Second Grade - ELA
1: Community
Unit 1: Communities Around the World
Lesson 1
Exploring a Community
Students listen to and read aloud The City Mouse & The Country Mouse and answer comprehension questions, providing opportunities to acquire words and phrases from text. Students use a provided word box of community place names to complete sentences (The ___ is important because ___), and they discuss and write lists of advantages of rural vs. urban living and three sentences about their preference. Adults prompt conversations about community locations and shapes as students describe and label buildings on maps and three-dimensional models.
Lesson 2
Roles of People in Communities
Students read about community workers in books or on the Internet (Activity 3 and Activity 4) and discuss the workers' roles with an adult. Students write sentences about each worker (Option 2) and write a paragraph about a worker, filling prompts such as "People who do this job _____, _____, and _____." Students also role-play scenarios and are asked to identify the noun and verb in their sentences and to mark sentence beginnings and punctuation.
Lesson 3
Goods and Services
Students label items as goods or services and write a time they have used the good or service and where it can be found, which requires them to produce words and phrases about goods and places. Students read If You Give a Pig a Pancake and categorize examples from the text into goods and services, responding to a read-aloud with written answers. Students write their own If You Give a ____ a ____ story using sentence prompts (e.g., "He might ask for ___," "Then before you know it, he'll ask for ___"), producing phrases and sequencing language drawn from the reading and discussion.
Lesson 4
Wants and Needs
Students list and label five wants and five needs and then explain and justify their rankings, which requires them to use words and phrases to describe and compare items. Students are asked to describe differences between wants and needs and to discuss similarities and differences in clothing, homes, transportation, and food when comparing places, prompting them to use vocabulary in spoken responses. Students complete bubble maps and collages where they name and label examples (e.g., refrigerator, grocery store, garden), demonstrating use of words acquired from picture sources and discussion.
Lesson 5
Money
Students are prompted to talk about money (e.g., "Ask your child how people get money" and "Ask her what people do with the money they have") and to name coin values ("Ask your child to tell you the value of each coin"). The Skills list and activities require students to use vocabulary such as spend, save, give, penny, nickel, dime, quarter, and equivalent amounts while they count, label price tags, and write values in grids. Students also discuss relative worth in Activity 3 when deciding which toys are "the nicest or the most valuable" and match price tags.
Lesson 6
Uses of Money
The Skills list explicitly includes "Develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing new words (LA)" and "Use new vocabulary in writing (LA)." Activities ask students to discuss where people get money and characteristics of hard work (Activity 1), respond to scenarios about saving (Activity 3), and write reasons for giving money in two paragraph options (Activity 4), all of which require using words and phrases from conversation and discussion.
Lesson 7
Work and Money
Students practice targeted vocabulary in a spelling journal where they write unit words (goodsaveworkjobmoneywantgiveneed), review definitions, use each word in a sentence, and say sentences aloud. Students read scenarios (Making a Choice) and write responses that explain their reasoning, and they are asked to explain decisions verbally during the budget activity. In the Working Together activity, students complete sentence blanks with phrases like "with," "without," "someone's help," or "by myself" and circle words that describe experiment results.
Lesson 8
Customs and Holidays
Students are asked to read texts (e.g., Bible or children's books) and to discuss the significance of holidays, which provides opportunities to acquire words and phrases through reading and conversation. Students write sentences in multiple activities (e.g., fill in "We celebrate this holiday because..." and "On this day our family...") and create a Holiday Book, practicing responding to texts and composing descriptions. In Activity 3 students act out and then name holidays, engaging in conversation and orally producing vocabulary related to traditions.
Lesson 9
Different Communities
Students are asked to research a country and record information (Activity 1), draw and label homes, clothing, goods, and foods (Activity 3), and compare communities using a Venn diagram (Activity 2), which require them to name and describe attributes. In Activity 4 (acrostic poem), students must think of a word or group of words that "describes the country" for each letter, prompting selection of descriptive words and phrases. The wrapping-up prompt and Life Application task ask students to describe what they learned and to write five questions to ask a person from that country, which provide opportunities to use vocabulary gained from reading and conversations.
Lesson 10
Communities Change
Students listen to The Little House read aloud and answer open-ended comprehension questions (Activity 1) that ask them to describe changes, people's activities, and settings. The Skills list includes "Listen and respond to stories read aloud" and "Respond to open-ended question about a text." In Activity 2 students draw each season and write a sentence beneath each picture describing the community during that season.
Lesson 11
Government and the People
Students are asked to explain what it means to vote and why it is important, which requires them to use spoken words and phrases from conversation. Students write sentences about how government services help them and record leader titles and names on a flowchart, which requires producing written phrases learned from the activities. Students engage in discussion and write responses on Student Activity Pages (e.g., Voting, The Government Helps Citizens), connecting talk and writing about community roles and services.
Lesson 12
Rules and Laws
Students practice and use vocabulary through a Spelling activity that has them write and use the words rule, law, house, change, flag, and city in sentences. Students categorize statements as rules or laws and write consequences for scenarios, requiring them to respond in writing and in conversation. Discussion prompts (e.g., comparing games with and without rules, explaining why homes have rules) require students to use words and phrases acquired in the activities and conversations.
Final Project
Community Brochure
Students examine example brochures and talk about the artwork and information, which gives them opportunities to acquire words and phrases from texts and conversation. Students receive a vocabulary box (money, goods, services, wants, needs, rural/urban, human resource, natural resource) and are asked to include those words somewhere in their brochure. Students plan and write sentences for brochure sections (goods and services, celebrations, jobs, changes), which requires them to select and use vocabulary and descriptive language in speech and writing.
Unit 2: Citizenship
Lesson 1
A Good Citizen
Students are given a vocabulary box with words (Responsible, Care, Help, Honest) and are asked in Activity 1 to read scenarios and write the characteristic word that describes each action. In Option 2 and Activities 3 and 6, students write sentences about times they demonstrated each characteristic and describe scenes from The Boy Who Cried Wolf and the wordless book, using words and phrases from discussions and readings. Activity 7 asks students to write a short sentence describing actions that earned stickers, which requires them to use words acquired through listening, reading, and conversation.
Lesson 2
Decisions and Consequences
Students read Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse aloud and listen to it being read, then answer comprehension and opinion questions including "How would you describe Lilly?" and "Did you like this story? Why or why not?". Students complete Lilly's Action Chart by reading examples of Lilly's actions and writing the resulting consequences and play an Actions and Consequences matching game, creating their own action/consequence cards. Students role-play actions and consequences and discuss outcomes during the Getting Started and Wrapping Up prompts, engaging in conversation about behavior and effects.
Lesson 3
Diversity in the Community
Students are given and discuss vocabulary such as "diverse" and are asked to describe similarities and differences among people and communities during conversations and while looking at pictures and videos. Students read atlas pages and view videos from the playlist to learn about people from different continents and then answer questions about what they saw. Students plan and conduct an interview, write five questions, take notes, and write short answers based on the interview responses. The curriculum lists the skill "Use text to locate important information," which directs students to use reading to acquire information and words/phrases.
Lesson 5
Citizens Share and Help
Students practice specific vocabulary in the Spelling activity by writing each word five times, using each word in a sentence about themselves, and reading those sentences aloud. The Spelling list includes adjectives such as "honest," "caring," and "diverse," and students are asked in Activities 1 and 2 to explain drawings and describe plans, requiring them to use descriptive words and phrases in conversation.
Lesson 6
Leaders in the Community
Students read or listen to biographies (Activity 1) and answer targeted questions about the person's life and characteristics. Students write five qualities of a good leader and give examples from the biography (Activity 2). Students create biography pages and write sentences/paragraphs about leaders (Activities 3, 4, 5), including prompts that ask for descriptions and reasons someone is a leader.
