9th Grade - Gateway 1

The materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for anchor texts being of publishable quality and worthy of especially careful reading.

The materials contain anchor texts that are well-crafted, content rich, and include a range of student interests, engaging students in careful reading. While skills-based Chapters 1-4 do not include anchor texts, the majority of the text excerpts included in the chapters are of publishable quality. The anchor texts included in the genre/mode Chapters 5-11 are of quality. 

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 1: Starting the Conversation, students read an excerpt from “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk” by Sherry Turkle. Turkle’s article, published in the New York Times, provides students with an engaging take on communication in the digital age. This relevant excerpt shares reflections from Turkle’s research with which students can identify.
• In Chapter 4: Using Sources, students read “Alone in the Crowd,” an interview by Michael Price. The text is an interview with Sherry Turkle that appeared in Monitor on Psychology published by the American Psychological Association. The text provides an insightful look into the psychological impacts of social media, a high-interest topic with which students can connect. 
• In Chapter 6: Argument, students read "What’s Wrong with Cinderella?" by Peggy Orenstein. This Central Text was written by a best-selling and widely published author, and it is an approachable selection on the high-interest topic of gender stereotypes.
• In Chapter 9: Narrative, students read "La Gringuita" by Julia Alvarez. This Central Text is culturally relevant and explores the thought-provoking topic of language and power. It was written by a critically acclaimed and popular author.
• In Chapter 11: Mythology, students read excerpts from The Odyssey by Homer. This Central Text is Common Core exemplar that is timeless and has classic themes and rich language.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for texts having the appropriate level of complexity for the grade level (according to quantitative analysis and qualitative analysis).

The materials include a majority of anchor texts that are appropriately placed for the grade level. Most anchor texts have the appropriate level of complexity according to quantitative and qualitative analysis and relationship to their associated student task. Chapters 1-4 do not have anchor texts; rather, they include text excerpts that are used to teach reading and writing skills. The excerpts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade level. In the genre/mode chapters, most texts are within the Grade 9-10 Lexile band. Those that are above or below the band have appropriate qualitative measure and the related tasks are appropriately connected to the text. 

Examples of anchor texts that are within the Lexile band for Grade 9 include:

• In Chapter 7, students read the poem “Home Court’s” which has a Lexile of 980L. 
• In Chapter 9, students read “La Gringuita” which has a Lexile of 1110L.
• In Chapter 10, students read The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Though the text does not have a Lexile rating, it is a classic text for Grade 9.
• In Chapter 11, students read excerpts from The Odyssey which has a Lexile of 1010L.

Examples of anchor texts that are above or below the Lexile band, but are appropriate based on qualitative measures and related tasks include:

• In Chapter 5, students read “Two Kinds” which has a quantitative measure of 840L. Though the text is below grade level, it is paired with classic Grade 9 short stories such as “The Cask of Amontillado” and “The Most Dangerous Game.” Tan’s story is an excellent start to topic of success and the pressures of achievement many students face. The related, culminating task is a literary analysis essay that requires understanding and explanation of epiphany.
• In Chapter 6, students read “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” The quantitative measure is 1150L. Though it is in the stretch Lexile band, the Central Text will help students unpack gender stereotypes and open discussions into a larger conversation about how media shapes ideas of gender roles, which is an interesting topic for students. The related task is a series of questions related to activities done in class and scaffolded by the teacher. These questions lead to the culminating task to write an argumentative essay referencing at least two texts from the unit.
• In Chapter 8, students read “The Politics of the Hoodie” which has a quantitative measure of 1350L. Though this Central Text is above grade level, the subject matter should be of interest to students. Some students may need additional guidance to understand the finer points and distinctions of the essay; however, the topic and timeliness of the text makes it an appropriate essay for Grade 9. The related task is a compare/contrast activity where students answer questions after reading a series of texts that are at grade level and compare it to this text.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ literacy skills (understanding and comprehension) over the course of the school year through increasingly complex text to develop independence of grade level skills (Series of texts should be at a variety of complexity levels).

The materials are intentionally designed and organized to encourage and support the development of specific skills for interacting with texts of increasing difficulty across chapters and throughout the year. To accomplish this, texts are grouped and structured to build knowledge and fluency. The organization of each chapter into Conversations and Workshops allows students to read and analyze increasingly complex texts while practicing discrete, identifiable skills. The range of text complexities, subjects, and types provides opportunities for growth. Additionally, the materials provide the necessary prompts and supports for students to become metacognitive and reflective about their growth as a reader, writer, thinker, speaker, and listener. 

The first four chapters focus on establishing communication skills in the classroom: “discussing ideas civilly, listening actively, writing clearly and with voice, reading actively and critically, and using sources skillfully and responsibly.” These initial chapters break down the skills into small, manageable, instructionally-scaffolded activities. The skills students learn in the first four chapters are woven throughout the rest of the chapters through instruction and assessment in reading and analyzing texts in a variety of genres and modes. Each of the genre/mode chapters is organized into three ordered sections with a combination of low-level approachable texts, grade-level texts, and challenging, conceptually complex texts. 

