Ninth Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Lord of the Flies
Lesson 1
The Call
Students are given a specific vocabulary list (incredulous, errant, furtive, susurration, sepals, decorum, discursive, leviathan) and a multi-part Vocabulary activity that asks them to match each word to its definition, an image/symbol, and the passage in Lord of the Flies where it appears. The Student Activity Pages provide quotations with page references and contextual sentences for students to use in selecting the correct word. The Parent Plan explicitly states that contextual and image prompts are designed to help students independently decipher which words and definitions match up.
Lesson 2
Life on the Island
Students are given explicit definitions of domain-specific grammar terms (clause, independent/dependent clause, subordinating/coordinating conjunctions) and shown examples of each. Students practice those terms by underlining independent clauses, bracketing dependent clauses, and writing original sentences that combine independent and dependent clauses and coordinating/subordinating conjunctions. Students are introduced to literary vocabulary (direct vs. indirect characterization) and the STEAL acronym and are required to create and update character analysis pages using those terms. A linked resource on conjunctions and instructor answer keys provide models for correct usage.
Lesson 3
Paths in the Jungle
Students are instructed to mark words they don't understand, look them up, and then re-read the text replacing unknown words with the definitions to check comprehension. Students are prompted to circle key terms and develop annotation codes (stars, question marks, circles) to identify vocabulary that needs definition. Students read complex articles and complete written responses and a character journal, which give them occasions to encounter and potentially apply new words.
Lesson 4
Images from Paradise
The Parent Plan Skills statement instructs students to determine the meaning of words and phrases in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings, and to analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. In Activity 1 students fill a Five Senses chart with quotations from the book or their own embellished sentences, requiring them to select, interpret, and produce language that evokes sensory detail and tone. In the Types of Clauses activity students write sentences about the book that contain noun, adjective, and adverb clauses, which gives practice producing and manipulating language in writing.
Lesson 5
Not Hunting, But Hunted
The lesson explicitly defines the domain-specific term "narrative pacing" in the "Things to Know" section and models pacing techniques in multiple text excerpts. Students are asked to use "slow motion narrative pacing" to recreate an important moment from their lives (Activity 1) and to watch a linked video that further explains slowing down time in writing and film. The activities require students to apply the term in their own writing and to discuss pacing choices during class or in journals.
Lesson 6
Symbolism, Part 1
Students are given an explicit definition of 'symbol' in the "Things to Know" section and are shown concrete examples (heart, flag, Piggy's glasses). In Activity 1, students must select interpretations for named symbolic items (e.g., 'science and technology,' 'intelligence,' 'civilization,' 'democracy,' 'savagery') and write text-based explanations for their choices. In Activity 2 and the student questions, students must use character-specific vocabulary and textual quotes to explain meanings and effects, which requires applying domain-related terms in writing.
Lesson 7
Bowed and Bowed Again
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific grammatical terms (noun phrase, verb phrase, adjective/adverb/absolute/prepositional phrases) in the "Things to Know" and phrase instruction sections. Students are asked to identify prepositional phrases in sentences from the text and draw arrows to the words they modify (Activity 2 Part I). Students are asked to produce original sentences in their journals that contain noun, verb, adjective, adverb, and absolute phrases, practicing using those terms in writing.
Lesson 8
Defects of Human Nature
Students are asked to learn and "know the definitions" of a set list of advanced words (incredulity, guano, dun, oblong, obtuseness, luxuriance, illusive, theological, propitiatingly, ululation). Students read sentences from Lord of the Flies that contain these vocabulary words and match each bolded word to a definition from a provided definition bank (Option 1). Students also complete sentences by filling blanks from a word bank using contextual cues (Option 2), practicing recognition and selection of appropriate academic/domain-specific words in context.
Lesson 9
Symbolism, Part 2
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific terms: the "Things to Know" section defines archetypes and allegory, and Activity 1 and Activity 2 present examples (hero, villain, innocent, mentor; Piggy's glasses as symbol) and ask students to identify and label archetypal roles and allegorical meanings. Student Activity Pages require students to write examples and describe what characters and settings might represent, prompting students to use the terms in written responses. The parent notes and answer keys model correct uses of the vocabulary (e.g., Piggy = Mentor, Ralph = Hero) that students can replicate.
Lesson 10
Which Is Better?
Students are given direct definitions and explanations of domain-specific terms: "civilizations" and "savagery" are defined in the Things to Know and Activity 1 sections, and "aqueducts" are explained with their purpose and functioning. Activity 1 and the image reference provide contextualized use of these terms (Roman aqueducts, Colosseum) for reading and discussion. A web link to a Crash Course video is provided and students are asked to watch it to learn more about how "civilization" is defined.
Lesson 11
The Film
Students are given explicit definitions in the "Things to Know" section for domain-related terms such as "adaptations" and "subtext," which introduces and models academic vocabulary. The homework and review instructions tell students to "review the grammar covered (phrases and clauses), the terms (words in bold) and vocabulary from the book," directing them to gather vocabulary from prior lessons. The Movie vs. Book chart and journal questions require students to use vocabulary about characters, setting, theme, and plot as they compare and contrast the novel and film.
Final Project
Now You Have the Conch
The Unit Test (Part II: Vocabulary) asks students to match specific vocabulary words (reluctant, furtive, susurration, discursive) with their definitions and the answer key provides correct meanings. The Brainstorming activity explicitly offers a small word bank (e.g., "therefore," "improve," "affect," "aspects") to help students craft thesis statements. The Unit Review and "Things to Know" sections instruct students to review vocabulary as part of preparing for the test and essay.