Lesson 7
Inventors
Students are asked to write sentences about how each invention helped the community using provided sentence starters (e.g., "The car helped people _________"), and to create their own sentences in the advanced option. The scavenger hunt requires students to name inventions and complete frames such as "We use the ________ to ________" and to write a paragraph using prompts like "The thing I like most about _____ is _____" and "The invention helps people _____." Activity 3 asks students to respond to the question "How would you describe the inventor?" and the lesson has students circle the subject and underline the predicate in their sentences.
Final Project
Community Citizens Mobile
Students are asked to "list character traits, not only physical descriptions" for each person on the mobile, and to record "characteristics of the leader" and "characteristics of the inventor." Students must "write and illustrate three things" on each shape and explain "how the person helped or helps the community," which requires composing descriptive phrases about people and objects.
Unit 3: Plants and Animals
Lesson 1
Living and Nonliving
Students are asked to list three words or phrases to describe six items on the "Describing Attributes" pages, practice saying those descriptions aloud to family members, and draw items from their scavenger hunt or collage to support those descriptions. The scavenger hunt and collage activities require students to name and answer questions about objects after reading or looking through texts (magazines, catalogs) and to decide whether items are living or nonliving. Reading and responding to Sylvester and the Magic Pebble asks students to point out living/nonliving things in illustrations, answer comprehension questions, and dictate an imaginative story, which prompts use of words and phrases from conversation and read-alouds.
Lesson 2
Animal Structure
Students write the four body coverings from a provided word box and are asked to "think of a word that describes the texture or feel of each covering," giving direct practice in choosing descriptive words (adjectives). Students match and label body parts, draw missing parts, and discuss how parts help animals live, which requires using vocabulary acquired through conversation and reading. The materials include modeled language such as "polar bear has very thick fur," providing an example that includes an adverb modifying an adjective.
Lesson 3
Classifying Animals
The lesson lists the skill "Use vocabulary to describe feelings and ideas (LA)." Students are asked to read about animals (Activity 3, Day 2 Activity 6) and to describe body coverings, body parts, and whether animals are warm- or cold-blooded when sorting and researching. Students write a paragraph in Activity 9 using prompts that require descriptive phrases (e.g., "I enjoy being a __ because __, __, __, and __.") and complete Venn diagrams (Activity 8) and oral Q&A (Activity 10) that prompt descriptive responses.
Lesson 4
Animal and Plant Communities
Students label and name habitats and animals (Activity 1, Student Activity Page), which requires using vocabulary such as Desert, Rainforest, Woodlands, Arctic, Ocean, Grasslands, Wetlands. Students name and classify animals as bird, amphibian, mammal, reptile, or fish and write those labels (Activity 1 and Activity 5). Students use measurement and comparative words (light to heavy, narrow to wide, short to long, short to tall) when ordering animals by weight, width, length, and height (Activity 4) and use comparative terms (most, fewest, same) when interpreting the rainforest graph (Activity 2).
Lesson 5
Animal Needs
Activity 4 asks students to write a descriptive label for their invented animal with prompts for name, habitat, physical characteristics, diet, and shelter, which requires using descriptive words and phrases. Activity 3 prompts students to describe body covering, body parts, habitat, shelter, and diet when building a new animal, encouraging students to record descriptive details. Activity 2 asks students to draw an animal in its habitat and write how its food, water, and shelter needs are met, prompting students to write phrases that explain and describe situations.
Lesson 7
Plants
Students read texts (e.g., Jack and the Beanstalk) and answer comprehension and response questions that require them to use words and phrases from the story. Students are asked to describe the top of the beanstalk, explain what the ground, ogre's house, and plants would be like, and to draw and explain what their picture reveals. Students role-play being a seed using sensory language (warm, moist, stretching toward the Sun) and write and define spelling vocabulary related to plants (plant, seed, living, classify, habitat).
Lesson 8
The Role of Plants
Students are read The Giving Tree and are asked comprehension and response questions (e.g., identify characters, predict events, explain whether the boy was nice to the tree), which requires them to use words and phrases from the text. Students compose a thank-you note to the tree using structured prompts ("Thank you for...", "I also want to thank you for...", "The best thing you ever gave me was...") and an open-ended option where they write every sentence, encouraging them to use language from the story. Students also record names of plants in a nature journal and write sentences describing how plant products are used in their community, providing occasions to practice vocabulary and phrasing acquired through reading and exploration.
Lesson 9
Comparing Living Things
Students are prompted to talk about ways animals, plants, and humans are alike and different in the Introduction and during Activity 1 (Venn diagram), where they write similarities and differences. In Activity 2 (both options) students check boxes for needs and then complete sentence starters and write three sentences about how plants, animals, and humans are the same and different. Activity 4 has students write and copy key vocabulary sentences (e.g., "People need air.") and practice spelling content words (soil, water, food, sun, air).
Lesson 10
Life Cycles
The skills list asks students to "select and use new vocabulary in speech and writing" and to "use words that name and words that tell action." The Diamante Poem activity explicitly directs students to think of describing words (adjectives) and action words ending in -ing and provides examples and a template for using them. Activities ask students to find pictures in books or on the Internet and to discuss and describe life cycle stages, and the wrap-up asks the child to describe the life cycle of a butterfly, frog, and human.
Lesson 11
Community Members Depend on One Another
Students label animals as herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore and sort food items to match those labels (Activity 1). Students read about animals (encyclopedia/Internet suggestion), label habitats, and connect or order organisms in food chains (Activities 2 and 3). Students discuss what animals eat, create food-chain sequences, and are asked to give examples and explain how organisms depend on one another (Introduction, Activity 4, Wrapping Up).
Final Project
Nature Guide or Habitat in a Box
Students are prompted to write descriptive information in labeled fields such as Name, Size, Color, Body Covering, Diet, and Type across multiple activity pages. Students must "describe and illustrate the life cycle for one animal" and write about an endangered species including "its habitat, the food it eats, and why it is threatened." Students create a Nature Guide or Habitat-in-a-Box with written descriptions, labels, and a key, requiring them to produce phrases and descriptors for plants and animals.
2: Matter and Movement
Unit 1: States of Matter
Lesson 1
What Is the World Made Of?
The Skills section explicitly includes "Develop new vocabulary by listening to and discussing new words presented in text." Activities ask students to label, cut out, sort, draw, and label examples of solids, liquids, and gases from the book. Students are asked to explain how they reached conclusions and "write a sentence to describe each balloon," and the wrapping up asks students to "describe the different states of matter and to give examples of each."
Lesson 2
Solids
Students list words and phrases that describe solids using the five senses on the "Investigating Solids" sheet and then write sentences about two solids that must include at least two of those descriptive words or phrases. Students choose solids, describe each using any words they can think of, describe shapes, and sort items by descriptive categories in Activity 4, providing practice with descriptive vocabulary. Students reread pages from What Is the World Made of? and complete a Spelling Journal where they write target vocabulary (solid, gas, matter, space, liquid) three times and use each word in a sentence, showing use of words acquired through reading and being read to.
Lesson 3
Liquids
Students read pages 12-13 and are asked to describe what a liquid is, prompting use of vocabulary from the text. In Activities 1 and 2 students pour, feel, and write descriptive words or phrases for liquids using their five senses and sort liquids by descriptors such as thick/thin and light/dark. Activity 5 and Activity 8 ask students to write sentences about how they use liquids and to identify nouns and verbs, and the Wrapping Up asks students to recall descriptive words (e.g., light or dark, thick or thin, sweet or sour).
Lesson 4
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Students are asked to describe the king with descriptive words (e.g., bossy, kind, smart, careful) during discussion questions. The Skills list includes "Use words that describe, name characters and settings, and tell action and events in simple texts," and students complete a Story Quilt where they list characters, setting, important events, favorite part, problem, and solution. Activity 4 asks students to write three sentences that describe the oobleck substance after exploring it, prompting use of descriptive language.
