Fourth Grade - ELA
1: Interdependence
Unit 1: Little House in the Big Woods
Lesson 1
Introducing the Story
Students are asked to locate explicit information from the text by adding the story start date (1871) and Laura Ingalls Wilder's birth date to a timeline and by recording plants and animals after reading about Wisconsin. Students are directed to look at the book cover and point out clues that indicate the story took place many years ago, which asks them to draw inferences from visual/textual details. The skills section instructs students to interact with the text by making connections, answering questions, and locating information.
Lesson 2
Little House in the Big Woods
Students are asked to answer specific chapter questions that require locating explicit information (e.g., "What was the girl's house made from?", "How does Laura describe the attic?") and to explain reasons (e.g., "Why do you think it was made from this material?", "How do you think these animals were dependent on the woods?"). The "Life in the Big Woods vs. Life Today" chart and the Natural Resources activities ask students to record ways life differed and to list resources and describe how each aided survival, tasks that require using details from the text. Directions instruct students to have the chapter questions in front of them as they read, encouraging reference to the text while answering.
Lesson 3
Winter Days and Winter Nights
Students are asked to read the chapter and answer specific text-based questions (Question #1 asks which chore days Laura enjoyed most; Question #2 asks why the family made their own butter and ate animals from the woods, which requires using text details to infer remoteness; Question #4 asks which words or phrases the author used to make the panther story exciting, prompting students to identify verbs and descriptions). Activities require students to locate information and record chores next to the character who performed them and to reread a paragraph about Laura's home before comparing homes, which directs students to refer to text details and examples.
Lesson 4
The Long Rifle
Students are asked to retell the Pa story aloud (Question #2) and the answer key specifies the exact plot details they should include (bringing cows home, dark woods, voice saying "who?", punishment). Questions #1 and #3 ask why Pa made his own bullets and why he told the story, which require students to draw inferences from the historical and story context; the provided answer for Q1 directs students to reason that goods were difficult to purchase. The reading tasks therefore require students to explain explicit events and to infer motives or reasons based on story details.
Lesson 5
Christmas
Students are asked to write three questions before reading and then check the text to see whether their questions are answered, requiring them to refer back to the text. Specific comprehension questions ask for textual details (e.g., "How does the author describe the snow?" with listed descriptive details) and for inferential explanations (e.g., "Why did Prince growl at Aunt Eliza?" with the inference that he was protecting her). The skills and wrapping-up prompts require students to "support" comparisons by referencing the text and to explain how the family's gifts reflect their environment, which asks students to use text details to draw inferences.
Lesson 6
Sundays and Two Big Bears
Students read two chapters and answer explicit comprehension questions that require text-based details (e.g., why Laura and Mary disliked Sundays; what the family did for Laura's birthday). Students respond to inferential prompts that require drawing conclusions from the text (e.g., why Laura wasn't punished, the moral of Pa's story, and comparing Pa's woods episode to Ma's barn episode). Students are also asked to locate a factual statement in the book and to record what they learned about life in the Big Woods versus life today.
Lesson 7
The Sugar Snow
Students answer explicit comprehension and inferential questions (e.g., Q1 asks whether Laura was happy and why; Q2 asks what part of the tree the sap is and why Pa calls it that), requiring them to explain and infer from the text. In the Maple Sugar Farming Option 2 activity, students are instructed to record the steps Grandpa took while referring to the book, requiring direct use of textual details. In the Vocabulary Mini-Book activity students must write a sentence from the book for each target word, locating and copying text evidence into their work.
Lesson 8
Dance at Grandpa's
The Skills section instructs students to "draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text," which directs use of textual evidence. Question 1 asks students to "draw a diagram of Grandma's house based on Laura's description," requiring students to extract explicit details from the text. Several comprehension questions (e.g., identification of Uncle George's job and the maple-syrup-on-snow detail) require students to refer to explicit text information when answering.
