Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 1
Steinbeck
The Getting Started section names central themes of The Pearl (the nature of man, obsession with wealth, racism, and oppression) and frames thematic questions for students. Activity 1 asks students to identify common themes in Steinbeck's novels (Question 3) and to explain how those themes reflect his life experiences (Question 4). The Wrapping Up asks students to connect Steinbeck's experiences to the themes in his writing, prompting reflection on how experience shapes perspective.
Lesson 2
The Scorpion
Students are asked in Question #4 to explain how Kino's life changes from the beginning to the end of Chapter 1, prompting them to identify and describe a developing idea across the chapter. The Wrapping Up section directs students to observe that Kino's family's life changes in an instant and to notice social and economic divides, which invites discussion of another central idea (class differences). Parent discussion prompts ask students to explain how feeling out of control affects Kino's perspective, encouraging analysis of how a theme (powerlessness) influences character development.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are prompted by the "Ideas to Think About" and discussion questions to consider themes such as how songs reflect culture, human responses to change, and how poverty or wealth can change a person's life. Students answer analytic questions about Chapter 3 (interpreting a simile, explaining why Kino becomes "every man's enemy," and discussing irony and character motives). Activity 3 asks students to track stylistic devices "as you read the remainder of the book," which asks them to collect textual evidence that could support analysis of thematic development.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students are asked to brainstorm multiple symbolic meanings of the pearl using a web (Activity 2) and to list different ideas for what the pearl symbolizes. Discussion prompts and wrap-up questions ask students to explain how Kino and Juana change and how the meaning of the pearl changes as the story progresses. Reading questions include one that asks how the pearl has changed Juana differently than Kino, prompting students to identify and discuss thematic differences between characters.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students are prompted to consider thematic questions in the "Ideas to Think About" section (e.g., change, poverty/wealth, how experience shapes perspective), which directs them to identify themes. The "Wants" activity has students list what each character wants and draw symbols, asking them to evaluate whether wants are good or evil and to answer a concluding reflective question about greed and contentment. The Think-and-Search example question and Parent Plan discussion questions ask students to compare Kino and Juana's relationship now versus at the beginning, prompting analysis of character and relationship development across the text.
Lesson 8
Escape
Students are asked to analyze themes directly: Question 1 asks whether Kino "loses his soul" and requires explanation, and Question 4 prompts students to connect Kino's quest for wealth to destruction, encouraging thematic analysis. Discussion prompts (e.g., "What does the pearl symbolize?", "What do you think the moral of this parable is?") ask students to identify central ideas such as greed, loss, and family. The wrapping up paragraph states thematic conclusions (e.g., Kino loses everything and no wealth can bring back his son's life), which students can reference in discussion or responses.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students are asked to read four parables and "explain the lesson that each parable teaches" to a parent, with specific prompts for the Parable of the Pearl, the Good Samaritan, Wo and Jah, and What About the Bike?. Students practice oral retelling of a selected parable for a family audience and are asked, after retelling, to have the audience explain the lesson the story teaches. Students are also prompted to compare the Parable of the Pearl to Steinbeck's The Pearl and explain how the parable's meaning relates to the novel.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students are asked to "think about the different moral lessons that are taught in The Pearl" and to make a list of these in their journal (Activity 1). The parent notes and rubric give examples of central lessons (e.g., greed leads to evil, family is more important than wealth), and the Story Map activity includes a "Themes" box for identifying central story ideas. The Skills list also asks students to "analyze how place and time influence the theme or message of a literary work," which directs students to connect elements of the text to its themes.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to produce summaries in the Book Cover activity and the Quick Script (2-minute script summarizing the book), and to answer Part D short-answer questions that probe changes (e.g., "How is Kino changed by the pearl?") and symbolism ("What does the pearl symbolize?"). The Think-Tac-Toe activities require discussing themes (Poem discussion: relate poem themes to the novel) and identifying significant symbols (Speech Symbols: illustrate and explain significance). The Parent Plan explicitly lists student skills including "Describe multiple themes in a work of fiction" and "Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, point of view, or perspective in text."
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and asked to read the first four chapters and use a journal to record what they learn about the culture and characters in each chapter (customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, food, etc.). The lesson asks students to peruse background websites about Mozambique to learn more context and to complete map and culture activities that reinforce understanding of setting and cultural details. The lesson also asks students to provide a brief verbal summary of the chapters they read today and includes discussion questions about Nhamo's relationships and how villagers depend on the natural environment.
