Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students are instructed to research the history of pearl diving, take at least 15 note cards, organize a logical sequence, and write a one-page script for an oral presentation. Students are asked to choose and use at least two visual aids and to practice giving the presentation, with assessment based on content and delivery. The parent plan and directions explicitly tell students to make eye contact and use inflections in their voice and list speaking techniques such as voice modulation, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students are prompted to discuss topics with a parent (e.g., how money and education form divisions of power) and answer guided "Questions to Discuss," which requires students to state opinions and reasons aloud. Students are asked to brainstorm symbolic meanings of the pearl using a web and to answer reading questions in complete sentences, practicing organization of ideas. Several parent prompts instruct discussion of character changes and cultural symbols, encouraging students to articulate claims about the text.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students read Chapter 5 and develop four discussion questions of specified types (Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, On My Own) and provide answers, which requires them to formulate and support claims or responses. Students are asked to share stylistic devices recorded in their journal, prompting them to describe and explain textual details to another person. Parent-plan prompts and "Questions to Discuss" invite students to talk through answers and reasoning with a parent or teacher.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students are asked to select a parable and practice an oral retelling without reading, then gather their family and tell the story aloud. The instructions encourage using props, hand gestures, and body movements to make the retelling more dramatic and to engage the audience. After the presentation, students are prompted to ask the audience to explain the lesson the story teaches. The Parent Plan asks caregivers to discuss the student's storytelling skills after the retelling.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students are asked to describe to a parent the lesson their parable will teach and to explain that lesson, which requires them to state a claim and support it with evidence from the text. The Skills list asks students to "produce final drafts/presentations" and to "listen to and monitor self to correct errors," implying some oral performance and self-monitoring. The rubric and story-map activities require students to organize and emphasize the theme, plot, and character details, which supports presenting coherent findings in a focused way.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write a speech defending or prosecuting Kino and to use persuasive techniques and evidence from the story, which requires presenting claims and supporting details. Students must write and rehearse a script to perform in pairs or small groups and create a 2-minute summarizing script that focuses on key events, characters, and the book's message. The Parent Plan explicitly lists that students should engage the audience with verbal cues, facial expressions, gestures, and use voice modulation, inflection, tempo, enunciation, and eye contact for effective presentations.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are asked to provide a brief verbal summary of the chapters they read, which requires them to speak findings aloud. The Mozambique Trivia option explicitly asks students to read their trivia questions aloud to the family. Parents are prompted to ask the child to share quilt illustrations or check answers, which involves students verbally describing or presenting their work. The Cultural Commentator role has students record findings about culture and characters that could be used in oral reporting.
Lesson 4
Escape
Students are asked to serve as a Literary Luminary by choosing two or three passages, reading them aloud to a parent, and explaining their reasons for selecting them, which requires stating findings about the text. The lesson also asks students to describe things they learned about the history of Mozambique and Zimbabwe, encouraging verbal summary of information. The parent-plan reiterates reading chapters and reading selected passages aloud and explaining reasons, providing repeated opportunities for oral explanation.
