6th Grade - Gateway 1

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading. They consider a range of student interests.

Texts address a range of topics that are high-interest and age-appropriate for Grade 6. Topics include the immigrant experience, the Egyptian pyramids, classical mythology, and segregation. Many of the core texts are CCSS exemplar texts, written by award-winning authors, and contain rich vocabulary, both academic and content-specific. Texts are worthy of multiple readings. Examples of high quality texts include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, students read Dragonwings, by Laurence Yep. This coming-of-age first-person memoir is a CCSS exemplar text rich in sensory detail that introduces students to the immigrant experience.

• In Unit 1, students read “Eleven”, by Sandra Cisneros. This selection is a CCSS exemplar text. Students can relate to both the age and experience of the main character through the first-person account of an embarrassing birthday event.

• In Unit 1, students read “The Road Not Taken”, by Robert Frost. This selection is a CCSS exemplar text. This poem is a thought-provoking, timeless classic that addresses complex ideas through accessible language.

• In Unit 2, students read A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art, by Philip Isaacson. This nonfiction selection is a CCSS exemplar text and contains descriptive language, academic vocabulary, and an interesting combination of history and art.

• In Unit 2, students read The Lightning Thief, by Rick Riordan. This text is an award-winning novel with a modern take on classical texts. It contains high-interest content as well as elements of fantasy and adventure.

• In Unit 2, students read Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad, by Rosemary Sutcliff. This novel is a CCSS exemplar text and provides students with an age-appropriate retelling of the Iliad/Trojan War. It also serves as a model for teaching plot structure and characterization.

• In Unit 3, students read A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle. This novel is a CCSS exemplar text. It contains dialogue with complex structure and vocabulary with multiple meanings.

• In Unit 3, students read Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution, by Ji-Li Jiang. This first-person narrative contains dialogue. Prior knowledge of Chinese Communism would assist in student understanding.

• In Unit 3, students read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, by Mildred D. Taylor. This novel is a CCSS exemplar text. This selection is suggested as a full text study as it is rich in cultural references and uses dialogue to reveal the plot.

• In Unit 4, students read Rosa Parks: My Story, by Rosa Parks. This nonfiction text contains flashbacks. Prior knowledge of segregation and “Jim Crow” laws would assist in student understanding.

• In Unit 4, students read Sunrise Over Fallujah, by Walter Dean Myers. This novel contains narration, dialogue, and tone for student analysis. It also introduces readers to military terms and vocabulary.

• In Unit 4, students read An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, by Jim Murphy. This text contains complex sentence structure and introduces students to medical terms and vocabulary.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials reflecting the distribution of text types and genres required by the standards at each grade level.

Texts include a mix of informational and literary texts. There is a wide array of informational and literary anchor texts for every unit. Additional supplementary texts are included, resulting in a wide distribution of genres and text types as required by the standards. Literary texts include novels, short stories, poems, drama, fairy tales, mythology, and fables. Informational texts include memoirs, art, magazine articles, editorials, autobiographies, and biographies.

The following are examples of literature found within the instructional materials:

• In Unit 1, students read Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, “Eleven” by Sandra Cisneros, and “The Road Not Taken” by Robert Frost.
• In Unit 2, students read Aesop's Fables by Aesop, The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan, and "Perseus" by Robert Hayden.
• In Unit 3, students read A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle, Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor, and “Jabberwocky” by Lewis Carroll.
• In Unit 4, students read “Rosa” by Rita Dove, Sunrise Over Fallujah by Walter Dean Myers, and “My Father is a Simple Man” by Luis Omar Salinas.

The following are examples of informational text found within the instructional materials:

• In Unit 1, students read Guts: True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books by Gary Paulsen, “The Father of Chinese Aviation” by Rebecca Maksel, and Warriors Don’t Cry by Melba Pattillo Beals.
• In Unit 2, students read Hatshepsut: His Majesty, Herself by Catherine M. Andronik, A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art by Philip M. Isaacson, and The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug For Troy by Laura Amy Schlitz.
• In Unit 3, students read I Am An American: A True Story of Japanese Internment by Jerry Stanley, Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp by Jerry Stanley, and Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution by Ji-Li Jiang.
• In Unit 4, students read Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks, Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott by Russell Freedman, and An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to their associated student task.

