The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of Indicator 1a.

The texts across the units include two short reads, two extended reads, and a poetry read out loud selection. Anchor texts include a variety of genres and a range of topics that would be appealing and engaging to students. Genres include, but are not limited to, biographies, folktales, fables, myths, and informational texts. Many texts include engaging pictures, colorful illustrations, character relationships and motives, and rich vocabulary. Excerpts from published works lack the depth for students to grow their understanding of story elements and are not of significant enough length to provide a complete, engaging text for readers. Other texts do not provide enough content, lack engaging illustrations, or do not possess the complexity to be engaging to readers.

Examples of high-quality anchor texts in the program include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, “A Girl’s Garden” by Robert Frost is a poem by a recognized author. Included with the poem is biographical information on the poet. Illustrations are vibrant and support the poem. Rich descriptions and vocabulary enrich the reading of the poem.
• In Unit 2, “Casey at the Bat” by Earnest Lawrence Thayer is a famous and popular poem. The language and the story would be engaging to the reader.
• In Unit 4, Gold Country by Laurence Yep from Staking a Claim: The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung includes dates, times, and actual photographs showing the historical significance of the text.
• In Unit 8, The Odyssey Begins by Mary Pope Osborne is the story of a Greek hero Odysseus and his long journey home after the Trojan War. The two page adventure is illustrated with a single cartoon character of the main character on his voyage home.
• In Unit 9, “The Birth of Chicago” by Odia Wood-Krueger includes a question establishing a purpose for reading. The illustrations are engaging and the bold headings support learning.

Examples of texts not considered appropriate for use as anchor texts in the program include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 5, the short read, “Technology and the Lowell Mill Girls,” contains two short paragraphs to provide background information for the two poems, "When I Set Out for Lowell..." and "A Mill Picture." The poems and contextual information do not provide a picture of whether or not life is made better by technology, instead, painting a picture of lonely, homesick immigrants.
• In Unit 10, "Changes in Matter" by Laura McDonald provides very surface-level information about the way various matter can change states. The descriptions are brief and may be too confusing for Grade 5 students without additional support.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1b.

Students engage with a variety of literary and informational texts throughout the units. There is a wide range of texts throughout the units that reflect a near 50/50 balance of literary and informational texts. Texts include, but are not limited to, realistic fiction, poetry, drama, myth, historical fiction, biography, informational science, informational social studies, and personal memoir.

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

• Unit 1, “Solar-Powered Sammy” by Todd Gernert
• Unit 2, The Drive Down: As Brave as You by Jason Reynolds
• Unit 3, “The New Colossus” by Emma Lazarus
• Unit 4, I, Too by Langston Hughes
• Unit 5, “Poems of the Industrial Age” by Jean Toomer, James Steele Smith, Carl Sandburg
• Unit 6, “Brushfire!” by David Boelke
• Unit 8, “The Odyssey Begins” by Mary Pope Osborne
• Unit 9, “Dear Annie Letters from a Young” by Kimberly Feltes Taylor

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

• Unit 1, “Super Senses” by Sunita Apte
• Unit 3, “Native American Rights” by Susan Buckley
• Unit 5, Making of the Industrial Age by Kathy Furgang
• Unit 7, “Banners of Freedom” by Boyrereau Brinch
• Unit 9, The Great Migration and Growth of Cities by Monica Halprin
• Unit 10, John Dalton: Father of the Atomic Theory by Kelly Furgang

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1c.

The texts included in the instructional materials fall within the Lexile level band for Grade 5. Some texts have a complex set of events and characters including historical fiction that requires an understanding of the time period, a complicated plot, time shifts, and unfamiliar vocabulary including academic and domain-specific words. Instruction and student tasks are included for many texts to provide the necessary support to make the texts above or below the Lexile grade band appropriate for Grade 5 students.

Some specific examples of texts that are of an appropriate complexity level include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 7, Week 3, students read Extended Read 2: The Eighteenth of April by Johnny Tremain, an excerpt with a Lexile of 850. This historical fiction features feelings of anticipation, fear, excitement, and courage within the character experiences. The text is written in third person and contains complex sentences, fragments, and heavy dialogue that will challenge the reader. The general academic vocabulary is highly engaging.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, students read Short Read 2: “Grandpop’s Surprise” with a Lexile of 740. The text has low knowledge demands but complex character traits and relationship situations. This selection uses heavy descriptions and fast-paced dialogue. The teacher sets a purpose of making connections for the first read. The second read focuses on how authors create characters through the character’s language and way of speaking.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1d.

Texts are worthy of students’ time and attention. The units are designed to build upon one another with increasing demands for knowledge and application as the student progresses through each unit and lesson. Anchor texts are listed within every unit and provide quantitative measures as well as qualitative measures of complexity. Included in the Additional Resources materials for instructors is a detailed rubric for evaluating dimensions of text complexity. Students engage in texts of varying levels and complexity within each unit. Consumable anchor texts containing two Short Reads, two Extended Reads, three Word Study Reads, and one Poetry read for each unit. The complexity of the texts supports students proficiency in reading independently. Reading routines support students gaining increasing independence in reading throughout the year. Tasks are sequenced with an increase in complexity throughout the year with unit assessments to determine student mastery of skill and strategies. Strategies and Skills, a unit overview of weekly skills that indicates which skills are previously taught or introduced, is included in the Teacher Resources. Unit assessments provide an opportunity to measure student proficiency throughout the year, at the end of each unit, and at the end of the academic year.

• Small Group Reading text within the odd units ranged from 680L to 1080L. The range expectations for Grade 5 are 770L-980L. There were texts below and above grade level expectations.
• Unit 1 Teacher’s Resource Components at a Glance Lexile ranges for Short Reads, Extended Reads and Word Study Reads are between 860L and 1090L, which is above the range of expected Lexile levels. The qualitative measures for the Short Reads and Extended Reads on the Guide to Text Complexity page describe moderate to highest complexity based on the four dimensions of qualitative complexity. There are no qualitative measures for the Word Study Reads although they are part of the consumable anchor text. During Week 3, students read Extended Read 2: “The Science of Growing Corn” by Carla Corriols from the consumable anchor text. Mini-Lessons 1, 2, 4, 5, 7 and 9 require students to use this story to complete a variety of tasks. The purpose of each Mini-Lesson connects to the Apply Understanding student task in each Mini-Lesson. Tasks in this section occur daily during independent work time, over the course of the week during independent time and as homework when specified. Apply Understanding tasks include reading, rereading, annotating the text, sketch in the margins, complete Build Vocabulary section in the consumable anchor text, and Answer questions 1, 2 and 3 in the Write: Use Text Evidence page in the consumable anchor text. Skills in Apply Understanding include:
• Specific skills in Unit 1 include: Identify Key Details and Determine Central Ideas, Draw on Information from Multiple Sources: charts and Graphs, Explain Cause and Effect Relationships in a Text, Determine Author’s Point of View and Purpose, Integrate Information from Several Texts on the Same topic, and Analyze Features and Structure of Poetry.
• Unit 3 Teacher’s Resource Components at a Glance Lexile ranges for Short Reads, Extended Reads and Word Study Reads are between 890 and 1000. Slightly above the Lexile expectations. The qualitative measures for the Short Reads and Extended Reads on the Guide to Text Complexity page describe moderate to substantial complexity based on the four dimensions of qualitative complexity. There are no qualitative measures for the Word Study Reads although they are part of the consumable anchor text. Week 1 Word Study Read “Susan B. Anthony” Week 2 Word Study Read “Mrs. Stowe and the President” and Week 3 Word Study Read “The Presidential Medal of Freedom”. Teacher’s Resources, Components at a Glance indicates Word Study Mini-Lessons occur 15 minutes per lesson. Evidence found did not validate that statement. Word Study reads were only found in one weekly Mini-Lesson that focused on Grammar and found as a bullet point under Apply Understanding and Build Fluency. In Week 2 Mini-Lesson 2, students were asked to spend a few minutes during the week reading “Mrs. Stowe and the President” to develop fluency and automaticity with vowel team words. Skills in Apply Understanding include:
• Specific Skills: Explain the Relationship Between Chronological Events in a Text Explain How an Author Uses Reasons and Evidence, Compare and Contrast the Overall Structure of Concepts in Two Texts, Determine Two or More Central Ideas and Explain How Details Support Them, Integrate Information from Two Texts on the Same Topic, and Interpret Figurative Language: Metaphor.
• Unit 5 Teacher’s Resource Components at a Glance Lexile ranges for Short Reads, Extended Reads and Word Study Reads are between 900L and 980L. The qualitative measures for the Short Reads and Extended Reads on the Guide to Text Complexity page describe substantial complexity based on the four dimensions of qualitative complexity. There are no qualitative measures for the Word Study Reads although they are part of the consumable anchor text. During Week 1, Short Read 1, students use “Technology and the Lowell Mill Girls” to complete tasks in Mini-Lessons 2, 4, 5 and 7. The purpose of each Mini-Lesson connects to the Apply Understanding student task in each Mini-Lesson. Tasks in this section occur daily during independent work time, over the course of the week during independent time and as homework when specified. Apply Understanding tasks include reading, rereading, drawing inferences, annotate, make notes in the margins, identify unfamiliar words and look for context clues to find meaning, complete Build Vocabulary tasks in the consumable anchor chart, and write a paragraph comparing and contrasting the first four stanzas. Skills in Apply Understanding include:
• Specific Skills: Explain How a Series of Stanzas Fit Together to Provide the Overall Structure of a Poem, Explain the Relationship Between Events in a Text (Problem/Solution; Chronological), Integrate Information from Multiple Sources, Determine the Theme of a Poem, Compare and Contrast the Overall Structure of Concepts in Two Texts, Compare and Contrast Poems with Similar Themes, Analyze Problems/Solution Text Structure, and Analyze Poet’s Use of Figurative Language: Personification.
• Unit 7 Teacher’s Resource Components at a Glance Lexile ranges for Short Reads, Extended Reads and Word Study Reads are between 780L and 1040L, which is slightly above the expected Lexile range. The qualitative measures for the Short Reads and Extended Reads on the Guide to Text Complexity page describe substantial complexity based on the four dimensions of qualitative complexity. There are no qualitative measures for the Word Study Reads although they are part of the consumable anchor text. During Week 2, students use Extended Read 1: “Native Americans in the Revolution” by Abigail Conklin from the consumable anchor text to complete tasks from Mini-Lessons 1, 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10 and 12. The purpose of each Mini-Lesson connects to the Apply Understanding student task in each Mini-Lesson. Tasks in this section occur daily during independent work time, over the course of the week during independent time and as homework when specified. Apply Understanding tasks include reading, rereading, annotate to support comprehension, complete Build Vocabulary task in the consumable anchor text, identify two or three central ideas using writing to evaluate their understanding, identify domain-specific words using context clues to determine meaning, complete Build Grammar and Language section in the consumable anchor text and answer questions 1, 2 and 3 in the consumable anchor text Write: Use Text Evidence. Skills in Apply Understanding include:
• Specific Skills: Compare and Contrast the Varieties of English Used in a Text, Compare and Contrast the Overall Structure of Events in Two or More Texts (Chronology), Determine Two or More Main Ideas and Explain How Details Support Them, Explain How an Author Uses Reasons and Evidence to Support Particular Points, Integrate Information from Several texts on the Same Topic, Determine Theme, and Analyze Imagery.
• Unit 9 Teacher’s Resource Components at a Glance Lexile ranges for Short Reads, Extended Reads and Word Study Reads are between 900L and 1050L, which is slightly above the expected Lexile range. The qualitative measures for the Short Reads and Extended Reads on the Guide to Text Complexity page describe substantial complexity based on the four dimensions of qualitative complexity. There are no qualitative measures for the Word Study Reads although they are part of the consumable anchor text. During Week 1, students read Short Read 2: “Chicago: An American Hub” by Ena Kao from the consumable anchor text to complete tasks from Mini-Lessons 10, 12 and 13. The purpose of each Mini-Lesson connects to the Apply Understanding student task in each Mini-Lesson. Tasks in this section occur daily during independent work time, over the course of the week during independent time, and as homework when specified. Apply Understanding tasks include rereading, apply strategies and annotate text to support comprehension, write a paragraph with supporting evidence, and integrate information from two sources to answer a question with supporting evidence. Skills in Apply Understanding include:
• Specific Skills: Draw on Information from Multiple Sources, Explain How an Author Uses Reasons and Evidence, Integrate Information from Several Texts on the Same Topic, Determine Two or More Central Ideas and Explain How Key Details Support Them, and Analyze the Poet’s Use of Figurative Language.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1e.

Each unit has a Unit Resources for Responsive Teaching Guide to Text Complexity within the teacher resources listing total qualitative measures for Short Reads and Extended Reads in the student consumables. Word Study texts within each unit have Lexile levels listed in the Teacher’s Resource Guide Components at a Glance. The text complexity guide provides measures of complexity including purpose and levels of meaning, structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands. Each small group text includes an Accessing Complex Text analysis with quantitative and qualitative measures. The Teacher Resources for small groups include a text level and a Lexile measure for each text. Each unit contains three Word Study Reads; the genre and Lexile level are provided for these material.

