they may have spoken with urgency and desperation. They also talk about the economic forces that caused them to abandon their homes and possessions.

Rating for 5.2

Rating for 5.2
Materials include support for students who are below grade level to ensure they meet grade level literacy standards.

Materials include supporting students who demonstrate lower-than-expected literacy skills through planning and student learning opportunities.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The materials clearly label the sub-grade brackets and differentiated activities as “below grade” and code them light green so that teachers can easily identify them when planning and differentiating students who have below-average literacy skills. Activities provide differentiation below the before, during, and after reading levels, as well as a framework for writing activities.

In Unit 1, students read Amy Tan's excerpt "Two Kinds." For students demonstrating below class level proficiency, the teacher will identify and preteach unfamiliar words. The materials provide examples of content-based words and academic vocabulary that students may find difficult to understand. Students create a bank of definitions to use as they read the choices. As you read, the materials provide a comprehension strategy that helps you draw conclusions. The teacher guides the students to draw a conclusion by drawing attention to the first sentence of the story and asking, “Do you think what the mother believes is true? Why or why not? If the narrator's mother believes this to be true, what kind of person is she likely to be? Later in class, students who are having trouble identifying relevant details read a smaller portion of the text and repeat what they think the mother is doing and why she is doing it. Teachers guide students demonstrating below-grade knowledge to recognize that they are making a conclusion about the character based on new details from the paragraphs they just read and details they already know about the character .

In Unit 2, prior to reading The Last Dog by Katherine Paterson, students demonstrating below-grade knowledge research text references to characters in classic children's novels. The teacher asks the students to use their notes while reading to connect the main characters of The Last Dog and those of classic novels.

In Unit 3, students will read an excerpt from the famous novel by Charles Dickens,A Christmas song🇧🇷 Students demonstrating proficiency below grade level may have difficulty understanding the implication that the main character changes, and so use a graphical organizer to keep track of what the character does, says, and feels. For each entry they answer the questionwhy🇧🇷 After reading, students write a short story about a character who had a significant life experience. They craft their story to answer this question, "Is your character really changing?" The materials provide story starters for students who are struggling to get started: “_________ lived in _________ and has always been _______ you may be wondering if he/she might change. Then one day..."

In Unit 4, the teacher helps students with vocabulary development and understanding below grade level as they read the poem "Turtle Watchers" by Linda Hogan. While other students use a dictionary to find the meaning of lineage and ancestry and then describe the relationship between the two words, lower-level differentiation requires the teacher to write the definitions on the board and guide the students to identify their relationships to understand.

In Unit 5, Erin Blakemore's historical selection, Black Sunday: The Storm That Brought Us the Dust Bowl, focuses first on students with low-level vocabulary skills. The teachers ask the students to familiarize themselves with iterosion, drought, nature conservation, migration,eEconomic crisis.Students will create a database of definitions to aid in reading the choices and eliminate misunderstandings.

Rating for 5.3

Rating for 5.3
Materials include support for English Language (EL) learners to meet classroom-level learning expectations.

Materials include support for English Learners (ELs) to meet classroom-level learning expectations. Materials include linguistic accommodations compatible with different levels of English proficiency as defined in ELPs and provide scaffolding. The materials encourage the strategic use of students' first language as a vehicle for linguistic, affective, cognitive and academic development of English, and develop vocabulary in the context of connected discourse.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The materials communicate, organize, and accommodate frameworks for ELs at different levels (beginner, intermediate, intermediate, and advanced) as defined by the ELs. Shelters and scaffolding are included in the Teacher's Edition before, during, and after each text selection. The materials offer different frameworks, such as e.g. B. Spanish translations and summaries, photos and other language support. Mentor text and some unit text have a selection summary available in audio in Spanish. Students listen to the Spanish summary before reading to help them build foundational knowledge and provide context for their learning. Some selected full texts are available in Spanish as downloadable and printable PDFs. The Texas ELPS Toolkit provides additional support to help teachers structure lessons and support EL students. The toolkit contains 45 lessons that correspond to each of the 45 English proficiency standards. These lessons take place in five areas: learning strategies, listening, speaking, reading and writing. Each lesson consists of four to five sub-sections or mini-lessons. The toolkit helps teachers choose the mini-lessons students need. The materials provide additional practice at the end of the mini-lessons, with Blackline Masters providing differentiated activities for the different levels of EL students that correspond to the skills taught. The electronic platform for the materials contains both English and Spanish versions of the video selections and Spanish translations of many text selections. Additionally, an electronic glossary is available in the electronic student edition to help students with unfamiliar vocabulary.

