6th to 8th Grade - Gateway 2

The text quality and volume of reading in the Arts & Letters materials meet expectations for indicator 2a. Materials include core and anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and engaging for students through a variety of literary and informational texts, biographies, poetry, historical texts, visual art, and multimedia sources connected to coherent module topics and essential questions. Many selections are award-winning or critically acclaimed works that expose students to rich language, complex themes, and meaningful ideas while building knowledge across history, science, culture, and the arts. Literary works provide opportunities for deep thematic analysis, character study, and interpretation, while informational and literary nonfiction texts support inquiry into historical events, scientific discoveries, social issues, and influential individuals. The materials also incorporate varied visual art forms and multimedia resources to deepen understanding and expand interpretation across disciplines. The program features both long and short form works, comprising a mix of full texts and excerpts. It offers a generally balanced selection of literary and informational texts that align somewhat with the balance expected in the grade-level standards. In addition, the program’s Volume of Reading component supports independent reading through curated text lists, reading logs, and Content Stage–based reflection questions that encourage students to build reading stamina, track their reading, connect ideas across texts, and apply comprehension practices developed during core instruction.

• Materials include core/anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and engaging for students at their grade level. 

  • The materials include a wide range of core and anchor texts that are well-crafted, content-rich, and engaging for students, with selections spanning literary and informational texts, biographies, historical narratives, poetry, visual art, and multimedia sources. Many texts are award-winning or critically acclaimed works that expose students to rich language, complex themes, and meaningful ideas while building knowledge across history, science, the arts, and culture. Literary texts such as A Single Shard, The Odyssey, Animal Farm, The Midwife’s Apprentice, and The Crossover provide compelling narratives, dynamic characters, and opportunities for deep thematic analysis, while informational and literary nonfiction texts such as Picturing a Nation, Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, and biographies of figures like Malala Yousafazai build disciplinary knowledge and connect literacy learning to real-world topics and historical events. The materials also integrate diverse visual art forms—including paintings, sculptures, prints, photography, and surrealist works—to deepen interpretation and broaden students’ understanding of artistic expression and historical context. Across the text sets, the materials intentionally include various cultural perspectives, complex ideas, and engaging topics that support knowledge-building, critical thinking, and sustained student interest while providing appropriately rigorous reading experiences for grade-level learners.

Note: As part of this review, the publisher submitted documentation detailing text characteristics, including genre and subgenre classifications and counts of full texts, excerpts, long-form texts, and short-form texts. The information below is presented as contextual evidence only and is not factored into the overall score or rating.

• Materials reflect the balance of informational and literary texts required by the grade-level standards (55/45 in 6-8), including various subgenres. Materials include a range of full texts and excerpts (including long-form and short-form texts), depending on their stated purpose. (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring.)

  • The texts in Arts & Letters span various genres and include mostly full texts, with some excerpts of longer texts selected for purpose and grade-level appropriateness. The program includes a mix of short- and long-form texts. Overall, the materials somewhat reflect a balance between informational and literary texts.

    • Grade 6 contains 27 informational and 17 literary texts, which aligns with the 55/45 split indicated in the standards at 61% informational, 39% literary. Informational texts encompass a range of genres, including articles, historical texts, and books. Literary texts encompass a range of genres, including novels, short stories, and epics. 36 of the texts are long-form and six are short-form. Texts include 31 full texts and 11 excerpts. 

    • Grade 7 contains 19 informational and nine literary texts, which somewhat aligns with the 55/45 split indicated in the standards at 67% informational, 33% literary. Informational texts encompass a range of genres, articles, historical texts, and biographies. Literary texts encompass a range of genres, including novels and poetry. Eight of the texts are long-form and 18 are short-form. Texts include 24 full texts and two excerpts. 

    • Grade 8 contains 26 informational and six literary texts, which does not align with the 55/45 split indicated in the standards at 81% informational, 19% literary. Informational texts encompass a range of genres, articles, op-eds, and biographies. Literary texts encompass a range of genres, including novels and memoirs. Four of the texts are long-form and 26 are short-form. Texts include 28 full texts and two excerpts. 

• Materials include sufficient teacher guidance (including monitoring and feedback) and student accountability structures for independent reading (e.g., independent reading procedures, proposed schedule, tracking system for independent reading).  (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring.)

  • In the Implementation Guide, the “Volume of Reading” section explains that Arts & Letters intentionally builds students’ reading stamina, knowledge, vocabulary, and independence through daily opportunities to engage with additional texts beyond core instruction. The program provides module-specific curated text lists containing 5–12 topic-related books across varied genres, complexity levels, and formats to support both knowledge-building and student choice. Students are encouraged to read widely through independent reading, small-group book clubs, paired fluency practice, and outside reading opportunities, with teachers recommended to dedicate 20–30 additional minutes daily for volume of reading activities. The materials also include structured supports such as Content Stage–based volume of reading questions and reading logs (in Grades 3-8) that help students reflect on, track, and respond to their reading. The guidance emphasizes organizing classroom libraries by topics and interests to promote access to knowledge-building texts and encourages students to transfer the comprehension habits and literacy practices developed during core instruction to their independent reading experiences.

  • On the digital platform, teachers can access general guidance about Volume of Reading as well as module-specific texts and questions to ask students. Under each Module, Module Resources, Reading, teachers can access the Volume of Reading titles, summaries, and questions. There are Volume of Reading questions for each Content Stage, the module Essential Question, and questions to bring in students’ personal knowledge. In each lesson’s overview, the materials include a Follow-Up reminder that states, “Students listen to, read, or explore a volume of reading text. They respond to a volume of reading question. See Implementation Resources for volume of reading guidance.” 

    • In Grade 7, Module 1, the Volume of Reading questions are:

      • “Wonder: What do I notice and wonder about this text?

      • Organize: What is happening in this text?

      • Reveal: What does a deeper look at point of view reveal?

      • Reveal: What does a deeper look at structure reveal?

      • Reveal: What does a deeper look at setting reveal?

      • Distill: What is a central idea in this text?

      • Distill: What is a theme in this text?

      • Know: How does this text build my knowledge?

      • Essential Question: How does society influence a person’s future?

      • Your Knowledge: How did the social hierarchy during the Middle Ages affect people’s lives? What do you know about social status?”

  • Teachers can also find and assign the module reading log on the digital platform. The reading log asks students to record the date, text title, and pages read. These can also be found in the students’ Learn book for each module.

The text complexity analysis in the Arts & Letters materials meets expectations for indicator 2b. Materials provide text complexity analyses and rationales for the educational purpose and placement of core and anchor texts through dedicated Text Analysis documents available on the digital platform. For each text, the materials include a summary or description, qualitative complexity analysis addressing meaning, structure, language, and knowledge demands, quantitative measures when available, reader and task considerations, and explanations for why the text is appropriate within the sequence of instruction and module learning. The rationales connect text placement to the knowledge and skills students develop across the module, often explaining how prior learning and connected texts prepare students to engage with increasingly complex language, ideas, and perspectives. Across the text sets, the analyses indicate that texts are selected and sequenced to support grade-level complexity expectations while aligning text demands with instructional tasks, knowledge-building goals, and opportunities for deeper analysis and discussion.

• Accurate text complexity analysis and a rationale for educational purpose and placement in the grade level accompany core/Anchor texts and a series of texts connected to them.

  • On the digital platform, under Implementation Resources, Implementing for Teachers, teachers can access a Text Analysis document for the grade band. For each text, this document includes a brief description, the qualitative complexity rating, the quantitative complexity rating, reader and task considerations, and a rationale for placement.

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, the program includes the informational text “Doing Science in Antarctica Has Harmed an Environment Under Great Pressure” by Shaun Brooks. The 6-8 Text Analysis document provides a brief description of the text, along with notes on the qualitative complexity of meaning/purpose, structure, language, and knowledge demands. The materials note that this text has a Lexile level of 1160L. This document also provides reader and task considerations for the text, along with a rationale for its placement in the curriculum. The rationale for placement states, “Students encounter ‘Doing Science in Antarctica’ during their study of Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World. They use the text to build understanding of the negative effects associated with Antarctic exploration. This work helps students reflect on the risks of exploration.” 

• According to quantitative and qualitative analysis and their relationship to the associated student task, core/anchor texts have the appropriate level of complexity for the grade.

  • Anchor texts generally have the appropriate level of complexity based on their text complexity analysis and the associated reader and task. 

    • Grade 6

      • Quantitatively, nine texts fall below the grade band range, 19 are within range, and nine exceed the grade band range.

      • Qualitatively, 16 texts are slightly complex, 21 texts are moderately complex, and five texts are very complex.

    • Grade 7

      • Quantitatively, four texts fall below the grade band range, 13 are within range, and five exceed the grade band range.

      • Qualitatively, six texts are slightly complex, 19 texts are moderately complex, and one text is very complex.

    • Grade 8

      • Quantitatively, two texts fall below the grade band range, 12 are within range, and 12 exceed the grade band range.

      • Qualitatively, four texts are slightly complex, 17 texts are moderately complex, and eight texts are very complex.

    • Note: For this review and norming to other reviews, the publisher submitted qualitative information on levels of meaning/purpose, text structure, language conventionality and clarity, and knowledge demands for each text. 

The Arts & Letters program meets the expectations for indicator 2d by organizing text sets around cohesive, grade-appropriate themes that build knowledge over time. Materials include text sets that are organized around grade-appropriate, tightly connected topics and essential questions that support sustained knowledge-building across modules. Each module centers on a coherent topic connected to literature, history/social studies, science, and the arts, with texts, visual art, videos, discussions, and writing tasks intentionally selected to deepen understanding of that topic over time. The materials include literary, informational, and multimedia sources that present multiple perspectives and facets of a topic while exposing students to academic vocabulary, content knowledge, and increasingly complex language and ideas. Knowledge Threads and lesson-level learning goals help connect ideas across texts and tasks, while opportunities for discussion, writing, and synthesis support students in making explicit connections among the concepts they study throughout the module.

• Text sets are organized around a grade-appropriate, tightly-connected topic or theme. 

  • Each module in Arts & Letters is organized around a topic related to the humanities, history/social studies, science, or an integration of those disciplines. Each module has an overarching essential question and Knowledge Threads, which articulate what knowledge students develop over the course of the unit and are woven into each lesson. All of the texts students read and listen to are organized around these topics, as are the module writing tasks. According to the Implementation Guide, “Arts & Letters topics build students’ knowledge of key ideas in history/social studies, science, literature, and the arts. These topics support students in future learning and across academic disciplines. Topics vary within and build students’ knowledge vertically across grade levels.”

    • In Grade 7, Module 4, the module topic is Fever, and the Essential Question is “How can times of crisis affect individuals and societies?” The module summary in the Teach book explains that this module explores how individuals and societies respond to times of crisis through an in-depth study of the yellow fever epidemic that struck Philadelphia in 1793. Students build knowledge about the causes and effects of the epidemic by reading a range of literary and informational texts, including historical nonfiction, historical fiction, poetry, and visual art. Across these texts, students examine how different people and groups responded to the crisis, the challenges created by limited medical knowledge and resources, and the ways the epidemic transformed both individuals and the broader community. Students analyze multiple perspectives, consider the social and historical context of the period, and reflect on themes of resilience, responsibility, and civic action. The module culminates in a research project in which students investigate the impact of a disease on individuals and societies, synthesize information from multiple sources, and communicate their findings through written, oral, and visual presentation components. Writing instruction focuses on informative essays using evidence from texts to explain ideas about language, emotion, and greatheartedness. The Knowledge Threads indicate the knowledge about the heart that students should gain over the course of the unit:

      • “A yellow fever epidemic swept through Philadelphia in 1793, resulting in hordes of sick and dying individuals and a constitutional crisis that nearly shut down the US government.

      • During the 1793 yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia, medicine was rooted in ancient and medieval beliefs and largely based on mythology and folklore.

      • Social factors such as gender, race, and class affected the ways that individuals in Philadelphia experienced the 1793 yellow fever epidemic.

      • Fear, compassion, and the will to survive drove much of the behavior of individuals in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic.