Lesson 3
A Visit with the Muvuki
Students are asked to read Chapters 8–10 and take the role of a Discussion Director to write four discussion questions that "cover the big ideas" of the book, including at least one open-ended and one inference question. The lesson's "Ideas to Think About" prompts ask students to consider Western influence and what can be learned about people from cultural traditions and family roles. Parent/teacher discussion questions prompt students to consider how traditional cultural beliefs prevent progress and how the muvuki tricks people, which directs attention to thematic elements of the text.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
Students are asked to act as a Line Locator, finding three to five lines or short passages they believe are key to the story and explaining in their journals why those passages are important. The Personal Narrative Story Elements page includes a Themes section where students must note the central story idea. Parent-guided discussion prompts ask students to explain how Nhamo's outlook or perspective has changed as she fights for survival, encouraging analysis of character and thematic development.
Lesson 7
Baboons
The Parent Plan lists skills that ask students to "use different organizational patterns as guides for summarizing and forming an overview of different kinds of expository text" and to "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts... and support those findings with textual evidence." Students are asked to "review the information [they] learned about baboons and/or other African animals" and to discuss questions about character, survival, and symbolism that require drawing conclusions from the text.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
The lesson asks the student to explain how Nhamo has changed up to this point, explicitly prompting a comparison between the girl introduced in Chapter 1 and her current, stronger self. The 'Ideas to Think About' and Wrapping Up sections prompt students to consider thematic ideas (how geography affects survival; how struggle changes outlook) that relate to central ideas. The 'Questions to Discuss' include prompts about Nhamo's change and consequences of events, asking students to articulate character development and thematic implications.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
The lesson's skills list instructs students to "organize an interpretive response to literature around several clear ideas," and to "develop an interpretive response... exhibiting careful reading, understanding, and insight," which directs students to identify and work with multiple ideas. The storyboard activity has students choose six important scenes that reveal action and Nhamo's character development, and the postcard and dialogue tasks ask students to reflect on Nhamo's journey, survival, and how she has changed.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students are asked to "write about the theme of the book" (Part IV) and to characterize Nhamo using text evidence, which requires identifying central ideas and supporting them with details. Students answer comprehension questions that require recalling events across the whole novel (e.g., why Nhamo left her family, how she left the island), which engages understanding of major story elements over the course of the text. Students are prompted to review story elements and "Things to Know," and to use journal entries and activity pages when studying, which supports synthesizing information from the entire text.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students read Chapter 1 and answer questions that require them to identify Bilbo's characterization at the beginning of the chapter and to note how he changes by the end. Students complete an Events of the Journey organizer and trace the characters' route on a map, recording short chapter-level summaries and noting where key events occur. Students respond to thematic prompts (e.g., "How do our experiences change and mold us?") and discuss reasons for the mission, practicing summary and thematic thinking at the chapter level.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students are prompted to reflect on how experiences change us in the "Ideas to Think About" prompt and to explain whether their opinion of Bilbo changes after Chapter 2, engaging them in consideration of character development. Students answer comprehension questions that require summarizing key events (e.g., what Bilbo discovers, who saves them) and write a sentence characterizing Gandalf, which practices identifying important ideas and summarizing. Students chart the journey and describe the first night's camp in a simple sentence, and in the Tolkien biography tasks they identify important life events and select a "Change" image for a collage, prompting them to note significant developments over time.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students are asked to discuss thematic questions such as "How does literature reflect life?" and to make connections between the novel's themes, characters, and real life. The lesson prompts students to explain the narrator's comment about what makes a good tale and to compare elves and dwarves, which asks them to identify and discuss ideas in the text. Students chart events on a Setting Map and an Events of the Journey page and identify foreshadowing and flashbacks, which requires them to track how elements develop across Chapters 3 and 4.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students are prompted by the "Ideas to Think About" and parent discussion questions to consider themes such as how power changes a person and how power given or taken away affects characters. Students are asked to "Write a brief description of what happens in this chapter" on the Events of the Journey page, which requires them to summarize chapter events. Students are also asked to "Record any examples of foreshadowing from Chapter 5," prompting them to identify textual details that point to later developments.
