ELA Glossary

A structured lesson type (one of seven) in which students engage in formal, protocol-driven peer conversation about the anchor text or essential question. Academic Discussion lessons use Academic Talk Stems and established protocols as the primary instructional vehicle for building both analytical skills and academic language. Protocols named in the lessons and the ELA Routines Guide include Socratic Seminar, Fishbowl, Academic Debate, and Four Corners. Academic Discussion is one of the four lesson types that carry the full four-phase, 50-minute structure, and one of the two types (with Presentation) where tiered Emerging, Expanding, and Bridging sentence frames appear.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Lessons. Routines are documented in the ELA Routines Guide.

The central, full-length text (novel, play, or narrative nonfiction) that drives instruction for the entire unit. Students read, annotate, and analyze the anchor text across all four arcs. Anchor forms vary by unit and include the novel, verse novel, play, graphic memoir, illustrated nonfiction, and essay collection. Teachers are strongly encouraged to read the anchor text before the pilot begins to anticipate student challenges and plan richer instruction.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview names the unit's anchor; the Scope & Sequence shows which lessons read it.

The overarching structural phases of a Threads & Themes unit: Spark -> Investigation 1 -> Investigation 2 -> Showcase. Each arc has a distinct instructional purpose and builds cumulatively toward the Performance Task. The complete unit arc spans approximately 9 weeks and 45 lessons. (See also: Unit Arc.)

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview; Scope & Sequence.

The program-level resource that documents the full assessment model: the two Investigation Summatives per unit, the Performance Task, the embedded Checks for Understanding, and how results feed Flex Day grouping and MTSS decisions. It also explains what the curriculum's embedded checks do and do not do; universal screening, diagnosis, and progress monitoring run on separate recommended measures, not on the curriculum's checks.

Where you’ll see it: Course Level Resources.

Short formative tools used to gauge student learning. Threads & Themes uses several formats rather than a fixed set. Some of these include Quick Writes and Reflections in which students self-assess against the Confidence Continuum. Pulse Checks, standards-aligned selected-response items that score automatically, sit inside Learning in Action rather than at the close, so they can redirect instruction while the lesson is still running.

Where you'll see it: mostly the Look Back phase; Pulse Checks appear during Learning in Action.

The objectives stated at the top of every lesson. Every ELA lesson carries an ELA Content Objective and a Language Objective, so language development is named as a goal of the day rather than treated as a byproduct. Many lessons add a third, a Foundational Skill Focus, covering decoding, fluency, or word study.

Where you’ll see it: Top of the Teacher Edition lesson view; labels documented in the Navigation Guide.

A collection of program-level documents available at the course level in the Newsela digital platform. These include: the ELA Routines Guide, Navigation Guide, Scope & Sequence, ELA Design Framework, Assessment Playbook, Assessment Reporting Toolkit, Differentiation Playbook, Universal Access Handbook, Multilingual & Home Connections Handbook, Independent Reading Guide, Strategic Reading, Standards Correlation, and the OPTEL Observation Tool. Course Level Resources are program-wide. Resources specific to one unit live on that unit's Additional Resources page inside the Teacher Edition.

Where you’ll see it: Course level in the platform, alongside the units. Confirm the on-screen label against the Navigation Guide.

A program-level resource that provides strategies and scaffolds for meeting diverse learner needs throughout the curriculum. Covers differentiation by readiness level, English language proficiency, and learning profile. It is also the source of the If/Then prompts that appear at each of the four lesson phases. Available in Course Level Resources on the Newsela platform.

Where you’ll see it: Course Level Resources.

Three levels that describe where a student is in their English language development: Emerging (building foundational English), Expanding (developing academic language), and Bridging (approaching full academic proficiency). These are the three proficiency levels of the California ELD Standards. In lessons they are often abbreviated Em, Ex, and Br. Tiered sentence frames keyed to the three levels appear in Academic Discussion and Presentation lessons; other lesson types differentiate through I-ELD Supports and If/Then prompts instead.

Where you’ll see it: I-ELD Supports in each lesson; Differentiation Playbook.

One of the two unit summatives. The Assessment Playbook calls the pair the Mid-Unit Assessment and the End-of-Unit Assessment. Each pairs an informational and a literary passage with roughly 19 to 21 comprehension, vocabulary, and language items plus four read-aloud dictation spelling items; the second adds cross-passage comparison. Item types include multiple choice and multiple select; selected-response items score automatically with standards-level reporting. The summatives mirror CAASPP formats and are also available as print-ready PDFs. Results drive Flex Day Huddle grouping.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Assessments.

