Analyzing Bar Graphs: Candy Machines
Working in groups, students will examine a bag of candy to determine if the machine that bags the candy is working properly. They will organize data on the colors of the candy in a frequency table and a bar graph. They will calculate the fraction of each color in the bag and compare the fractions to a quota set up by the factory to determine if the machine needs maintenance. Students will create a report about their findings, write a question that requires students to interpret data represented in a bar graph, and reflect in their journals.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) Vertical Alignment
Click below to learn about the TEKS related to the unit and Research Lesson. The highlighted student expectation(s) is the chosen focus for the Research Lesson.
Measurement Properties for 2-D and 3-D Shapes
Students will be able to use a problem-solving model, tools and techniques, communication, representations, relationships, and justifications when solving problems involving two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes. Students will integrate content knowledge and skills so that students are prepared to use mathematics in everyday life, society, and the workplace.
Inference in the Real World: Using Clues to Identify Key Details
Students will actively read as a critical component; they will infer in expository text.
Analyzing Online Sources for Credibility
The students will analyze online sources for credibility and reliability while respecting others opinions through collaboration.
It’s All in the Details
This lesson demonstrates a small group intervention that scaffolds instruction of main idea for native English or Spanish speaking students. This lesson is scripted in both languages.
Sound Effects, Poetic Elements, and Analysis, Oh My! Visualizing the Text to Gain Meaning Out of Poetry
Students will be asked to use metacognition as they analyze a poem, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the overall meaning of a text.
Camping with Fractions
Students will create equivalent fractions using measuring cups to make a trail mix and use the fractions to find the total amount of different ingredients.
Teacher during Introduction
Stop, Collaborate, and Listen. Poetry is Our Mission! Thinking Deeply About Poetry
Students will actively engage with poetry in a blend of collaborative and independent analysis of poetic devices and an author’s use of devices to communicate a deeper meaning. Students will use their analysis to infer the meaning of a variety of poems.
Building Vocabulary with a Morphing Mindset
Students will explore vocabulary words from other content areas and apply their learning of word parts to find meaning.
Teacher working with students
Explain Your Thinking!
Students will use numberless and numbered logic problems as well as a rubric to practice self-reflection and justify their thinking.
Sound Detectives
Through the application of mentor text, various poetry, cooperative learning, self and peer-evaluation, and sound devices, students will build self-motivation to better appreciate and understand the author’s usage of sound devices in poetry.
Example of What Students Hear
4 Using Reading and Writing to Support Learning Across the Content Areas
This resource presents instructional writing and reading practices that support the content area learning of adolescent learners.
The Write for Texas guiding principles of effective writing instruction, developed for all teachers across disciplines, focus on building every student's understanding and ability to read, write, and think like experts—historians, mathematicians, scientists, and literary critics.
4 OnTRACK English I Writing: Writing the Expository and Procedural Essay
OnTRACK English I Writing, Module 3, Lessons 1–4. Students write expository and procedural or work-related texts to communicate ideas and information to specific audiences for specific purposes
2 Online Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy Unit 1
The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies help prepare middle school teachers to design appropriate instruction for all students, including those who are struggling with reading due to limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and other risk factors for reading difficulties. The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy contains seven units. Units 1–3 are designed for all teachers; Units 4–7 are more appropriate for English Language Arts teachers. Credit-bearing courses are available at the links below. This binder contains Unit 1.
Tier I (Units 1–3)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA1+2016_T1/about
Tiers II/III (Units 4–7)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA2+2016_T1/about
3 Online Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy Unit 3
The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies help prepare middle school teachers to design appropriate instruction for all students, including those who are struggling with reading due to limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and other risk factors for reading difficulties. The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy contains seven units. Units 1–3 are designed for all teachers; Units 4–7 are more appropriate for English Language Arts teachers. Credit-bearing courses are available at the links below. This binder contains Unit 3.
Tier I (Units 1–3)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA1+2016_T1/about
Tiers II/III (Units 4–7)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA2+2016_T1/about
2 Online Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy Unit 4
The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies help prepare middle school teachers to design appropriate instruction for all students, including those who are struggling with reading due to limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and other risk factors for reading difficulties. The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy contains seven units. Units 1–3 are designed for all teachers; Units 4–7 are more appropriate for English Language Arts teachers. Credit-bearing courses are available at the links below. This binder contains Unit 4.
Tier I (Units 1–3)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA1+2016_T1/about
Tiers II/III (Units 4–7)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA2+2016_T1/about
2 Online Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy Unit 5
The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies help prepare middle school teachers to design appropriate instruction for all students, including those who are struggling with reading due to limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and other risk factors for reading difficulties. The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy contains seven units. Units 1–3 are designed for all teachers; Units 4–7 are more appropriate for English Language Arts teachers. Credit-bearing courses are available at the links below. This binder contains Unit 5.
Tier I (Units 1–3)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA1+2016_T1/about
Tiers II/III (Units 4–7)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA2+2016_T1/about
1 Online Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy Unit 6
The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies help prepare middle school teachers to design appropriate instruction for all students, including those who are struggling with reading due to limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and other risk factors for reading difficulties. The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy contains seven units. Units 1–3 are designed for all teachers; Units 4–7 are more appropriate for English Language Arts teachers. Credit-bearing courses are available at the links below. This binder contains Unit 6.
Tier I (Units 1–3)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA1+2016_T1/about
Tiers II/III (Units 4–7)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA2+2016_T1/about
3 Online Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy Unit 7
The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies help prepare middle school teachers to design appropriate instruction for all students, including those who are struggling with reading due to limited English proficiency, learning disabilities, dyslexia, and other risk factors for reading difficulties. The Texas Adolescent Literacy Academy contains seven units. Units 1–3 are designed for all teachers; Units 4–7 are more appropriate for English Language Arts teachers. Credit-bearing courses are available at the links below. This binder contains Unit 7.
Tier I (Units 1–3)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA1+2016_T1/about
Tiers II/III (Units 4–7)
http://www.texascourses.org/courses/course-v1:TexasGateway+TALA2+2016_T1/about
4 Teaching Expository and Persuasive Texts
This resource presents instructional writing practices that support content-area learning with specific strategies for teaching the thinking skills, processes, and knowledge needed to effectively write a variety of expository and persuasive texts in English language arts, mathematics, science, and social studies. Some of the content is from the Texas Adolescent Literacy Academies: Focus on Writing professional development.