Examples of how the program shows text complexity include:

• In Unit 2, Week 3, Extended Read: “Ernie’s Secret” has a text complexity description stating:
• “Purpose and Levels of Meaning: Score of 4; This excerpt is layered in complexity and reveals key understandings about the characters and expands on literary allusions and symbolism to add to the central theme in the novel.
• Structure: Score of 3; The voice is third person. The text is sequential, following the main character through a scene of interactions and conversation with his brother and grandmother.
• Language Conventionality and Clarity: Score of 4; The text contains many long complex sentences with extensive adverbial clauses, as well as fragments, alternating sentence patterns, and unconventional phrasing. The language is informal, but the dialogue is fast-moving and complicated to follow, with many dialectic or idiomatic phrases and expressions.
• Knowledge Demands: Score of 3; Readers would benefit from a familiarity with certain historical, literary, and pop-culture references.
• Total QM: Score of 14; Highest Complexity.”
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Short Read 2: “Gold Country” has a text complexity description stating:
• “Purpose and Levels of Meaning: Score of 2, The purpose of this personal narrative is to show the historical period of the Gold Rush through the eyes of a young Chinese immigrant.
• Structure: Score of 3; This historical fiction is a first person narrative, structured in sequential journal entries, with visual description, and some cause and effect structures.
• Language Conventionality and Clarity: Score of 2; The sentences are simple and clear-cut, and most unfamiliar terms are supported with context clues. Examples of figurative language, specifically similes, appear.
• Knowledge Demands: Score of 3; Prior knowledge of nineteenth-century U.S. history, including immigration, westward expansion, and the California Gold Rush, is helpful for readers to gain complete understanding.
• Total QM: Score of 10; Substantial Complexity.”
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Short Read 1: “The Birth of Chicago” has a text complexity description stating:
• “Purpose and Levels of Meaning: Score of 2; The clear purpose of this selection is to inform readers about the first people to live and establish settlements in the Chicago region.
• Structure: Score of 2; This historical text follows a very straightforward sequence-of-events text structure with some cause-and-effect constructions.
• Language Conventionality and Clarity: Score of 3; The text is written with very clear prose, topic-specific terms supported with direct definitions or context clues. Some complex constructions may prove challenging.
• Knowledge Demands: Score of 3; A general background in early Native American and colonial American history and geography is helpful.
• Total QM: Score of 10; Substantial Complexity.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 (meet, partially meet, do not meet) the expectations of Indicator 1f.

Anchor and supporting texts provide a variety of opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of texts to achieve grade level reading. The consumable anchor text contains two Short Reads, two Extended Reads, three Word Study Reads, and one Poetry Out Loud selection. Students have multiple opportunities to engage with the text during the Short Reads and Extended Reads. Benchmark provides several Additional Resources (AR), in addition to unit-specific mini-lessons to provide a framework or options for students to engage in reading. Each grade level provides pacing options/sample literacy blocks so that students engage with texts daily with notes, annotating, analyzing text with writing and constructive conversations with read aloud text, anchor text, leveled texts and suggested trade-book lists and novel studies for independent reading. Grouped by instructional level, students have daily opportunities to develop their reading abilities during Small Group reading instruction. During Reader’s Theater, students are in heterogeneous small groups. One-week and three-week pacing guides are available for Reader’s Theater texts. Teachers are encouraged to use Read Alouds to model thinking while reading. Online materials contain a Read Alouds Handbook. Each unit contains suggested Read Alouds titles, model prompts for the teacher and lesson plan for each suggested title.

Instructional materials clearly identify opportunities and supports for students to engage in reading a variety and volume of texts to become independent readers at the grade level. The materials also include a mechanism for teachers and/or students to monitor progress toward grade-level independence. Some examples include:

• Three Pacing Options are offered as Sample Literacy Blocks:
• 150 minutes reading block: 15 minute read aloud, 75 minute reading and word study, and 60 minute writing and grammar
• 120 minute reading block: 10 minute read aloud, 75 minute reading and word study, and 50 minute writing and grammar
• 90 minute reading block: (no read aloud) 60 minute reading and word study and 40 minutes writing and grammar
• The Read Aloud Text provides suggested routines for teaching and student support including student-generated questions, partner work, If I were the author, and word study. The teacher selects a recommended trade book from the list in Additional Resources or uses the short selection in the Read Alouds Handbook. The Teacher’s Resource contains a Comprehensive Literacy Planner at the beginning of each week.
• Fluency Routines (FR) provide routines for inflection, intonation, pitch, expression, phrasing, word recognition, and pacing with partner time, practice time, and independent reading time.
• The Think, Speak, Listen resource models and teaches students to support ideas with reasons, evidence, examples, and explanations.
• Teacher Resource Components at a Glance lays out 10 minutes each day for Read Alouds. The teacher selects a recommended trade book from the list in Additional Resources or uses the short selection in the Read Alouds Handbook.

Specific examples of reading opportunities include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 13, students read Short Read 2: “The Future of a Crop” by Amelia Millilo. The teacher sets a purpose by stating they will be analyzing language to determine the author’s point of view and purpose. The teacher models how to analyze language and make inferences about the author's purpose. During Guided Practice, the teacher poses a practice task for partners. The task is to reread and write two to three sentences describing the differences and similarities between the author's points of view and purpose. Partners share their analyses with the group. During Share and Reflect, partners talk about how determining the author’s points of view and purpose helped them read carefully and understand the ideas. Volunteers share ideas with the class. During Apply Understanding, students work independently to write an inference about the author’s purpose for writing using one of their independent texts. This work is used to evaluate their ability to identify author purpose and point of view.
• In Unit 3 Week 2, Mini-Lesson 4, students read Extended Read 1: “Fighting for the Vote” by Margaret Macon. The teacher sets a purpose by stating texts can have more than one central idea. The teacher displays and reads paragraphs 1-2, modeling how to identify key details and how they determine the central idea. During Guided Practice, partners reread paragraphs 3-8, underlining key details and writing central ideas in the margin. Partners share their ideas and the class is brought back together to discuss their findings. During Share and Reflect, partners reflect on how they identified two or more central ideas and found supporting details. A few students are invited to share with the class. During Apply Understanding, students work independently to reread paragraphs 15-20 underlining key details and summarizing the central idea. To check for understanding, the teacher may ask a volunteer to read the text aloud and students will work with partners to underline key details that support the central idea or the teacher may wish to have students complete Determine Two or More Main Ideas in a Text Quick Check A or B in Grade 5 Reading Quick Checks.
• In Unit 5, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 11, students utilize the Poetry Out Loud selection, “The Secret of the Machines” by Rudyard Kipling. Learning Targets are provided in the Sidebar. Teacher guidance is provided to model personification and summarizing using the Figurative Language Anchor Chart previously used. Student tasks include partner Guided Practice to underline examples of personification. During Share and Reflect, partners reflect on why poets use figurative language and share ideas with the class. During independent time, students reread the poem with a partner and they may listen and follow along with the audio-assisted ebook.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Mini Lesson 4, Extended Read 1: The Law of Club and Fang by Jack London, students read during independent reading time an illustration and determine if it maintains the tone of illustration number one. Then students read and annotate paragraphs 4-6.
• In Unit 8, Extended Read 2: Questions and Answers about Oceans (a climate Kids Article) during Build Write Reflect, students answer: “What did you learn from this unit about water and what it means to people. Make a chart. Include details you would use in a research essay.”
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 7, students read Short Read 1: “The Birth of Chicago” by Odia Wood-Krueger. Learning Targets are located in the sidebar. The teacher sets the purpose to find information in multiple sources to better understand an idea. The teacher poses a question to partners reminding them to use multiple sources to answer the question. Partners are called on to share their answers. During Share and Reflect, partners talk about how they used text and graphic features to answer the question. During Independent Apply Understanding time, students select a graphic feature they found during independent reading and write a paragraph to explain how it added to their understanding.
• In Unit 10, Week 1, Mini Lesson 4, Short Read 1: John Dalton: Father of Atomic Theory by Kathy Furgang during independent time, students write a response to the following question: "How does Dalton's atomic theory relate to modern science. Emphasize the importance of chronology in your answer after reading the text."

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1g.

Text-dependent questions, tasks and assignments support students’ literacy growth over the course of the school year. Materials include tasks and assignments which require the implementation of text-dependent writing and speaking. In both Short Read and Extended Read activities (Build Reflect Write pages, Extended Thinking Questions) and Mini-Lesson tasks (Apply Understanding, Share and Reflect, Guided Reading Practice), students are required to draw on textual evidence to support answers to questions and in discussion opportunities. Students have opportunities to work with partners and independently locate evidence throughout the materials. Teacher materials provide support for planning and implementation of text-dependent writing, speaking, and activities. The Teacher’s Resource provides a variety of text-dependent questions and tasks for the teacher to use throughout the program. Routines provide daily guides and suggestions for the whole group such as constructive conversation, book discussion questions, specific text-dependent questions, and making connections. The Teacher’s Edition Mini-Lesson Guides provide modeling, independent and small group support, guided practice and apply understanding for implementing text-dependent writing, speaking and activities. Most Constructive Conversations provide a prompt that asks the student and a partner to look back in the text to provide support to answer a given prompt. Students then use that evidence to share their response to the class. Writing prompts are also provided during the independent work time that ask students to provide evidence from the text. Sample answers are provided in the answer guide, to give the teacher an example of an acceptable answer that provides text evidence.

• In Unit 2, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 1, Guided Practice: Pair, Share, the teacher poses a practice task for students by stating, “Read paragraphs 10-17. What is a book you’ve read in which someone was afraid? Did someone tell them it was okay to be afraid, like Genie tells Ernie? If you cannot make a connection to another text, recall a time when you were afraid.” During independent Apply Understanding the teacher tells students to finish reading the text, make connections to the text and write their ideas in the margins. Students are encouraged “to make different types of connections, such as cross-text, prior knowledge, and personal experience connections.”
• In Unit 3, Short Read 1: “Creating the Constitution” by Benjamin Godfrey, Short Read 2: “Voting Rights Act Address” by President Lyndon B. Johnson, Extended Read 1: “Fighting for the Vote” by Margaret Macon, and Extended Read 2: “Liberty Medal Acceptance Speech” by Thurgood Marshall in the Culminating Tasks: Speaking and Listening: Reflect on the Essential Question, students answer: “Why do laws continue to evolve? Based on this unit’s texts, discuss new ideas and questions you have about the essential question.” Student support and guidance is provided in the form of sentence frames: “My idea is ______. When I read _____it made me think that _______. I agree with ____ and would like to add the idea that ______.” In the Writing: Informative/Explanatory Essay, students write and answer: “What is the value in being able to amend the U.S. Constitution? Write an informative essay about how constitutional amendments allow laws to evolve and help the government protect the rights of citizens. Use text evidence from your Build Knowledge charts and from the unit.” Student guidance is provided in the form of reminders for students: “Be Sure To Include: an introduction, text evidence as support, and a conclusion that is related to the information presented.”
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, during Guided Practice: Annotate, Pair, Share, the teacher poses a practice task for partners: “Read the second journal entry and think about how it fits in with the first entry. Decide if the section is part of the rising action, where the conflict is introduced, climax, or falling action. Underline text evidence that supports your ideas and explain how the story builds from section to section.” During Independent Apply Understanding time, the teacher tells students to “analyze the conflict and explain its resolution from a leveled text they have read previously. Remind them to cite text evidence.”
• In Unit 6, Read-Aloud Handbook, six options for read alouds are offered. Each title has a one-page sheet containing the text, objective, four suggested prompts the teacher can use to model thinking as he or she reads the text, ELL comprehension support questions, and two Extend Thinking questions. The poems, “Storm Fear” and “The Exposed Nest” by Robert Frost, have teacher guidance for the Extend Thinking questions: “Pose one or more questions to engage students more deeply with the text.” The two questions are, “Why do you think Robert Frost used a storm as the subject of this poem? What did you learn about the setting of the second poem?”
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 4, Extended Read 2: “The Eighteenth of April” from Conflicts that Shaped a Nation, students answer the following prompt for Constructive Conversations: “Compare and contrast the registers used by Dove and Johnny in 'The Eighteenth of April.' How does each character present himself through dialogue? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your thinking.” After finding examples, students share out to the class.
• In Unit 8, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 8, Constructive Conversation: Partner, the teacher displays and reads aloud the following close reading question: “Are Poseidon’s actions or Ino’s actions more justified in this story? Compare and contrast each character’s motivations and actions toward Odysseus. Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.”
• In Unit 10, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 4, Constructive Conversation: Partner, the teacher displays and discusses the close reading question and reminds students that they are expected to annotate their copy of the text. Students answer the close read question: “Explain the relationship between heart attacks and cholesterol. Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.” During independent Apply Understanding time, students respond to question 1 in Write: Use Text Evidence located in the consumable anchor text: “How did Dr. Mary Letitia Caldwell influence Marie Daly’s discoveries? Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1h.