The central inquiry that frames the entire unit. The essential question is introduced in the Spark arc, posted visibly in the classroom, and revisited throughout all four arcs. All anchor text analysis, academic discussions, and the Performance Task connect back to the essential question.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview; restated in each lesson's Launch.

A flexible lesson day, typically occurring at the end of each investigation arc, dedicated to targeted re-teaching or extension based on student assessment data. On Flex Days, teachers facilitate Targeted Instruction Huddles for identified student groups while other students do Independent Choice Work. Groupings are always based on Investigation Summative and Check for Understanding data - never arbitrary.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Lessons, marked as Flex lessons in the Scope & Sequence.

The consistent lesson structure: Launch -> Literacy Lab (or relevant routine) -> Learning in Action -> Look Back. This four-phase structure creates predictable classroom routines that allow students to focus on content rather than procedure.

Where you’ll see it: Most lessons in the Teacher Edition; described in the ELA Design Framework.

A visual scaffold that guides students through note-taking, comprehension, or writing planning during Investigation lessons. Graphic organizers are provided in each lesson and are designed to support the analytical thinking students will need for the Performance Task.

Where you’ll see it: Lesson materials in the Teacher Edition and the student view.

A small-group or whole-class targeted reteaching session facilitated during Flex Days. In the lessons, every Flex Day is titled Flex Day: Skill-Based Huddles, and each Huddle inside it is named for the standard it targets, for example Huddle 1 (RL.7.2). You can run up to three Huddles in a single Flex Day. Groupings are always data-driven, and the standard you choose should match the skill gap identified by End of Investigation Summatives and Checks for Understanding.

Where you’ll see it: Flex Day lessons in the Teacher Edition.

Integrated English Language Development scaffolds embedded directly into every ELA lesson, differentiated by ELD proficiency level (Emerging, Expanding, Bridging). I-ELD supports include differentiated sentence frames, vocabulary scaffolds, and discussion prompts. Look for the I-ELD dropdown or margin annotations in the Teacher Edition lesson view. I-ELD is integrated support inside core ELA. It is not the same as Designated ELD, which is a separate parallel course.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition lesson view, in the I-ELD dropdown or margin.

A contingent teaching prompt that names what to do if students respond in a particular way, for example if students struggle to find evidence, then do X. If/Then prompts come from the Differentiation Playbook and appear at each of the four lesson phases. In lessons they sometimes appear as prose (“If students...”) rather than a labeled box.

Where you’ll see it: Inside lesson phases in the Teacher Edition; Differentiation Playbook.

The structured work students do on a Flex Day when they are not meeting with the teacher in a Huddle. Each lesson offers two choices and a short written response: Option 1: Independent Reading, and Option 2: Knowledge-Building, which connects the day's reading back to the unit idea. Some lessons offer Independent Reading and Writing, or Independent Preparation, in place of one option.

Where you’ll see it: Flex Day lessons in the Teacher Edition, following each Huddle.

Student-selected reading that runs alongside the unit, supported by its own program resource and by the program's student agency design. It is also one of the Independent Choice Work options on a Flex Day.

Where you’ll see it: Independent Reading Guide, in Course Level Resources.

The two primary analytical arcs of a Threads & Themes unit. In Investigation 1, students begin close reading of the anchor text, use graphic organizers for comprehension, and are introduced to the Performance Task. Investigation 2 deepens analytical skills, shifts writing from drafting to revision, and prepares students for the Showcase arc. Each Investigation concludes with an Investigation Summative

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview and Lessons.

The first of four phases in every Threads & Themes lesson. Launch activates students' prior knowledge, sets the context and purpose for the lesson, and connects to the unit's essential question. Typically 5-10 minutes. A well-executed Launch primes students for the analytical work that follows.

Where you’ll see it: Opening of many lessons in the Teacher Edition.

The main work of the lesson, and where the majority of instructional time is spent. Students apply the lesson's target skill or strategy in a structured activity, often collaboratively.

Where you’ll see it: the main body of nearly every lesson, between Launch and Look Back.