Lesson 8
Survival
Students are assigned the role of Summarizer to write a four- or five-sentence summary of Chapters 24–27 and share it with a parent, which requires identifying and communicating main events and significant details. The Skills list instructs students to summarize information from text and to include main ideas and most significant details in summaries. The Parent Plan and activities ask students to display their decorated calabash and explain how they decided on their design, prompting an oral explanation of choices and descriptive detail.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students identify figurative language examples in Chapters 28–30, record them in a journal, and read those examples aloud to a parent. Students answer discussion questions about Nhamo (explaining how she has changed, what happened to the kudu, etc.), providing explanations that require citing events and details. Students create or use a revision checklist that focuses attention on organization, introduction of main ideas, clear problem description, and use of descriptive language and examples in their personal narratives.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
Students are asked to "select a focus, organizational structure, and point of view for a presentation," and to "organize an interpretive response to literature around several clear ideas," which requires planning and emphasizing main points. Students create a 4–6 sentence postcard describing what Nhamo endured and how she changed, and design a storyboard with six important scenes that include descriptions of culture, geography, and survival—practicing use of pertinent details and examples. As a Dialogue Designer, students write a 6–10 line dialogue recreating interactions centered on events, reinforcing focused, coherent presentation of findings in written form.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students prepare and practice an oral presentation of their personal narrative, including guidance to "clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence and examples" and to "emphasize salient points in oral presentations." Students are instructed to use effective rate, volume, pitch, and tone and to engage the audience with movements, gestures, and facial expressions. The parent checklist and practice steps require students to rehearse aloud, use visual aids/props at appropriate times, and present to family for feedback.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
The Parent Plan asks parents to "ask your child whether or not he enjoys fantasy novels and why or why not" and to "ask your child to explain the directions for the vocabulary game and then play the game with your child," which requires the student to speak and explain orally. The vocabulary game requires players to read vocabulary words aloud, "recite the definition," "use correctly in a sentence," and respond to cube prompts, giving students practice saying words, definitions, and example sentences. The "Questions to Discuss" section lists open-ended prompts (e.g., why Gandalf picked Bilbo; how Bilbo changes) that prompt oral explanation and summarization of ideas.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students are asked to read their interview questions aloud and share three things they would tell Tolkien about the future, explaining their reasoning for each item. Students are asked to share and explain each image on a collage representing important aspects of Tolkien's life. Students are asked orally what their feelings about Bilbo are and whether their opinions changed after reading, providing reasons for their responses.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students are asked to describe the highlights of the journey to a parent and to read aloud at least one example of foreshadowing from the chapters, which requires them to present findings orally. The wrapping-up questions prompt students to explain foreshadowing and independent clauses aloud and to answer discussion questions with a parent, giving opportunities to speak and report observations.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students are instructed to "test the riddle on family members" and to "see if you or other family members can solve your child's riddle," which requires speaking the riddle aloud and gauging listener response. The Parent Plan includes "Questions to Discuss," prompting students to discuss characters and plot implications verbally with a parent. Students also write a brief description of the chapter and record foreshadowing, which could be used as content for an oral report or discussion.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students are asked to verbally summarize what happened after Bilbo escaped from Gollum, with a sample summary provided, which requires them to present events in a coherent way. The lesson includes discussion prompts that ask students to explain and justify opinions about characters (e.g., whether Beorn will be a good friend, why Gandalf did not finish the adventure), which requires students to state claims and support them. Students create and display a modeled creature with a written descriptive paragraph that includes facts, details, and figurative language to describe characteristics and powers.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
The Parent Plan lists as a skill: "Construct essays/presentations that respond to a given problem by proposing a solution that includes relevant details." The plan asks parents to "Ask your child to present the problem-solving process she used to help her solve a problem in her own life," and Activity 2 requires students to explain a problem, brainstorm solutions, evaluate pluses/minuses, and select the best solution. Students are directed to record events, write sentences describing actions, and use the "Problem Solving" page to organize solutions and rationale.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students are prompted to discuss and explain themes and character changes with a parent (e.g., "Ask your child to describe how change plays a role in the story" and multiple "Questions to Discuss"). Students must "Explain to your parent how each element affects the theme and mood of the story" when completing the Quest Cube and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences that require justification (e.g., why Bilbo gave away the Arkenstone). The activities require students to state claims (positions about Bilbo's actions and themes) and support them with descriptions, facts, and examples from the text.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students are asked to read a couple of early reviews and write a two- or three-sentence journal summary identifying whether the response is positive or negative and explaining major points the critic makes. Parents are instructed to have the child read aloud his summary and to encourage identification of literary elements discussed in the review. Students also answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about the book and summarize critics' views, which requires stating findings and key points in short oral or written form.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
The Skills section explicitly lists "Construct and present book/media reviews," and Parent Plan prompts ask the child to discuss enjoyment and lessons from the book, which requires verbal expression. Students plan and develop clear claims and supporting details through the prewriting web, outline, rubric, and requirements that body paragraphs include arguments supported by textual examples. The rubric and activities require students to identify and use textual evidence, facts, and examples to support their claims in a coherent structure.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 2
Tree-Ear
The Parent Plan lists the skill "Deliver oral summaries of books," and the Introducing the Lesson section instructs the child to give a brief oral summary highlighting the main events after reading the chapters. The Parent Plan discussion prompts ask the child to describe relationships and evaluate opportunities, which require the student to state claims or opinions aloud and support them with reasons.