      • A crisis can serve as a catalyst for positive change in individuals, society, and medicine.”

      The daily learning tasks and writing that students do focus on these Learning Goals:

      • Build knowledge of how times of crisis affect individuals and societies.

      • Describe how individuals and ideas affect how societies address challenges during epidemics.

      • Examine how text structure develops ideas and affects the reader.

      • Compare how different texts portray the same historical figures and events.

      • Investigate a research question to build knowledge about how a selected disease affected individuals and societies.

      • Use writing, speaking, and a visual display to present research findings and an abstract to a specific audience.

      • Participate in class discussions about how societies responded to epidemics, revisiting goals to improve discussions, supporting ideas with relevant evidence from texts, adjusting speech to match context, asking questions that require detailed responses from others, and answering questions with relevant elaboration.”

• Text set organization provides opportunities for students to address facets of the same topic or theme over an extended period (e.g., a unit, module), enabling the development of deeper knowledge. Text sets cohesively build knowledge across various topics in social studies (including history), science, the arts, and literature, exposing students to academic vocabulary, content knowledge, and complex syntax.

  • Arts & Letters’ text sets are designed to provide opportunities for students to examine various facets of the module’s topic/theme and essential question to build knowledge. These topics/themes build vertically from Grade K through Grade 8 and cover science, social studies, and humanities topics and themes.

    • In Grade 6, Module 3, the module topic is Jade and Water, and the Essential Question is “How does tradition influence art?” This module explores the relationship between tradition and artistic expression through a study of Korean culture, celadon pottery, and the novel A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. Students examine how artistic, moral, and literary traditions shape individuals, communities, and creative works by engaging with historical fiction, informational texts, visual art, folktales, and poetry. Through the experiences of a young apprentice striving to become an artist, students analyze the balance between preserving tradition and fostering innovation, while also considering the cultural values that influence personal growth and artistic achievement. The module deepens students’ understanding of Korean history and culture through investigations of celadon pottery, Confucian principles, oral storytelling traditions, and traditional poetic forms. Students also explore how artistic traditions endure and evolve over time by comparing historical and contemporary works of art. As a culminating writing task, students develop an argument essay evaluating the relative influence of artistic and moral traditions on a character’s development, using evidence from texts and other sources to support their claims. Students read articles, including “Playing with Mud” by Katherine Schouten and “The Five Virtues” by Monique Nagel-Angermann. Students also view the art pieces, Delicate Carving on White Porcelain by Lee Jong Min and Thousand Cranes Vase by artist unknown, which allow them to learn about the topic through an artist’s perspective. The Teach books indicate the knowledge students should develop through analyzing the topic through various texts and tasks, called Knowledge Threads:

      • “Traditions preserve knowledge from the past and inspire innovation.

      • Art is influenced by, but also innovates upon, the cultural traditions of specific communities.

      • Korean celadon pottery represented a technological and conceptual evolution of artistic tradition.

      • Systems of thought like Confucianism influence how people understand what it means to live a “good life” or a life that considers, defines, and favors ethics and morality.

      • Folktales transmit life lessons and cultural values, connecting people through different times and places.

      • Authors draw on historical, literary, and artistic traditions to develop and write their stories.

      • Artists rely on both inspiration and discipline to produce innovative work”

      Students use the texts they study throughout the module to write argumentative essays on the various topics and themes explored. The Land portion of each lesson is designed to help students make explicit the knowledge they built throughout the lesson. For example, in Arc B, Lesson 29, the teacher instructs “students to [look at the] Knowledge Statements for Module 3, located in the Learn book. [And] work with a partner to discuss what they learned today and form knowledge statements to add to the page in their Learn book.”

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, the module topic is Montgomery, and the Essential Question is, “What does it mean to move toward justice?” This module examines the civil rights movement through the story of Claudette Colvin and explores how individuals and communities work to advance justice. Students build knowledge about the struggle for civil rights by reading nonfiction, speeches, poetry, informational texts, and visual art that highlight the efforts of both well-known and lesser-known activists. Through these texts, students analyze the impact of segregation and racial injustice, the strategies used to challenge discrimination, and the collective actions that contributed to social change. Students consider multiple perspectives on justice, activism, and civic responsibility while exploring how movements for fairness develop over time. The module emphasizes the ongoing nature of the pursuit of justice and encourages students to connect historical events to contemporary issues. As a culminating writing task, students compose a classification essay explaining the different methods Claudette Colvin and other civil rights leaders used to seek justice during the civil rights movement. Texts students read in this unit include Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose, several articles, including “What Does Social Justice Mean?” by Emmaline Soken-Huberty, and a poem titled “Rosa Parks” by Nikki Giovanni. Students also view the art piece, 10/27/69, by Sam Gilliam, which allows them to learn about the topic through an artist’s perspective. The materials also provide a video for students to watch to build knowledge of the topic across the module. The Teach books indicate the knowledge students should develop through analyzing the topic through various texts and tasks, called Knowledge Threads:

      • “The civil rights movement was an initiative for racial equality that resulted in laws designed to ensure fair legal rights and treatment for all Americans. 

      • Many Americans were inspired to seek justice because the unfair treatment of Black Americans led to violence and injustice. 

      • Claudette Colvin refused to give up her seat to a White person, which contributed to the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, a catalyst for the civil rights movement at large. 

      • Movement toward justice requires collective efforts among individuals, communities, and governments. 

      • Revisiting moments in history through the examination of different perspectives can help people to gain a more accurate and thorough understanding of events. ”

      Students use the texts they study throughout the module to write informative essays about the Civil Rights Movement. The Land portion of each lesson is designed to help students make explicit the knowledge they have built throughout the lesson. For example, in Arc B, Lesson 15, the teacher instructs students “to [look at the] Knowledge Statements for Module 2, located in the Learn book. [And] work with a partner to discuss what they learned today and form knowledge statements to add to the page in their Learn book.”

The instructional pathway outlined in Arts and Letters materials meets expectations for indicator 2f. Materials clearly outline the essential elements of the core instructional pathway and explain how to implement that pathway through detailed guidance in the Implementation Guide and teacher-facing materials. The guide explains the structure and purpose of the program’s Content Stages—Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know—and describes how instructional routines, vocabulary development, collaborative discussion, writing, inquiry, and repeated engagement with complex texts work together to support knowledge-building and literacy development. Additional sections, including “Research-Based Approach” and “Research in Action,” explain how the curriculum is grounded in research-based literacy practices and the science of reading through explicit instruction, oral language development, close reading, scaffolded support, gradual release, and integrated reading and writing instruction. The materials also provide annotated sample lessons, overviews of curriculum components, lesson-level timing guidance, module plans, and pacing resources that support implementation of the core pathway. Supplemental materials, including Prologue lessons which are designed to work coherently with core instruction. 

• Materials clearly outline the essential elements for the core instructional pathway. Materials clearly explain how to use and implement the core instructional pathway, which does not deviate from currently accepted research. 

  • The Implementation Guide outlines the essential elements of the Arts & Letters core instructional pathway through the program’s Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. These stages provide a consistent structure for how students engage with texts and build knowledge over time, beginning with curiosity and initial comprehension and progressing toward deeper analysis, synthesis, discussion, and application of ideas. The guide explains the purpose of each stage and how instructional routines, discussion protocols, vocabulary work, writing tasks, and text analysis are embedded within the progression to support students’ understanding of increasingly complex texts and concepts. The materials also provide explicit guidance for teachers on implementing these stages within lessons and modules through modeling prompts, collaborative routines, oral rehearsal, scaffolded questioning, repeated interaction with texts, and opportunities for synthesis and reflection. The instructional pathway reflects research-based literacy practices referenced throughout the guide, including knowledge-building, explicit instruction, close reading, oral language development, scaffolded support, and gradual release.

  • The “Research-Based Approach” and “Research in Action” sections of the Implementation Guide explain that Arts & Letters is grounded in research-based literacy practices and the science of reading, with instruction designed to build both knowledge and literacy skills through sustained engagement with complex, content-rich texts. These sections describe how the curriculum integrates evidence-based approaches, including explicit vocabulary instruction, repeated and purposeful interactions with texts, oral language development, collaborative discussion, inquiry, close reading, writing grounded in textual evidence, and scaffolded support for comprehension and language development. The guide explains that students build knowledge coherently across modules through connected text sets, discussion, writing, and research tasks, while instructional routines support gradual release, productive struggle, and cumulative skill development over time. The sections also emphasize the importance of integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening; revisiting texts for multiple purposes; and using structured instructional routines and discussion protocols to deepen understanding and strengthen students’ ability to analyze, synthesize, and communicate ideas. The “Research in Action” section is organized in a table that indicates “What the Research Says” and “What Arts & Letters Does” to address that research within the program.

  • The “Welcome to Arts & Letters” section of the Implementation guide includes a table of Core Curriculum Components that lists each component in the program, along with the component's audience, format, purpose, and description, allowing teachers to see all components they will encounter at a glance.

  • The Implementation Guide also walks teachers through the components of a lesson, using an annotated sample lesson to explain each part.

• When present, supplemental materials are designed to work coherently with the core instructional pathway. Materials provide detailed explanations of when and how to use supplemental materials so that all students can access grade-level materials.

  • Arts & Letters includes various supplemental resources that are designed to work coherently with the core instructional pathways. These supplemental resources include Prologue, Responsive Teaching, and Bookend lessons. 

    • Prologue lessons are companion lessons that occur immediately before core Arts & Letters lessons and are designed to strengthen students’ readiness to engage with upcoming module content, texts, vocabulary, and language demands. The lessons provide targeted support through background knowledge building, oral language development, vocabulary instruction, examination of language structures and syntax, and opportunities for oral rehearsal and supported writing. Prologue lessons are intended especially for multilingual learners and students who need additional language or literacy support, but they can be used flexibly with whole classes, small groups, or individual students based on demonstrated needs. The Implementation Guide indicates that Prologue lessons can be used to:

      • “examine text language and syntax, 

      • orally process ideas, 

      • build essential background knowledge, 

      • deepen vocabulary base, and 

      • practice using academic language.”

      The Prologue lessons follow a similar structure to the Teach book lessons, and the materials provide explanations of each lesson component. The Implementation Guide provides broad guidance for determining which students might benefit from these lessons, as they are designed to be “flexible resources that educators can use to best suit their school context and students’ needs. Teachers can teach Prologue lessons to all their students. Alternatively, teachers, support teachers, or special education teachers may teach Prologue to selected small groups.” The guidance provides teachers with questions to reflect on to help determine which students could benefit from these lessons:

      • “Which students need additional support with this learning goal? 

• Which students would benefit from making additional work with the module speaking and listening goal, language goal, or End-of-Module Task expectations?”

• Materials provide implementation schedules, including lesson-specific guidance, that are well-paced, and can reasonably be completed in the school year, allowing students to dive deeply into content. 

  • On the digital platform, under Implementation Resources, Implementing for Leaders, teachers, and school administrators can access a document called Planning Year of Arts & Letters. This document provides guidance for school leaders and teachers on effectively scheduling and implementing the Arts & Letters curriculum throughout the school year. The document explains how schools can create balanced yearly, weekly, and daily pacing plans that maintain instructional consistency while allowing flexibility for real-world scheduling needs, intervention, collaboration, and student support. It outlines recommendations for structuring literacy blocks, including time for core Arts & Letters lessons, foundational reading instruction, fluency practice, volume of reading, Geodes, and Prologue lessons, and provides sample schedules for different grade bands. The document also explains how schools can use flexible pacing calendars, collaborative planning time, Bookend lessons, and benchmark checkpoints to support coherent implementation, teacher preparation, assessment reflection, and professional learning. Additional sections describe how Prologue lessons can be scheduled to support multilingual learners and students needing additional literacy support, while emphasizing collaboration among classroom teachers and specialists. Overall, the document positions thoughtful scheduling, pacing, and collaboration as essential supports for successful curriculum implementation and sustained literacy instruction throughout the year.

  • The Planning a Year of Arts & Letters document also details how to pace lessons across the year, including questions to guide teachers and administrators in making pacing decisions like, 

    • “How many and which days do we have available for instruction in the school year?