Culminating tasks are rich and of quality, provide opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and are able to do in speaking and writing, and are evident across a year’s worth of material. The instructional materials contain a Culminating Research and Inquiry Project for each unit that relates to knowledge gained throughout the unit. Guidance is provided for introducing the project, guiding questions are included for researching, and presentation suggestions round out the support. Students reference texts used throughout the unit to complete the culminating task with some projects being completed individually and others in small groups. Culminating tasks ask the students to create presentations and present them to the class. A teacher and student rubric for the project is found in Additional Resources or each unit. Culminating tasks are supported with coherent sequences of text-dependent questions and tasks. Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, for the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project, students choose a resource and research how it is developed in a region combining information from the unit and outside research. In Week 1, Mini-Lesson 7, Short Read 1, students answer the following question under the Guided Practice: “Reread paragraphs 5 and 6. Circle examples of effects, and underline the causes that led to the effect. Explain the cause-and-effect relationship they discovered between the adaptability of corn and how it spread all over the continent.” This question helps prepare the students for the culminating task.
• In Unit 2, the Research and Inquiry Project is to use unit selections to determine a quality students value in Genie and Ernie. The guiding questions are: “Based on the unit selections and your research, what are some qualities that you are drawn to in a person or character?How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? How did this comparison help you understand how different authors view this quality?”
• In Unit 5, for the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project, students choose a technological advancement from “The Making of the Industrial Age” and research how the advancement changed society. The culminating task’s learning targets for research presentation skills says students will, “Use technology to produce/publish writing and create a multimedia presentation, as well as to collaborate with others” and “Identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides”.
• In Unit 6, the Research and Inquiry Project is to use two unit selections and research another survival story to compare author techniques. The guiding questions are: “Based on the unit selections and your research, what are different motivations that compel characters to survive? How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? Why is human vs. nature a common theme in literature around the world?”
• In Unit 9, for the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project, students choose a city and research how economic changes have impacted it. In Week 1, Mini-Lesson 7, Short Read 1, Constructive Conversations, students answer the following question, “What geographical features of Chicago made it an ideal location for population growth?” In Week 3, Mini-Lesson 7, Extended Read 2, Apply Understanding, students answer the following question: “What can you infer about the role that waterways play in supporting a city’s economy? Support your inferences with information from multiple text and graphic sources within this selection.”
• In Unit 10, the Research and Inquiry Project is to research a career in science that measures matter and compares it to the theory of John Dalton or Marie M. Daly. The guiding questions are “Based on the unit selections and your research, why do scientists measure matter? How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? How do these two careers help demonstrate how matter affects the world?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1i.

The materials provide multiple opportunities for students to use speaking and listening skills to apply their knowledge with a partner, in a small group, or the whole class including Constructive Conversations. The Think-Speak-Listen Flip Book provides teachers and students with a visual guide and scaffolds to show the structure of conversations including sentence stems for various skills within a conversation. The Reviews and Routines provide multiple lessons to help establish speaking and listening routines and procedures. Materials provide grade-level opportunities. There are many opportunities for discussions with partners, and some opportunities for discussions in large/whole groups during Constructive Conversation: Partner, Share and Reflect, Guided Practice, and Apply Understanding.

Materials provide multiple opportunities and protocols for evidence-based discussions across the whole year’s scope of instructional materials, including support for teachers to identify students struggling with these skills. Some examples include:

• In the Think-Speak-Listen Flip Book, sentence stems are provided to support student questioning and evidence-based discussions. For example, under the “Describe the Purpose of the Text” section, students are given a list of sentence stems, including: “I think the purpose of this text is to____. An Important question I have from reading this text is ____. The title is ___, but the main focus of the texts is really _______.
• In Reviews and Routines, there are 15 lessons that help to create routines for the classroom. On Day 4, the class creates an anchor chart to determine the expectations during Constructive Conversations. A sample chart is included in the Review and Routines Additional Material and gives suggestions such as, “Make eye contact with the speaker. Say something meaningful.”
• In Unit 2, Mini-Lesson 1, Constructive Conversation: Peer Group, students work in peer groups to generate questions that will guide their inquiry about character traits and relationships throughout the unit. They are reminded to construct strong, open-ended questions, using who, what, when, where, why and how. Suggested Guiding Questions for the teacher include: “How do people in real life or in stories show who they really are? Why do people become friends? What does a person’s actions tell others about the kind of person he or she is?”
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 7, Short Read 1: “Technology and the Lowell Mill Girls," the teacher displays and reads the selection aloud referencing the Features of Poetry Anchor Chart while modeling how to analyze parts to understand structure. During Guided Practice: Annotate, Pair, Share partners work to annotate structural elements and then share findings as a whole group. During Share and Reflect, partners reflect on how the pieces work together and volunteers share ideas with the class.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 13, Cross Text Analysis, students are given the following prompt during Constructive Conversations, “Use information from 'The Odyssey Begins' and 'The Water-Wise Landscaper' to describe the effect that water can have on people’s lives. Quote accurately from the text to support your answer.” Possible responses are provided for the teacher. The Share and Reflect section asks partners to reflect on their answers. Modeling is provided under the Reinforce or Reaffirm Strategy to help students that need extra support.

Support for evidence-based discussions encourages modeling and a focus on using academic vocabulary and syntax. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Unit Resources for Responsive Teaching, Vocabulary Development gives a list of words to use to assist with Speaking and Listening. The document states, “The following words and phrases may be useful during your class discussions around the topic of characters at crossroads. Consider using these terms as you introduce and reflect on the Essential Question. Only some of these words appear in the unit selections.”
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Build Grammar and Language: Focus on Fragments in Dialogue and Conversation, students find and read the fragment in context on page 8. The teacher instructs students that fragments are often used in written dialogue, though they may not be grammatically correct. Students then find and copy a second fragment from the text that captures the way people may speak or converse. Students then write their own fragment. It can be a common expression or something they often say when conversing informally with others.
• In Unit 9, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 5, Extended Read 1: “The Great Migration and the Growth of Cities,” students use context clues to determine word meaning. During Constructive Conversation: Partner, a sample Context Clues Chart is provided and partners find context clues, develop a definition, and find a dictionary definition for each word provided by the teacher. Reinforce or Reaffirm the Strategy suggestions are provided for students needing support or extensions. During Share and Reflect partners discuss what they found and why it is important to understand the meaning of the words.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1j.

Speaking and listening instruction is applied frequently over the course of the school year and includes facilitation, monitoring, and instructional supports for teachers. Students engage in whole-class and peer discussions as part of partner work, culminating research and inquiry projects, and presentations. Teacher guidance is within the Mini-Lessons and at the end of each unit in Additional Resources and under Program Support in Managing Your Independent Reading Program. The Additional Resources contain specific instructions for each piece within the Mini-Lessons. The Managing Your Independent Reading Program provides teachers with specific guidance for conferring with students and group discussions. Materials include practice of speaking and listening skills that support students’ increase in ability over the course of the school year, including teacher guidance to support students who may struggle. Guidance for teachers to support students is found in most Mini-Lessons via Ways to Scaffold the First Reading, Constructive Conversation Checklists, Anchor Charts, and Reinforce or Reaffirm the Strategy which provides resources for the teacher to help students who may struggle. Speaking and listening work requires students to gather evidence from texts and sources. Most units have a Constructive Conversation, Guided Practice, and Share and Reflect components that require students to use evidence from the texts to support their discussions with their classmates.

Students have multiple opportunities over the school year to demonstrate what they are reading and researching through varied speaking and listening opportunities. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Research and Inquiry Project, students work in small groups and gather text evidence from multiple sources about a resource such as rice, wheat, or potatoes and how it is developed in a region. During Week 3, groups present their findings using a podcast interview, documentary video, news report, interactive poster, or the group can select an idea of their own. A teacher and student rubric is in the Additional Resource Bank, under the specific unit’s Additional Materials icon.
• In Unit 6, students complete a Culminating Research and Inquiry Project on Human vs. Nature. The following information is provided for the teacher during the students' presentation: “Assign audience members meaningful listening and note-taking goals. Students listening should jot down at least two new ideas they heard and one question they would like to ask the presenter. Students should also be prepared to identify the reasons and evidence a speaker provides to support particular points.”
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 2, Share and Reflect, partners answer the following questions: “What strategies did you use as your read? How did they help you? What new knowledge did you gain about the American Revolution from your reading? How did this section change or expand your thinking about the essential question? How does a conflict shape society?” One or two students will share their ideas with the class. During Access, students listen to the interactive ebook and discuss with a partner the strategies they used to support comprehension and fluency.
• In Unit 10, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 4, Extended Read 2, students read “Marie M. Daly: Biochemistry Pioneer.” The Constructive Conversation prompt says, “Explain the relationship between heart attacks and cholesterol. Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.” The teacher is provided with the following information, “Give partners time to reread and annotate the text. Observe their conversations to determine the level of support they may need. Then call on volunteers to share their ideas. To provide additional support or extend the experience, use ‘Reinforce or Reaffirm the Strategy.’ See sidebar for sample response.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations for materials including a mix of on-demand and process writing, grade-appropriate writing (e.g.,grade-appropriate revision and editing), and short, focused projects, incorporating digital resources where appropriate.

The materials provide opportunities for students to complete narrative, informational, and opinion writing with each unit focusing on a type of process writing. Opportunities exist for students to revise and edit their process writing during mini-lessons with teacher guidance. Each unit contains three Build/Reflect/Write sections. In Week 3 of each unit, students reflect on the year’s worth of cumulative writing in each genre and evaluate what they have learned. Technology is incorporated through research, and students are asked to type their essays to finalize them.

Materials include a mix of both on-demand and process writing that covers a year’s worth of instruction. Some examples include:

• Students participate in on-demand writing
• The consumable anchor text in each unit begins by having students write a personal goal that will lift their learning. At the end of the unit, students return to the same page to write what they did to make progress towards their goal describing the strategies they used.
• In Unit 1, in the Build-Reflect-Write section of the student consumable after reading Short Read 1: “The Structure of a Corn Plant,” Short Read 2: “The Future of a Crop,” and Extended Read 1: A Short History of a Special Plant by Laura McDonald, students write an informative essay answering the prompt: “Imagine that you have to explain the growth and cultivation of corn plants to someone. What would you say? Write an informative essay about how people have used corn to survive over time. Use details from the texts as examples.”
• In Unit 3, Mini-lesson 12, Week 1, Short Read 2: “Voting Rights Act Address,” Apply Understanding, students write a paragraph summarizing the points President Johnson made in this address to support his argument. Students explain how Johnson used facts and ideas to support his points. They differentiate between the facts and the opinions in the speech.
• In Unit 5, in the Build-Reflect-Write section in the student consumable after reading Short Read 1: Technology and the Lowell Mill, Short Read 2: Eli Whitney’s Cotton Gin, Extended Read 2: The Making of the Industrial Age, students write an answer to the prompt: “Does Technology make people’s lives better or worse? What do you think? Write an opinion about the impact of technology on the way people live and work. Use details from the texts to support your claim.”
• Students participate in process writing.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, Process Writing, students begin their Opinion Essay. The teacher models how to create a brainstorming chart and then students work in partners to brainstorm ideas. Students complete a brainstorming chart and then write their opinion statement for their writing. Students work on their essays through Unit 5, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 12 when they finalize their essays.
• In Unit 10 Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, students are introduced to the Diamante Poem using an anchor chart and checklist. In Mini-Lesson 6, students analyze poem features. Students brainstorm ideas using a Brainstorm and Evaluation Chart with a partner in Mini-Lesson 9. Students take a close look at their brainstormed ideas and begin to narrow their focus. In Mini-Lesson 14, students develop their ideas through freewriting. In Week 2, partners use their Diamante Freewriting Charts to practice what they will say in their diamante poems. In Mini-Lesson 6, students use the Mentor text to identify examples of assonance. During independent writing time, students review their drafts and add examples of assonance in their poem. In Mini-Lesson 9 and 10, students revise to ensure they have followed the diamante format. In Mini-Lesson 13, students use the computer to publish the poem and add images.
• Students revise and/or edit.
• In Unit 1, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 12, Writing to a Text-Based Prompt students use a rubric to evaluate their Informative/Explanatory essay. After the teacher models how to use the rubric to evaluate an essay, the students reflect on their writing. The Teacher’s Resource states, “Tell students that during independent time they will complete their evaluations based on the rubric. Ask students to decide if they are prepared to turn in their final drafts or if they would like to revise or further edit before turning in their work, based on their self-evaluations.” The Informative/Explanatory Essay rubric is included in the Additional Materials.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 8, students revise their opinion essay to strengthen the link between reasons and evidence. Partners practice this process during Guided Practice using the Mentor Opinion Essay, then during independent time, students revise their pieces focusing on incorporating linking words, phrases, and clauses.
• In Unit 5, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 3, Write Historical Fiction: Use Descriptive Words to Convey Experiences and Events Precisely, the teacher models using descriptive words in text. The teacher models how to revise the sample text for descriptive words. During Independent Writing, students continue working on their historical writing by revising to add precise words and phrases in their writing.
• Materials include digital resources where appropriate.
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 12, Process Writing, students use technology to publish their Historical Fiction Essay. Students use computers to type their final copies. The Keyboarding Practice Lesson is provided in the Additional Materials. Under the Share and Reflect section, the Teacher’s Resource says, “Ask students to reflect on why choosing a title and adjusting the margins should be the final steps of creating an essay. Call on a few students to share their ideas with the class.”
• The culminating Research and Inquiry Project provides presentation suggestions for students which include digital resources. In Unit 4, suggestions include making a video or audio recording of a talk show featuring their character as the “guest”, magazine profile of the character, or fictional journal from the point of view of their character. Both the teacher and student rubrics for this activity include a presentation component evaluating the creative way the group is sharing data. Teacher guidance for this project is located in the Teacher’s Resource prior to Week 1 Mini-Lessons.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 1l.

Over the course of the year, students engage in a variety of writing text types. Materials include the following writing text type opportunities: two informative/explanatory, two narrative, two opinion, poetry, and a research writing project. In the Program Support, the teacher is provided with the K-6 Writing Plan. On the Text-Based Writing document, the materials list at least one mini-lesson for each unit that is based around a text-based prompt. Other writing opportunities are listed on the document, such as Build/Reflect/Write activities based around the close reading.