Unit 2: Short Stories
Lesson 1
The Gift of the Magi
Students are given explicit definitions of the literary terms "allusion," "situational irony," and "dramatic irony" in the "Things to Know" section and are asked to record instances of these devices in their journals. Students are assigned homework to research the Magi, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon using provided links and to write sentences explaining the historical significance and how those allusions contribute to comprehension. Students are instructed to annotate words or phrases that seem important, take notes on vocabulary, and use those notes in journal entries and class discussion.
Lesson 3
Literary Response
Students are given lists of transitional words and phrases (for linking similarity, contrast, and examples) and are explicitly instructed to use them when writing (Activity 3). The Literary Response Rubric includes a criterion worth 5 points for use of effective transitional words and phrases. The Student materials (Informal Outline, Details and Support) prompt students to organize and link ideas using those transitions.
Lesson 4
Characterization
The lesson explicitly defines and contrasts the domain-specific terms "direct characterization" and "indirect characterization" in the "Things to Know" and examples sections. Students are asked on the Student Activity Page to identify and label examples of direct or indirect characterization across categories (speech, appearance, thoughts, actions, how others respond), practicing use of those terms. The Parent Plan Skills list also asks students to "use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language" when developing characters, which requires using targeted vocabulary in writing.
Lesson 5
Edgar Allan Poe
The lesson provides explicit domain-specific definitions in the "Things to Know" section for Romanticism, Gothic fiction, foreshadowing, and unreliable narrators, which students read. The Parent Plan Skills list includes objectives to "use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary" and "use precise words and phrases," and activities ask students to find and record examples of Gothic characteristics and foreshadowing on activity pages. The homework and activity sheets (e.g., "Crazy Like a Fox?", Gothic characteristics page, and foreshadowing journal) require students to write evidence and explain concepts using the domain-specific terms.
Lesson 6
The Lottery
The lesson explicitly defines the term "symbol" in the "Things to Know" section and explains how symbols function in narrative contexts. The Student Activity Page directs students to write categorized notes (physical description, reactions, connections) about the black box, requiring them to use domain-specific concepts (e.g., symbol, theme, tradition) when recording evidence. The Parent Plan Skills list includes "Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts," which frames student work that involves language analysis.
Lesson 7
Everyday Use
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific literary vocabulary (first-person, second-person, third-person, omniscient, limited, narrator, symbolism) in the "Things to Know" and explanatory sections. Students are asked to identify the story's narrator (Question #1) and to rewrite a scene from a different character's point of view (Activity 2), which requires applying the point-of-view terminology in their writing. The Symbolism activity and related pages require students to name and explain symbolic elements, using the term "symbolism" and connecting it to characters' appearance and actions.
Lesson 8
Harrison Bergeron
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific terms in the "Things to Know" section (film adaptation, medium, voice-over) and tells students to "Review what medium and voice-over are." Students are asked to compare and contrast the printed story and its film adaptation and to take notes, discuss ideas, and complete a written activity page and journal responses about those comparisons, which creates opportunities to encounter and use those terms in reading, writing, speaking, and listening.
Final Project
Writing a Short Story
The lesson repeatedly instructs writers to use precise words, sensory details, and concrete language (see the 'Show, Don't Tell' section and the Parent Plan skill: 'Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language'). The rubric and activities emphasize descriptive language and literary devices (Rubric criterion: 'Descriptive Language & Literary Devices') and require students to revise drafts to add descriptive language during the revision activity. Activities like freewriting and revision prompt students to focus on word choice and phrasing as part of drafting and editing.
Unit 3: Grammar, Part I
Lesson 1
Parts of Speech
Students are asked to define and identify many domain-specific grammar terms (nouns, pronouns, verb types, adjectives/adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections) through readings and multiple exercises (pronoun matching, pronoun exercises, verb Mad Libs, comparisons, and parts-of-speech labeling). The lesson prompts students to make and review flashcards for terms they need to learn and to consult provided web links and a dictionary when they need more explanation. Students practice applying these terms by labeling words in passages and poem stanzas and by choosing correct comparative and superlative forms in exercises.
Lesson 2
Subject-Verb Agreement
Students read and record notes on multiple sets of commonly confused words and complete practice pages that require choosing the correct word in context, showing direct practice using vocabulary in reading and writing tasks. Students are asked to create a short quiz (Option 2), share it with a peer, and explain answers, which requires them to produce and speak about word usage. The materials provide web links and prompt students to write rules in a journal, supporting independent gathering of word-knowledge and review.
Lesson 3
Pronoun Problems
The lesson defines and uses domain-specific vocabulary such as antecedent, possessive adjectives, case, subject pronouns, and object pronouns in the "Things to Know," Activity explanations, and Homework sections. Students complete exercises that require identifying and correcting pronoun errors (Pronoun Agreement, Indefinite Pronouns, Pronoun Cases) and must explain terminology when creating a poster or slideshow. The activities require students to label pronouns, draw arrows to antecedents, and write corrected sentences using the appropriate grammatical terms.
Lesson 4
Commas
Students read explicit entries for commonly confused words (all together/altogether, alumni/alumnae/alumnus/alumna, allusion/illusion, altar/alter), record notes and examples, and complete practice activity pages that require selecting and using the correct word. Students check their answers against an Answer Key and are encouraged to add examples and tips to a personal "Commonly Confused Words" activity page. The lesson also directs students to consult the textbook and specified websites for explanations, implying that students gather information from multiple sources to understand word meanings and uses.
Lesson 5
Review
Students practice identifying and correcting commonly confused words in Part I of the Grammar Quiz and in the homework multiple-choice activity, requiring them to choose and write the correct word form. Students read explicit explanations and examples for pairs like bad/badly and bear/bare, and they are asked to record notes and examples on index cards and in Set IV of the activity page. Students complete editing tasks (crossing out incorrect words, inserting commas, fixing pronoun/subject-verb errors) that require accurate word choice in writing.