    • What are the fixed elements of our annual school calendar? Are there flexible days within

    • the calendar?

    • What school or district events must we account for?

    • How do we achieve instructional goals given the design of the school calendar?”

    This document lists how many days of instruction are included for each grade level:

    • Grade 6: 160 days + Year in Review lesson

    • Grade 7: 160 days + Year in Review lesson

    • Grade 8: 160 days + Year in Review lesson

    For schools following a typical 180-day calendar, the materials note that the remaining 20-30 days can be used for things like:

    • Establishing routines and procedures during the first week of school

    • Engaging in Bookend lesson* experiences that take longer than 60 minutes

    • Extending module learning through volume of reading (VOR) or special projects

    • Reteaching or responding to identified student learning needs

    • Standardized testing

    • Schoolwide events”

  • While Arts & Letters lessons are each 60 minutes, the materials note that “leaders may want to consider scheduling a 90-minute block to account for some of the above elements. In levels 5–8 classrooms, additional time can be used for students to finish Follow-Up activities, including module text reading, so that students can complete needed reading in school rather than depending on time for homework.”

  • In the Teach books at the start of each module, the materials provide a Module Plan that gives teachers a bird’s-eye view of the module, the Content Stage, text for each lesson, when to administer assessments, and whether there is an associated Prologue lesson. Within the daily lessons, the materials provide timing guidance for each component of the lesson and follow a standard sequence:

    • “The Overview provides key information to orient teachers to the lesson. 

    • Launch (2-5 minutes) previews the lesson’s framing question, text(s), and task(s). 

    • Learn (50-53 minutes) typically includes three sections:

      • Read: Students read the Lesson text(s). 

      • Respond: Students respond to the text(s).

      • Write, Observe, or Engage: 

        • Write: Students write. 

        • Observe: Students examine a work of art. 

        • Engage: Students engage in building vocabulary. 

    • Land (5 minutes) involves students reflecting on learning.”

The questions, tasks, and assignments in Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2g. Materials provide opportunities for students to make meaning of texts through text-based questions and tasks in a variety of formats, including speaking and writing, embedded within the Read and Respond portions of lessons. Instruction follows a structured progression aligned to the Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know, which guide students from initial reading and questioning to organizing ideas, analyzing language and structure, determining central ideas or themes, and reflecting on knowledge gained. Throughout lessons, students engage with teacher-directed questions at designated stopping points that focus attention on key details, character actions, word meaning, and text-based inferences. Materials also include opportunities for students to read, reread, and listen to texts multiple times for different purposes, such as building initial understanding, practicing fluency, analyzing dialogue, and discussing key ideas. Across lessons, these questions and tasks require students to interact directly with the text and demonstrate understanding through discussion and written responses.

• Materials provide opportunities to support students in making meaning of the texts being studied through text-based questions and tasks that require students to answer in varying formats (e.g., speaking, writing, etc.).

  • Throughout the Read and Respond portions of each lesson, students have opportunities to make meaning of the texts they are studying through various types of text-based questions and tasks. The Arts & Letters Implementation Guide states, “students develop their ability to comprehend, analyze, and build knowledge from texts through the Content Stages, a flexible yet predictable process for deep reading of grade-level complex texts. Lessons are structured with a purposeful progression that enables students to access, understand, and analyze these texts. This progression consists of five Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know.” The Implementation Guide further explains each stage:

    • “Students begin with a wide lens at the Wonder stage—reading the text for the first time with curiosity and attention and asking key questions about what they read.

    • They then begin to put their thoughts in order at Organize. At this stage they organize their thinking as to what the text is about, developing their literal comprehension.

    • Reveal takes students further into the text as they focus on challenging, distinctive, or important text components such as word choice, figurative language, or text structure.

    • At Distill, students return to the bigger picture to think about the text’s overall meaning. They engage in discussion to discern texts’ central ideas or themes.

    • The Know stage focuses students’ attention on the module topic. Students reflect on and describe how a text has built their knowledge, or students expand their knowledge by connecting the text to other texts and topics of study.”

  • In Grade 6, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 3, students begin reading Picturing a Nation: The Great Depression’s Finest Photographers Introduce America to Itself by Martin W. Sandler. The materials provide stopping points and questions for teachers to support students’ meaning-making, including: 

    • “What event does this paragraph describe?

    • Write a summary sentence explaining the event in your assignment paragraph

    • Why are the stock market and the drought also described on the first page of Picturing a Nation?”

  • In Grade 8, Module 3, Arc D, Lesson 30, students read “The Maori Vision of Antarctica’s Future” by Sabrina Imbler. The materials provide stopping points and questions for teachers to support students’ meaning-making, including:

    • “What did you learn about Hui Te Rangiora in this section?

    • What did you learn about Krushil Watene and Priscilla Wehl?”

• Materials include text-based questions and tasks that require students to closely read and/or re-read complex parts of texts to deepen their analysis and understanding. 

  • The Arts & Letters materials provide students with opportunities throughout each instructional arc to reread texts for different purposes and engage in various tasks to deepen their analysis and understanding. 

    • In Grade 7, Module 4, Arc A, Lesson 2, students read chapter 1 of An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic by Jim Murphy, initially using the Notice and Wonder Checklist to identify what they notice and wonder about the text. In subsequent lessons, students read and re-read more of the text, deepening their understanding of the yellow fever epidemic. In lesson 4, the Learn book instructs teachers to prompt students to re-read sections, answering questions, including: 

      • “Instruct students to reread the portion of pages 23-25 from ‘Judge William Lewis’ to ‘College of Physicians’ and annotate details about Mayor Matthew Clarkson.

      • Instruct students to reread the portion of pages 25-26 from ‘What took place’ to ‘heated and personal’ and annotate details about Benjamin and Dr. William Currie.”

      Then, students synthesize their understanding by engaging in a Think-Pair-Share on the question, “What was concerning about the meeting of the College of Physicians?” 

The text analysis opportunities in Arts & Letters meet expectations for indicator 2h. Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze key ideas and details, craft and structure, and integrate knowledge and ideas within and across texts through a consistent, structured approach to reading instruction. The program organizes reading into the Content Stages—Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know—which guide students in building comprehension from initial questioning to deeper analysis and synthesis of meaning. Within these stages, students engage in tasks such as identifying and discussing key details, comparing information across multiple texts, and articulating their understanding through written knowledge statements. Students also analyze craft and structure by examining textual elements, often using textual evidence to support their responses. Additionally, materials provide opportunities for students to connect ideas across texts and reflect on how multiple sources contribute to their understanding of a topic, including comparing perspectives and synthesizing information into coherent statements of learning. These repeated, structured opportunities help students make meaning from texts and deepen their understanding of the content.

• Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze key ideas and details (according to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in making meaning.

  • The reading instruction in Arts & Letters is organized into Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. Students examine different aspects of the text at each stage. Students have many opportunities to analyze key ideas and details within and across texts in the Wonder, Organize, and Distill Content Stages. According to the Implementation Guide,

    • “Students begin with a wide lens at the Wonder stage—reading the text for the first time with curiosity and attention and asking key questions about what they read. 

    • They then begin to put their thoughts in order at Organize. At this stage they organize their thinking as to what the text is about, developing their literal comprehension.

    • At Distill, students return to the bigger picture to think about the text’s overall meaning. They engage in discussion to discern texts’ central ideas or themes.”

  • In Grade 7, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 3, students read and summarize aspects of Navajo culture in Code Talker: A Novel About the Navajo Marines of World War Two by Joseph Bruchac. As they re-read chapters 1 and 2, students answer questions, including:

    • “What is happening to Kii Yázhí in Chapter 1?

    • Describe the boarding school in chapter 2.

    • Describe how Kii Yázhí and the other children respond to this situation.”

• Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze craft and structure (according to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in making meaning.

  • The reading instruction in Arts & Letters is organized into Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. Students examine different aspects of the text at each stage. Students have many opportunities to analyze craft and structure within and across texts in the Reveal Content Stage. According to the Implementation Guide, “Reveal takes students further into the text as they focus on challenging, distinctive, or important text components such as word choice, figurative language, or text structure.”

    • In Grade 6, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 24, students analyze the effect of symbolism in A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park. After re-reading with partners and answering more literal comprehension questions, students reach the Respond section of the lesson, where they answer “What do foxes usually symbolize in Korean folklore?” and “How does Park use the symbol of the fox differently than traditional Korean folklore uses it?”

• Materials provide opportunities for students to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas (according to grade-level standards) within individual texts and across multiple texts to support students in deepening their understanding on a topic.

  • The reading instruction in Arts & Letters is organized into Content Stages: Wonder, Organize, Reveal, Distill, and Know. Students examine different aspects of the text at each stage. Students have many opportunities to analyze the integration of knowledge and ideas within and across texts, particularly in the Know Content Stage. According to the Implementation Guide, “The Know stage focuses students’ attention on the module topic. Students reflect on and describe how a text has built their knowledge, or students expand their knowledge by connecting the text to other texts and topics of study.

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, Arc B, Lesson 15, students reflect on the knowledge they have gained from several texts from the module. Students work in groups to synthesize the contributions of different people or groups during the Civil Rights Movement. Then, students write Knowledge Statements to express what they have learned from these texts. The materials provide teachers with sample key ideas students may share. Sample student responses may focus on these key ideas:

      • “Pullman Porters: This group of Black men worked on trains during the civil rights movement. They supported the movement through actions such as helping important people travel from one place to another safely.

      • Brown v. Board of Education: This landmark trial showed that the “separate but equal” laws that shaped public education were illegal. The ruling gave legal support to the integration of schools in the South.

      • Emmett Till: The brutality of Till’s murder at such a young age shocked the nation and encouraged people to participate in activism. It drew attention to how horrific and legally acceptable racism toward Black people was in the South.

      • Rosa Parks: Parks was one of the most famous figures of the civil rights movement. She was arrested after refusing to move to the back of a bus, defying Jim Crow laws.”

The speaking and listening protocols and teacher guidance in Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2i. Materials include structured protocols that support students in participating in a range of discussions and building understanding through collaboration grounded in text and prior knowledge. Instruction incorporates consistent routines such as partner, small-group, and whole-group discussions, including Think–Pair–Share and other structured formats, which guide students in sharing ideas and responding to peers. Lessons intentionally prepare students for discussions by having them collect and organize textual evidence, often through annotation, note-taking, or written and drawn responses, before engaging in conversation. During discussions, students use sentence frames and other supports to articulate their thinking and cite evidence, while teachers introduce specific speaking and listening goals. The materials also include formal discussion structures, such as Socratic seminars, in which students synthesize knowledge across texts and engage in extended, text-based dialogue. Throughout these activities, teacher guidance supports facilitation, monitoring, and feedback, including prompts, differentiation strategies, and tools such as the Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker to observe and support students’ progress over time.

• Materials include structured protocols that support students in participating in various types of discussions, using both background knowledge and their interpretation of the text to build upon each other’s understanding.

  • The Arts & Letters materials include structured protocols that support students in participating in a range of discussion types and building understanding through shared conversation. The Implementation Guide describes the use of consistent instructional routines, such as Think–Pair–Share and other partner or small-group discussions, which provide clear structures for students to engage with both their background knowledge and their interpretations of texts. Students regularly participate in text-centered discussions during lessons, as well as more formal academic conversations in Distill lessons and Socratic seminars, where they prepare by gathering evidence and contributing ideas grounded in the text. Guidance for facilitating academic conversations emphasizes student-to-student interaction, encouraging students to respond to and build on one another’s ideas to deepen collective understanding. Additional supports, such as sentence frames provided through the Talking Tool, help students share ideas, ask questions, and support their thinking with evidence during discussions.

  • The materials include an explicit focus on speaking and listening during the Distill lesson and generally follow this structure:

    • “Read | Prepare for a Discussion. Students prepare by collecting evidence. 

    • Respond | Discuss Themes [or Central Ideas]. The teacher introduces the speaking and listening goal. Teachers then foster skill development through the following:

      • Modeling or having students model the skill

      • Explaining how the skill works

      • Having students discuss what they know about the skill.”

