Amplify Education CKLA Grade 5

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

The materials include a variety of high-quality, well-crafted texts. The diverse texts include contemporary and classical texts and represent expert writing across various disciplines.

Examples include but are not limited to:

“Dust of Snow” by Robert Frost. This short poem by a renowned poet is full of rich, deep meaning. It has a simple rhyme scheme and beautiful illustrations to support student analysis of the text.

“The First Real San Giving Day” excerpted from The Prince of Cocuyos by Richard Blanco. This well-written text immerses the student in Cuban culture.

Excerpts from Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes. This text is an engaging timeless classic with thought-provoking content.

Excerpts from A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare. Written in 1595, this famous play has engaging characters and rich vocabulary.

“Maya, Aztec, and Inca” by the CKLA Staff. This text has vibrant illustrations, strong academic vocabulary, and thought-provoking content.

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

The program includes a variety of text types and genres across the materials, as well as print and graphic features. The selections include literary texts, such as myths, dramas, and poetry, and informational texts, such as historical nonfiction. The materials do not include examples of argument, tall tale, fable, or folktale texts.

Examples of literary texts include, but are not limited to:
“When I Heard the Learn’d Astronomer” by Walt Whitman (poetry)
“Constantly Risking Absurdity (#15)” by Lawrence Ferlinghetti (poetry)
The Badlands Sleuth: The Case of the Missing Fossils by Rebecca L. Johnson (mystery novella) Excerpts from Adventures of Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (comedic novel)
Excerpts from A Midsummer’s Night Dream by William Shakespeare (drama)
“Maya, Aztec, and Inca” by CKLA Staff (myths)
“Tales from the Great Plains” by Mike Ford (legends)
“Michelangelo and Raphael” by CKLA Staff (biography)

Examples of informational texts include, but are not limited to:
Rosa Parks: My Story by Rosa Parks with Jim Haskins (personal narrative) “Setting the Stage for Reform” by CKLA Staff (historical nonfiction)
“What is the Investigation Process?” by CKLA Staff (procedural)
Excerpt from The Prince of Los Cocuyos, “The First Real San Giving Day,” by Richard Blan (personal narrative)
“Women in the Renaissance” by CKLA Staff (expository essay)
“A Changing Landscape, Perceptions of Land and Its Use” by CKLA Staff (persuasive essay)
Examples of print and graphical features include but are not limited to:

In Unit 2, the Student Reader includes the text “Mesoamerica and the Maya,” with maps that detail the area of land the Mayans inhabited. “Birth of an Inca Empire” includes a pyramid graphic entitled “Pyramid of Power,” which details the power structure of the Incas. The Activity Book includes a timeline for students to populate and a glossary.

In Unit 4, the Student Reader includes excerpts of the text “Don Quixote.” The Reader is divided into chapters and has a limited number of illustrations.

In Unit 5, the Student Reader includes the text “The Power of Perspective.” This text illustrates an artistic technique called the “the vanishing point.” These examples deepen the students’ understanding of paintings.

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

The materials include appropriately challenging texts with grade-appropriate quantitative and qualitative features. The texts within this grade band contain increasingly complex qualitative demands, including multiple interpretations, meaning, and complex language. The student readers also provide Lexile levels within the appropriate grade band.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Unit 1 Student Reader contains the personal narrative The Prince of Los Cocuyos: “The First Real San Giving Day” with a Lexile level of 920L. In the story a boy introduces his family of Cuban immigrants to Thanksgiving in America. He engineers a Thanksgiving feast for his family. This story is fictional, with illustrations and complex sentence structures. The language of the text is complex, with Spanish words mentioned throughout.

The Unit 2 Student Reader contains the text “Early American Civilizations: Maya, Aztec, and Inca” with a Lexile level of 880L. This text is nonfiction, with migration maps, illustrations, and pictures of explorers. The language of the text is subject-specific and complex.

The Unit 7 Student Reader contains excerpts of the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream. A Lexile level is not given for this text. This text includes summaries of and excerpts from Shakespeare’s original play. The language of this text is very complex. Experiences and language in this reader are uncommon to most students.

The Unit 8 Student Reader contains the text “A Changing Landscape” with a Lexile level of 1010L. Students study westward expansion and its effect on Native American groups living in the mountains and prairies of the United States. This text is nonfiction, with illustrations and captions. The language of the text is subject-specific and complex.

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

The materials build conceptual knowledge through text-specific/dependent questions and target complex elements of the texts. The questions and texts also require students to make connections to personal experiences and other texts, big ideas, themes, and details.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, the students read the first page of “The First Real San Giving Day” and answer text- specific questions, such as “Had Blanco ever celebrated a traditional American Thanksgiving before? Why couldn’t Blanco’s teacher or friends advise him on cooking Thanksgiving dinner? Could you have been more helpful than Blanco’s friends?” Students make personal connections to the text by writing about a time where they taught someone to do something.

In Unit 2, students discuss a big idea and provide details from a text: “The paragraphs in this excerpt describe a number of clever ways the Maya people met the challenges of their diverse landscapes to provide food for themselves. Which method or solution do you think was the most clever? Use specific details from the text to explain your answer.” Students also make connections to the work and are asked to “Compare the Maya mathematical system to the number system we use today. Describe one or more ways they are similar. Describe one or more ways they are different.” Students create text-to-text questions and analyze complex features of text when they respond to the questions “In what ways were the Aztec like the Maya? In what ways were they different? Include information from the text in your answer. You may wish to reread sections of Chapters 1, 2, and 3 to include details from the text in your answer.”

In Unit 5, lessons focus on main idea. For instance, in the lesson “Reading Information Texts for Supporting Reasons and Evidence,” students begin by discussing what clues in the text they can use to think about the main idea. Students then read and identify the main idea.

In Unit 6, an assessment question asks, “What are the main factors that made the Catholic Church the most powerful institution in western Europe during the Middle Ages?” This question is open-ended and touches on the big ideas of the unit.

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

The materials provide questions and tasks to support students’ analysis of literary and textual elements of texts by asking students to analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author’s purpose in cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts. Students study the language within texts to support their understanding. The materials support students’ analyzing the author’s choice and how it influences and communicates meaning. The materials provide opportunities to compare and contrast texts on a variety of topics; however, the materials do not explicitly compare and contrast the stated or implied purposes of different authors’ writing on the same topic.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, students quote from the text, explaining the author’s point of view. Using “A View of Earth,” students examine the author’s point of view on several subjects: “Find two sentences or passages that show the author’s point of view about the assigned topic and copy the passages. Underline whether the passage shows a positive, negative, or neutral feeling about the topic.

Explain how it shows the author’s point of view.” Students also identify the author’s use of strategies to help readers create mental images from the Writing Strategies Poster. Students select a passage, copy it, identify the strategy, and describe the mental image it creates.

In Unit 2, students learn about the literary device of imagery. In relation to the text, students describe how many times the author asks the reader to “imagine” something and to explain why they think the author asks the reader to imagine all the things described. Students evaluate the author’s purpose in using imagery within the text. The materials explain why literary devices might be used and provide an example of how the author uses the word “imagine.” Students respond with reasons why the author uses the word “imagine.” Students also examine why the author chose to include an idiom, “broke the silence,” in the myth. Students’ answers must consider the emphasis of the silence before the animals began making noise. The Unit 2 assessment includes the question “Based on Inca Land: Explorations of the Highlands of Peru, what inference can be made about how the author felt about the stone walls at Machu Picchu?”

In Unit 3, students identify and define the characteristics of villanelle poetry using textual evidence to make inferences about the poem’s meaning.