Lesson 5
Wolves, Goblins, and Eagles
Students are asked to "Write a brief description of what happens in this chapter" on the Events of the Journey page, which requires them to summarize chapter events. The lesson asks students to "Record any examples you found of foreshadowing," prompting attention to how events hint at later developments. Discussion prompts (Ideas to Think About and Parent Plan questions) ask students to consider how experiences change people and how Bilbo's image has changed, which directs students to notice character development.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students are asked to verbally summarize what happened after Bilbo escaped from Gollum, with a sample summary provided. Students are instructed to draw the journey path, circle locations, write chapter numbers, and briefly describe what happened on the "Events of the Journey" page. Students are also asked to record any examples of foreshadowing or flashback on their chart.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students are asked to write a short sentence about this chapter's events on the "Events of the Journey" page and to record an example of foreshadowing, which prompts identification of important ideas and plot development. Discussion prompts and "Ideas to Think About" ask students to consider universal themes and how experiences change people, and guided questions ask whether Bilbo has changed and how the dwarves' opinion of him has changed. Questions about themes (for example, that size and strength are not always most valuable) ask students to cite situations from the book that support that theme.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
Students are asked to explain how Bilbo has changed from the beginning of the story up to Chapter 9, prompting analysis of character development. The "Ideas to Think About" section asks students to consider themes such as how power changes a person and whether there are universal themes in literature. Skills and activity prompts ask students to identify events that advance the plot and to record events, flashback, or foreshadowing on a chart, which supports tracking development over time.
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students are asked to "Briefly summarize these chapters on the 'Events of the Journey' page," which requires composing an objective chapter-level summary. The Skills section explicitly lists "Identify and analyze recurring themes across works," and Activity 2 directs students to analyze greed and power as central themes by collecting and classifying real-world examples. The Reading and Questions prompt students to explain character actions and record examples of flashback or foreshadowing, supporting analysis of how themes and events function in the chapters read.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students are prompted to discuss major themes and to describe how change plays a role in the story, including Bilbo's growth and Thorin's change after acquiring treasure. The Parent Plan and skills list explicitly ask students to "describe multiple themes" and "analyze the effects of such elements as plot, theme, characterization," which directs students to identify and analyze central ideas. The Quest Cube activity asks students to consider how each quest element contributes to a central theme and to explain how each element affects theme and mood.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students are prompted to consider thematic questions such as how power, wealth, and greed change people (Ideas to Think About) and to discuss Thorin's deathbed remark and Bilbo's changed character (Wrapping Up and Questions to Discuss). Students are asked to summarize early literary reviews in two or three sentences and identify literary elements and whether the reviews are positive or negative (Activity 1). The Parent Plan directs students to read aloud their summaries and to "identify any literary elements" and to "recognize that the first review discusses the important themes of the novel."
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 1
Korea
The lesson tells students to "pay careful attention to what you learn about the culture" and to "consider the unique relationships that exist among the characters and how they develop as the story progresses," prompting students to track development over time. Students complete an "Elements of Korean Culture" chart, deciding which information belongs in "Today" versus "Centuries Past," and are instructed to continue adding to the chart as they read the novel. Discussion questions ask students to explain how Korean culture has changed, which requires students to note changes and causes across time.
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students are asked to write a one-page objective summary of Chapters 3 and 4 and are given explicit instructions to locate main ideas and events, use their own words, avoid personal opinions, and follow the sequence of events. The lesson includes guiding questions that prompt students to identify who did what, what events contribute to the overall plot, and what events contribute to the development of the main characters.
