Animation Domination enters the world of satirical animation, comparing two of the most iconic and successful animated series in the history of television Simpsons vs. SpongeBob.

Pitching Anxiety takes you into the world of social anxiety disorder through the story of Zack Greinke, who went from star pitcher to disappointment and back again while dealing with anxiety.

Online Communities looks at the good and the bad of social networking sites, including the story of a mother who faced criminal charges for online bullying after a teenager committed suicide.

Beating the Odds chronicles the rags-to-riches story of Michael Oher, recently made into the blockbuster movie The Blind Side, inspiring students to believe that any situation can be overcome.

The Sound of Success examines a famous speech given by quarterback Tim Tebow, breaking down the individual elements that made that speech so effective in motivating his team and fans alike.

The Home Front looks at the experience of females in the military, both as active duty servants who sometimes find themselves out of place and as veterans who struggle to identify with their place in post-war society.

Invisible Injury explains the severity of concussions while looking at athletes who have suffered head injuries and the effect those injuries have had on their careers and lives.

Road to the Top delves into the life of popular singer and songwriter Taylor Swift, who has worked hard and handled her rise to fame with humility and grace.

Second Chances revisits the Michael Vick dog fighting controversy as he reentered society and the NFL, discussing his performance on and off the football field.

Incredible Goals considers the unique life and career of Cuauhtémoc Blanco, a Mexican football (soccer) star who inspired both enthusiasm and controversy in American soccer when he came to play in the United States.

^PWImpact! books integrate reading, writing, text comprehension, vocabulary development, higher-order thinking, ethical dilemmas, and character development through high-interest texts, technical informational texts, and vocational informational texts. Lexile measurements are provided for all articles to aid readers and educators in determining appropriate difficulty levels. Book 6i our intervention book is written a lower Lexile range for students reading between a 4^th – 6^th grade level, Book 6.1 is written at an approximate middle school Lexile level, and Book 6.2 is written at an approximate high school Lexile level.

Original Texts

Each of the 10 units has three original Lexiled texts. The heart of the unit revolves around the high-interest text, which appoints a particular focus related to current events. This text presents a topic that piques students’ interest and stirs them to think critically from a character education perspective. The technical and vocational texts are both informational and relate directly to the high-interest text. These informational texts allow students to relate to and interpret a different type of writing than the somewhat informal prose of the high-interest text.

Interpreting the Data

Each unit includes an Interpreting the Data section that directly relates to the high-interest topic. Interpreting the Data gives students practice manipulating, analyzing, and interpreting numbers, put into real-world perspective though the lens of character education. Short- and extended-response questions give students the opportunity to merge mathematical and verbal skills.

Reading Instructional Guides

Each unit includes two Reading Instructional Guides in the Teacher’s Book, one that supports the high-interest text and one that supports the technical informational text. The purpose of the instructional guides is to aid students in before, during, and after reading strategies. Before Reading strategies addressed include Front-Loading Background Knowledge through Read Aloud/Think Aloud, Looking at Words, an Anticipation Guide, and Starter Questions. During Reading strategies are addressed though a Reading Strategy Sheet/Graphic Organizer. After Reading strategies are addressed though Discussion Starter Questions based on the articles.

Text Comprehension Assessments

Each of the 10 units has two text comprehension assessments, one testing the high-interest text and one testing the technical text. The questions are consistently based on specific standards with question stems similar to those frequently used on state assessment exams. The comprehension questions cover four broad categories: Words and Phrases, Main Idea/Author’s Purpose, Compare and Contrast/Cause and Effect, and Reference and Research.

Writing Assessments

Each of the 10 units provides writing assessments that foster higher order thinking skills. Reflect and Respond is an extended-response question encouraging students to process what they have learned from the Interpreting the Data section in relation to character education. The technical writing prompt allows students to demonstrate understanding of the technical text and practice an extended response that uses effective technical writing skills. Looking Forward and the Ethical Dilemma are extended responses based on the vocational text. Looking Forward allows students to explore areas of interest for their future, including how to prepare for a future career. The Ethical Dilemma encourages students to contemplate difficult, real-world situations and make ethical decisions. Each of these writing assessments is evaluated by a rubric found in the back of the books.

Unit Assessments

In addition to the text comprehension and writing assessments, each unit includes a Unit Vocabulary Assessment and a Unit Authentic Assessment. The Vocabulary Assessment tests mastery of the vocabulary identified in the Reading Instructional Guides corresponding to the high-interest and technical texts. The Authentic Assessment asks students to perform real-world tasks that demonstrate knowledge gained from the unit and its relevance to their lives. Each Authentic Assessment is evaluated by a rubric.

Rubrics

The rubrics in the back of the books list the criteria for each corresponding assessment. Rubrics are designed to help teachers evaluate student work and to give students advance direction and clear markers for mastering the assignment. Each rubric specifies what is expected for various levels of quality of work.