The instructional materials for Grade 6 meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade. Most texts fall within either the Current Lexile Band or the Stretch Lexile Band for grades 6-8. Texts range from 730L to 1330L; most texts are appropriate for Grade 6 according to quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, and relationship to the associated student task. Some texts exceed these bands, but the tasks are designed to make them accessible. Examples of texts that have the appropriate level of complexity for Grade 6 include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, students read Island of the Blue Dolphins. The Lexile level is 940L which falls within both the Current Lexile Band and the Stretch Lexile Band for grades 6-8. Qualitative features include young characters who are faced with a challenge. This popular work of literature is told with first person narration. Scaffolds are provided to access the text.

• In Unit 2, students read Book of the Dead. The Lexile level is 1010L; this level falls at the high end of the Current Lexile Band and within the Stretch Lexile Band for grades 6-8. However, students are only reading 660 words, and there is a pattern to the sentences that are presented in a list style.

• In Unit 3, students read Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp. The Lexile level is 1120L which exceeds the Current Lexile Band and but falls within the Stretch Lexile Band for grades 6-8. This text is placed toward the middle of the Unit 3, so students are more than half way through the course of the year. Students read 750 words and focus on main idea.

• In Unit 4, students read Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycott. The Lexile level is 930L. Based on Lexile, this text is appropriate for 6th grade readers. In this text, students focus on informational text structure. An opening text precedes the main content. This could provide good discussion for 6th grade students as they focus on text structure.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for supporting students’ increasing literacy skills over the course of the school year. (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels appropriate for the grade band.)

The instructional materials provide a variety of texts appropriate for the grade band. Texts increase in complexity as the units progress. While some texts fall at the high end of the grade level, students are also provided more accessible texts as they learn how to analyze texts. Along with increasing text complexity, students’ writing also increases in complexity. Students are asked to read, analyze, and respond to texts in writing.

To ensure student success, each unit contains an Access Path where teachers can find resources scaffolded for English Language Learners. This Access Path also contains handouts that provide support for handling text complexity in the areas of purpose, genre, organization, connection of ideas, sentence structure, specific vocabulary, and prior knowledge.

Each unit focuses on the use of textual evidence to support analysis by students. This helps students evaluate information within texts, organize ideas, make inferences, create claims, and use evidence within their own writing. By the end of the year, students use textual evidence in independent writing assignments such as argumentative essays. Examples of increased literacy skills over the course of the school year include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the text study of The Island of the Blue Dolphins, textual evidence is defined. Finding and using textual evidence to support an inference is then modeled for the students. Finally, students practice this skill by answering a series of multiple choice questions.

• In Unit 2, in the First Read of Hatshepsut, His Majesty, Herself, students answer questions such as, “Before Hatshepsut became pharaoh, what practice does the text say she had for the job? Include evidence from the text to support your answer.” Students are also required to provide feedback on the quality of a peer’s answers by responding to the question, “How strong was the evidence presented in the answers? Which questions had the strongest evidence? Which questions would have benefited from stronger evidence?”

• In Unit 3, in the Close Read, The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, students use textual evidence to support their answers in comparing the text to A Wrinkle in Time. Students are prompted to use textual evidence when the prompt says, “Support the claim or claims you make in your comparison and contrast with evidence from both texts as well as from the television episode.”

• In Unit 4, in the Extended Writing Project, students complete an argumentative writing assignment. As a part of their assignment, students use textual evidence. The prompt states, “To support the ideas you will include textual evidence from at least one selection in Unit 4 and research from three other print or digital sources.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that anchor texts and series of texts connected to them are accompanied by a text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement in the grade level.

