African American History: Beginnings to 1880 

Student Blank Books

Each student publishes an informational text on the topic of his/her choice in which s/he will write a well-organized main idea/detail paragraph for each Research Question.

African American History Board Game

The Know Your History board game from American Legacy Magazine is a fun and engaging game that can be played in teams or individually!

The Know Your History game encourges stimulating conversation and knowledge retention.

Select Text by Jeffrey Wilhelm

The RESEARCH LABS Modules for Grades 3+ include one copy of a selected text by esteemed author and speaker, Jeffrey Wilhelm. The selected title depends on the chosen writing genre.

• Argument Oh, Yeah?
• Informational Get it Done
• Narrative So, What’s the story?

Argument

Oh, Yeah?: Putting Argument to Work Both in School and Out by Jeffrey Wilhelm, Michael Smith and James Fredricksen

This book is an argument. Oh, Yeah?! will persuade you that it is an ideal resource for helping you teach argument writing to adolescents. And not just any arguments, but the kinds of substantive ones the real-world demands.

Life may be a series of arguments, but your decision about how to teach argument writing needn't be complicated. Trust Smith, Wilhelm, and Fredricksen, use Oh, Yeah?! in your classroom, and give students an argument for meeting-and exceeding-the Common Core standards.

Informational

Get it Done!: Writing and Analyzing Informational Texts to Make Things Happen by Jeffrey Wilhelm, Michael Smith and James Fredricksen

Informational texts aren't just for school. They are a real-world tool for making things happen. Similarly, the Common Core State Standards for writing are designed to help adolescents be prepared for the world outside the classroom.

Naming and listing, summarizing, describing, defining, comparing and contrasting, classifying, identifying cause-effect relationships, exploring problem-solution situations—Get It Done! will both help you teach all these types of informational texts engagingly and effectively, while explicitly connecting your work to the Common Core State Standards.

Narrative

So, What's the Story?: Teaching Narrative to Understand Ourselves, Others, and the World by Jeffrey Wilhelm, Michael Smith and James Fredricksen

While Common Core standards on argument and nonfiction have gotten the lion's share of attention, the anchor standard for narrative writing has been overlooked. Not anymore, thanks to So, What's the Story?

With ideas for teaching autobiography, narrative nonfiction, imaginary narratives, and narratives that employ both words and images, So, What's the Story? provides practitioners with ways to help students make the leap from composing stories to understanding how stories and narrative concepts can help them to identify, critique, and change how their world works.

Fresh Takes on Teaching Literary Elements

by Jeffrey Wilhelm

Bring new power and purpose to the study of literature with innovative tools and strategies that deepen students’ understanding of literary elements and help them apply that understanding to their reading as well as their writing. Rich, original passages illuminate the intricacies of character, setting, point of view, and theme, and deeply engaging activities framed by inquiry enable students to transfer what they learn to new reading situations as well as to the way they think through problems and live their lives. For use with Grades 6 & up.

Professional Development

ARC Professional Development is highly adaptable and flexible to meet the needs of the district and/or school. The total number of Professional Development days, time of year, and recommended service types of PD can all be modified to best serve the district and/or school.

Blackline Masters for Student Research

Blackline masters provide graphic organizers to teach and scaffold students’ note-making, research reading, and writing skills.

Core Text

Exemplar Text Packs

Exemplar Text Packs are Collections of short texts to be used for repeated close reading, each designed for a specific grade-band and on a specific Science or Social Studies Topic.

Available for select themes only.

Core Text

Core titles provides a grade-level, shared reading experience for all students and provides the teacher with opportunities to model the kinds of reading and writing he or she expects from the students.

Titles vary by grade and are subject to change based on availability.

Core Text

Exemplar Text Packs

Exemplar Text Packs are Collections of short texts to be used for repeated close reading, each designed for a specific grade-band and on a specific Science or Social Studies Topic.

Available for select themes only.

Core Text

Core titles provides a grade-level, shared reading experience for all students and provides the teacher with opportunities to model the kinds of reading and writing he or she expects from the students.

Titles vary by grade and are subject to change based on availability.