Lesson 5
Comparing Matter
Students are given an 'Adjectives Describe' activity where they select two adjectives from a provided list to describe each noun, draw pictures, and write sentences using those adjectives. The Skills section explicitly lists 'Use words that describe in language and text (LA).' Directions tell students to name nouns, choose adjectives to describe solids and liquids, and write sentences about their pictures using those adjectives.
Lesson 6
Changes in States of Matter
Students are asked to "use new vocabulary in speech and writing" in the skills list and are prompted to name and label states of matter (solid, liquid, gas) in multiple activities. Students draw pictures and write a sentence about each state (Activity 1), write sentences describing food changes and circle nouns (Activity 7), and record and label examples on matching pages (Activity 8). Students also describe sensory experiences (taste, smell, feel) with JELL-O and are asked to explain causes of change (heat/cold) in speech.
Lesson 7
Exploring Solids and Liquids
Students are asked to write three sentences describing events from the read-aloud book and to answer elaboration questions (e.g., Which part of the book was your favorite? Why? What was something new that you learned?). The skills list and multiple activities require students to respond and elaborate to what, when, where, and how questions and to record hypotheses and results (Dancing Raisins procedure and results page). Activity 8 has students work with unit vocabulary by looking up definitions and writing each spelling word multiple times, reinforcing words encountered in reading and discussion.
Lesson 8
Our Bodies and Our World
Students identify and label solids, liquids, and gases on a body diagram and in scenarios (Activity 1, Activity 3), and they read a short story and mark or fill in words that are solids, liquids, or gases (Activity 4). Students write their own short story that must include at least five references to solids, three to liquids, and one to a gas (Activity 5), and they are asked to share scenarios and describe solids, liquids, and gases in their own body during the wrap-up. The skills list explicitly includes "Use words that describe in language and text," and students practice reading, responding to texts, and composing text throughout the activities.
Final Project
States of Matter
Students are asked to write three adjectives under each picture in the Solids Collage, explicitly practicing use of descriptive adjectives. Students label materials (names of solids) and mark natural or human-made, and in the Liquids Collage they write a sentence beneath each liquid, practicing phrase and sentence production. The States of Matter test and answer key use and require vocabulary words (solid, liquid, gas, heat, cold, ice, steam) that students must supply or recognize.
Unit 2: Earth
Lesson 1
Our Planet Earth
Students read You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and are asked to write three sentences summarizing the book and to point to examples of living things and states of matter (Activity 3). Students write a letter to an alien using either a structured fill-in-the-blank page or an open-ended template, using information from the book (Activity 4). Students create an acrostic poem about EARTH with an example provided and discuss each line, and they are prompted to explain orally what they learned and to name continents and oceans.
Lesson 2
Matter on the Planet
The lesson defines an adjective and asks students to draw, label, and write adjectives for objects in categories such as color, size, shape, and hardness (Activity 3 and the Hardness/Shape/Color/Size pages). Students are prompted to write sentences that include two adjectives about items and to select five adjectives to describe a chosen object (Option 1/Option 2 and Wrapping Up). The lesson includes reading pages from You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and guided discussion prompts that require students to describe the air and other materials orally (Activity 2 and Getting Started questions).
Lesson 3
Digging Into Dirt
Students read pages 20–32 of You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and are prompted to describe what dirt looks like, what they find in it, and how samples are similar or different. Activities ask students to discuss and record colors, shapes, and sizes of soil particles, label drawings, write 2–3 sentences explaining how they solved the "Who Did It?" case, complete prediction and results sentences for seed experiments, and write four complete sentences about ways the Earth is important to them. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Select and use new vocabulary in speech and writing."
Lesson 4
From the Earth
Students are asked to record in a journal where each resource is found and to write a sentence about how their family uses each material (Activity 1). In Activity 2 students cut resource words and put them in alphabetical order and are asked to describe how people use each resource. In Activity 3 students label pictures as water/food/clothing/shelter and describe how each item helps meet needs and identify the natural resources used. Activity 5 prompts students to write three sentences about things that are not matter and to identify nouns, with reminders about sentence conventions.
Lesson 5
Rocks
Students participate in read-aloud and discussion of Everybody Needs a Rock and answer comprehension and response questions, providing opportunities to use words and phrases from the text. Students sort and describe rocks by attributes (small/medium/large, light/dark, smooth/rough), use a magnifying glass to observe colors and layers, and are asked to write sentences about items made from rocks and to write a short story about their found rock. Activities ask students to summarize rules from the book in their own sentences and to dictate/write sentences for spelling words, which requires using vocabulary acquired through conversation and reading.
Lesson 6
Water, Water Everywhere
Students are prompted to name and label bodies of water and marine animals and to color and label animals using a provided word box, which requires use of vocabulary from reading and conversation. Students are asked to write sentences describing how freshwater bodies differ from oceans and to write sentences about different uses of water, requiring them to produce descriptive phrases in writing. Students are also asked to invent and describe a new ocean creature in a short paragraph that specifies where it is found, what it eats, and its unique features, which asks for descriptive language.
Lesson 7
Taking Care of the Earth
The lesson explicitly lists the skill "Select and use new vocabulary in speech and writing (LA)." Students are asked to read directions aloud (Making Paper), discuss predictions and observations (Water Pollution), and write short pieces such as two or three sentences explaining why recycling is important and a free-verse poem or poster encouraging care of the Earth. Activity 9 requires students to use each spelling word in a sentence and write them three times, which has students produce and practice vocabulary in written and spoken form.
Final Project
Earth Exhibit
Students are asked to reread You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and review unit activity pages, then plan and write sentences that tell where each material is found and why it is important. The activity pages prompt students to "think of three words to describe the rock" and to "describe how milk tastes," and students must write Description and Directions cards for solids, liquids, and a gas. Students will display a poem or poster and explain what they learned about Earth materials, providing opportunities to use descriptive language in writing and speaking.
Unit 3: Balance and Motion
Lesson 1
What Is Balance?
Students are asked to listen to and attempt to read the book What Is a Balance Scale?, answer comprehension questions, and write two or three sentences describing the main idea. Questions prompt students to use comparative vocabulary such as heavier, lighter, even, and balanced when discussing balance. Skills and activities require students to observe and describe balance, record weights (e.g., one-gram, five-gram), and explain procedures aloud or in writing (Activity 9 asks for step-by-step directions using words like first, next, then).
Lesson 3
Symmetry
Students are asked to explain what symmetry means and name different lines of symmetry, using vocabulary such as "symmetry," "vertical," and "horizontal." Activity 3 asks students to create a symmetrical picture and then write three sentences about it, which prompts use of descriptive language. The Life Application "I Spy a Symmetrical Figure" models and prompts students to ask and answer descriptive yes/no questions using adjectives (examples given: "Is it small? Is it green?").
Lesson 4
Force and Motion
Students read the book Move It! and answer comprehension questions aloud, prompting them to use vocabulary from the text (e.g., push, pull, motion, force). Students write sentences about illustrations (Activity 3) and compose a short paragraph or story describing their drawn picture with labeled examples of motion (Activity 4). Students practice vocabulary in a spelling activity by writing the words force, push, pull, and move and complete sentences that use those words.
Lesson 5
Gravity
Students are asked to listen to and reread pages of the book Move It! and to read or be read to the book Forces Make Things Move, then complete a True/False sheet responding to statements from the text. The Skills list explicitly includes listening responsively to stories read aloud, discussing unfamiliar vocabulary after listening, and using vocabulary to describe feelings, ideas, and experiences. Students are asked to explain what gravity is, answer questions about demonstrations, and to write a short paragraph describing life without gravity, which requires using words acquired from the reading and discussions.