    • In Grade 6, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 23, students prepare for a discussion of the themes in “Mulan Goes to War” by Heather Forest, The Odyssey by Gillian Cross and Neil Packer, or Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel. The teacher guides students in preparing to discuss the question and in collecting evidence from each text, using narrowed text selections and provided questions for each text. For “Mulan Goes to War,” the teacher guidance states, “Direct attention to pages 10–12 and 160–170. Instruct students to annotate details to answer these questions: What was Odysseus like at the beginning of his journey? What was Odysseus like at the end of his journey?” The materials provide guidance on what the teacher should look for in student annotations. Further teacher guidance states, “Instruct students to review the text and their notes with a partner and briefly write in response to this question: How did Odysseus respond to the challenges he encountered throughout the journey?” A differentiation support note and the key ideas that students should elicit are available to support teachers. For The Odyssey or Ramayana, teacher guidance states, “Direct attention to pages 20–30 and 106–120. Instruct students to annotate details to answer these Questions: What was Rama like at the beginning of his journey? What was Rama like at the end of his journey?” The materials provide guidance on what the teacher should look for in student annotations. Further teacher guidance states, “Instruct students to review the text and their notes with a partner and briefly write in response to this question: How did Rama respond to the challenges he encountered throughout the journey?” A differentiation support note and the key ideas that students should elicit are available to support teachers. Afterward, students finally engage in a discussion about the themes of both texts. The teacher reminds students of the importance of following norms and the two speaking and listening goals they will practice throughout this discussion, including: “Elaborate on the evidence you use to make clear connections and explain its significance.” The teacher “Direct[s] students to their journals[,] and [i]nstruct[s] them to refer to their notes and to their journal responses to support their ideas during a class discussion.” The materials also include the key ideas students should address and reinforce. At the end of the discussion, teachers prompt students to reflect on how they progressed toward their speaking and listening goals. 

  • In the final arc of each module, students participate in a Socratic Seminar. The Implementation Guide outlines how teachers should prepare, what they should do during the seminar, and how to encourage students to reflect afterward. 

    • In Grade 7, Module 3, Module Finale, Lesson 36, students engage in a Socratic Seminar about the Essential Question, “How does literature deepen historical understanding?” The materials direct teachers to “Tell students that they will participate in a Socratic seminar to share the knowledge they have gained from the module texts. Explain that, like a Distill discussion, a Socratic seminar is a discussion in which everyone shares what they think about an important question and uses evidence from the text to support their thinking. Tell students that they may agree or disagree with another’s position, but they can deepen their knowledge about a topic by listening closely to all ideas.” To prepare for the seminar, the teacher prompts students to collect evidence from each text studied in the module in groups, reminds them of the module’s speaking and listening goals, and asks them to write at least 1 or 2 discussion questions. To support the teacher in facilitating the seminar, the materials provide a way to quickly analyze student progress.

• Speaking and listening instruction includes facilitation, monitoring, and feedback guidance for teachers.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the materials include if…then statements to help teachers guide students during speaking and listening activities. Topics include student reluctance to participate in small- or whole-group discussions, some students dominating the conversation, students not speaking directly to each other, support for using relevant vocabulary in discussions, support for using evidence in discussions, MLL support, and minimizing distractions. 

  • The Teach book provides teachers with point-of-use guidance on monitoring discussions and providing feedback to students as needed. 

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, Module Finale, Lesson 36, students participate in a Socratic Seminar about the module Essential Question, “What does it mean to move toward justice?” The materials provide teachers with guidance to support the discussion, including sentence starters to strengthen it.  

      • “Direct students to the Talking Tool, located in the Learn book. Remind students that they can practice these goals by using the following sentence frames:

        • I hear you say that ______. This changes my mind about  ______.

        • I hear you say that  ______. However, there is also evidence that  ______.

        • This evidence illustrates  ______.

        • This evidence proves  ______.”

    The materials also include an Analyze Student Progress callout box, which states:

    • “Monitor: Do students use evidence from module texts to explain how specific people contributed to the pursuit of justice?

    • Offer Immediate Support: If students need additional support describing how people contributed to the pursuit of justice, ask this question: What happened in society as a result of an instance you identified in your evidence?

    • Plan Future Practice: Students practice participating in class discussions in module 3.”

    Additionally, the materials list Key Ideas for teachers to reinforce for students. 

  • Each module includes a Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker that outlines three goals, evidence statements to assess student progress toward those goals, and guidance for students who need additional support. These trackers include a place where teachers can record information for each goal multiple times throughout the module.

    • In Grade 6, Module 1, the Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker lists these five goals:

      • “Goal 1: Follow Discussion Norms

      • Goal 2: Explain how information presented in multiple formats deepens your understanding.

      • Goal 3: Speak at a volume and rate others can understand.

      • Goal 4: Set goals to improve discussions. 

      • Goal 5: Support what you say with relevant evidence from the text, including quotations.”  

      Each goal includes guidance on determining student progress toward it. For example, evidence of progress for Goal 2 includes:

      • “Referring to previous understanding and new understanding

      • Sharing their ideas from different types of sources” 

      Notes for the teacher about supporting students who need help progressing toward this goal include:

      • “During the discussion, ensure that each multimedia piece has an abbreviated, easy name by which students can refer to it. Use the actual title when possible. Post the name in a visible location (e.g., Lange Photograph 1, Lange’s Migrant Mother) 

      • After the discussion, instruct students to discuss with a partner to discuss which photograph from Picturing a Nation most helped them understand the text’s central idea.”

The student practice opportunities for evidence-based discussions in Arts & Letters meet the expectations for indicator 2j. Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in collaborative conversations about texts through structured discussion routines embedded across lessons. Students participate in frequent speaking and listening activities, including partner discussions, small-group conversations, and whole-group discussions, as well as more formal discourse in Distill lessons and Socratic seminars. These discussions require students to ask and answer questions about key details, share examples from the text, and describe their understanding using evidence gathered through rereading or listening. Students are supported in preparing for conversations by revisiting portions of the text, selecting relevant details, and rehearsing their thinking with peers before sharing in larger discussions. Materials also emphasize consideration of others’ perspectives through explicit speaking and listening goals. 

• Materials provide opportunities for students to engage in collaborative conversations about the text being read, which require them to utilize, apply, and incorporate evidence from texts and/or sources.

  • Throughout the Arts & Letters program, students have numerous opportunities to engage in various types of collaborative conversations about the texts being read. Students speak and listen in all lessons and engage in more formal opportunities in the Distill lessons and the Socratic Seminars in the Module Finale.

    • In Grade 7, Module 1, Arc C, Lesson 31, students engage in a discussion about the question, “What is the theme of the text?” To prepare for the discussion, students review sections of The Midwife’s Apprentice by Karen Cushman and engage in a silent Chalk Talk discussion of the text's topics first. Later, students participate in a discussion of the text's theme and use textual evidence to support their ideas.

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, Module Finale, Lesson 36, students “participate in a Socratic seminar to share the knowledge they have gained from the module texts” about the module Essential Question, “How does exploration affect society?” Students prepare by collecting evidence from the module’s texts to answer the question. The teacher reminds students of the module’s speaking and listening goals:

      • “Analyze the purpose and motive of information presented in various formats.

      • Ask questions that connect ideas from multiple speakers.

      • Answer questions with relevant elaboration.

      • Support what you say with relevant evidence from the text, including quotations.

      • Listen closely to evaluate a speaker’s argument, noting when irrelevant evidence is used.

      • Reflect on and justify your ideas based on new information shared by others.”

      Students then engage in the Seminar using the sentence frames from the Talking Tool as needed.

• Materials provide opportunities for students to consider others’ perspectives and engage in intellectual discourse about texts and topics they are reading.

  • In each module, the materials focus students on speaking and listening goals, many of which involve considering others’ perspectives and building on others' ideas.

    • In Grade 6, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 30, students draft an argument essay. After ensuring their arguments are complete, students engage in a partner discussion on their argument. The teacher introduces the speaking and listening goal: “Listen closely to identify a speaker’s argument, noting how a claim is supported by reasons and evidence.” The Speaking and Listening Goal Tracker for Module 3 explains that evidence of progress for this goal includes:

      • “Repeating, paraphrasing, or summarizing a speaker’s main argument

      • Asking for reasons or evidence to support an argument

      • Asking follow-up questions to clarify a speaker’s argument, reason, or evidence”

      During this activity, students orally rehearse their claim, reasons, and evidence. Their partner is responsible for identifying “how their partner’s claim is supported by reasons and evidence,” while asking follow-up questions to clarify their “argument, reason, or evidence.” 

Teacher guidance for explicit vocabulary instruction in Arts & Letters’ materials meets expectations for indicator 2k. Materials include structured and explicit practices for introducing key vocabulary and developing independent word-learning strategies within the context of texts. Vocabulary instruction is integrated throughout the modules and emphasizes the teaching of content-specific and academic words essential to comprehension. Students engage in a consistent Vocabulary Exploration Routine that includes pronouncing and analyzing words by syllables, examining word parts and letter-sound correspondences, and learning student-friendly definitions, with additional support from resources such as Knowledge Deck Cards, glossaries, and Word Analysis Charts. Instruction also incorporates strategies such as analyzing morphology, exploring etymology, and examining word relationships to deepen understanding. Vocabulary learning occurs before, during, and after reading, with multiple opportunities for students to revisit and apply terms across lessons, discussions, and writing tasks. These repeated and varied exposures support students in building and applying vocabulary knowledge within and across texts.

• Materials include structured and explicit practices for introducing key vocabulary words and independent word-learning strategies within the context of the texts (student-friendly definitions, analyzing morphemes, etymology, word maps, and discussion of word relationships/shades of meaning, dictionary skills, context clues). 

  • In the Implementation Guide, the Teaching Vocabulary section describes a structured approach to vocabulary instruction integrated into the study of complex texts and focused on building students’ understanding of both content-specific and academic language. The materials emphasize explicit instruction on key vocabulary words essential to comprehending module texts, along with repeated exposure to these words before, during, and after reading. Instruction includes strategies such as introducing and discussing word meanings in context, analyzing word parts (e.g., prefixes, roots, and suffixes), and exploring relationships between words to deepen understanding. Students engage with vocabulary through multiple modalities, including discussion, reading, and writing, and are supported by resources such as Knowledge Deck Cards and glossaries. The guidance also highlights the importance of revisiting and reinforcing vocabulary across lessons and texts to support long-term retention and application, while providing teacher supports for modeling, practice, and ongoing review of vocabulary development.

  • The materials provide the Vocabulary Exploration Routine to explicitly teach content-specific, text-specific, and academic vocabulary words in each module. The routine is explicitly outlined in the Teach books the first time it occurs in a grade level and is also available in the Implementation Guide. The routine consists of:

    • “The teacher says the word and simultaneously claps each syllable. 

    • Students echo by repeating the term and clapping for each syllable. 

    • The teacher identifies the word and shares word parts or letter-sound correspondences that can help students decode the word. (The Word Analysis Chart provides this word information for teachers. Teachers can reference this chart before or during the Vocabulary Exploration Routine.) 

    • Read the definition.

      • In levels 3–8, the teacher invites a student to read aloud the definition.”

  • Each module contains a set of Knowledge Deck Cards to support students in learning the module vocabulary. The Implementation Guide explains,

    • “The front of the Knowledge Deck Card includes the module term and an image to support understanding of the word 

    • The back of the Knowledge Deck Card includes the term and part of speech at the top, a student-friendly definition, and a sample sentence using the term.”

    After teachers introduce the Knowledge Deck Card, they facilitate the Vocabulary Exploration Routine to deepen students’ understanding of the new vocabulary. 

    • In Grade 6, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 1, the teacher introduces the word perseverance using the Knowledge Deck Card. The Teach book prompts teachers to “Introduce the vocabulary term perseverance by displaying the Knowledge Card, saying the term, and simultaneously clapping once for each syllable. Instruct students to say the term and clap for each syllable.” Next, teachers explain the prefix per and its definition, asking students, “What might the word perseverance mean based on the prefix per-?” Last, teachers remind students of the essential question: “How do people persevere through hardship?” and “explain that the term perseverance is the noun form of the word persevere.” The materials also provide a student-friendly definition of the word at the point of use in the Teach book.

