myPerspectives Texas English Language Arts - Grade 7 (2024)

Evaluation for 2.1

Evaluation for 2.1
Materials include high-quality texts for ELAR instruction and cover a range of student interests.

The materials include high-quality texts for ELAR instruction, which represent the quality of content, language, and writing that experts in various disciplines produce. The texts cover a range of student interests and include increasingly complex traditional, contemporary, classical, and multiculturally diverse texts.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Unit 1 includes multiculturally diverse poetry such as “Abuelita Magic” by Pat Mora, “Mother to Son” by Langston Hughes, and “To James” by Frank Horne. The materials provide increasingly complex thematic units. For example, this first unit contains text selections focused on the theme of Crossing Generations and features texts such as “Two Kinds” by the acclaimed multicultural writer Amy Tan. In this short story, students can easily connect with the young protagonist facing pressure to be great from her immigrant mother.

Unit 2 contains acclaimed author Ray Bradbury’s science-fiction fantasy “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed,” with its radio-play adaption for students to compare the story across mediums. The high-interest science-fiction texts included in the unit engage students with settings that feature imaginary elements, while the nonfiction texts explore high-interest topics such as space and potential life on Mars.

Unit 3 includes various diverse and engaging contemporary and classical texts, such as an excerpt from the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, with a media connection to the movie Scrooge. 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 the traditional fable by Leo Tolstoy, “The Grandfather and His Little Grandson.” This unit includes selections thematically linked to the more abstract theme of Transformation, centering around the essential question: “Can people really change?” The unit begins with an excerpt from the classic story A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens and offers the realistic short story “Thank You, Ma’am” by Langston Hughes. These texts offer characters who undergo major changes. However, those changes are subtle or experientially distant from most seventh graders, requiring more complex thought and understanding.

Unit 4 contains an excerpt from the contemporary essay Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, an expert in zoology whose writing has raised awareness about human effects on the environment. The unit also contains an excerpt from the contemporary My Side of the Mountain written by the award-winning novelist Jean Craighead George. In this high-interest story, the young protagonist runs away to live alone in the Catskill Mountains.

Unit 5 includes the contemporary nonfiction text Black Sunday: The Story That Gave Us the Dust Bowl by Erin Blakemore, in which the author gives a dramatic account of one of the worst dust storms in United States history. The author gives detailed information on the dust bowl and recounts the storm’s impact on the affected farmers and families. This nonfiction selection pairs with an excerpt from the classic fiction text The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. The fiction story describes ordinary families during the dust bowl and the Great Depression. They are preparing to leave their farms in Oklahoma to try to make new lives in California. The excerpt vividly conveys the heartbreak the families experience because they can only take the belongings they can fit into a pickup truck as they try to sell the possessions they have lived with and treasured during their lives. This unit includes increasingly complex texts about facing adversity. The unit requires students to connect texts and genres related to the same topic—the Great Depression. The vivid pictures and detailed descriptions offer high-quality content, language, and writing that optimize student understanding as they struggle with the theme of “How do we overcome obstacles?”

In Unit 5, students also read one of five provided texts related to facing adversity. One selection is “Four Skinny Trees,” a multicultural excerpt from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros. Cisneros, who has won several awards for her poetry and short stories, modeled the book after her own experiences and writes in a series of vignettes about a young Latina girl growing up in Chicago who comes to terms with who she is and who she wants to be. Additionally, the unit contains a contemporary journalism piece called “The Girl Who Fell From the Sky” by Juliane Koepcke. In this selection, Koepcke recalls being stranded deep within the Amazon rainforest as the sole survivor of a plane crash in 1972. The unit also includes a multiculturally diverse biography selection by the BBC. The selection focuses on Malala Yousafzai, who, at age 17, gained national attention for her anonymous diary about life under Taliban rule in northwest Pakistan. Yousafzai, shot in the head by the militants in Pakistan, is the youngest person to earn the Nobel Peace Prize for her work to promote all children’s right to an education. The materials also include a multiculturally diverse memoir Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai on the African Savanna by Joseph Lemasolai Lekuton. He describes the hardships he faced to get an education. Materials also include the classic short story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” from The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling.

Evaluation for 2.2

Evaluation for 2.2
Materials include a variety of text types and genres across content that meet the requirements of the TEKS for each grade level.

The materials include various text types and genres across content that meet the TEKS requirements. The materials also include print and graphic features of a variety of texts.

Examples of literary texts include but are not limited to:

• “Two Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan (realistic fiction)
• Excerpt from Mom & Me & Mom by Maya Angelou (memoir)
• “An Hour With Abuelo” by Judith Ortiz Cofer (realistic fiction)
• “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury (science fiction fantasy)
• “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury and Michael McDonaghue (radio play)
• “Science Fiction Cradlesong” by C.S. Lewis (lyric poem)
• “How Music Came to the World” by Dianne De Las Casas (myth)
• “Jaguar” by Fransisco X. Alarcón (poem)
• “The Sparrow” by Paul Laurence Dunbar (poem)
• Excerpt from My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (Adventure Story)
• “The Grandfather and His Little Grandson” by Leo Tolstoy (fable)
• “Hey—y, Come On Ou—t!” by Shinichi Hoshi, translated by Stanleigh Jones (magical realism)

Examples of informational texts include but are not limited to:

• “The Case of the Disappearing Words: Saving the World’s Endangered Languages” by Alice Andre Clark (feature article)
• “Tutors Teach Seniors New High-Tech Tricks” by Jennifer Ludden (human interest story/ news article)
• “‘Gotcha Day’ Isn’t a Cause for Celebration” by Sophie Johnson (opinion piece)
• “Mars Can Wait. Oceans Can’t.” by Amitai Etzioni (nonfiction/ persuasive)
• “Future of Space Exploration Could See Humans on Mars, Alien Planets” by Nola Taylor Redd (news article)
• “Creature Comforts: Three Biology-Based Tips for Builders” by Mary Beth Cox (science feature)
• “A Young Tinkerer Builds a Windmill, Electrifying a Nation” by Sarah Childress (feature article)
• “Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore (historical text)

Examples of print and graphic features include but are not limited to:

Unit 1 provides an image gallery entitled “Mother-Daughter Drawings” by Mica and Myla Hendricks. The photos, illustrations, and accompanying text form a mother’s narrative teaching her daughter to draw, revealing a touching story of creativity shared between the two generations.

Unit 2 contains accompanying photos, illustrations, and graphics that support the core texts and student understanding. The unit’s focus is “Imagining the Future,” and the selections about space exploration include vivid photos of space shuttles, astronauts, the night sky, and the moon.

Unit 4 explores the topic of nature through a variety of texts with accompanying photos, illustrations, and graphics. Additionally, the unit includes the photo gallery “Urban Farming Is Growing a Greener Future” by Hillary Schwei that introduces students to urban farming concepts through a series of vivid photos with descriptive captions. The photos include descriptive captions to provide information to students and teachers.

Evaluation for 2.3

Evaluation for 2.3
Texts are appropriately challenging and are at an appropriate level of complexity to support students at their grade level.

The materials include texts that are appropriately challenging and are at an appropriate level of complexity to support students at their grade level. The publisher provides a text-complexity analysis showing the texts are at the appropriate quantitative levels and qualitative features for the grade level.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The publisher includes a text-complexity analysis at the beginning of each text throughout the materials. The analysis includes quantitative measures: Lexile level and text length. According to the “Text Complexity Rubric,” the analysis also includes qualitative measures in the following areas: Content Knowledge Demands, Text and Sentence Structure, Language Conventions and Vocabulary, and Ideas and Meaning. Each area is ranked from 1–5, with one being the least complex and five being the most complex. Each area also includes a rationale for the text’s qualitative ranking. While the Lexile levels increase as the units progress, the materials provide a range in each unit that allows for various proficiency levels. Because of the diverse Lexile levels, text lengths, and qualitative complexities, the materials are appropriate for all learners in grade 7.

In Unit 1, students read the feature article “The Case of the Disappearing Words” by Alice Andre-Clark. According to the text complexity analysis, this selection has a Lexile Level of 1130L and contains 1209 words. The Text and Sentence Structure rates a three because the feature article’s organization is clear; the connections between ideas are clear; each paragraph delivers detailed information. Content Knowledge Demands scores a four because the selection relies on discipline-specific knowledge of topics, including languages and world cultures. The Conventions and Vocabulary measure scores a four because, although the language is fairly accessible, it does include words and phrases from other languages; the vocabulary is subject-specific. Some sentences are complex with multiple clauses.

Unit 2 has a range of grade-level texts with Lexile levels that range from 490L to 1400L. For example, “Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed” by Ray Bradbury has a Lexile of 490, the excerpt from “Packing for Mars” by Mary Roach has a Lexile of 1020, and “Mars Can Wait. Oceans Can’t” by Amitai Etzioni has a Lexile of 1400. The Ideas and Meaning rates a four on the Text Complexity Rubric because the text contains multiple layers of meaning. The text scores a three for Language Conventions and Vocabulary because the language is not contemporary and includes some complex sentences and descriptive and figurative phrases.

Unit 4 includes various grade-level texts with Lexile levels that range from 600–1080. For example, the myth “How Grandmother Spider Stole the Sun” by Michael J. Caduto and Joseph Bruchac has a Lexile of 600. The mentor text “Rethinking the Wild,” with the author not provided in the materials, has a Lexile of 980. An excerpt from Of Wolves and Men by Barry Lopez is 1010L, and an excerpt from “Silent Spring” is Rachel Carson 1080L.

In Unit 5, the Lexile levels range from 600L to 1330L. The text “Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore has a Lexile level of 1060L with a Text Length of 596. Regarding qualitative measures, the complexity analysis describes the Content Knowledge Demands: “Selection relies on some background knowledge of the Great Depression and its effects.” The Text and Sentence Structure description is: “Essay organization is generally clear. Connections between important ideas are stated explicitly. Many sentences contain direct quotations, statistics, and descriptive details.” The Language Conventions and Vocabulary are: “Language is fairly straightforward. On-page support and context clues clarify subject-specific and concept vocabulary. Precise word choice helps clarify complex sentences.” The Ideas and Meaning is: “Controlling idea is explicitly stated. Vivid supporting evidence helps make content more accessible to students.”