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students are asked to write a one-page summary that identifies main ideas and events and answers who, what, when, where, which requires them to present findings in a concise, organized way. Students are asked to read their summary aloud and are encouraged to use effective tone and pitch, to read clearly and with confidence, and to sound as if communicating with an audience. Guidance to keep summaries focused on major events and avoid personal interpretation directs students to emphasize salient points rather than extraneous details.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students are asked to read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer questions in complete sentences, which requires organizing and stating findings (Questions #1-#4). Students create a mini-book about Tree-ear's opportunities and are directed to "Share your mini-book with a parent!" which requires presenting claims about how each opportunity benefited Tree-ear. Parent guidance asks the child to "explain how each opportunity benefited Tree-ear" and to "provide evidence from the text to support his conclusions," prompting students to use pertinent details and examples to defend their answers.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students are asked to explain what happened in the last two chapters and to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires oral or written summary of findings. Students are instructed to share artwork and explain how the image reflects a chosen Crane-man quote and to share their own words of wisdom with a younger child, describing two ways the quote rang true. The parent plan prompts discussion questions that require students to state reasons (e.g., whether Min should teach Tree-ear and why), encouraging verbal explanation and justification.
Lesson 10
The Fox
Students are asked to summarize what happened in two assigned chapters, which requires them to present findings aloud. Students are encouraged to read their short fox story aloud and to explain the purpose of the story and the lesson it teaches. The lesson prompts parents to ask follow-up questions and discuss the story, which requires students to state claims (e.g., the story's purpose) and support them with examples from their writing or the folktales they read.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are asked to explain their prediction about what will happen to Tree-ear and then discuss whether the prediction was correct after reading, which requires stating a claim and reporting findings. Students must describe relationships (two sentences each) and support those descriptions with examples from the text, citing characters' thoughts, words, and actions. Students are prompted to read aloud the sentences or words they selected and to provide examples from the book to support their choices, which involves presenting conclusions with textual evidence.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students are asked to research a controversial topic, gather multiple points of view, write an argumentative essay, and develop a visual aid to support an oral presentation. The Argumentative Essay Rubric evaluates ideas and organization, which requires students to present clear claims and supporting facts/details in their writing. The Independent Study Rubric includes a Presentation section with prompts such as "Did you speak clearly?" and asks whether the visual aid enhanced the presentation, implying assessment of oral delivery and use of supporting materials.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students read two contrasting news articles and complete the "Detecting Bias" handout, identifying how Sam Hughes is portrayed and citing specific bias techniques and examples. Students answer journal questions about propaganda techniques used in a government leaflet article, explaining purposes and evaluating effectiveness. In Activity 3, students analyze two video advertisements and two additional ads, identifying intended audience, the idea or product promoted, and whether the ads are effective, recording supporting details on a handout.
Lesson 6
Presentation
Students will present their position to a live audience and create a visual aid (tri-board, slideshow, PowerPoint, poster, etc.) to support their presentation. Students are instructed to prepare an outline to organize their presentation, practice referencing the visual aid, add information to help the audience understand the aid, time practice runs, and memorize or use brief index cards rather than reading verbatim. The Parent Plan skills list and rubric references indicate students synthesize research into an oral presentation and support ideas with facts, details, and examples.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 1
Ancient Greece
Students are prompted to describe what they already know about Greek mythology and to answer discussion questions, which requires them to speak about their ideas. Students must summarize the Greek creation story in two sentences, which asks them to present a concise finding. The Greek alphabet activity includes pronunciation guides and asks students to decode and write messages, giving students practice with producing letter sounds.
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students are asked to consider which god or goddess they found most interesting or respected and are encouraged to explain their decisions with examples, which requires stating a claim and supporting it. In the Go Greek card game, the youngest player must ask for a specific card and then read the descriptions aloud, giving students practice speaking factual descriptions about the gods. The parent prompts to 'play the Go Greek card game' reinforce verbal recall of names and facts during spoken interaction.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students are asked to choose a myth and write a short play (18–25 lines) that tells the story through characters' actions and dialogue. They are instructed to use a script-writing format (link provided) and to read the script aloud to ensure the audience will understand the story through dialogue and stage directions. Students may ask family members to perform the script, acting and directing the performance.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
The Parent Plan asks students to "Verbally summarize the story of Perseus," which requires students to speak and recount main points. The "Questions to Discuss" section directs students to answer aloud questions (e.g., what happens when the king wields power?), prompting oral responses that highlight facts and plot outcomes. The Reading and Questions section has short-answer items that could be used as prompts for students to report findings aloud.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students write a 60–90 second movie-trailer script for Hercules and are instructed to read it aloud to their family as if for a commercial, and students explain a Venn diagram comparing Heracles to a modern superhero. Students complete a comparison chart of the traditional and contemporary Icarus stories and are asked to discuss their findings with a parent. The Parent Plan and activities repeatedly ask students to share or explain their posters, diagrams, and observations aloud.