    • In Grade 7, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 5, the teacher introduces the word totalitarianism using the Knowledge Deck Card. The Learn book prompts teachers to ask “What is the root in totalitarianism?” and “Reinforce the correct response: total.” Next, teachers “Explain that the root total means ‘complete or absolute.’” Last, teachers ask, “How is the meaning of the root total related to the definition of totalitarianism?” The Teach book prompts teachers to reinforce that “total means absolute,” and “totalitarianism refers to governments with leaders with absolute power.” 

  • In Grades 3-8, the Arts & Letters program also includes a Word Analysis Chart for each module. According to the Implementation Guide, “Teachers reference the Word Analysis Chart and use it for further word work at each instance of the Vocabulary Exploration Routine. The Word Analysis Chart contains a list of module vocabulary terms, syllable division and identification of syllable type, and explanations for challenging sound-spelling patterns and examples of challenging letter-sound correspondences. The chart also lists Greek and Latin roots and affixes, along with brief definitions.”

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, the Word Analysis Chart, available on the digital platform, lists the module vocabulary words, lesson, syllables, and syllable type, challenging letter-sound correspondences, and meaningful word parts. The chart also includes an explanation for the teacher about what each of these means.

• Attention is paid to vocabulary essential to understanding the text and high-utility academic words. Materials provide multiple exposures to key vocabulary within (i.e., before, during, after reading) and across texts.

  • Throughout each module, students have multiple exposures to vocabulary that is both relevant to the text, high-utility, and content-specific. When a new vocabulary word is introduced, the teacher displays the Knowledge Card and then takes students through the Vocabulary Exploration Routine. Depending on the lesson and text, this vocabulary instruction may happen before students read or when they encounter the key vocabulary in the text. The materials also include opportunities throughout each module to review key terms through various activities that connect the module terms.

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 2, students read Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong. At the start of the reading, the teacher guides students through the Vocabulary Exploration activity for the word hostile. Throughout the unit, students encounter or see this word several times. In Lesson 17, the materials direct teachers to remind students of the essential question “How does exploration affect society?” One of the knowledge threads that students should be naming is that “Exploration of hostile environments requires individuals and societies to weigh risks against rewards.” In Lesson 19, students return to module vocabulary, and teachers remind them “that there are other ways to build their knowledge of vocabulary.” As one of their tasks, students compare and contrast using a Venn diagram, focusing on two module terms such as hostile and demoralize. Throughout the unit, many of the questions students answer require them to use the word hostile, reinforcing the word’s learning from earlier in the unit. 

  • Students also have opportunities to learn content-specific words related to literacy concepts.

    • In Grade 6, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 3, students analyze a metaphor. Before analyzing, teachers introduce the term by displaying it and its definition, and engaging students in the Vocabulary Exploration activity. Later in the lesson, students analyze the metaphor of buds and doors in Christopher Paul Curtis’ Bud, Not Buddy. In the Write section of the lesson, students write a metaphor. They must “use a metaphor that incorporates sensory language to describe a character’s experience from Bud, Not Buddy.”

The student practice opportunities for independent word-learning strategies and newly taught vocabulary words in Arts & Letters meet the expectations for indicator 2j. Materials provide opportunities for students to use independent word-learning strategies to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words within the context of texts. Across lessons, students are guided to analyze word parts, such as prefixes and base words, and use their knowledge of these components to infer meaning. Students also practice using context clues by identifying surrounding words and ideas that provide insight into unknown vocabulary, often recording and discussing these clues before confirming meanings through direct instruction. In addition to learning strategies for determining meaning, students have multiple opportunities to apply newly acquired academic and content-specific vocabulary in discussion and writing, reinforcing their understanding through use. Materials also include structured review activities that revisit previously taught vocabulary, prompting students to make connections among words, generate knowledge statements, and categorize terms based on shared features or concepts. These repeated opportunities to analyze, apply, and revisit vocabulary support the development of independent word-learning skills.

• Materials include opportunities for students to use independent word-learning strategies to understand the meaning of challenging words  (inferring from context, using morphological or etymological awareness). 

  • Across each module, students have opportunities to use the word-learning strategies taught to understand the meaning of challenging words in the Build Vocabulary part of the program. 

    • In Grade 6, Module 4, Arc C, Lesson 32, students learn about the word parts of the word archetype. After learning about the word parts arche, arch, and -type, teachers ask, “How do the meanings of the word parts relate to the definition of archetype?” Students work with a partner to brainstorm words that contain the word part arch or arche,” completing a Word Parts web in their Learn book. 

    • In Grade 7, Module 4, Arc A, Lesson 16, teachers remind students that “knowing the definition of a root can help readers understand the meanings of new words.” Students analyze the word epidemic for roots, and land at dem. In partners, students complete a Word Web for the root dem in their Learn books, brainstorming words “that contain the root dem and add[ing] those words to their webs.” 

• Materials include opportunities for students to use academic and content-specific vocabulary in various contexts. 

  • Once students are introduced to a word through the Knowledge Cards and Vocabulary Exploration routine, they have multiple opportunities in the lesson and module to use and hear the word.

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 11, students learn the word adaptability. Throughout the lesson, students answer several questions that use the vocabulary word, such as 

      • “How does the excerpt about the crew’s evacuation convey crew members’ adaptability?

      • How does the photograph show the crew’s adaptability?”

      Students demonstrate their knowledge of the vocabulary word by answering these questions. 

    • In Grade 8, Module 4, Arc A, Lesson 2, students learn the word iambic pentameter. Students learn about the word using the Knowledge Card and Vocabulary Exploration routine. The materials direct teachers to tell students that “knowing about iambic pentameter can help them understand the complexity of Shakespeare’s language.” In Lesson 3, students encounter the word again as teachers explain to them that “William Shakespeare sometimes switches the placement of the subject and the verb in his writing to maintain iambic pentameter—the same reason he shortens words (e.g., over to o’er).” In Lesson 5, students encounter the word again as the teacher reminds them that “William Shakespeare uses a form of verse called iambic pentameter in many of his plays and poems. Explain that Shakespeare uses verse and prose as a form of characterization in A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” While students encounter the word several times throughout the module, they don’t have to explicitly use it; rather, they hear it repeated by the teacher. 

• Practice opportunities incorporate review of previously learned words based on their connection to the topic of study. 

  • After each module assessment, the materials provide dedicated vocabulary review activities to “help students solidify key knowledge of the module topic.” The materials provide multiple activities that the teacher can choose from.

    • In Grade 6, Module 2, Arc C, Lesson 35, the Build Vocabulary portion of the lesson directs the teacher to review the Knowledge Cards from previous lessons, then choose from one of the following activities:

      • “Share What You Know: Choose one Knowledge Card and read aloud the term and definition. Direct students to Knowledge Statements for Module 2, located in the Learn book. Instruct students to write a knowledge statement containing the term, and then share it with a partner. Invite pairs to share with the class. Repeat the activity by choosing another card.

      • Link-Up: Assign two Knowledge Cards to each student. Invite students to find a partner. Instruct pairs to create complete sentences using two of the assigned terms. Invite pairs to share their sentences with the class. Instruct students to find another partner and repeat the activity.”

      There is also a Teacher Note that states, “Reviewing Knowledge Cards offers an opportunity to deepen the knowledge of the module. Consider which Knowledge Threads to elevate when selecting terms for the activity. Find the Knowledge Threads in the module overview.”

The sentence composition instruction in Arts & Letters’ materials meets expectations for indicator 2m. Materials include explicit instruction on sentence-composition skills through a structured approach embedded in lesson routines. Instruction focuses on developing students’ ability to construct sentences with increasing complexity, including the use of punctuation, elaboration, and connections between ideas. Lessons follow a consistent sequence in which teachers model sentence strategies using sample or mentor sentences, guide students in analyzing how the structures function, and provide opportunities for oral rehearsal before students independently write their own sentences. Students engage in activities that support sentence elaboration and the use of cohesive ties, such as extending ideas with details and connecting evidence to larger claims, while also practicing varied sentence structures drawn from core and mentor texts. These exemplar sentences serve as models for understanding how language conveys meaning, including the use of dialogue, modifiers, and comparative structures. Across lessons, students apply these skills in both guided and independent writing tasks, reinforcing sentence fluency and control of conventions through repeated, contextualized practice.

• Materials include explicit instruction in sentence-composition skills (use of punctuation, sentence elaboration, sentence combining using cohesive ties, sentence fluency). 

  • According to the Implementation Guide, “Arts & Letters Know lessons include a focus on sentence construction; in levels 3–8, students build skill with written sentences. In Arts & Letters, Know lessons provide explicit instruction and practice with sentence structure so that students learn to write sentences of varying style and complexity.” Explicit instruction in sentence composition skills typically follows these steps:

    • “The teacher displays the sample sentence(s) and engages students in building understanding of how the explicitly taught sentence strategy works in the sample sentence(s). 

    • Students orally rehearse with a partner how to use the sentence strategy. 

    • Students write new sentences using the sentence strategy.”

    Students then apply the skill in their Learn books or in the journals.

    • In Grade 6, Module 2, Arc B, Lesson 21, the teacher explains pronoun antecedents and vague pronouns. The materials direct teachers to “​​Explain that while some sentences lack an antecedent to clarify the pronoun, other sentences include multiple antecedents that make the pronoun usage unclear.” Students review their Learn books and the teacher calls on a student to read the sentence “Malala confesses to Moniba as soon as she asks if she had written the BBC diary.” The materials then direct teachers to “Explain that this sentence includes two antecedents and one she pronoun, so it is unclear which person asks and which person has written.” The teacher then asks a student to read the corrected sentence “As soon as Moniba asks Malala if she had written the BBC diary, Malala confesses that she had.” Then, the teacher explains “that when sentences include multiple antecedents that could refer to the pronoun, writers can move each antecedent closer to its appropriate pronoun and may also repeat the antecedent.” Students practice the skill by correcting sentences with vague pronouns in their Learn books. 

  • The Implementation Guide notes that the materials also provide explicit instruction in sentence composition skills in the Learn: Write portion of the lesson: “In the Learn: Write lesson section, the teacher often demonstrates how the skill works by thinking aloud or referring to the writing model and then prompts students to practice the skill orally with a partner. This oral practice creates a foundation for transferring the skill to writing. Students then practice applying the skill to their writing.”

    • In Grade 7, Module 3, Arc A, Lesson 7, the teacher directs students to return the Writing Model in their Learn books and review the thesis statement. Teachers ask the following questions:

      • “What is the claim presented in the thesis statement?

      • What are the two reasons presented in the thesis statement?”

      The teacher also prompts students to analyze the purpose of the sentence before the thesis statement: to acknowledge the counterclaim. Students then look at their evidence organizer charts located in the Learn books, and the teacher “instructs students to review their evidence and to Jot-Pair-Share to answer these questions: Which side is more convincing? What will your claim be? What is your counterclaim?” Lastly, students draft a thesis statement and a counterclaim statement for their essays.

• Materials utilize exemplar sentences from core and mentor texts that contain clear, varied, and rich examples of sentence structure.

  • The materials draw sentences from the texts students are studying to serve as mentors for sentence-composition instruction.

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 9, the teacher explains the purpose of passive voice in writing using a mentor sentence from Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose. The materials direct the teacher to compare a passive and an active sentence and ask students questions like, “What is the action in these sentences? Who performs the action?” Teachers then explain that “passive voice allows writers to remove the person responsible for an action (in this case, the police officers) from the sentence” and “passive voice also allows writers to show that a person (in this case, Geneva Johnson) was acted upon by someone or something else.” Then, they prompt students to consider, “Why do you think Phillip Hoose chose to use passive voice instead of active voice in this sentence?” Teachers explain that while passive voice is a tool, it is not as common as active voice and is not appropriate for all sentences. Students then return to their Learn books and teachers “instruct students to orally rehearse revising the knowledge statements they drafted to correctly incorporate active and passive voice.” 