Evaluation for 3.a.1

Evaluation for 3.a.1
Materials contain questions and tasks that support students in analyzing and integrating knowledge, ideas, themes, and connections within and across texts.

The materials contain questions and tasks that support students in analyzing and integrating knowledge, ideas, topics, themes, and connections within and across texts. Most questions and tasks build conceptual knowledge, are text-specific/dependent, target complex elements of the texts, and integrate multiple TEKS. The questions and tasks require students to make connections to personal experiences, other texts, and the world around them and identify and discuss important big ideas, themes, and details.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

In Unit 1, students focus on the transformative power of love to heal family relationships and the essential question posed at the beginning of the unit “What can one generation learn from another?” as they read the paired selections from Maya Angelou, “Mom & Me & Mom,” a memoir, and the interview “Learning to Love My Mother.” Students respond to interpretation questions such as “What does Angelou learn when she smiles for her mother?” and analytical questions such as “In paragraph 46, the author says, ‘My brother was gone, and he would never come back.’ What do you think she means by this statement?” in the passage “Mom & Me & Mom.” Whereas, the interview “Learning to Love My Mother” asks students to make inferences in the analysis and discussion questions such as, “What does this detail suggest about Vivian Baxter’s personality and the effect she had on her daughter?” and “Why do you think this one message is so important to her?”

In Unit 2, students compare within genres. They read two persuasive nonfiction essays, “Mars Can Wait. Oceans Can’t.” by Amitai Etzioni and an excerpt from Packing for Mars by Mary Roach. After reading both texts, the students compare and contrast by responding to the questions: “What practical benefits does Etzoini think we might gain through ocean exploration? Explain. Does Roach care whether human space exploration has practical benefits? Explain. How might Etzioni react to Roach’s ideas about the value of ‘frivolity’ or ‘play’? Explain. What main benefits does Etzioni see in having robots explore space? Why does Roach feel robotic exploration is not enough?”

In Unit 3, after reading “Thank You, 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-dependent questions that require them to identify and discuss important details from the text. For example, “How do Mrs. Jones and Roger meet?” “What does Roger expect Mrs. Jones to do?” “What does Mrs. Jones do instead?” Finally, students answer questions about the strategy of establishing a purpose for reading, such as “What purpose for reading this story did you set? In what ways did having a purpose affect your reading experience?” Additionally, students answer questions that are text-dependent and require multiple TEKS integration. They then discuss their responses with a group. An example of a question that requires students to cite text evidence and make inferences is the following: “Why does it become important to Roger that Mrs. Jones trusts him?” Students also analyze and discuss what Mrs. Jones means in paragraph 37 when she says, “Everybody’s got something in common.” Students then conclude why Roger cannot speak as he is leaving Mrs. Jones’s apartment. Additionally, students read “A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, Acts I and II,” a dramatic adaptation of the classic novel A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. After reading Act 1, students make personal connections as they answer the question, “In your opinion, what is the meanest thing Scrooge does in Act 1? Explain.” Questions also target complex elements of the text and require students to identify and discuss important big ideas, themes, and details. Examples include, “In Scene 3, why is Marley dragging a chain of cash-boxes and other metal objects? What does the chain suggest about the life Marley lived? Explain. What scenes from his past does Scrooge visit? How did each even in his life contribute to his current attitude and personality? Explain. Why is the past so painful to Scrooge? Cite 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 both myths, students make text-to-text connections about the stories’ big ideas by filling out a chart to identify two themes from each myth and provide text evidence from the stories to support their answers. Then partners discuss whether the themes they identified are implicitly or explicitly conveyed in the myths. Finally, students study their answers and develop a universal theme that both stories share, identifying the evidence in both selections that support this theme. The materials also ask text-specific, multiple-choice questions and short-answer questions that require students to compare and contrast the details and themes from the two selections. For example, one multiple choice question asks why the two myths might represent the sun differently. One short-answer question asks, “What qualities do the animal characters in the sun myth and the spirit characters in the music myth possess that allow them to be successful in their own stories? What do these qualities suggest about the values of the cultures that first told these stories?”

Unit 5 contains TEKS-based reflective questions labeled “Practice Questions” throughout the unit. For example, to prepare students to read and compare across genres, a “Practice Questions” task requires students to identify whether items in a list control ideas or themes and then explain their thinking. After reading “Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore, students answer a “Practice” question that clearly labels text-specific tasks to classify, distinguish, interpret, and connect.

Evaluation for 3.a.2

Evaluation for 3.a.2
Materials contain questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts.

The materials contain questions and tasks that require students to analyze the language, key ideas, details, craft, and structure of individual texts. Questions and tasks support students’ analysis of texts’ literary and textual elements 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 Kinds” from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan and complete a “Close Read” activity. The Close Read supports students in annotating, questioning, and making conclusions. Questions include, “Why might the author have chosen to reveal the contrasting emotions of the narrator?” and “Why might the author have chosen to reveal the contrasting emotions of the narrator?” After reading, students compose a retelling of the story from the mother’s point of view. Further opportunity to analyze text elements occurs through reflection questions such as, “Which words did you specifically choose to bring the mother’s point of view to life?”

In Unit 2, students read “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury. During the “Close Read” activities, students study the authors’ language and choices, analyze the texts’ literary elements, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author's purpose and how the author's choices communicate meaning. For example, in paragraph 2, students mark the things being compared. The materials ask students to look at what is unusual about the comparisons. Students conclude what mood or impression Bradbury created with the comparisons. Later in paragraph 34, students mark details that describe a character’s inner thoughts. The materials ask students to analyze why these thoughts are repetitive and expressed in incomplete sentences. Students conclude what this use of language reveals about the character’s emotional state. In paragraph 41, students mark the examples of descriptive language that the author uses. The materials ask what idea these descriptions suggest about the setting. Students analyze how the author’s language choices build suspense. After reading “Mars Can Wait, Oceans Can’t” by Amitai Etzioni; the teacher engages the students in a Close Read of parts of the text by asking students to: “Discuss why the author refers to famous people and well-known news sources,” and “Discuss the author’s assertion that the argument for sending humans to space involves ‘public relations.’” Then, students work in a group to practice analyzing the essay’s characteristics and structures. The 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. Next, students identify two counterclaims that the author addresses in the essay and explain the author’s reasons and evidence to disprove those opposing views. At the end of this segment, the teacher asks, “What audience do you think the author is trying to reach in this essay? Do they mainly agree or disagree with him? Explain,” and, “Do you think the intended audience would find the author's argument convincing? 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 Text that supports the unit’s common theme to build background knowledge and provide students with a model for their writing later in the unit. As the students read, the teacher reminds them to determine the short story’s purpose and the ideas the author develops. Students write their own short stories about a character who has a significant life experience during the Whole-Group Performance Task. The materials refer back to the Mentor Text and ask students to mark the author’s sensory language and reflect on how it makes the writing interesting. Additionally, during revising, the materials provide an excerpt of the Mentor Text and ask students to analyze specific choices made by the author: “Why did the writer add these descriptive details? Why did the writer replace explanation with dialogue? ”

Unit 4 contains questions that support students' analysis of the author’s point of view. After reading an excerpt from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, students use a chart to distinguish between the subjective and objective points of view and respond to questions such as “Reread the essay, and decide if it is told from the objective the subjective point of view. List evidence from the text that supports your analysis.” Students further study the text’s language to determine how they might modify the language to change the point of view.

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

Evaluation for 3.a.3

Evaluation for 3.a.3
Materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary in and across texts.

The materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary in and across texts, including ways to apply words in appropriate contexts and differentiated vocabulary development for all learners.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The research behind the materials supports “generative vocabulary,” acknowledging that there are too many English words to teach vocabulary in isolation or within word lists without additional instruction. So it presents academic and concept vocabulary with an emphasis on teaching morphemes (roots, suffixes, prefixes), dictionary skills, and vocabulary strategies (e.g., context clues) throughout the units. Each unit begins with introducing five academic vocabulary words common to the specific genre highlighted in that unit. When materials introduce academic vocabulary words at the beginning of each unit, students first study each word and its origin and word parts (i.e., root words). Then students read two mentor sentences for each vocabulary word to study the words in context. Then with a partner, students read each word with their mentor sentences out loud and determine the meaning and usage of each word, using a dictionary if necessary and recording responses in the chart in their textbook. Finally, students list at least two related words for each vocabulary word. In addition, each text within the unit contains “Concept Vocabulary” instruction. The materials introduce the Concept Vocabulary words before text selections. The students engage in a brief vocabulary strategy activity, such as rating their vocabulary knowledge, studying how to employ context clues to determine word meaning, and practicing dictionary skills. As students read the text, the materials provide the definitions of the Concept Vocabulary so students can see the word meaning in and out of context. As well as definitions, the materials often offer vocabulary tips, techniques, strategies, and activities throughout the texts. After reading the text selection, the students participate in various Concept Vocabulary activities that include language study and word study. The materials also provide selection assessments that include questions that check for understanding of the Concept Vocabulary. Students individualize and differentiate their vocabulary learning and development through “Word Networks.” Each unit contains a word network or graphic organizer/concept map with the unit’s thematic topic written in the middle. Students fill out the word network by adding words they feel are related to the topic as they read the texts throughout the unit.

Unit 1 includes multiple opportunities to build academic vocabulary. Each text has glossary terms in the text’s margins, and there is an online audio and Spanish translation component for the glossary. Additionally, this unit includes scaffolding opportunities to support students who struggle with the glossary terms. The Teacher Edition margins provide guidance that suggests “if students are having trouble defining...explain” and additional ways to teach the meaning of the vocabulary words, often suggesting root words and more familiar related words. For example, the word philanthropist breaks down into phil, which means love, and anthrop, which means human being. The academic vocabulary in the unit relates to nonfiction narrative and includes the words dialogue, consequence, perspective, notable, and contradict and each word’s Latin Root -logue-, -sequ-, -spec-, -not-, -dict-. Students practice building knowledge of these words by completing a chart that provides each word and two mentor sentences. First, students read aloud each word, its root, and the mentor sentences. Then, the students determine the meaning and usage of each word using the mentor sentences and a dictionary, if needed. Lastly, students list at least two related words for each word. Additionally, in the images for “Mother-Daughter Drawings” tasks, students learn media vocabulary to support their understanding of the images, including the words composition, light, shadow, and proportion for students to use as they analyze, discuss, and write about the selection. The teacher encourages students to use the terms to describe classroom drawings or paintings.