Most texts include instructional notes and text notes. These are all found in the ELA Grade Level Overview booklet. At the beginning of each unit, there is an overall explanation of the unit. This includes the balance of literary to informational texts, the essential question, and an analysis of the text complexity of particular texts. In response to texts that are above the recommended Lexile band, the publisher provides scaffolds to assist all students in accessing the text. Quantitative, qualitative, and reader task information is included for most texts. Qualitative features such as Scaffold Instruction to Access Complex Text (ACT), ACT features, publication date, and genre. Quantitative features such as Excerpt Lexile, Full-text Lexile, and Word Count are also provided. In response to texts that are above the recommended Lexile band, the publisher provides scaffolds to assist all students in accessing the texts. Examples of texts being accompanied by text complexity analysis and rationale for purpose and placement include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, students analyze point of view and use textual evidence in Hatchet to support analysis as one of the primary task demands in this unit. The excerpt Lexile is 730L. The Grade 6 ELA Grade Level Overview states, “This task’s demands makes this an important, challenging selection for students even though the quantitative dimensions of the excerpt are lower than others in the unit. Understanding the protagonist’s point of view can be especially difficult for English learners because of the reliance on sentence fragments, so the First Read lesson accompanying this text is scaffolded with additional grammar supports.”

• In Unit 2, students read the nonfiction text in Hatshepsut, His Majesty, Herself which is about how Hatshepsut became Pharaoh. This text is written in a biography format, giving students the opportunity to review features such as “chronological order, point of view, historical context, and how the subject is described, either directly or indirectly.” The Lexile level is 1010L. This task is may be challenging due to some difficult vocabulary and complex sentence structure.

• In Unit 3, students read Children of the Dust Bowl: The True Story of the School at Weedpatch Camp. This nonfiction text focuses on the plight of Okie children living in Kern County, California, during the 1930s. The Lexile level is 1200L. “Students challenged by the selection’s complex sentence structure and organization have a path through the selection. Students will also master analyzing an author’s point of view.”

• In Unit 4, students read Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery. This excerpt is about Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal transformation and how she transformed the role of First Lady. The Lexile level 1110L. “While it falls slightly above the recommended quantitative band, combines accessible, high-interest details and a humorous, conversational tone with heavy intertextuality. Its complex sentence structure is scaffolded by additional grammar support.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the expectations for the anchor and supporting texts to provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of texts to achieve grade level reading.

Each unit exposes students to high-quality texts that cover a variety of genres, time periods, and cultures with a balance of literary and informational texts. Reading is done independently, as a whole class, aloud, and silently. All of the anchor texts and supporting materials revolve around a central theme and essential question for each unit. Reading materials increase in complexity as the year progresses. Teacher supports are gradually released in order to help students achieve success in reading grade-level texts independently. Examples of students engaging in reading a range of texts include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, students begin the first week’s first lesson by reading the Blast background and materials included in several research links. The next day the students participate in the First Read of Hatchet, where they read and annotate the text. Day three includes skill work on Point of View, where students read both the definition and model sections associated with the skill. Students then complete a Close Read of Hatchet, including a detailed reading and annotation of the selection. On the final day, students complete a First Read of Guts: True Stories Behind Hatchet and the Brian Books, where they pay close attention to comprehension while annotating the text.

• In Unit 2, over the course of nine weeks, students complete a full-text study of The Lightning Thief and read ten other partial texts that are a balance of fiction and informational texts, including one poem. The texts are all related to the unit title, “Ancient Realms.” Informational texts include Hatshepsut: His Majesty, Herself; Book of the Dead; Book of Exodus; A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art, and The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug for Troy. Fiction texts include Aesop’s Fables; Perseus, Heroes Every Child Should Know: Perseus; Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad; and Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. Students have opportunities to interact with the texts through whole class read-alouds, individual silent reading, First Reads, and Close Reads.

• In Unit 3, students complete a First Read and a Close Read of Red Scarf Girl. Students also complete two skill lessons, one on informational text elements and one on connotation and denotation. Students read excerpts of Red Scarf Girl to practice the skills. Students also engage in a Blast where they read background information regarding China’s Cultural Revolution. In Unit 3, there are two full text studies: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry and The Monsters Are Due on Maple Street. Students also read excerpts from additional texts, including The Mighty Miss Malone, The War of the Worlds,Farewell to Manzanar, The Time Machine, The Misfits, Stepping on the Cracks, The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian, and A Christmas Carol.