In Unit 5, students consider “Why did Machiavelli decide to write The Prince, a book about the art of politics?” Students also analyze the relationship between particular words and phrases in “Morals, Modesty, and Manners” to better understand the words and phrases and draw inferences from the text.

In Unit 6, students explain the author’s purpose and how it is expressed by the fictional characters. During small group readings, students consider “What point is the author trying to make through the characters of Jaques and Henri about the impact of the printing press on people’s lives during this time period?” Students also share different purposes for Jackie to write a letter. Later in the unit, students reread portions of informational text to examine the author’s words, phrases, and devices. For example, students examine the sentence where the author calls the church the “social glue that held the community together.”

In Unit 8, students consider why the writer wrote the persuasive essay and explain why the writer chose an image to represent the relationship between Native Americans and land.

Students examine the question “What phrases make it clear that Europeans are being described from Native Americans’ perspective?” Students also study literary devices (e.g., simile, alliteration, imagery, and word choice), descriptions of the landscape, and descriptions of Native American life to better understand what it was like for Native Americans living in California both before and after the arrival of explorers, miners, missionaries, and settlers.

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

The materials include a cohesive, year-long plan for students to interact with and build key academic vocabulary in and across texts. Throughout the materials, students interact with vocabulary within context as well as in their writing. The materials include scaffolds and supports for teachers to differentiate vocabulary development for all learners. Throughout the lessons, students record the meaning of vocabulary words in their own words within their notebooks. The vocabulary is rich, tiered, and allows students to make connections to their everyday lives.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In each lesson, teachers are provided a list of words for the lesson, along with their definitions and other forms of the word used throughout the lesson. The lists include a breakdown of “core vocabulary” and “literary vocabulary,” depending on the words used during the lesson. The literary vocabulary list includes academic words used during the lesson.

The Program Guide states: “Immediately following most reading lessons, there is a five-minute activity called Word Work, based on the work of Beck, McKeown, and Kucan (2002). This activity allows for in-depth focus on a specific word from the Reader text. Students will review the word, its meaning, its part of speech, and an additional context for using the word. Finally, students will complete a follow-up activity to extend their understanding of the targeted word.”

During the “Word Work” portion of each lesson, teachers follow a common routine for vocabulary instruction used throughout the year. The materials focus on one word from the lesson vocabulary list. The materials include scaffolds and supports divided into three categories: “required modes of participation,” “language supports,” and “timing/immediacy.”

Teachers can utilize these supports to adjust pacing, implement targeted instruction for vocabulary, and provide support for understanding syntax. The Teacher’s Guide includes white asterisks in a blue circle labeled as “Support”. This section provides guidance for the teacher on areas where students may have difficulty comprehending or where misconceptions may occur.

In Unit 3, the materials provide the core and literary vocabulary terms in the back of the Poet’s Journal. The teacher reviews the vocabulary words used in this lesson. During the reading lesson, students read the poem a few times. Students highlight, define, and offer synonyms for the core vocabulary in the poem. Students also learn to use context in order to determine the meaning of an unknown word: “Sometimes we encounter words we don’t know. The questions below the poem will help you to figure out the meaning of the word ‘rued’ from the other words in the stanza. You may consult the poem as you answer these questions.”

In Unit 4, the Word Work focuses on the word “dumbfounded.” Students brainstorm synonyms for the word and work with a partner to create sentences using their partner’s synonyms.

Students also study prefixes and suffixes: “Students will create words using the prefixes il-, ir-, and inter-; the suffix -ness; and the root tract.” Within the activity, students must create sentences for the word “vacation.” A sidebar labeled “Exchanging Information/Ideas” is included to consider support for English Language Learners. The materials provide sentence starters for different levels: for Entering/Emerging students “My favorite place to take a vacation…”; for Transitioning/Expanding students “My best vacation was spent…”; and for Bridging students “One of my most memorable vacations was...” Later in the unit, students “Write a one-paragraph summary of this excerpt using the core vocabulary words ‘confess’ and ‘intoned,’ and the phrase ‘on the contrary.’”

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

The materials include a plan to support students in independent reading. Each unit contains reading recommendations related to the content of the unit. The materials also provide an Independent Reading Guide that supports students’ self-selection of texts and provides suggestions for reading for sustained periods of time. The materials include reading logs to achieve accountability for independent reading goals.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The CKLA 3-5 Program Guide and Independent Reading Guide recommend teachers model book selections and create an anchor chart for students to reference throughout the year. It also directs teachers to conference with students about their self-selected text and to guide them in their text selection. Teachers guide students’ thinking about their decisions and how those decisions affect their reading experience. The material also directs the teacher to create a designated time, place, and routine for independent reading. During independent reading time, teachers can utilize activities such as book talks, discussion circles, journaling, book reviews, and multisensory experiences. The Independent Reading Guide suggests reading logs and book reviews are available to print and use to help measure the amount students are reading and keep them accountable. Students also set SMART goals (S-specific, M-measurable, A- achievable, R-relevant, T-time bound). The Program Guide also mentions a home component.

Teachers communicate with parents about the student’s goals and suggest discussion topics to use at home through a letter sent home with students.

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

The materials provide opportunities to write literary texts, including personal narratives, short stories, and poetry to express ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events, and ideas. Students also write informational texts to communicate ideas and specific information for specific audiences and purposes. Students write argumentative texts to influence the attitudes or actions of specific audiences on issues, and some correspondence texts.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, students write personal narratives expressing their feelings throughout the unit. For example, students write a paragraph about their worst meal ever. They are encouraged to use sensory details to share their feelings about the situation. Students also write a persuasive personal narrative modeled from their reading of Rosa Parks. Students use a chart to write their personal experience on one side and their evidence of how they are convincing their readers on the other side.

In Unit 2, students compare and contrast the people created out of clay and the people created out of wood. They write a short dialogue of what they would say to each other about the gods who created them. With this lesson, students practice identifying and paraphrasing text related to a cultural aspect of the Maya. Students also create an explanatory writing piece about some of the cultural aspects of different early American civilizations.

In Unit 3, students write their own poem, adding in two tones to express their thoughts and feelings. The materials ask questions to help brainstorm. For example, “Have you ever done something that you should have apologized for?” or “Have your parents or other adults ever made you apologize for something?” Students take these scenarios and write their own apology with different tones in their poem. Students write a letter advising Robot on a place and activities for a trip. They use evidence to describe the kind of place and the kind of activities the robot would enjoy.

In Unit 4, students “write a persuasive essay arguing that the actions of the main character, Don Quixote, are or are not justified or acceptable.”

In Unit 5, “students will plan and draft a historical fiction narrative by introducing a narrator and/or characters and using concrete words and phrases and sensory details to convey experiences and events precisely.” Students also “write an informational paragraph about da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments by using reasons and evidence related to the topic.”

In Unit 6, students present an informational essay about the key events and historical figures of the Reformation in the form of a slide presentation. Students also write a friendly letter from Jacques’ point of view after he has learned to read and write. Students refer to a sample letter to reference when writing their draft of their own friendly letter.

In Unit 7, students write several letters, including an advice letter to Hermia “about how Egeus might react if Hermia runs away? Use these details to support your advice.” Or, they write an advice letter to the Duke, explaining if he should hire an applicant for a job: “Respond to the Duke’s letter explaining why or why not. Questions to think about include: Do you think they’ll put on a good play? What about the characters makes you think that?” They also write a response to Titania’s letter: “Read Titania’s letter to the Course Smoother, then compose a one-to-two-paragraph answer. Use one to two details from the play to help you think about your answer. Underline any parts of your answer that relate to those details from the play.”