Materials provide multiple opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Some examples include:

• Students have opportunities to engage in argumentative writing.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, the teacher sets the stage and models how to prepare for the writing task by clearly stating an opinion and using facts and details from a source text to support the point of view. During Week 1, students analyze mentor writing prompts, source texts, and understand why strong evidence is necessary to support their opinion. In Week 2, students brainstorm, gather evidence, form an opinion, and plan their writing. For example, in Mini-Lesson 3, students begin to plan and organize. During independent writing time, students write their initial feelings about “The Drive Down” and “Grandpop’s Surprise” along with a list of the steps they plan to take to respond to the prompt: “Would you recommend author Jason Reynolds to other readers?” In Week 3, Mini-Lesson 3, students begin their draft focusing on the opening paragraph. In Mini-Lesson 6, students incorporate facts and concrete details to support their opinion and reasons. In Mini-Lessons 8 and 10, students revise and edit. In Mini-Lesson 12, students evaluate and reflect on their writing.
• In Unit 5, students write an opinion essay about a science and technology topic of their choosing. Students go through the writing process, beginning with brainstorming during Unit 5, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, Process Writing. In Unit 5, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 12, Process Writing, students finalize their writing. The Teacher’s Resource says, “Have students consult their Opinion Essay Rubric. Students should evaluate their essays using the rubric and determine if they are ready to publish or if their essays need further work.” The Opinion Essay Rubric is included in the Additional Materials.
• Students have opportunities to engage in informative/explanatory writing.
• In Unit 3, students write an informative/explanatory text. The topic for their writing will relate to voting rights in the United States, which relates to texts that were read in the unit. After modeling and completing the guided practice, the Teacher Resource states, “Tell students that during independent writing time, they should write a brief paragraph about what they already know about their chosen topics. Use students’ writing to evaluate their preparedness for independent writing.” An Informative/Explanatory Essay Writing Rubric is provided in Unit 3, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 10, Process Writing.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 11, students use planning guides to draft an informative/explanatory response to the prompt, “Why is making and selling popcorn a good way for students to raise money? After reading 'How to Set Up a Popcorn Stand,' write a brief text that answers this question. Use evidence directly from the article.”
• In Unit 9, Leveled/Small Group Text: “Immigrant Success Stories” by Victoria Sherrow, Inquiry Project, students write an informative essay about a famous immigrant. Students choose an immigrant to research in order to write a short biography describing how the person they researched became successful and contributed to the betterment of the United States.
• Students have opportunities to engage in narrative writing.
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 11, students use their planning guide to construct a draft response to the prompt, “Write a journal entry describing what you saw and felt. Use details from 'Kitty Hawk' in your journal entry.”
• In Unit 7, Small Group/Level Text: “In the West: Facing Change” by Susan Buckley and Topaz Jones, Writing in Response to Reading, students consider characters in both stories and how they are similarly going through new experiences and are uncertain about what their future might hold. They then write a story based on a time when they either had a new experience or met new people. They describe the characters in their story and how the experience made them feel.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of Indicator 1m.

Materials provide frequent implied opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence. Teachers and students are provided with a wide variety of writing prompts in Guided Practice, Apply Understanding, and the Build, Reflect, Write sections that require students to write with evidence from the text. These prompts do not specifically state that students write their answers or what form a writing should take. Although the heading of Build, Reflect, Write implies that writing will occur, students answer questions and cite evidence but are not specifically told to write an answer. In most units, the materials provide teacher guidance on modeling thinking and writing using evidence. Opportunities are then provided where students locate evidence to support the answer to a prompt and headings suggest that writing will occur but does not explicitly state what form this will take.

Writing opportunities are focused around students’ analyses and claims developed from reading closely and working with sources; however teacher and student instructions are vague and do not always explicitly describe the parameters of the expected responses. Some examples include:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 6, Writing to a Text-Based Prompt, the teacher models how to use facts and details from a text to write an informative/explanatory essay. The teacher uses “The Structure of a Corn Plant” and reads paragraph 2 aloud to the students. The Teacher’s Resource suggests teachers use the following to model for the students, “To gather information, I’m going to look for relevant facts and details in ‘The Structure of the Corn Plant’ that relate to my essay topic. I can restate the notes in my own words by paraphrasing, or use quotation marks when I use phrases directly from the text.” The teacher modeling provides an opportunity for students to learn the process of writing an essay.
• In Unit 3, Short Read 1: “Creating the Constitution,” Short Read 2: “Voting Rights Act Address,” Extended Read 1: Fighting for the Vote, and Extended Read 2: Liberty Medal Acceptance Speech, Writing: Informative/Explanatory Essay, students write an essay in response to the following prompt: “What is the value in being able to amend the U.S. Constitution? Write an informative essay about how constitutional amendments allow laws to evolve and help the government protect the rights of citizens. Use text evidence from your ‘Build Knowledge’ charts and from the unit.”
• In Unit 7, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 10, Extended Read 1, Apply Understanding, students answer question 2 in Write: Use Text Evidence: “In ‘Native American in the Revolution,’ the author claims that the conclusion of the American Revolution was not the end of violence between Native nations and American settlers. Does the author's evidence in this text adequately support this claim? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your thinking.” The headings imply that students will write an answer but no specific directions are provided for writing a response, nor is there teacher support for exemplar responses.
• In Unit 8, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 8, Extended Read 1, Apply Understanding, teacher directions provide instruction for students on completing question 1 in Write: Use Text Evidence. Students respond to the following prompt: “How has Odysseus’s demeanor changed in the years between ‘The Odyssey Begins’ and ‘The Voyage’? Cite specific text evidence to support your thinking.” The heading implies that students will write to answer but no specific directions are provided for students to write an answer, nor is there teacher support for exemplar responses.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, Short-Read 2, students read “Chicago: An American Hub.” The Teacher Resource then provides the following instructions for the teacher: “Tell students that during independent time, you would like for them to write a paragraph with supporting evidence to explain why The World’s Columbian Exposition was beneficial to Chicago.”
• In Unit 10, Week 2, Extended Read 1, Mini-Lesson 8, students answer the following prompt: “How do the diagram on page 7 of ‘Matter is Everywhere! And the information on pages 12-13 of ‘Changes in Matter’ help you understand the different ways types of matter change? Cite specific evidence from the texts and the graphic features of both sources to help support your thinking.” The prompt is found under the heading Write: Use Text Evidence which implies students will write an answer but the directions do not specifically state that they will.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially 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.

Materials provide explicit instruction of grammar and conventions for all standards within the grade level. One to two times a week, students engage in a 15-minute grammar and/or language activity that focuses on various standards. The teacher models the grammar or convention skill, followed by students practicing the skill with a partner. Students have the opportunity to later apply learned skills in workbook activities; however, there are limited opportunities for students to apply skills in context of their writing.

Materials include explicit instruction of grammar and conventions standards for the grade level. For example:

• Explain the function of conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections in general and their function in particular sentences.
• In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 8, the teacher introduces the definition of preposition. The teacher models finding and circling prepositions in text, “Creating the Constitution,” then guides students to identify and analyze prepositions in pairs.
• In Unit 3, Week 3, Lesson 8, the teacher displays unedited text and models how to evaluate and revise writing using conjunctions and prepositions. Students work in pairs to revise sentences in Practice Conjunctions and Prepositions text.
• Form and use the perfect (e.g., I had walked; I have walked; I will have walked) verb tenses.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 8, the teacher sets the purpose for the lesson. The teacher displays text and reads aloud and introduces the definition of past perfect verb tense: “I see the verb phrase had arrived. The action began and ended in the past. The phrase had arrived is in the past perfect tense.” Students work in pairs to analyze verb phrases and identify its tense.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 14, the teacher reviews perfect verb tenses and their function. The teacher displays the Perfect Verb Tense chart and discusses how the present perfect tense describes the relationship between past and present. The teacher guides students to read mentor text to identify verb phrases in the perfect tense.
• Use verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 8, the teacher sets the purpose for the lesson. The teacher displays and reads aloud paragraph 1 from “The Structure of a Corn Plant” and models how to analyze verb text. The teacher guides students to read paragraph 3 of the text to identify and circle verb tense.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 5, the teacher reminds students that verbs describe the time of an action, event, or condition. The teacher displays and reads aloud from “Ernie’s Secret” and models annotating and analyzing verb tenses. Students work in partners to circle verbs in the text, identify verb tense, and discuss if conditional verb tense was used. Students apply knowledge of verb tense by writing sentences on page 27 of Developing Characters Relationships.
• Recognize and correct inappropriate shifts in verb tense.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Grammar and Spelling activity Book, page 17, students complete a worksheet in which they edit sentences to correct verb tenses.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 12, the teacher displays and reads aloud unedited text and models editing the text for inappropriate shifts in verb tense: “The first sentence is in present tense, and that is correct. When I read my second sentence, it sounds odd. The verb phrase had arrived is past perfect. It shows that the action began and ended in the past. Within the same sentence, discover is in the present tense. That is an inappropriate shift because the verb relates to the brothers and an event that already happened. I’ll change it to past tense.”
• Use correlative conjunctions (e.g., either/or, neither/nor).
• In Unit 7, Week 2, Lesson 13, the teacher sets a purpose for the lesson by telling students that they will continue to work on their stories by combining two ideas into one sentence for clearer writing by forming correlative conjunctions. The teacher models using common correlative conjunction pairs: either/or, neither/nor, and not only/but also. The teacher uses a Modeling Text to combine the sentences using correlative conjunctions. Students use a Practice Text and work in partners to read each sentence and choose correct correlative conjunction pairs to complete the sentence. During independent writing time, students focus on using correlative conjunctions to clarify their writing in the drafting stage.
• In Unit 10, Week 2, Lesson 7, the teacher sets a purpose for the lesson by reminding students that they have practiced using conjunctions to connect two or more ideas in a sentence. The teacher models reviewing correlative conjunctions with the text, “Changes in Matter.” Students use a paragraph from the same text to analyze what ideas the conjunctions are connecting and whether the sentence structure is parallel.
• Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
• In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 13, the teacher sets a purpose for the lesson by explaining that students will practice using commas to separate items in a series and after an introductory rule of phrase. The teacher models using the Purpose of Commas Chart and reads aloud the ways commas are used, the examples, and the placement of the comma. Students practice with partners to use commas in sentences.
• Use a comma to separate an introductory element from the rest of the sentence.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Lesson 8, the teacher sets a purpose for the lesson by telling students that they will analyze the use of punctuation for effect used in “The Odyssey Begins.” The teacher will tell students that authors use punctuation for effect to heighten the drama of a scene, emphasize the feelings of a character, or convey added meaning in their writing. The teacher models by reviewing Punctuation for Effect with students. The teacher uses a paragraph from “The Odyssey Begins” to model how to analyze the use of punctuation. Students practice with another paragraph from the same text and analyze the use of punctuation with a partner.
• Use a comma to set off the words yes and no (e.g., Yes, thank you), to set off a tag question from the rest of the sentence (e.g., It’s true, isn’t it?), and to indicate direct address (e.g., Is that you, Steve?).
• In Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 7, the teacher sets a purpose for the lesson by reminding students that previously they explored the function of conjunctions as a way to connect sentences. They will analyze how conjunctions are used in the beginning of sentences in fiction to make dialogue and narratives sound more realistic. The teacher models by using paragraphs from the text, “Miguel’s Prophecy,” and modeling how to analyze and annotate the use of conjunctions. In the example, the conjunction but is used at the beginning of the sentence. The teacher explains when a conjunction is at the beginning of a sentence it still connects two ideas and should be separated by a comma. Students practice with paragraphs from the same text with partners to find and analyze conjunctions within the text. Students apply understanding during independent time and homework time during the week by completing the Build Grammar and Language section on page 27 of Recognizing Author’s Point of View.
• Use underlining, quotation marks, or italics to indicate titles of works.
• In Unit 8, Week 1, Lesson 6, the teacher is provided with modeling to teach how to select credible resources and cite them properly. The teacher displays the Student Source Evaluation Chart. In guided practice, students evaluate a source and record it properly by underling it, using italics, or using quotation marks.
• Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed. L.5.3a Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 4, the teacher models using context clues and a dictionary to find the correct meaning of a word with possible multiple meanings. The teacher displays lines from the text, “A Mill Picture,” to model determining the meaning of the word shuttles. The teacher checks the dictionary and tries to determine the correct definition from multiple definitions. In guided practice, students work in partners to circle words provided in the lesson in the text, underline context clues found, and use dictionaries to find the meaning of the words which make sense of the words in context. During independent time, students are to find unfamiliar words in their texts, look for context clues, and confirm the definition in a dictionary.
• In Unit 6, Week 3, Lesson 2, the teacher displays words and explains the concept of hyphenated and open compound words. The teacher is provided with words and applies the Reading Big Words Strategy to help read the words provided and determine their meaning. In the Spelling portion of the lesson, the teacher guides students to identify the type of compound word each is and their meaning. Students work in partners spelling the words aloud. The teacher reminds students to check reference materials to confirm definitions and spellings of words in the Apply Understanding and Build Fluency portion of the lesson during independent time.
• Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
• In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 10, the teacher models combining and reducing sentences in a sample text provided. The teacher models using since to combine the sentences.
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Lesson 10, the teacher models expanding, combining, and reducing sentences in a draft. The teacher displays the Modeling Revising Sentences Text and models how to evaluate and improve writing by revising sample sentences. The teacher models combining sentences. In Guided Practice, students revise and write sentences provided. During independent time, students work on their historical fiction pieces. If they are revising, the focus is on expanding, combining and reducing sentences to convey meaning.
• Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.
• In Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 3, the teacher reminds students that authors use different techniques to make dialogue sound realistic including using register, dialect, fragments, run-on sentences, punctuation for effect, and interjections. The teacher models how to use dialogue to rewrite a scene and dramatize events from the text, “I Speak Spanish, Too”.
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Lesson 8, the teacher explains, “Fiction writers sometimes use sentence fragments to make dialogue sound more natural.” The teacher uses the text, “Brushfire!”, to explore how the use of fragments convey realistic dialogue. The teacher explains why a complete sentence would make the dialogue more formal.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 12, the teacher compares and contrasts the styles of language used in a letter by George Washington and a speech by Patrick Henry. Modeling is provided. The teacher models identifying words and phrases in the text that indicate register. In Guided Practice, partners are to annotate details that show the varieties of English, including register in a paragraph of “Road to Revolution”.

