MIDAS

American Literature & Rhetoric 2E

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Core Code Alignment

Language Arts
Language Arts Required Core
06020000065: Language Arts 11 Honors

Recommendation

Recommended Primary

Evaluation

Fully aligned and rigorous, combining canonical and contemporary American voices with AP-level rhetorical analysis. Outstanding inclusivity and civic relevance. Strong assessments and adaptable design.

Educators Using These Materials

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Material Categories

Comprehensive

Rubric : English Language Arts

Compliance with State Law (Required)

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Sensitive Materials and Prohibited Submission 53G-10-103, R277-628	Does Not Violate Law	NA	NA	May Violate Law
No violations
Prohibited discriminatory practices 53G-2-103-5, 53B-1-118 and 67-27-107	Does not violate law	N/A	N/A	May violate law
No violations
Maintaining constitutional freedom in the public schools. 53G-10-202	Does not violate law	N/A	N/A	May violate law
No violations
Free from advertising, e-commerce, or political interest	Does not contain these items	N/A	N/A	May contain these items
No violations

Content

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Alignment	The content of this material is evidence-based and aligns with grade-level Utah core standards. It is current, well-researched, and referenced from reliable sources.	The content of this material is evidence-based or research-based. The material aligns with most grade-level Utah core standards but will need supplementary materials to ensure coverage of all the Utah core standards.	The content of this resource aligns with a few grade-level Utah core standards but is not evidence-based or research-based.	The content of this resource does not align with any of Utah's core standards.
Strongly aligns to Utah’s ELA standards for reading, writing, speaking, and listening through clearly defined writing workshops (e.g., Rhetorical Analysis, Close Analysis of Fiction, Argument, Analysis of Poetry) The text integrates both literary and informational genres, mirroring state emphasis on argumentative and analytical writing Repeated focus on rhetorical appeals, claim development, synthesis, and thematic analysis directly supports SL.1–3, R.13, and writing standards Culminating activities and conversation prompts (e.g., “What Does the Second Amendment Mean Today?”, “Would Reparations Address the Legacy of Slavery?”, “Has Income Inequality Created a New Gilded Age?”) promote analysis of complex ideas using textual evidence
Navigation	Educators and students can navigate the material independently. Instructions are clear and understandable. The material is well organized.	The material contains instructions that are understandable and easy to navigate. Students may need educator support to navigate the material.	The material is only usable with direct educator support due to a lack of clear instructions. Students will need educator support to navigate the material.	The instructions in the material are unclear, and navigation is difficult. The material is unorganized.
Organized into chronological and thematic units (e.g., Redefining America: 2001–Present, America in Conflict: 1830–1865), which supports historical context-building and smooth progression of skills Consistent structure (Skill Focus - Activities - Writing Workshop - Culminating Activity - Conversation/Suggestions for Writing) creates instructional coherence across all 10 units Each Writing Workshop outlines steps for student process (e.g., Preparing to Write, Developing a Thesis Statement, Supporting Your Thesis, Revising Your Essay), which aligns with standards for writing processes and evidence use Predictable layout allows teachers to easily plan sequential lessons or use individual units for stand-alone instruction Then and Now features connect classic texts to contemporary contexts
Instructional Support	This material goes beyond the content outlined in "Adequate" by providing problem or project-based content with integrated skills and concepts from various disciplines to help students make sense of the material. It also supports the learning needs of all students, including those with disabilities, multilingual learners, etc., by offering flexibility and maintaining high standards.	The material provides supplemental resources and some examples to educators of ways to deliver instruction. It contains a few of the following: scaffolding lesson plans, personalized/differentiated instruction, experiential learning, concept mapping, questioning techniques, and family involvement.	The material contains a limited amount of instructional support.	The material does not provide instructional support or examples for the educator.
Scaffolded skill development through activities such as Recognizing Civil Discourse, Identifying Bias in Visual Texts, Analyzing Tone, and Comparing and Contrasting Sources TalkBack and Conversation sections engage students in text-to-text and text-to-world connections, encouraging critical thinking and perspective-taking Inclusion of visual texts, infographics, and editorial cartoons (e.g., Tom Toles, Rosa Parks, and Steven Stack, Social Media Distortions) integrates multimodal literacy Step-by-step writing guidance and sample analyses help teachers differentiate instruction for varying ability levels Suggestions for Writing provide multiple options for formative and summative assignments at the end of each unit. scaffolding Offers suggestions for ELL vocabulary pre-teaching in primary source readings
Assessments	The material contains a variety of formative and summative assessments aligned with Utah Core Standards. It provides appropriate intervention strategies that lead to observable performance and real-world experiences for students.	The material contains summative assessments aligned with Utah Core Standards with few interventions.	The material contains a limited number of assessments without intervention strategies.	The material does not provide assessment materials.
Each unit concludes with a Writing Workshop and Culminating Activity aligned to core ELA standards and AP expectations Activities such as Preparing to Write a Rhetorical Analysis Essay and Providing Peer Feedback for Revision serve as embedded formative assessments Frequent text-based analysis tasks (e.g., close reading, evaluating evidence, synthesizing sources) scaffold skills before summative essays
Ethnic Studies Ethnic studies in core standards and curriculum should be a narrowly tailored incorporation of age-appropriate opportunities that naturally arise through education without pretextual effort in courses, programs, or activities where ethnic studies is not a primary focus. The material should incorporate a curriculum of people and cultures that reflect the state’s various demographics without commentary that seeks to violate the neutrality standard established in codes: 53B-1-118, 53G-2-103, 53G-2-104, 53G-2-105, 67-27-107,	In addition to the content outlined in “Adequate,” this material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for learning about various forms of cultural philosophies and epistemologies from Utah, the United States, and worldwide. The materials provide cultural backgrounds, contemporary real-life experiences, and contexts that are relevant to local students. Some examples may include people with disabilities, various body types, and ages.	This material demonstrates respect for diverse socio-cultural identities. The material provides opportunities to acknowledge and integrate the histories, cultures, contributions, and perspectives of people from the United States and worldwide. The material accurately represents the cultures, languages, traditions, beliefs, values, and customs of people from diverse backgrounds through a variety of texts, examples, scenarios, imagery, and applications.	The material has limited themes of social and cultural histories within the United States and globally. The material provides limited examples of inclusive or cultural real-life experiences and does not include diverse characters.	The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements. (53E-4-204.1).
Richly integrates multicultural, Indigenous, and historically marginalized voices across eras: Abigail Adams, “Letter to John Adams”; Sojourner Truth, “Ain’t I a Woman?”; Frederick Douglass, “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?”; Langston Hughes, “I, Too” and “Theme for English B” Contemporary and diverse perspectives including Jesmyn Ward, Clint Smith, Naomi Shihab Nye, Kaitlyn Greenidge, Kiese Laymon, Tommy Orange, and Kiese Turner Roberts Visual and textual pairings (e.g., Kehinde Wiley’s Portrait of Asli-tamari and Jacob Riis photography) deepen representation through multiple mediums Discussions of race, identity, and equity appear in contexts like “Would Reparations Address the Legacy of Slavery?” and “How Much Military Spending Is Enough?”, supporting inclusive civic dialogue Balances canonical American works (e.g., Emerson, Dickinson, Whitman) with modern social commentary from Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, and Natasha Trethewey
Shared Values and Character Traits	The material extends beyond the content outlined in "Adequate", it includes elements that connect Utahns to the world. The material offers multiple evidence-based supplemental resources and opportunities for cultivating character traits in students. Some examples may include characters with a variety of personalities, education, income, occupation, or behaviors that illustrate character traits.	The material focuses on the shared values of diverse people and communities, the common elements that unite Utahns, and displays some character traits in its imagery and content. It aims to cultivate character traits in students, such as courage, leadership, intelligence, integrity, honesty, respect, morality, civility, duty, honor, and service, along with principles found in the Constitution.	The material lacks a sense of shared values or common elements that unite Utahns. Furthermore, the material has limited resources addressing civic and character education.	The material does not meet the requirements within the ethnic studies core standards and curriculum requirements (53E-4-204.1) and civic and character education. (53G-10-204)
Emphasizes civic responsibility, perseverance, and ethical reflection through primary speeches and essays by Lincoln, Obama, King, and Kennedy Encourages critical inquiry around justice, freedom, and equality via foundational texts (The Declaration of Independence, Gettysburg Address, Ain’t I a Woman?) Promotes traits such as empathy, leadership, resilience, and respect through reflective narratives like Bryan Stevenson, “We Need to Talk About an Injustice” and Venita Blackburn, “Halloween” Conversation sections model respectful discourse on controversial topics (e.g., gun control, reparations, and environmental ethics) building civic and moral reasoning Reiterates shared democratic values through works like Eleanor Roosevelt, “Keepers of Democracy” and Martin Luther King Jr., “Letter from Birmingham Jail”