• In Unit 4, students complete a First Read and a Close Read of Sunrise Over Fallujah. Students also complete two skill lessons, one on point of view and one on tone. Students read through excerpts of Sunrise Over Fallujah to practice these skills. Students also complete a Blast where they read background information regarding the military and how people can respect and honor them. In Unit 4 there is a full text study on Freedom Walkers: The Story of the Montgomery Bus Boycotts. Throughout Unit 4, students read excerpts from additional texts, including Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10, The Help, The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, The Notorious Benedict Arnold: A True Story Of Adventure, Heroism & Treachery, Story of an Eyewitness: The San Francisco Earthquake, A Long Way From Chicago, and A Horseman in the Sky.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly. Grade 6 consists of four units of study that contain a variety of texts and activities. The majority of the questions and associated task require students to engage with the text directly. The Think tab of each First Read section contains a series of constructed response questions that require textual evidence. The Your Turn portion of the Skill sections contain multiple choice questions that refer specifically to the text. The Close Read sections require an extended writing task that asks students to synthesize text details and to cite textual evidence. Students answer text-dependent discussion questions tied to different types of media that can be accessed via StudySyncTV. When answering text-dependent questions, students are given directions on where to look for details and what information should be included. Sample exemplar answers are provided for all questions. Examples of text-dependent/specific questions, tasks, and assignments include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the First Read of Hatchet, students refer to the accompanying StudySyncTV episode, and answer text-specific questions such as, “What evidence does Josh provide to support his statement that the story is written in third-person point of view?” and “What evidence do the students give to show that the point of view is not objective?”

• In Unit 2, in the First Read of Black Ships Before Troy: The Story of the Iliad, students answer text-specific questions such as, “What does Paris’s choice for the winner of the contest help you infer about him? Indicate the textual evidence you used to make your inference.”

• In Unit 3, in the First Read of The Monsters are Due on Maple Street, students answer text-specific questions such as, “Use details from the text to write two or three sentences explaining why the Maple Street neighbors are suspicious of Steve.” and “Write two or three sentences explaining why Tommy shouts, 'It's the monster! It's the monster!' Support your answer with textual evidence.”

• In Unit 4, in the Skill section on Tone for Sunrise Over Fallujah, students are asked two-part multiple choice questions such as, (A) “In this passage, what is the narrator’s tone toward Jonesy?” (B) “Which line from the passage supports your answer?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for having sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks build to a culminating task that integrates writing, speaking, or both.

Materials include both text-dependent and text-specific questions and tasks that help prepare students for the each unit’s Extended Writing Task. These culminating tasks integrate writing, speaking, or both. There are questions that prompt thinking, speaking, and writing tasks that focus on the central ideas and key details of the text. Reading, writing, speaking, and listening are taught as integrated skills. The Extended Writing Tasks ask students to explore the theme and essential question of the unit in depth. Students reconsider what they have learned through analyzing texts, conducting research, and contemplating their own life experiences. Each unit has a different mode of writing. Over the course of the year, students demonstrate proficiency in constructing long-form argumentative, argumentative literary analysis, informative/explanatory, and narrative works. Once submitted, these writing assignments can be adapted and delivered as oral presentations. Examples of text-dependent/specific questions and tasks that build to a culminating task include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, the Extended Writing Project focuses on the informative/explanatory form of writing. Students probe the unit’s central question, “What happens when life changes direction?”, as they write an informative/ explanatory essay that explains how three individuals in three of the unit’s reading selections faced life-changing experiences and how those experiences had both a personal and societal impact. In the Close Read for Hatchet, students answer questions independently and share and discuss in small, heterogeneous groups or pairs, their annotations with a focus on the point of view presented in the selection. One question included in this activity is “How might Brian's experience be a turning point that could affect his viewpoint about himself and life? Cite specific textual evidence to support your statements.” This skill helps students prepare for the culminating task of writing an informative/explanatory essay.

• In Unit 2, the Extended Writing Project focuses on literary analysis and addresses the following prompt: “Despite all the advances of modern life, we continue to draw inspiration from the ancient world. Ancient culture’s influence is visible in our modern-day words and expressions, mythological references, laws, and values. Draw on a theme, idea, or lesson expressed in selections from this unit to write a literary analysis that demonstrates how ancient culture continues to shape the modern world.” Students draw upon what they learned about the importance of looking at history to make a claim about the themes or central ideas in multiple texts. They support their claim with reasons and relevant evidence from the cited texts.