Materials include limited opportunities for students to demonstrate application of skills both in and out of context. Opportunities for students to apply newly learned grammar and conventions skills to their writing is limited. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 10, Writing to a Text Based Prompt, students practice expanding, combining, and reducing sentences for meaning in and out of context. In guided practice, students work with a partner to edit a sentence. They are reminded they can shorten the sentence to clarify the meaning and add a comma if needed. In independent practice, students work on their essays looking for places where they can combine sentences by linking ideas or reducing sentences for clarity.
• In Unit 2, Week 1, Lesson 14, the teacher displays the Verb Tense chart and discusses how they are used and formed. The teacher guides students to rewrite the sentence Lad rescues his owner using past perfect verb tense.
• In Unit 4, Week 3, Lesson 3, Writing to a Text Based Prompt, students make dialogue sound realistic including using register, dialect, fragments, run-on sentences, punctuation for effect, and interjections. In guided practice, students work with partners to rewrite a scene with dialogue using a paragraph from the text, “I Speak Spanish, Too”, making sure it sounds realistic. The teacher points out elements and use the different techniques. During independent writing time, students are to write a dialogue for the scene of their fictional narratives.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 12, students identify fragments in practice sentences and rewrite them as complete sentences. During independent practice, the students complete the Build Grammar and Language section on page 11 of Up Against the Wild. Students practice this skill in context.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the criteria for materials, questions, and tasks address grade-level CCSS for foundational skills by providing explicit instruction and assessment in phonics and word recognition that demonstrate a research-based progression.

Materials contain explicit instruction of phonics and word recognition consistently over the course of the year. Students have opportunities to use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in and out-of-context within word study mini-lessons throughout the year. Within the Intervention Teacher Guides, the Grade 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks provide assessment opportunities over the course of the year to inform instructional adjustments of phonics and word recognition to help students make progress toward mastery. In Grade 5, the main strategy used to explicitly teach word solving strategies is called Reading Big Words, which outlines how to chunk big words to decode them successfully.

Materials contain explicit instruction of irregularly spelled words, syllabication patterns, and word recognition consistently over the course of the year. For example:

• Use combined knowledge of all letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology (e.g., roots and affixes) to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context.
• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 5, the teacher reviews using “Read Big Words Strategy” to decode focusing on syllables with short vowel sounds. The teacher displays words infer, exist, metric, radish, liquid using ePocket Chart and models flexible syllable division, using knowledge of syllables with short vowels, and by circling short vowel sounds. The teacher displays “Read Big Words Strategy” and a list of short vowel words and guides students to read the words out-of-context. The teacher guides students to read short vowel words in “The Structure of a Corn Plant.”
• In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 2, Word Study, teacher modeling is provided for decoding words by dividing the words into syllables using knowledge of vowel team letter patterns, open syllables, and closed syllables. The teacher is to circle the vowel team in each word, review that vowel teams make a single sound in the syllable. Students chorally read paragraph 1 in “Fighting for the Vote” which includes the irregular words without, against, government. The teacher reviews the steps to the Reading Big Words Strategy and has students read words in guided practice which contain vowel teams. The teacher scripting is provided to model decoding the word grievances in the text. The teacher has students chorally read the week’s spelling words providing corrective feedback if needed. The teacher guides the students to identify the vowel teams in each word. Students take turns dictating and spelling the words to a partner. The teacher reminds students that breaking the words up into syllables when saying and reading the words makes the task easier. During independent time, students complete Build Vocabulary on page 19 in The Constitution: Then and Now, and they read “Mrs. Stowe and the President.” The teacher reminds them to use what they know about word families and syllable types.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 5, students learn noun suffixes: -ology, -ant, -er, -or, -ery in a 15-minute word study lesson. The teacher reminds students what they have learned from the Reading Big Words Strategy that suffixes are word parts added to the end of a word. Knowing the meaning of suffixes helps to break a word apart to read it and figure out what it means. The teacher tells the students that they will work on a few common noun suffixes. The teacher models and explains to students that when one of these suffixes is added to the end of a word, the word becomes (or remains) a noun. The teacher displays the following words and guides students to use the Reading Big Words Strategy to pronounce each word: zoology, informant, trainer, director, trickery. The teacher circles the suffix in each word and explains how the suffix changes the meaning of the word. For example, “Zoology is the study of animal behavior.” Students engage in guided practice by chorally reading the following words: inspect, serve, honest, invent, recover, labor, contest, machine, method. Students work with partners to decide which suffix to add to each word and then write the new word on a five-column chart. Students apply their decoding skills to determine word meaning when reading “When I Set Out For Lowell.” Later, students apply their knowledge of suffixes when spelling.
• In Unit 5, Week 2, Day 2, the teacher sets the focus for the lesson, saying “Many words in English are based on Latin roots. Knowing the meaning of roots can help readers comprehend unfamiliar words. Today we will focus on some common Latin roots that can guide you in finding meaning for other words.” The teacher displays words perspective, literature, adventure, construction and models using the Read Big Words Strategy and circling the Latin root in each word. Example explanations for Latin roots: “Spec means to see. Perspective is a certain way of doing things. Liter means letters. Poems, stories, essays, and memoirs are types of literature. Vent means to come. An adventure can be an exciting or unexpected trip or outing. Struct means to build. Construction is the act of building something, or something that has been built.” The teacher guides students to read words with Latin roots and explains the meanings. Students use page 12 of “Poems of the Industrial Age” to apply knowledge of Latin roots to decode words in text. Students and the teacher chorally read the weekly spelling words containing Latin roots.
• In Unit 8, Week 2, Lesson 2, Word Study, the teacher models using the Reading Big Words Strategy, which includes looking for familiar spelling patterns in the base word, Step 3, to decode words with Latin roots aud, vis, form, and cede. The teacher circles the roots in the words auditorium, visualize, conform, and concede. Modeling is provided to give the meanings of each root. The teacher has students chorally read paragraph 5 of the text “Why the Ocean Has Tide.” Teacher scripting is provided to decode the word transform. The teacher has students chorally read the week’s spelling words providing corrective feedback if needed. The teacher guides the students to identify the Latin roots each word. Students take turns dictating and spelling the words to a partner. The teacher reminds students that breaking the words up into syllables when saying and reading the words can make it easier. During independent time, students complete Build Vocabulary on page 19 in Water: Fact or Fiction and read “Why the Ocean Has Tides” to develop automaticity with words with Latin roots.

Multiple assessment opportunities are provided over the course of the year to inform instructional adjustments of phonics and word recognition to help students make progress toward mastery. For example:

• Within the Grade 5 Intervention Teacher Guides, the Grade 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks provide assessment opportunities over the course of the year to inform instructional adjustments of phonics and word recognition to help students make progress toward mastery. Within the Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks are the following relevant assessments for Grade 5 phonics and word recognition standards:
• Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Check #15 to #116. There are 35 Quick Checks for teachers to use throughout the year that pertain to this standard.
• In Unit 2, Week 2, Lesson 2, after explicitly modeling using vowel teams and syllable patterns to decode unfamiliar words, the teacher is recommended to use Vowel Team Syllable Patterns Quick Check on page 51-52 of 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 5, after explicitly modeling using Vowel-Consonant-e syllable pattern to decode unfamiliar words, the teacher is directed to use Vowel-Consonant-e Syllable Patterns Quick Check on page 53-54 of 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks to assess student knowledge of the syllable pattern.

Materials contain explicit instruction of word solving strategies (graphophonic and syntactic) to decode unfamiliar words. For example:

• In Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 2, the teacher displays words final, staple, location, recently, momentum and models how to divide each word into syllables to sound it out. The teacher models flexible use of syllables, using knowledge of open syllable patterns, and circling the open syllable in each word. The teacher guides students to read open syllable pattern words out-of-context, then in the text, “Ernie’s Secret.”
• In Unit 5, Week 2, Lesson 2, Word Study, the teacher models decoding affected using knowledge of syllables. Teacher scripting is provided to tell students they will use what they know about word parts to pronounce the word, “I recognize the suffix -ed at the end of the word. I also see a closed syllable, fect. I’ll try saying it out loud af/fect/ed.”
• In Unit 9, Week 3, Lesson 2, Word Study, the teacher models using the Reading Big Words Strategy to decode words with prefixes pro-, em-, en-, per- and im-. The teacher tells students they will use the Reading Big Words Strategy to decode words. The teacher guides students to use the Reading Big Words Strategy focusing on Step 1, having them notice prefixes to pronounce the words. The teacher circles the prefixes of the model words and gives the meaning for each prefix. Teacher modeling is provided in the lesson to decode prosperity using knowledge of prefixes.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the criteria for materials, lessons, and questions providing instruction in and practice of word analysis skills in a research-based progression in connected text and tasks.

Materials provide multiple and varied opportunities over the course of the year for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis skills in connected texts and tasks. Word analysis skills are taught primarily within Word Study lessons provided weekly throughout all 10 units. Lessons include explicit instruction of new concepts with teacher models and guided practice, followed by application of newly learned knowledge using connected text from the weekly readings. The Word Study lessons prompt the teacher to encourage students to apply their newly learned skills throughout the week in reading tasks. Materials include word analysis assessments to monitor student learning of word analysis skills. Within the Intervention Teacher Guides, the Grade 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks provide word analysis assessments to monitor student learning of word analysis skills.

Multiple and varied opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to learn, practice, and apply word analysis skills in connected texts and tasks. For example:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 5, students practice decoding words using vowel-r syllable patterns in text The U.S. Constitution: Then and Now, pages 4-5 “Creating the Constitution.” Students chorally read weekly spelling words with vowel-r syllable patterns. Students apply knowledge of vowel-r syllables to fluently read “Susan B. Anthony.”
• In Unit 3, Week 2, Lesson 2, students learn how to read words with vowel teams through teacher modeling of flexible use of syllable division, dividing the syllable after the vowel team, using knowledge of open and closed syllables, identifying and circling the vowel teams in each word. Students chorally read spelling words and identify vowel teams in the words to correctly pronounce the words, and students work in pairs to dictate and spell the words. In guided practice, students read words with vowel teams after the teacher reviews the Reading Big Words Strategy and break words into syllables or manageable chunks as needed. During independent time, students complete Build Vocabulary on page 19 in The Constitution. Students read “Mrs. Stowe and the President” to develop automaticity and fluency with vowel team words.
• In Unit 10, Week 3, Lesson 2, students review reading words with prefixes re-, bio-, im-, ex-, and micro- through teacher modeling of the Reading Big Words Strategy. Students chorally read spelling words, recognizing suffixes in the words, and they work in pairs to dictate and spell the words. In guided practice, students add to a chart containing the prefixes and brainstorm the meaning of the words based on their prefixes. During independent time, students complete Build Vocabulary on page 27 in Transforming Matter, and read “What Makes It Pop?” to develop automaticity and fluency with words with prefixes.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 5, students learn to use knowledge of noun suffixes to decode and pronounce words in the text Technology’s Impact on Society, page 4-5, “Technology and the Lowell Mills Girls.”

Materials include word analysis assessment to monitor student learning of word analysis skills. For example:

• In 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks are provided, each of which focuses on a single skill and are given one-to-one with the student. Skills included in the Quick checks are consonant and vowel sounds, prefixes and suffixes, homophones and homographs, and root words. Two assessments are provided per skill. Quick Checks are intended as a formative assessment, to help monitor student progress and help teachers adapt instruction as needed. The teacher is to follow the Resource Map provided for intervention resources for remediation in Phonics and Word Recognition Intervention lessons if students score below 66%.
• Word Study lessons reference the Spelling Routine on AR3 for instruction and assessment. The teacher is to analyze the spelling of misspelled words and use the results to plan for differentiated small group instruction and practice.
• In Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 2, the teacher is directed to use Grades 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks pages 15-22 to assess student knowledge of long vowels or Spelling Routine on AR3.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 5, the teacher is to use Spelling Routine on AR3 for instruction and assessment for words with noun suffixes -ology, -ant, er, -or, and -ery.
• In Unit 8, Week 3, Lesson 2, the teacher is directed to use Grades 3-6 Phonics and Word Recognition Quick Checks pages 91-92 to assess student knowledge of adjective suffixes.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the criteria for instructional opportunities being frequently built into the materials for students to practice and achieve reading fluency in oral and silent reading, that is, to read on-level prose and poetry with accuracy, rate appropriate to the text, and expression.

Materials provide multiple opportunities over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading. Students read texts multiple times throughout the week during short and extended reads, focusing on a different purpose and goals for understanding each time. The Fluency Routines can be found in the Teacher’s Resource Guide under Additional Resources: Instructional Routines. Materials include 16 Fluency Routines. Materials support prose and poetry in core content during the short reads, focusing on accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings. Materials include assessments within Intervention: Teacher Guides, which provides the teacher and students with information of students’ current fluency skills.

Materials contain 10 Fluency Quick Checks and each is used to evaluate: Oral Reading Accuracy, Reading Rate, Comprehension, and Fluency elements like phrasing, intonation, and expression.