In Unit 2, EL's differentiated teaching supports in Ray Bradbury's Dark Were They and Eyes of Gold focus on linguistic features such as words with multiple meanings, similar-sounding words and phrases. An additional EL formation strategy for this text helps students recognize different sentence patterns (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) and build sentences using the different patterns. Teachers give beginners simple sentences and a list of compound words that they can combine into new sentences. Middle school students review example sentences and identify dependent and independent sentences. Intermediate students work in pairs to develop the activity, identify sentence type, and write an original sentence. Intermediate, high-level students work in pairs and write a short paragraph, each using one sentence type.

In Unit 3, students read an excerptA Christmas songby Charles Dickens. Teachers guide ELs to learn new phrases while listening to choices. Each level of ELs receives a different level of placement, with beginner-level students receiving the most guidance and support from the teacher and more advanced-level students receiving the least. For the statement, the ELs create a two-column chart labeled "Expression" and "Meaning". Initial ELs: "Show the expressionFinallyand explain their meaning. Read aloud or play the first sentence of paragraph 1 and ask students to pay attention to the sentence. Then ask them to explain the meaning of the first sentence. Repeat with the expression in Set 3.” Advanced ELs: “Show expressionmade fire🇧🇷 Read the first part of paragraph 1 aloud or play the audio and ask students to pay attention to the sentence. Help them use the context to discover its meaning. Repeat with the expression in Sentence 3.” Advanced ELs: “Play selection audio and pause to allow students to absorb unfamiliar expressions. Ask the pairs to use the context to find the meaning. Provide assistance when needed.” Advanced High ELs: “Play selection audio and have students record unfamiliar expressions. Ask them to use the context or resources to find their meaning.”

In Unit 5, students read "High School Teammates Carry On" by Tom Rinaldi. Adaptations help EL students by teaching new phrases as they listen to paragraphs 38-46. The teacher presents the following expressions:let me break it,put him down,stay clean,uploaded a friend, zcarry a father🇧🇷 The materials provide audio for students to listen to the excerpt 2-3 times. Beginners repeat the passage in accessible language. The teacher explains the meaning of expressions and gives examples. Students draw pictures to show the meaning. Middle school students use help to summarize the passage. The teacher shows the sentencelet me break it🇧🇷 After the teacher reads the sentence aloud, the students describe a situation where someone could use the sentence. Intermediate students work in small groups to listen to the passage and use the context to understand each phrase. Teachers help when needed. Intermediate-intermediate learners listen in pairs and use context and external resources to understand expressions. Students will also read Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl by Erin Blakemore. The text reads: “Congress hearings that brought thatdifficult situationthe region that had beendevastatedby drought". clickdifficult situationedevastatedopens a box showing the glossary definition. Students read the English definition as provided or use the drop-down menu to select Spanish as the language to see the Spanish definition. Additionally, the play icon to the left of the word in this box provides an oral reading of the definition in the language the student chooses.

Rating for 6.1

Rating for 6.1
Materials include assessments and guidance for teachers and administrators to monitor progress, including interpreting and responding to the data generated.

Materials include assessments and guidance for teachers and administrators to monitor progress, including interpreting and responding to the data generated. Formative and summative assessments are aligned with purpose, purpose and TEKS focus. Assessments and assessment information provide sufficient guidance to interpret and respond to student performance, and assessments are linked to regular content to support student learning.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

According to documentTEKS Alignment: Read This First, "All digital assets on Realize, including assessments, are aligned to the breakout level of each TEKS." As students complete online assessments, "Question Analysis" allows teachers to delve deeper into each question and provides resources relevant to additional practice are lined up when the teacher clicks on each TEKS. Additionally, the Class Mastery by Standard report shows each student's mastery of each TEKS, each breakout level, and the resources provided for the practice. The materials also provide teachers with ExamView Assessment software to create custom tests. Teachers can create formative or summative assessments that align with content and provide models for multiple question selection, including the ability to select questions by default so teachers can determine which goals have been met and which goals require more practice. In addition, the materials include "customizable TEKS test benches" for reading, text comparison, proofreading and editing, and writing instructions. Teachers can select questions based on TEKS and gender. Student test score data provides detailed information on breakout TEKS and guidance for responding to student performance.