Lesson 6
Colons and Semicolons
Students read explicit explanations about commonly confused words (breath/breathe, can/may, capital/capitol, coarse/course) and record notes and examples on the Commonly Confused Words activity page. Students complete targeted practice items on a worksheet, circle correct answers, and check their work against an Answer Key. The lesson also directs students to use additional online exercises and to review rules for any missed items, and the Skills list includes identifying patterns of word changes (e.g., analyze, analysis, analytical).
Lesson 7
Spelling
Students read explicit explanations for commonly confused word groups (e.g., carat/karat/caret/carrot; cite/sight/site; compliment/complement; council/counsel) and record notes and examples in their activity pages. Students complete sentence-level exercises that require them to choose and circle the correctly used word in context, and they check answers with an answer key. Students are taught independent strategies for learning words (looking words up in a dictionary, using spell-check or search engines, creating a spelling journal, using Appendix A, online spelling games/programs, and creating mnemonic clues on index cards).
Final Project
Wrapping Up
Students are directed to review and retain their "Commonly Confused Words" pages and to use those pages when creating a quiz (Part II) that tests correct word choice. In Option 2 students must create a paragraph using as many commonly confused words as possible, produce an answer key, have someone take the quiz, and explain any missed words. The unit test and quiz items require students to read, choose, and correct word usage (dessert/desert, capital/capitol, ensure/insure, complement/compliment), demonstrating practice in using specific vocabulary in reading and writing contexts.
Unit 4: Poetry
Lesson 1
Introduction to Poetry
Students identify and mark words with strong denotation and connotation in poems (Activity 2 and Homework) and then select three words to write their denotations (using a dictionary if needed), list connotations, propose similar words, and explain why the original word is more or less effective. Students write journal definitions of poetry and revise them after reading poets' quotations (Activity 1), and they discuss their definitions and word choices with peers/parents. The Parent Plan explicitly encourages students to look up unfamiliar words or references and to compare dictionary definitions to their own, supporting independent vocabulary gathering.
Lesson 2
Sound and Rhythm
Students are given explicit definitions of domain-specific terms (alliteration, consonance, assonance, onomatopoeia, rhyme, rhyme scheme, meter, foot, scansion) and then identify and mark examples in poems (Nothing Gold Can Stay, The Tyger, Counting-Out Rhyme). Students practice using the vocabulary in multiple modes: they listen to audio recordings and discuss musical qualities, annotate poems with colored pencils, write journal responses explaining effects of sound devices, and create words/phrases that match metrical feet. Students also use an interactive scansion tool to mark stressed/unstressed syllables and check their work, supporting applied practice of the terms.
Lesson 3
Figurative Language
Students read explicit definitions of domain-specific vocabulary (imagery, metaphor, simile, personification, symbolism, irony, paradox, understatement, overstatement) and are asked to identify and explain examples of those terms in poems (I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud; To His Coy Mistress; Fire and Ice, etc.). Students write journal entries identifying figurative language, provide line citations and explanations, and in Option 2 they must write a poem that uses at least two figurative devices. Students are explicitly prompted to look up an unfamiliar word (hint to look up "suffice") when analyzing a poem.
Lesson 4
Voice and Tone
Students are asked to record tone words for poems and to identify words or phrases that convey those tones (Activity 2 chart). The lesson tells students to consult the Tone List and explicitly instructs, "If you come across any unfamiliar words, look them up." The Parent Plan lists learning targets that include determining the meaning of words and phrases in context and analyzing the cumulative impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Lesson 5
What Does It Mean?
Students are explicitly instructed to "look up any unfamiliar words" in the literal-meaning checklist and on the Student Activity Pages. The lesson provides example definitions (e.g., rack = winds; keel = a beam) and gives guidance to research allusions using web links, noting that "the ease of research on the internet helps in finding the meaning of allusions." The Parent Plan lists the skill to "demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings," and activities require students to identify symbols, allusions, and summarize poems using those meanings.
Lesson 6
Fooling with Words
The Parent Plan Skills section explicitly lists that students will "Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings." The Getting Started section asks students to "listen for... metaphors and allusions or literal versus figurative language," which directs students to attend to word meaning and relationships. The homework asks students to research a chosen poet online and use the Poet Profile worksheet, requiring independent information gathering from Poetry Foundation and Poets.org.
Lesson 7
Analyzing Poetry
Students are directed to annotate words and phrases (underline/circle important words, mark words they don't understand, comment on words that convey strong images) and to analyze word choice, connotation, and denotation in the Poetry Map and Activity instructions. The Parent Plan lists the skill of determining meanings of words and phrases including figurative and connotative meanings and analyzing the impact of specific word choices. The poetry-map hints explicitly tell students to look up the Bluebeard reference, and the Poetry Puzzle asks students to mark nouns, verbs, and sensory words from an alphabetical word list and then read the poem to connect those words to meaning.
Lesson 8
Types of Poems
Students are presented with a glossary-like "Things to Know" that defines many domain-specific terms (e.g., stanzaic form, sonnet, Petrarchan/Shakespearean rhyme schemes, free verse, apostrophe, ekphrasis, dialect). Students practice choosing and using precise vocabulary in the "Strong Verbs" activity and are asked to include literary-device terms (simile/metaphor, personification, apostrophe) when composing free-verse poems. Students encounter and respond to vocabulary in context (e.g., marking rhyme schemes and scanning for iambic pentameter while reading sonnets, answering what "pulchritudinous" means in the homework).