Skills build on one another, as well as the complexity of the texts to support students’ literacy skills. In the genre/mode chapters, there is a full range of the Lexile stretch band providing opportunities to challenge students. The complexity of anchor texts support students’ proficiency in reading independently and analyzing text at grade level by the end of the school year as required by grade level standards. The Teacher’s Edition of the materials includes teacher tips for organizing and differentiating instruction to meet the standards and the demands of a variety of learners.

Example of how reading skills are taught over the course of the year to meet grade level standards:

• In Chapter 3: Reading, students learn basic close reading strategies for comprehension, such as annotating a text, using context clues, understanding vocabulary, noting sentence structure, summarizing a text, distinguishing between reading for understanding and reading for interpretation, and analyzing visual texts. For the culminating activity, students read Sylvia Plath’s “Initiation” (1120L) and are directed to annotate while reading. After reading, students answer comprehension, analysis, and metacognitive questions such as to write a summary, determine a theme, analyze author’s style, and “Identify any challenges or difficulties you had reading this text and the methods you used to try to overcome them.” For all the questions, students are reminded they can review reading challenges on specific pages of the chapter.
• In Chapter 5: Fiction, Workshop 1: Essential Elements of Fiction, students review elements of fiction and engage in reading three selections in Section 1: “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury (650L), “Reindeer Games” by Sherman Alexie (520L), and “Mirror Image” by Lena Coakley (650L). The difficulty of the readings progress with each section of the unit creating many opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding by answering questions. For example, after reading “The Veldt,” students answer,  “Describe George and Lydia as parents. How does Bradbury use characterization to illustrate their strengths and weaknesses?” This is the type of continuous analysis practice that extends from the earlier experience analyzing “Initiation” in Chapter 3. 
• In Chapter 11: Mythology, Section 3, students read excerpts from a contemporary verse play adaptation of The Epic of Gilgamesh. At the end of the selection, students complete Topics for Composing activities, including an Extension activity that requires independent reading: “Acquire a copy of another version of the story of Gilgamesh and locate a passage that has significant differences in the word choice and/or use of figurative language from this version you have been reading. Explain the effect of these changes on the readers’ understanding of the characters, theme, or tone of the story.” 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that anchor and supporting texts provide opportunities for students to engage in a range and volume of reading to achieve grade level reading proficiency.

Across the materials and within individual chapters, students have access to texts from a variety of genres and levels of difficulties that support students’ individual growth as readers. In addition to the core suggested texts, teachers have access to additional texts that can be assigned to developing grade-level readers. Throughout each chapter, students read a variety of text types and lengths from a range of disciplines with appropriate levels of support. The texts are arranged to increase in difficulty as the students progress through the chapter. The materials incorporate three text sections which include a volume of texts at increasing complexity: foundational, grade level, and challenging.  These scaffolded text sections encourage reading independence at grade level and beyond. Texts types include short nonfiction pieces, poetry, nonfiction articles, narratives, dramas, and mythology. 

Examples of the range and volume of reading that meet the criteria for this indicator include, but are not limited to:

•  In Chapter 1: Starting the Conversation, students read informational chapter material; listen to a TED talk called “The Power of Introverts;” observe and analyze a cartoon; read and listen to two essays from National Public Radio’s “This I Believe” project: “In Praise of the ‘Wobblies’” by Ted Gup and “Returning to What’s Natural” Amelia Baxter-Stoltzfus; and read an excerpt from the article “Stop Googling. Let’s Talk,” by communication researcher, Sherry Turkle.
•  In Chapter 5: Fiction, students read the anchor text, Amy Tan’s “Two Kinds,” and the supporting texts: “Ambush,” by Tim O’Brien, “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, “Reindeer Games” by Sherman Alexie, “Mirror Image” by Lena Coakley, the graphic story “Square Eyes” by Anna Mill and Luke Jones, and “The Cask of Amontillado” by Edgar Allan Poe.
• In Chapter 7: Reading Poetry, students read the shape poem, “Easter Wings,” by George Herbert; the found poems, “Find Your Way” and “You—American Boy.” by Jenni B. Baker; and classic texts like “The Raven” by Edgar Allan Poe, “Sonnet 18: Shall I Compare Thee…” by William Shakespeare, and “Because I Could Not Stop for Death” by Emily Dickinson. 
• In Chapter 10: Drama, students read the anchor text, Shakespeare’s, The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. An accompanying foundational text is Gonzalez's play, Boxcar — El Vagon, and a challenging text is Ryback’s play, A Roz by Any Other Name.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the expectation that most questions, tasks, and assignments are text dependent/specific, requiring students to engage with the text directly (drawing on textual evidence to support both what is explicit as well as valid inferences from the text).