Multiple opportunities are provided over the course of the year in core materials for students to demonstrate sufficient accuracy and fluency in oral and silent reading. For example:

• Students have opportunities to read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
• In Unit 1, Week 1, Lesson 2, the teacher tells students that readers ask questions before they read to set their purpose for reading and ask questions to clarify information. In Build Fluency, the teacher explains fluent readers read with appropriate pace and speed, using paragraph 4 in the text. The teacher models the fluency routine with this skill and provides guided practice. During independent time, students partner-read paragraph 4 for additional practice. Students revisit the text and create text-dependent questions.
• In Unit 1, Week 2, Lesson 8, the teacher models analyzing the author's point of view to find the purpose using Cultivating Natural Resources, pages 12-16, “A Short History of a Special Plant.” The teacher displays and reads aloud a close reading question, then models finding text evidence to determine the author’s point of view and using that to determine the author’s purpose. The teacher guides students to work in partners to answer a question identifying the author's purpose. During independent time, students work to answer a close reading question on their own, identifying the purpose, and demonstrating understanding of the text.
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Lesson 2, the teacher reminds students to monitor their comprehension and draw on strategies they know to stay focused and read with understanding. In Build Fluency, the teacher explains that fluent readers “confirm or correct word recognition for understanding." The teacher follows the fluency routine to model this skill using paragraphs 1- 2 of the text. During independent time, students partner-read paragraphs 1- 2 of “The Banners of Freedom” for additional practice. Students read paragraph 4 of the text and are reminded to continue to apply strategies as they read and annotate the text for understanding.

Materials support reading or prose and poetry with attention to rate, accuracy, and expression, as well as direction for students to apply reading skills when productive struggle is necessary. For example:

• Students have opportunities to read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
• In Unit 1, Week 3, Lesson 11, the teacher reviews the features and structures of poetry using “A Girl’s Garden.” The teacher reads aloud the poem while students close their eyes and listen to the language. Students work with partners to read lines 25-44 and annotate features and structures they encounter. During independent time, students practice re-reading the poem for fluency with a partner or audio assisted ebook.
• In Unit 5, Week 1, Lesson 2, the teacher explains to students that fluent readers pause and make full stops while reading. The teacher follows the fluency routine to model this skill and provides guided practice as needed. During independent time, students are to partner-read the poem, “When I set out for Lowell….”, for additional practice. Students reread to draw inferences about the other reading selections in the unit.
• In Unit 6, Week 2, Lesson 1, students read paragraphs 1 and 2 of “The Law of Club and Fang.” The teacher reminds students to use strategies they know to support understanding such as reading aloud. The teacher explains to students that fluent readers read with dramatic expression. The teacher follows the fluency routine to model this skill and provides guided practice as needed. During independent time, students are to partner-read paragraph 3 the text for additional practice and complete reading the text.

Materials support students’ fluency development of reading skills (e.g., self-correction of word recognition and/or for understanding, focus on rereading) over the course of the year (to get to the end of the grade-level band). For example:

• Students have opportunities to use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
• In Unit 2, Week 3, Lesson 2, the teacher models using the Reading Big Words Strategy to break words into syllables and or manageable chunks with open syllable patterns. Students chorally read paragraph 17 of “Ernie's Secret,” read the first time in Lesson 1, and the teacher stops to model decoding and using context clues to determine the meaning of shudder. Students read “Early Inspirations” to develop automaticity and fluency with words containing open syllables. The teacher reminds students to monitor their reading making sure to read words correctly using their knowledge about word families and syllable types.
• In Unit 4, Week 1, Lesson 5, the teacher models using knowledge of vowel-consonant-e syllable patterns and context clues to decode words. The teacher reminds students to use the Read Big Words Strategy to decode words in text, “Annie’s New Homeland.” Students monitor their reading to make sure they read the words correctly, using what they know about syllable types and word families and context clues.
• In Unit 6, Week 1, Lesson 2, students read paragraph one of “Androcles and the Lion.” The teacher reminds students to use strategies that support comprehension, such as reading more slowly and thinking about words. During independent time, students partner-read paragraph 1 for additional practice and independently read paragraphs 2 and 3 of the text to make an additional text connection.

Assessment materials provide teachers and students with information of students’ current fluency skills and provide teachers with instructional adjustments to help students make progress toward mastery of fluency. For example:

• Fluency Quick Checks provide 10 reading passages which evaluate oral reading accuracy, reading rate, comprehension, and fluency. The teacher can evaluate a specific element or all four. It is recommended that students be tested formally three times in the year: beginning, middle, and end. However, since there are 10 passages provided, the teacher can provide follow up assessments for students needing additional practice. There are equations provided to calculate oral reading accuracy and reading rate goals set for the beginning, middle, and end of the year. There is a rating rubric provided for how to assess oral fluency. A table is provided for scoring the assessments: student scoring 100%, 4/4 can move on to the next Quick Check; students scoring 75%, 3/4 should continue to be monitored and the teacher should consider reassessing; if students score below 50%, 2/4 teachers should follow the Resource Map provided for additional resources to remediate fluency skills.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of Indicator 2a.

The units are connected by a grade-level topic or theme and are framed with guiding questions. However, some units are themes, rather than topics. For example, the texts in Unit 1 focus on the topic of animal adaptations, while the texts in Unit 6 are organized by the theme, Up Against the Wild. Each unit contains a new topic or theme for each of the 10 units, with each unit lasting three weeks for a total of 15 days. There is vertical alignment across the program, meaning each grade has a similar topic or theme that appears at each grade level. Publisher documentation indicates the general topics are science, social studies, technology, literature, social-emotional learning, and culture. However, there is not always consistent vocabulary or content that repeats across texts within a unit, therefore reducing the impact of exploring a single topic for three weeks. While the topics/themes are supported by texts that fall within the topic or theme, the texts do not serve the function of building knowledge of topics, but are instead used as vehicles for instruction and practice of literacy skills. Additionally, the focus of questions and tasks is on building comprehension skills and understanding the parts and structures of texts with little emphasis on the content contained therein. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Unit 2 is organized around the theme of Developing Character Relationships. The Essential Question is "Why do we value certain qualities in people?" and the knowledge focus is, “For this unit, students will read selections from the same realistic fiction novel. They will build schema around the following concepts:
• Fiction novels, short stories, and plays may vary in length or structure, but they all contain characters that lead the reader through the plot.
• Authors use description, action, dialogue, and tone to illustrate character traits.
• Written works may contain visual elements, such as illustrations, that contribute to the meaning and tone of the work.
• Characters often exemplify universal human character traits and offer an opportunity for readers to make connections to and examine themselves, others, and the world they live in.
• Characters, their relationship, and their actions have consequences that impact the story.

Enduring Understanding: Characters-- and people-- bring their own opinions and viewpoints to a relationship.

However, the Learning Goals focus on metacognitive, comprehension, vocabulary, word study and grammar/language skills. The Comprehensive Literacy Planner only lists skills that can be broadly applied to multiple texts and do not reference the Essential Question or Enduring understanding for the unit, though these are both referenced in the mini lessons.

• Unit 6 is organized around the theme of Up Against the World. The Essential Question is "What compels us to survive?" and the knowledge focus is, “In this unit, students will read different works of fiction related (to) the theme of survival. They will build schema around the following concepts:
• All works of fiction contain a theme, or central underlying meaning, that is supported by the elements of setting, character, plot, and/or visual elements.
• Works of fiction may vary in tone, style, or structure, yet still explore similar themes.
• The characters in a fictional work and their response to the challenges allow readers to make connections to themselves, others, and the world around them.
• The universal themes explored in literature and those that speak to the human condition and apply to all people, regardless of gender, race, (and) ethnicity.

Enduring Understanding: Human vs. nature is a classic-- and compelling-- conflict in literature.

However, the Learning Goals focus on metacognitive, comprehension, vocabulary, word study and grammar/language skills. The Comprehensive Literacy Planner only lists skills that can be broadly applied to multiple texts and do not reference the Essential Question or Enduring understanding for the unit, though these are both referenced in the mini lessons.

• Unit 7 is organized around the topic of Conflicts that Shaped a Nation. The Essential Question is "How does conflict shape a society?" and the knowledge focus is, “In this unit, students will read firsthand accounts, informational texts, and historical fiction about the American Revolution in order to build schema around the following concepts:
• Primary and secondary sources (letters, journals, newspapers, audio or video recordings, paintings, photographs, and maps) are important pieces when building a full and meaningful understanding of the past.
• There were many social, economic, and political factors that led to the American Revolution, and in turn, the war caused many social, economic, and political changes.
• Different groups of people participated in the American Revolution for different reasons and the final outcome of the war impacted each of these groups differently.
• The American Revolution gave rise to a new form of government and shaped a new society.

Enduring Understanding: The American Revolution gave rise to a new form of government and shaped a new society.

However, the Learning Goals focus on metacognitive, comprehension, vocabulary, word study and grammar/language skills. The Comprehensive Literacy Planner only lists skills that can be broadly applied to multiple texts and do not reference the Essential Question or Enduring understanding for the unit, though these are both referenced in the mini lessons.

• Unit 8 is organized around the topic of Water: Fact and Fiction. The Essential Question is "What does water mean to people and the societies they live in?" and the knowledge focus is, “In this unit, students will read works of fiction and nonfiction related to water in order to build schema around the following concepts:
• Water is essential for all life of Earth.
• Communities can use scientific knowledge and practice to protect the environment and their natural resources.
• Earth’s hydrosphere (water) is constantly interacting with the geosphere (land), biosphere (life), and atmosphere (air).
• Water plays an important role on Earth, in the formation of communities and societies, and in people’s everyday lives.
• Water represents various things to different cultures around the world.

Enduring Understanding: Water is an important natural resource that must be celebrated and preserved.

However, the Learning Goals focus on metacognitive, comprehension, vocabulary, word study and grammar/language skills. The Comprehensive Literacy Planner only lists skills that can be broadly applied to multiple texts and do not reference the Essential Question or Enduring understanding for the unit, though these are both referenced in the mini lessons.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 2b.

Short Reads and Extended Read text selections are accompanied by Mini-Lessons where students answer questions and complete tasks that look at word choice, figurative language, main idea, details, and the structure of the text. Mini-Lesson components include questions focused on comprehension, vocabulary, metacognitive, and “fix-up” strategies. Students discuss questions with peers, providing the teacher an opportunity to listen and determine the students’ understanding. Students annotate, jot notes in the margins, and complete two Build Reflect Write sections in the consumable anchor text providing further opportunities for teachers to determine the level of student understanding of literary concepts taught. At the end of every Mini-Lesson, students complete a task during independent work time demonstrating an understanding of key components. By the end of the year, skills are embedded in students’ work rather than taught directly. Earlier units involve more modeling and guided instruction. By the end of the school year, students complete more tasks independently without teacher modeling and assistance.

Examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that address language and/or word choice include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 4, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 8, Short Read 1: “I Hear America Singing” and “Caged Bird,” students read the texts and analyze how poets use specific words to convey their ideas. During Guided Practice, the teacher displays and reads aloud lines 1–4 from “Caged Bird” asking partners to circle words and ideas that add to the meaning. During Share and Reflect, students reflect “on how precise words and ideas are used in other genres of literature, such as fiction or drama.”
• In Unit 7, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, Short Read 2: “Road to Revolution,” students look at the language used in the text. Teacher guidance states, “Ask partners to reread paragraph 7 of ‘Road to Revolution’ and annotate details that show the varieties of English, including register. Ask students to compare the language used in the speech to the language used in George Washington's letter and in the other paragraphs in the text.”

Examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that address structure include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 4, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, Short Read 2: “Gold Country” from Staking a Claim: The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung, A Chinese Miner, California, 1852,” students examine how two sections of this story fit into the overall structure. During Guided Practice: Annotate, Pair, Share, partners “Read the second journal entry and think about how it fits in with the first entry. Decide if the section is part of the rising action, where the conflict is introduced, climax, or falling action. Underline text evidence that supports your ideas and explain how the story builds from section to section.”
• In Unit 5, Week 2, Extended Read 1: “Prayers of Steel” by Carl Sandburg, students reread the text to answer the prompt: “How is the second stanza different from the first? How does the second stanza help to develop the theme the poet introduces in the first stanza? Cite specific text evidence to support your thinking.”

Examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that address craft include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 9, Cross Text Analysis of two excerpts “Grandpop’s Surprise” and “Ernie’s Secret” from As Brave As You, students answer the following Close Reading question: “As the title suggests, the quality of being brave is an important theme in As Brave As You. Compare and contrast the ways the chapters ‘Grandpop’s Surprise’ and ‘Ernie’s Secret’ introduce and develop this theme. Cite specific evidence from each text to support you thinking.” During the independent Apply Understanding section, students use two different excerpts to answer Question 3 in Write: Use Text Evidence in the consumable anchor text. “Having questions about the world is a recurring theme in As Brave As You. Compare and contrast the ways the excerpts “The Drive Down” and “Sky-Glitter” introduce and develop this theme. Cite specific evidence from each text to support your thinking.”
• In Unit 3, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 11, Poetry Out Loud: “The New Colossus,” students focus on metaphors. The teacher begins by modeling how to identify and interpret metaphors. During the guided practice, students work with a partner to answer the following questions, “What is the meaning of the ‘golden door’ mentioned in the last line? Why do they think the author included this metaphor?”

Examples of coherently sequenced questions and tasks that address key ideas and details include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, Week 1, Short Read 1: “The Structure of a Corn Plant” by Matthew Felkonian and Short Read 2: “The Future of a Crop” by Amelia Mililo, students use text evidence to explain how the parts of a plant work together to perform a function. They then summarize the two sides of “The Ethanol Debate” presented in Short Read 2 using key details to support their answer. Students explain how the authors use diagrams and how the diagrams are both similar and different citing details from both texts to support their answer.
• In Unit 10, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 4, Extended Read 1: “Changes in Matter,” students determine central ideas and identify details that support those ideas. During Constructive Conversation: Partner, students reread paragraphs 1–10, underlining key details. During Share and Reflect, small groups talk about how identifying central ideas and key details helps deepen understanding

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 2c.