In Unit 9, students write a letter to the Sheriff “explaining Amy’s plan, and why it is a good way of identifying the culprit.”

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

The materials provide opportunities for students to use evidence from texts to support their opinions and claims. The CKLA materials provide many opportunities for students to demonstrate in writing what they have learned through reading and listening to texts.

Throughout and across units, students use clear and concise information and well-defended text-supported claims to demonstrate knowledge gained through analysis and synthesis of texts.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 2, students “describe a number of clever ways the Maya people met the challenges of their diverse landscapes to provide food for themselves. Which method or solution do you think was the most clever? Use specific details from the text to explain your answer.” Students also write an explanatory text about the geographical features of Mesoamerica. Students write a text on the Mayan numeral system: “Compare the Maya mathematical system to the number system we use today. Describe one or more ways they are similar. Describe one or more ways they are different.”

In Unit 4, students “respond to a prompt based on an excerpt from the Adventures of Don Quixote and write opinion statements using supporting textual evidence.” By the end of the unit, students compose a persuasive essay arguing whether they think Don Quixote’s intentions justify his actions. Students must support their claims with evidence from the text.

In Unit 5, students complete activity page 3.2, “The Spirit of the Renaissance.” Students must explain the following quote: “Man can do anything he sets his mind to do!” As students read, they record examples from the text that illustrate the quote on a graphic organizer. They must also explain why it is a good illustration. Students then identify which area of study the example is from.

In Unit 6, students answer inferential questions in writing, such as “What Is at the Center of the Universe?” providing their opinion with evidence from the text to support their answer.

Throughout the rest of the unit, students answer inferential questions based on evidence from the text. The unit overview states students will write an informational letter, as well as create a slide presentation presenting information learned over the course of the unit.

In Unit 7, students describe an assigned character using their Reader and the “Character Organizer,” and then write a paragraph from the perspective of their assigned character. Students must include what the character thought about what was happening and who was it that made them feel that way.

In Unit 8, students answer comprehension questions about Myths of the Pacific Northwest and record page numbers where the evidence was located.

In Unit 9, students use the skills they have learned to read and analyze informational and literary texts, explain concepts and ideas, and write for different audiences and purposes.

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

The materials provide instruction in composition and convention skills over the course of the year. The materials include systematic instruction and reinforcement of the five steps of the writing process within each unit. Students practice and apply the conventions of academic language both in and out of context. During grammar lessons, students orally respond, practice the writing convention being taught, and apply the skills to the editing process in their own writing. Students utilize revision and editing checklists that remind them to check for correct capitalization, punctuation, and grammar.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Program Guide states the writing process and its five steps expand to include sharing and evaluating in fifth grade. It is also noted that beginning in fourth grade and continuing in fifth grade, the writing process is no longer “conceptualized as a series of scaffolded, linear steps”; rather, students move through the steps flexibly, similarly to experienced writers.

In Unit 1, students study strong verbs and adjectives; they “write sentences using strong (specific and descriptive) verbs and adjectives.” The Writing section states: “Students will write a narrative about a moment that includes ‘showing, not telling’ details.” Students learn about personification by building on the previous lessons on strong verbs and adjectives. The materials gradually release students to write a narrative that “shows not tells.” The materials also focus on “writing a paragraph with multiple sensory descriptions.” Students complete an activity page to write sensory descriptions: “Use an adjective and a noun to describe at least two sights you saw, use an adjective and a noun to describe at least two sounds you heard, use an adjective and a noun to describe at least two objects you touched, use an adjective and a noun to describe at least two scents you smelled, and use an adjective and a noun to describe at least two foods you tasted.” During the writing part of the lesson, students are asked to “Write a paragraph describing the worst meal you ever experienced. Include sensory details describing the experience through at least three of your five senses. After writing the paragraph, underline the sensory details you included.” Later in the unit, students brainstorm ideas to write their “Surprise Narrative.” During this lesson, students select a topic and outline events; “Students free write a paragraph about their own names and generate ideas for a more formal narrative.” Students then create a rough draft of this composition. The process lays the groundwork for a formal narrative composition and guides them in writing their narrative.

In Unit 4, students focus on identifying and forming present-tense sentences with pronouns, subjects, and action verbs. Students use prior knowledge from previous lessons to help guide instruction. The teacher provides examples and the students respond thumbs up or down if the examples are correct or not. Students work on an activity page with subjects and verbs;

they correct the verb agreement. Later in the unit, students write a claim and identify the importance of supporting evidence. During the lesson, the teacher reviews opinions and facts. In a previous lesson, students wrote an opinion and backed it up with evidence. This lesson is the beginning of a persuasive essay, which is their unit project. During this lesson, students learn the format in drafting a persuasive essay. Their claim needs to be included in the introductory paragraph and supported with reasons and evidence throughout the essay.

Students practice writing claims. Several lessons later, students begin writing a persuasive essay. Teachers model an introductory paragraph. A Lead/Hooks poster, in addition to a chart, is provided to help students organize the different parts of an introduction as they write.

In Unit 5, the primary focus of a lesson states: “Students will plan an informational paragraph about da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments by identifying a topic, reasons, and evidence related to the topic.” Students respond to a prompt: “How is the spirit of the Renaissance represented in Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments?” Throughout the lessons, students plan and draft for the prompt. Students also receive instruction on prepositions and prepositional phrases. Students circle the preposition and underline the prepositional phrase. Later in the unit, students “edit an informational piece so it follows the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling.”

In Unit 8, students “engage in an extended writing project while continuing to practice the various stages of the writing process. They will write a persuasive essay in which they convince the reader that a chosen image best shows the connection between Native Americans and the land. Students will focus on notetaking, incorporating evidence, and crafting an argument.

Students will also revise, edit, and share their writing.” Students learn about using quotation marks and italics in titles of works; students ask a partner about their favorite books, movies, and songs and write the answers in complete sentences using the correct form when noting the title.

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

The fifth-grade materials do not provide instruction or assessment in cursive handwriting.

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

The materials provide speaking and listening opportunities focused on the texts being studied in class. Throughout the units, students demonstrate knowledge gained through the analysis and synthesis of texts. The materials allow students to demonstrate comprehension of texts through oral tasks requiring students to use clear and concise information and well-defended text-supported claims.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Program Guide states: “Speaking and Listening activities in Grade 5 focus on engagement with Read Alouds: students hear and discuss complex texts that the teacher reads aloud, encountering and practicing sophisticated conversations using an ever-expanding vocabulary.” In the Reading portion of all lessons, students are posed a question and asked to read a page or more to find the answer. Upon finishing, the teacher asks the question again and students answer orally.

In Unit 1, students give a Close Reading Report. Students choose a detail that interests them from a list provided. Students give a brief presentation on why they think Rosa Parks included it in her narrative. Students must reference where in the text the detail appears and infer why it was included by the author.

In Unit 2, students listen to the teacher read Chapter 1 of the Read Aloud. Students answer questions on the chapter, pausing throughout the reading. Students are given inferential and literal questions and asked to provide evidence from the text to answer. During the lesson wrap-up, students discuss chapter questions and cite specific passages in the text, such as “According to the text, what are the characteristics of a myth?”

In Unit 5, a reading lesson’s primary focus states: “Students will explain the relationship between factors that inspired the Renaissance movement using evidence from the text.” Students follow along as the teacher reads Chapter 1. The teacher pauses to ask what the text is mostly about. Students respond with information from the text. Students and the teacher discuss the factors that inspired the Renaissance. Students work with partners to think about the remaining factors that inspired the Renaissance. During a reread for an Inferences activity, students use the text to respond to Da Vinci's quote “Man can do anything he sets his mind to

do!” As students reread the chapter, they look for text evidence that is an example of this statement. The teacher then follows these directions: “After 10 minutes or so, bring students back together as a whole group. Cold call on students to share the examples they found in the chapter supporting the quote ‘Man can do anything he sets his mind to do!’”