Formative assessments, including Exit Tickets, Text Selection Tests, and Performance Assignments, help teachers monitor student understanding and make informed instructional decisions. Teachers collect comprehensive data about student learning with these built-in routines and assessments and use that data to monitor and adjust instruction or leverage Reteach and Practice activities. For example, in Unit 2, after reading Dark Was They and Eyes of Gold by Ray Bradbury, students study the setting and imagery and answer questions that analyze the setting and imagery of the story. To assess student progress, the teacher maintains an exit ticket for attitude and figurative language. The materials state that if students need additional practice, they will refer to landscape and figurative language in the supplementary teaching and practice materials. The materials also indicate in the Monitor and Adjust section of the sidebar that when students are having trouble finding examples of figurative language, they "redirect their attention to specific paragraphs in the selection."

The materials also include information on how teachers should respond when students are not meeting grade level expectations. The "Unit Test Answer Key" and "Unit Test Answer Key and Interpretation Guide" provide teachers with the TEKS score, knowledge areas, and what correction pages to use when students are unsuccessful. The materials provide correction pages that are aligned with the evaluated TEKS. For example, if a student fails the test questions on the plot and flashback genre element, the teacher offers correction on the Plot and Flashback Remediation pages. This section provides a brief summary of plot element definitions and then provides the student with practical plotting examples. Administrators can also leverage additional reports and district-level data made available on the platform.

The materials provide a 'test for choice' for most of the text printed in each unit. For example, in Unit 2 there is a selection test for each selection except for the mentor text used in the introduction to the unit, the dramatized version of one of the text selections that the students read, and the video biography used in the Independent learning segment. A ten-question selection test accompanies Ray Bradbury's "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed" at the end of this text study, assessing students' understanding of the selection and acquisition of conceptual vocabulary. Examples of questions for this selection text are: “1. What is Harry Bittering's main emotion in the first half of 'Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed'?" and "6. If a street can be correctly described assubmergedin water which of the followingdevobe true? Base your answer on the meaning ofsubmerged.“

The materials include a two-part unit test for each of the six units. The electronic platform provides "Resources for Teachers" with both parts of the assessment units, including an electronic version that teachers can assign and a printable PDF version. Unit testing is typically performed during the "End of Unit Segment" after the "Performance-Based Assessment" and the "Unit Reflection". Teacher resources include an answer key and interpretation document, and a corrective activity answer key for the unit. The Answers and Interpretation Guides for Part 1 and Part 2 of the Unit Tests begin with a note that the Instructor may wish to allocate the remedial resources identified in the chart provided, and provide navigational instructions for locating the resources on the Realize electronic platform.

Rating for 6.2

Rating for 6.2
Materials include year-long plans and support for teachers to identify student needs and provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a wide variety of students to ensure classroom-level success.

Materials include year-long plans and support for teachers to identify student needs and provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a wide variety of students to ensure classroom-level success. The materials provide teachers with a year-long comprehensive plan to engage students in diverse grouping structures that differentiate students with many learning opportunities. Teacher editing, annotations, and supplemental materials help teachers implement the materials to encourage student learning and monitor student progress.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

Within each unit, the materials provide for the gradual relinquishment of responsibility, the transition from group learning to group learning and finally to independent learning. During the Independent Learning section of material, teachers differentiate for different types of students and advise students on text selection based on student interest and measuring the quantitative and qualitative complexity of texts.

Editing materials for teachers include notes such as explanations, learning objectives, script questions, differentiating instructions, summaries, overviews, insights, teacher tips, expert opinions, pacing suggestions, and instructions on how and when to implement helper features. For example, in Unit 5, before reading "High School Teammates Carry On" by Tom Rinaldi, the materials provide direct and indirect characterization instructions. The Teacher Edition sidebar sets the proof path and provides teachers with a task to give students to check their understanding. The task is differentiated into three levels - below the level, on the level, above the level. Throughout the text, each time the teacher reinforces a comprehension strategy by asking students to answer a question, the materials continue to provide differentiated instruction for students at different levels. Notes also inform the teacher when to monitor and adjust or re-teach and practice. When students are struggling, the teacher can assess their understanding and know what resources to use to support student learning. Each choice also provides differentiation for English learners before reading, during reading and after reading.

Supplemental materials include digital lessons and competency videos that support student learning and "provide interactive feedback to help students master key literacy skills." These digital instructional videos include lessons and exercises in vocabulary, research, writing, grammar and sentence combinations. The literacy videos are collections of videos and tutorials categorized into the following genres: reasoning, information, personal narrative, research work, and short story. The Teacher Edition Notes suggest when these videos should be assigned to students. In addition to interactive videos, the materials include over 140 digital novels with associated lesson plans and tests. In addition, the materials provide several generic graphic organizers to maximize student learning: K-W-L charts, cluster charts, 5W charts, cause-effect maps, etc. The literacy and literature analysis worksheets are organized alphabetically so teachers can easily find practice assignments can be used to reinforce student learning.