• In Unit 3, the Extended Writing Project focuses on narrative form. Students probe the unit’s central question, “When should we stand up for others and ourselves?”, as they write a fictional narrative about someone who takes a stand to help another person or to make a positive change. In the Extended Writing Project skill lesson, entitled “Narrative Techniques and Sequencing”, students, individually or as a class, read the Define section of the lesson. In small groups or as a class, students use these questions to spark discussion with classmates about the purpose and function of the ending of a fictional narrative. One example is, “According to the definition, what is the purpose of a narrative's conclusion?” This supports students as they write their own narratives for the culminating task.

• In Unit 4, the Extended Writing Project focuses on argumentative writing. Instruction builds on what students previously learned about this form when they crafted a literary analysis in Unit 2. Students probe the unit’s central question, “What does it mean to be a hero?”. They write an argumentative essay that identifies an individual from the unit who, in the writer’s opinion, best exemplifies the qualities of a hero. In the Extended Writing Project lesson, “Prewrite”, students consider the following questions to decide on a subject of their argumentative essay:
  • Which person from the unit showed great bravery? What did he or she do that was brave? Did he or she feel brave at the time?
  • Which person from the unit made a great sacrifice? What did he or she give up? Why?
  • Which person from the unit did the most to make the world a better place to live? Give an example of that person's actions.
  • Which person from the unit do I admire most? Why?

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials providing frequent opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions (small groups, peer-to-peer, whole class) that encourage modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

Each unit provides frequent and varied opportunities for students to engage in whole class, small group, and peer-to-peer discussion that reference the text under study and incorporate understanding and use of academic vocabulary and syntax. A Speaking and Listening Handbook provides teachers with explicit instructions to teach and model academic conversations. Strategies are included to guide students as they practice and assess evidence-based discussions. Checklists and graphic organizers provide support to students as they prepare for discussions. Rubrics guide teachers and students as they evaluate academic conversations. Examples of how materials meet the criteria of this indicator include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the First Read of Hatchet, students watch the accompanying SyncTV video as a whole group. Teachers remind students to notice the way students in the video use academic vocabulary during their discussion. The teacher determines places to pause the video to discuss key points with students. For example, at 1:59 teachers ask, “How do the students use textual evidence to determine that Hatchet is told from a third-person limited omniscient point of view?”

• In Unit 2, in the text study of The Lightning Thief, students are provided an excerpt of text to read and annotate. The Teacher Edition suggests that students then break into pairs or small groups to discuss inferences made while reading. Four questions are provided to guide discussions, including the following examples: “What prediction did you make as you read the story? Were you able to confirm it with evidence in the text? Or did you have to revise it because of new details?”

• In Unit 3, in the Close Read of an excerpt of A Wrinkle in Time, with partners or small groups, students share and discuss their annotations that focus on the plot presented in the selection. The teacher provides students with questions to guide their discussion. For example, teachers can ask students, “Even though this reading is an excerpt, how can you tell that the plot is moving forward?”

• In Unit 4, in the Extended Writing Project’s lesson for Audience, Purpose and Style, the whole class discusses the Driving Question: "Who is your audience and what is your purpose for writing your argumentative essay?" There is then a small group discussion to activate prior knowledge with questions such as, “Why is knowing one's purpose for writing helpful?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading and researching (including presentation opportunities) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

Students are provided frequent and varied opportunities to engage in speaking, listening, and presenting activities surrounding their study of texts and associated reading, writing, and research tasks. Opportunities for speaking, listening, and presenting can be found throughout the unit in the Blasts, First Reads, Skills, and Close Reads.

Speaking and listening are also important aspects of the Research Project students complete in each unit. After sharing and discussing the results of individual members’ research findings, each group plans and delivers a formal presentation in either the narrative, argumentative, or informative mode. Multimedia elements such as videos, graphics, photos, and recordings are used to reinforce key points.

The Speaking & Listening Handbook is utilized during the Research project by students, who are required to respond critically and constructively to the work of their peers. This handbook also provides teacher support in the form of lesson plans, handouts, checklists, rubrics, and formative assessments that help them teach and assess the Speaking and Listening standards.

Examples of speaking and listening tasks, relevant follow-up questions, and supports include but are not not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the Close Read for The Pigman, students read and annotate the text. They then share and discuss their annotations in small groups or pairs with a focus on point of view. One question students discussed was, “What did you especially notice about how the author uses point of view in these two chapters? Cite specific textual evidence to support your statements.”