Lesson 6
Friction
Students read age-level texts about friction (Move It; Forces Make Things Move) and respond by explaining what friction is and giving examples. Students perform investigations and compare surfaces, which requires them to use vocabulary such as "friction," "rough," and "smooth" in discussion and conclusion. Students complete the "Science Sentences" activity in which they choose correct verb forms and identify singular and plural nouns and linking verbs, engaging with language in a science context.
Final Project
A Wordless Skit
The lesson explicitly asks students to "select and use new vocabulary in speech and writing" and to "extend skills in oral and written language using graphic organizers," which directs students to record and use words on the provided "Balance and Motion Skit" planning pages. Students are instructed to reread books on balance and motion to gather ideas and to record different ways to act out each word on their graphic organizer, linking reading to their planned language choices. Students also prepare written materials (skit program, cards labeled Balance/Push/Pull/Gravity/Friction) and reflect verbally after the performance, providing opportunities to use and demonstrate vocabulary in speaking and writing.
3: Culture
Unit 1: Geography
Lesson 1
Using Maps and Globes
Students are read The Armadillo from Amarillo and are prompted to stop at unfamiliar words, have definitions explained, and hear rereadings, providing direct vocabulary exposure. The skills list and activities require students to answer questions about text read aloud and to describe where they live, prompting use of words and phrases acquired from reading and conversation. Students are asked to write a paragraph about a visit in Texas, which gives an opportunity to use descriptive language in writing.
Lesson 2
Cardinal Directions
Students practice and use directional vocabulary (north, south, east, west, left/right, forward/back) in multiple activities: giving and following oral directions in the room and yard (Activities 2 and 3), labeling and answering map questions on the Treasure Map activity page, and including the four cardinal directions in a written pirate journal (Activity 5). The skills list explicitly requires students to develop new vocabulary by listening and discussing and to select and use new vocabulary in both speech and writing, which is reflected in the oral direction-giving and written responses.
Lesson 3
Landforms and Bodies of Water
Students read nonfiction pages about rivers, lakes, and mountains and respond to those texts by answering questions and completing sentence stems (e.g., "I would like to live near ______. If I lived near ______, I could ______ and ______."). Students match labeled pictures to definitions for terms like ocean, lake, river, mountain, valley, and island, and create posters labeling landform symbols and writing sentences about how people are affected by them. Students also dictate descriptions of drawings and write a paragraph recommending which body of water someone should move near, which requires using words and phrases from conversations and reading.
Lesson 4
Natural Resources
Students are prompted to talk about and name natural resources in the Introduction and Activities (e.g., identifying wood, fruit, honey, salt). Students complete written tasks that require language use, such as drawing lines to match resources with products, creating a map with a labeled key and title, and answering written prompts on the "Researching Resources" sheet (e.g., "Where is it found in the U.S.?", "How is it made?", "Describe a job related to the resource."). Students are also asked to describe ways they use natural resources and explain their importance during the Wrapping Up and community field trip prompts.
Lesson 5
Habitats and Geography
Students read habitat texts (pages 14–21) and answer guided questions that require them to describe differences between habitats and how life would change. Students label habitats, cut and place living things, and write a sentence beneath each box about how the animal or plant is used by people, connecting text information to their writing. Students write a poem using a provided template that prompts descriptive language (e.g., "As _______ as _______") and complete the "If I Lived..." page by writing sentences about what they would enjoy in each habitat. The skills list explicitly asks students to read fiction/nonfiction/poetry, connect ideas from text and others, and write to develop ideas, providing multiple opportunities to use words and phrases from reading and conversation.
Lesson 6
Geography, Weather and Natural Disasters
Students listen to richly descriptive passages in Activity 1 that use sensory adjectives (e.g., dry, thirsty, hot, cool, crisp, wet, damp) and imagine habitats from those descriptions. In Activity 2 students describe weather and act out activities, taking turns describing conditions aloud. Activity 3 has students read about natural disasters, write questions in response to texts, cut and paste pictures, and write three or four sentences that describe each disaster. Activity 5 asks students to read a weather forecast and write three or four sentences describing today's weather and related activities.
Lesson 7
The Seven Continents
Students read Discover the Seven Continents and answer comprehension questions by pointing to the map and responding to text (e.g., naming continents and features). Students choose animals from each continent, act out how those animals move, and match animals to continents, using vocabulary from the reading. Students discuss weather bands, label the equator, and color bands as warmest/next warmest/coldest, which prompts use of descriptive words like warm, cold, and related geographic terms.
Lesson 8
People Change Geography
Students are asked to write each spelling word three times and to use each word in a written or oral sentence (Activity 6: Unit Spelling). Students are asked to write a sentence about each crop/farm they read about after looking on the Internet or in books (Activity 2). Students respond to oral prompts and discussions about how people change the land and what pollution is (Introduction, Activities 1 and 3), which elicits use of vocabulary in conversation.
Final Project
Geography of a Continent
Students reread Discover the Seven Continents and discuss land features, animals, and places, which exposes them to geography vocabulary. Students gather information from books and the Internet and record facts on a poster page labeled About the Continent of ___. Students create a poster (writing names of oceans, recording information) or prepare a presentation in which they list each prop and describe how they will use it and then practice and present to family.
Unit 2: People Around the World
Lesson 1
Exploring Culture
Students read about culture (pp. 10–13) and answer comprehension questions, prompting them to use vocabulary from the text. Students conduct an interview with a community member from a different cultural background and fill in answers on the Interview page, requiring spoken and written responses. Students illustrate and write examples on the "Looking at My Culture" page and compare/contrast cultural elements verbally in the Wrapping Up discussion, encouraging use of words and phrases gained from reading and conversation.
Lesson 2
Traditions
Students read descriptions of holidays and foods, participate in discussions about traditions, and answer guided questions about similarities and differences. Students write sentences on multiple activity pages (Holidays, Celebrating Christmas, My Favorite Holiday) and complete a Venn diagram and responses that require them to use words and phrases from the readings and conversations. The skills list explicitly includes "Share personal experiences and responses to experiences with text" and "Connect ideas and themes across text," which students practice through discussion and written responses.
Lesson 3
Different Religions
Students read informational passages about religious holidays (Ramadan, Easter, Hanukkah, Christmas) and identify related vocabulary (holiday names, religions, symbols) through a matching activity. Students discuss religious practices and answer questions about how religion influences culture, engaging in conversation-based learning. Students write about their family's beliefs on a lined page and produce a bar graph from survey data, which requires them to respond to texts and communicate information in writing.
Lesson 4
Homes and Culture
Students are asked to write a paragraph about a family tradition (Activity 1) that explains what the tradition is, when it occurs, and why it is important, which requires choosing words and phrases to describe events. In Activity 4 students write names of rooms and descriptions of the purpose of each room and then demonstrate how family members use the rooms, which requires descriptive language. The lesson lists 'Compose a variety of written products' as a skill and directs students to identify nouns and verbs in their sentences, linking to explicit language work.
Lesson 5
Transportation in Culture
Students match transportation words from a word box to speeds, draw and label the vehicles, and write personal sentences such as "I rode in an airplane to Nebraska." Students read pages from The Usborne Children's Picture Atlas, act out forms of transportation, and role-play transportation jobs, providing opportunities to acquire and use words and phrases through reading and conversation. Students complete spelling fill-in-the-blank sentences and write "My Day as a ___" narratives that require using transportation-related vocabulary.
Lesson 6
American Culture
Students participate in conversations, songs, and discussions and are asked to compose a variety of written products (Skills). Students describe and write a sentence about a personal symbol, fill in cultural information inside an outline of the United States (famous song, a symbol, a home, a leader, jobs), and write a letter to a child from another country explaining American cultures and tips for living here. Students also read about and match leaders to their contributions and sing/read classic American songs, providing opportunities to encounter and use new words and phrases.