The materials include questions and tasks that require careful reading over the course of a school year; students must provide evidence from texts to support claims. Most questions, tasks, and assignments require students to answer literal and inferential questions and complete tasks with text evidence. Students also work independently and collaboratively to respond to and generate text-specific questions. In the first four chapters, lessons are focused on skills associated with one type of task per chapter: Starting the Conversation, Writing, Reading, and Using Sources. In these four chapters, students are not required to answer text-dependent questions about specific elements of text, rather they engage with texts by applying skills referring to the texts they read. The following seven genre-based chapters require students to regularly answer specific, text-based questions. During reading, students refer to the text to answer Close Reading and Check for Understanding questions. After reading selections, students refer to the text for Understanding and Interpreting questions; Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure questions; and end-of-chapter multiple choice exams.

Additionally, Culminating Activities are text-dependent. Test bank items are both literal and inferential text-dependent questions that require students to gather text evidence about the roles of specific details, the meaning of specific phrases, character development, and vocabulary analysis. The process supports a text-centric curriculum and approach to multiple literacy skills.

Examples of text-dependent questions, tasks, and assignments include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 2: Writing in Context, Section 2: Writing in Context, students read quotes from Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech to learn about how language choices create tone: “As you read the quote, can you hear King’s voice? How does he sound? How might we describe his tone? Fiery? Grand? Uplifting? Resolute?”
• In Chapter 3: Reading, Section 2: Reading for Understanding: What this Text is Saying, Activity 1: Reading for Understanding, students read “How to Breathe” by Malia Wollan and write a summary by “identifying the stated or unstated main idea and at least two or three supporting details. Compare your summary with a classmate and discuss the similarities and differences between them.” 
• In Chapter 4: Using Sources, Section 4: Analyzing Sources, Activity 1: Analyzing Sources, students “Read the source, annotating key points and highlighting sections that seem promising as direct quotations. Then summarize the source in one or two sentences.” The Reflection activity instructs students to “compare the key passages you selected, particularly those noted as potential quotations. Discuss why each of you chose as you did, particularly when you choose different phrases of passages.” In the Teacher’s Edition, the Teaching Ideas resource states, “write a journal about Eliot’s point that boys and girls learn differently because of the experiences to which they are more likely to be exposed (nurture) and not their “innate brain wiring” (nature). Have students consider... how the nature-versus-nurture argument influences their thoughts about the effects of same-sex education.” 
• In Chapter 6: Argument, Section 1, students read “Why School Should Start Later in the Day” by Lisa Lewis and answer the explicit multiple choice test bank question, “Which of the following is not part of Lewis's argument about the effects of early school days on student athletes (pars. 7–8)?” The test bank also includes multiple choice items that draw on inferences from the text: “Which of the following is an important  assumption underlying Lewis's argument?” In the Teacher’s Edition, Teaching Ideas and Check for Understanding suggestions include asking students to identify the claim in a paragraph and then evaluate whether the provided evidence strongly supports the claim.
• In Chapter 9: Narrative, Section 1, students read “By Any Other Name” by Santha Rama Rau. After reading, students answer Understanding and Interpreting questions: “How is the reader expected to interpret the actions of the headmistress when she changed the girls’ names to English versions (par. 3)? Is she just a bumbling but mostly harmless figure, or were her actions of ill intent?”
• In Chapter 11: Mythology, Section 1, students read the short story, “The Treasures of the Gods” by Neil Gaiman. During reading, they complete a close reading activity: “Loki begins unveiling ‘treasures’ in paragraph 85. Ask students to consider how Loki’s attitude changes over the course of this section to paragraph 120. What does this reveal about Loki’s character, and how does this create a contrast with Loki’s character in Part I?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for materials containing sets of sequences of text-dependent/text-specific questions with activities that build to a culminating task which integrates skills to demonstrate understanding.

The materials contain sets of high-quality sequences of text-dependent questions and activities which develop skills to assist in completing and demonstrating their learning in the accompanying culminating activity. Each chapter has one or more culminating tasks that provides opportunities for students to demonstrate what they know and are able to do. Students follow a sequence of activities in reading and writing workshops that build to the culminating task. Workshops are designed to help students synthesize and apply their learning from the chapter.

Chapters 1-4 include a culminating task that requires students to incorporate the skills they practiced through the readings, text-dependent questions, and activities in the chapter. The genre/mode chapters include three Workshops that serve as culminating tasks. In the first Workshop, students study the essential elements of the genre through reading increasingly complex selections and answering text-dependent questions on these readings, which lays the groundwork for understanding the integrated standards presented. These tasks help prepare them for the second and third Workshops where they analyze a piece of writing and compose their own work in the genre. In each chapter, every activity and every question relate to the final two workshops. The many Seeing Connections; Understanding and Interpreting; Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure; and Topics for Composing text-dependent and text-specific prompts posed after each text allow students to learn and practice integrated skills specific to each genre.