In Unit 9, a reading lesson states the primary focus as, “Students will quote accurately from the text to explain its setting and scientific content.” The teacher reads the first part of the chapter and pauses to ask questions about the text. Students respond with information from the text.

This process continues throughout the rest of the reading.

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

The materials provide opportunities for students to engage in productive teamwork and student-led discussions. Throughout the school year, students learn to use discussion protocols and give organized presentations. The Teacher’s Edition provides scaffolds, such as sentence starters, to support students’ use of clear and concise language.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Program Guide suggests ways to ensure students receive equal opportunities for listening and speaking, such as creating sticks with students’ names printed on them. When a discussion question or topic is proposed in class, the teacher chooses sticks to call on students to respond.

In Unit 1, students learn the protocol for “Think-Pair-Share” and each component is explained: “Think: During the first part of the activity, each of you will take a few minutes to individually think and brainstorm about an idea or question. Pair: Next, you will discuss your thoughts with a partner and listen to what your partner thought about the same topic. Maybe your thoughts will develop based on what your classmate has to say; maybe the two of you will reach a new conclusion together. Share: Finally, you or your partner will have a chance to share your thoughts with the whole class.” Later in the unit, students share their narratives with a partner. During this time, students use sentence frames to respond to their partners about their narrative, such as “When…said…I had a clear picture in my mind of….”

In Unit 6, students draft a friendly letter from the point of view of a character. Students read their letter to a partner. The listener listens for the purpose of the letter and repeats it back to the speaker at the end of the letter reading. A lesson later in the unit focuses on “Planning a Slide Presentation,” as students plan their slide presentation about the Reformation. The teacher explains a slide presentation and shares the Slide Presentation Rubric. Students use the rubric as a guide for their slide presentation. The teacher explains that even though presentations are similar to an informational essay, they differ in the fact that they rely on technology and visual aids to present the information. In addition, “Tell students a slide presentation has two main components: the slides and the presenter’s oral delivery of information from the slides.”

In Unit 7, with the “Tossing Lines” game, students are given a line from characters in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Students practice reading their lines silently and then out loud to the teacher to receive feedback before the game begins. Students form a circle and a ball is tossed between students. Students toss the ball to another student, calling out the student’s name while making eye contact. The student then says the line they have practiced. In Lesson 13, students are introduced to “Dramatic Indignation” and slapstick comedy. In the reading excerpt “Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” students will recite Puck’s speech from Act 5, Scene 1 together in varying tones as a warm-up activity. This lesson helps students with fluency and intonation, as well as with memory and self-confidence. Students that can remember the lines come in front of the classroom to recite. The teacher projects two slides with Shakespeare's poetic lines (Projection 13.1 and Projection 13.2) Afterward, students are divided into groups to practice. In Lesson 15, the primary focus states “Students will perform Shakespeare’s work independently and in small groups.” In the Who Am I? Favorite Lines activity, students perform their favorite lines from a Midsummer Night’s Dream. The listening students guess which character the line belongs to. This activity is followed by the Group Performance activity in which the groups will work on summarizing a portion of the play.

Students record their work on activity page 15.1. Groups present their scene to the class in the order of the play. For the scenes that are not performed, the teacher will state a summary of the events.

In Unit 9, the focus of a Speaking and Listening component states students will “Debate whether the sheriff should investigate the missing fossil, using evidence from multiple sources.” Students are assigned roles as either an officer who wants to convince the sheriff to investigate or an officer who does not want the sheriff to investigate. Students read articles and evaluate each article as either supporting or not supporting the investigation. Students work in groups to debate their findings. Later in the unit, students use notes (character maps) and other notes from the previous lesson as evidence that will be presented to the sheriff in order to evaluate the characters as potential suspects. A handout lays out guidelines for the presentation and provides a rubric. Students make their presentations in small groups and complete the rubrics. The rubric provides a guiding question: “Was the person speaking clearly and maintaining eye contact?” and students circle “yes” or “no” to indicate if the speaker followed that guideline. The lesson closes: “Finish by discussing with the class whether the use of subjective evidence is ever valid in assessing a character.”

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

The materials engage students in both short-term and sustained recursive inquiry; however, the materials do not explicitly engage students in identifying primary versus secondary resources.

The tasks within the thematic units build upon one another, allowing students ample opportunities to organize and present their ideas and information to a grade-level-appropriate audience.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 2, the materials contain a chart: “the left side has words Charnay wrote in his journal about the rainforest. On the right side, his words have been paraphrased, or restated in different words. Fill in the blank spaces in the chart. The first one has been completed as an example.” Students then work to complete a Codex Project in which they compare and contrast the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations. Students choose images to support their research.

During the first lessons of the unit, students plan and draft a paragraph about the Maya and practice paraphrasing and note taking. Students learn about plagiarizing and paraphrasing. Sentences are pulled from the text for students to practice paraphrasing. Students use the internet to search for images related to the project. The teacher provides websites for students to use. The teacher models searching for and choosing an image and explains how to choose an image that catches the attention of the reader and relates to the topic. Students receive instruction on how to create a resource page to cite websites.

In Unit 5, students write an informational paragraph using a graphic organizer in response to the prompt “How is the spirit of the Renaissance represented in Leonardo da Vinci’s ideas and accomplishments?” The Reader includes drawings from da Vinci’s diary as an example of a primary source. While the materials provide primary and secondary sources for students to use, the materials do not provide lessons or opportunities for students to identify primary and secondary sources. Students write a historical fiction narrative, which includes a diary entry, using what they learned about the artists in the Renaissance. At the end of the unit, students present their narrative.

In Unit 8, students write a persuasive essay convincing the reader a particular image best shows the connection between Native Americans and the land. Students focus on notetaking, incorporating evidence, and crafting an argument. Students learn the structure of a persuasive

essay and use a graphic organizer to identify their arguments and supporting evidence. Students then practice recording notes in bullet points and using phrases rather than complete sentences. To begin their essay, students choose an image that will serve as the central idea of their essay. Students then use their Reader to find supporting information for their opinion. The Teacher’s Guide states: “The Hopi Petition is a primary source document. A primary source document is one that was written or created during the time period being studied. Primary source documents often give us a window into certain perspectives at a specific time in history. Whose perspective does this primary source document show us and during what time?” The question identifies a primary source but does not provide opportunities to identify high-quality primary versus secondary resources.

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

The materials provide meaningful, interconnected tasks that build student knowledge. The questions and activities are text-focused and provide opportunities for students to demonstrate their comprehension. Throughout each unit, students are immersed in texts, either reading as a whole group, independently, or in groups. Questions and activities in the lessons build student knowledge and culminate with writing activities requiring students to incorporate learned knowledge to demonstrate their understanding of the content. Reading, writing, listening, and speaking are integrated throughout the lessons and units.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Unit 1 focuses on personal narratives. Procedures are set and practiced for the “Think as You Read” strategy. Students reread an excerpt from the partner reading. Students then create at least three “Think as You Read” ideas or questions. They copy the quote from the text that gave them the idea, describe the idea, and circle the corresponding category or categories.

