Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:Students will build their research skills by reading biographical articles and other informational texts. This unit is designed to immerse students in informational texts and have students analyze the author’s use of text structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution). Students will have an opportunity to extend their research skills by writing a biographical magazine article, using text features and text structures appropriate for a magazine article. Students will develop skills for working in collaborative research groups.  Unit Duration:35 days based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:Students will build their research skills by reading biographical articles and other informational texts. This unit is designed to immerse students in informational texts and have students analyze the author’s use of text structure (e.g., chronology, comparison, cause/effect, problem/solution). Students will have an opportunity to extend their research skills by writing a biographical magazine article, using text features and text structures appropriate for a magazine article. Students will develop skills for working in collaborative research groups.  Unit Duration:35 days based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary FOCUS: In this unit, students learn about new or improved technologies that have been developed to meet societal needs and how those inventions have changed people’s lives. Students conduct authentic research on a topic of their choice to build their own knowledge and teach others through writing. Students learn about and analyze text structures and visual elements authors use to convey complex ideas. Students learn to understand information read in historical, scientific, or technical texts and describe the connections between two or more people, events, ideas, or concepts in historical, scientific, or “how to” texts. Students write an informative essay to explain the societal need for an invention and how that invention impacted people’s lives. Unit Duration:35 days (30 days instruction; 5 days reteaching/enrichment) based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary FOCUS: In this unit, students learn about new or improved technologies that have been developed to meet societal needs and how those inventions have changed people’s lives. Students conduct authentic research on a topic of their choice to build their own knowledge and teach others through writing. Students learn about and analyze text structures and visual elements authors use to convey complex ideas. Students learn to understand information read in historical, scientific, or technical texts and describe the connections between two or more people, events, ideas, or concepts in historical, scientific, or “how to” texts. Students write an informative essay to explain the societal need for an invention and how that invention impacted people’s lives. Unit Duration:35 days (30 days instruction; 5 days reteaching/enrichment) based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:In the first part of this unit, students research multiple informational texts about natural disasters using all that they know about the author's use of text structure to determine connections between people, events, ideas, or concepts to support their findings. Students read multiple accounts, including firsthand and second-hand, to describe similarities and differences between two or more accounts on the same topic, understanding that the author’s point of view affects how the events are described. For example, after conducting research by reading various texts about natural disasters, students write a speech in which they state their opinion about how U.S. humanitarian organizations should prioritize assistance to neighboring countries when they are struck by natural disasters. Unit Duration:30 days (25 days instruction; 5 days reteaching/enrichment) based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:In the first part of this unit, students research multiple informational texts about natural disasters using all that they know about the author's use of text structure to determine connections between people, events, ideas, or concepts to support their findings. Students read multiple accounts, including firsthand and second-hand, to describe similarities and differences between two or more accounts on the same topic, understanding that the author’s point of view affects how the events are described. For example, after conducting research by reading various texts about natural disasters, students write a speech in which they state their opinion about how U.S. humanitarian organizations should prioritize assistance to neighboring countries when they are struck by natural disasters.Unit Duration:30 days (25 days instruction; 5 days reteaching/enrichment) based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit is designed to have students demonstrate their ability to analyze the development of characters using textual evidence to determine the theme. Unit Duration:25 days (20 days instruction; 5 days reteaching/enrichment) based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day.

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit is designed to have students demonstrate their ability to analyze the development of characters using textual evidence to determine the theme. Unit Duration:25 days (20 days instruction; 5 days reteaching/enrichment) based on 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day.