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 1: Starting the Conversation, students learn a set of skills on the topics of active listening, academic discourse, and the elements of presentation. At the end of the unit, students complete two culminating tasks: “Write a short speech on the topic of a community to which you belong." "Present your speech with verbal and nonverbal delivery elements in mind.”
• In Chapter 2: Writing, students are instructed on the topics of voice and tone, writing in context, word choice, sentences, punctuation, and paragraphs. The activities for these topics build to the Culminating Activity: “Write a unified and coherent academic paragraph on the importance of community.”
• In Chapter 3: Reading, Culminating Activity, students annotate, summarize, and analyze Sylvia Plath’s “Initiation.” Throughout the chapter, students answer a variety of texts both written and visual, such as an Activity: Style, Tone, and Meaning question where students read a selection from “Speech at the Nixon Library” by Pat Buchanan and examine his diction and syntax to infer his attitude towards immigration. The practice in style analysis supports the independent reading and analysis of “Initiation” in the Culminating Activity. 
• In Chapter 5: Fiction, students complete three Writing Workshops. In Workshop 1, students practice analyzing and writing narrative fiction throughout the chapter. After reading the Central Text, “Two Kinds,” students answer: “Though the story is written from Jing-mei’s perspective, Tan uses direct and indirect characterization to shape the other characters in the story. Rewrite a scene in the story from a different point of view.” Then in Workshop 2, students use the skills they learned about analyzing fiction to write a formal analysis of a self-chosen passage from the chapter. In Workshop 3: Writing an Analysis of Fiction, multiple stories and related questions are used to help students prepare to write a literary analysis about an epiphany: “Explain what causes the epiphany in ‘Two Kinds.’ Explain what the epiphany reveals about Jing-mei.” The scaffolded instructions include: “Let’s practice some analysis using a small passage from the Central Text..A typical writing prompt for an analysis of fiction might read: In many works of literature, characters experience an epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden realization that has a major impact on the character’s life. Explain what causes this epiphany, and how this epiphany develops the character and reveals a theme.” Students are reminded to break down the prompt and find the definition of epiphany.
• In Chapter 7: Poetry, Workshop 2: Writing Poetry, students engage in text specific activities to help them build skills for the culminating activity of creating and revising their poems. For example, in Activity: Syntax students examine poems from Billy Collins, Emily Dickinson, and Adrienne Su and to rewrite the poems with different line breaks, punctuation, and word arrangement. This activity would help students think about their own syntax in their work. 
• In Chapter 8: Exposition, Workshop 2: Writing an Exposition, students examine a series of texts throughout the unit to help develop their drafts such as identifying the main idea in an excerpt from Susan Cain’s Quiet, exploring use of examples in Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me, and studying description in Alan Weisman’s “Earth Without People.” 

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria that materials provide frequent opportunities and protocols to engage students in speaking and listening activities and discussions (small group, peer-to-peer, whole class) which encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax.

Materials and supports provide grade level appropriate opportunities for discussions that encourage the modeling and use of academic vocabulary and syntax through an intentional focus on evidence-based discussions. The first chapter, Starting the Conversation, focuses on academic dialogue, discussion, and listening skills and includes a rationale that states students should consider not just what they say, but how they say it. Students learn the academic vocabulary of voice, dialogue, active listening, debate, and consensus. The Teacher’s Resource Flash Drive also includes teacher-led protocols for speaking and active listening that serve as models for different discussion settings (partner, small group, whole class). In the genre/mode chapters, a section called Conversation provides practice on the speaking and listening skills introduced in Chapter One. This section contains a collection of texts with instruction and activities focused on the discussion of a topic and associated essential questions.

Each chapter section includes activities which encourage the use of academic vocabulary and syntax. Students use Think Aloud activities to practice using academic vocabulary in their discussions, such as compare and contrast and cause and effect. The sections on active listening and engaging in academic conversations provide detailed instruction on how to participate in evidence-based discussions. 

Teacher materials provide support and direction for teachers to fully implement grade level standards and grow students’ speaking and listening skills. The Teacher’s Edition includes frequent activities and questions that could be used to prompt discussions, as well as Teaching Ideas to guide discussions. The Teacher’s Resource Flash Drive contains protocols for discussion modes such as the Fishbowl and Socratic Seminar and grading rubrics for all types of discussion. The appendix includes two speaking and listening topics: listening effectively and effective group communication. 