Lesson 4
Food and Pottery
Students are asked to explain what happened in yesterday's reading, which requires recounting events and creating a brief summary. Students are prompted to discuss how 12th-century Korean culture is similar to and different from their own culture and to consider how art and food reflect the natural environment, which invites identification of cultural themes. The wrapping-up and parent-plan discussion questions ask students to think about how food and artwork reflect natural resources, guiding students to articulate ideas drawn from the text.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students are asked to consider thematic questions such as "How does the natural environment help shape a culture?" and "How does a culture reflect the natural environment?"; discussion prompts ask students to explain Tree-ear's thought about "The work of a human, the work of nature" and to describe what Tree-ear sees Kang doing. Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and write four thoughtful questions (prediction, fact-based, opinion, personal reaction) with answers, which requires comprehension of events and ideas across those chapters.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
The Parent Plan lists as a skill that students should "Analyze themes and central ideas in literature," and the mini-book activity directs students to explore several "opportunities" Tree-ear is given and to record how each opportunity benefited him or how he used it to improve life for himself or others. Discussion prompts and the wrap-up ask students to consider how Tree-ear used opportunities and to defend answers with evidence from the text. The guided questions require students to explain character motivations and outcomes tied to the opportunity theme.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer directed comprehension questions about character motives and events (e.g., why Tree-ear travels, Crane-man's refusal, what Tree-ear learns from the fox). Students interpret five of Crane-man's quotes in their own words on the 'Quotes' activity page and may illustrate a quote or create their own proverb, which engages them with central ideas such as wisdom, tradition, work, and fear. Discussion prompts ask students to explain relationships, pride's effects, and what wisdom means, requiring students to articulate thematic ideas in writing and conversation.
Lesson 10
The Fox
Students are asked to summarize chapters ("Ask your child to summarize what happened in the two chapters she was assigned"), which practices summarizing text. The Parent Plan lists the skill to "Identify and analyze recurring themes across works," and Activity 2 asks students to read multiple fox folktales and "think about the purpose of the story and what it teaches," which directs students to identify themes or purposes. The wrapping-up and parent prompts ask students to explain the lesson or purpose of their story and to identify common traits of foxes in literature, reinforcing identification of central ideas or themes.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are asked to analyze relationships by completing a Relationship Web or selecting Relationship Words, writing at least two sentences for each relationship and supporting descriptions with examples from the text (characters' thoughts, words, and actions). Students respond to comprehension questions about characters and events (e.g., bandits, Emissary Kim, Crane-man) that require extracting central details. The parent-plan skills state students should organize interpretations around several clear ideas and justify interpretations with sustained textual evidence, indicating practice in identifying and supporting literary ideas.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are prompted to brainstorm and compare Tree-ear's relationship with Min and with Crane-man, explicitly considering how those relationships affect Tree-ear's decisions, emotions, and opportunities (Activity 1). Students use structured essay organizers (Activities 3, Option 1/2) that require listing similarities and differences and providing support from the text for each point. The rubric and editing/ drafting activities require students to provide specific textual examples, follow an introduction/body/conclusion structure, and write a concluding paragraph that summarizes what the reader should remember.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students read a linked article about the Dakota Access Pipeline and complete a Point of View chart that asks them to list how each stakeholder would view the pipeline and reasons for support or opposition. The Parent Plan Skills section explicitly asks students to summarize the author's purpose and stance and to draw inferences from argumentative works. The rubrics require students to produce an argumentative essay and include an "Ideas" category that evaluates clarity and focus of argument, which involves summarizing and organizing information from sources.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students read two contrasting news articles about Sir Sam Hughes and complete a "Detecting Bias" handout comparing how Hughes is portrayed in each piece and identifying specific bias techniques and examples. Students answer guided questions about propaganda techniques in a U.S. leaflet article and analyze which techniques were used and why. Students watch and evaluate advertisements, identifying propaganda methods, intended audience, and effectiveness, and they analyze author/creator purpose by examining bias and hidden messages in the Parent Plan skills list.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students are instructed to write a clear position statement (thesis) in the introduction and to develop body paragraphs that state supporting reasons, provide evidence (facts, statistics, expert opinions, examples), and use transitions to connect ideas. The conclusion section directs students to 'briefly sum up the main arguments' and 're-visit your position,' which requires students to produce a condensed recap of their essay. Parent Plan notes explicitly ask students to 'support the main idea or ideas of a paper with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources' and to 'synthesize research into a written or an oral presentation' that 'summarizes findings.'
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 1
Ancient Greece
Students read pages 9–15 of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths (the Greek creation story) and complete Question #2 asking them to "Summarize the Greek creation story in two sentences," which asks for an objective, concise summary. Students respond to Idea-to-Think-About prompts and Question #1 that ask them to consider what the stories teach about beliefs/values and the consequences of desire for power, prompting identification of themes such as power and revenge. The Wrapping Up section directs students to notice that themes of power and revenge are repeated in myths, reinforcing thematic recognition.