The student opportunities for sentence-level writing in Arts & Letters’ materials meet expectations for indicator 2n. Materials provide opportunities for students to write sentences about texts under study while practicing and applying sentence-composition skills in meaningful, content-based contexts. In Know and Distill lessons, students apply newly learned skills. Students also engage in ongoing practice by examining and revising their own writing, making changes based on revisiting different sentence writing concepts. These opportunities are often connected to content tasks, reinforcing the application of sentence skills in authentic contexts. Additionally, materials provide opportunities for students to adapt their language to the intended audience and purpose, including examining a model for the intended audience and applying these techniques to their own writing. Across lessons, these integrated activities support students in applying sentence-composition skills while deepening their understanding of texts and in effectively communicating their ideas.

• Materials include opportunities for students to write sentences about the texts under study while practicing and applying sentence composition skills. 

  • In the Know and Distill lessons, students have opportunities to write about the texts under study while applying the sentence composition skills they are learning.

    • In Grade 6, Module 2, Arc C, Lesson 30, students learn about varied sentence structure. After looking at sentences in the text I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick, students discuss the questions, “Why do writers vary sentence patterns? How do you vary sentence patterns in your own writing?” Then, students review the unit’s Writing Model and discuss the question “What are some examples of how the writer varies sentence patterns?” Next, students work with a partner to annotate additional varied sentences in the remainder of the model. Then, they read and give their partners feedback on their proof paragraph 1, focusing on varied sentence patterns. 

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, Arc B, Lesson 15, students revisit sentence transition words as they consider the question “Why did you use transitions in the narrative writing you completed in the previous module?” Next, students review and annotate transitions in the Writing Model for the module and consider “How do the transitions you annotated in the writing model function? How are they different?” The teacher facilitates a discussion on these questions. Later, the teacher prompts  students to practice the skill by returning to their Extended Essay organizer and “write a few sentences that use transitions to connect two pieces of evidence.”

• Materials include opportunities for students to practice and apply sentence composition skills by examining their own writing.

  • Throughout each module, students have multiple opportunities to practice and apply the sentence composition skills they are learning by examining their own writing, often using mentor texts and writing models as exemplars.

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, Arc C, Lesson 28, students revisit the concept of transitions by examining its use in “Doing Science in Antarctica Has Harmed an Environment Under Great Pressure” by Shaun Brooks. After analyzing the use of transitions and their purpose, teachers prompt students to revisit their outlines for the End-of-Module writing task, and add “transitions that clarify relationships between their claim and supporting reasons.” 

• Materials include opportunities for students to adapt their language based on the intended audience and purpose. 

  • In the module’s writing piece, students have opportunities to adapt their language to the audience and purpose.

    • In Grade 7, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 19, students examine writing models considering the purpose and intended audience. As they examine a research report, they consider “Who would be the most likely audience for the research report model?” As they examine the creative writing model, they consider “Who would be the most likely audience for the creative writing model?” Later, in the Module Finale, Lesson 35, students engage in peer feedback on the written component of their End-of-Module Task, which is a research report. Before feedback, teachers display a checklist and directs students to the same checklist in their Learn books. The checklist includes three items, 

      • “shows knowledge of the research topic 

      • uses writing, speaking, and a visual display to convey important research findings 

      • writes in a style that is appropriate to the audience and purpose” 

      To be successful on this task, students must “make sure that an audience can understand the information.”

The on-demand and process writing opportunities in Arts & Letters materials meet expectations for indicator 2o. Materials include a mix of on-demand and process writing opportunities embedded throughout instruction and aligned with the texts and topics under study. Students regularly engage in on-demand writing tasks during lessons, such as responding to prompts that require analyzing text structure, explaining key ideas, or synthesizing main ideas using textual evidence. In addition, each module includes structured process writing instruction using consistent models, through which students develop extended pieces over time, including narratives, informative/explanatory writing, and opinion writing. These process writing experiences involve explicit instruction in craft elements and multiple opportunities for practice and revision. The distribution of writing types across modules reflects a balance of purposes, and students may also apply previously learned writing types flexibly. Writing tasks are consistently connected to the content and purpose of the texts being studied, with students using texts as sources of evidence and as mentor models, ensuring that both on-demand and extended writing support comprehension and deeper engagement with unit topics.

• Materials include a mix of grade-appropriate on-demand and process writing.

  • Across each module, the materials provide various on-demand writing opportunities.

    • In Grade 7, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 6, after reading Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz and Robert Byrd, the learning task states, “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to write a description of how first-person point of view reveals differences between characters in Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!”

    • In Grade 8, Module 1, Arc B, Lesson 9, reading Act 1, Scene 1 of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream, teachers “Instruct students to write in their journals an explanation of how Shakespeare’s use of soliloquy to express Helena’s views on love affects the audience in Act 1, Scene 1 of A Midsummer Night’s Dream.”

  • The Write portion of each module takes students through a process-writing piece using predictable models, like the Painted Essay model in Grades 3-8.

    • In Grade 6, Module 3, during the Write portion of the lessons, students learn to write argument essays and focus on topic sentences, thesis statements, paragraph structure, evidence, introductions, elaborating on evidence, transitions, and conclusions. Students have multiple opportunities to practice process writing within the module.

• Materials reflect the distribution indicated by the standards for process writing (6-8 35/35/30 persuade/explain/convey experience). (This criterion is evidence only and not considered in scoring.)

  • Across Grades 6-8, the writing distribution in Art & Letters aligns with the standards. Arts & Letters organizes process writing types by module, and all grade levels have four modules. In Grades 4-8, students have a choice in how they present their research in Module 4, and may choose any of the writing types they learned in previous modules. The percentages below were publisher-submitted in the Arts & Letters Writing Progression and Sequence document available on the digital platform.

    • In Grade 6, the distribution of process writing is 33% to persuade, 33% to explain, and 33% to convey experience. 

    • In Grade 7, the distribution of process writing is 33% to persuade, 33% to explain, and 33% to convey experience. 

    • In Grade 8, the distribution of process writing is 33% to persuade, 33% to explain, and 33% to convey experience.

• Writing opportunities are appropriately aligned to the purpose, genre, and/or topic of the unit’s reading. 

  • The writing opportunities in Arts & Letters align with the topics studied in each module’s texts. Throughout the reading lessons, students respond to questions and prompts related to what they are reading. During the writing portion, the genre and/or topic students focus on is related to what they are reading, either through the topic or purpose. The writing process lessons often use the texts students are reading as mentor texts.

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, the topic is Montgomery, and the Essential Question is “What does it mean to move toward justice?” Students have numerous opportunities for writing in response to reading throughout the module. For example, in Arc A, Lesson 2, after reading pages 1-4 of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose, teachers “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to write a short response about how something they noticed or wondered about Claudette Colvin connects to their prior knowledge about the civil rights movement.” In Arc B, Lesson 10, after reading page 67 of Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose, teachers “Instruct students to explain in their journals how Black leaders and community members work together to contribute to the start of the Montgomery Bus Boycott.” In the Write portion of the lessons, students learn how to write informative essays, including an essay on what motivated Claudette Colvin and others to seek justice during the Civil Rights Movement, an essay on the outcomes of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and an essay on how Claudette Colvin and others sought justice during the Civil Rights Movement. 

The explicit instruction in varied writing processes in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2p. Materials include explicit instruction in writing processes, including paragraph and multi-paragraph composition for a variety of purposes, with teacher guidance embedded throughout units and connected to texts under study. The program integrates writing-to-learn and learning-to-write, providing both shorter tasks to support comprehension and extended, process-oriented writing experiences. Instruction follows a consistent progression in which students analyze writing models, gather and organize evidence, practice relevant language skills, and engage in oral rehearsal before drafting and revising their writing. Students are supported in developing key skills such as crafting introductions and conclusions, using transitions, and elaborating with evidence, often through structured frameworks such as the Painted Essay. Mentor texts and student exemplars are used to illustrate expectations and guide analysis of genre features. The materials also include ongoing supports for teachers, such as Analyze Student Progress notes, “if…then” differentiation guidance, and Assessment Guides with rubrics and annotated samples, to support monitoring, feedback, and instructional next steps throughout the writing process.

• Materials include explicit instruction in writing processes (paragraph and multi-paragraph construction for varying purposes), embedded in what students are studying throughout the unit.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the Teaching Writing section describes a structured approach that integrates writing as both a tool for learning and a skill to be explicitly developed over time. The materials distinguish between writing-to-learn, in which students use brief writing tasks to organize ideas, collect evidence, and clarify thinking during reading, and learning-to-write, in which students engage in extended, process-oriented writing tasks. Instruction in writing follows a clear progression that includes modeling, guided practice, and independent application, with teachers using mentor texts and writing models to demonstrate expectations. Students are supported in developing key writing skills such as planning, drafting, elaborating with evidence, and revising, often through predictable routines and frameworks. Writing tasks are closely connected to module topics and texts, ensuring that students write in response to what they read and build knowledge while developing their ability to communicate ideas effectively.

  • The Arts & Letters Writing Progression and Sequence document, found on the digital platform, explains the program's approach to writing:

    • “Students analyze a writing model.

    • Students collect evidence before writing.

    • Students learn and practice language skills in integrated tasks.

    • Students orally rehearse frequently before writing.

    • Students apply knowledge, structure, and skills in module tasks.

    • Students complete the culminating End-of-Module Task.”

  • In Grades 3-8, Arts & Letters used the “Painted Essay structure,” which “uses color intentionally to build students’ understanding of how to structure informational and opinion writing.” In a Painted Essay, 

    • “The introduction is colored red because it needs to get the reader’s attention 

    • Next is the focus. It’s green for ‘Go this way!’ Point 1 is the yellow part of the (green) focus. Point 2 is the blue part of the (green) focus. (Note that yellow and blue make green!) 

    • The yellow block is the first body paragraph because it supports the first part of the focus, all of its details are yellow 

    • The blue block is the second body paragraph because it supports the second part of the focus; all of its details are blue. 

    • The conclusion comes last because it reminds the reader of the focus, and synthesizes the yellow and blue ideas again, it is green. It is both the ‘what’ (here’s a reminder of my focus) and the ‘so what’ (here’s a bit of reflection on or extension of that focus).”

    According to the Implementation Guide, “Because of its unique characteristics, students do not learn a specific structure for narrative writing but instead learn the elements of narrative.” In Grades 3-8, students learn about characters, setting, conflict, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. 

    • In Grade 6, Module 2, students focus on informative writing related to the module topic, Free to Learn, and the Essential Question, “How do convictions inspire action?” By the end of the unit, students draft an informative essay for the Module Task 1, “Why are human rights important? Write an essay to define human rights and explain how each of Malala’s parents demonstrated their commitment to the human right of education.” In Arc B, the teacher directs students to review the color-coded model for the module, considering what they notice about the thesis statement. After the discussion, teachers prompt students to draft their own thesis statement for the writing Module Task 1. In a subsequent lesson, the teacher directs students to review the color-coded model for the module, focusing on how the topic sentences support the thesis statement. After the discussion, teachers prompt students to draft their topic sentences for the writing Module Task 1. In later lessons in this arc, students examine the color-coded model for introductions and conclusions. Lessons follow the same structure: the teacher shows the model, leads a discussion to help students better understand it, and then prompts students to practice the skill. In Arc C, students turn their attention to Module Task 2, where they eventually write an informative essay to the prompt “Why does education matter? Write an essay to define education and explain the importance of education for Malala and girls throughout the world.” Throughout subsequent lessons, teachers reference the Module 2 Task checklist, which guides students in reviewing the important components for each part of their writing before drafting their own. In the Module Finale, students complete an informative essay to the prompt, “What is a human rights advocate? Write an essay to define advocacy and explain Malala’s motivations and actions as a human rights advocate.” Teachers prompt students to use the Checklist for the End-of-Module Task. Students work in pairs to orally rehearse their thesis statements, and then the teachers instruct them to draft them. Throughout this task, teachers provide less direct instruction and discussion and more overall guidance, as students have already practiced writing informative essays twice throughout the module. 

• Materials provide teachers with mentor texts and/or student exemplars to support students in examining how the genre works. 