Examples of opportunities and protocols for speaking and listening include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 6: Argument, Workshop 1: Essential Elements of Argument, the Teacher’s Edition suggests the teacher conduct a Think Aloud with the text, “Beyond Education Wars” by Nicholas Kristof: “Consider reading this article to your students. This will allow you to ‘think aloud’ as you read. In this way, you can model the kind of reading you hope they will do in this chapter. For example, marvel at the image of ‘waves of idealistic Americans.’ How does the absurdity of a wave of idealistic Americans crashing on the shores of education help us understand the writer’s tone as he speaks about a series of moments led by idealistic People?” The Teacher’s Edition also references the guidelines for conducting an effective Think Aloud activity in the TRM Instructional Strategies supplement (found in the Teacher’s Resource Flash Drive): “This technique might first be modeled by the teacher, but ultimately the responsibility should be released to the students to ‘think-aloud’ either in small groups, or as a class. You can simplify the list of instructions above to help guide their inquiry.” 
• In Chapter 8: Exposition, Workshop 1: Essential Elements of Exposition, Activity: Compare and Contrast, students answer questions in a discussion format: “With a partner or small group, compare and contrast your favorite music with theirs. What similarities do the styles of music share? What are the differences?”  Later in the workshop, students use the previous activity to discuss: “When you are finished, share your paragraph with a partner and discuss how writing about the cause/effect relationships helps the reader understand your music’s impact better.” 
• The Speaking and Listening Appendix, Section: Effective Group Communication, includes information for students on the following topics: Setting an Agenda, Understanding Small Group Roles, How to Frame Disagreements, Resisting Groupthink, and Group Decision Making. Under Group Decision Making, specific academic vocabulary for discussion is presented to students when they are encouraged to utilize the argumentation strategies of devil’s advocacy and dialectical inquiry in order to make the best decision for the group.
• In Chapter 9: Narrative, Conversation, students read a group of texts related to the topic “What Is the Relationship between Language and Power?” Afterward, they participate in a Socratic Seminar, a model for small group or whole class discussion, where they use evidence from the texts they read to have a “Conversation about language and power as well as these essential questions:
• How does race pertain to the relationship between language and power?
• What impact does age have on language and the way it relates to power?
• How does gender affect the power of language?
• How can we see that some languages have more power than others?”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for materials supporting students’ listening and speaking (and discussions) about what they are reading and researching (shared projects) with relevant follow-up questions and supports.

The materials support students’ listening and speaking about what they are reading or researching with examples of follow-up questions. The Teacher’s Edition includes Teaching Ideas, Building Context notes, and Close Reading activities in the margin that often suggest ways that teachers can engage students in classroom discussion to enhance their understanding of a text. Discussions occur before, during, or after reading. In the Teacher’s Edition, most chapters provide suggestions for speaking and listening activities, such as Socratic Seminars, think-pair-share, synthesis roleplaying, Philosophical Chairs, and Fishbowl. These activities require students to speak and listen about what they read and research and often require students to support with evidence from the text. They often present their findings to other students, either in a small group or to the whole class. A Speaking and Listening Appendix includes instruction for creating a speech, making a presentation, listening effectively, and using effective group communication.

Evidence includes, but is not limited to: 

• In Chapter 1: Starting the Conversation, students learn how to use academic voice and active listening to participate in an academic conversation related to two articles. They read “I Fought to Defend Colin Kaepernick’s Actions” by Brian Adam Jones and “Letter to Presidents and Athletic Directors of the University of Texas System” by William H. McRaven. They then write a written response to the question, “Was Kaepernick justified in not standing? Why or why not?” Then they participate in an academic discussion: “Start the dialogue by sharing your response with a partner or small group while practicing the active listening strategies described in the previous section (p. 6). Then, add to each other’s ideas, challenge one or two, and try to find consensus on the topic, but don’t worry if you do not fully agree with each other. Be sure to use the sample questions and statements to guide your conversation.”
• In Chapter 8: Exposition, Section 1, students read the article “Why Teenage Girls Roll Their Eyes” by Lisa Damour. In the Teacher’s Edition, before reading the selection, a Building Context note suggests that teachers “get students thinking about mannerisms that are, perhaps, unique to a specific group. It might help to have them work with a partner and craft a short list of what they might call ‘signature’ physical behaviors of teenagers (or of teachers, if you are brave) and what they feel motivates those behaviors. Given how attentive teenagers can be to nonverbal cues, the brief discussion will create a starting point for dialogue with Damour’s text.”
• In Chapter 9: Narrative, students read a group of texts related to the topic “What Is the Relationship between Language and Power?” Afterward, they participate in a Socratic Seminar where they use evidence from the texts they read to have a “Conversation about language and power as well as these essential questions: How does race pertain to the relationship between language and power? What impact does age have on language and the way it relates to power? How does gender affect the power of language? How can we see that some languages have more power than others?” Teachers are also directed to the Teacher’s Resource Flash Drive for instructions on how to hold a successful Socratic Seminar, which includes prompting students who are speaking to cite evidence for their claims.
• In Chapter 10: Drama, Section 3, Workshop 2: Writing Drama, the Teacher’s Edition suggests: “After students complete these final reflections, perhaps arrange student desks in a large circle and have each student read his or her response to the class.” This provides an opportunity for students to speak about and listen to a shared class project. 
• In the Speaking & Listening Appendix, Part 4: Citing Sources in Speeches, students are instructed to provide evidence in discussions using relevant sources and include citation of sources within the flow of their speech.  Students are provide the following sentence frames: “According to . . . ,” use another phrase for the next. “As reported by . . .”; “In the opinion of . . .”; and “Wired journalist, Emily Dreyfuss writes that . . .”