Core Text

Teachers use of a grade-level Core Text in the genre to provide rigorous instruction in literary analysis, Spanish Language Arts standards, and academic vocabulary. Core titles provides a grade-level, shared reading experience for all students and provides the teacher with opportunities to model the kinds of reading and writing he or she expects from the students.

Titles vary by grade and are subject to change based on availability.

Core Text (Fiction)

Teachers use of a grade-level Core Text in the genre to provide rigorous instruction in literary analysis, ELA CCSS, and academic vocabulary. Core titles provides a grade-level, shared reading experience for all students and provides the teacher with opportunities to model the kinds of reading and writing he or she expects from the students.

Titles vary by grade and are subject to change based on availability.

Instructional Framework

The Research Labs®: Genre Studies are literature instruction for the era of College & Career Readiness. Genre Studies ensure every teacher implements the 3 Instructional Shifts every day. (Available for Common Core and TEKS)

Each Student Will:

• Read, analyze, and write about one grade-level novel in this genre as part of a whole class intellectual community.


• Read multiple books in the genre on his/her own


• Write four very short essays (constructed responses) and one longer literary essay analyzing multiple texts in this genre.


• Write and publish a short story/picture book in the genre.

Instructional Framework

The Research Lab Instructional Frameworks ensure every teacher implements the 3 Shifts every day. Teachers provide grade-level rigor through the use of complex text to teach English Language Arts Standards, Science/Social Studies content, and academic vocabulary.

Available in CCSS, and TEKS

Choose from:

• Argument
• Informational

Instructional Framework

The Research Lab Instructional Frameworks ensure every teacher implements the 3 Shifts every day. Teachers provide grade-level rigor through the use of complex text to teach Spanish Language Arts Standards, Science/Social Studies content, and academic vocabulary.

Available in CCSS, and TEKS

Choose from:

• Argument
• Informational

Theme Related Folders

Theme Folders are decorated, heavy-stock folders that allow students to keep their books, log sheets, Skills Cards, and research notes together, making transport easy between home and school.

1 Basket (20 titles)

Students use the Thematic Leveled Research Library to research their individual topics using the best informational books drawn from more than 250 publishers.

Leveled Thematic Research Library (100 titles)

Students use the Thematic Leveled Research Library to research their individual topics using the best informational books drawn from more than 250 publishers.

Independent Level Research Library

Students use the Independent Level Research Library to research their individual topics using the best informational books drawn from more than 250 publishers.

6 Theme Baskets/150 Titles

Students use the Thematic Leveled Research Library to research their individual topics using the best informational books drawn from more than 250 publishers.

Leveled Libraries

Leveled libraries of books in the genre as well as informational text related to the genre and a carefully structured project-based learning format provide the differentiated support needed to ensure every student is successful.

Library includes:

• 80 books in the genre at a range of reading levels
• 20 thematic informational texts to support research and writing

Literary Genre Titles (80)

Leveled libraries of 80 books in the genre and a carefully structured project-based learning format provide the differentiated support needed to ensure every student is successful.

Informational Titles (20)

Leveled libraries of 20 thematic informational texts to support research and writing and a carefully structured project-based learning format provide the differentiated support needed to ensure every student is successful.

Anchor Titles

The Anchor Title Collection provides books on or above grade-level that are exemplars in both text complexity and Unit content. The Anchor Titles include books on all of the major concepts to be taught in the Unit.

Read Alouds

The teacher uses 30 Read Aloud titles to teach key concepts at the heart of each Research Question while introducing students to a wide variety of academic language.

Independent Reading Baskets

Additional 10 or 25 title baskets are available for classes with wider ranges of reading levels.

Writing Cards

Writing cards support students through each step of the writing process: drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Each card details the steps students need to take to successfully complete one stage of the full writing process (e.g., drafting) before proceeding to the next step (e.g., revising).

Writing Cards

• Drafting
• Revising
• Editing
• Publishing

Writing Cards

Writing cards support students through each step of the writing process: drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. Each card details the steps students need to take to successfully complete one stage of the full writing process (e.g., drafting) before proceeding to the next step (e.g., revising).

Writing Cards

• Drafting (Borrador)
• Revising (Edición)
• Editing (Revisión)
• Publishing (Publicación)