  • For each process writing piece, the materials provide a writing model to help students write. The materials indicate that the writing models are examples of on-target and advanced student work.

    • In Grade 7, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 2, students analyze an On-Target Writing Model and an Advanced Writing Model as they learn about writing an argumentative essay. The teacher engages students in a discussion about the Writing Models with questions like “How is this writing model similar to the writing model you examined in module 2?” and “How is it different?” Prior to that, the teacher guides students in applying the Painted Essay structure to the Writing Models, allowing them to see a color-coded visual of how to structure an opinion essay. In other lessons throughout the module, teachers walk students through analyzing different parts of the models and later apply their learning to their own writing.

• Materials provide guidance and instruction to teachers on how to provide timely and constructive feedback on student writing.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the materials include broad guidance for providing students with feedback on their writing:

    • “Be specific. Name exactly what students do to write effectively. Use Analyze Student Progress criteria, the writing checklist, or the writing rubric to frame this feedback. 

    • Prioritize your feedback. Identify what will be most helpful to students so that they can internalize and apply that feedback. Avoid overwhelming students with too much feedback. Tie feedback to specific goals or previously taught skills. 

    • Be authentic and encouraging. Balance strengths and areas for growth. Use a warm, genuine tone if providing feedback orally. Be mindful of tone in written feedback.”

  • The Implementation Guide also includes a “Meeting Student Needs with Writing” section with if…then statements related to common writing challenges students might encounter. For example, “If students have difficulty elaborating on evidence…

    • Refer students to the writing model(s) and invite them to analyze the elaboration sentences 

    • Provide sentence frames for elaboration 

    • Model elaborating on evidence, thinking aloud as you do 

    • Invite students to explain their elaboration orally to you or a partner. Record or have the partner record key ideas 

    • Check to see whether aligned Prologue lessons offer needed support.” 

  • Within the daily lessons, the materials provide teachers with Analyze Student Progress notes that include guidance for monitoring, support, and future practice.

    • In Grade 8, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 24, students draft an objective summary of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. The materials provide an Analyze Student Progress note that states,

      • “Monitor: Do students write summaries that include accurate, text-based responses from all acts written on their plot charts? 

      • Offer Immediate Support: If students need additional support writing their summaries, direct them to their plot charts, and ask these questions: What are the key events from each act of the play? How can you succinctly and chronologically summarize them? 

      • Plan Future Practice: Students practice summarizing a text in ‘Love Trouble’ in lesson 29. ”

  • Each Module and End-of-Module writing task has an accompanying Assessment Guide that includes:

    • “Context to understand the role of assessment in evaluating student writing development 

    • An annotated single-point rubric to assess student task performance 

    • Annotated sample responses (on-target and advanced) that support teachers in using the rubric 

    • Scoring tools to help teachers quantitatively score student performance 

    • Guidance on analyzing student performance and planning instructional next steps.”

The opportunities for students to practice the writing processes in Arts & Letters meet expectations for indicator 2q. Materials include multiple opportunities for students to engage in all stages of the writing process, including planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Students regularly plan their writing through structured routines and graphic organizers to capture key elements such as evidence, thesis statements, and topic sentences. Following planning, students draft extended pieces, often composing multi-paragraph responses using organized structures and evidence collected from texts, with opportunities for oral rehearsal prior to writing. The materials also include dedicated lessons for revising and editing, focusing on improving elements such as detail, clarity, organization, and conventions through targeted strategies and tools. In addition, students have opportunities to produce and share their writing in a variety of formats, including options that incorporate technology or oral presentation, though these opportunities are less frequent. Across modules, these repeated and structured experiences support students in developing and applying the full writing process in connection to the texts they study.

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to plan writing (e.g., with graphic organizers).

  • Throughout each module, students have multiple opportunities to plan their writing, often first orally, then in writing using a graphic organizer.

    • In Grade 6, Module 2, Arc A, students write an informative essay on the importance of human rights. In Lesson 11, students use the Evidence Organizer in their Learn books to collect evidence from I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai and Patricia McCormick for this task. Students also add evidence notes to the organizers. In Lesson 14, students return to this evidence organizer to collect at least two additional pieces of evidence and write a thesis statement for the prompt. Before writing their thesis statements, students rehearse them orally with a partner. In subsequent lessons, students use the Informative Essay Outline to plan other key components of their essay. 

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to draft their writing. 

  • After students plan their writing and organize their ideas, they draft their piece. Students generally have multiple opportunities per module to draft, as they engage in the writing process within each arc and with each Module Task.

    • In Grade 7, Module 3, Arc C, students write an argumentative essay on symbolism. In Lesson 29, students begin drafting their essays using their Evidence Organizers and Argument Essay Outline, which they completed earlier in the module. In their organizers and outlines, students have already drafted several components of their essays, such as their thesis statements and topic sentences, prior to completing this entire essay outline. 

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to revise and edit their writing with grade-appropriate strategies and tools.

  • Each module process writing piece includes dedicated lessons for revising and editing focused on a particular skill within the context of the writing piece students are working on.

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, Arc C, Lesson 21, students revise their argument essays related to Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong. Students discuss “What indicates a clear structure within paragraphs in an essay?” Afterward, teachers prompt students to look at the Writing Model in their Learn books, focusing on the second paragraph and asking, “How does the second paragraph of the writing model depict a clear structure?” After the discussion, teachers prompt students to return to the journals and write each sentence from one of their proof products on a separate index card. Then, students exchange cards with a partner and rearrange each other’s index cards, focusing on achieving a clear paragraph structure in their essays. Afterward, teachers instruct students to revise their drafts while focusing on clear structure.

• Materials include multiple opportunities for students to use technology to produce and publish writing. 

  • Throughout each module, students have opportunities to produce and publish their writing in different ways, some of which involve using technology. While these opportunities are present in the program, they are less frequent than other process writing components. 

    • In Grade 7, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 31, students use their research essays for Module Task 1 to begin working on a presentation based on their research. In this lesson, students consider a potential audience and purpose for their presentations. By the end of the module, students complete a full presentation (including visuals) and share findings with their peers. 

The opportunities for students to practice evidence-based writing in Arts & Letters meet expectations for indicator 2r. Materials provide frequent writing opportunities that require students to refer to details and examples in texts to explain explicit meaning and draw inferences, as well as to develop and support opinions based on evidence. The program incorporates both writing-to-learn and learning-to-write, with writing-to-learn tasks that allow students to organize ideas, gather textual evidence, and articulate their thinking in response to reading. Across lessons, students engage in writing activities that require analysis of author’s word choice, summarizing, and written explanations supported by specific details from the text. These writing opportunities are embedded within close reading and discussion routines, requiring students to consistently return to the text and use evidence to explain their understanding and reasoning.

• Materials provide frequent writing opportunities that require students to refer to details and examples in a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. Materials provide frequent writing opportunities focused on students’ recall or analysis of information to develop opinions from reading closely and working with evidence from texts and sources. 

  • The Implementation Guide explains that Arts & Letters views writing in two ways: writing-to-learn and learning-to-write. In the writing-to-learn opportunities, “students use writing as a tool to organize ideas, collect evidence, and articulate thinking. For example, students might add characters or setting details to a story map, note what they notice and wonder about a new text, or collect evidence in an evidence organizer.”

    • In Grade 6, Module 1, Arc A, Lesson 3, students learn about summarizing a text by using the 5 W’s and 1 H. Then, students use their journals to write a summary of the Historical Section of the text Picturing a Nation by Martin W. Sandler, ensuring they use the 5 W’s and 1 H to reference details from the text. 

    • In Grade 7, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 9, students read “The Language of Corn Pollen” by Manny Loley and compare it with Code Talker by Joseph Bruhac. In their journals, students write a response to the question “What connections are there between the Blessingway ceremony in Code Talker and the poem ‘The Language of Corn Pollen’?” Students must reference details from both texts to effectively answer the question. 

    • In Grade 8, Module 4, Arc C, Lesson 29, students read “Love Trouble” by Charles Isherwood. During the lesson, students respond in their journals to the prompt “According to Isherwood, why is the view of love presented in A Midsummer Night’s Dream ‘decidedly divided’ (par. 5)?” Teachers instruct students to use the details from their charts to draft their responses. 

The explicit instruction of research skills to encourage students to develop knowledge of a topic in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2s. Materials include research projects and instruction that build students’ research skills through a structured and integrated approach across modules. The materials embed inquiry throughout instruction, guiding students to generate questions, gather information from multiple sources, and organize and synthesize their findings in response to meaningful, content-based topics. Research is developed both informally through daily lessons and formally through dedicated projects in which students plan, collect evidence, and present their learning. Instruction explicitly teaches research skills such as identifying relevant information, using multiple texts and media sources, organizing evidence, and applying findings to written or oral tasks. Students engage in repeated opportunities to build knowledge across sources, refine their questions, and use evidence to support their ideas, with research tasks culminating in projects or presentations that require them to communicate their understanding.

• Materials include research projects to build research skills that lead to mastery of the grade-level standards. Materials include explicit instruction of research skills that encourage students to develop knowledge of a topic by confronting and analyzing different aspects of a topic using multiple texts and source materials.

  • In the Implementation Guide, the “Teaching Inquiry and Research” section describes a structured approach to building students’ ability to ask questions, gather information, and develop knowledge through research connected to module topics. Inquiry is driven by meaningful, content-based questions, often tied to module essential questions, and students engage in a process that includes generating questions, collecting information from texts and other sources, and organizing their findings. Instruction supports students in using evidence, refining questions, and synthesizing information, often through collaborative discussions and written responses. The materials also incorporate guidance on using sources responsibly, including citing evidence and distinguishing relevant information. Research tasks are integrated with reading and writing instruction, culminating in projects or presentations in which students apply their learning, communicate their findings, and demonstrate understanding of both content and research skills.

  • In Grades 3–8, research skills develop into a more structured, independent process in which students take increasing responsibility for inquiry, analysis, and the presentation of information. Students begin by generating and refining research questions connected to module topics and texts, then gather relevant information from multiple sources, including print and digital texts. They learn to evaluate sources for relevance, take organized notes, and categorize evidence using tools such as graphic organizers and evidence trackers. Instruction emphasizes analyzing and synthesizing information across sources, distinguishing between key ideas and supporting details, and using evidence to develop claims or explanations. Students also build skills in citing sources and integrating evidence into their writing and presentations. As they progress, research tasks become more complex and culminate in extended projects or presentations in which students communicate their findings through written, oral, or multimedia formats, applying both literacy and digital skills to demonstrate their understanding.

  • The Arts & Letters materials are designed to build inquiry and research skills throughout each module in informal ways, and students also engage in one formal research project per year. 

    • In Grade 7, Module 4, students engage in a research project and presentation as the End-of-Module Task. For this project, students research to answer the prompt “Use the research process to investigate a question about how a disease affected individuals and societies. Choose one disease from the list below:

      • Polio

      • 1918 influenza pandemic

      • coronavirus (COVID-19)”

    After completing the written portion, students “Use writing, speaking, and a visual display to present your research about a disease to a specific audience.”

  • Arts & Letters is designed to teach students research skills across all modules, not just those formally dedicated to a research project. The materials provide explicit instruction in various research skills, using multiple texts and sources that build students’ knowledge and understanding of these skills over time. 

    • In Grade 6, Module 1, Arc C, Lesson 30, the teacher directs students to three sources in their Learn books. The materials include teacher guidance for instruction, which states, “Explain that just as background knowledge about George Washington Carver helps the reader understand the reference to him in the text, collecting textual evidence from multiple sources helps students understand additional historical references in Bud, Not Buddy. Tell students that by collecting this textual evidence to build knowledge of historical references, they are doing research. Explain that research means ‘careful study to find new knowledge about a subject.’” Then, teachers start a discussion with students, asking, “How does examining historical references from more than one text help you build knowledge of a topic?” After the discussion, teachers explain that “students will complete additional steps of the research process as they build knowledge about this and other topics.”