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing grade-appropriate writing (e.g. grade-appropriate revision and editing) and short, focused projects.

The materials include a mix of both on-demand and process writing that cover a year’s worth of instruction, including short, focused projects that incorporate digital resources where appropriate. Writing tasks and projects are aligned to the grade-level standards. The writing activities offer frequent opportunities for a variety of writing activities ranging in length and depth, and include opportunities for revision. Chapter 2: Writing is dedicated to lessons that build students’ writing skills in the areas of voice and tone, writing in context, word choice, sentences, punctuation, and paragraphs. Each of the genre/mode chapters includes two writing workshops related to the featured genre/mode. For example, the poetry chapter contains a writing workshop for writing poetry and for writing an analysis of poetry. In the Fiction and Exposition chapters, students participate in Activities that include on-demand writing tasks, and in the Workshops, students complete extended multi-draft writing projects with step-by-step processes for analyzing, drafting, and editing. 

After reading selections, students are given a range of Topics for Composing such as analysis, research, personal, and argument. In the Teacher’s Edition, the Topics for Composing prompts are bolstered by pedagogical details for teachers. Teachers are provided with teaching tips and close reading prompts to extend the embedded on-demand writing. Teaching Ideas throughout the chapters suggest that students participate in quickwrites, journals, brief responses, and reflections in order to deepen their understanding of texts.

Examples of short or on-demand writing activities include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 2: Writing, students read an excerpt from Jimmy Santiago Baca’s essay, “Coming into Language” about Baca’s experience learning to read and write in prison. A Teaching Idea suggests students answer the on-demand prompt: “With Baca, writing became a way to freedom from the dire situation in which he found himself. His purpose and motivation, therefore, were clearly established. Some people, though, find writing not freeing, but laborious and difficult. Consider talking with students about how writing, which is thinking made visible, can sometimes make the writer feel vulnerable. You could then have them write a Quickwrite about either: 1. What other barriers they may encounter that might interfere with their purpose or motivation to write. 2. How writing empowers them, like it did with Baca, to express themselves and be heard.”
• In Chapter 4: Using Sources, Analyzing Sources, students read four selections on the topic of single-sex classrooms: from “The Case against Single-Sex Classrooms” by Margaret Talbot,“We Wouldn’t Segregate Workplaces by Gender — So Why Schools?” by Barbara Speed, from “Girls-in-STEM Programs & My Single-Sex Education Experience” Alicia McGeachy, and from “The Myth of Pink and Blue Brains” Lise Eliot. After reading, students complete a writing activity: “Write a paragraph explaining to what extent you believe single-sex classrooms improve or hinder academic success.”
• In Chapter 5: Fiction, Workshop 2: Writing Fiction, students complete multiple activities to write a creative piece where students address setting, protagonists, conflicts, antagonists, plot, and point of view. For example, in Activity: Setting, students answer questions, draw a picture or take a photograph of their settings, and “Write a few sentences that would appear in your story to describe one or more of your settings.” The Teaching Ideas also suggests students post their images on the wall and each student is given sticky notes to write down words that describe the setting. The student uses the peer feedback to help describe the setting, and the Teaching Idea continues, “Tell students to think of it as crowdsourcing the language needed to vividly portray the scene.” The short, focused writing activities are part of a larger project with opportunities for revision. 

Examples of longer, process writing activities include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 6: Argument, in Workshop 2: Writing an Argument, “Students write an argument about a topic they are passionate about, staking a claim that is debatable.” The detailed ten-step process guides students through all aspects of writing a multi-draft essay: topic, claim, audience, points, evidence, rhetorical appeals, counter arguments, introduction, conclusion, and draft. 
• In Chapter 8: Exposition, Workshop 2: Writing an Exposition, students complete activities to compose an exposition. In the Activity: Drafting, students use the earlier activities in the Workshop to begin their first draft. The activity instructs on organization of evidence, use of transitions with examples of transition words, and consideration of tone when composing their draft. A Teaching Idea suggests students participate in a peer editing activity and guides the teacher through the process, offers sample questions, and a table for writer’s questions and partner’s solutions. 
• In Chapter 11, Mythology, Workshop 3, Writing an Analysis of Mythology, students read and analyze a model analysis essay and then complete a six-step process to write an analysis: Step 1: Identifying Archetypes, Step 2: Analyzing the Archetypes, Step 3: Finding a Focus and Creating a Thesis Statement, Step 4: Proving Your Point, Step 5: Expanding to an Essay, and Step 6: Revising and Editing.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for materials provide opportunities for students to address different types/modes/genres of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards. Writing opportunities incorporate digital resources/multimodal literacy materials where appropriate. Opportunities may include blended writing styles that reflect the distribution required by the standards.