In Unit 2, the materials provide differentiation in regards to vocabulary instruction. For example, the teacher guides ELs to understand their academic vocabulary. For Beginning ELs, the teacher displays a word, says the word aloud, and asks the student to repeat it. Then the teacher writes a context sentence and repeats this for all of the words. For Intermediate ELs, the teacher displays each word, says the words aloud, and asks students to repeat the words. Then small groups create context sentences that use the academic vocabulary words. For Advanced ELs, the teacher displays the words, the students read the words, and then partners discuss what they mean, confirm ideas with a dictionary, and create context sentences. For Advanced High ELs, the teacher displays the vocabulary words and has students read them aloud. Individuals verify their meanings with a dictionary and write context sentences. Then students share their work in small groups.

In Unit 3, students read A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Teachers point out that the word misanthrope begins with the prefix mis-, which means “badly; unfavorably; lack of.” The teacher gives examples of words with mis- for each meaning (misjudge, misdoubt, mistrust). Students locate other words in the text with the prefix or think of other words they are familiar with that begin with mis-. They try to define the word and use a dictionary to confirm their answers.

The Teacher Edition introduces content-area vocabulary in the vocabulary development section. The words character, conflict, development, dialogue, stage directions, drama, and scene are genre-related words provided to the students. The teacher guides students to explore the connections among these words by discussing questions using the terms. For example, “What is an example of a conflict a character faced in a story you read recently?”

Evaluation for 3.a.4

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

The materials include a clearly defined plan to support and hold students accountable as they engage in independent reading. The procedures and protocols, along with support for teachers, foster independent reading by providing a plan for students to self-select texts and read independently for a sustained period 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 titled “Unit Goals.” One goal is “I can read a selection of my choice independently and make meaningful connections to other texts.” Before beginning the unit, students rate each statement from 1–5 (1 being “Not at all well” to 5 being “Extremely well”) on how well they meet the goal. After completing the unit, they return to their goals, reflect on their growth, and rate themselves again. This goal setting includes a statement for independent reading.

The materials provide support for students to self-select texts and read independently. Students read independently and collect evidence about the unit’s essential theme during each unit’s last section. The teacher encourages students to think about what they have already learned about the unit’s theme and what else they would like to know. Students establish a purpose for their reading, describing three common purposes: read to learn, read to enjoy, read to form a position. The materials then provide a video of independent learning strategies and a chart that lists learning strategies. The materials state: “Throughout your life, in school, in your community, and your career, you will need to rely on yourself to learn and work on your own. Use these strategies to keep your focus as you read independently for sustained periods of time.” Categories for strategies include creating a schedule, taking notes, and reading with a purpose. The materials list some ideas for them, and students can add their ideas under these categories. Teachers advise students to scan and preview the selections they would like to read. Teachers may use the texts’ summaries, insights, and the provided text complexity analyses to make suggestions for students’ choices.

Book Club is a flexible component of the materials. The Teacher Guide provides an overview of two book club suggestions for each unit and a list of additional novels that align with each unit’s theme. Within the overview of the two book club selections for each unit, the Teacher Guide provides the book’s Lexile level, a summary of the selection, and a connection to the unit’s essential connection. It links the book club title with the unit’s main text selections. The materials also provide teacher resources for launching the book club, reviews of author and background information, reading comprehension strategies, and TEKS-aligned questions and projects. The bottom of each Book Club page has a section on Flexible Pacing and Implementation that outlines how to use Book Club as a supplement to the unit, a substitute for Unit selections, or an Independent Learning extension. It provides the recommended pacing for each option.

The materials provide audio, interactive digital texts, and an assessment for each independent learning selection. They provide procedures, routines, and protocols for students to learn independently and then share their learning with their classmates. While reading, students annotate their selections. Afterward, they fill out a “Close-Read Guide” that helps them analyze their selection. The close read tasks ask students to record the title, purpose for reading, and minutes read. It directs students to look at the sections they found interesting to see what they can conclude. It also asks students to “Think about the author’s choices of literary elements, techniques, and structures. Select one and record your thoughts.” Another question asks them to describe their interaction with the digital text and how it affected their reading experience. The guide contains a section for students to perform a Quick Write with the following prompt: “Choose a paragraph from the text that grabbed your interest. Explain the power of this passage.” Additionally, students share their independent learning with classmates after reading.

In Unit 2, one of the book club suggestions is James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl. The Teacher Guide recommends three options for having students read this text for Book Club. One option is to supplement the unit by having students read James and the Giant Peach at home for 20–30 minutes per day to supplement the unit selections and activities. The recommended pacing is one chapter per day. Another option is to have students read James and the Giant Peach in class in place of the Peer-Group Learning selections. Materials refer teachers to the Unit at a Glance as they plan for standards coverage. The recommended pacing for this option is two chapters per day. A third option is to extend Independent Learning by having students read James and the Giant Peach in class and at home in place of the Independent Learning selections. The recommended pacing is four chapters per day, and the materials direct teachers to extend Independent Learning as needed.

In Unit 3, students begin the Independent Learning section by watching a video in the textbook on how to accomplish independent learning strategies. The materials provide independent learning strategies for social-emotional learning, such as creating a schedule where students include how they understand goals and deadlines by making a schedule of what to do each day. Another strategy for students is taking notes. Students record key ideas and information and review their notes before sharing what they have learned with the class.

Evaluation for 3.b.1

Evaluation for 3.b.1
Materials provide support for students to develop composition skills across multiple text types for a variety of purposes and audiences.

The materials provide support for students to develop composition skills across multiple text types for a variety of purposes and audiences. The materials provide students with opportunities to write literary texts to express their ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas; informational texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences 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 provides “Reading and Writing Skills Videos” for multiple genres, including argument, informational, personal narrative, research, and short story writing. These video collections show students the different modes of writing and specific elements and skills that correlate with those modes. For example, the Argumentative Essay collection contains eight videos: Argumentative Essay, Counterclaim and Rebuttal, Structure Including Counterclaim and Rebuttal, Logical Organization, Commas with Nonrestrictive Elements, Rhetorical Devices and Logical Fallacies, Logical Fallacy Overgeneralization, and Logical Fallacy Single Cause. Each video is a few minutes in length, and teachers can show them to the class at once or assign them to students individually 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 important details that help identify the mother’s character traits and motives, present a clear sequence of events, and use narrative techniques such as dialogue and description to convey their thoughts and feelings. After composing the retelling, students reflect on their writing by answering questions such as, “What characteristics of short stories did you use in your writing? Which narrative technique do you think was most effective in portraying the mother’s character?” After reading “The Case of the Disappearing Words” by Alice Andre-Clark, students compose a travel guide. The teacher and students discuss travel guides’ characteristics, identify the countries discussed in the text, and discuss the composition task’s requirements. Next, the students identify and gather relevant information from at least two different types of sources that help them answer the following questions: “Who speaks the language? Why is the language threatened? Are any efforts being made to save it? If so, what are they?”

In Unit 2, students write an editorial where they take a position on the following question: “Is space exploration important?” Students support their position with evidence from the unit’s reading, background knowledge, and observations. Teachers remind students to use the elements of an editorial in their writing.

In Unit 3, the texts relate to the Essential Question “Can people change?” Students write a short story about a character who has a significant life experience. Students shape their story to answer whether their character truly changes. The materials direct them to incorporate a short story’s elements in their writing. The materials describe the purpose, characteristics, and structure of a short story: “well-developed, interesting characters; clearly described setting; a deeper meaning, insight, or theme; an effective narrative point of view; vivid, precise word choices and descriptive details; literary devices and craft, including dialogue; standard English conventions.” Teachers direct partners to reread the Mentor Text for the unit and use it as a short story model. Students take a closer look into the assignment in their digital notebooks by answering questions about purpose, genre, narrative point of view, and structure. The teacher’s materials guide teachers to circulate the room and have Quick Conferences with students, asking them questions such as, “What kind of characters interest you?”

In Unit 5, students write an informational essay in which they respond to the following question: “What does it mean to overcome adversity?” Students support their ideas with details from their reading, background knowledge, and personal observations. Students use the elements of informational essays in their writing and the mentor text “Against the Odds” to enrich their understanding of informational essays. Additionally, students write a feature film proposal after reading the passage “High School Teammates Carry On” by Tom Rinaldi. Students work in partners to state and defend a strong position, describing, in detail, why they think the story would make a great film. Students must have the following elements: logline, character profiles, and defense. The teacher reminds students to use persuasive language for the reader to invest money and time into this project. After reading an excerpt from Silent Spring by 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 a formal letter’s characteristics and structure and encourages students to use an appropriate structure for their letter per their student books’ guidelines.

Evaluation for 3.b.2

Evaluation for 3.b.2
Most written tasks require students to use clear and concise information and well- defended text-supported claims to demonstrate the knowledge gained through analysis and synthesis of texts.

The materials require students to use clear and concise information and well-defended, text-supported claims to demonstrate the knowledge gained through analysis and synthesis of texts. The materials provide opportunities for students to use evidence from texts to support their opinions and claims and demonstrate in writing what they have learned through reading and listening to texts.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials provide consistent opportunities for students to use clear and concise information and well-defended text-supported claims as they fill out their Essential Question (EQ) Notes throughout each unit. The EQ Notes ask students to record their ideas and observations about the texts and their related theme in each unit based on their observations while reading. The materials provide a chart for their EQ notes divided into three columns: ”Title, My Ideas/Observations, Text Evidence.” Students take notes as they read and after reading. At the end of each text, the materials remind students to complete their EQ notes and provide a question to help them focus on the text’s essential theme.