Lesson 9
The Crossover
Students are prompted to use the Vocabulary activity page (Option 1) to compare the author's in-text definitions with dictionary definitions; a specific list of vocabulary items (e.g., cross-o-ver, ca-lam-i-ty, pul-chri-tu-di-nous) is provided for analysis. Option 2 asks students to skim the text to find an unfamiliar word (or choose from a provided list) and then write a vocabulary poem defining the word in the author's format, using three personal "As in:" sentences. The lesson includes links to online dictionaries and questions that ask students to explain how the author's method aids understanding and to compare book and dictionary definitions.
Lesson 10
Poems and Poets
Students are asked to analyze "word choice" on the Poetry Map and to "determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text" as listed in the Skills section. Activity 4 directs students to "research any references in the poem that you're not familiar with," and Day 3 asks students to note the language the poet writes in and culture-specific information. Students produce a one-page biographical presentation and a journal response, requiring them to use vocabulary in writing and (optionally) speaking.
Lesson 11
Reciting Poetry
Students are instructed in Homework to mark unfamiliar words and then look up their meanings and pronunciations, prompting independent vocabulary gathering. The lesson models analysis of word choice (the "chaired" example) and directs students to consider why poets chose certain words and how those words create images and tone. The Things to Know section defines domain-specific terms such as enjambment and imaginative focus, and the Parent Plan skills list includes determining meanings of words and phrases, including figurative and connotative meanings.
Final Project
Poetry
Students are asked to review a linked review sheet that contains definitions and concepts for the unit and to study those terms to prepare for a unit test. The unit test asks students to define and apply domain-specific poetry terms (e.g., denotation vs. connotation, meter, onomatopoeia, voice) and to identify types of rhyme and poetic forms. In the poetry explication project, students must analyze and highlight notable word choice, figurative language, and levels of meaning and then present those findings in a written or digital presentation.
Unit 5: Nonfiction
Lesson 1
Types of Nonfiction
Students are asked to complete a Vocabulary study section that defines and distinguishes biography, autobiography, and memoir and to examine those terms on the "All About a Person" activity page. The Answer Key directs students to look up the terms in a dictionary or reference source and then write definitions in their own words. The Parent Plan Skills explicitly state students will "interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text" and the homework directs students to consult the book's glossary for unfamiliar terms.
Lesson 3
The Taliban
The lesson provides explicit definitions of domain-specific terms: the "Things to Know" section defines the Taliban, explains that talib means "student," and defines sharia law. Students are asked to consult a specified web article and other sources to gather information about the Taliban and then write a summary paragraph or create slides in their own words, which requires them to use and explain domain-specific vocabulary. The homework and wrapping-up sections require students to practice paraphrasing and to list and classify barriers to education in their own words, reinforcing use of topic-specific terms.
Lesson 4
Dear Diary
Students practice paraphrasing multiple excerpts and analyzing sample paraphrases on the Student Activity Page, which requires choosing alternative words and rephrasing sentences. The paraphrasing tips explicitly tell students to "use different terms" and to "use a thesaurus if needed," and they are told to "be sure to look up any words you don't know." The Parent Plan section lists a related skill: "Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text...determine technical, connotative, and figurative meanings," linking vocabulary interpretation to classroom tasks.
Lesson 5
Displacement
Students are asked to define and explain the acronym IDPs (internally displaced persons) in Question #1, demonstrating direct attention to a domain-specific term. Students are directed to conduct brief research about schools in other countries (Parent Plan) and are given example search terms (e.g., "education + [country name]" or "school conditions + [country name]"), which prompts independent information gathering. Students write assumptions, first-person statements, and advantages/disadvantages in the activities, which require them to choose and use vocabulary to describe conditions and transport types.
Lesson 10
Learning from the Past
Students are prompted to look up unfamiliar words on the Student Activity Pages (e.g., Balfour Declaration, xenophobia, Auschwitz, Gestapo, Hebrew, ghetto, nationalism) and to write each term, relate it, and define it in complete sentences. Instructions tell students to annotate the speech and "note the definitions of words you need to look up," and matching exercises require applying vocabulary before reading. The Parent Plan includes an answer key with domain-specific definitions and activities ask students to use vocabulary in short-answer responses, comparisons, and a formal museum-wall written description.
Lesson 11
A Boy's Story
Students are directed to a Vocabulary activity where they write initial definitions, look up each target word in the dictionary, and record definitions in their own words. Students use the vocabulary words to fill blanks in sentences taken from the book and are encouraged to keep a running list of foreign terms, initialisms, and acronyms encountered in the text. The lesson includes discussion prompts about whether students' initial definitions differed from dictionary definitions and asks students to use the words in context (written sentences and class discussion).
Lesson 13
Child Soldier
The lesson asks students to infer the meaning of the "white tablets" from context and notes that students should figure out they are a stimulant and addictive, even naming "methamphetamine (meth)" as a probable identification. The text explicitly uses domain-specific terms (e.g., "war crime," "International Criminal Court," "memoir/semi-fictional," "forcefully recruited") in questions, answer keys, and homework prompts. Students are asked to write journal responses, complete activity pages, and discuss comparisons between book and video, which require them to use and explain topic-related vocabulary in speaking and writing.
Lesson 14
Rehabilitation
Students are presented with domain-specific terms such as "UNICEF," "Geneva Conventions," "non-combatants," "prisoners of war," and a listed set of actions labeled as war crimes in the "Things to Know" and activity descriptions. Students complete a "RUF vs. Government Soldiers" activity page where they must identify which listed infractions apply to each side and provide supporting examples or quotations from the text. In Option 2 and other written tasks, students are asked to state conclusions about war crimes and support those conclusions with examples or quotations, which requires them to use the domain-specific vocabulary in written analysis.