The materials provide multiple opportunities for students to learn, practice, and apply different genres/modes of writing that reflect the distribution required by the standards for a whole year’s use. Types of writing include narrative, poetry, analysis, argument, research, and exposition. Writing activities connect to Central Texts and accompanying text sets either as prompts, models, anchors, or supports. While journal activities are often metacognitive or reflective, the majority of opportunities are text-dependent and require text evidence. 

Throughout the chapters, students are given Topics for Composing in response to reading selections that cover a variety of modes/types such as analysis, argument, research, exposition, personal, comparison, and multi-modal. There are two in-depth Writing Workshops in each of the genre/mode chapters that focus on a particular mode of writing and walk the students through the process of composing and analyzing each mode. These Writing Workshops include  both writing and analyzing the following genre/modes: fiction, argument, poetry, exposition, narrative, drama, and mythology. Culminating activities in each chapter require students to write about chapter selections in different modes. Each lesson offers a purpose for the writing, a teaching and modeling section, examples to help guide students, and independent writing time. In addition to models for students, the Teacher’s Edition provides annotations for discussing the models with students. Opportunities for students and teachers to monitor progress include writing rubrics, reflection sections of Workshops, and Check for Understanding/Teaching Idea asides. 

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 2: Writing, Voice and Tone, Teaching Ideas suggest teachers monitor student progress in the writing tasks: “Students can also go back to the first activity they did on page 29 (What Are You Writing?) and think about what tone they might have taken in each of the writings they listed and why. Students might benefit from the option to record their responses so that they can hear their changes in tone. You might prompt students to create a word wall to make a visual chart of categorical tone words that they can use in their writing. For example, what words would fit under the category ‘Angry’?” These types of Teaching Ideas are found throughout every chapter.
• In Chapter 5: Fiction, Part 2, students read Etgar Keret’s short story, “What, of This Goldfish, Would You Wish?” After reading, students complete Topics for Composing questions: “Comparison: Research other stories that contain wish-granting elements. What commonalities do they share? What lesson or moral do these tales seem to share, and why do you think that moral is important to understand?”
• In Chapter 7: Poetry, Workshop 2: Writing Poetry, students complete “a multipronged process of drafting and revising their own poetry.” The Teacher’s Edition includes a rubric that includes a section for revision: “Writing demonstrates thorough and thoughtful revision of the final product.” The Workshop refers students to texts in the chapter when introducing writing activities to help them understand speaker and voice. The Teaching Ideas create opportunities for student/teacher supports through peer reads, class shares, and small response groups. In Writing Workshop 3: Writing an Analysis of Poetry, students write an analysis of poetry: “Read this poem, and in a well-developed essay, explain the speaker’s attitude toward the subject. You should focus on only one or two poetic elements, such as imagery, figurative language, diction, syntax, form, or sound.” The students choose the poem for their analysis. 
• In Chapter 9: Narrative, Writing Workshop 2: Writing a Narrative, students “write a narrative about something that has happened in their lives, choosing an event that they can write about in an interesting way. Students employ characterization techniques, build conflict and setting, and develop dialogue, blocking, and structure. They will also think critically about theme, reflection, and the opening in order to effectively present an account of their experiences.” In Workshop 3: Writing an Analysis of Narrative, students write “a thorough analysis in response to prompts about the author’s intentions using structures and guidance.” In the beginning of Workshop 3, the Teacher’s Edition offers a rubric for analysis found in the Teacher’s Resource Flash Drive. The Workshop also includes activities where students “Look back through the narratives in this chapter,” and refer back to the Central Text “La Gringuita” by Julia Alvarez. The Activities also provide support throughout the process by breaking down the writing task into stages: thesis, finding support, body paragraphs, introductions, conclusions, and a culminating revising and editing activity. Also, the Teaching Ideas suggest sentence frames, context boxes, and paragraph graphic organizers for additional student support. 
• In Chapter 11: Mythology, Workshop 2: Writing a Mythic Text, students write their own example of a myth: “A step-by-step section, Workshop 2 reviews the various mythological elements covered earlier in the chapter using portions of Homer’s Odyssey as the model. In the process, it guides students through the various elements of creating their own mythic narrative utilizing the various conventions of the genre.” A Teaching Idea states that students should make a narrative frame that “provides the opportunity for coaching before they are too deep in the process.” The Workshop includes writing tasks in Activities that refer to the Central Text and accompanying texts in the chapter.

The instructional materials reviewed for Grade 9 meet the criteria for materials including frequent opportunities for evidence-based writing to support sophisticated analysis, argumentation, and synthesis.