Lesson 9
Going to Town
Students read the chapter "Going to Town" and answer Question 1 asking how the author describes the woods in spring, requiring them to refer to explicit details (birds singing, green grass, wild flowers). Students answer Question 3 asking why the family dressed up, which asks them to draw an inference about the event being special because the girls had never been to town. Students complete Question 4 by listing items the family bought and comparing that list to modern shopping, using those text details to explain differences. Students are also asked in Activity 3 and the Wrapping Up to give examples to support which character they feel most similar to, prompting use of textual examples and reasoned inference.
Lesson 10
Summertime and Harvest
Students answer literal comprehension questions (e.g., "What did Pa bring home with him? How did he get it?") that require referring to explicit events in the text. Students respond to inferential prompts (e.g., "Why do you think people visited the Big Woods more in the summer?" and "Why do you think Pa and Uncle Henry traded work?") that ask them to draw conclusions. Students are directed to record the words and phrases the author uses to describe each season and to illustrate those descriptions, which asks them to identify and copy textual details. Students compare two stories and discuss similarities and differences, an activity that requires citing story elements to support comparisons.
Lesson 11
Finishing the Book
Students read the final chapters and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., "What did Ma make from the grain?" and "What kinds of things did Laura do in the fall?") that require extracting explicit details from the text. The lesson also asks inferential questions (e.g., "Why did Pa say he didn't shoot the deer?" and "Why do you think Pa told Mary and Laura...?") that require students to explain reasons based on the story. Activity 1 asks students to record one thing they learned about life in the woods versus today, which asks them to use text-derived details. The Skills list includes comparing a dramatic performance with a print version, which implies using details from the text to support comparisons.
Final Project
Pioneer Family Night
Students are asked to choose two to three favorite sections from Little House in the Big Woods, practice reading them aloud, and be ready to explain why they are favorites. The Skills section instructs students to interact with the text by making connections, answering questions, and locating information, and to summarize main ideas from written texts. Several checklist items require students to explain how pioneers used natural resources and to explain the significance of music, dance, and storytelling—tasks that invite using information drawn from the book.
Unit 2: The Sign of the Beaver
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to analyze the cover and predict what the story might be about, which asks them to draw inferences from a text feature. Activity 1 has students record the explicit year (1768) and note that Matt befriended Attean, which references explicit story information. Activity 2 asks students to explain why Native Americans and settlers might have been upset and to write a paragraph taking a perspective, which requires students to make inferences and provide reasons. The Skills section includes responding to text by reflecting and gaining new insights.
Lesson 2
Alone
Students are instructed to read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer three or four questions in a journal, with specific comprehension questions provided (e.g., Why was Matt standing in the woods alone? Describe Matt's home; In what ways did Matt depend on his environment?). Several questions require inferential explanation (e.g., Do you think Matt's father should have left him alone? Why or why not?; What was Matt's greatest fear? Why was he so afraid?). Students are also asked to record words or phrases that describe characters' feelings, attitudes, or actions on a Character Timelines organizer as they read.
Lesson 3
A Stranger
Students answer targeted comprehension questions (Questions #1-#5) that ask for specific descriptions and events from Chapters 3–5 (e.g., description of Ben, what happened to the cabin, who saved Matt and how). Students create Character Timelines to record words or phrases describing Matt's feelings, attitudes, and actions from the text. Students explain how Saknis helped heal Matt's bee stings and discuss why an Indian helping a white settler might be unusual, which require using text details and making inferences.
Lesson 4
A Treaty
Students are asked to read Chapter 6 and answer comprehension questions in a journal, which requires them to refer to the text. Question 4 explicitly asks students to infer Attean's feelings and to provide evidence: "How do you think Attean felt about Matt? What evidence do you have?" Question 2 asks for a specific detail from the text (what the old Indian left on the table). The Character Timelines activity directs students to fill in information they learned about characters from the section.
Lesson 5
A Story
The lesson's Skills section explicitly directs students to "support [similarities and differences] by referencing the text," and the Reading questions include explicit-text questions (e.g., Question #1 and Question #3 ask students to state how Matt prepared and how the boys were dependent on each other). Several questions require inference (e.g., Question #2, Question #5, and Question #7 ask students to explain motivations or feelings and invite "Answers will vary"). Activity 3 asks students to journal why the boys identify with different characters and to reflect on how personal experiences influence understanding, prompting students to draw inferences from the text and characters' perspectives.