Lesson 7
History of America
Students read and listen to Three Young Pilgrims and other texts and answer comprehension questions, which requires them to use words and phrases from the readings in discussion. Students participate in conversations and discussions about explorers, Pilgrims, and colonial life, and they point out and describe animals, foods, homes, and differences between past and present. Students create a Venn diagram and write about three ways culture has changed, tasks that require them to choose vocabulary to describe similarities, differences, and changes over time.
Lesson 8
Asian Culture
The Skills section explicitly lists "Select and use new vocabulary in speech and writing." Activity 3 (Chinese Zodiac) has students read descriptions that contain many descriptive words and read those descriptions aloud and match family years to animals. Activity 8 and Activity 2 require students to write a paragraph and complete a guidebook using information and pictures, and Activity 1 discussion prompts ask students to describe habitats, clothes, and actions. Activity 5 asks students to record panda characteristics (colors, habitat, body covering) which elicits use of descriptive words.
Lesson 9
African Culture
Students read or are read Africa Is Not a Country and are asked to identify nations on a map and describe what they see (e.g., "What types of clothing do the people wear?", "Can you describe some of the activities that the children are doing?", "What does the land look like?"). Students record foods from the book and discuss tastes during a family taste test, and they complete a Venn diagram comparing similarities and differences between themselves and an African child. Students also fill in a guidebook using information from the text and explain games they create, naming materials, rules, and strategies.
Lesson 10
South American Culture
Students read Explore South America and answer guided comprehension questions aloud (e.g., describe habitats, animals, and differences between communities). Students complete written sentence prompts on the "A South American Animal" sheet and the spelling activity where they must use spelling words in sentences about continents or countries. Students discuss culture (jobs, food, activities) and create a guidebook entry, providing opportunities to use words and phrases acquired from reading and conversation.
Unit 3: Stories Around the World
Lesson 1
Fiction or Nonfiction
Students are asked to read two fiction storybooks and "write one sentence to describe each story," and to "describe why" they liked or disliked each story (Activity 2). The skills list includes that students should "respond to a variety of stories and poems through ... writing," which implies written responses to texts. Activity 3 also has students read titles/covers and create their own book covers and titles, requiring them to produce words and phrases in response to texts.
Lesson 2
Character
The lesson explicitly defines adjectives and directs students to write describing words for characters in multiple activities (Activity 1 and Activity 3). Students reread or listen to texts and record what characters think, say, and do (Activity 2 and Activity 4), and they role-play characters and respond in character (Activity 5), which requires using vocabulary encountered in reading and conversation. Students also compare characters and record similarities and differences (Venn diagram), encouraging them to use descriptive language from texts and discussions.
Lesson 3
Story Setting
Students are asked to describe places and the feelings those settings evoke as they examine illustrations and texts (Introduction). The Creating a Setting pages direct students to "draw a scene using loaded words" and to "describe how each setting would have details of the setting," prompting them to choose descriptive language. Activity 4 asks students to listen for words that describe the setting, label parts of their picture, and compare their descriptions to the book's illustrations, which encourages using words from read-alouds and texts.
Lesson 5
Folktales and Fairy Tales
Students are asked to describe characters (e.g., "Describe Yeh-Shen at the beginning... Describe her at the end") and to answer comprehension prompts such as "What was your favorite part? Why?" that require verbal or written responses. Students complete "Folktales and Culture" charts and are told they can "illustrate or describe each example," which asks them to produce descriptive language about people, clothing, homes, food, animals, and landforms. The skills list directs students to "Respond and elaborate by answering what, when, where, why, and how questions" and to "Discuss and explain response to how, why, and what if questions," prompting use of words and phrases from reading and conversation.
Lesson 6
Cinderella Stories Around the World
Students are asked to describe characters and settings (e.g., "Describe her at the beginning of the story," and "Ask your child to look through the pictures…describe the setting of each story"). The skills list explicitly states students will "Use words that describe characters, settings, actions, and events in simple texts (LA)." Students complete charts and a Venn diagram comparing stories, which requires writing descriptive information and retelling plot events.
Lesson 7
Theme
Students are asked to describe main characters, major events, and the theme after reading a story (Activity 1), which requires them to use words and phrases from the text. Students explain the lesson/theme of fables in their own words and discuss how to apply it to their lives (Activity 2), practicing phrase use in response to texts. Students create and dictate original stories, read them aloud, and revise them after researching animal facts (Activities 4 and 5), which gives them opportunities to incorporate vocabulary learned from reading and conversation.
Lesson 8
Myths and Legends
Students read and retell myths (Activity 1 Student Activity Page "How Rabbit Brought Fire to the People") and answer comprehension questions about characters, motives, and feelings (e.g., "Why do you think the weasels didn't want to share the fire?", "How did Paul feel about his ox, Babe?"). The Skills section explicitly directs students to "Analyze characters including their traits, feelings, relationships, and changes" and to "Retell folktales and legends," and the Wrapping Up prompts ask students to describe myths and explain why they enjoyed a story.
Lesson 9
Poetry
Students read and respond to poems (Activity 1 and Activity 4) and answer questions about images, activities, and cultural details, requiring them to use words and phrases from the texts. In Activity 2 students fill charts for Weather, Clothing, Homes, Holidays, Activities, and Animals using examples from the poems and pictures. Activity 3 asks students to write their own month poem with a template that specifically includes spaces for adjectives (example: "Old friends, New presents, And stars of gold").
Final Project
A New Cinderella
The Skills list explicitly asks students to "Select and use new vocabulary and language structures orally and in writing" and to "Use words that describe characters, settings, actions, and events in simple texts." Students are prompted to answer sentence prompts (e.g., "(main character) was very upset because...", "Then (main character) met (magical help)") and to name and describe the main character and setting. The plan asks students to read the example story aloud and compare and contrast versions, which gives students opportunities to hear and respond to language from texts.
4: Relationships
Unit 1: Living Things and Their Environment
Lesson 1
Relationships Among Organisms
Students match specific vocabulary words (Genetics, Offspring, Trait, Heredity) to their definitions on the "Inheritance Vocabulary" page. Students watch videos and have text read aloud to them and then use that input to complete the vocabulary activity. Students identify and describe traits (e.g., "curly hair," "green eyes," "long fur/short fur," "small/medium/large") when matching parents and offspring, completing trait charts, and designing a dream dog.
Lesson 2
Heredity Lab
Students are prompted to name and color Generation 1–3 creatures and to "talk about the traits" such as top body color, bottom body color, and antenna color, which requires using color words and trait vocabulary. Activity 4 (Spelling) asks students to use each target word (trait, offspring, species, parent) in an oral sentence and to write each word three times, giving explicit practice producing and writing new words and phrases. Multiple prompts ask students to discuss how generations differ and to explain what they learned about traits and heredity, encouraging spoken use of vocabulary in response to investigations.
Lesson 3
Sun, Moon, and Stars
Students read Does the Sun Sleep? aloud and answer comprehension questions, showing they respond to a read-aloud text. Students color, label, and describe three stars and explicitly use temperature adjectives (hot, hotter, hottest) on the Stars activity page. Students write spelling words (Sun, Moon, night, star, day) and draw pictures, practicing vocabulary in written form.
Lesson 4
Seasons and Living Things
Students read Sunshine Makes the Seasons and answer comprehension questions about day length, Earth's tilt, and rotation, engaging in discussion about the text. Students label the seasons on a diagram and discuss how seasons affect plants, animals, and people, describing changes such as leaves changing color, trees losing leaves, and flowers growing. Students sequence animals after listening to Bear Snores On and make/observe a bird feeder, prompting talk about migration and hibernation vocabulary.