Lesson 2
The Gods and Goddesses
Students read multiple sections about the gods and answer comprehension questions that ask them to explain overarching explanations (e.g., how Greeks explained volcanoes, storms at sea, and the seasons). Students discuss overarching purposes of myths in the 'Wrapping Up' and guided discussion questions (e.g., Why do you think myths were told?; How do the stories reflect culture?). Students synthesize information across readings by creating character cards and a family tree that organize gods, roles, and relationships.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students are prompted in the "Ideas to Think About" and "Things to Know" sections to consider themes such as the desire for power, greed, and the moral pattern of rewards and punishments. The Reading directions explicitly tell students to "consider how greed and the desire for power lead to devastating consequences" and to be on the lookout for how good deeds are rewarded and bad deeds are punished as they read pages 70–89 and 90–107. Discussion questions and Day 2 question #3 ask students to provide examples from the myths showing how greed and desire for power cause conflict and consequences.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students are prompted to "be on the lookout for lessons" in the story and an "Ideas to Think About" section asks about consequences of the desire for power, directing students to consider themes. The Wrapping Up explicitly names recurring themes (not changing fate; punishment for abusing power), and the Parent Plan asks students to "verbally summarize the story," which asks for an overall summary. Comprehension questions and the Conventions of a Myth activity require students to identify key elements and events that support thematic interpretation.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are asked to identify themes in activities such as the Icarus comparison chart, which includes a explicit 'Theme/lesson' row for comparing the traditional myth and a contemporary retelling. Students respond to wrap-up discussion questions that ask them to give examples of how zeal for power leads to consequences and to explain how the Oedipus story reinforces a fate theme. Students are prompted to interpret the main idea when creating a wordless book and to explain their Venn diagram comparing Hercules to a modern superhero, which requires stating similarities and thematic connections.
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students are asked to summarize/retell the Trojan War using cut-out characters and props, choosing the most important events from p.180 to p.184 and practicing the retelling before presentation. The Parent Plan lists skills that students will practice: delivering oral summaries that include main ideas and significant details, using their own words, organizing literary interpretations around several clear ideas, and conveying a comprehensive understanding of sources. Instructions explicitly tell students they may quote but should mostly use their own words and may write out a summary, take notes, or make a diagram to remember sequence and key events.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students are prompted to identify the "Theme or moral lesson" on the Conventions of a Myth activity page and to list common themes of mythology on the unit test, requiring them to state central ideas. Students are asked to write two- to three-sentence synopses of famous myths (Part V), which gives practice in summarizing texts. The skills and parent-plan sections direct students to explain how their retelling follows conventions and how the main themes of the original and retelling line up, encouraging comparison of ideas across texts.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 3
Summer
Students are assigned to read Chapters 4 and 5 and act as a Discussion Director by writing four discussion questions that cover the book's big ideas, including at least one question focused on a relationship and one on survival. Students must provide answers to their questions, which prompts them to identify and articulate important themes or "big ideas." Students also must write a paragraph summarizing what they've read that can include Beetle's character description, living conditions, or a summary of the story.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students are asked to take on the role of a Line Locator and identify three to five lines or short passages they believe are key to the story, recording page and paragraph numbers and explaining why those passages are important. The lesson's guiding question ("How do people grow and change when challenged to survive?") and discussion prompts (e.g., how Will's and Alyce's relationship changes, why Alyce is proud) ask students to consider character change and thematic elements. The Venn diagram activity has students compare a life-changing event in their own life to Alyce's delivering of the calves, identifying similarities and differences.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students are asked to read Chapters 14–15 and select important passages as a Literary Luminary, which requires identifying notable sections of the text. In Activity 2 (Livestock and Economics) students draw three domesticated animals and write how each influenced peasants' economic life, directly analyzing the role of animals in the text. The Farm Animals paragraph and questions prompt students to consider the importance of domesticated animals and their relationship to peasants, giving textual content to analyze.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
The lesson asks students to 'finish the book' and to take on the role of a Connector, recording connections between the book, their life, and the outside world, which requires identifying themes and ideas across the text. The Skills and Activities explicitly direct students to 'analyze themes and central ideas' and to consider how Alyce's relationships 'changed over the course of the novel,' with a Relationships graphic organizer asking students to describe beginning and end states and provide textual details. Students are also asked to record connections in a journal and provide details from the book to support their answers.