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students are asked to summarize and retell the Trojan War orally using cut-out characters and props, selecting the most important events from pages 180–184 and optionally quoting from the book. Students choose a format (dialogue/play or third-person narration), prepare notes or a written summary, and practice the retelling using figures and props before presentation. The Parent Plan explicitly lists delivering oral summaries that include main ideas and significant details, using own words, and applying language conventions during oral presentations.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students are asked to meet with a parent to share their draft and "explain how it follows the conventions of traditional myths," which requires them to state claims about their retelling and justify those claims. The rubric and conference directions prompt students to discuss story elements, organization (beginning, middle, end, problem and solution), and how their retelling aligns with conventions, encouraging them to reference specific details from their work. Students also revise and edit their draft and then present a final copy, providing opportunities to articulate findings about their writing.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students fill in the "A Medieval Manor" activity page by recording observations about jobs, clothing, homes, inventions, military defense, and comparisons to neighborhoods today, which requires collecting pertinent descriptions, facts, and details. Students write 3–4 sentence commentaries on feudalism from the perspectives of a knight, lord, and peasant, and are instructed to read those commentaries aloud to a parent using an appropriate tone and adding dramatic flair. The activities require students to identify and express findings in written form and to perform those findings aloud for an audience (a parent).
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students are asked to take on the role of a Line Locator: they find three to five lines or short passages, record page and paragraph numbers, read the passages aloud, and explain in their journal why they selected them. Students are asked to sing a ballad they write for family or to share information recorded on a Venn diagram, which requires them to present a personal event and compare it to Alyce's. Parent suggestions repeatedly encourage the child to share or read aloud selected passages, songs, and Venn-diagram comparisons with family.
Lesson 5
A Baby
Students write an imagined conversation between two or three characters that must center on events from Chapters 9–11 and may be persuasive or informative, which requires organizing information about those events. Students are asked to record the conversation in their journal and read it aloud to a parent (multiple prompts: "read his conversation aloud," "read it aloud to a parent when you are finished"), providing oral practice in delivering content.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students are asked to serve as a Literary Luminary by locating passages they find interesting, recording page/paragraph numbers, and reading selected passages aloud to a parent, which requires choosing salient text to share. Activity 2 (Livestock and Economics) asks students to draw animals and write examples of how each influenced medieval economics, requiring use of pertinent facts, details, and examples. The Sentence Elaboration activity has students practice adding descriptive adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and clauses, which supports producing pertinent descriptions and details.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students are asked to take on the role of a Connector and record connections between the book, their life, and the outside world, which requires them to state findings and support them with examples from the text. Activity 2 directs students to describe relationships at the beginning and end of the book and to "Provide details from the book to support your answers," asking students to emphasize salient changes. The Parent Plan and "Questions to Discuss" prompt students to share ideas and discuss whether Alyce made the right decision, inviting verbal explanation of claims and supporting reasons.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students write brief descriptions, elaborate with sensory details, and then read their descriptions aloud to a parent (Activity 1), which practices using pertinent descriptions and speaking to an audience. In Activity 2 students locate books, decide whether narrators are first- or third-person and whether third-person narrators are limited or omniscient, and share those findings with a parent. The "Things to Review" and discussion questions require students to read passages and identify point of view aloud and to explain differences using examples from texts.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
The Think-Tac-Toe board includes a Monologue activity that asks students to write and perform a monologue from the perspective of a medieval character, which requires oral presentation. The activity instructions and student pages provide space for writing a monologue and note that the monologue should explore the character's thoughts and feelings, implying a spoken performance component. The project structure asks students to choose and complete performance-style options (e.g., Story Cube, Book review, Monologue) as part of a final project, giving opportunities to present work aloud.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
Students identify and categorize four persuasion techniques (promises, dares, flattery, glittering generalities) and collect real-world ad examples, which requires them to recognize claims and supporting language. Students write their own ads (Option 2) and are instructed to "role-play as the creator," giving them practice producing and presenting persuasive claims aloud. Students are asked to "share your parentheses statements with a parent and use appropriate pauses when reading them," which gives them a brief opportunity to practice oral delivery pacing.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