• In Unit 2, in the Skill-Textual Evidence for The Lightning Thief, in pairs, students make an inference about Percy, his mother, or his father. Students write their inference in the middle circle of a character web. In the outward radiating circles, students write textual evidence and personal knowledge or experiences that support their inference. Students may utilize Popplet to create and illustrate their graphic organizers. Students post and present their ideas to the class. Next, the class discusses whether or not each inference is logical or plausible given the supporting evidence.

• In Unit 3, in the Research portion of the unit, in small groups, students create a research project in response to the guiding question, “When should we stand up for others and ourselves?” After reviewing, discussing, and assembling the research, groups present their findings to the whole class.

• In Unit 4, in the Extended Writing Project’s lesson for Audience, Purpose and Style, there is a whole class discussion of the Driving Question, "Who is your audience and what is your purpose for writing your argumentative essay?" There is then a small group discussion to activate prior knowledge with questions such as, “Why is knowing one's purpose for writing helpful?” The Lesson Plan includes an option for students to present in the form of an oral report. Supports such as “Remind students to use formal rather than informal language in their presentations." are included. To help students prepare and deliver presentations, refer to the Presentation Skills in the Speaking & Listening Handbook.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing (e.g. multiple drafts, revisions over time) and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing and short, focused projects. Each unit of study asks student to engage in both on-demand writing and process writing. Students engage in on-demand writing via Blasts and Think questions that are part of Close Read assignments. In addition to shorter, on-demand writing, the students complete an Extended Writing Project at the end of each unit. Each of the four units covers one of these essential writing forms: narrative, informative/explanatory, literary analysis, and argumentative writing. These Extended Writing Projects take students through the writing process including the following: prewriting, planning, drafting, revising, and editing/proofreading/publishing. Students explore different aspects of the writing process and are given a variety of writing practice opportunities to hone their skills and enhance their understanding of each unit’s particular writing form. Examples of on-demand and process writing include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the Close Read of Island of the Blue Dolphins, students complete an on-demand writing task. Students use evidence from the text to complete three prewriting questions before composing a response to the on-demand writing prompt. The writing prompt states, “How would telling Karana’s encounter with the wild dog from the third person omniscient point of view reveal more information about the thoughts and feelings of both characters? Use your understanding of text evidence and point of view to arrive at your answer. Support your writing with evidence from the text.” After completing their writing, students submit feedback to two other peers so that they may use it to improve their writing.

• In Unit 2, in the Close Read of Aesop’s Fables, students engage in a multi-step writing assignment in response to the following prompt: “Though written centuries ago, how do the themes of Aesop’s fables continue to inspire and inform readers even today? Consider the themes in the fables you have read, along with the thoughts, words, and actions of the characters, and the author’s use of personification to support and express themes. Explain how these are still relevant to an audience of readers today. Respond by developing and supporting your ideas with textual evidence from at least three of the fables you have read.” Students brainstorm their reactions to the prompt in small groups or as a whole class and organize this information into a three-circle graphic organizer. Next, the students write using a rubric to guide the process, and once finished, they participate in two peer reviews of each other’s writing.

• In Unit 3, the Extended Writing Project focuses on the narrative form. Students probe the unit’s central question, “When should we stand up for others and ourselves?”, as they write a fictional narrative about someone who takes a stand to help another person or to make a positive change. Other lessons on the Extended Writing Prompt include the skills lessons on organization, descriptive details, and narrative techniques and sequencing. Short constructed responses that accompany all Close Read lessons in the unit help students demonstrate understanding of the specific reading and language skills developed in conjunction with the texts, such as identifying plot in A Wrinkle in Time, exploring point of view in “The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child”, and analyzing theme in Les Misérables.