Categories include mental image, prediction, word/phrase/sentence I like, confusing word/phrase/passage, idea that repeats, context clue. Writing assignments focus on practicing a skill, such as writing dialogue and using descriptive verbs. Students are expected to use correct punctuation and capitalization when writing dialogue during the “Dialogue Telephone Game.” They review the “5 Simple Rules for Writing Dialogue.” Students work in groups of five, using a starter page with the descriptions of two characters and one line of dialogue. The first student reads the descriptions and dialogue and writes the response of the second character. They pass the paper to the right and it continues until all students have written on the paper. During the reading lesson, students underline any dialogue found in the excerpt and then complete tasks such as “Find a line of dialogue that helps show what the relationship between Mama and Abuela is like.”

Unit 8 focuses on the relationship between Native Americans and the land and culminates in the students writing a persuasive essay proving a chosen image is the best representation of that

relationship. Students begin by understanding the regions in which each tribe lived and how the regions affected their way of life. A Think-Pair-Share discussion centers around the regions and their effects. Students discuss the words, phrases, or sentences in the descriptions providing clues about the impact of each region on the ways Native Americans lived. Through the unit, students discuss the text by answering questions such as “How did Native Americans of the Great Plains survive the harsh climate? Describe the effect the continued expansion of the US had on the Cherokee. What relationship did the tribes of the Great Plains and beyond have with the land?” After a Think-Pair-Share discussion, students answer the question “How might these diverse viewpoints have led to conflict?” Near the end of the unit, the teacher displays the “Images and Descriptions” cards. Students choose one of the three images as the focus of their persuasive essay.

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

The materials provide students with interconnected tasks distributed throughout units of study. These tasks build student knowledge and allow for increased independence. Units are designed with an emphasis on students understanding content in early lessons and then using the knowledge gained in a writing project that encompasses not only the content taught but the skills as well. Students are supported through teacher modeling and numerous questions asked during the Read Alouds and Reading portions of the lessons, which also serve as comprehension checks for the teacher. The units integrate reading, writing, speaking, and listening and several integrate these skills in the final writing project.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Program Guide states “CKLA is a tightly integrated program that builds intentionally over time. Skills and knowledge introduced in one lesson and unit are built upon in the next and later units.” The Scope and Sequence is provided for teachers, which outlines the student expectations for each unit and individual lesson. The introductory paragraph included for each unit summarizes the concepts addressed.

In Unit 1, the “Think as You Read” strategy is introduced. Teachers model this strategy several times throughout the lessons until students can perform it independently. The unit focuses on dialogue and uses a game to provide practice in writing sentences correctly using dialogue. During reading lessons, students focus on dialogue as well, by identifying when characters are speaking in the personal narratives within their Reader. Students then apply what they have learned in a writing assignment in which they must use dialogue.

In Unit 4, students read an adapted version of Don Quixote. Students begin the unit by writing down character traits. As they read new sections, they add new traits and evidence to support them to the chart. Students continue reading and pausing to discuss Don Quixote. Students begin writing their claims to support their four-paragraph paper in a later lesson. Their claims are based on Don Quixote’s good intentions and being able to justify his actions. Students make a claim and use what they have learned about Don Quixote’s traits from their notes started in Lesson 1. Students draft a persuasive paper based on the claims made in prior lessons at the end of the unit.

In Unit 5, students gather information from read alouds and reading lessons about famous Renaissance artists. They answer both whole-group-discussion questions, as well as individual questions, using text evidence for all answers. Students use the text to research an artist about whom to write a biography. Students then use the biography to create a diary entry from that artist’s perspective. The materials provide graphic organizers and opportunities to work with partners or in groups to complete the projects.

In Unit 9, students utilize skills learned throughout fifth grade. For example, the text says students will demonstrate “how to read and analyze informational and literary texts, how to use information to explain concepts and ideas, and how to write for different audiences and purposes.” In this unit, students read a text and pause to answer discussion questions, similarly to how they work in other units and lessons. Students then use what they learned from the reading and apply it to their writing. In the writing lessons, students write about objects, describing the object without giving away too many details. In a later lesson, students share their writing and students must “investigate” the object by acting as sheriff.

Evaluation for 4.1
Materials provide systematic instruction and practice of foundational skills, including opportunities for phonics and word analysis skills (e.g., examination of grade-level prefixes and suffixes, decoding of multisyllabic words by using syllabication, and automaticity with grade-level regular and irregular spelling patterns).

The Grade 5 materials provide practice with decoding multisyllabic words and the study of prefixes and suffixes through the Language section of each lesson, which includes Spelling and Morphology. The supplemental “Assessment and Remediation Guide,” which is used for students who demonstrate deficiencies, provides most of the systematic instruction of the six syllable types, decoding compound words, contractions, abbreviations, and syllable division patterns within the TEKS. The materials also provide remediation for students not performing at grade level in the areas of fluency, decoding, and encoding. There are sufficient opportunities for students to use their word recognition and word analysis skills. The materials provide ample reading of texts with words explicitly taught throughout the foundational skills or language lessons. The Program Guide delineates that words are explicitly taught and then included in the readers to give students opportunities to read connected text and apply their new skills. The lessons also include out-of-context reading practice and morphology comprehension checks.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The materials provide a Research Guide describing the research behind the CKLA program. The Research Guide states: “With regard to the written code, research shows that phonics instruction is not simply present or absent, but rather exists in degrees. What research suggests is that the degrees may matter—substantially—to children’s outcomes. Effective phonics instruction includes: (1) systematic ordering of phonetic targets that progress in number and complexity over time; (2) systematic practice in which children have intentionally designed opportunities to apply and use the sound-spellings they are taught (DeGraaff et al., 2009); and

(3) systematic instructional planning whereby methods of instruction are consistent and progress depending on students’ learning (Bodrova and Leong, 2006; DeGraaff et al., 2009).”

The Research Guide also states the materials teach a blended approach to word reading (word recognition skills): synthetic phonics (letter-sound correspondence) and analytic phonics instruction (words have patterns, such as onset rime). Research shows that both methodologies teach students to “crack the code”; as children's word attack skills mature, they will use the methods interchangeably depending on what the specific word necessitates. It is important to note that as children move away from learning to read and begin reading to learn, they will use their word recognition skills in conjunction with word analysis in order to decode and comprehend. “In the Skills strand, time is dedicated to building decoding and word-level automaticity within controlled, decodable texts. The decision to split the instructional focus in the earliest grades is based in recent developmental models of reading that refute the notion that decoding and reading comprehension develop sequentially (Catts et al., 2012; Kendeou et al., 2009; Scarborough, 2005; Storch and Whitehurst, 2002)…in Grades 4 and 5, where instruction moves away from the two-strand model toward a single, integrated language arts block. By Grades 4 and 5, the focus is on fluent reading for meaning-making and the emphasis, instructionally, is on increasing efficiency and skill in the integration of word- and text-level skills, as occurs with proficient readers (Perfetti, 2007). Although Grades 4 and 5 do not have two distinct strands of materials, the premise of the CKLA design—building both knowledge and skills—is consistent across all grade levels.”

The Grade 5 materials provide teachers with the additional resource titled “Decoding and Encoding Remediation Supplement.” The purpose of the supplement is to “provide additional instruction and remediation to students who enter Grade 4 or 5 with gaps in their code knowledge and fluency.” Assessments are provided in Unit 1 and teachers use this data to inform guided instruction in areas of decoding where students are deficient.

The Grade 5 materials also provide teachers with the additional resource titled “Assessment and Remediation Guide.” The purpose of the supplement is to “provide additional instruction and remediation to students…with gaps in their code knowledge and fluency.” The guide is for students who have mastered most of the letter-sound correspondences but are not yet fluent readers. The guide includes assessments that can be used as pre-tests or post-tests for each unit.

