Example 1: Kindergarten Science Text http://www.readworks.org/passages/water-cycle
Water moves. It goes from the land to the air. Then it moves back to the land. This movement is called the water cycle. Lakes, rivers, and oceans are made of water. The sun heats the water. Tiny drops of water rise into the air. They join together. Now they are clouds. The water drops get bigger. They also get heavy. The drops fall from the clouds. The drops are called rain. The rain falls to the ground. Water fills the lakes and oceans. The sun heats the water. The tiny drops go up in the air again. The water cycle never stops!
Tier ISimple English learned through social interactions / Tier II
High-value vocabulary words useful across subject areas / Tier III
Specific or technical words that apply to one subject area
Example 2: 4th Grade History
http://www.readworks.org/passages/colonization-revolutionary-war-background-colonies
Before the Revolutionary War, there were thirteen colonies under British rule in North America. People came from all over Europe seeking freedom or fortune in the colonies. Many people brought their culture with them, and people of similar backgrounds often came together or settled in the same place. Soon, each colony began to take on its own character. There were three main groups of colonies: The New England Colonies, the Middle Colonies, and the Southern Colonies. Each group began to share characteristics based on its location and people. For example, the Southern Colonies had fertile soil and sunshine necessary for farms. The Northern Colonies had some important ports.
Tier ISimple English learned through social interactions / Tier II
High-value vocabulary words useful across subject areas / Tier III
Specific or technical words that apply to one subject area
Example 3: 7th Grade Math MCAS http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2013/release/g7math.pdf
2. Which statement best describes a situation in which opposite quantities combine to make zero?
A. Shawna made 8 cups of soup and divided the soup into 8 containers.
B. Melanie deposited $10 in her savings account and then withdrew $10 from the account.
C. Peter scored 2 goals in the first period of a hockey game and 2 goals in the second period. D. Marcos missed 4 questions on a test in which each question was worth 4 points.
4. Dan’s Sporting Goods received a shipment of 120 sweatshirts.
• Half of the sweatshirts were size large.
• One-fourth of the large sweatshirts were red.
What was the total number of sweatshirts in the shipment that were both size large and red?
A. 15 B. 20 C. 30 D. 75
Tier I: Simple English learned through social interactions / Tier II: High-value words useful across subject areas / Tier III: Specific or technical words apply to one subject areaExample 4: 10th grade ELA http://www.doe.mass.edu/mcas/2014/release/Gr10-ELA.pdf
A surfer who intended to participate in the Odyssey, therefore, would be signing up for a global scavenger hunt. Not only would he have to ride the wave, he’d have to scour the oceans to find it, monitoring the weather’s every nuance like a meteorologist, and then show up at precisely the right moment toting Jet Skis, safety equipment, surf gear, and photographers along with him—not to mention a highly skilled partner who didn’t mind risking his life when called upon to do so. This was a surfing competition the way the Space Shuttle was a plane. “The Odyssey makes climbing Everest look easy,” one British journalist wrote. Regardless, Sharp was undeterred. “I think everybody’s ready,” he said. “Now, on the giant days, there’s no wave that anyone’s backing down from.”
Tier I: Simple English learned through social interactions / Tier II: High-value words useful across subject areas / Tier III: Specific or technical words apply to one subject area