New Product Review: Exploros English Language Arts/Reading

Exploros is an open-educational resource (OER) that provides comprehensive products that support instruction in the social studies and English language arts/reading (ELAR) core content areas. Exploros is available at no cost. Content is available online and facilitates instruction in teacher-led, technology-based learning environments, such as 1:1 programs and flipped classrooms. This review is of ELAR resources for grades 4-8.

At each grade level, Exploros organizes content in seven units that address: (1) foundational skills, (2) literary genres, (3) non-fiction texts, (4) author’s craft, (5) personal narrative, (6) the writing process, and (7) inquiry and research. Each unit is made up of a set of “experiences” or lessons that are organized using the 5E model (i.e., engage, explore, explain, elaborate, and evaluate). A “scene” or a set of online page(s) is provided for each “E” in the model. Scenes are activities related to the E of the 5E model. For example, the first scene in each lesson/experience is an engagement activity that clarifies the lesson’s learning objectives. [Read more…]

At each grade level, Exploros includes a unit titled “The Writing Process” that provides explicit instruction in the writing process, including punctuation, drafting, editing, and revising. Students evaluate their writing using a rubric. The final lesson in the unit is titled “Writing for Assessments.” Students learn to write in response to assessment prompts using the “PAST” strategy (i.e., ­Purpose, Audience, Subject, Type of Writing) and related graphic organizers.

About Exploros*

Exploros drives student engagement and transitions classrooms to student-centered learning. Teachers can focus on guiding instruction, and personalizing the classroom learning experience.

Students collaborate as a class, work in small groups, and individually, developing graphic organizers, writing essays, investigating primary sources, creating drawings, tables, word clouds, and much more.

*Information in this section is provided by or adapted from Exploros.