In Unit 2, the materials contain a lesson on the prefixes il- and ir-. Students use these prefixes during sentence composition. Students also learn and use the prefix inter- in sentences.

Students refer to a prefix poster throughout the rest of the unit.

In Unit 6, the materials include a morphology lesson for the prefix en-. The teacher explains that the prefix means to put into or to make: “Tell students that when the prefix en- is added to root words, the part of speech of the new words changes to a verb. The prefix en- can be added to root words with different parts of speech.” The teacher provides example root words and students read the root and then add the prefix and discuss the new meaning. In the Check for Understanding component of the lesson, students practice word analysis skills: “Explain that not all words beginning with en- are verbs created by adding the prefix to a root word. Say some en- words and have students give a thumbs up for verbs with a prefix and root, and a

thumbs down for others. (entertain, engine, energy—no; enjoy, encircle, encompass—yes) You may write the words on the board/chart paper.”

In Unit 8, students learn and work with the suffixes -tion and -sion. Students review the definition of a suffix and refer to a poster. Students create sentences using the suffixes -tion and -sion.

Evaluation for 4.2
Materials include diagnostic tools and provide opportunities to assess student mastery, in and out of context, at regular intervals for teachers to make instructional adjustments.

The Grade 5 materials provide teachers with tools to assess students’ growth in mastery of foundational skills. The assessments provided also include guidance on evaluating a student’s performance and how the teacher can respond to those findings. Additionally, the Program Guide and the Fluency Supplement include instructions on supporting, differentiating, and remediating students performing below grade level. However, the materials do not contain support for the teacher to work with students in self-monitoring.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The materials require students to take BOY, MOY, and EOY assessments. The purpose of these assessments is to provide teachers with data to assess students’ gaps, as well as growth in foundational skills. Within the units that contain the BOY, MOY and EOY assessments, a lesson is designated for Assessment Analysis. This lesson is at the end of the unit and provides teachers with a set of criteria that designates students as having “adequate,” “strong,” or “outstanding” preparation. Students who fall into the “poor” preparation category are advised to receive support outside of the classroom. Otherwise, teachers should use the Assessment and Remediation Guide to support students who show gaps in foundational skills.

The materials contain an Assessment Remediation Guide that addresses all units to help students who showcase gaps in “code knowledge and fluency.” The guide includes assessments at the end of each unit that can be used as pre-tests or post-tests. The guide also includes a placement test to know where to begin with a student. A flow chart guides the teacher’s decision based on the results of the assessments.

The Grade 5 materials also provide teachers with the additional resource titled “Decoding and Encoding Remediation Supplement.” The purpose of the supplement is to “provide additional instruction and remediation to students who enter Grades 4 or 5 with gaps in their code knowledge and fluency.”

Unit 1 also provides guidelines and procedures to follow when BOY, MOY, and EOY assessments are given. The assessment has three components: reading comprehension, grammar, and morphology. The materials also include an “assessment summary,” which gives the teacher guidance on where students should fall within grade level norm. Teachers use this assessment along with two others to determine if students should be regrouped into “an earlier point of instruction in the CKLA grade-level materials.”

At the end of each unit, students take a unit assessment on skills taught during the unit. This assessment provides teachers with data to determine if students mastered or need remediation for specific unit skills. Pausing Points are given with each unit to provide time for remediation.

Evaluation for 4.3
Materials provide frequent opportunities for students to practice and develop oral and silent reading fluency, while reading a wide variety of grade-appropriate texts at the appropriate rate with accuracy and expression to support comprehension.

The materials provide some opportunities for students to develop fluency and accuracy, but lack explicit instruction around phrasing, intonation, and expression. The materials include a Fluency Supplement that is optional and provide limited guidance for routines to regularly monitor and provide feedback. The materials also include fluency within the unit assessments, but the questions are listed as optional.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Assessment and Remediation Guide provides “assessment, instruction, and practice for students’ specific needs in code knowledge and fluency.” It states: “Students who perform below the 50th percentile on Fluency Assessments may benefit from specific remediation designed to improve fluency. While it is beyond the scope of this Guide to provide detailed suggestions for improving fluency, the following best practices are highly recommended: Model fluent reading for students by reading passages aloud with expression, demonstrating how to use punctuation as a guide for pauses. Provide opportunities for students to reread passages, after corrective feedback on any decoding errors has been provided. Pairing students for partner reading and using Reader’s Theater are both strategies that can be used to encourage rereading. Occasional choral reading may also be effective.”

The Fluency Supplement is for both Grades 4 and 5. The diverse texts include numerous genres with a large number of literary and informational texts. The fluency probes are designed for students to read independently and practice at home during the week. At the end of the week, students are expected to read the probe with fluency and expression.

The Unit assessments contain a fluency assessment. The Teacher’s Edition lists this section as optional. Teachers are given an additional passage with comprehension questions to use for this assessment, along with a copy on which to perform a running record. Included with the fluency assessment are instructions for teachers to score the students’ oral fluency. It is suggested that students who score 10 words above or below the 50th percentile should be interpreted as normal.

In Unit 8, a lesson states: “Have students take home a text selection from the Fluency Supplement, if you are choosing to provide additional fluency practice.” In the sidebar, there is additional guidance for the optional activity “Using Foundational Literacy Skills.” In the entering/emerging section, it states that the teacher should model the text and then have students read chorally in order to practice their fluency and prosody. In the transition/expanding section, the teacher models reading a section from the Fluency Supplement.

In Unit 6, the MOY assessment includes a fluency assessment administered to all students. The fluency assessment is titled “Pegasus for Summer.” The teacher listens to the student read and keeps a running record. The Teacher Guide provides detailed instructions for scoring and annotating the fluency probe. The assessment also includes comprehension questions. The Pausing Point directly following the MOY assessment provides time for the teacher to respond to the data: “For a detailed description of remediation strategies, which address lagging skills in Reading Comprehension, Fluency, Language, and Writing, refer to the Program Guide.”

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

The materials provide some opportunities to support students demonstrating above-level proficiency. Sidebars note opportunities to differentiate; however, the majority of sidebars focus on scaffolds rather than enrichment to go further into the text to the next level of thinking. Teacher notes suggest pairing/grouping students based on their levels. The materials also include Pausing Point days within each unit to provide time for extension and enrichment for students who have “mastered” the unit materials; however, most suggestions focus on reading extra books or completing extra tasks similar to those in the unit.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Program Guide describes opportunities for student enrichment; some lessons “offer opportunities for independent and small group research that can be extended by asking for alternative sources or deeper analysis.” The guide also provides examples of what advanced students can do to enhance their writing, such as using more complex and unusual descriptive vocabulary, figurative language, complex sentences, longer and richer text, and text features such as headers and bullets.

In each unit throughout the year, the materials include time for a Pausing Point to provide additional activities and the reading of more complex text. The Pausing Points include enrichment activities from which teachers can choose to challenge students performing above grade level. At the beginning of each description of the enrichment activities, it is mentioned that if students have mastered the skills in that particular unit, teachers may enrich their experience of the concept by using the activities. For example, in Unit 1, students read an excerpt from “One Boy’s Experience” and answer literal and inferential close reading questions and then write a personal narrative following a provided prompt. The materials recommend offering students needing a challenge to play “Spot the Fake Game,” where students write either a true narrative or a believable but fake narrative from a list of prompts the teacher assigns. Each group presents their narratives to the class and the class tries to determine the fake narrative. In a Unit 4 Pausing Point, students can write an adventure story set during the same historical period or contemporary times or write and perform a mock trial in which Don Quixote is being judged for his destruction of Master Peter’s puppets. In a Unit 7 Pausing Point, students can read the enrichment selection “The Navajo Code Talkers” and answer questions such as “Irony means using words or actions that are the opposite of what is expected. Why was it ironic that the Allies depended on the Navajo language in WWII?” and “Why was the

Navajo language so well-suited to code-talking?” Writing prompts include “Write and illustrate your own Native American myth” and “Imagine you are a Native American. Write a paragraph in which you describe the land around you. What does it look like? How do you feel about it?”