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This focus of this unit is analyzing words and phrases in order to examine the impact on the overall message of the text. Students will analyze short texts and poems as mentor texts to identify author’s craft elements and understand how authors use word choice, tone, structure and figurative language to develop characters and the overall meaning of the story. Teachers may choose texts that thematically allow students to explore ways that literature helps people embrace their unique identities and learn about themselves and others.  Using these techniques as authors, students will create personal narratives to express their own identities through personal experiences and events.  Duration:20 days (15 instructional days and 5 reteach days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This focus of this unit is analyzing words and phrases in order to examine the impact on the overall message of the text. Students will analyze short texts and poems as mentor texts to identify author’s craft elements and understand how authors use word choice, tone, structure and figurative language to develop characters and the overall meaning of the story. Teachers may choose texts that thematically allow students to explore ways that literature helps people embrace their unique identities and learn about themselves and others.  Using these techniques as authors, students will create personal narratives to express their own identities through personal experiences and events.  Duration:20 days (15 instructional days and 5 reteach days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: The focus of this unit is on how texts are structured for specific purposes and to convey particular meanings. Students will analyze how authors develop arguments and specific claims through intentional selection of language, structure and content, which impact the meaning and tone of a text. In their own writing, students will develop topics with relevant information and examples, paying attention to how organization, style and tone match task, purpose and audience. Unit Duration:30 days (25 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: The focus of this unit is on how texts are structured for specific purposes and to convey particular meanings. Students will analyze how authors develop arguments and specific claims through intentional selection of language, structure and content, which impact the meaning and tone of a text. In their own writing, students will develop topics with relevant information and examples, paying attention to how organization, style and tone match task, purpose and audience. Unit Duration:30 days (25 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: The focus of this unit is how author’s develop arguments in a text using specific claims. Students learn to distinguish claims that are supported by evidence from claims that are not. Through close reading, students identify explicit textual evidence, as well as make logical inferences, to determine meaning and the central idea of texts. In their own argument writing, students cite credible sources to provide evidence to support their claims and develop their arguments.  Unit Duration: 30 days (25 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS: The focus of this unit is conducting short research projects based on a guiding question and demonstrating understanding through presentation of the inquiry topic. Students will understand that problem-based inquiry and research require conceptualizing a problem, formulating questions, and interpreting multiple data. Based on their inquiry and research, students will craft an argument by clearly stating a claim and incorporating varied and credible supporting evidence from both print and digital sources. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on how authors engage the reader and craft a meaningful story, specifically through character development. Students will analyze how authors use narrative techniques to develop character’s conflict(s), point(s)-of-view, motivation(s) and relationships and apply these techniques in their own writing.  Students will learn and practice effective communication techniques and habits that set up the classroom reading, writing, and talking communities for the year ahead.    Unit Duration:25 Days  (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:This unit focuses on how authors engage the reader and craft a meaningful story, specifically through character development. Students will analyze how authors use narrative techniques to develop character’s conflict(s), point(s)-of-view, motivation(s) and relationships and apply these techniques in their own writing.  Students will learn and practice effective communication techniques and habits that set up the classroom reading, writing, and talking communities for the year ahead.    Unit Duration:25 Days  (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  The focus of this unit is on comparing and contrasting texts in different forms or genres. Authors develop themes and topics in unique ways that vary across genres and forms. Students will analyze why authors choose a particular format to convey their story or message and how this impacts the reader’s engagement with the text. During their analysis of texts, students will determine central ideas and the details that support these ideas and use these to write objective summaries of the texts. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:  The focus of this unit is on comparing and contrasting texts in different forms or genres. Authors develop themes and topics in unique ways that vary across genres and forms. Students will analyze why authors choose a particular format to convey their story or message and how this impacts the reader’s engagement with the text. During their analysis of texts, students will determine central ideas and the details that support these ideas and use these to write objective summaries of the texts. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:The unit is focused on how authors develop key details that lead to central ideas and themes. Students consider how authors develop meaningful themes to teach lessons and connect people. Students will consider how these themes live in the world around them and how gathering perspectives from multiple, credible sources contributes to a deeper understanding of themes and central ideas. Students will express and support their ideas through informative written responses. Teachers may choose to focus on texts related to overcoming obstacles to engage students and teach relevant themes. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule 

Unit Overview/Summary - FOCUS:The unit is focused on how authors develop key details that lead to central ideas and themes. Students consider how authors develop meaningful themes to teach lessons and connect people. Students will consider how these themes live in the world around them and how gathering perspectives from multiple, credible sources contributes to a deeper understanding of themes and central ideas. Students will express and support their ideas through informative written responses. Teachers may choose to focus on texts related to overcoming obstacles to engage students and teach relevant themes. Unit Duration:25 days (20 instructional days and 5 re-teach/enrichment days) Elementary Model - 130 minutes to 180 minutes per day; Middle School Model - five periods per week based on a traditional bell schedule