Most sets of questions and tasks support students’ analysis of knowledge and ideas. Each unit provides multiple Mini-Lessons with a variety of student tasks accompanying all single text selections with the exception of the Poetry Out Loud titles. Within these Mini-Lessons are content knowledge tasks as well as literacy skills practice. One to two Mini-Lessons accompany each multiple text analysis. The interactive eBook contains Build Knowledge questions at the end of most passages. These questions ask the students to use knowledge gained from the text to answer questions or complete some type of task. Materials provide guidance to teachers in supporting students’ literacy skills. Each week the Teacher’s Resource states the weekly learning goals, such as Skills and Strategies, Spelling Words, and Vocabulary, followed by a Comprehensive Literacy Planner. Learning Targets, Ways to Scaffold the First Reading, materials needed, and possible student responses are listed in the sidebar. Specific teacher guidance is listed in blue italics. Additional Resources for the instructional routines, recommended trade book list, Close Reading Answer Key, Small Group Texts for Reteaching, Text Complexity guide, Special Education Accommodations and Access and Equity information are located at the end of each unit in the Teacher’s Resource. Teacher modeling guidance and how to incorporating knowledge from the text is also provided. There are opportunities for students to incorporate information from various texts or media types. Most units have a section called Cross-Text Analysis where students have to answer questions or complete tasks that incorporate more than one text. By the end of the year, integrating knowledge and ideas is embedded in students’ work via tasks and/or culminating tasks. Earlier units provide more modeling in the mini-lessons, but later units have more guided practice or independent work with each question or task.

Sets of questions and tasks provide opportunities to analyze within single texts. Some examples are as follows:

• In Unit 1, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 10, Extended Read 1: “A Short History of a Special Plant,” students read the text and answer cause and effect questions. During their independent work time, students respond to the following writing prompt: “Reread paragraphs 14–15 and refer to the graph ‘U.S. Corn Production.’ Based on this information, what factors may have contributed to the decline in corn production in 2012? Cite specific evidence from the text to support your answer.”
• In Unit 4, Week 2, “I Speak Spanish, Too,” Mini-Lesson 1, students preview the text, noting text and graphic features. During Share and Reflect, partners answer the following questions: “What questions did you ask about the characters before and during reading? How did your questions help you better understand the text? What other strategies did you use and how did they help you? What important events happen in the first four paragraphs?”

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

• In Unit 4, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 12, “Gold Country” from Staking a Claim: The Journal of Wong Ming-Chung, A Chinese Miner, California, 1852 and “I Speak Spanish, Too,” students compare themes in two stories from the same genre. During Constructive Conversation, students respond to this prompt: “‘Gold Country’ and ‘I Speak Spanish, Too’ both deal with the same theme of young people adjusting to new surroundings. Compare and contrast how each story approaches this theme, including how each author uses point of view. Cite specific text evidence to support your ideas.” During Share and Reflect, students reflect on how point of view changes the theme of the stories. During the independent Apply Understanding component, students answer Question 3 in the consumable anchor text: “‘Gold Country’ and ‘I Speak Spanish, Too’ both deal with the theme of language. Compare and contrast how each story approaches this theme, including how each author uses point of view. Cite specific text evidence to support your ideas.”
• In Unit 5, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 9, Extended Read 2, students use various selections from Technology’s Impact on Society to discuss the Industrial Revolution. During the Constructive Conversation, partners work to answer the following prompt: “How did the Industrial Revolution affect experiences for workers? Cite specific evidence from the texts you've read in this unit to support your thinking.” The teacher observes the conversations to assess understanding and then allow students to share out to the class. A possible answer is provided for the teacher to reference.
• In Unit 9, Week 1, Write: Use Text Evidence, Short Read 1: The Birth of Chicago by Odia Wood-Krueger and Short Read 2: Chicago: An American Hub by Ena Kao, students answer the following questions: “What is one after-reading question you had about 'The Birth of Chicago'? Cite the details from the text that informed your question. How is Chicago today similar to how it was seven hundred years ago? How is it different? Use evidence from both texts to support your claims.”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of Indicator 2d.

Culminating tasks are somewhat engaging and provide students limited opportunities to demonstrate comprehension and knowledge of a topic or topics. Each unit has a culminating task but these tasks do not always require students to demonstrate knowledge of a topic. Questions and tasks throughout the unit help the teacher determine student readiness. Student responses in Constructive Conversation and Apply Understanding provide usable information on student readiness to complete the culminating task. A Reinforce or Reaffirm the Strategy section provides guidance for how the teacher can assist students who need support. Guiding questions and rubrics are also provided and serve as guidance for students and teachers in completing these projects.

While the culminating tasks provided are multifaceted, requiring students to demonstrate mastery of several different standards at the grade level, there is little variation over the course of the year. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 1, the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project asks students to choose a resource and determine how it is developed in its region and then compare it to corn. The Learning Targets contain both Research Presentation Skills and Science Concepts. The learning targets for the research presentation skills state: “Conduct short research projects, gathering relevant information and evidence from unit selections and other print and digital sources. Use technology to produce/publish writing and create a multimedia presentation, as well as to collaborate with others.” The learning targets for science concepts state: “Organisms can only survive in environments where their needs are met. Organisms obtain resources to live by interacting with other living things and the physical environment.”
• In Unit 3, the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project asks students to choose a law discussed in one of the unit selections and research how the law has evolved over time. In Week 1, Mini-Lesson 12, Short Read 2, students read “Voting Right Act Address,” a persuasive speech given by President Johnson to convince Congress to pass a new law that would end discriminatory practices that kept African Americans from voting. Under the Apply Understanding section, the Teacher’s Resource states, “During independent time, ask students to write a paragraph that summarizes the points that President Johnson made to support his argument. How do reasons and factual evidence support these points? Ask students to differentiate between the opinions and facts in the speech.” In Week 2, Mini-Lesson 9, Cross-Text Analysis, Apply Understanding, students answer the following prompt: “Why is it important for different groups of people to have a voice in government? Cite evidence from at least two of the texts you have read in this unit to support your answer.” An answer key is provided in the Additional Resources. These questions help the teacher determine if students are prepared for the culminating task.
• In Unit 4, the Research and Inquiry Project is to choose a time period from one of the unit selections and research another perspective. Students can work individually or with a group to select a research focus, find relevant information from the unit, and identify and evaluate additional sources. Three guiding questions are provided and must be included in the presentations. Students use a rubric when planning their presentation and the teacher also uses a rubric when evaluating presentations. The rubrics measure content, presentation, and effort and collaboration. Suggested ideas for presentations found in the consumable anchor text are video or audio recording of a talk show featuring the character as the guest, magazine profile of the character, fictional journal from the point of view of the character, or students can extend by writing a realistic fiction story from the perspective of someone setting off on an epic journey. Teachers can structure authentic presentation opportunities to the whole class, another class, to parents, or videotape presentations that are uploaded to the school website. Students who are listening jot down two or more new ideas they heard and one question they would like to ask the presenter.
• In Unit 6, the Research and Inquiry Project is to use two unit selections and research another survival story to compare author techniques. Students can work individually or with a group to select a research focus, find relevant information from the unit, and identify and evaluate additional sources. Three guiding questions are provided and must be included in the presentations. Students use a rubric when planning their presentation and the teacher also uses a rubric when evaluating presentations. The rubrics measure content, presentation, and effort and collaboration. Suggested ideas for presentations found in the consumable anchor text are podcast, magazine article, online presentation, slide show, web page, or students can extend by writing a short adventure story about a person doing the job they chose. Teachers can structure authentic presentation opportunities to the whole class, another class, to parents, videotape presentations that are uploaded to the school website. Students who are listening jot down two or more new ideas they heard and one question they would like to ask the presenter.
• In Unit 7, the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project asks students to research careers that involve preventing, managing, and resolving conflict. They then choose one of the conflicts from the texts and apply the conflict resolutions skills to the conflict. The guiding questions for the culminating task include: “Based on the unit selections and your research, how do you think society would be different if people used conflict resolution skills? How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? How do you think society would be different if conflict was resolved during the American Revolution?” A teacher rubric and a student rubric are provided in the additional materials. The rubrics cover the following topics, content, presentation, effort, and collaboration.
• In Unit 9, the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project asks students to choose a city and research how economic changes have impacted that city. Students then compare that city to Chicago, a city they have learned about in the unit. In Week 1, Mini-Lesson 13, Cross-Text Analysis, Apply Understanding, students answer the following prompt: “How have the major industries of Chicago changed over the years? Integrate information from ‘The Birth of Chicago’ and ‘Chicago: An American Hub’ to support your answer.” In Week 2, Mini-Lesson 12, Cross-Text Analysis, Constructive Conversation, students discuss the following prompt: “How did World War I change the city of Chicago? Which of these changes were permanent? Which changes were temporary? Cite specific text evidence from ‘The Great Migrations and the Growth of Cities’ and ‘Chicago: An American Hub’ to support your thinking.” The Teacher’s Resource then states, “Observe their conversations to determine the level of support they may need. Then ask some students to share their ideas. To provide additional support or extend the experience. Use Reinforce or Reaffirm the Strategy. See sidebar for sample response.” These prompts help the teacher determine the readiness of the students for the culminating task.
• In Unit 10, the Research and Inquiry Project is to research a career in science that measures matter and compare it to the work of John Dalton or Marie M. Daly. Students can work individually or with a group to select a research focus, find relevant information from the unit, and identify and evaluate additional sources. Three guiding questions are provided and must be included in the presentations. Students use a rubric when planning their presentation and the teacher also uses a rubric when evaluating presentations. The rubrics measure content, presentation and effort, and collaboration. Suggested ideas for presentations found in the consumable anchor text are interview, online presentation, poster, biography, or students can extend by writing a short informational text about the scientists they researched. Teachers can structure authentic presentation opportunities to the whole class, another class, to parents, or videotape presentations that are uploaded to the school website. Students who are listening jot down two or more new ideas they heard and one question they would like to ask the presenter.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of Indicator 2e.

Materials provide teacher guidance outlining a cohesive year long component that builds students’ academic vocabulary and supports building knowledge. The Additional Resources section provides routines for vocabulary instruction. Each unit has a Strategies and Skills page which lists both the vocabulary content and the week it is introduced, practiced, and whether or not it will be assessed. The Vocabulary Development resource in the Teacher’s Resource lists General Academic and Domain-Specific vocabulary in each unit which is related to the texts within the unit. Vocabulary for speaking and listening is listed, as well as literary terms used throughout the unit. Students have an opportunity to use some vocabulary multiple times throughout the unit, both in the text and out of the text. However, very few words repeat across texts. Some vocabulary appears in multiple texts, although it is not always clear when that occurs and it is not brought to the students’ attention as a mechanism for building knowledge and expertise on topics. There is no documentation or examples of where vocabulary is found in multiple texts. Vocabulary is listed under one heading in the Vocabulary Development resource, making it a challenge for teachers to know when vocabulary words appear and are targeted multiple times. Student vocabulary tasks do not repeat in context or across multiple texts. Students do have opportunities to learn vocabulary in their reading, speaking and listening although not all words are included in those tasks.

Though some vocabulary is repeated in contexts (before texts, in texts, etc.), there is no evidence of vocabulary being repeated across texts. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• On the Vocabulary Development page in the Teacher’s Resource, under the General Academic and Domain-Specific word list which lists text titles, none of the words are denoted as repeating across texts.
• In Unit 4, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 1, Extended Read 1, the Teacher’s Resource tells the teacher to use the Define/Example/Ask Vocabulary Routine to introduce the new vocabulary in the selection. The words are listed on the Week 2 Learning Goals page. Those words are in the text “I Speak Spanish, Too.” Students then complete the Build Vocabulary section in their eBook, Recognizing Author’s Point of View. This task uses four of the words from the text.
• In Unit 7, Week 3, Extended Read 2 “The Eighteenth of April” from Johnny Tremain and “Paul Revere’s Ride,” Preview the Text/Set a Purpose (3-5 min.), beginning directions state, “Use the Define/Example/Ask Vocabulary Routine to introduce new vocabulary in the selection. See word list on page 76.” There are no additional explicit instructions for this task in this section. The teacher also displays the text, allows students to preview the text noting graphic features, and refers to the metacognitive anchor charts. During Mini-Lesson 2, students complete a Build Vocabulary activity for four of the 11 General Academic vocabulary words; the activity does not include any Domain-Specific words. One of the four words, nickered, is neither a General Academic or Domain-Specific word listed on page 76 for Week 3. In Mini-Lesson 11, Poetry Out Loud: “Paul Revere’s Ride,” the focus is imagery; the lesson does not contain any direct instruction with the five General and Domain-Specific vocabulary words listed for this text.
• In Unit 10, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 1, Unit Introduction, the teacher writes the following General Academic vocabulary words on the board: reversible, irreversible, and properties. These words are present in the multimedia presentation and students are asked to use audio and visual clues to help them determine the meaning of the words. Some of these words come up in texts throughout this unit. The word properties is present in “John Dalton: Father of Atomic Theory” and reversed is in “Changes in Matter.” Routines for vocabulary instruction are in the additional resources. The vocabulary words are in one text, although the concepts and similar ideas are present throughout the unit.