Lesson 6
The Beaver
Students answer targeted comprehension questions that require specific text details (for example, describing how Attean speared fish while Matt used a pole, what Matt learns about making traps and hooks, and what the "sign of the beaver" mark means). The Skills section explicitly directs students to "use text and own experiences to verify facts" and to "support" similarities and differences "by referencing the text." Activities ask students to create character timelines, complete a Venn diagram comparing stories with textual support, and reread pages 55–57 to collect beaver facts for the Beaver Research page.
Lesson 7
Real Life Learning
The Skills section asks students to "support [similarities and differences] by referencing the text," which directs students to use text details. The Reading and Questions require students to read Chapters 12 and 13 and answer five specific questions (e.g., how Attean taught Matt to make a bow; what they discovered in the woods), prompting students to refer to chapter details. Activities such as Character Timelines and Rules of the Forest ask students to record what they learned about characters and to list rules based on what Matt learns from Attean, tasks that require drawing on text information and examples.
Lesson 8
The Bear
Students read Chapters 14-16 and answer explicit comprehension questions such as how Matt and Attean killed the bear (QUESTION #1), requiring them to refer to events in the text. Students respond to inferential prompts like why Attean felt bad about killing the bear (QUESTION #2) and whether he should have felt bad, which asks them to draw conclusions about character feelings. In Activity 3, students identify cause-and-effect relationships by reading cause scenarios and writing effects "based on what happened in the story," requiring reference to story details. In Activity 4, students compare details from two flood stories on a double-bubble map, which asks them to cite similarities and differences from the texts.
Lesson 9
Attean's Past
The lesson's skills list explicitly states "Support interpretations or conclusions with examples from text." Multiple comprehension questions require students to identify explicit details (e.g., describing the village, what Matt found in the trap) and at least one question asks for an inference (Q3: how the parents' fates might explain Attean's attitude). The Stereotypes activity directs students to explain how characters break stereotypes and to describe examples from the book, and the Character Timelines and journal tasks require students to record and use specific events from the chapters.
Lesson 10
Manitou
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in a journal, including QUESTION #1 which explicitly asks "How have Attean's grandmother's feelings toward Matt changed? How do you know?" prompting students to cite textual support. The Word Pictures activity requires students to record three passages from the story that create vivid images, which makes students identify and copy specific text details. The Values activity directs students to record three values for each character and to "describe what the character did or said to demonstrate this value," requiring students to refer to examples from the text when explaining character traits and actions.
Lesson 11
A Choice
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Support interpretations or conclusions with examples from text," and asks students to analyze characters, traits, feelings, relationships, and changes. Multiple comprehension questions require students to state explicit details (e.g., How did Attean look different? What did Attean give to Matt?) and other questions require inference (e.g., Why might kidnapped white people choose to stay? Would you have gone with Attean and his grandfather?). Activities ask students to write in a journal, create character timelines, and develop interview questions that must "relate to what has happened in the story," prompting students to use textual examples to support responses.
Lesson 13
The Return
Students answer specific comprehension questions that require recalling explicit details (e.g., how Matt prepared for winter, what gifts he made, how snowshoes helped him). One question asks why Matt dreamed of his mother and provides an inference linking his chores to his memories, showing practice in drawing conclusions from text details. The "Solving Problems" activity asks students to fill a "Book's Solution" column describing how Matt solved problems using resources and advice from Attean, which requires citing examples from the story.
Final Project
The Sign of the Beaver Movie
Students are asked to write a movie synopsis and evaluate it using a rubric that requires accurate descriptions of setting and main characters, which prompts them to use text-based details. Students must design costumes for Attean and Matt with references to specific page numbers (p.28, p.76-77, p.122-123), which directs them to consult the text for character and environmental details. Students must design a set for a favorite scene and include props from that scene and write a script for a selected scene between Attean and Matt, activities that require using details from the book to portray setting, characters, and actions.