Lesson 5
Rivers
Students are read Life Cycles: River and then answer comprehension questions, requiring them to respond to text. Students label illustrations on the "Freshwater Sources" page and sort/classify animals, using and applying vocabulary terms (river, lake, stream, pond; producers, consumers). Students make a picture dictionary of the lesson spelling words and write each word multiple times. Students draw life-cycle stages and write a simple sentence for each stage in their own words.
Final Project
Investigating the Environment
Students are asked to "write a sentence about what she saw" when organizing photographs and to "illustrate and describe 4 stages" on the Life Cycle page, which requires them to use descriptive words. Students must "list 3 traits" of a parent and offspring and "record and organize data using pictures, numbers, and words," which prompts use of vocabulary to describe observations. Students also "communicate observations and justify explanations using student-generated data," which involves selecting words and phrases to explain findings.
Unit 2: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Lesson 1
Relationships
Students read Chapters 1 and 2 aloud and answer comprehension questions, showing engagement with words and phrases from the text. Students complete a targeted vocabulary activity where they choose and write definitions for seven words (specimen, annoyance, genuine, disappoint, restless, ferocious, oblivion) using sentence-level context. Students draw and write three sentences describing a favorite stuffed animal's personality and are challenged to use at least one vocabulary word, and they are asked at the end to use each vocabulary word correctly in their own sentence.
Lesson 2
Point of View
Students read Chapters 3 and 4 aloud and then answer comprehension and interpretive questions, requiring them to retell Pellegrina's tale and explain figurative language. Students are asked to describe Abilene's and Edward's points of view (e.g., "She loves him dearly") and to list similarities and differences in a Venn diagram using descriptive traits such as "cold," "wealthy," and "loved by people who are kinder than they are." The activities require students to use words and phrases from the text and conversation to explain feelings, viewpoints, and character traits.
Lesson 3
The Queen Mary
Students are read Chapters 5 and 6 aloud and answer comprehension questions, connecting reading/listening to their word choices. The Shades of Meaning activity and Student Activity Page ask students to substitute more descriptive words for underlined adjectives and verbs (e.g., replace "large," "beautiful," "threw"). The Wrapping Up exercise has students repeat sentences and replace an emphasized word with a more interesting descriptive word, reinforcing word-choice practice.
Lesson 4
Pronouns
Students read chapters aloud and answer comprehension questions that ask about Edward's thoughts, feelings, and who found him, which requires them to use words and phrases from the text. In Activity 2, students are asked to describe Edward's relationships with Abilene and with Nellie and Lawrence and to write words or draw symbols in the rabbit head to represent those relationships. The Skills section explicitly asks students to "Describe how characters in a story respond to major events and challenges" and to "Use information gained from the illustrations and words...to demonstrate understanding," which prompts descriptive responses.
Lesson 5
Emotions
Students read Chapters 10–12 of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and discuss author-chosen quotes that convey Edward's feelings, prompting them to notice descriptive words and phrases. Students are asked to write a 'Goodbye Note' from Edward that must show emotions rather than simply list them, with a model sentence provided ("I cried silent tears when I left") that uses descriptive language. The lesson prompts oral discussion about how the author uses creative, meaningful words to show that Edward is happy and content, encouraging students to use language encountered in the text and conversation.
Lesson 6
Irregular Verbs
Students are asked to listen to Chapters 13–14 read aloud and answer comprehension questions, which requires them to use words and phrases from the text when responding (e.g., describing Edward's feelings and what Bull called him). Activity 2 and the discussion of stars and symbols introduce vocabulary such as "constellations" and "symbol" and ask students to talk about why stars are important. The wrapping up section asks students to produce spoken sentences drawn from their knowledge of the story and language (though focused on past-tense verbs).
Lesson 7
Figurative Language
Students read chapters aloud and discuss the meaning of figurative phrases from the book, identifying literal versus intended meanings. Students are asked to copy a favorite quoted sentence with figurative language and circle the figurative part, and an option asks students to write their own sentence about a character that contains figurative language. The wrap-up asks students to skim books to find examples of figurative language, providing further exposure to descriptive phrases.
Lesson 8
The Falling Star
Students are read Chapters 17 and 18 aloud and answer comprehension questions, requiring them to respond to text and discuss character relationships. Students write sentences using prepositions about Edward, circle the preposition, and illustrate the sentences, which requires them to produce words and phrases in writing. Students discuss moral questions about Bryce and Sarah Ruth, which involves using words acquired through conversation to express ideas.
Lesson 9
Apostrophes
Students read Chapters 19–21 aloud and answer comprehension questions about plot and characters, showing they respond to a text. Students practice forming contractions: they insert apostrophes, identify the two words that combine, and write contractions from word pairs. In the more challenging option, students must use the contraction in their own sentence, practicing production of words/phrases in context.
Lesson 10
Illustrations
Students are asked to retell the story using illustrations as a guide and to copy quotes from scenes, which requires them to use words and phrases from the text. The "Explain an Illustration" activity directs students to write who, what, when, and where and to explain why an illustration is their favorite, prompting descriptive responses. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to describe environments Edward experienced and to explain which "family" was their favorite and why, encouraging spoken or written description.
Lesson 11
Building Sentences
Students read Chapters 25-27 and the Coda of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and answer comprehension questions, which engages them with text-based language. In Activity 3 students are asked to add one or more adjectives to sentences and, in the more challenging option, to change word order, providing direct practice using adjectives to describe. In Activity 4 students write simple sentences describing Edward's relationships on a timeline, requiring them to produce descriptive language in response to the text.
Final Project
Chalkboard Presentation
Students dictate sentences that state their opinion of the story and explain why they feel that way (Slide 1), requiring them to produce phrases in response to the text. Students dictate sentences describing their favorite part and favorite relationship (Slides 2–3), choosing images and titles to represent those ideas and thereby using descriptive language. Students select, practice, and record a favorite paragraph from the book, so they read and reproduce words and phrases from the text aloud.
Unit 3: Connecting with the Past
Lesson 1
Studying History
Students are asked to use chronology vocabulary in sentences (Activity 1) and to insert the correct vocabulary words into fill-in-the-blank sentences on the Chronology Vocabulary student page, providing direct practice using words such as "recent," "historic," "past," and "future." Students discuss history prompts (e.g., "Ask your child what he knows about American history") and explain differences between primary and secondary sources, which encourages verbal use of domain words. Students label and create timelines of their lives and of American history, applying temporal vocabulary (past, present, future, decade, century) in writing and speaking.
Lesson 2
Colonization and the Revolution
Students are read to from books (Your Life as a Settler in Colonial America; O, Say Can You See?) and are asked comprehension and opinion questions that require them to respond in writing or orally (e.g., explain how boys and girls were treated, list things we enjoy today because of the colonists). Students write short responses on activity pages (fill in blanks about George Washington; list two things on the "Colonists and the American Revolution" page) and create Thanksgiving leaves on which they write things they are thankful for. Students practice selected vocabulary words in a Spelling Journal by writing target words multiple times.
Lesson 3
Slavery and the Civil War
Students watch/read biographical texts and videos and then identify and write five character traits for Henry, explaining each trait with evidence from the book. Students add dates, pictures, and descriptions to timelines for Harriet Tubman and Abraham Lincoln, and complete fill-in-the-blank pages about those figures using words and phrases from the texts. Students complete a sentence-completion activity ("Because the Civil War was fought, today ________") that requires them to use words/phrases to describe consequences.
Lesson 4
Immigration
Students are asked to describe how people in historical photographs look with suggested adjectives (e.g., "sad, poor, serious, scared"). Students listen to immigrant oral histories and are asked to describe a favorite recording and retell a story, requiring use of words and phrases acquired through listening and reading. Students complete a written "Connecting with the Past" page where they write about how the country and lives have been impacted, which prompts use of descriptive language from the texts and conversations.