Teacher materials describe distinctive instructional tools such as "planning resources, talking points, and instructional strategies [that] provide teachers with suggested frameworks to meet the needs of all students." The materials provide a comprehensive year-long plan for teachers to support students through differentiation, including strategic grouping, review lessons, and individualized practice opportunities. Each choice contains a Differentiate by Text Complexity section, which contains a Text Complexity rubric.

Each unit contains a segment called "Book Club" that focuses on integrating novels into the study of the unit. For example, the materials in Unit 3 describe two novels, a classic calledstar girlby Jerry Spinelli and a contemporary selectiondid not lose sunby Lisa Graff. Each book has a page that contains the genre and lexical level for the text and a summary, a link to the question of essential unit, and a section called Compare Across Text that links each novel to the choices taught in the unit. The materials provide flexible implementation and pacing guidelines that explain how the book club can be used and tracked to supplement the unit, replace unit choices, or augment independent learning. In addition, the teacher guide links to the book club guidelines that can be downloaded from the digital platform, including Starting the Book Club, Author and Background Information, Reading Comprehension Strategies, and TEKS-related questions and projects as a list with three optional unity-themed novels for teachers to teach.

Rating for 6.3

Rating for 6.3
Materials include implementation support for teachers and administrators.

Materials include implementation support for teachers and administrators. Materials include a TEKS-aligned scope and TEKS-aligned sequencing, including a school year of literacy instruction in the order in which they are presented and how they connect across grade levels. The materials contain additional supports to help administrators to support teachers in the implementation of the materials as intended.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

The beginning of each unit includes a TEKS-aligned scope and sequence document entitled Unit at a Glance. This scope and sequencing outlines the unit's content, suggested pacing, lexical levels of texts and TECs that correlate with the instructions of each unit component, making it a reference for lesson planning. The scope and sequencing includes five categories: introductory, whole-class learning, peer-group learning, independent learning, and end-of-unit learning that includes assessments or surveys. The TEKS in the unit fall into categories: comprehension strategies, vocabulary, literary/textual elements, craft/authoring conventions, and composition/research/speaking and listening. The materials also include a "TEKS Correlation Guide" that lists all TEKS and "shows points where targeted standard instruction is provided in the student edition." The Teacher's Edition contains a list of seventh grade English TEKS that connect TEKS to assignments and activities that cover those goals. The materials also include a document called TEKS Correlation that provides teachers with a breakdown of goals and page numbers of activities covering those specific goals. Teachers have access to daily pace guides, ratings, page counts, and resources in one place. Additionally, the K-8 Vertical Alignment document shows how knowledge and skills develop and connect across levels of education, with each TEKS coded I for Initiated, for Continued, M for Mastery, and Preserved becomes.

The digital platform includes professional development tutorials and platform training tutorials to help teachers implement the materials. It also includes a "Realize Digital Walkthrough" to help teachers use the online edition and online components of the program. Additional supports include customizable lesson plans and rubrics, live chat options to speak with a training expert online, webinars, an introductory component that provides an overview of the program and its content, and a help tool that allows teachers to search for topics. The Teacher Edition features scripted questions, sidebar instructions, and expert opinions and suggestions.

The materials provide an easy-to-understand pace guide that includes suggested timelines for teaching the unit as a whole and more specific timelines for teaching each segment of the unit. For example, the materials in Unit 3 show that the whole-class learning segment takes approximately 16 days to teach (but the number of dates allocated equals 19), with two days dedicated to the introduction to whole-class learning , four days for the first text selection,A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley,Akt I nach dem Roman von Charles Dickens, Six Days to Second Text SelectionA Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley,Act II based on the novel by Charles Dickens, set aside for three days to move outA Christmas carl by Charles Dickens and four days for the performance task. At the bottom of the pages beginning each instructional segment, a packing plan displays this information again. The stimulation guides provided in each unit range from 33 to 38 days depending on the unit, and the primary lesson plan is designed around a 180-day schedule. For example, the materials in Unit 1 suggest two days for the introduction, 14 days for the integral learning segment, 16 days for the peer group learning segment, two days for the independent learning segment, and three days for the end of the unit, for a total of 37 Days spent in Unit 1. However, teachers are encouraged to use their judgment when planning lessons to meet their individual classroom needs. Materials are customizable to meet district or classroom needs. With flexible pacing and suggested implementations, optional book club guidelines are provided in each unit and can be used to extend instruction across a 220-day schedule. For example, Unit 1 describes two specific novels related to the question of essential unity. Guidance is provided on how the book club selections can be compared to the texts in the regular unit manuals. In addition, the materials list three other novels that are aligned with the theme of the unit for the teacher to teach. In addition, the materials offer "Book Club Guides" that provide "Starting Your Book Club," "Author and Background Information," "Reading Comprehension Strategies," and TEKS-related questions and projects for both recommended novels.