XThe seven instructional formats used across a Threads & Themes unit, each with a distinct purpose: Spark, Reading, Writing, Academic Discussion, Presentation, Research, and Flex. Every lesson opens with a Launch and closes with a Look Back, but what sits between them varies by type. Reading, Writing and Academic Discussion lessons include a Literacy Lab; Flex Days and assessment lessons do not, and Spark lessons rarely do.

Where you’ll see it: Lesson type per lesson is listed in the Scope & Sequence, not on the lesson itself.

The second phase of the lesson, about 10 minutes, and the program's block of literacy accelerators: academic vocabulary, morphology, syntax, and fluency, plus explicit writing instruction. Named routines include Morphology, Language Study, and Sentence Combining, documented in the ELA Routines Guide, each with a routine fidelity checklist and “How to Introduce It” guidance. Literacy Lab appears in Reading, Writing, Research, Academic Discussion, and Presentation lessons. It does not appear in Spark lessons, assessment lessons, or most Flex Days. The vocabulary and syntax built here is the language students need for academic discussion and the Performance Task.

Where you’ll see it: Second phase of the lesson; routines in the ELA Routines Guide, sections 8.2 to 8.4.

The final phase of every Threads & Themes lesson. Students engage in metacognitive reflection on their learning and teachers collect brief formative data (a Pulse Check, a Reflection, or a Checklist)). Look Back data drives next-day instructional decisions and informs Flex Day groupings.

Where you’ll see it: Close of each lesson.

See End-of-Investigation Assessment.

A named Literacy Lab routine in which students analyze word parts (roots, prefixes, suffixes) to unlock meaning and spelling.

Where you’ll see it: Literacy Lab phase; ELA Routines Guide 8.2.

The writing environment where students draft the Performance Task essay, linked directly from the lesson. It gives students immediate formative feedback on their drafts using AI. The feedback supports revision; it does not assign grades and does not replace the teacher, who scores the Performance Task on the 3-level rubric. Included with the license.

Where you’ll see it: Linked from the Performance Task lessons in the Showcase arc.

A structured routine in which students exchange drafts and give each other specific, actionable feedback measured against the Performance Task rubric and the unit's success criteria rather than against generic sentence frames. It is named in the Routines panel of the lessons that use it, most heavily in the Showcase arc as students revise toward the Performance Task, and also in Investigation 1 and Investigation 2. It is not confined to writing lessons: research and presentation lessons use it too. Two lessons list it simply as Peer Feedback, and Grade 6 Unit 3 supplies a Peer Review Form graphic organizer to structure it.

Where you’ll see it: the Routines panel of writing, research and presentation lessons, concentrated in Showcase. Not documented in the ELA Routines Guide.

The culminating written assessment for each Threads & Themes unit. Students draw on the anchor text, text sets, and unit instruction to produce a final product The essay is drafted in Newsela Writing; the presentation is scored live. All three parts are scored by the teacher on the Threads & Themes 3-level rubric (Beginning, Developing, Proficient), not auto-scored. The Performance Task is introduced early in Investigation 1 so that every writing lesson, discussion, and revision cycle builds purposefully toward it.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Assessments; completed across the Showcase arc.

A lesson type in the Showcase arc focused on oral or multimedia communication. Students learn delivery techniques, audience awareness, visual aid use, and formal register. Presentation lessons are explicit instructional lessons -- not simply "present your work to the class" -- and are part of the designed lesson sequence. Presentation lessons are one of the two lesson types carrying tiered Em, Ex, Br sentence frames. They are also the rarest lesson type, so expect roughly one per unit.

Where you’ll see it: Showcase arc lessons; identified in the Scope & Sequence.

A quick, standards-aligned multiple-choice item used at the close of a lesson, with a rationale provided for each answer choice in the Teacher Edition. Pulse Checks score automatically in the platform and the results support in identifying Flex Day grouping.One of three Check for Understanding formats used in Threads & Themes. Informal alternatives such as thumbs up, sideways, or down are teacher-facilitated routines rather than Pulse Checks, and are not captured as data.

Where you’ll see it: Look Back phase.

A short, timed, informal writing prompt used at multiple points in the unit as a formative assessment tool. The opening Quick Write in the Spark arc establishes a writing baseline; Quick Writes throughout the unit track growth toward the Performance Task's writing demands.

Where you’ll see it: Spark and Investigation lessons

One of the three Check for Understanding formats: the Confidence Continuum self-rating poll. Captured automatically in the platform but treated as self-reflection, not graded.

Where you’ll see it: Look Back phase.