In Unit 1, students read “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan and answer questions such as, “Cite one inference you made that helped you understand something about a character that wasn’t stated in the text. What evidence did you use to make that inference?” After reading the article “The Case of the Disappearing Words: Saving the World’s Endangered Languages” by Alice Andre-Clark, students write in their notebooks as they answer different types of questions requiring specific evidence from the text to support their responses. For example, “What did you find most surprising about this article? Cite a specific passage or detail that led to your response.” Another question is, “Based on the article, what can you conclude is an important part of any effort to save an endangered language? Explain your answer, citing text evidence.” Additional items requiring written responses from students include, “Reread paragraphs 13–14. What key idea is expressed in these paragraphs? Identify examples of two types of evidence that support it” and “In your own words, state the controlling idea of the article. Cite two different types of evidence that support your response. Explain each choice.”

In Unit 2, after reading several texts with the thematic topic of “Imagining the Future,” students write a critique of one of the texts, described as “a detailed analysis and assessment of a literary work.” In the critique, students point out weaknesses and strengths in a text of their choice. They include the following characteristics in their critique: “an analysis of a character, conflict, setting, theme, or another element of the text,” “a well-supported claim about the work’s effectiveness,” and an “accurate use of content-area vocabulary, especially literary terms.” Materials provide guidance on choosing a text, finding a focus for writing, developing a claim, and writing the draft.

In Unit 3, after reading Act I of A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, a drama adapted from Charles Dickens’s novella, students respond to analysis questions in their notebook, using text evidence to support responses. For example, “In Scene 3, why is Marley dragging a chain of cash-boxes and other metal objects?” Students then must infer what the chain suggests about the life Marley lived. Students must return to the text and provide evidence when analyzing the next question: “What scenes from his past does Scrooge visit? How did each event in his life contribute to his current attitude and personality? Explain.” The third question asks, “Why is the past so painful to Scrooge?” and reminds students to “cite details from the text to support your interpretation.” After reading Act II, students complete activities and answer questions that require them to support their responses by citing text evidence. For example, “Consider this possible theme for the story: Anyone can change if he or she decides to do so. Cite at least three details from the play that support this theme. Explain your choices; What theme about happiness does the play express? Explain, citing specific details to support your thinking.”

In Unit 4, students record their observations and thoughts about the essay from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson using the essential question, “What is the relationship between people and nature?” Students analyze what they have learned about the relationship between people and nature using this descriptive essay. Students summarize in an analysis question that states, “State the main idea of paragraph 2 in one sentence. What specific details support this main idea?”

In Unit 5, students explore texts related to the Essential Question, “How do we overcome obstacles?” After reading “Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore, students receive the prompt, “What have you learned about facing adversity from reading this text? Go to your Essential Question Notes and record your observations and thoughts about ‘Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl.’” After reading “High School Teammates Carry On” by Tom Rinaldi, students answer, “What have you learned about facing adversity from reading this text?” At the end of the unit, students have the opportunity to compose an informational essay in response to the Essential Question by using evidence collected from multiple texts in the unit.

Evaluation for 3.b.3

Evaluation for 3.b.3
Over the course of the year, composition convention skills are applied in increasingly complex contexts, with opportunities for students to publish their writing.

Over the year, composition convention skills are applied in increasingly complex contexts, with opportunities for students to publish their writing. The materials facilitate students’ coherent use of the writing process elements to compose multiple texts and provide opportunities for the practice and application of academic language conventions when speaking and writing, including punctuation and grammar. These are taught systematically, both in and out of context. The materials provide editing practice in students’ own writing as the year continues.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

In every unit, students practice the writing process in its entirety during their Whole-Group Learning Performance Task and at the end of each unit during their Performance-Based Assessment.

In Unit 1, students read an excerpt from “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, then practice the application of nouns and pronouns. Students use a chart that includes examples of common nouns, proper nouns, and possessive nouns in “Two Kinds.” Students then read a paragraph and mark the nouns. Students also edit sample sentences and have an opportunity to write original sentences using and identifying nouns and pronouns.

In Unit 3, the texts relate to the Essential Question: “Can people really change?” As their Performance Task after the Whole-Group Learning segment, students write a short story about a character who has a significant life experience. Students shape their story to answer the question of whether their character truly changes. Students incorporate the elements of a short story in their writing. The materials describe the purpose, characteristics, and structure of a short story: “well-developed, interesting characters; clearly described setting; a deeper meaning, insight, or theme; an effective narrative point of view; vivid, precise word choices and descriptive details; literary devices and craft, including dialogue; standard English conventions.” Students take a closer look into the assignment in their digital notebooks by answering questions about purpose, genre, and narrative points of view. The materials provide instructions for Freewriting during the planning phase of drafting. Differentiated instruction scaffolds learning for students who may have trouble getting started by giving sentence frames or having teachers guide them to focus their writing. Another planning page provides a structure for students to organize their ideas under headings such as “Collect Your Ideas,” “Focus on Character and Situation,” and “Plan a Coherent Structure.” Teachers confer with students while planning and help them review examples of characters and conflicts and guide 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,” specifically looking at how the writer uses sensory details and grabs the reader’s attention. The materials provide tips for adding depth of thought while drafting, such as including dialogue. After drafting their essays, students revise for coherence by rereading and ensuring that events flow clearly and related ideas connect logically. At this time, students check for fragments, run-ons, and comma splices that might impede the flow of the paper. Students also add transitions to their paper. The teacher reminds students that the purpose of revising is to strengthen their essay, and the teacher discusses the Mentor Text again and specific choices that the writer made during revision. Students specifically focus on the grade-level editing skills of subject-verb agreement in complex sentences and commas with adjectives during editing. After editing, students publish and present their essays. Directions task students to share their essay with their class or school community in one of the following ways: 1. Print the story and add illustrations and then share with the class. 2. Record themselves giving a dramatic reading of their story, use an app to add sound effects or music, and then upload the reading to the school website.

In Unit 5, students write an informational essay for their Whole Group Learning Performance Task. During the editing process, students learn about comma splices and other types of run-ons. The editing practice relates to the Mentor Text and provides example sentences of run-ons and corrected complex sentences. Teachers walk students through the examples and instruction. Students practice editing three sentences, correcting each run-on or comma splice by creating complex sentences. Students apply this skill while editing their informational essays. Additionally, after reading the passage “A Work in Progress” by Aimee Mullins, the teacher discusses Mullins’ informal grammar use. The teacher guides students to understand the situations in which formal and informal grammar are appropriate. Students work on their own to rewrite each example of informal grammar to follow standard English grammar rules. One example states, “For real, he said that. Wow.” Students' examples reflect formal grammar like, “He said that.” Students then discuss with their groups how these changes impact the text. Students write a paragraph that uses informal language to tell about a funny incident that happened to them or someone they know. Students write as if they are speaking directly to an audience. Then, students exchange paragraphs with a member of their group and rewrite each other's standard English paragraphs.

Evaluation for 3.b.4

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

Evaluation for 3.c.1

Evaluation for 3.c.1
Materials support students’ listening and speaking about texts.

The materials support students’ listening and speaking about texts through opportunities that focus on the texts being studied in class, allowing the demonstration of comprehension. Most oral tasks require students to use clear and concise information and well-defended, text-supported claims to demonstrate knowledge gained through analysis and synthesis of texts.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Unit 2 begins with a “Launch Activity” that includes a four corner debate. Students consider the statement, “The money spent on space missions could be put to better use here on Earth.” Students take a position, form like-minded groups that move to a corner of the room, and ask clarifying questions such as, “What examples from the text or your prior knowledge led you to take this position?” After defending text-supported claims, a representative from each group presents its position. After groups present their claims, students have an opportunity to change their position and move to a new corner.

In Unit 3, students read “Learning Rewires the Brain” by Alison Pearce Stevens. The materials direct students to answer the Analysis and Discussion questions and then share their responses with the group. In these oral discussions, students use text evidence to support their responses. As students share various pieces of text evidence and learning, students synthesize this information to develop their perspective further. The questions are all text-dependent, requiring a sufficient understanding of the text. For example, one question asks students to “cite at least two ways in which information like the research explained in this article might affect people’s lives. Explain your thinking, citing supporting evidence from the article.” Later, in the Close Read activity, students share a passage from the article they found particularly interesting. They discuss what they noticed, questions they have, and their conclusions. Listeners focus on gaining new insight from the discussions.

In Unit 4, after reading “Creature Comforts: Three Biology-Based Tips for Builder” by Mary Beth Cox, students respond to several Analysis and Discussion questions, which require them to analyze, compare and contrast, summarize, and prepare for Close Reading activities. The first question states, “What is the writer’s controlling idea, or thesis? How does her introduction make that idea understandable to nonscientists?” The second question asks, “What are the three biology-based ideas, and how are they similar and different? ” The third question asks students to reread and summarize a section of the article and then analyze the purpose that the section serves. Each question and task that students discuss requires students to use critical thinking skills while analyzing the previously read text. Later, in the Close Read section, students share the passages from the text that they found particularly interesting, discussing what they noticed, what questions they still have, and the conclusions they have reached. These oral discussions require students to use text evidence to support their responses, synthesize information to develop their perspective further, and allow teachers to monitor students’ responses to make sure they are relying on text evidence in support of their points. After reading the mentor text "Rethinking the Wild,“ students research a cross-curricular perspective activity about efforts to help birds. As students research, the teacher asks them to find answers to the questions provided: “Who was involved and where? What birds were they trying to help? What was done? Was the effort successful? Why or why not?” When students finish researching, they share their information with the class and discuss how it relates to the mentor text.

In Unit 5, students participate in a group discussion related to “A Work in Progress” by Amy Tan. Groups analyze one of two provided quotations from the text and discuss the questions, “What does the quotation mean? What happens that causes the author to express these ideas? Do you think it would help society if more people felt this author feels? Why or why not?”

Evaluation for 3.c.2

Evaluation for 3.c.2
Materials engage students in productive teamwork and in student-led discussions, in both formal and informal settings.