Administrators have access to the "Professional Development Center". Admins also have access to admin-level district data and reports to stay current on classroom, campus, and district progress.

Rating for 6.4

Rating for 6.4
The visual design of the Student Edition (both print and digital) is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The visual design of the student edition is neither distracting nor chaotic. Materials include appropriate use of white space, design, images, and graphics that support student learning and engagement without causing visual distraction.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

Materials provide ample white space to minimize distractions with appropriate font size. The overall structure of the materials is consistent from unit to unit and from grade level to grade level. For example, in the point-of-use materials there is a selection overview for each text or video asset. This selection summary is printed on a notebook paper-like background with consistent headings throughout. Sections and selections within the unit are color-coded, making it easy to navigate through materials. For example, the headings for the Whole Class Learning section are green; Titles related to “Peer-Group Learning” are blue; Titles related to "Self-directed Learning" are purple. “Performance Tasks” and “Performance Reviews” are coded orange. Throughout the text selection, vocabulary is shown in bold and blue for easy identification. The student edition includes marginal notes that enhance student learning.

The visual design is attractive and appealing. Images and graphics accompany each text selection, are easily recognizable by students, and correlate with the text to improve student understanding. Images, graphics, and videos help students understand text and concepts by providing visual support. The texts are preceded by the photos of the authors, the title page of the selection contains a corresponding picture. For example, in Unit 2, students read Ray Bradbury's short story Dark They Were and Golden-Eyed. The Selection Guide includes a thumbnail of the image on the first page of text and above. Through this sci-fi fantasy and an audio play adaptation of the same story, students will learn to compare genres. The About the Author section preceding the reading includes a photograph of Ray Bradbury. A large photo of the house that was in the miniature is at the top of the first page of the text, a photo of a meadow of purple flowers is in the text that illustrates the changes that occur in the story and at the end of the story there is a photo of a young woman with golden eyes.

Rating for 6.5

Rating for 6.5
If present, included technology components are appropriate for students in their grade level and provide learning support.

Materials include class-appropriate technology components that support rather than distract from learning, and appropriate teacher guidance.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to:

All student and teacher editions exist in digital and printed form. The technological components exist in the digital platform "Realize". Materials are appropriate for grade level and engage students with appropriate videos, images, and graphics. The Materials provide teachers with appropriate and sufficient guidance on using technology with students through a "Help for This Page" icon, program training, technical support, and optional chat sessions with a training specialist when needed. There are also on-demand "virtual workshops" that allow teachers to view videos to help them navigate the online system. The unit's downloadable modules and lessons follow a logical sequence for easy use. Students can annotate text selections, as well as annotate and highlight text as they read. Students can convert the digital platform to plain text with a double-click and zoom in and out on materials. Glossary terms are defined in both English and Spanish. All units can be made available as downloadable content for offline users.

The materials provide guidance for teachers and appropriate components to support distance learning. The "Distance Learning Support Overview" introduces educators to the features available on the digital platform and guides them on how to start the school year in the distance learning format, including guidelines for accessing readiness assessments, analyzing test results at the beginning of the year, and resources to support distance learning, including distance learning videos and the myPerspectives Distance Learning Guide. This document also explains that teachers can access the distance learning resource with a literal push of a button (an on/off button) on the digital platform. Distance Learning Guide provides all the information teachers need to start using digital resources with their students. Topics covered in this guide include an overview of digital resources, lesson planning resources, using the discussion forum, Google Classroom, allowing students to edit interactively, suggested paces, and more.

Rating for 7.1

Rating for 7.1
Technology Specifications

Information not available.

Rating for 7.2

Rating for 7.2
Pricing Information

Information not available.

Rating for 7.3

Rating for 7.3
Professional learning opportunities

Information not available.

Rating for 7.4

Rating for 7.4
Additional language support

Information not available.