Material Characteristics

Item	3 - Extensive	2 - Adequate	1 - Inadequate	0 - None
Physical Characteristics	This material goes beyond the content outlined in "Adequate" by incorporating modern, up-to-date, and relatable visuals.	In physical terms, the material is interactive and provides high-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for all users.	The material offers limited or low-quality audio-visual and tactile experiences for students, but it is reusable.	The content either has low audio-visual quality or is not intended for reuse.
Modern visuals and full-color layouts Integrates visual rhetoric, infographics, and artwork seamlessly Easy for students to annotate and navigate
Technical Standards	This material surpasses the content outlined in "Adequate" by ensuring the safeguarding of student data privacy and easy installation or access without technical assistance. Furthermore, any licensing information is clearly stated in the description.	The materials meet all the requirements of federal and state laws, as well as accepted technical standards such as ISTE Standards and VPAT Compliance. Additional technical specifications and limitations, including hardware requirements, bandwidth demands, and software/web access restrictions, are clearly outlined in the description. The design of the materials allows for error-free installation or access without the need to purchase additional components.	The material is constrained by specifications that require additional materials, technical assistance, hardware, software, or infrastructure. Access to resources within the material expires after a trial period.	Student data privacy is at risk.
Fully meets technical accessibility standards with embedded multimedia support and data protection compliance through Achieve
Adaptability	The material is currently relevant and adaptable for educators and students. The material can be customized for the needs of diverse learners.	Educators or students can utilize the material, but it may not be customizable for the needs of diverse learners.	The material has limited options to address adaptability for the needs of diverse learners.	The material is not suitable for different educational settings with diverse learners.
Highly adaptable for diverse learning settings (honors, AP, concurrent enrollment) Digital and print formats allow modular instruction by era or theme

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