The lessons contain support notes about modifying instruction to accommodate student needs; however, very few focus on students already mastering the skills within the unit. In Unit 4, during a reading of The Adventures of Don Quixote, students can answer the following “Challenge” questions: “Why do you think Sancho’s ruling shocks the townspeople? Given what happens in this chapter, why is the title of Chapter 15 (‘Sancho, Governor for Life’) ironic?

What kind of irony is this?” In Unit 7, students act out scenes from the play A Midsummer Night’s Dream and create a pose that fits their character in an activity called Freeze Frame. A challenge for students is to write articles or captions for their Freeze Frame for the school paper. In Unit 9, during a grammar lesson on the use of commas, students can be challenged to develop their own sentences with introductory elements.

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

The materials provide some supports for students demonstrating literacy skills below grade level, such as images, graphic organizers, and sentence frames/starters. The Teacher’s Guide provides guidance for teachers on supporting students performing below grade level, in sidebar notes labeled “Support.” The teacher can decide which supports are necessary for students based on the students’ knowledge and skills. Pausing Points in each unit provide time to review, reteach, and differentiate instruction. The Decoding and Encoding Supplement provides advice for grouping based on skill support needs.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Decoding and Encoding Guide states the guide is “not intended for use with students who are significantly below grade level. The Guide is intended for use with students have mastered some or most of the letter-sound correspondences in the English language, but who are not yet fluent readers because they lack specific decoding skills and/or have not had sufficient practice in reading decodable text.” At the end of each section in the guide are assessments that may be used for both pre-tests and post-tests. It is suggested that teachers always administer a

post-test following any remedial instruction to document student progress or lack thereof. Teachers receive instructions as to how to use the guide and assessment results.

The Pausing Points included throughout the units serve as an opportunity for reteaching, remediation, and extension related to Content, Reading Comprehension, Fluency, and Writing. Sample guidance Content includes referring back to the lessons in the unit for elements in need of reteaching or remediation. Teachers are advised to focus more heavily on the questions labeled as “Support.” Sample guidance for Reading Comprehension includes advising teachers to consult the Decoding and Encoding Remediation Supplement. For Fluency, the guidance suggests teachers give multiple opportunities for students to reread a particular text from either the Reader or from the Fluency Supplement. The Writing guidance refers teachers to individual lessons in which particular skills are addressed. Teachers can create specific writing prompts targeting the particular skill in which students need additional practice.

Every lesson contains support notes about modifying instruction to accommodate student needs. For example, in Unit 6 Lesson 7, students read Chapter 5 in small groups. The Teacher’s Guide indicates that group 1 should be the group that needs extra scaffolding. Students in this group complete the activity on page 7.2 with teacher support. The activity page contains open-ended comprehension questions that students need to answer with their own thinking, including citing the page number where the answer was found. The support group then reads the chapter “What Is at the Center of the Universe?” In the Support sidebar, there are additional questions that accompany the task. It is unclear whether or not the Support sidebar questions are to supplement the questions in the lesson, or if they are to replace those questions as a means to scaffold. An additional suggestion for support is to display the unit timeline so that students note when Aristotle wrote about this scientific theory. In Lesson 9, in the grammar lesson on Correlative Conjunctions, the Support sidebar states teachers can “review the terms ‘alternative’ and ‘addition’ as needed and provide more examples of ‘or’ and pairs. Clarify what makes an alternative negative.”

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

The materials provide some support and scaffolding for English Learners. The Teacher’s Guide provides guidance for teachers on specific strategies for emerging, transitioning, and bridging language learners. The materials do not include support commensurate with the various levels of English language proficiency as defined by the ELPs (beginning, intermediate, advanced, and advanced high); rather, these supports are differentiated into three levels. The materials provide Spanish Readers in the online Second Edition website and some support with cognates. The Student Readers include images to support comprehension of text, and teachers have access to a digital version for projection. Bilingual dictionaries and thesauri are not mentioned in the materials. There is no evidence of a strategic use of students’ first language to enhance vocabulary development.

Examples include but are not limited to:

Under “Language for ELD and Universal Access,” the Program Guide states: “A range of supports and additional practice are provided in the program to provide access to academic and domain-specific language taught in the core lessons” and “Spanish cognates are provided in parentheses and italics next to vocabulary words in most units.” In addition, the “core lessons, as written, provide a high degree of scaffolding.” The Program Guide explains that in the sidebar of the Teacher Guide there are differentiated supports for students with linguistic needs. These supports provide scaffolds for students to access the learning at their language ability. They are broken down into three ability levels: “entering/emerging,” “transitioning/expanding,” and “bridging,” listed from greatest need for linguistic accommodations, to least support. For example, an “entering/emerging” scaffold might ask for students to draw their answer, a “transitioning/expanding” might ask students to add labels, and a “bridging” may ask students to complete the activity with no modifications. The intention of the scaffolds is to “bolster reading comprehension and effective expression in writing. Another linguistic accommodation from the Program Guide mentions providing different methods for responding. “Students are given a wide range of response methods in lessons, including oral responses, shared class responses, individual written responses, and small group work. Small groups are structured to allow students who need help to be given targeted support, and sidebars provide further advice on how to work with individuals, pairs, and small groups.”

Access Supports listed in a sidebar in each lesson are represented with a hand in a circle. In the Program Guide it states these supports provide guidance “to adjust pacing of instruction, providing more specific explicit instruction for Tier 2 (broadly academic) and Tier 3 (domain- specific) vocabulary words, and offering deeper support for syntactic awareness.” For example, the reading lesson lists the vocabulary words in a tier chart. Cognates are listed for the words that have them. During Read Alouds students receive support throughout the lesson using pictures or props with attention being paid specifically to vocabulary.

In the Teacher’s Edition, the section Advance Preparation contains information on Universal Access. This section provides teachers with advice on what to prep in advance specifically for English Language Learners. Within the lessons the materials provide sentence frames and starters for writing and speaking tasks and numerous graphic organizers and other tools that promote the activation of background knowledge. Spanish Readers are also provided in both e- book and PDF forms for most Grade 5 Readers. It is noted that, “due to licensed text, select Grade 5 units have been excluded”. Texts in six out of nine units have a Spanish version.

The digital component of the materials offers a mode of presenting images from the text as well as the text itself to support learning; “Images used during instruction connect to the text and support comprehension.” All units have a glossary at the end of the Teacher’s Edition. The words in the glossary have been bolded in the Student Reader. This helps the student recognize that the word needs special attention.

In Unit 4, students read an excerpt from another adaptation of Don Quixote. The sidebar includes guidance for linguistics accommodations for English Language Learners. The entering/emerging students can create a horizontal drawing board of the two things being compared and write the key words under the actions; transitioning/expanding students divide a sheet of paper into two sections titled “Driver” and “Knight,” and write key words focusing on similarities; bridging students write complete sentences comparing the driver to the knight while focusing on the use of comparison language (e.g. “like,” “similar to,” “in comparison”).