• In Unit 4, the Extended Writing Project focuses on argumentative writing. Students respond to the prompt, “Recognizing that not everyone agrees on what it means to be a hero or who our heroes are, write an argumentative essay that identifies an individual from the selections in this unit who you feel best exemplifies the qualities of a hero.” Students are given the opportunity to draft, revise, edit, and publish their piece. In order to find information and provide validity for their argument, students are asked to conduct research in at least three print or digital sources in addition to unit selections. Short constructed responses that accompany all Close Read lessons in the unit help students demonstrate understanding of the specific reading and language skills developed in conjunction with the texts, such as the evaluation of two arguments in the Point/Counterpoint article “Celebrities as Heroes” and the analysis of purpose and point of view in the nonfiction excerpts from Eleanor Roosevelt: A Life of Discovery and The Education of a George Washington: How a Forgotten Book Shaped the Character of a Hero.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials providing opportunities for students to address different text types of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

The materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria that materials provide opportunities for students to address different text types of writing. The materials provide for a variety of writing tasks across the school year that vary in length and depth, tie to classroom texts and “Big Ideas,” and represent equally narrative, informative/explanatory, literary analysis, and argumentative writing.

Students engage in writing activities throughout each unit. Students write short constructed responses as part of each Close Read lesson for each text in the unit. This informal writing allows students to demonstrate understanding of the specific text while practicing the featured type of writing. Students engage in informal writing through the annotations that students create as they closely read various texts in the unit.

In addition to shorter, less formal writing opportunities, the end of each unit of study includes an "Extended Writing Task". Students are given writing prompts connected to the unit texts. Throughout the unit and school year, students have opportunities to learn, practice, and apply writing types addressed in the standards. StudySync also provides guidance and support for students to develop and strengthen writing as needed, through planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach. Students also have opportunities to use digital sources for research and presentation. Examples of opportunities to address different text types include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the Extended Writing Project, students write an informative/explanatory essay. Students are asked to, “Write an informative/explanatory essay in which you explain how three individuals in three of the excerpts you have read faced life-changing experiences, and analyze the impact of these changes on their lives and their countries.” A rubric is provided to help monitor student progress.
• In Unit 2, the Extended Writing Project focuses on literary analysis, a form of argumentative writing. Students write an essay in response to this prompt, “Despite all the advances of modern life, we continue to draw inspiration from the ancient world. Ancient culture’s influence is visible in our modern-day words and expressions, mythological references, laws, and values. Draw on a theme, idea, or lesson expressed in selections from this unit to write a literary analysis that demonstrates how ancient culture continues to shape the modern world.”
• In Unit 3, in the Extended Writing Project, students write a fictional narrative based on the prompt, “In this unit, you’ve been reading fiction and nonfiction narratives—imagined and true stories—about characters and real people who had to choose whether to stand up for themselves, another person, or their community. What motivated them to speak and act as they did? When and why do people decide it’s time to take action? Write a fictional narrative about someone who takes a stand to help another person or to make a bad situation better. Think about why your character decides to take a stand. What does your character hope to change? What does your character do? What is the outcome of your character’s efforts?”
• In Unit 4, the Extended Writing Project focuses on argumentative writing. Students write an essay according to these directions: “Every day the media run headlines celebrating heroes among us. The firefighter who charges into the burning building to save an infant is a hero. The nurse who risks her own life to help patients with infectious diseases—she’s a hero too. What qualities do all heroes have in common? What makes one person more heroic than another?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support careful analyses, well-defended claims, and clear information appropriate for the grade level.

The materials provide students with writing activities that vary in length and purpose in response to a variety of texts. The First Read lesson for each text requires students to complete short answers to text-dependent questions. The Close Read lessons at the end of each text include an extended writing prompt that requires students to synthesize close reading and skills work that they have done with the text. At the conclusion of each Full-Text Unit, there are two opportunities for long-form writing response connected to an anchor text. One of these is always analytical in nature and requires an argumentative or informative/explanatory response to the whole text. Lastly, the Extended Writing Project requires students to return to texts they have read throughout the unit. They then analyze these mentor texts. Examples of evidence-based writing to support careful, well-defended analyses include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the First Read of “Guts: The True Stories Behind Hatchet and The Brian Books,” students read and annotate a portion of the text. Students then answer text-dependent questions such as, “What does the excerpt tell you about Gary Paulsen’s life before he became a successful writer? Cite textual evidence in your answer.”

• In Unit 2, in the Close Read of A Short Walk Around the Pyramids & Through the World of Art, students read the texts and focus on the author’s arguments regarding the pyramids. During the writing portion, students use what they noticed about the texts to answer the following writing prompt: “Do you find Isaacson’s argument about the qualities and impact of the pyramids persuasive? Why or why not? Explain Isaacson’s argument, including the relationship between his claim, reasons, and evidence. Use your understanding of argument and claim to evaluate Isaacson’s text. Support your writing with evidence from the text.”