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

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

In the “Peer-Group Learning” section of every unit, students work in small groups. Before reading the texts, student groups follow a routine that includes taking a position on a thematic question, listing rules for their group, applying the rules as they discuss their ideas, naming their group, and creating a communication plan. Teachers circulate and remind students to communicate politely. Materials encourage teachers to post the “Accountable Talk” suggestions. These suggestions remind students to ask clarifying questions, explain their thinking, and build on others’ ideas. Materials provide suggested sentence stems and phrases for students to use, such as, “Can you please repeat what you said” and “I think you said.... Did I understand you correctly?”

The digital platform provides six extra digital lessons for speaking and listening: Conversations and Discussions — Level 1, Conversations and Discussions — Level 2, Evaluating Presentations — Level 1, Evaluating Presentations — Level 2, Giving a Presentation — Level 1, Giving a Presentation — Level 2. Each digital lesson provides instruction on listening and speaking skills and practice questions to check for student understanding.

In Unit 1, after reading “Tutors Teach Seniors New High-Tech Tricks” by Jennifer Ludden, students work in groups to share passages from the article that they find most interesting. Protocols include clarification on what to share, such as what they noticed, questions, and conclusions. The materials provide an example of a passage and discussion topics to facilitate further and support student-led discussion. Teacher materials remind students to use Accountable Talk in their discussions. The Peer-Group Learning segment includes guidance and practice with grade-level protocols for discussion. Groups begin by discussing the question, “What kinds of ideas and experiences can young people and adults share?” The guidelines tell students to take turns speaking and work to create an open exchange of ideas by listening to one another carefully and supporting creative thinking. The group then decides on the rules they follow as they work together. The materials provide two sample rules: “Everyone should participate in group discussions. People should not interrupt.”

In Unit 2, students choose a unit selection and write a critique to present to their group. The critique includes an analysis of an element of the text, a well-supported claim about the work’s effectiveness, and proper use of content-area vocabulary, especially literary terms. Students use the provided Speaking Guide to rehearse their critiques and then strengthen their presentation. The Speaking Guide includes Skills (eye contact, speaking rate, volume, enunciation, gestures, and conventions) and tips (Conventions: “Avoid slang, unless you’re using it to make a point. Recognize that this is not 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 previously read: “Turtle Watchers” by Linda Hogan, “Jaguar” by Francisco X. Alarcón, and “The Sparrow” by Paul Laurence Dunbar. Groups decide to do a dramatic reading or a multimedia presentation. Students plan, assign roles, and use a graphic organizer to collect ideas. After rehearsing, students present their oral reading to the class and invite comments and feedback. Listeners evaluate performances and provide respectful feedback. Additionally, students work in a group to discuss the question, “What is our relationship with the natural world?” Materials provide protocols such as, “as you take turns sharing your positions, be sure to provide examples that support your ideas.” Groups practice productive teamwork by listing group rules, applying the rules throughout the process, naming the group, and creating a communication plan. Teacher materials include guidance on forming groups such as, “you may wish to form groups for Peer-Group Learning so that each consists of students with different learning abilities.”

In Unit 5, students read from The Story of My Life by Helen Keller and watch a scene from The Miracle Worker’s film adaptation. Students work in groups to write and critique the autobiography or film. The materials provide grade-level protocols, including guidance, tips, and examples for planning, drafting, rehearsing, and presenting the critique. Students learn to use conventions effectively. The materials include such guidance as, “When you are the presenter, ask for feedback about the ideas you shared. When you are the listener, ask for more information or clarifications.” Teacher materials include reminders such as, “remind students that before they can critique a work, they must become very familiar with it.”

Evaluation for 3.d.1

Evaluation for 3.d.1
Materials engage students in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes to confront and analyze various aspects of a topic using relevant sources.

The materials engage students in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry processes to confront and analyze various aspects of a topic using relevant sources. The materials support the identification and summary of high-quality primary and secondary sources and student practice in organizing and presenting their ideas and information in accordance with the purpose of the research and the appropriate grade level audience.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The Digital Platform includes a folder with lessons and videos with instructions on research. Instruction ranges from “Integrating Quotations, Citations, and Visuals” to “Sources and Evidence.” The lesson on “Sources and Evidence” thoroughly defines primary and secondary sources and gives a list of examples of each type. The lesson also offers guidance on criteria for evaluating sources and offers examples of good sources and suspicious sources. Students learn how to evaluate if a source is relevant, up-to-date, qualified, and credible. The digital lessons also offer checks for student understanding.

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 experiencing threats to its language. Students gather and synthesize information from at least two different types of sources. Materials include tips such as, “When you synthesize, you include information from more than one source in order to arrive at your own insight.” Students synthesize information by answering questions such as, “Why is the language threatened?”

In Unit 3, after reading A Christmas Carol: Scrooge & Marley Act 1 by Charles Dickens, students participate in an inquiry and research extension. In Act 1 Scene 2, Scrooge refers to workhouses and the poor law. Students research the poor law and workhouses in Victorian England and identify at least two relevant sources to gather information. Volunteers share their findings, as well as the sources with which they conducted their research. Students need to practice the comprehension strategy of paraphrasing by using their own words to restate ideas they encountered during research. The teacher reminds students that when they are paraphrasing or quoting directly, they must give their sources proper credit.

Although every unit contains small tasks after individual text selections that offer teachers opportunities to extend the learning with research and inquiry activities, Units 3 and 4 materials offer repeated practice for more in-depth research and inquiry through culminating activities. In Unit 3, student groups read the science article “Learning Rewires the Brain” by Alison Pearce Stevens and prepare a research report related to the article’s text features. Groups assign each member to specific research tasks, develop a plan, and decide on a presentation method—as a written text, an oral report, or a multimodal presentation. The materials provide instruction on how to paraphrase and not plagiarize. In Unit 4, the materials offered a culminating research activity with more depth and academic rigor and increased student independence opportunity. In this unit, students read texts related to learning from nature. The Performance Task at the end of Whole Group Learning requires individual students to write a formal research paper. They answer a focused research question about the following broad topic: specific ways animals and people communicate. Materials provide videos and resources to help students understand primary and secondary sources, evaluate sources for reliability, cite information, add details from research, and add direct quotes. Teachers direct students back to the Mentor Text and ask them to find elements of research writing. The materials also provide the following supports: a questionnaire about the audience, purpose, and sources; a prewriting plan with sample research questions and instructions for refining their chosen question; a graphic organizer for gathering primary and secondary sources; a guide for evaluating sources; instructions for writing a thesis and making an outline; revising and editing instruction; instructions and guidance on creating coherence; rules for proper citation; and tips for sharing research with a broader audience, such as making copies to share with the class or community.

In Unit 4, after reading an excerpt from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, students write a research report about the importance of the text and its impact on the struggle to ban DDT and the ban’s eventual victory. As students generate questions and identify a variety of relevant resources, the materials differentiate between primary and secondary sources: “Primary sources are firsthand accounts of events, such as diaries, letters, and newspaper articles. Secondary sources are texts written by writers who did not witness events firsthand. They include histories and biographies.” Additionally, students respond to the Essential Question “What is the relationship between people and nature?” by writing a research report. Students review primary and secondary sources by reading definitions. Students write research questions and provide reliable sources using guiding questions such as, “Who published each source?” Students learn to paraphrase with directives such as, “Make sure your paraphrases reflect the meaning and order of ideas of the original text.”

In Unit 5, students read an excerpt of The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and complete inquiry and research. Students research to learn more about how the novel influenced or inspired films, historical writing, and other literary works. The teacher asks volunteers to share their findings and sources.

Evaluation for 3.e.1

Evaluation for 3.e.1
Materials contain interconnected tasks that build student knowledge and provide opportunities for increased independence.

The materials contain interconnected tasks that build student knowledge and provide opportunities for increased independence. Materials include questions and tasks designed to help students build and apply knowledge and skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening, thinking, and language. Materials contain a coherently sequenced set of high-quality, text-dependent questions and tasks that require students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within individual texts as well as across multiple texts. The tasks integrate reading, writing, speaking, listening, and thinking; include components of vocabulary, syntax, and fluency, as needed; and provide opportunities for increased independence.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

In the Independent Learning section of all units, students practice using increased independence by reading a self-selected text that they analyze and annotate. They use writing skills to fill out a “Close-Read Guide” containing questions requiring 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 grabbed your interest. Explain the power of this passage.” Additionally, students verbally share their independent learning with classmates after reading. Their digital notebook provides three sections for them to record notes in as they listen to others share from their independent learning. The last task is a reflection in which students review all of their notes, mark the most important insight they have gained, and then write about how that insight adds to their understanding of the unit’s theme.

In Unit 1, students read “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan. Before reading, students practice the comprehension strategy of making inferences so they can apply this strategy as they read. For example, one inference that they make while reading is the following: “Have students view the image and read the title of the short story, the Background note, and the first two paragraphs and make an inference about the narrator’s mother.” Students also learn Concept Vocabulary before reading, review this vocabulary in context as they read, and then answer questions about the vocabulary after reading. Some vocabulary questions include but are not limited to the following: “What other words in the selection connect to the concept of conflict, or struggle? Why might a famous chef feel that his or her cooking is beyond reproach?” After reading, students answer Response, Comprehension, and Analysis questions. The response question asks students to make a personal connection to the text: “What aspects of the story did you find surprising or funny? Explain.” The Comprehension questions require students to recall details from the text and reflect on the comprehension strategy of making inferences: “Cite one inference you made that helped you understand something about a character that wasn’t stated in the text. What evidence did you use to make that inference?” The analysis questions are high-quality, text-dependent questions requiring students to use critical thinking skills to compare and contrast textual elements, analyze cause and effect, make inferences, evaluate, and make judgments about the text. For example, one question asks, “Do you think the mother truly knows and understands her daughter? Explain.” After this sequence of questions, students also analyze and interpret the text by performing a close read. They return to the text to reread, analyze, ask questions and draw conclusions based on their evidence.