Students are asked to 'organize an interpretation around several clear ideas' in the Skills section, which directs them to shape ideas for presentation. Students create a 'Friend Venn Diagram' comparing child and adult questions and are instructed to 'Share your diagram showing questions about a friend with your parent' and 'together, answer the questions,' which requires them to state findings aloud. Students also answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, practicing coherent expression of ideas in writing or speech.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students are asked to choose a persuasion technique and compose a 30-second video message from the flower to the little prince (Activity 2), which requires them to present a focused persuasive claim. Students must perform the 30-second message and report which technique(s) they used during the performance, reinforcing deliberate choice of persuasive strategy. The 30-second time limit encourages students to emphasize salient points in a concise, coherent way.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students analyze problems faced by a planet's inhabitant using the "Planet Problem" page and brainstorm solutions, which requires gathering findings and relevant details. Students write persuasive letters (one from a child and optionally one from an adult) proposing solutions and are prompted to include facts and figures in the adult viewpoint. Students are asked to share their letter with a parent and explain how their solution would solve the problem, providing an opportunity to present their claim orally.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
The Parent Plan lists a skill to "paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence in formal and informal presentations," which directs students to present ideas orally or in presentation contexts. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to "Explain to your parent why the fox says..." and to give two examples, which requires students to state a claim, support it with reasons/examples, and speak to an audience. Students are also asked throughout to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which practices forming coherent statements of findings.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
The Skills section asks students to "offer persuasive evidence to validate arguments and conclusions" and to "paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence in formal and informal presentations," which directs students to present claims and findings. The "Persuading the Fox" activity requires students to create a poem or drawing with a written description that explains what happened and persuades the fox, prompting students to emphasize relevant details and supporting reasons. The Wrap Up asks students to "share your letter with your parent" and to explain agreement or disagreement with the narrator, creating an opportunity to present and defend a claim orally or in writing.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students are asked to create a character collage or a written casting description that requires them to identify and describe a character's problems, personality, and what the character tries to persuade someone to do, providing pertinent details and examples. The Student Activity Page prompts students to list adjectives, describe character challenges, and explain what the character wants to persuade others to do, which requires organizing findings about the character. The Wrapping Up step asks students to show a parent their product and explain who the character is and what he or she has done so far, an opportunity to present findings aloud.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students are asked to write a poem or short story using Shakespearean phrases, which prepares content for an oral presentation. Students are instructed to read their poem or short story aloud to a parent. The read-aloud activity requires students to produce spoken language that a listener (the parent) can identify and respond to.
Lesson 10
Dreams
Students are asked to choose, copy, rehearse, and perform a scene aloud for a parent or family, practicing pauses, voice changes, and stage directions. The lesson instructs students to look up unfamiliar words to ensure correct pronunciation and to pay attention to how voice and actions communicate who is speaking. Students must write a short paragraph summarizing the scene and its theme (love, friendship, or persuasion) and discuss their performance with a parent. The Parent Plan also lists summarizing author's purpose and stance in oral presentations as a skill focus.
Lesson 11
Watching the Play
Students are asked to watch an animated version of the play and then discuss it with a parent, responding to prompts such as whether key scenes were included and whether the adaptation tells Shakespeare's story well. The lesson directs students to "Answer the following questions using complete sentences," which requires them to state opinions and findings in written form. The Parent Plan lists the skill "Summarize author's purpose and stance in oral presentations and media messages," and asks parents to discuss specific questions with the student, providing opportunities for oral summary and exchange.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students create a persuasive message from Romeo or Juliet using persuasive techniques and selected vocabulary (Activity 2). Students are instructed to "Share your message with your parent and explain which type of persuasive message you were using and why you chose the vocabulary words," which requires an oral explanation of claims and choices. The lesson asks students to prepare an interview by writing three questions and finding quotes to answer them, and the parent plan suggests taking turns reading pages aloud, which gives opportunities to speak aloud and convey findings.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students are asked to give a 2-minute or less oral summary of page 163 that includes the main idea and what the graph shows. Students are instructed to prepare and deliver oral directions in the "Explaining Ellipses" activity so a parent can draw an ellipse using only the student's verbal instructions. The Skills list explicitly includes "Deliver oral summaries of articles and books: include the main ideas of the event or article and the most significant details," and students are told to decide which information to emphasize in their oral summaries.