The materials provide frequent opportunities across the school year for students to learn, practice, and apply writing using evidence in Activities, Teaching Ideas, Check for Understanding, and Culminating Activities. Writing activities focus on analysis and claims developed from close reading a variety of texts and sources to provide supporting evidence to answer questions and prompts in the Understanding and Interpreting; Analyzing Language, Style, and Structure; and Topics for Composing sections. While these prompts could be used in discussion, the Teacher's Edition suggests they be used as routine evidence-based writing prompts. After reading selections from the chapter, the Topics for Composing activities require students to write argument, analysis, and expository essays using evidence. 

Most student writing activities require close reading and working with sources to answer questions. After reading Central Texts and text sets, students answer questions that reference the readings, and they must provide supporting evidence in responses. In addition to text-specific prompts, at the end of each Conversation, students practice evidence-based writing using higher-level thinking prompts in the Entering the Conversation section that require evidence from multiple texts. Also, throughout each chapter, students read short excerpts that relate to the texts in the Seeing Connections component. These components include evidence-based writing tasks that prompt students to synthesize texts. As an additional support, teachers are provided with Close Reading prompts that analyze portions of the texts in detail. 

Two of the introduction chapters, Chapter 2: Writing and Chapter 3: Using Sources, focus specifically on providing instruction and examples for developing evidence-based writing. 

Each genre/mode chapter includes at least one evidence-based writing activity in which students provide evidence to support analysis, argument, and/or synthesis. Writing Workshops at the end of each genre/mode chapter require students to compose analysis and argument essays that require them to choose a text, develop a focus for their writing, and use evidence from the chosen text to support their writing. Each genre/mode chapter also includes a synthesis Conversation relating ideas students read in the Central Text to other texts in the section. Chapter Six is devoted to studying and composing arguments. Subsequent chapters build on these skills and provide increasingly complex analysis tasks that require the use of evidence for support. 

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• In Chapter 1: Starting the Conversation, Section 3: Academic Conversations, Activity: Engaging in Academic Conversation, Activity: Challenging the Conversation, and Activity: Entering the Academic conversation, students practice using evidence from their own responses from a series of writing prompts and then participate in a discussion. The question asks, “Was Kaepernick justified in not standing? Why or Why not?” and students use a series of texts focusing on that topic. However, it is not explicitly stated that the student would have to cite evidence from the texts written by the students or provided in the materials. 
• In Chapter 4: Using Sources, Culminating Activity, students answer prompts and must reference at least two sources. Before reading, they are provided different approaches to close reading: “read critically, but objectively, note phrases or sections that seem especially important [...], keep track of information to document the source, and summarize your source.” Students practice using evidence in their writing, but also use tools to read closely to create opportunities to use evidence in their writing. 
• In Chapter 5: Fiction, Writing Workshop 3, students write a literary analysis essay: “In many works of literature, characters experience an epiphany. An epiphany is a sudden realization that has a major impact on the character’s life. Explain what causes this epiphany, and how this epiphany develops the character and reveals a theme.” They refer to the Central Text to practice how to read and annotate in preparation for writing the essay. Afterward, they choose one of the texts in the chapter to analyze. They are instructed to read and annotate the text, find a focus, create a thesis statement, and support with evidence from the text. 
• In Chapter 6: Argument, Section 1, students read “Why School Should Start Later in the Day” by Lisa Lewis. While reading, a Teaching Idea suggests that the teacher “look closely at this paragraph as a whole class and ask students to identify the claim (or point) made in the paragraph,” and continues with having students answer whether or not the evidence supports the claim. The Teaching Idea offers practice for students before they read Question 1 at the end of the reading: “Identify at least three of the separate points she makes and analyze the evidence she uses to support those points.” 
• In Chapter 8: Exposition, students participate in a Conversation about “the notion that what we wear makes a statement, whether intentionally or not, and that the politics of clothes has an influence on, and is influenced by, many factors.” Students read the six texts in the Conversation. After reading, they “enter the conversation by finding another text that adds an additional perspective and by developing your own argument about the politics of clothes.” Students write an essay in which they synthesize the information from the additional text they chose and the other texts in the Conversation, using evidence from all texts to make a claim and defend their argument. 
• In Chapter 9: Narrative, Section 2, Topics for Composing, students read “My Father’s Previous Life” by Monique Truong and answer the evidence-based writing prompts: “Analysis. Overall, what is Truong suggesting about families in her narrative? Be sure to use evidence from the text to support your response. Argument. Truong asks, ‘Can you miss someone you’d never met?’ She answered, ‘yes.’ Do you agree or disagree? Why?”
• In Chapter 10: Drama, Writing Workshop 3: Write an Analysis of Drama, students write an analysis essay of the Central Text, Romeo and Juliet: “Analyze how the playwright uses elements of drama — such as dialogue, setting, and stage directions — to develop the characters and reveal a theme of the play.” In Step 4: Proving Your Point, students are instructed: “The way we prove that in academic writing is by drawing evidence directly from the text and combining that with our own commentary.” Students are then further guided on how to gather, organize, and present evidence.