In the Unit 2 Performance Task, students choose a selection from the Peer Group Learning section of the unit and write a critique to present to their group. The critique includes an analysis of an element of the text (i.e., character, conflict, setting, theme, etc.), a well-supported claim about the work’s effectiveness, and proper use of content-area vocabulary, especially literary terms. Students begin by selecting a text and then finding a focus. The materials provide sample questions to help students narrow the focus, such as, “Which details make the setting come to life? How does the language create a vivid experience for me as a reader?” Next, students develop their claims by rereading their chosen texts to note details related to the focus question they chose. Then, students write a draft of their critique as a brief essay. Guidelines instruct students to leave extra space in the margins for notes to help them deliver their presentations orally. Additionally, teachers remind students to use strong, memorable language and accurate content-area vocabulary to express ideas clearly and defend their point of view. Students use the provided Speaking Guide to rehearse the delivery of their critiques 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 excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Skills build as students recall background information from “Black Sunday” and apply that knowledge to The Grapes of Wrath. Teacher materials include comprehension monitoring discussion prompts such as, “Have students use background knowledge gained from ‘Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl’ and from the Background note to figure out why people are sifting through their possessions and journeying west.” After reading, a series of multiple-choice questions add clarity to the similarities and differences in each text: “Although both texts describe the impacts of the Dust Bowl, the authors focus on different aspects to make their points. Which answer choice best states the difference in the authors’ approaches?” Students then analyze the texts through open-ended questions: “How does the genre of each text affect the way in which the author presents historical facts?” Tasks build and require increased independence through a timed-writing comparison-and-contrast essay prompt: “Explore the similarities and differences in how Steinbeck and Blakemore express insights about the Dust Bowl. In what ways can both genres present truths about historical events?”

Evaluation for 3.e.2

Evaluation for 3.e.2
Materials provide spiraling and scaffolded practice.

The materials provide spiraling and scaffolded practice, including distributed practice over the year. The design includes scaffolds for students to demonstrate the integration of literacy skills that spiral over the school year.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials support distributed practice of skills related to the Author’s Purpose over the year. Instruction related to Author’s Purpose begins in Unit 1 in the context of the text selections within the unit, such as realistic short stories, feature articles, human interest stories, a memoir, a television interview, and lyric poetry. For example, when reading “Two Kinds,” an excerpt from The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, the materials explain that the author’s purpose in realistic short stories is to entertain readers while providing insight 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 is an entertaining story you have read or seen that seemed true to life? What made it entertaining? What did it reflect about real life?”

In Unit 2, the instruction becomes more detailed. It features learning segments on Genre/Text Elements that focus on the Author’s Purpose and Message in a science-fiction fantasy, a radio-play adaptation, and lyric poetry. For example, some of the selections that students read are C.S. Lewis’s poem “Science-Fiction Cradlesong” and an excerpt from Jane Goodall’s autobiography My Life With the Chimpanzees. Before reading the text, students study the nonfiction genre of autobiographies and learn the author’s purpose in the genre—to tell the author’s life story in a meaningful way. During the discussion of this purpose, the teacher guides students to the idea that the author does not write about everything that happened in her life; instead, she focuses on important turning points in her life. Additionally, Genre/Text Elements related to the Author’s Purpose and Message exist in this introductory section, including the four broad purposes for writing—to describe, inform, narrate, and persuade. Students learn that an autobiography tells a story—the story of the writer’s own life—and that the main purpose of an autobiography is to narrate. By telling their own life story, the author also expresses insights and shares a message. Explicit instruction in Genre/Text Elements about Author’s Purpose and Message continues after reading. In this segment, students review the information taught before and during reading and engage in an activity that lists short passages from the text. The students make notes about the author’s purpose and message in each passage, discuss how the passages related to each other, interpret Goodall’s “big idea” in each excerpt, and connect their learning to explain what the title of the autobiography tells them about Goodall’s purpose and message.

The study of Author’s Purpose continues in Unit 3 as students read science fiction, informational text, an argumentative essay, and a reflective essay. Instruction follows the same general sequence as Unit 2, with information about the Author’s Purpose in the introduction to each text and more detailed, genre-specific instruction before and after reading a reflective essay.

Unit 4 follows this same structure, discussing the author’s purpose before reading a drama, retelling, poetry, and reflective essay; however, instruction in the Author’s Purpose expands in this unit with explicit teaching related to the author’s language and voice in a reflective essay. The teacher explains that a writer’s voice is often determined by the author’s purpose for 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 purpose of connecting with readers and creating a sense of shared understanding. Students learn concepts related to voice, such as diction and syntax, review examples that illustrate these concepts; practice rereading passages to identify the author’s diction and syntax.

The final unit in the materials, Unit 5, continues the study of Author’s Purpose within a memoir, biography, adventure story, historical fiction, and a nonfiction graphic novel.

In addition to distributed practice and spiraling practice throughout the year, the materials provide scaffolding. For example, in Unit 3, the materials provide scaffolds when approaching text complexity. As students prepare to read “Thank You, M’am” by Langston Hughes, the teacher can use scaffolds based on the student’s level of comprehension. The section “Differentiate for Text Complexity” provides subtopics of these scaffolds: “Language Conventions and Vocabulary” and “Ideas and Meaning.” For Language Conventions and Vocabulary, students performing below grade level who get confused by the colloquial language are asked guiding questions to help them understand it. For Ideas and Meaning, to understand the multiple levels of meaning, students performing on grade level focus on individual paragraphs. Teachers direct students to first state the events that happen and then reread each paragraph to determine how Mrs. Jones and Roger’s actions convey feelings or ideas.

Evaluation for 5.1

Evaluation for 5.1
Materials include supports for students who demonstrate proficiency above grade-level.

The materials include supports for students who demonstrate proficiency in literacy skills above that expected at the grade level through planning and learning opportunities for students.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials clearly label the above-grade-level supports and differentiated activities as “Above Level” and color-code them with dark purple, making them easy to spot for teachers when planning and differentiating for students who demonstrate literacy skills above that expected at grade level. The activities labeled Above Level include variety and are not merely extra assignments but instead opportunities for students to delve more deeply into the lesson’s concepts.

In Unit 1, students read “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan, and the materials include differentiated activities for students demonstrating above grade-level proficiency: “If students are ready for more challenge, then ask them to work in pairs and discuss the metaphorical meaning of the final sentence of the selection.” The teacher prompts the students by asking, “How do the two pieces of music reflect the character’s experience?” Then the teacher asks each pair to write a response together and present it to the class. There is differentiation for above-grade-level students within the actual lesson plans when working on the genre and text elements of character, conflict, and resolution. The teacher has students identify the third character with another distinct quality, such as cleverness. The teacher asks, “How might this quality influence her actions and lead to a different resolution?” Another differentiation exists in the skill of inferencing. The teacher explains that inferences can build on one another. First, students reread the inference made in the example chart from earlier in the lesson (The mother seems to be ambitious.) Then, students reread paragraph 3 and, “Based on details in this paragraph, why might the mother be so ambitious?” (She lost everything before coming to America and is desperate to make things better.) Additionally, when preparing to read “The Case of the Disappearing Words” by Alice Andre-Clark, Above-Level differentiation provides an opportunity for students to choose enrichment activities based on personal interest. Students who are interested in world cultures research and present on cultures from the selection. Students who are interested in technology research and present information on apps for learning languages.

In Unit 3, A Christmas Carol, Act 1, a drama based on Charles Dickens’s novel, has above-grade-level students create new stage directions to change the play’s mood. Students can have the characters speak jokingly or reverse the roles between Kate and Peg.

In Unit 4, while reading an excerpt from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson, the materials provide an opportunity for students to discuss the imagery in the text and the mood the imagery creates. Students performing above level rewrite the passage to create a carefree and uplifting mood or an exciting and electric mood.

In Unit 5, before reading “Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore, students examine the photograph, caption, Background note, and first three paragraphs, pausing to write down two to three details that address their purpose for reading the historical text. Students who are above grade level return to these notes after reading and evaluate how well the selection met the purpose. Another Above-Level activity instructs students to research famous figures associated with the era, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt or the Soil Erosion Service director Hugh Bennett. In addition, students read an excerpt from The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck. Students performing above grade level put themselves in place of migrant workers during this era and explain why they might have spoken with urgency and despair. They also discuss the economic forces that drove them to abandon their homes and possessions.

Evaluation for 5.2

Evaluation for 5.2
Materials include supports for students who perform below grade level to ensure they are meeting the grade-level literacy standards.

The materials include supports for students who demonstrate proficiency in literacy skills below that expected at the grade level through planning and learning opportunities for students.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials clearly label the below grade-level supports and differentiated activities as “Below Level” and color-code them with lime green, making them easy to spot for teachers when planning and differentiating for students who demonstrate literacy skills below that expected at the grade level. The activities offer Below Level differentiations before, during, and after reading, in addition to scaffolds for writing activities.

In Unit 1, students read Amy Tan’s excerpt “Two Kinds.” For students demonstrating proficiency below grade level, the teacher identifies and pre-teaches unfamiliar words. The materials provide examples of content-based words and academic vocabulary that students may struggle to understand. Students create a bank of definitions to use while they read the selection. During the reading, the materials provide a comprehension strategy to help them make inferences. The teacher guides students to make an inference, directing their 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 the lesson, students that struggle to identify relevant details read a smaller portion of the text and restate what the mother does and why they think she does this. Teachers guide students demonstrating proficiency below grade level to recognize that they are making an inference about the character based on new details from the paragraphs just read and details they already know about the character.

In Unit 2, before reading “The Last Dog” by Katherine Paterson, students demonstrating proficiency below grade level research allusions from the text referring to characters from classic children’s novels. The teacher asks students to employ their notes while reading to connect the main characters in “The Last Dog” and those in the classic novels.

In Unit 3, students read an excerpt from Charles Dickens’s famous novella, A Christmas Carol. Students who demonstrate proficiency below grade level may struggle to understand the implication that the main character is changing, so they use a graphic organizer to track what the character does, says, and feels. For each entry, they answer the question Why? After reading, students write a short story about a character who has a significant life experience. They shape their story to answer this question: “Does your character truly change?” The materials provide story starters to students who struggle to get started: “ _________ lived in __________ and was always so _______ that you might wonder if he/she could ever change. Then one day….”