Lesson 5
Civil Rights
Students read The Story of Ruby Bridges and are asked discussion questions that prompt descriptive responses (e.g., "How would you describe Ruby's family?"). Students are asked to write and complete a Civil Rights page with sentence prompts about how the country has been impacted, and to explain the movement in their own words during the wrap-up. Students practice vocabulary by writing key words (free, war, bus, equal) three times in a Spelling Journal.
Final Project
Preparing Projects
Students assemble, read, and organize their "Famous Americans" book and timeline and then share these texts with family, which requires them to respond to and talk about texts. Students practice presenting the "Connecting with the Past" poster and explaining how past events impact the present, engaging in speaking and conversation about the content. Students color, order, and physically create project pieces, which involves working directly with words/phrases on the pages as they prepare their presentation.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Word Families and Long Vowel Review
Students read and respond to shared readings and a short reader (Fun and Then Cake), answering comprehension questions about events and details. In Activity 4.3 students reorder words to form the sentence "A wet dog sat on the big rug," requiring them to place and read adjectives (wet, big) in a sentence. Students also practice and write sight words (e.g., along, while) and read aloud sentences and word pairs during multiple activities.
Lesson 2
Vowel Teams Review
Students read and respond to a short reader and answer comprehension questions such as "Do you like snow? Why or why not?", which asks them to use words and phrases when responding to text. The Life Application asks students to find long-vowel words around the house and "try to use the words in sentences," prompting use of acquired words in spoken context. Sight-word activities model and provide example sentences using target words (e.g., "We say..." and "She says...") and ask students to read and use those words aloud.
Lesson 3
Complex Consonants Review
Students reorder words in the Sentence Scramble to produce a sentence that includes adjectives ("The strong man picks up the huge wrench"). In the Fill in the Blanks activity students write words into a passage that includes adjectives such as "strong" and "sweet." During reading and comprehension (Reader #3 and Shared Reading) students answer questions about the story and respond to riddles, demonstrating use of words and phrases from texts.
Lesson 4
R-Controlled Vowels Review
Students read a grade-level reader (The Big Race) and answer follow-up questions that require them to respond to the text and talk about their preferences (e.g., "Do you like to watch races? What makes them exciting?"). Students complete a Sentence Scramble and a life-application activity in which they dictate a short sentence and then reorder words, which asks them to produce and use words and phrases in writing and speech. Students also engage in sight-word activities (Word Hunt, Word Swat) that require them to read and say words aloud and to use them in simple oral responses.
Lesson 5
More R-Controlled Vowels
Students read and discuss words and meanings aloud (e.g., Activity 1.2 asks students to talk about word meanings and sort by sounds/spellings). Students produce sentences using target words (Activity 2.2 prompts students to use "hear" and "heard" in present and past sentences). Students respond to a read-aloud by answering comprehension and opinion questions about storms (Activity 5.1 asks "Do you like storms? Why or why not?").
Lesson 6
Other Vowel Sounds
Students are taught the sight word "always" and read it aloud, identify its syllable count, and answer that it is the opposite of "never." Students read and respond to a reader (If Fish Could Talk) and answer comprehension questions that require them to use words and phrases from the text. Students are prompted to write words and sentences in the Life Application activity and to use context to confirm word meaning while reading.
Lesson 7
More Long Vowel Spellings
Students read aloud and respond to texts (Shared Reading, Reader #7) and answer comprehension and opinion questions (e.g., "What do you think of snakes?"). Students discuss word meanings and explain how they sorted long-vowel words into groups, verbally identifying letters and sounds that make particular vowel patterns. Students compare and contrast words in conversations (e.g., discussing the difference between "through" and "threw," and between "many" and "any").
Lesson 8
Vowel Sounds Review
Students reread grade-level readers and write words from those texts into columns by vowel sound in Word Hunt #1 and Word Hunt #2. They read and practice sight words (Activity 1.2 and Day 2 sight word review) and practice word building and spelling while discussing word meanings (Activity 2.2). Students also complete Fill in the Blanks and sorting activities that require recognizing and writing words from reading and the student-created Who Makes the Sound? chart.
Lesson 10
Complex Consonants: tch vs. ch, ck vs. k
Students read and respond to texts (The Egg at the Lake) by answering comprehension and prediction questions and by reading pages aloud. Students explain word meanings, sort and spell words with tch/ch/ck/k/ke, and are prompted to use new vocabulary when discussing word meanings and categorizing spellings. Students are asked to share what they learned about consonant combinations with family and friends, providing an opportunity to use words and phrases acquired through reading and conversations.
Lesson 11
Final e: ce, ve, ze, se
Students read Aesop's Fables and answer comprehension questions (e.g., name a favorite fable, explain morals), showing they respond to texts and use language from reading. Students use sight words "three" and "put" in sentences, read and say vocabulary lists aloud, and sort and group words ending in ce, ve, ze, and se, providing practice with words acquired through reading and conversation. Students read aloud, complete a word search, and choose correct spellings while explaining word meanings (for example, distinguishing "piece" and "peace"), demonstrating use of words in context.
Lesson 12
Homophones
Students read and reread texts (shared reading and Reader #12) and identify and write homophones they find, demonstrating use of words acquired from reading. Students discuss word meanings aloud, draw pictures to show meanings, and complete sentence-fill and sentence-selection activities (To/Two/Too page; Homophone Sentences) that require choosing and using words in context. Students also play a homophone memory game and pair words from cut-up cards, practicing spoken and written use of vocabulary learned from videos, reader text, and teacher/parent prompts.
Lesson 13
Making Plurals
Students read aloud in shared reading (Activity 1.1) and answer comprehension questions about the text, giving them opportunities to hear and use words from reading. Students preview and respond to Reader #13 (Day 4 and Day 5) by predicting events and answering questions about characters and actions. Students practice and read sight words in multiple activities (Activity 1.3, Activity 3.2) and participate in oral tasks such as hopping and reading words aloud in the Word Path option.
Lesson 14
Uncommon Plurals
Students read and produce plural noun forms aloud during shared reading and reader activities (e.g., finding and reading plural words in The Witches Go to the Beach, sorting words into add s vs. add es, pairing singular/plural cards, and completing Fill in the Blanks with plural words). Students read and use sight words such as "children" and "women," are asked to identify them as plural, and are prompted to use those sight words in sentences. Students also speak and write plural forms (e.g., writing "skies," "toys," "keys," "knives") and match irregular plurals in multiple activities.
Lesson 15
Words Ending with ed and ing
Students read and respond to texts (Shared Reading and The Red-Eyed Tree Frog) and are asked to use words learned in sentences (e.g., write sentences with "knew"/"know," use sight words, and use thumped/crying/scooted/fetching in sentences). Students participate in conversations about past, present, and future actions and identify and write action words from texts (Activities 1.1, 1.2, 2.1, and Day 5). The lesson also asks students to use words from reading in oral and written activities (gluing sentences by tense, filling in blanks with correct verb forms, and composing sentences on the laminated sheet).
Lesson 16
Words Ending with er and est
Students practice describing objects with adjectives in Activities 1.2 and 5.1 (e.g., naming red, smooth, round for an apple; saying small, smaller, smallest). Students complete fill-in-the-blank comparative sentences (Activity 2.1) and sort/base/er/est forms (Activities 2.2, 3.2, 4.1), reading and writing comparative and superlative adjectives. Students read and respond to a reader (Bug Game Day), answer comprehension questions, and are prompted to use comparative/superlative language in conversation (Life Application).