Final Project
Expository Essay
The Parent Plan skills list explicitly directs students to "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic." The Audience/Purpose activity and K-N-S graphic organizer require students to "List keywords you used to find your current sources" and include a "Learned Terms" section for recording vocabulary. The rubric's "Style" category evaluates word choice, and activity pages prompt students to track sources and keywords while drafting their thesis and supporting facts.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
The curriculum repeatedly asks students to "know the definitions" of literary and grammar terms (characterization, symbolism, allusion, irony, parts of speech, punctuation, commonly confused words) and directs them to review unit review sheets and lessons. The exam tasks require students to identify and define domain-specific words in multiple-choice and fill-in-the-blank items (foreshadowing, ode, allusion, rhetoric, archetypes, annotation, dystopia) and to apply vocabulary in short-answer, discussion, and paraphrasing activities. Part V asks students to paraphrase and to integrate quotations, which practices using academic language in writing.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Ender's Game
Lesson 2
We're People, Not Thirds
Students complete a targeted vocabulary activity that asks them to match nine words (e.g., conscript, polyglot, ascetic, albedo) to definitions and check their answers using a magic-square solution, which practices recognition of word meanings. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill of determining the meaning of words and phrases as used in the text and analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. The lesson directs students to "solidify your understanding" of vocabulary and to "review the definitions" as part of wrap-up and homework.
Lesson 3
Science Fiction
The lesson gives explicit domain-specific vocabulary (e.g., science fiction, romanticization, anachronism) and provides definitions in the "Things to Know" and Activity 1 sections. Students are asked to identify and apply those terms on activity pages (matching items to romanticization/anachronism, deciding hard vs. soft science fiction) and to fill in a definition in a cloze task on the Quiz Prep sheet. The lesson directs students to read an external article and use it to complete a graphic organizer, requiring them to locate and record genre-specific information and vocabulary.
Lesson 4
Divergence
Students are asked to write a definition of "science fiction" and to label examples as science fiction or fantasy, which practices using genre vocabulary. The matching exercise directs students to connect terms (soft science fiction, hard science fiction, anachronism, romanticization) to exemplar sentences, requiring recognition and application of domain-specific words. The lesson explicitly names and reviews general academic terms such as "convergent thinking," "divergent thinking," and "polyglot," so students encounter and use these words in context.
Lesson 6
Performance Is Personal
The lesson explicitly lists and defines two vocabulary words (puerile: childish, inexperienced, or immature; invective: an insult, an aggressively demeaning reproach) and instructs students to review these words because they will appear in the night's reading. The Wrap-up and 'Things to Review' sections repeatedly direct students to review these specific vocabulary items. The homework and discussion prompts reference language choices and terms that students are expected to recognize in Chapter 9.
Lesson 7
Leaders Motivate
Students encounter explicit definitions and distinctions: texts define authority, institutions, power, and leadership and contrast power vs. authority. Students are asked to read background resources on John Locke and Demosthenes and write a journal entry connecting those figures to characters (gathering information from links). Students complete quote-matching and character-quote application activities that require them to recognize and apply domain-specific terms about leadership and power.
Lesson 9
Conflict Within and Without
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific vocabulary for conflict (e.g., internal conflict = character vs. self; external conflicts = character vs. character, vs. society, vs. nature) in the "Things to Know" and introductory sections. Students are asked to identify and label examples of each conflict type on a chart and to write a paragraph about how a conflict affects relationships, plot, and character, requiring use of those terms in writing. The lesson also presents the Latin phrase "Veni, vidi, vici," gives its meaning, and asks students to write journal paragraphs considering the allusion's significance, which engages students with a domain-specific/historical phrase.
Lesson 10
View from Valentine
The lesson lists and defines specific academic and domain-specific words (dirigible, albedo, ascetic, impassively, feint) and instructs students to "review the definitions" because they appear in the reading. Students are prompted to review vocabulary for Chapter 14 and to use word retrieval skills in the acrostic activity, which asks students to create original word choices or sentences based on character names. The lesson repeatedly tells students to "review the definition of third person omniscient narrator and the vocabulary words from the reading."
Lesson 11
Thud, Whump, Huut
Students are given an explicit definition of the term onomatopoeia in the "Things to Know" section and are told to review that definition. In the comic-adaptation activity students identify onomatopoeic and other sound-words (e.g., "THUD WHUMP," "HUUUT") and compare quoted passages from the novel to the comic, noting omitted or changed dialogue. The student activity pages require students to cite specific narration or dialogue that was omitted or changed and judge whether pictures conveyed the omitted words.
Lesson 13
The Enemy's Gate Is Down
Students are given and asked to review an explicit definition of the domain-specific term "subplot" and then identify subplots in Ender's Game on the "Discovering Subplots" activity page. Students complete written activity pages (e.g., summarizing leadership lessons and filling in questions about Graff, Ender, Peter, and Valentine) that require them to use text-specific vocabulary in writing. Students are told to "look over your vocabulary words" for homework and to study vocabulary for the unit test, indicating assigned vocabulary to learn independently.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students complete a dedicated Part I: Vocabulary section that asks them to use the word "invective" in a sentence, fill in the definition of "polyglot," and choose correct vocabulary words (puerile, ascetic, dirigible) for sentences. Students solve an acrostic puzzle that requires retrieving unit vocabulary (e.g., leadership, convergent, divergent, onomatopoeia, anachronism) and apply those words to clues. The Parent Plan also lists the skill of determining the meaning of words and phrases in text, indicating attention to vocabulary meaning and connotation.