Students are supported to accelerate vocabulary learning with vocabulary in their reading, speaking, and writing tasks. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• At the end of each unit, an Additional Resources section provides detailed guidance for the Vocabulary Routine, Define/Example/Ask (AR4). Teachers use this routine to introduce new words. Step 1: Define. The teacher provides a student-friendly definition of the word. Step 2: Example. The words are used in a sentence. Step 3: Ask. The teacher asks a question requiring students to use the word in their example. The Additional Resources includes another Vocabulary Routine (AR5). This routine can be used to introduce new words and extend tasks following the initial Define/Example/Ask routine. Step 1: Introduce the Word. The teacher introduces features of the word such as a student-friendly definition, synonym, various word forms of the word and word partners and or sentences (compare/contrast). Step 2: Verbal Practice. Discuss the word, use sentence frames, and share favorite ideas to complete the frame. Step 3: Written Practice. Students use the word in writing through Collaborate, Your Turn, Be an Academic Author, or Writing an Academic Paragraph.
• In Unit 2, under Unit Resources for Responsive Teaching, the Vocabulary Development section provides vocabulary to be used during Speaking and Listening and when discussing reading selections. The section also includes General Academic and Domain-Specific vocabulary. For example, the following literary terms are provided: structure of novel, hyperbole, dialect, visual elements, meaning and tone, and figurative language.
• In Unit 3, Build Reflect Write, on page 11 of the consumable anchor text, students use strategies learned to find meaning and write a sentence for the words compromise, consent, modeled, and oath from this week’s texts.
• In Unit 8, Week 2, Mini-Lesson 10, Extended Read 1, students work on determining figurative language. Students begin by reviewing the anchor chart with simile, metaphor, and personification. These words have been discussed in previous units. Students work with partners to discuss figurative language using the following prompt: “Compare and contrast the author’s use of language in paragraphs 5–7, and paragraph 8. How does the author’s use of figurative language change the tone of the story? Cite specific text evidence to support your answer.” Students reflect on various types of figurative language and determine how they can change the tone of the story, with their partners. During Apply Understanding, students write an answer using textual evidence to show how figurative language changes the tone of the text. Students should use literary terms multiple times throughout this lesson.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 2f.

Materials include writing instruction aligned to the standards for the grade level, and writing instruction spans the whole school year. Each unit contains a unit-long process writing and multiple on-demand writing prompts. The instructional materials provide for teacher modeling of the process writing during Week 1; in Weeks 2 and 3, students work through the processes of brainstorming, drafting, revising, editing, evaluating their project using a provided rubric, and publishing their final draft. There are multiple resources provided for the teacher including mentor texts, writing checklists, anchor charts, modeling scripts, and K-6 writing plans found within the Program Support. The Writing Plans include the Knowledge Strand, the Writing Mini-Lesson focus, and other text-based writing tasks. Within the writing lessons, the pacing is inconsistent and some parts are missing within units. Editing and publishing often occur on the same day.

Writing instruction supports students’ growth in writing skills over the course of the school year. Beginning-of-year examples include:

• In Unit 1, the writing focus is Informative/Explanatory, and students write to a text-based prompt. In Week 1, the focus is on the key features of a strong informative/explanatory essay. In Mini-Lesson 6, students respond to the following prompt: “Based on your notes from the source text, write a description of a corn plant in your own words.” In Week 2, students begin planning their own essays. They begin by gathering facts and details from the print source, “A Short History of a Special Plant” and the video source “Corn from the CSA.” Planning guides, checklists, and anchor charts are provided to help students organize ideas and information. In Week 3, students draft the introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. As students develop their essays, they develop their topic using facts, details, and quotations from their sources and link ideas using conjunctions. In Mini-Lesson 10, students revise and edit looking for places they can combine sentences for clarity. In Mini-Lesson 12, students use a rubric to evaluate their essay and discuss their process and their evaluation with a partner.
• In Unit 2, students write an opinion essay. Unit 2, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, Writing to a Text-Based Prompt begins by having students analyze a mentor text. The teacher begins by modeling. An example script is provided that states, “In this first week I’ll model how to clearly state an opinion and use fats, reasons, and details from a source text to support a point of view.” The teacher uses the model text to help students determine aspects of an opinion essay. In Week 3, students begin to draft their opinion essays. There is modeling and a lesson on creating an introductory paragraph, although there is no instruction on how to draft a conclusion paragraph in this unit.

Middle-of-year examples include:

• In Unit 5, the writing focus is opinion process writing. In Week 1, students brainstorm ideas for their opinion pieces with a partner and individually using Brainstorming charts. They work to select credible online sources, take notes, and organize information. In Week 2, students begin drafting the introduction, incorporating supporting research, and linking the research to the opinion and drafting a concluding statement. In Mini-Lesson 13, the grading rubric is introduced to students. In Week 3, students revise and edit focusing on varying sentence beginnings, strengthening opinions, and reasons and ensuring pronoun-antecedent agreement. In Mini-Lesson 12, students create a title and use technology to publish their essays after using the Opinion Essay Rubric to evaluate if it is ready to be published.
• In Unit 6, students review writing narrative, opinion, and informative/explanatory texts. In Unit 6, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, Writing to a Text-Based prompt, students write a narrative journal entry in response to a prompt. The teacher models how to respond using the mentor writing prompt. In Mini-Lesson 6, students begin working with the student writing prompt, while the teacher continues to model using the mentor writing prompt. In Mini-Lesson 3, 6, and 9, students work to fill out charts and brainstorm how they want to respond to the prompt. In Mini-Lesson 11, students draft their response, and in Mini-Lesson 14, students revise and edit their response.

End-of-year examples include:

• In Unit 9, the writing focus is on research for a multimedia presentation on a topic or activity of the student’s choice. In Week 1, the goal is understanding key features of multimedia presentations. In Mini-Lesson 9, the teacher models the process using the Multimedia Checklist and Modeling Brainstorm Chart before students begin brainstorming ideas for their presentation. Students use a storyboard for planning and also plan visuals that will support their presentation. In Week 2, students begin creating their presentation beginning with a strong introduction, adding evidence to support their reasons, and creating a concluding statement. In Mini-Lesson 11, students collect visuals from print and online sources. In Week 3, work continues and moves into the revision and edit process. In Mini-Lesson 6, students use formatting and headings to strengthen their presentations. In Mini-Lesson 12, following the presentations, students reflect and use the Multimedia Presentation Rubric to self-evaluate.
• In Unit 10, students write a diamante. In Unit 10, Week 1, Mini-Lesson 3, Process Writing, the teacher explains what a diamante is using the “Sun/Moon” mentor text. The students then use the “Mountain/Canyon” text to work with a partner to determine the elements of a diamante. Students use Week 1 to analyze diamante poems and brainstorm what they will write their poem about. The teacher models filling this information into charts that can be used when they begin writing. In Week 2, students draft, revise, edit, and publish their diamante poems.

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

• K-6 Writing Plans are found under the Program Support heading in the online materials. Within this tab, each unit is listed along with the Knowledge Strand, the Writing Mini-Lesson focus and Other Text-Based Writing Tasks. The Other Text-Based Writing Tasks include: daily text annotation, individual Apply Understanding activities, Build Knowledge tasks which require students to complete graphic organizers, Write: Use Text Evidence in which students answer questions, writing in response to Small-Group Reading, and Culminating Task writing.
• Pacing Options are available in the Teacher’s Resource to help teachers plan for a 60-minute Writing and Grammar block within a 150-minute Literacy block, a 50-minute Writing and Grammar block within a 120-minute Literacy block, or a 40-minute Writing and Grammar block within a 90-minute Literacy block.
• Each unit in the Teacher’s Resource has a Strategies and Skills page stating the Writing focus, a newly introduced strategy or skill, or a previously taught strategy or skill. If the strategy or skill is assessed on the Unit Assessment, a notation is made in this section.
• Prior to each week’s Mini-Lessons in the Teacher’s Resource, Learning Goals are listed for the week followed by a Comprehensive Literacy Planner detailing how Mini-Lessons fit into each day.
• In Unit 8, Week 3, Mini-Lesson 6, Process Writing students revise their research project to include domain-specific vocabulary. The Teacher’s Resource provides a model text for the teacher to use, and an example script to use to model how to revise the text. For example, the teacher may say, “In my research, I learned that a common way to water crops is by using different kinds of irrigation. This is a domain-specific word that I can add to my first sentence, instead of saying ‘watering crops’.” The Additional Materials includes the following: research project anchor chart, model using domain-specific vocabulary text, practice using domain-specific vocabulary text, student research project note taking guide, and research project writing checklist.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 partially meet the expectations of Indicator 2g.

Each unit contains a three-week Culminating Research and Inquiry Project connected to the unit knowledge strand. The project requires additional student research on the topic and extends student learning. The short projects in the materials are discussions or related directly to the long research projects. Instructional materials provide limited support for teachers in implementing projects that develop students’ knowledge on a topic via provided resources. The materials provide rubrics for each of the Culminating Research and Inquiry Projects, as well as a pacing guide that includes Student Goals and Teacher Support. The instructional materials provide some resources and guides via Mini-Lessons, but the Mini-Lessons lack guidance in employing tasks needed to complete the Research and Inquiry Project.

The Research and Inquiry Project guidance establishes the expectation that students will complete the work, but no specific guidance is provided detailing how this work should happen. The Explore section provides the teacher with some ways to assist students if needed and a list of texts and ideas to help students brainstorm ideas for their projects. Materials provide opportunities for students to apply Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language skills to synthesize and analyze their grade-level readings. Each Culminating Research and Inquiry Project requires students to reference a text and other outside resources. Students always present projects to the class. The Teacher’s Resource includes presentation expectations along with a rubric to guide both the students and the teacher.

Students have some opportunities to engage in a variety of research activities and projects across grades and grade bands. Each Research and Inquiry project contains the same components across the year: an introduction including three guiding questions (one connected to the unit’s Essential Question, one connected to the unit’s Enduring Understanding, and a question about how the knowledge gained through the research helped the student to better understand the topic or them), an exploration section with a few suggested texts, suggestions for the presentation, and a pacing chart with student goals and teacher resources. The teacher and student support is not specific and frequently repeats, verbatim, across units: “Before students conduct their own research, model how to reread and extract information from a unit text. Then model choosing, evaluating, and citing another information source that will help you answer the guiding questions.”

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Unit 2, the Research and Inquiry Project uses unit selections to determine a quality students value in Genie and Ernie. Guiding questions include: “Based on the unit selections and your research, what are some qualities that you are drawn to in a person or character? How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? How did this comparaison help you understand how different authors view this quality?” Students gather information from the unit and other print and digital sources and reflect on how character interactions and qualities develop a story and help readers connect to a text. Students create a presentation on the topic using technology.
• In Unit 5, for the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project, students complete a project on Technological Advancement. The Teacher’s Resource provides a Pacing Chart for three weeks. The pacing guide provides Student Goals and Teacher Support. For example, Week 3 Student Goals states, “Finish Planning. Present Findings.” The Week 3 Teacher Support states, “Do a ‘tech check’ to see what equipment students will need and provide help as needed. Ensure that students’ presentation will address the unit Essential Question and clearly reflect an understanding of relevant unit selections and other sources.” Questions and supports are the same as previous units with the exception of the Essential Question and Enduring Understanding
• In Unit 7, for the Culminating Research and Inquiry Project, students complete a project on Careers in Conflict Resolution. In the Teacher’s Resource, the Explore section states, “If students need help in choosing a research focus, preview the unit text with them, identifying conflicts described in the selection. Below is a list of conflicts discussed. Encourage each individual or small group to focus on a different technology, if possible.” There are four conflicts listed with a unit selection provided. This type of teacher support repeats across all units with minimal guidance.
• In Unit 8, the Research and Inquiry Project is to research and select two sources, one literary and one informational related to this unit. Guiding questions include: “Based on the unit selections and your research, what is the significance of water to people? How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? What are ways people can coexist with water?” Students gather information from the unit and other print and digital sources and reflect on how water is essential to life on Earth and how communities can be good stewards of the Earth’s water resources. Students create a presentation on the topic using technology.
• In Unit 10, the Research and Inquiry Project is to research a career in science that measures matter and compare it to the work of John Dalton or Marie M. Daly. Guiding questions include: “Based on the unit selections and your research, why do scientists measure matter? How did the knowledge you gained through research add to your understanding of the unit texts? How do these two careers help demonstrate how matter affects the world?” Students gather information from the unit and other print and digital sources and reflect on how matter has physical and chemical properties that can be measured and how scientists use different tools and methods to measure our world. Students create a presentation on the topic using technology.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 5 meet the expectations of Indicator 2h.

The program includes a variety of built-in supports/scaffolds to foster independence. The anchor texts include Short Reads and Extended Reads. Students annotate and take notes as they read and reread with both teacher modeling, scaffolding and independent reading. Scaffolds and supports include Tips of Annotation, Personal Learning Goals, Skill and Strategy Objectives, Knowledge Focus, Essential Question, and Build/Reflect/Write activities. Methods for scaffolding the first read are located in the sidebar. Small Group Reading groups are organized using leveled texts. There is a proposed schedule for independent reading which includes a proposed literacy block. The proposed literacy block includes a time for independent reading within the reading/word study section. Suggestions for tracking independent reading, such as a Reading Log, are located in the Program Support in the Managing Your Independent Reading Program (Accountability Plan for Independent Reading in Class and at Home). Student reading materials span a wide range of texts and reading levels.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Students have opportunities to read independently during Small-Group Reading time. Materials include various means of student accountability including:
• A Reading Log with book title, author, genre, date completed, date abandoned
• Reading response forms for student summary
• Prompts for reading response journal: This part reminds me of when…, I predice...I think...I wonder...As I read, I thought about…
• Reading Response Ideas: Connect the event or characters in the book to your own life. Express the central problem in the story. Analyze one character’s behavior.
• Reading Survey: Do you like to read? Why or Why not? What is your favorite book? Where do you read?
• Independent Reading: What’s working and What needs work