Lesson 17
Semester Review
Students practice adjective forms in Activity 3.1 where they search for base describing words and their er/est forms (cute, strong, flat, easy, lazy, slow). Students place words into sentence contexts in the Fill in the Blank activity (e.g., reading sentences that include descriptors like "hot, yummy soup") and read those completed sentences aloud. Students reconstruct and produce full sentences in Sentence Scrambles, which requires arranging words (including descriptive words) into correct sentences.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Compound Words
Students read and use color theme words in multiple activities (reading the Colors paragraph, circling color words, and completing Color the Balloons). Students color chameleons and write the corresponding color word beneath each picture, practicing use of color words as descriptors. Students are asked to use the sight word "own" in a sentence and to consider other meanings of "blue," linking word meanings to feelings and responding to text-based questions about the story.
Lesson 2
The Six Syllable Types
Students label animals with their colors and color pictures (Activity 3.1), read and identify color words from A Color of His Own, and answer explicit questions about the colors of animals (Questions #2-#4). Students are asked to answer a reflective question—"If you were a chameleon what color would you want to be?" and "Do you think it would be fun...Why?"—which requires them to use descriptive words and phrases. In Activity 5.1, students draw an animal card, read the animal name, and are asked to say a sentence aloud using the animal name, providing an opportunity to produce phrases in context. The shared reading dialog models descriptive adjectives ("bright and pretty") that students can hear and repeat.
Lesson 3
Open and Closed Syllables
Students are asked to read the sight words "under" and "never" and to use each word in a sentence, which requires producing phrases acquired from the lesson. Students locate and write words from Mouse Soup (knee, whiskers, waist, never, under) and answer comprehension questions, practicing using words and phrases from reading. Students complete a fill-in-the-blank activity that requires inserting the adjective "silent" to complete a sentence, demonstrating recognition of an adjective in context.
Lesson 4
Syllables with R-Controlled Vowels
Students are asked to use vocabulary from reading and theme word cards when they "think of a story about a walk" and write words as they use them (Activity 2.1). Students write sentences using sight words and a two-syllable r-controlled word in Activity 5.2, and students respond to reading comprehension questions that prompt personal answers (e.g., "Have you ever been kept awake by something? How did it make you feel?"). The skills list also asks students to retell stories and describe characters, settings, and major events using key details, which implies opportunities to use acquired words and phrases.
Lesson 5
Two-Syllable Words Ending in y
Students are asked to use sight words like "beautiful" and "again" orally in a sentence (Activity 1.3). Students locate and record words from the text and then read or say them aloud (Activity 4.2 and Reading and Questions). Students form and use adjective forms by adding -y (e.g., dirty, lumpy, windy) and practice spelling and filling sentence frames with those describing words (Activity 5.2, Spelling Puppy Words, and Puppy Word Sentences).
Lesson 6
Possessives
Students are prompted in Activity 3.1 to examine the blue marble and "think of as many words and phrases (groups of words) as possible" and then read back their list, which requires producing vocabulary acquired from the text. The reading comprehension Q1 models descriptive language in the answer key ("A shiny blue marble"), showing an expectation that students notice and use descriptive phrases. The skills list and reading tasks ask students to "ask and answer questions about key details" and to "describe characters, settings, and major events, using key details," which direct students to use words and phrases when responding to the text.
Lesson 7
Contractions
Students are asked to read and use target words such as "don't" and "it's" in oral or written sentences (Activity 1.3) and to locate and convert phrases to contractions from the text (Activity 4.2). In Activity 3.1 (Before and After) students draw Penny and write three words that describe how she felt before and after events, practicing descriptive word use. Multiple activities require students to retell, answer comprehension questions, and discuss how Penny acted and felt, providing chances to use words and phrases acquired from reading and discussion.
Lesson 8
Two-Syllable Words with Silent e
Students discuss characters' feelings and answer questions about the story (Day 3 Activity 3.1 and Reading Questions asking "Do you like winter? Why or why not?"), prompting them to use descriptive words and phrases. In Activity 3.1 students write a word on each snowflake point that "describes winter and/or how she feels about it," which asks them to produce descriptive vocabulary. Activity 4.1 has students give an oral summary of the story and Activity 4.2 asks them to find words in the text, both of which require using words and phrases acquired from reading and conversation.
Lesson 9
Vowel Teams
Students read Frog and Toad and then locate and use vocabulary from the text (e.g., rain, dry, wet, warm, cold) in activities such as the weather forecast matching, the Weather Conditions chart, and the "Finding Words in the Text" task. Students are asked to use sight words in sentences (for example, using "together" and "idea" in a sentence) and to complete cloze sentences by selecting appropriate vocabulary from a provided word list. Students also identify words and phrases that suggest feelings when answering comprehension questions about the stories.
Lesson 10
Consonant Teams
Students read and respond to Frog and Toad All Year and answer comprehension questions aloud, demonstrating use of words and phrases from a text. Students generate 3–5 character traits for Frog and Toad and read the trait chart aloud, practicing descriptive words/phrases that describe characters' behavior. Students are asked to use sight words orally in sentences and to write a sentence about a holiday, showing practice using words acquired through reading and conversation.
Lesson 11
Consonant + le Syllables
Students read and identify feelings theme words (happy, care, envy, love, tired, hungry, scared, angry) in Activities 2.1 and 4.2 and record where they appear in the book. Students complete fill-in-the-blank emotion sentences and personal prompts on the "Feeling Words" page (e.g., "I feel happy when I ___") and answer comprehension questions about characters' feelings after reading Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse. Students write five original sentences using target words from the sorting pages in Activity 5.2, practicing putting newly learned words into their own sentences.
Lesson 12
Suffixes
Students are directly taught the meanings of suffixes that form adjectives and adverbs (e.g., ly = answers how or how often; ful = full of; less = without) and practice forming words such as quickly, truthful, and playful. Multiple activities ask students to add suffixes and read the resulting adjectives/adverbs aloud (Add a Suffix, Suffix Spelling, Add an Ending or Suffix). Students are asked to use words in context by writing sentences with sight words, telling a story that includes all eight theme words and writing them down, and filling in text blanks from the story (Finding Words in the Text, Activity 2.1, Activity 1.3). Students also describe story elements (characters, setting, problem, solution) and explain character motives, which asks them to use descriptive language in their responses (Story Elements, Reading and Questions).
Lesson 13
Prefixes
Students read poems (pages 2-14) and answer comprehension questions (e.g., which poem was your favorite), identify words or phrases in poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses, and describe how words and phrases supply rhythm and meaning. Students complete activities that build vocabulary (matching prefixes to meanings, finding words in the text such as "remember" and "evening," and adding prefixes to base words) and read and say sight words aloud during shared reading and sight-word activities.
Lesson 14
Words Starting with q or a
Students are given sight word cards for "question" and "different" and are asked to use each word orally in a sentence, providing direct practice using an adjective in speech. Students read poems aloud and are asked what images they see (close-eyes imagery task), which prompts them to describe responses to text with words and phrases. Students read and sort words that include adverbs (e.g., quickly, quietly) and complete sentence-fill activities and word-finding tasks that require them to place and read target words in sentences.
Lesson 15
Semester Review
Students learn about suffixes including -ly with the explicit note that "ly = answers how or how often" and build words that include -ly (for example, safely, honestly) during the Prefix and Suffix activity. Students read and respond to texts by rereading books aloud, discussing theme words, and completing a wrap-up in which they tell which book was their favorite and explain why. Students also write sentences using target words (Activity 5.3 asks students to write four sentences using qu and a words).
Final Project
Write Your Own Story
Students are directed to read sight word cards and theme word lists and to incorporate 4 theme words and 4 sight words into their stories (Activities 1.1, 2.1, Day 2). Students are asked to use readers from Semester 1 as inspiration and to complete a Story Idea planning page that identifies characters, setting, and beginning/middle/end before writing pages of the book.