Lesson 11
Village Life
Students are asked to compare perspectives (Isobel vs. Barbary) and to explain the relationship between Jews and Christians in the 'Questions to Discuss' section, prompting identification of themes such as strained intergroup relations and class differences. Students complete a "Cast of Characters" chart for the monologues they read, which helps them connect characters to recurring ideas. The Wrapping Up section names central themes students encountered (strained relationships between Jews and Christians; differences in social status and hardships), reinforcing thematic identification.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write essay responses that include summarizing a monologue from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! and describing what the midwife's apprentice learned with examples from the book, which requires summarizing and citing text evidence. The Think-Tac-Toe board includes a "Book" option where students write a review discussing themes and a "Story Cube" template that prompts consideration of theme and other story elements. Several activity pages (e.g., "European Transformations," "Struggle for Survival") ask students to summarize important changes or aspects of the period, supporting practice in identifying key ideas.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
The unit states that students will read The Little Prince (and two plays) and "look for messages about love and friendship" and to "consider what techniques are used by different characters to persuade or change one another's opinions." The "Ideas to Think About" section asks students to consider "How do characters persuade or change one another?" and "What makes a book a classic?", which directs students to notice thematic messages. The curriculum asks students to keep notes (e.g., the persuasion techniques sheet) across the unit, suggesting ongoing attention to themes.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
Students read Chapters I–VI and answer focused comprehension questions about baobabs, the narrator's drawings, and how the narrator distinguishes adults from children. Questions #1 and #2 ask students to explain why the prince wants baobabs eaten, prompting students to identify a theme of responsibility/care. Question #4 and the Friend Venn Diagram ask students to compare child and adult perspectives, prompting analysis of that recurring idea. The parent notes explicitly remind students to "look beyond the text to the main messages and ideas" and to consider what the narrator says he talks to adults versus children.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
Students read Chapters XXI-XXV and answer focused questions that ask them to explain what it means to be "tamed" (Q1) and why the little prince's rose has tamed him (Q2), requiring them to identify and support a theme with text-based reasoning. Students also respond to the fox's secret (Q3) and explain why friendship prevents monotony in the Wrapping Up prompt, which asks for explanations and examples connecting theme to daily life. The Parent Plan lists a skill to "Paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence," indicating students practice restating main ideas with supporting details.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
The lesson asks students to discuss the book and to name their favorite parts and the "main messages," prompting identification of central ideas. The Parent Plan lists the skill to "Paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence," and students must create a poem/drawing with a written description that explains the little prince's departure in their own words. The Student Activity Page asks focused comprehension questions that require students to cite reasons and evidence (e.g., why the prince left, and list two ways the narrator knows the prince made it home), which asks students to support interpretations with textual evidence.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students are prompted to consider thematic questions such as "What does it mean to be a friend or to love someone?" and "How do characters persuade or change one another?", which directs them to think about central ideas. Students identify main plot lines and relationships (Question #2 and the parent discussion: "What are the three main plot lines so far in the play?") and summarize character actions when asked to "Explain who the character is and what he or she has done so far."
Lesson 10
Dreams
Students answer targeted comprehension questions that require them to describe plot outcomes and changes (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks what happens after Demetrius falls in love with Helena and how the love triangle is changed; QUESTION #3 asks which characters feel differently than at the beginning). Students are asked to write short paragraphs summarizing a chosen passage and explaining what it says about a theme (Option 1: write about love or friendship; Option 2: summarize what happens and how the passage deals with persuasion). The lesson prompts students to think about themes explicitly (Ideas to Think About asks about love, friendship, and persuasion) and to compare later events to the beginning of the play.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students are asked to identify main storylines (e.g., Test question 6 asks for the three main storylines in A Midsummer Night's Dream), and the outlining and 'Play Cupid' / 'Strongest of All' pages require students to state a thesis or main idea and gather supporting evidence and quotes. Students must summarize in their essay conclusion why their chosen couple's love was the strongest, and the unit test asks factual questions about character relationships and plot development. The rubric and outlining pages prompt students to organize reasons and evidence, which supports identifying central ideas and citing textual support.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students are asked to identify topic sentences, main ideas, and supporting details on page 163 and to use those notes to give a 2-minute or less oral summary of that page (Activity 4). The Skills list explicitly includes "Summarize and determine the importance of information" and "Deliver oral summaries of articles and books: include the main ideas of the event or article and the most significant details." Students also practice summarizing procedural text (how to draw ellipses) in written and oral form, and they answer focused comprehension questions about key ideas on multiple reading pages.