    • In Grade 8, Module 2, students write an informative essay on the Civil Rights Movement. The module instruction often draws a connection between the work students are completing for the essay and the research process. In Arc B, Lesson 13, students create MLA In-Text Citations. First, teachers instruct students to review the Think-Pair-Share to answer the questions: “What information does the parenthesized text include? Why does the author provide this information?” After discussing, teachers direct students to look at their Checklist for the Module 1 task in their Learn books, and focus on the line about MLA Format for in-text citations. Then, teachers facilitate a discussion on the question “Why should you include in-text citations in informative writing?”After discussing, teachers “Explain that citing sources is an important part of the research process. Tell students that MLA is the specific format that they will use for their in-text citations.” Next, teachers prompt students to look at the In-Text Citations for Module 2 in the Learn books and facilitate another discussion on the questions “Why does each of these citations look different? Which citation format on the page would you reference to create a citation for ‘Rosa Parks’? Why?” At the end of this learning cycle, teachers direct students to their Learn books, prompt them to review the evidence they gathered for their Module 1 task, and ask them to “write MLA in-text citations for their evidence.” 

The formative assessment guidance in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2u. Materials include formative assessments and embedded supports that help teachers determine students’ current skills and levels of understanding throughout instruction. Daily Learning Tasks serve as ongoing checks for understanding that assess both content knowledge and literacy skills, providing teachers with information about students’ progress toward lesson goals. These tasks require students to demonstrate understanding through discussions, written responses, drawings, and other text-based activities, while accompanying Key Ideas support teachers in identifying essential understandings to reinforce as needed. The materials also provide guidance for instructional adjustments through Analyze Student Progress notes that include monitoring prompts, suggestions for immediate support, and recommendations for future practice. However, guidance for pushing advanced students is more limited. These embedded supports help teachers identify student strengths and needs, respond to misunderstandings, and plan subsequent instruction to support continued progress.

• Materials include formative assessments and support for the teacher in determining students’ current skills/level of understanding.

  • The Implementation Guide explains that formative assessment in Arts & Letters happens through the daily Learning Tasks, which are “brief checks for understanding that monitor students’ progress with lesson learning goals to enable teachers to continually monitor and respond to student learning.” The Learning Tasks assess both content knowledge and literacy skills and are designed to help teachers

    • “understand students’ strengths and needs with the module content and skills, 

    • determine which students need additional support or challenge, 

    • prepare future instruction with students’ needs in mind, and 

    • reflect on daily instruction.”

    The Teach books also often include Key Ideas that students should gain through the Learning Task that teachers can reinforce if needed.

    • In Grade 7, Module 3, Arc B, Lesson 20, teachers introduce the Learning Task: “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to explain how Flores-Galbis uses symbols to help readers understand Julian’s development in 90 Miles to Havana.” The materials provide a list of Key Ideas to ensure students’ responses are on the right track: 

      • “Flores-Galbis uses symbols to highlight Julian’s complex emotions about his different situations.

      • Flores-Galbis’s use of symbols helps the reader understand how Julian’s feelings change toward his circumstances.”

    • In Grade 8, Module 4, Arc B, Lesson 21, teachers introduce the Learning Task: “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to write a critical review of the performance.” The materials provide a list of Key Ideas to ensure students’ responses are on the right track: 

      • “The actors change their voices and enact physical gestures to match the humorous tone and language of Shakespeare’s script. 

      • Similarities in the black-and-white costumes highlight that the lovers are interchangeable, while different colored linings show that the lovers view each other as unique because they are in love. 

      • Multi-colored, floor-to-ceiling-length fabric garlands both subtly suggest the location of a forest and explicitly emphasize the misconceptions that occur between the lovers.”

  • While considered formal assessments, the Module Tasks can be used formatively to inform instruction before students complete the End-of-Module Task, as the Module Tasks build toward the EOM Task.

• Materials include guidance that supports the teacher in making instructional adjustments to increase student progress.

  • Immediately following a Learning Task in the Teach books is an Analyze Student Progress note for the teacher, which provides various types of guidance. While this guidance supports teachers in making instructional adjustments for students who struggle, the guidance for pushing advanced students is much more limited. The Implementation Guide explains that Analyze Student Progress notes provide the following types of guidance:

    • “Monitor helps teachers analyze student progress by specifying what teachers should look for in student performance. 

    • Offer Immediate Support suggests a path to help students who are initially unsuccessful at completing a learning task. 

    • Plan Future Practice notes when students practice the same or a similar skill again in a future lesson.”

    • In  Grade 6, Module 2, Arc A, Lesson 3, teachers introduce the Learning Task: “Direct students to their journals. Instruct them to explain Malala’s dreams.” Immediately following the Learning Task is an Analyze Student Progress note that states,

      • “Monitor: Do students refer to the contrast between the restrictions Malala witnesses some women experiencing and what she wants for herself?

      • Offer Immediate Support: If students need additional support explaining Malala’s dreams, ask this question: How is life different for Malala than for women in Shangla?

      • Plan Future Practice: Students practice organizing their understanding of Malala’s life in Pakistan in lesson 4.”

      The materials also include a list of Key Ideas to ensure students’ responses are on the right track:

      • “Malala doesn’t want society to hold her to some of the same restrictions other women face. 

      • Malala wants a future beyond what her society expects women to be. 

      • Malalai of Maiwand, a Pashtun heroine, is a role model for Malala. 

      • Malala values education.”

The summative assessment guidance in Arts & Letters meets expectations for indicator 2v. Materials include culminating tasks and summative assessments aligned with module topics and designed to integrate multiple literacy skills, including reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The program incorporates a progression of assessments throughout each module, including comprehension assessments, Module Tasks, and End-of-Module Tasks, which allow students to demonstrate their developing knowledge, language, and literacy skills. Module Tasks are sequenced to build toward culminating tasks and provide structured opportunities for students to apply skills and content learned in preceding lessons, while End-of-Module Tasks require students to synthesize learning through extended writing, presentations, or research-based responses connected to module texts and themes. The materials also provide guidance and supports for teachers through Assessment Guides that include scoring tools, rubrics, annotated sample responses, assessment overviews, and recommendations for responding to student performance. These resources support teachers in administering, evaluating, and interpreting student work while monitoring progress toward module learning goals.

• Culminating tasks/summative assessments are evident in each unit/module and align to the unit’s/module’s topic or theme. Culminating tasks/summative assessments provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the unit/module while integrating multiple literacy skills (reading, writing, speaking, listening).

  • The Implementation Guide explains the various types of summative assessments and culminating tasks students engage in throughout each module.

    • Beginning in the second half of Grade 2 and continuing through Grade 8, students are assessed through Reading Comprehension Assessments, which allow them to demonstrate their

      • “understanding of text-based vocabulary, 

      • ability to navigate language and text structures, 

      • verbal reasoning skills, such as interpreting figurative language or making inferences, and 

      • comprehension skills.”

      Beginning in Grade 3, these assessments also include a self-reflection that “encourages student metacognition. It supports teachers in identifying additional factors that may contribute to students’ performance and that they may want to address in the Responsive Teaching lesson or one-on-one with a student.”

  • Each module includes two to five Module Tasks, which are “formal assessments—writing or presentation tasks— that provide opportunities for students to synthesize key learning and demonstrate their developing writing or speaking skills. Prompts are designed and sequenced to follow the knowledge build of each module.” The Module Tasks build toward the End-of-Module (EOM) Task. These can be used formatively or summatively.

    • In Grade 6, Module 1, Arc C, Lesson 29, for Module Task 2, “Students brainstorm how their character will lead the narrative and add their notes to the Ideas for Module Task 2 section.” In this Module Task 2, students “choose a character from the Dusky Devastators in Bud, Not Buddy and write the climax, falling action, and resolution of a narrative that describes how music offers that character levity or hope.” This helps students build the skills and knowledge to later complete the EOM Task, in which they “write a third-person narrative about a resilient character who lives during the Great Depression…Students plan by using a narrative writing planner, after reviewing those written for Module Tasks 1 and 2.” 

  • EOM Tasks are the final formal assessment for a module: “In these writing or speaking assessments, students engage in the full writing process (including, when relevant, research) to demonstrate their knowledge and skills gained from the module. Students complete the EOM Task during the module finale and focus on the module’s texts.”

    • In Grade 7, Module 2, the EOM Task asks students to “write an informative essay to compare and contrast two cultural aspects of the Navajo people. Students focus on how these aspects influence Ned, the protagonist of Code Talker by Joseph Bruhac, and his World War II experiences. In writing a compare-and-contrast essay, students explore the meaning of advocacy. They write a two-point thesis using gathered evidence and organize their essays using the Painted Essay®—Informative and an Informative Essay Outline. After drafting their essays, students participate in a peer review and revise their writing based on the feedback they receive.”

• Materials provide opportunities to support students in gaining the knowledge and skills needed to complete the culminating tasks/summative assessments.

  • The Module Tasks are designed to build toward the EOM Task and “measure the knowledge, language, and key writing or speaking skills students built in the preceding lesson arc(s). Teachers use the module tasks as formative assessments to inform instruction before the EOM Task, where students will demonstrate their independence with these skills in a culminating assessment.”

    • In Grade 8, Module 3, students complete two Module Tasks that prepare students for the EOM Task. 

      • In Module Task 1, “Students write an argument essay that presents a claim about an important element of an expedition. Using evidence gathered from module texts, students show whether a well-rounded team or a strong leader is more important to an expedition. They support their ideas by using logical reasoning to clearly connect the evidence and the claim.”

      • In Module Task 2, “Students write an argument essay that makes a claim about what is more important for human survival in the Antarctic environment— the ability to endure or the ability to adapt. Students support their claim with evidence from module texts. They strengthen their essays by orally rehearsing their arguments and by revising based on peer feedback.”

      • These tasks build toward the EOM Task and prepare students to put together all the elements they have learned. For the EOM Task, “examine both the risks and the rewards of exploration and make a text-based claim about whether there are greater risks or rewards in exploration. Drawing from the Evidence Organizer for the End-of-Module Task, students write a thesis that presents a claim and a counterclaim, using content knowledge about how humans endure the mental and physical challenges of polar exploration. Students support their claim with reasons and evidence. After drafting their essays, students participate in a peer review and revise their writing based on the feedback they receive.”

• Materials include guidance that supports the teacher in determining and evaluating student performance on the culminating tasks/summative assessments in the program. 

  • The Implementation Guide provides an overview of what teachers can find in the Assessment Guides, which, for the Comprehension Assessments, include “a copy of the assessment, offers context for the assessment, and provides analysis of the assessment items, scoring guidance, an alignment with specific Arts & Letters Achievement Descriptors, and guidance for how to respond to student performance in the Responsive Teaching lesson.” For Module Tasks and EOM Tasks, the Assessment Guides explain “how to administer the assessment, how to contextualize and understand the assessment’s purpose within the module, how to score the assessment, and how to interpret and act upon the reports. The Assessment Guide also includes a copy of the task prompt and rubric. Each module task and EOM Task Assessment Guide contextualizes the assessment’s placement within the module with a brief description and a chart that shows the knowledge, writing, and language criteria for each of the written module assessments.” The Assessment Guides also include single-point rubrics for each written task and have categories for knowledge, writing, and language. Additionally, the materials provide sample on-target and advanced student responses with annotations that explain how the response meets the rubric expectations.

  • Responsive Teaching lessons are follow-up lessons that occur after comprehension assessments and are designed to help teachers address students’ identified learning needs while maintaining access to grade-level content. These lessons provide students with opportunities to revisit assessment texts through rereading or listening, discuss missed items, deepen vocabulary knowledge, and strengthen comprehension strategies through teacher and peer support. The lessons follow a predictable structure—Read, Respond, and Engage—and include guidance from the Assessment Guide to help teachers select assessment items and skills for reteaching based on student performance. Responsive Teaching lessons are intended to support students in clarifying misunderstandings, strengthening literacy skills, and building confidence through scaffolded review and discussion connected directly to prior assessments and module learning. The Assessment Guide for the comprehension assessments includes a section called “Planning and Teaching the Responsive Teaching Lesson,” which outlines a process for analyzing student data, identifying which items challenged students and what to reinforce, and determining which parts of the Responsive Teaching Lesson students need. The Responsive Teaching Lessons are included at point of use in the Teach books.