• In Unit 3, in the Full Text Study of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, at the conclusion of reading the text, the students read a companion text: “An Excerpt from Nelson Mandela’s Statement at the Rivonia Trial, 1964.” They then complete a compare and contrast essay in response to the prompt: “In an essay of at least 400 words, compare Mandela’s descriptions of apartheid to Taylor’s descriptions of Jim Crow segregation in Roll Of Thunder, Hear My Cry. What do the two systems have in common and to what extent do Mandela’s critiques of apartheid apply to segregation as it is depicted in Taylor’s novel?”

• In Unit 4, in the Close Read of Celebrities as Heroes, students respond to a prompt asking them to evaluate two sides of an argument. The prompt states, “If you trace and evaluate the argument of each author, which author is most convincing? Which author most effectively uses reasons and evidence to support his or her claim? Is each claim fully supported by reasons and evidence? If not, which aspect of the particular claim remains unsupported? Use your understanding of purpose and point of view as you evaluate the argument in each passage. Support your opinion with textual evidence.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 6 meet the criteria for materials including explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards for grade level as applied in increasingly sophisticated contexts, with opportunities for application both in and out of context.

The materials include a student edition and an annotated teacher edition of the Grammar, Language, and Composition Guide. The guide can be used for students who need more instruction and support either in a small group or individual setting. The lessons can be used for pre-teaching or reteaching. The second part of the Grammar, Language, and Composition Guide focuses specifically on grammar and usage, with each chapter focusing on a specific grammar or usage skill. The lessons provide instructions, practice, and review. Grammar and usage instruction and practice is also embedded in each of the units of study in the First Read Section of several texts. These lessons and tasks build in complexity.

Grammar, usage, and mechanics instruction occurs throughout the Core Program. It is designed to help students develop a complex understanding of language to enhance comprehension of texts. The grammar strand is structured around instruction, practice exercises, and student application. After receiving direct instruction and completing a practice handout on the lesson’s grammar, usage, or mechanics concept, students are prompted to analyze the use of this concept in a given text. They then answer questions about the purpose and effect of the concept. Students may also be prompted to practice the skill through short revision tasks. Core concepts are revisited with opportunities for application throughout a grade level. Language instruction also occurs throughout a unit’s Extended Writing Project. Students can immediately apply grammar, usage, and mechanics concepts to their own writing, by revising their drafts to incorporate the concept. They edit their drafts and apply the concept. Examples of explicit instruction of the grammar and conventions standards include but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, in the First Read of Hatchet, grammar instruction moves from simple to more complex. Students begin by determining the complete subject and predicate of a sentence and determine if a sentence is a fragment. Later, in the First Read of The Pigman, students work on simple and compound sentences.

• In Unit 2, in the First Read of The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug for Troy, students work on punctuating nonrestrictive elements. After the teacher explains the use of dashes and parentheses, students apply this knowledge to the text. The lesson plan states, “Encourage students to apply what they have learned by analyzing the use of dashes and parentheses in the The Hero Schliemann: The Dreamer Who Dug for Troy.” A series of questions are provided for the teacher to prompt the students in this discussion.

• In Unit 3, in the First Read of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, students work on dialect. Students begin with an independent assignment and then look at examples within the text. Later in Unit 3, students revise their narratives during the Extended Writing Project. While revising, students are asked to go into their drafts and check on their character’s dialect. Students complete another practice assignment before going back into their own narratives to determine whether they have accurately expressed the dialect.

• In Unit 4, in the First Read of “Rosa,” students work on avoiding vague pronoun references. Teachers are directed to a specific teaching resource page to guide instruction about vague pronouns. This resource page includes examples and practice items. There are suggestions for beginning, intermediate, and advanced learners in the lesson plan. The teacher is then prompted to help students analyze pronouns in “Rosa.” Question prompts and suggested answers are included. Some of the question prompts include the following:
  • Who is "she" in lines 1 and 10? How does the reader know this?
  • Who are "they" in line 11? How is the reader supposed to know this?
  • What is the effect of Dove using these vague pronouns rather than nouns or pronouns with clearly established antecedents?