Unit 2: Grammar, Part II
Lesson 1
Review of Grammar, Part I
Students match grammar terms (indefinite pronouns, transitive/intransitive verbs, coordinating/subordinating conjunctions, conjunctive adverbs, appositives, coordinate adjectives, helping verbs) to examples in the Grammar Matching activity, and they cut out and play Memory with the cards. Students supply words for specific parts of speech in the Parts of Speech Zombie Apocalypse Mad-Libs, inserting their choices into a written passage. Students create paragraphs with intentional punctuation and grammar errors and produce answer keys that cite the rule that applies, referring to the unit review sheet or specific lessons as needed.
Lesson 2
Capitalization and Numbers
Students read explicit explanations of commonly confused word pairs and are directed to record notes, examples, and tips on multi-set activity pages (e.g., envelop/envelope, every day/everyday, fewer/less). They complete contextual practice by choosing correct words in a fill-in-the-blank letter and check answers against an Answer Key. Students are instructed to use linked reference sites (OWL Purdue, GrammarBook) for capitalization rules and to record preferred styles and rules on a 'Writing Numbers' page.
Lesson 3
Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences
Students read focused entries on commonly confused words (pp. 21–23) and record notes and examples in activity pages (Sets IX and X). Students complete a Creative Writing Challenge that requires them to use all nine target words correctly and naturally in a 1–2 page narrative and to show the difference between word pairs. Students complete targeted practice pages and online quizzes that give feedback and are instructed to revisit the book pages and tips if unsure about word choice.
Lesson 4
Modifier Errors
Students read about groups of commonly confused words, record notes and examples, and complete the "Commonly Confused Words, Set XI" activity (fill-in-the-blanks, word sorting, and "spot the fake") and check their answers with the Answer Key. Students sort words into meaning groups and rewrite sentences to correct modifier problems on the "Modifier Problems" activity page, practicing correct word choice and grammatical phrasing. In Option 2, students create a modifier-error quiz (at least five questions, including a misplaced-adverb item), produce an answer key, and have a peer take the quiz, applying domain-specific terms in a production and assessment task.
Lesson 5
Hyphens and Apostrophes
Students read and practice commonly confused words (pore/pour, principle/principal, real/really, sit/set) by recording notes, completing fill-in-the-blank passages, and checking answers with an answer key. Students learn and use domain-specific punctuation vocabulary (hyphen, en dash, em dash, compound adjective, suspended hyphen) through explanations and labeled examples, and they complete activity pages rewriting sentences, dividing words, and using en dashes/em dashes. Students are explicitly directed to consult dictionaries and outside resources (e.g., GrammarBook quiz, hyphenation tools) and to take notes in a journal while reading the apostrophe rules.
Lesson 6
Word Choice
Students practice accurate word choice and common vocabulary distinctions in multiple activities: they complete the "Commonly Confused Words" set (stationery/stationary, than/then, troupe/troop) and take a who/that/which quiz to apply restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clause rules. Students rewrite sentences to eliminate redundancy and wordiness (Activities 3 and 4), use Appendix B and web links (OWL Purdue, UNC Writing Center) to gather clearer substitutes and note levels of formality, and act as a "College Essay Editor" to replace vague, clichéd, or weak language with precise vocabulary. The lesson repeatedly asks students to take notes, add examples, consult resources, and check answers against provided keys, indicating guided practice in selecting and applying appropriate academic/formal words in writing.
Lesson 7
Verb Voice and Mood
The lesson defines and uses domain-specific vocabulary such as "verb voice," "active voice," "passive voice," and moods (indicative, imperative, subjunctive, interrogative, conditional) and gives examples for each. Students complete an online exercise to identify and revise passive constructions, requiring them to recognize and convert grammatical terms in sentences. Students must create a subjunctive-mood project (poster, comic, slideshow, or game) that requires them to define the subjunctive, provide examples, and present their explanation to a younger audience. The lesson provides external links students can consult for additional explanations and examples.
Lesson 8
Parallelism
Students complete multiple activities that require them to choose and correct commonly confused words (e.g., there/their/they're; to/too/two) on the Hidden Plan Puzzle and Terrible Advice Column activity pages. Students read book pages and an online module, record notes on the Parallelism and Commonly Confused Words activity pages, and use the provided Answer Key to check their work. The lesson asks students to review rules they missed and to consult the Towson University web resource for additional practice exercises.
Final Project
Wrapping Up
Students are asked to review and apply grammatical concepts and definitions (e.g., gerund, participle, passive/active voice) on the unit review sheet and unit test, where they identify parts of speech and rewrite passive sentences into active ones. Mini-project instructions require students to clearly define terms and provide examples in a slideshow or explanatory guide. One explanatory-guide example explicitly asks students to "translate" idiomatic expressions for nonnative speakers, which requires attention to domain-specific vocabulary and meaning.
Unit 3: Informational Texts
Lesson 1
What Are Informational Texts?
Students are asked (Homework Question 5) to infer the meaning of the phrase "egalitarian ethos" from context and then look up both words in a dictionary to check their guesses. The Student Activity Page directs students to locate glossary entries and bold or italicized vocabulary words in Outliers. Activity 2 instructs students to look up the term "social science" if they do not know it, and the Parent Plan lists the skill of determining the meaning of words and phrases in history/social science texts.
Lesson 2
Outliers
The lesson's Activity 2 directs students to read vocabulary in context, use a thesaurus to find synonyms that match both denotation and connotation, and try inserting the synonym into the original sentence. The Student Activity Pages list specific target words (arbitrary, profoundly, patronage, beneficiary, persist) with spaces for students to record possible synonyms, notes, and their chosen synonym. The lesson also tells students to look up any unfamiliar synonyms in a dictionary and provides a web link to dictionaries and thesauruses; the Parent Plan notes that students should use a dictionary and thesaurus for the activity.