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

The materials provide assessments and guidance for teachers to monitor student progress. Teachers are given instructions on how to interpret and act on any data found through the assessments. While the assessments are aligned in purpose and use, they are not aligned to the TEKS. The materials provide instructions and multiple charts on which to track and disseminate data. Beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year (BOY, MOY, and EOY) assessments are provided for placement of students based on need. Formative assessments occur throughout every unit and lesson in the form of worksheets in the Activity Book and Checks for Understanding built into the lessons. The assessments are connected to the regular content and support student learning.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The materials include beginning-, middle-, and end-of-year assessments. The BOY assessment occurs in Unit 1 and consists of five components: written assessment of reading comprehension, grammar, and morphology; oral assessment of word reading in isolation; and a fluency assessment. These assessments are used for initial placement of students and identification of needed remediation. The MOY assessment occurs at the end of Unit 6 and tests the same five components as in the BOY assessment. The EOY assessment occurs at the end of Unit 9 and tests all five components present in the BOY assessment.

Each unit not containing a BOY, MOY, or EOY assessment contains a unit assessment assessing the primary focus for each component of the unit. Unit assessments include comprehension and vocabulary questions about the text, in addition to grammar and morphology. Students also complete performance tasks and writing assessments throughout the units. The materials provide rubrics to score and analyze student assessments.

Formative assessments occur throughout the Student Activity Books to keep track of students’ progress toward the objectives of each lesson. Teachers are provided with an answer key or rubric for all formative assessments, found within the Teacher Resources section at the end of every unit.

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

The materials provide a year-long plan for teachers to provide differentiation. The Program Guide and Supports noted in the sidebar of the Teacher’s Edition and integrated into the lessons provide suggestions for differentiation and grouping structures. The Lesson at a Glance also includes the amount of time needed for each portion of the lesson and how students should be grouped. Ancillary materials include instructions for implementation and use.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Program Guide provides information on how to support students who are at different levels. Within the guide, a section titled Supporting All Students outlines the ways the materials provide support: drawing on background knowledge, modeling and focusing on meaning-making, vocabulary and grammar, discussions, reading, rereading, use of appropriate tools, and scaffolded writing. The materials build on background knowledge specifically for children who have been taught with these materials in previous grades. In the unit introductions of each Teacher’s Guide, a section outlines which units in previous grades correlate with the one being taught. The materials embed modeling throughout the reading lessons. The supports in the sidebar provide guidance to support students with comprehension. Specific close reading lessons provide students with opportunities to reread a text with teacher guidance. The materials also include Pausing Points within the reading where the teacher is prompted to either ask a question or point out a vocabulary word. Graphic organizers throughout the activity pages offer additional scaffolds to support students. Supports for writing assignments include sentence frames, graphic organizers, pre-written discussions, and content-specific word lists.

The Assessment and Remediation Guide, Encoding/Decoding Supplement, and Fluency Packets are online resources and contain activities covering phonological awareness, phonics, and fluency and comprehension. Teachers use the assessments included in these ancillary materials to determine areas where students need remediation and create small groups based on this data. These materials include instructions for implementation and use. Teachers use assessment data to determine a student’s individual needs.

The materials are divided into units. Each unit has 15 to 20 lessons. On average there are three to four Pausing Point lessons in each unit. Pausing Points provide the teacher an opportunity to reteach, enrich, and master the information learned in the unit. These lessons address enrichment and/or remediation in reading comprehension, speaking, listening, language, vocabulary, and writing.

Supports provided in the teacher materials titled “Access, Support and Challenge” are represented by an icon located in the sidebar. The supports during daily instruction are in the form of questions and activities. In Unit 4 Lesson 2, the Support sidebar suggests explaining the purpose of a Venn Diagram.

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

The materials include a grade-specific scope and sequence outlining the skills taught in the program and the order in which they are taught. The Scope and Sequence is not aligned with the TEKS. Each individual unit includes an introduction that shows connections to prior CKLA learning. Teachers’ implementation support includes summaries provided at the beginning of each unit and lesson. Teachers also receive additional support in the Teacher Resource section located at the end of every lesson and via other resources located on the Amplify website. No evidence was found of support for administrators to support implementation. The materials include pacing guidance and routines to support a 180-day schedule, but not a 220-day schedule.

Examples include but are not limited to:

The Scope and Sequence is located online on the 2nd edition website under each grade level. It is not aligned to the TEKS. The Scope and Sequence begins with a description of the components of each unit, including lessons, unit assessments, and Pausing Points. Each unit includes a summary of the theme of the unit. A chart displays each component of the lesson: text analysis/comprehension, speaking and listening, language and vocabulary, and writing; these are charted by lesson. Assessments and Pausing Points are also noted. Student expectations for each lesson are listed.

The materials include a Unit Introduction for each unit. The introductions provide a summary of the theme of the unit, how long the unit should last, and if it contains Pausing Points. The skills taught during the lesson are summarized. Each skills component of the lesson includes the expectations of the unit. A section also explains why the unit is important and lists the prior CKLA knowledge students should be bringing, based on learning in previous grades. The materials also describe Writing, Performance Tasks and Assessments, and Fluency. The academic and core vocabulary for the unit is listed in a chart, by lesson.

On the Amplify website, a tab labeled Resources to Help Teachers contains a Program Guide, Research Guides, Pacing Guides, Standards Alignment, Scope and Sequence, Professional Learning Resources, Independent Reading, Social Emotional Learning, and Multimedia Resources. The Program Guide gives an overview of the whole program, including philosophy, how the lessons work, and more. The Research Guide details the research behind CKLA and its philosophies. Under Professional Learning Resources, different titles are available based on the specific help a teacher might need. For example, there is a webinar on skills as a supplement. It also has many titles for initial training.

At the beginning of each lesson, there is an overview provided for teachers. The Primary Focus of the Lesson section provides student expectations for each component of the lesson along with a hyperlink to the description of state standards that fits those expectations. Formative assessments for the lesson include hyperlinks to the activity page where each assessment can be located. The Lesson at a Glance chart shows the lesson components: Speaking and Listening (Read Aloud), Reading (activities are linked to Read Aloud), Foundational Skills, Language, Writing, and Spelling. There is also a materials list with hyperlinks when available.

At the end of each unit there is a Teacher Resource section. Included are links to a glossary and to an answer key. The resources available depend on the unit and what is being taught and assessed. In Unit 1, this resource section includes Dialogue Starter Pages, a Speaking and Listening Observational Checklist, and Story Slips.

In addition, the materials provide a teacher planner available for all grade levels. The planner contains a year-long pacing guide and lesson-planning pages. The online pacing guide on the 2nd-edition website shows each unit in weeks to create a visual of how long each unit should last. Pausing Point days are also included. As noted in the Program Guide and indicated on the pacing guide, the materials are designed for 180-185 days of instruction including Pausing Point days.

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

The materials for Grade 5 include image cards, student workbooks, texts, and photographs simply designed to not distract from learning. Graphic elements are maintained across the materials. Each unit utilizes white space to support students in finding and understanding information. Student Readers, Student Workbooks, and Flip Books use bold print and photographs that are centered on the page to enhance readability. The graphics and white space on the pages ensure that the student can readily find what they need without distraction.

Examples include but are not limited to:

In Unit 1, the activity page for students’ personal narratives is centered with white spacing around the text. The charts and text are not crowded, allowing adequate room for writing.

In Unit 2, the Reader “Early Americans Civilizations” includes a table of contents, graphics, and charts to inform students and not distract from the topic.

In Unit 5, the Reader “The Renaissance: Patrons, Artists and Scholars” has white space around the outside of the book, drawing attention to the text, charts, and photographs.

In Unit 9, the Reader “The Badlands Sleuths” includes white space around the information provided, making the charts and photographs the focus.

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

The materials do not include student-facing technology components.