In Unit 4, the teacher supports students with below-grade-level vocabulary development and comprehension as they read the poem “Turtle Watchers” by Linda Hogan. While other students use a dictionary to find the meanings of lineage and ancestors and then describe the relationship between the two words, the Below-Level differentiation has the teacher write the definitions on the board and guide students to understand their relationships.

In Unit 5, the historical selection “Black Sunday: The Storm that gave us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore begins by focusing on students with proficiency below grade level on vocabulary. The teachers ask students to familiarize themselves with erosion, drought, conservation, migration, and economic depression. Students create a bank of definitions to assist throughout their reading of the selection to help clarify misunderstandings.

Evaluation for 5.3

Evaluation for 5.3
Materials include supports for English Learners (EL) to meet grade-level learning expectations.

The materials include supports for English Learners (ELs) to meet grade-level learning expectations. The materials include accommodations for linguistics commensurate with various English language proficiency levels as defined by the ELPs and provide scaffolds. The materials encourage strategic use of students’ first language as a means to linguistic, affective, cognitive, and academic development in English and develop vocabulary in the context of connected discourse.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials communicate, sequence, and scaffold accommodations clearly for ELs at the various levels (Beginning, Intermediate, Advanced, and Advanced High) as defined by the ELPs. Accommodations and scaffolds are included in the Teacher Edition before, during, and after each text selection. The materials provide various scaffolds, such as Spanish translations and summaries, pictures, and other language supports. The mentor text and some unit texts have a selection summary available in Spanish audio. Students listen to the Spanish summary before reading to help them build background knowledge and set a context for their learning. Some full-text selections are available in Spanish in downloadable and printable PDFs. The “Texas ELPS Toolkit” provides additional assistance to help teachers scaffold instruction and support EL students. The toolkit features 45 lessons that correspond with each of the 45 English Language Proficiency Standards. These lessons occur across five domains: Learning Strategies, Listening, Speaking, Reading, and Writing. Each lesson includes four to five subsections or mini-lessons. The toolkit guides teachers in choosing which mini-lessons students need. The materials provide additional practice at the end of mini-lessons, with Blackline Masters with activities differentiated for EL students’ varying proficiency levels, corresponding to the skills taught. The electronic platform for the materials contains English and Spanish versions of the video selections and Spanish translations of many text selections. Additionally, an electronic glossary is available within the electronic student edition to assist students with unfamiliar vocabulary.

In Unit 2, EL-differentiated instructional supports throughout “Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed” by Ray Bradbury focuses on linguistic features such as multiple-meaning words, words that sound alike, and expressions. An additional EL instructional strategy for this text helps students recognize different sentence patterns (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex) and form sentences using the different patterns. Teachers provide Beginning students simple sentences and a list of compound words to combine to form new sentences. Intermediate-level students review example sentences and identify dependent and independent clauses. Advanced-level students work in pairs to build on the activity by identifying the type of sentence and writing an original sentence. Advanced high-level students work in pairs and write a short paragraph using one of each type of sentence.

In Unit 3, students read an excerpt from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Teachers guide ELs to learn new expressions as they listen to the selection. Each level of ELs receives a different level of accommodation, with Beginning-level students receiving the most guidance and teacher assistance and Advanced High-level students receiving the least. For the instruction, ELs create a two-column chart with the labels “Expression” and “Meaning.” Beginning ELs: “Display the expression at last and explain its meaning. Read aloud or play the audio for the first clause of paragraph 1, asking students to listen for the expression. Then, have them explain the meaning of the first clause. Repeat with expression in sentence 3.” Intermediate ELs: “Display the expression fire made up. Read aloud or play the audio for the first part of paragraph 1, asking students to listen for the expression. Help them use context to figure out its meaning. Repeat with the expression in sentence 3.” Advanced ELs: “Play the selection audio, pausing for students to record unfamiliar expressions. Have pairs use context to find meanings. Provide support as needed.” Advanced High ELs: “Play the selection audio, having students record unfamiliar expressions. Have them use context or resources to find their meanings.”

In Unit 5, students read “High School Teammates Carry On” by Tom Rinaldi. The accommodations help EL students by teaching new expressions as they listen to paragraphs 38–46. The teacher displays the following expressions: Let it break me, let him down, Stay clean, carried a friend, and carry a father. The materials provide audio for the students to listen to the excerpt two to three times. Beginning-level students restate the excerpt in an accessible language. The teacher explains the expressions' meaning and provides examples. Students make drawings to show meaning. Intermediate-level students summarize the excerpt with help. The teacher displays the sentence Let it break me. After the teacher reads the sentence aloud, students describe a situation in which someone might use the expression. Advanced-level students work in small groups to listen to the excerpt and use context to understand each expression. Teachers assist as needed. Advanced High-level students listen in pairs and use context and outside resources to understand the expressions. Additionally, students read “Black Sunday: The Storm That Gave Us the Dust Bowl” by Erin Blakemore. The text states, “Congressional hearings that had brought the plight of the region, which had been ravaged by drought.” Clicking on the plight and ravaged opens a box that displays the glossary definition. Students read the English definition, as provided or use the drop-down menu to select Spanish as the language, so the Spanish definition appears. Additionally, the play icon to the left of the word in this box provides an oral reading of the definition in whichever language the student selects.

Evaluation for 6.1

Evaluation for 6.1
Materials include assessment and guidance for teachers and administrators to monitor progress including how to interpret and act on data yielded.

The materials include assessment and guidance for teachers and administrators to monitor progress, including interpreting and acting on data yielded. The formative and summative assessments are aligned in purpose, intended use, and TEKS emphasis. The assessments and scoring information provide sufficient guidance for interpreting and responding to student performance, and assessments are connected to the regular content to support student learning.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

According to the document TEKS Alignment: Read Me First, “All digital resources in Realize, including assessments, are aligned to the Breakout level of each of the TEKS.” When students take assessments online, the “Question Analysis” allows teachers to drill down to each question and provides aligned resources for extra practice when the teacher clicks on each TEKS. Additionally, the “Class Mastery by Standard” report shows student mastery of each TEKS, the breakout level, and aligned resources for practice. The materials also provide teachers with “ExamView Assessment” software to create custom tests. Teachers can create formative or summative assessments that align to content and offer multiple question-selection models, including the ability to select questions according to standard so that teachers can determine which objectives have been met and which objectives need more practice. Additionally, materials include “TEKS Customizable Test Banks” for reading, comparing texts, revising and editing, and writing prompts. Teachers can select questions based on TEKS and genre. Student test result data gives detailed information regarding breakout TEKS and guidance for responding to student performance.

Formative assessments, including “Exit Tickets,” “Text Selection Tests,” and “Performance Tasks,” help teachers monitor student understanding and make informative instruction decisions. Teachers gather comprehensive data on student learning with these embedded routines and assessments and use that data to monitor and adjust instruction or use the “Reteach and Practice” activities. For example, in Unit 2, after reading “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury, students study setting and figurative language and answer questions analyzing the setting and figurative language in the story. To assess students’ progress, the teacher administers an Exit Ticket on Setting and Figurative Language. The materials state that if students need additional practice, see Setting and Figurative Language in the Reteach and Practice ancillary materials. The materials also state in the “Monitor and Adjust” section of the sidebar that if students struggle with finding examples of figurative language, then “focus their attention on particular paragraphs of the selection.”

The materials also provide information on how teachers should respond when students do not meet grade-level expectations. The “Unit Test Answer Key” and “Unit Test Answer Key and Interpretation Guide” provide teachers with TEKS assessed, domains of knowledge, and which remediation pages to use if students were not successful. The materials provide remediation pages aligned to the assessed TEKS. For example, if a student was unsuccessful with test questions about the genre element of plot and flashback, the teacher provides remediation from the “Plot and Flashback Remediation” pages. This section provides a short reteach of plot element definitions and then gives the student practice examples from the plot. Administrators can also utilize additional reports and district-level data provided on the platform.

The materials provide a “Selection Test” for most of the printed texts in each Unit. For example, in Unit 2, a selection test exists for every selection except the mentor text used in the unit’s Introduction, the dramatized version of one of the text selections the students read, and the video biography used in the Independent Learning segment. A ten-question Selection Test accompanies “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” by Ray Bradbury at the end of this text study and assesses students’ comprehension of the selection and acquisition of concept vocabulary. Examples of questions on 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 road can correctly be described as submerged in water, which of the following must be true? Base your answer on the meaning of submerged.”

The materials include a two-part Unit Test for each of the six units. The electronic platform provides “Teacher Resources” with both parts of the Unit assessments, including an electronic version that the teachers can assign and a printable PDF version. The Unit Test is usually administered during the “End of Unit Segment,” after the “Performance-Based Assessment” and the “Unit Reflection.” The Teacher Resources include an Answer Key and Interpretation document and a Remediation Activities Answer Key for the Unit. The Answer Key and Interpretation Guides for Part 1 and Part 2 of the Unit Tests begin with a note that the teacher may wish to assign the remediation resources indicated on the chart provided and provide navigation directions for finding the resources on the Realize electronic platform.

Evaluation for 6.2

Evaluation for 6.2
Materials include year-long plans and supports for teachers to identify needs of students and provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a range of learners to ensure grade-level success.

The materials include year-long plans and supports for teachers to identify students’ needs and provide differentiated instruction to meet the needs of a range of learners to ensure grade-level success. The materials provide an overarching year-long comprehensive plan for teachers to engage students in multiple grouping structures that differentiate students using many learning opportunities. The Teacher edition, annotations, and ancillary materials support teachers in implementing the materials to engage student learning and monitor student progress.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Within each unit, materials provide for the gradual release of responsibility by moving from whole group learning to peer group learning and finally to independent learning. During the “Independent Learning” section of materials, teachers differentiate for multiple types of learners by advising students on text selections based on student interest and the texts’ quantitative and qualitative complexity measures.