Unit 3: Native American Animal Stories
Lesson 1
Myths, Legends, and Folktales
Students are instructed to reread a myth or folktale and "identify any elements of culture you can find in the myth" and record them on the Elements of Culture page, which requires locating details and examples in the text. Activity 1 asks students to identify stories they have read and to discuss what they can learn about the culture from each story, prompting use of textual information to support explanations. Activity 2 has students retell a story after listening, which requires recalling explicit events and details from the text. The Student Activity Page explicitly directs students to "Read a myth or folktale in your library. Then identify any elements of culture you can find in the myth."
Lesson 2
People and Animal Stories
Students answer specific comprehension questions that require locating explicit information (e.g., questions about how the woman felt about frogs, how the dogs protected the hunter, and where the eagle took the boy). Students complete a story map that asks for main characters, setting, problem, events, resolution, and they fill Elements of Culture charts and Venn diagrams to compare stories, all tasks that require using story details. Journal prompts ask students to list the animal in each story, its importance, and lessons learned, which requires drawing inferences from events in the texts.
Lesson 3
The Natural World
Students answer literal comprehension questions that require citing explicit story details (e.g., "What made Elder Brother sad?"; "What did Elder Brother place in his bag?"; listing animals that received the poison). Students respond to inferential prompts that ask them to explain motives or consequences from the text (e.g., "Why did Elder Brother take the songs away from the butterfly? Do you think he should have done this? Why or why not?"; "Why did Rabbit trick Possum?"). Students also retell stories, identify problem-and-solution pairs in their journal, and compare mythical versus scientific explanations, all activities that ask them to use story events and examples to explain meanings.
Lesson 4
Survival Stories
The lesson lists the skills "Locate information from text for specific purposes" and "Make inferences and draw conclusions based on events in the story." After each story students are asked specific comprehension and inferential questions (for example, "What was the man's problem? Why would this be a big problem in Native American culture?" and "What do you think the author means when he says the Bowhead whale was in 'perfect balance with everything around it'?"). Students are instructed to answer questions in their journal and to write sentences describing why the Indians hunted and the roles animals played, which requires using information from the stories.
Lesson 5
Legends from Other Cultures
Students read specific texts (e.g., "The Rabbit Steals the Elephant's Dinner," "Pan Gu Makes the World," and Brazilian tales) and answer direct comprehension questions that require citing facts (Q1–Q3 ask who characters are and what happened). Students are asked to explain and infer meaning (Q4 asks what lesson Kalulu learned) and to summarize stories and record what each object in Pan Gu becomes, which requires referring to details in the text. The double-bubble map and Elements of Culture chart require students to list and compare details and examples from two creation stories.
2: Force and Power
Unit 1: Ben and Me
Lesson 1
Ben Franklin and the Colonies
Students are asked to locate information about Benjamin Franklin using provided web links and record explicit facts (birth/death dates, places lived, scientific and political contributions) on an activity page. In Activity 2, students must think about a historical fiction novel they have read and fill in examples of characters, events, setting, and descriptions from that book to show how it qualifies as historical fiction. In Activity 3 students label and color the thirteen colonies on a map, drawing on factual details about colonial geography.
Lesson 2
Setting the Record Straight
Students are asked to read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer journal questions that require both explicit recall (e.g., "Where did Amos sleep?", "What materials did Ben use for the stove?") and interpretation (e.g., "Why did Amos decide to write his account?", "What do you think 'waste not, want not' means?"). In the vocabulary activity students must copy a sentence from the book that contains each unfamiliar word, directly locating and recording textual examples. In the Fact and Fiction activity students record a factual event and a fictional event for each chapter, requiring them to identify and use chapter details to distinguish fact from fiction.