A lesson type in which students explore additional sources (articles, primary sources, multimedia) to deepen their understanding of the unit's essential question. Research lessons build the content knowledge that enriches Academic Discussion and strengthens Performance Task writing.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Lessons.

A program-level resource that documents all key instructional routines used in Threads & Themes: Literacy Lab, Annotation Spot Check,, Academic Talk Stems, and the Confidence Continuum. Reading the Routines Guide before Day 1 ensures teachers spend class time on content, not explaining procedure. Available in Course Level Resources on the Newsela platform.

Where you’ll see it: Course Level Resources.

The Threads & Themes ELA Performance Task is scored on a 3-level rubric: Beginning, Developing, Proficient. Students use it as a self-check during revision and the teacher uses it to score all three parts of the task.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Assessments, with the Performance Task.

The final arc of a Threads & Themes unit, typically the last 5 to 10 lessons. During Showcase, students complete the Performance Task through a structured Plan, Draft, Revise, Publish sequence, using the task-specific analytic rubric as a self-check throughout revision. Most units conclude with a presentation lesson, though the closing format varies by unit; Grade 7 Unit 3 and Grade 8 Unit 2 close with argument essay revision instead.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview and the final lessons of the unit.

The opening arc of a Threads & Themes unit (approximately Week 1, Lessons 1-4). Spark builds background knowledge, introduces the essential question and key vocabulary, establishes classroom routines (Literacy Lab, Academic Talk Stems), and activates student curiosity before close reading of the anchor text begins in Investigation 1.

Where you’ll see it: First lessons of the unit; Teacher Edition > Overview.

A program-level resource that documents the program's text selections and their complexity: which texts are used where, and the quantitative and qualitative complexity of each. Every one of the sequenced short-form texts carries a Lexile measure and a qualitative complexity rating. Use it to answer district questions about whether students are reading at grade level and how text complexity builds across the unit and the year. Available in Course Level Resources on the Newsela platform.

Where you’ll see it: Course Level Resources.

What students work in during the lesson, available in two ways. In the platform it is the Student Lesson, which you open from the top of any lesson page and students complete in their own view. In print it is a consumable, cited by unit and lesson in each lesson's Material List, for example "Unit 1, Lesson 23 Student Edition." Both carry the same texts, organizers and write-on space.

Where you'll see it: the Student Lesson link at the top of every lesson page; named in the Material List of almost every lesson.

Your daily planning and instruction resource, available in two formats. In the Newsela platform it is organized in four tabs: Overview, Lessons, Assessments, and Additional Resources. In print it is a bound per-grade volume covering the same lessons. Both carry the same instruction; use whichever fits how you plan.

Where you'll see it: the Newsela platform throughout the pilot; print volumes arrive with your pilot materials.

A curated collection of short-form texts (articles, videos, primary sources, infographics) connected to the unit's essential question. Text sets are accessed through the Newsela platform and complement the anchor text across all four arcs, building the content knowledge students need for academic discussion and writing.

Where you’ll see it: Inside lessons, and in the unit's Additional Resources.

Short in-lesson notes to the teacher offering an alternative move, a common misconception to watch for, or a way to adjust the task. One of the places differentiation shows up inside a lesson, alongside I-ELD Supports and If/Then prompts.

Where you’ll see it: Inside lesson phases in the Teacher Edition.

The “Themes” half of the program name. Each grade is organized around a single year-long theme, and the three build outward from the personal to the systemic: grade 6 Self & Story, grade 7 Belonging & Witness, grade 8 Systems & Stewardship. The progression continues into grades 9 to 12, currently planned as Evidence and Illusion, Perspective and Interpretation, The American Story, and The Global Story. Every unit's essential question and anchor text sit inside its grade's theme.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview; Scope & Sequence.

The “Threads” half of the program name: the ideas, skills, and questions that run through and connect the units, so that each unit builds on what came before rather than starting over. Threads are what make the essential questions cumulative across a year and across grades.

Where you’ll see it: Teacher Edition > Overview; the ELA Design Framework.

Tier 2 words are high-utility academic words that appear across subjects (analyze, contribute, significant). Tier 3 words are the technical words specific to a topic or discipline. Both are taught explicitly in the Literacy Lab and posted for student use, and both are the language students are expected to use in Academic Discussion and in the Performance Task.

Where you’ll see it: Literacy Lab phase; lesson vocabulary lists.

See Arc.