Students are assigned to read pp. 40-43 of the National Geographic Almanac of World History and answer specific comprehension questions about human evolution, tool use, and migration. Students complete a mapping activity tracing human migrations and use an answer key to connect textual information to geographic evidence. Students complete applied homework options that require them to describe daily survival strategies or analyze a local environment using information from the reading.

Students are asked to read pp. 16–17 of the National Geographic Almanac of World History and answer specific comprehension questions about domestication, irrigation, and the relationship between agriculture and crafts. Students use Internet sources to identify cities, average rainfall, and images for The Fertile Crescent activity, requiring them to locate and interpret technical climate and geographic information. Students map early farming civilizations and may watch the Big History video, integrating information from nonfiction sources into written responses and graphic organizers.

Option 1 directs students to read at least two articles on scientific explorations of the life and times of Jesus, citing Smithsonian and National Geographic pieces and recommending archaeological or historical journals as sources. Students are asked to summarize each source and answer reflective questions about why scholars pursue scientific corroboration and how such studies affect Christians, which requires comprehension and analysis of those scientific/archaeological texts. The activity also instructs students to focus on secular, scientific publications rather than religious sites, emphasizing engagement with science-oriented writing.

Students are directed to locate, read, and evaluate credible online sources (including .edu and .gov sites and major newspapers) and to list at least three sources in a K-N-S chart. They are instructed to read over sources, highlight important information, and convert research notes into a thesis and three supporting facts. Students practice comprehension strategies by summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting source material, and by synthesizing multiple sources into coherent body paragraphs with in-text citations and a Works Cited page.

Students read portions of the informational book Outliers (assigned homework: "The Roseto Mystery," pp. 3–11) and answer specific comprehension questions about cause, research findings, and vocabulary in context. Students perform a hands-on activity locating and analyzing informational text features in Outliers (table of contents, index, footnotes, charts/diagrams, headings, bibliography, etc.). Students watch and discuss a TED talk by the author and complete journal and discussion prompts that require interpretation and evidence-based answers.

Students are asked to extract quantitative data from the book's chart (the Medicine Hat Tigers roster) and create a different visual representation such as a bar chart, pie chart, or pictograph. Option 2 directs students to read a paragraph describing TIMSS study findings and sketch a graphic that would replace or supplement the written description, requiring comprehension of study results. The parent plan explicitly lists translating quantitative or technical information expressed in words into visual form as a targeted skill.

Students are assigned to read and finish Chapter 2 of Outliers (Sections 1–6) independently and to mark key opportunities in the text for later analysis. Students summarize sections, answer analysis questions about how Gladwell develops ideas, and explain the structure and rhetorical moves he uses. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill to "Translate quantitative or technical information expressed in words in a text into visual form" and notes that the last section contains tables and lists that students will use to create a visual representation.

Students are assigned to read an informational chapter ("Harlan, Kentucky," pp. 162–176) and to underline unfamiliar words for a vocabulary activity, indicating engagement with an extended nonfiction text. They answer targeted comprehension questions that require explaining a University of Michigan experiment and identifying cultural patterns, and the Parent Plan/Skills list includes citing strong textual evidence and drawing evidence from informational texts. The activity directs students to consult reference materials (dictionary link) and to verify word meanings, which supports comprehension of challenging vocabulary in the text.

Students read multiple sections of a nonfiction chapter and answer targeted comprehension questions about causes, author choices, and details (Activities 2 and Day 2 questions). They are directed to read and interpret footnotes and a data table of cultural indices (PDI, Individualism, LTO) and to draw evidence from the chapter and a linked blog article to evaluate Gladwell's claims (Activities 4–5). Students practice citing textual evidence, analyzing how the author develops ideas, and comparing competing informational texts (chapter, crash reports, blog critique).

Students read Sections 1–7 of Chapter 8 of Outliers and answer targeted comprehension questions about rice farming, counting systems, and comparative work hours. Students are asked to translate quantitative or technical information into a diagram or infographic for homework and to draw and cite textual evidence (Parent Plan skills list). Activity prompts require students to analyze how the Chinese counting system works and to practice translating number-word patterns into spoken/practical knowledge.

Students read and annotate a science/technical passage about hydroponics on the "Technical Writing Strategies" page, marking main topics, unfamiliar vocabulary, paragraph breaks, headings, and places for lists or diagrams. Students copy a technical source text from the provided web link into a word processor and apply formatting changes, demonstrating engagement with and processing of technical content. Students read and use sample technical materials (sample infographic, glossary entries, materials/steps for slime) and locate at least one outside technical source to cite in their guide introduction. Students create, revise, and test a how-to guide, draft a glossary, and produce an infographic, actions that require comprehension of technical vocabulary and structure.

Students are asked to locate at least five high-quality sources using library research databases (e.g., ProQuest, SIRS, CQ Researcher) and to evaluate online sources for credibility (.edu/.gov guidance, author/publisher/purpose/bias). The lesson has students collect facts, statistics, and specific examples, watch videos about misleading statistics and graphs, and create charts/graphs as visual aids. The Parent Plan also lists integrating quantitative or technical analysis with qualitative analysis and instructs students to assess accuracy, currency, and accessibility of sources.

Students are asked to review the Informational Texts unit, which explicitly includes science and technical writing as types of informational writing they must understand. Students are directed to study common features of informational writing, evaluate the appropriateness of technical writing for audiences, and review Outliers (an informational text) as part of their preparation. The exam and review sheets include questions about jargon, primary vs. secondary sources, and identifying when technical writing is appropriate, which require students to identify and analyze features of technical/scientific prose.