Lesson 5
Harlan, Kentucky
Students are instructed to underline unfamiliar words as they read and then complete Activity 1 (Chapter 6 Vocabulary), where they guess meanings from context and then look up and record definitions (Section 1) and add any additional underlined words with definitions (Section 2). The lesson directs students to consult reference materials (providing a Collins Dictionary link and guidance to type "pronounce [word]") and to verify preliminary meanings by checking inferred meanings in context or in a dictionary, as noted in the Parent Plan skills list. Students are asked to say pronunciations aloud, possibly add words to a spelling journal, and share findings with family, which involves speaking and listening practice as well as writing a reflective journal entry for homework.
Lesson 6
The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
Students complete multiple vocabulary-focused tasks: they use a dictionary (physical or online) to discover word meanings, write synonyms and antonyms, and use the words in context on the Chapter 7 Vocabulary pages. The Parent Plan and skill list explicitly instruct students to determine or clarify meanings using context clues, analyze word parts, verify inferred meanings in a dictionary, and consult general and specialized reference materials. Students also encounter and practice domain-specific terms (e.g., mitigated speech, euphemisms, Power Distance Index, Individualism, LTO) through journal prompts, role-plays, oral summaries, and web-based research tasks.
Lesson 7
Rice Paddies and Math Tests
Students are given a short list of academic words (autonomous, efficacy, recompense, disparagement) with definitions to review before reading. The Parent Plan skills explicitly instruct students to consult general and specialized reference materials (dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find pronunciation, precise meaning, part of speech, or etymology. Option 2 and the homework direct students to use multimedia resources (videos and an audio file) and practice pronunciation and number vocabulary independently, demonstrating independent gathering of vocabulary knowledge for the Chinese number terms.
Lesson 8
With Malice Toward None
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific vocabulary in the "Things to Know" section (rhetoric, parallelism, antithesis, allusion) and models those definitions. Students are asked to identify quotes from Lincoln's speech, label the literary device (parallelism, antithesis, allusion), and explain the intended effect on the audience in the Student Activity Page. The Parent Plan and answer key reinforce correct usage by showing exemplar quotes paired with the named devices and brief explanations.
Lesson 9
Writing about History
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific terms: the "Things to Know" section defines primary and secondary sources and notes that the term "squaw" is antiquated and offensive. Students read multiple primary and secondary source excerpts (testimonies, summaries, archival research) and complete activities that require identifying which claims come from primary versus secondary sources. The Student Activity Page asks students to pair secondary source claims with supporting primary-source evidence, requiring use of those domain-specific terms in analysis.
Lesson 10
Science Writing
Students read targeted pages on forces and answer direct questions defining equilibrium, centrifugal and centripetal force, and why centrifugal force can be called fictitious. The Skills and Parent Plan sections explicitly list determining the meaning of key terms and domain-specific words and tracing how an author explains a scientific phenomenon. The Investigating Claims activity asks students to identify which explanatory methods (e.g., explanation, example, illustration, highlighting) the author uses to clarify the term "centripetal force."
Lesson 11
Technical Writing
Students are directed to identify and define jargon in Activity 4, draft glossary entries on the "Glossary" activity sheet, and copy final glossary entries to the "Final Glossary" section. The Guide Checklist requires a glossary in alphabetical order with terms and definitions and instructs students to highlight the first use of glossary terms in their document. Students are asked to find supporting outside sources for their introduction and to revise glossary entries as they continue writing, and they must have another person use their guide and report back (testing comprehension and expression).
Lesson 12
Logical Fallacies
Students encounter and use domain-specific vocabulary such as logical fallacy, premise, non-sequitur, straw man, bandwagon, slippery slope, ad hominem, ethos, pathos, and logos in the Things to Know and Homework sections. Students complete a Part I fill-in-the-blank activity that asks them to supply terms (e.g., premise, non-sequitur, straw man) and a Part II matching activity that requires choosing examples for ad hominem, slippery slope, and bandwagon. Students are asked to look up two additional fallacies ('hasty generalization' and 'false dilemma — either/or') online and record their meanings, and they apply vocabulary by identifying fallacies in historical speeches and by labeling ethos/pathos/logos in written and spoken work.
Final Project
Argumentative Research Essay
The essay and presentation rubrics require that "specialized vocabulary [is] used accurately" and that word choice includes specialized vocabulary; the Parent Plan also lists "Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text" as a skill target. Students are required to produce a formal argumentative essay and an oral presentation, which ask for formal style, objective tone, and domain-appropriate language. The rubric and task expectations therefore ask students to employ academic and domain-specific words in writing and speaking.
Unit 4: Drama
Lesson 1
What Is Drama?
Students are presented with a list of domain-specific drama terms and definitions (tragedy, comedy, tragicomedy, farce, melodrama, spectacle, musical, script, acts, scenes, lines, stage directions, blocking, set pieces, props, proscenium, thrust, theater-in-the-round). Activity 1 asks students to watch video clips and record genre guesses, applying genre vocabulary. Activity 2 asks students to review drama terminology, label stage areas from diagrams, and identify stage types used in clips, giving students practice using the technical terms in context.
Lesson 2
How to Read Drama
Students are given explicit definitions and examples of domain-specific drama/literary terms such as foreshadowing, catharsis, subtext, diction, plot, character, thought, melody, and spectacle. Students answer guided questions and complete activity pages that require them to identify figurative language, dialect, and how diction evokes feeling, requiring written recognition and analysis of these terms. Students watch and analyze Trifles and respond in journals and the "Applying Aristotle's Six Elements of Tragedy" activity, prompting application of the domain vocabulary to a specific text.