Lesson 3
Newton and Light
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Summarize and determine the importance of information," and the Reading instructions tell students to highlight or take notes on important information and unfamiliar words as they read pages 164–171. Students answer comprehension questions about major topics (Newton's experimental approach, Kepler and the camera obscura, Hooke vs. Newton, and spectroscopy), and Parent/Discussion prompts ask students to compare Newton and Hooke and to discuss why their approach was novel.
Lesson 5
Newton's Contemporaries
Students are instructed to read chapter 18 and a sidebar, to highlight or take notes on information they think may be important, and to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences. The lesson's Skills list explicitly names "Summarize and determine the importance of information." A parent-discussion prompt asks about the author's meaning, which directs students to consider what the author means by a specific claim about observing ancient history in the sky.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are asked to read Chapter 21 and take notes including page numbers on information they think may be important and unfamiliar words, which asks them to identify important information. The Parent Plan lists the skill "Deliver an oral summary with inferences and conclusions," and the Wrapping Up asks students to "summarize for your parent how an airplane wing works," which requires a summary of content. The Student Activity Page includes a Conclusions/Inferences section asking "How does this demonstration explain how airplanes fly?", prompting students to synthesize and summarize demonstration findings.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students are asked to summarize information: the Parent Plan lists "Summarize and determine the importance of information" and "Research more on a topic and give an oral summary." Students complete a K-W-L chart for an artist, give an oral summary (Activity 5), and write a 1-2 paragraph sidebar about the artist (Activity 6). Several activities ask students to record important information and answer comprehension questions after reading chapters.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students are asked to review their highlighted passages and notes and "summarize the key points" from each chapter (Activity 1). They compare their summaries to the "Things to Know" and "Readings and Questions" sections to confirm they identified the main ideas and key facts. The Outlining Newton activity and rubric require students to state a thesis, identify 2–3 areas of Newton's work to support that thesis, and gather 2–3 supporting details for each area.
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students read the introduction (pages 5-15) in Poetry Rocks! Modern British Poetry and answer comprehension questions that ask them to identify major societal influences during Queen Victoria's reign (Question #1) and describe what happened to art and literature between the World Wars (Question #2). Question #3 asks students to compare poems from different eras and explain expected differences, prompting analysis of differences in themes and forms across periods. The Parent Plan discussion prompts ask students to discuss what modernism, meter, and iambic pentameter mean and which period is likely to include highly structured poems, reinforcing identification of central ideas about era-specific poetic characteristics.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students read chapters on Matthew Arnold and Christina Rossetti and answer questions that identify themes and imagery (e.g., Arnold using the tide to show passage of time and listing similes from "Dover Beach"). Students are asked to describe the tone of Rossetti's "Sappho" and identify what is personified in "Winter: My Secret," which engages them in recognizing thematic elements and figurative development. A parent discussion prompt asks about key natural themes in Arnold's poetry and a comparison prompt asks how Arnold's and Rossetti's poems are similar and different, which prompts students to articulate central themes across poems.
Lesson 6
Tone
Students read Chapter 9 about Stevie Smith and answer targeted comprehension questions that ask for factual causes and influences (e.g., what inspired "Not Waving But Drowning"). Students compare Smith's poem to Browning's monologue (Question #3) and discuss differences in voice, rhyme, and meter. Parent/Wrap-up prompts ask students to discuss differences between the original article and Smith's poem and to consider Smith's tone versus her themes, which asks students to identify the poem's messages.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students are asked to consider the topic or theme of a poem or collection and to "consider the themes in the poet's collections," prompting identification of thematic ideas. Question prompts ask students to state the message of "The Unknown Citizen" and to describe how the speaker changes from the beginning to the end of "Fern Hill," which asks them to analyze development over the course of that poem. Parent-plan discussion questions ask students to identify common themes across Auden's and Thomas' poems and to consider what the poems communicate about their era.