Lesson 3
Newton and Light
Students prepare and deliver an oral presentation with visual aids about diagramming sentences, including notes or index cards to guide what they say. Students are asked to practice their presentation, run through visuals, and lead an interactive Q&A and short quiz with a parent. Parents are instructed to ask for clarifications and give feedback on what the student did effectively and suggest improvements.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students are asked to describe an event from the book in writing and to take notes with page numbers and unfamiliar words, which encourages use of pertinent descriptions, facts, and details. Students prepare index-card reminders listing the actual event, the names and personalities of people involved, and what each would say, supporting focused, coherent organization of claims or viewpoints. Students either act out the two characters' perspectives for a parent or share the headlines they wrote, providing an opportunity to present findings or claims aloud.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are asked to read sources (chapter and NASA page), take notes, and create a numbered list of instructions and explanations from the demonstrations. Students choose and perform a demonstration of lift, keep materials to demonstrate, and are instructed to summarize what they learned in the wrap up. The Parent Plan explicitly lists "Deliver an oral summary with inferences and conclusions," and the wrap-up directs students to summarize for a parent how an airplane wing works.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students are asked to research an artist, fill a K-W-L chart (What I Know, What I Want to Know, What I've Learned), and then use that chart and a printed painting to give an oral summary to a parent (Activity 3 and Activity 5). Students must create a 1-2 paragraph sidebar describing the artist and share it with a parent (Activity 6 and Wrapping Up), and the Parent Plan explicitly lists "Research more on a topic and give an oral summary" and "Summarize and determine the importance of information."
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students plan and write an essay that states a clear thesis about how Newton's discoveries relate to their town and choose 2–3 areas to support that claim. The Technical Writing Rubric and Outlining pages require students to organize ideas into introduction, body paragraphs with 2–3 supporting details, and a conclusion, and to use pertinent facts, descriptions, and examples. Students are instructed to show their Newton sculpture proposal to their parents, creating at least one brief opportunity to present their findings orally.
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students are instructed to "Read your own stanza or the poem fragment you marked up aloud with your parent" and to "Review how stressed and unstressed syllables sound," which requires speaking and attention to pronunciation. The activity directs students to use Merriam-Webster audio to hear pronunciations of unfamiliar words, supporting clear pronunciation. The wrap-up suggests attending a local poetry reading and listening for rhyme and meter, giving students a model of oral delivery to observe.
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students are asked in the "Wrapping Up" section to read their poem aloud to a parent and explain how they chose the topic and how the poem reflects their time period, which requires verbally presenting their findings. Discussion questions prompt students to compare voices (Elizabeth Barrett Browning vs. Robert Browning) and to explain thematic similarities, which asks students to articulate and support comparisons. Students prepare a final copy of their poem for a project and may present it orally, providing at least one opportunity to present claims about their work.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students are asked to "read your poem aloud for your parent and talk about which figurative devices you used," which requires an oral presentation of their findings. Students create a poem using personification and metaphors or similes and gather photographs and notes from a nature walk, supplying pertinent descriptions, details, and examples to support their presentation. Activities require students to identify and explain figurative language in poetry (questions about Arnold and Rossetti), which provides content to present as claims or findings.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students are asked to choose a poem to memorize and to practice reciting it with emotion (Activity 2). Students must recite their memorized poem for their parent/family in the wrap-up and explain why they chose that poem. The lesson includes multiple read-aloud and recitation tasks that require students to perform orally in front of others.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
Students write a one-paragraph autobiography that requires them to explain why they chose three current events as poetic subjects, practicing a focused claim with supporting explanation. Students write a two-paragraph analysis of one of their own poems with a required topic sentence and at least two supporting sentences, practicing organization of findings and supporting details. Students compile their book and share it with their family, reading their poems aloud and attending to personal style and tone when they read.