Lesson 3
Life and Times
Students are presented with explicit definitions in the "Things to Know" section (e.g., tenements, presage) and concise explanations of key domain concepts (Brown v. Board of Education and the Civil Rights Act of 1964). Activity 1 directs students to watch a video about the Civil Rights Act and to jot down major points, which exposes them to academic vocabulary in historical context. Students are asked to review stage directions and read biographical material, providing further encounters with domain-specific theatrical and historical terms.
Lesson 4
A Raisin in the Sun
Students are given an Act I Vocabulary activity in which they determine word meanings from context and are directed to consult a dictionary if needed (vindicated, proposition, permeated, etc.). The parent-plan skills list explicitly asks students to consult general and specialized reference materials and to use context clues to determine or clarify word meanings. The lesson defines domain-specific terms (vernacular, dialect, International Phonetic Alphabet, linguists, beat) and has students listen to dialect samples and take notes for discussion, which supports vocabulary exposure in listening and speaking contexts.
Lesson 5
Act II
Students are given a targeted vocabulary list (amiably, coquettishly, epitaph, plaintively, rebuffs, reverie) and told to "read each word in context, write what you think the definition is, and then look up the correct definition in the dictionary". The Parent Plan explicitly lists skills to use context clues and consult dictionaries, glossaries, and thesauruses to determine or clarify meaning, pronunciation, part of speech, or etymology. Activities ask students to revise their own definitions after consulting reference materials, showing practice in independently gathering vocabulary knowledge.
Lesson 6
Act III
Students define the word "defer" and explain the concept of a "dream deferred" on the Student Activity Page, directly engaging with word meaning. Students match eight vocabulary words (e.g., precipitately, deliberately, prefigured, intently) to definitions on the Quiz page, practicing form-meaning connections. Students are prompted to review vocabulary from earlier lessons as homework, reinforcing retention for reading comprehension of the play and poem.
Lesson 8
Shakespeare
The Student Activity Page explicitly tells students to use contextual clues or check a dictionary when a word or phrase is unclear and notes peculiarities of Shakespearean spellings and meanings. The reading questions instruct students to use the left-hand notes in the Folger edition to interpret challenging words and phrases. The Parent Plan skills list directs students to consult general and specialized reference materials, verify preliminary determinations of meaning, and apply knowledge of language to comprehend more fully.
Lesson 9
Romeo and Juliet
Students read explicit definitions in the "Things to Know" section that define the terms comic relief and dowry. Students read a linked article section titled "Weddings and Dowries" and answer journal questions about dowries and marriage practices, which requires them to encounter and interpret a domain-specific term. Students also summarize scenes and answer comprehension questions, which exposes them to Shakespearean vocabulary in context.
Lesson 10
Figurative Language
The lesson explicitly defines and teaches figurative-language vocabulary (oxymoron, pun, idiom, euphemism) and asks students to identify, explain, and analyze examples from Romeo and Juliet. Student tasks require circling/underlining examples, explaining meanings, matching word pairs to form oxymorons, and explaining paradoxes; activities also ask students to look up unfamiliar idioms and search online for puns. The Parent Plan and activity instructions prompt students to determine meanings in context and to use text pages to clarify vocabulary.
Lesson 11
Nuanced Meaning
Students identify meanings of bolded Shakespearean words by selecting options from a provided word box (Parts I and II) and check answers against an answer key. Students analyze denotation and connotation and find positive and negative synonyms for words, then use those synonyms in sentences (Part III). The lesson also directs students to explore word change/etymology, allows use of a thesaurus, and has a text-messaging activity that asks students to rewrite dialogue using modern language.
Lesson 12
Time and Tension
Students are directed to search the play for specific time-related words (minute, hour, day, week, year, Wednesday, Thursday, to-night, to-morrow) and record how many times each appears, which makes them notice domain-specific time vocabulary. Students analyze scene-by-scene language: they list ways Friar Lawrence mentions time, examine Capulet's repetition of "tomorrow/3 times," and analyze the Nurse's monologue for time references and foreshadowing. Students write a journal summary of the most important event in the scene, which asks them to reflect on meaning tied to those time words.
Lesson 13
Tragic Hero
Students are instructed to ‘‘make sure you understand unfamiliar words and phrases'' and to ‘‘look on the left-hand page to make sure you understand unfamiliar words and phrases,'' directing them to consult in-text glosses. Students prepare and memorize Shakespearean monologues for recitation, which requires reading and speaking domain-specific, poetic language aloud. Students are also told they may search for online videos and refer to prior resources for help, which encourages independent consultation of external resources to clarify wording.
Final Project
Drama
Students are asked to "use the 'Unit Review Sheet' to help you review definitions and important concepts," which directs them to review vocabulary and concepts. The unit test asks students to identify literary/device terms (pun, idiom, euphemism, oxymoron), distinguish dynamic/static and round/flat characters, and name stage types (proscenium, upstage right, downstage left), requiring domain-specific terminology. Several final projects (set design, costume descriptions, playlists, podcasts, news page, commercials, song lyrics) require students to write paragraphs, scripts, and explanations using precise and domain-specific words and to present them orally or in recorded form.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
Students are asked to define and use numerous academic and domain-specific terms (e.g., idiom, oxymoron, euphemism, foreshadowing, subplot, rhetoric, jargon, mitigated speech) in fill-in-the-blank, short-answer, and multiple-choice items. Students write sentences that demonstrate grammar knowledge (participial phrases, verb mood, active vs. passive) and correct punctuation and usage (apostrophes, hyphens, parallelism), practicing precise academic language in writing tasks. Students are directed to review unit review sheets and their own "Commonly Confused Words" pages and posters they created, which prompts them to consult and reuse domain-specific vocabulary resources.