Teacher edition materials include annotations such as explanations, learning objectives, scripted questions, differentiation directions, summaries, overviews, insights, teacher tips, expert opinions, pacing suggestions, and directions on how and when to implement any ancillary resources. For example, in Unit 5, before reading “High School Teammates Carry On” by Tom Rinaldi, materials provide instruction on direct and indirect characterization. The Teacher Edition sidebar defines controlling evidence and provides a task for teachers to give students to check for their understanding. The task is differentiated into three levels—Below-Level, On Level, Above 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 multiple levels of learners. Annotations also tell the teacher when to Monitor and Adjust or Reteach and Practice. If students are struggling, the teacher can assess their understanding and know which resources to use to support student learning. Each selection also provides differentiation for English Language Learners before reading, during reading, and after reading.

Ancillary materials include Digital Lessons and Skills Videos that support student learning as well as “provide interactive feedback to help students master critical literacy skills.” These Digital Lessons Videos include lessons and practice with vocabulary, research, writing, grammar, and sentence combining. The Reading and Writing Skills Videos include collections of videos and tutorials classified under the following genres: Argument, Informational, Personal Narrative, Research Paper, and Short Story. The Teacher Edition annotations suggest when to assign these videos to students. Besides interactive videos, the materials include over 140 digital novels with correlating lesson plans and tests. Additionally, materials provide various generic graphic organizers to maximize student learning: K-W-L charts, cluster diagrams, 5 W’s charts, cause and effect maps, etc. Reading Skills and Literary Analysis worksheets are organized in alphabetical order so that teachers can easily find skills practice for student learning reinforcement.

Teacher materials describe differentiated instruction tools as “planning resources, talking points, and instructional strategies [that] provide teachers with scaffolding suggestions to help meet the needs of all learners.” The materials provide an overarching year-long plan for teachers to support students through differentiation, including strategic grouping, reteaching, and individualized practice opportunities. Each selection includes a Differentiate for Text Complexity section, which includes a Text Complexity Rubric.

Each unit contains a segment called “Book Club” that focuses on integrating novels into the unit study. For example, in Unit 3, the materials describe two novels, a classic named Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli and a contemporary selection Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff. Each book has a page that provides the genre and Lexile level for the text and a summary, connection to the unit’s essential question, and a section called “Compare Across Texts” that links each novel to selections taught in the unit. The materials provide flexible pacing and implementation guidelines that explain how to use and pace the book club to supplement the unit, substitute for unit selections, or extend independent learning. Additionally, the teacher guide references downloadable Book Club Guidelines from the digital platform, including “Launching the Book Club,” “Author and Background Information,” “Reading Comprehension Strategies,” TEKS-aligned questions and projects, as well as a list of three optional novels that relate to the unit’s theme that teachers might teach.

Evaluation for 6.3

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

The materials include implementation support for teachers and administrators. The materials include a TEKS-aligned scope and sequence, including a school years’ worth of literacy instruction in the order of presentation and how they connect across grade levels. The materials include additional supports to help administrators support teachers in implementing the materials as intended.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

Each unit’s beginning contains a TEKS-aligned scope and sequence document entitled “Unit at a Glance.” This scope and sequence outlines the unit’s contents, the suggested pacing, the texts’ Lexile levels, and the TEKS that correlate with each unit component’s instruction, making it a reference for lesson planning. The scope and sequence have five categories: introduction, whole-class learning, peer group learning, independent learning, and end of the unit, including assessments or research. The unit’s TEKS fall into categories: comprehension strategies, vocabulary, literary/text elements, author's craft/conventions, and composition/research/speaking and listening. The materials also contain a “TEKS Correlation Guide” that lists all of the TEKS and “shows points at which focused standards instruction is provided in the Student Edition.” The “Teacher Edition” includes a seventh-grade English TEKS list that connects the TEKS with the tasks and activities that cover those objectives. The materials also provide a document called the TEKS correlation that gives teachers a breakdown of the objectives and provides page numbers with activities covering those specific objectives. Teachers have access to day-by-day pacing guides, assessments, page numbers, and resources in the same location. Additionally, the “K–8 Vertical Alignment” document shows how knowledge and skills build and connect across grade levels by coding each TEKS with I for Introduced, for Continued, M for Mastery, and for Maintained.

The digital platform includes professional development tutorials and platform training tutorials to support teachers in implementing the materials. It also includes a “Realize Digital Walkthrough” to aid teachers in using the online edition and the program’s online components. Additional supports include customizable lesson plans and rubrics, Live Chat options to speak online with a training specialist, webinars, a Getting Started component that offers overviews of the program and its contents, and a Help tool that allows teachers to search for topics. The Teacher Edition provides scripted questions, sidebar instructions, and expert opinions and suggestions.

The materials provide an easy-to-follow pacing guide that includes suggested timelines for teaching the unit as a whole and more specific timelines for teaching within each unit segment. For example, in Unit 3, the materials indicate that teaching the Whole-Class Learning segment takes approximately 16 days (but the number of dates allocated equals 19), with two days devoted to the Whole-Class Learning Introduction, four days for the first text selection, A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, Act I based on the novel by Charles Dickens, six days for the second text selection A Christmas Carol: Scrooge and Marley, Act II based on the novel by Charles Dickens, three days allocated for the excerpt from A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, and four days for the Performance Task. At the bottom of the pages that start each segment of the lesson, a Packing Plan displays this information again. The provided pacing guides in each unit vary from 33 to 38 days, depending on the unit, and the primary instructional plan is designed for a 180-day schedule. For example, in Unit 1, the materials suggest two days for the Introduction, 14 days for the Whole-Class Learning segment, 16 days for the Peer-Group Learning segment, two days for the Independent Learning Segment, and three days for the End-of-Unit activities, for a total of 37 days spent in Unit 1. Teachers are, however, encouraged to use their judgment as they plan lessons according to their individual classroom needs. The materials are customizable to meet district or classroom needs. With flexible pacing and implementation suggestions, Optional Book Club guidelines are provided in each unit and could be used to expand instruction for a 220-day schedule. For example, Unit 1 describes two specific novels connected to the Unit’s Essential Question. Information about comparing the book club selection with texts in the regular unit instruction is provided. Additionally, the materials list three other novels aligned to the unit theme that the teacher might choose to teach. Additionally, the materials provide “Book Club Guides” that offer “Launching the Book Club,” “Author and Background Information,” “Reading Comprehension Strategies,” and TEKS-aligned questions and projects for the two recommended novels.

Administrators have access to the “Professional Development Center.” Administrators also have access to administrator-level district data and reports to stay informed on the classroom, campus, and district progress.

Evaluation for 6.4

Evaluation for 6.4
The visual design of the student edition (whether in print or digital) is neither distracting nor chaotic.

The visual design of the student edition is neither distracting nor chaotic. The materials include appropriate use of white space, design, pictures, and graphics that support student learning and engagement without being visually distracting.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

The materials provide ample white space to minimize distractions with appropriate font style size. The overall structure of the materials is consistent from unit to unit and grade level to grade level. For example, there is a selection overview for each text or video resource in the materials at the point of use. This selection overview is printed on a background that looks like a piece of notebook paper, with headings that are consistent throughout the materials. Sections and selections within the unit are color-coded, making it easy to navigate through the materials. For instance, titles associated with the “Whole-Class Learning” section are in green; titles related to “Peer-Group Learning” are in teal; titles related to “Independent Learning” are in purple. “Performance Tasks” and “Performance-Based Assessments” are color-coded in orange. Throughout text selections, vocabulary words are bolded and blue so that they can be easily distinguished. The student edition has margin notes that enhance student learning.

The visual design is appealing and engaging. Pictures and graphics accompany each text selection, are easily identifiable by students, and correlate with the text to optimize student understanding. Pictures, graphics, and videos all support students’ comprehension of the texts and concepts by providing visual support. Photos of the authors precede texts, and the title page of the selection includes a corresponding image. For example, in Unit 2, students read Ray Bradbury’s short story “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed.” The selection overview includes a thumbnail view of the picture on the text’s first page and its top. Students learn about comparing genres using this science-fiction fantasy and a radio-play adaptation of the same story. The About the Author section that precedes reading the text includes a picture of Ray Bradbury. A large picture of the house that was in the thumbnail is at the top of the first page of the text, a picture of a field of grass with purple blossoms exists within the text that illustrates the changes occurring in the story, and towards the end of the story, there is a picture of a young girl with golden eyes.

Evaluation for 6.5

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

The materials include grade-level appropriate technology components that provide support for learning as opposed to distracting from it, as well as appropriate teacher guidance.

Evidence includes but is not limited to:

All student and teacher editions exist in both digital format and print format. The technology components exist on the digital platform entitled “Realize.” Materials are appropriate for the grade level and engage students with correlating videos, pictures, and graphics. Materials give teachers 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 if needed. There are also on-demand “Virtual Workshops” that allow teachers to watch videos to help them navigate the online system. The downloadable unit modules and lessons follow a logical progression for ease of use. Students can annotate text selections, as well as take notes and highlight text while reading. Students may convert the digital platform to plain text, and materials can be zoomed in and out with a double click. Glossary terms are defined using audio in both English and Spanish. All units can be provided as downloadable content for offline users.

The materials provide teacher guidance and appropriate components to support distance learning. The “Overview of Distance Learning Support” introduces teachers to the features available on the digital platform and guides how to start the school year in a distance learning format, including directions for accessing course readiness assessments, analyzing the beginning-of-the-year test results, and resources for Distance Learning Support, including distance learning videos and “myPerspectives Distance Learning Guide.” This document also explains that teachers can access the Distance Learning feature with a literal flick of a switch (an on/off toggle button) on the digital platform. The Distance Learning Guide provides all of the necessary information for teachers to use the digital resources with students. Items covered in this guide include an overview of the Digital Resources, Lesson Planning Resources, Using the Discussion Board, Google Classroom, Interactive Student Edition, Suggested Pacing, and much more.

Evaluation for 7.1

Evaluation for 7.1
Technology Specifications

Information not available.

Evaluation for 7.2

Evaluation for 7.2
Price Information

Information not available.

Evaluation for 7.3

Evaluation for 7.3
Professional Learning Opportunities

Information not available.

Evaluation for 7.4

Evaluation for 7.4
Additional Language Supports

Information not available.