Lesson 3
Swimming
Students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., Q2, Q5, Q6) that require recalling and restating details from Chapters 3 and 4. Students complete a Fact and Fiction activity where they record factual events from each chapter, forcing them to distinguish and refer to explicit text information. In Activity 2 students copy sentences that describe the hat, circle adjectives, label parts, and illustrate based on the author's description, directly using textual details. Several journal/discussion prompts (e.g., "Do you think the agreement was fair? Why or why not?" and "Why do you think Ben did not take the hat the governor offered?") ask students to make inferences about characters and events.
Lesson 4
Electricity
Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer specific comprehension questions that ask for explicit details (e.g., why Ben was interested in printing, what happened to the governor). Some questions require students to draw inferences or give reasons (e.g., judging whether Amos's actions were right or wrong, finishing Ben's unfinished sentence, explaining what it means to be a person of vision). Students also record factual and fictional events from each chapter and verbally summarize the events they read.
Lesson 5
Electrifying
Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., Question #1 asks what Ben told Amos he was wondering about; Question #3 asks what happened when the lightning struck). Several discussion/journal prompts ask students to infer motives and judgments from the text (e.g., Questions #2, #6, #7, #9 and the Wrapping Up prompt about whether Franklin's use of power was fair). Activity 1 has students record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter, requiring them to distinguish explicit events from imagined elements.
Lesson 6
War
Students are asked to read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer chapter questions in a journal, which requires them to explain explicit events (e.g., who Red was, why Ben traveled to France). Students record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter in the Fact and Fiction activity, which asks them to identify events in the text. Students are prompted in the Wrapping Up section to explain why the colonists went to war and to discuss the colonists' problems, which asks them to draw conclusions from the chapters. The Fact and Opinion activity asks students to identify two facts and two opinions that Amos shares, requiring them to locate statements from the text.
Lesson 7
France
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions that require textual support, including "How did the French feel about Ben Franklin? How do you know?" which explicitly prompts citing text-based reasons. Several questions ask students to infer (e.g., "What did Amos promise Sophia? How do you think he might accomplish this?" and "Why do you think Ben was in no rush to return to the colonies?"). Activity 1 asks students to record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter, forcing them to distinguish explicit details from invented elements, and Activity 2 asks students to describe what force Amos was enlisting and who the mice would use force against based on story details.
Lesson 8
Amos's Account
Students are asked to read a short biography or review information gathered earlier and then list ten facts about a selected Ben Franklin event in Part 1, which requires identifying explicit details from text or sources. They are also asked to list five ideas, opinions, and feelings Amos would have had about the event, which requires drawing inferences about Amos's perspective. The rough-draft instruction tells students to base their first-person account on the information recorded in Part 1, and the rubric explicitly checks for inclusion of factual information and vocabulary from the story.
Lesson 9
The Rescue
The Skills section explicitly directs students to "Respond to text by making inferences and drawing conclusions about characters and events," and the Reading and Questions activity asks students to read Chapters 13 and 14 and answer selected questions in a journal and discuss others. Several provided questions require students to refer to explicit events (e.g., how the mice planned to enter Versailles, what happened when the mice scampered) and to draw inferences or provide explanations (e.g., whether Amos proved he had "vision," which accomplishments were greatest and why). Activity 1 (Fact and Fiction) and Activity 2 (Ben and Amos Bags) require students to identify factual events versus fictional ones and to record character traits and uses of power based on Amos's account, prompting use of textual details and examples.
Lesson 10
Back Home
Students are asked to list a factual and a fictional detail from the chapter on the "Fact and Fiction" page, which requires identifying explicit text details. The discussion questions (e.g., "What did the mice give to Ben for his birthday?" and "Has Amos shown that he has vision? If so, in what way?") prompt students to cite events and make inferences about characters. The "Ben's Maxims" activity directs students to locate each maxim in context and provide interpretations, and the "Elements of Historical Fiction" page asks students to provide examples of events or characters that support each element.
Final Project
An Interview or Party for Ben
The Skills section explicitly instructs students to "draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text," which directs students to use textual details when explaining and inferring. In the Interview option, students write ten questions related to events and accomplishments in Ben Franklin's life and answer them "according to what [they] know about Ben Franklin and the event," requiring them to base answers on textual knowledge and inferred responses. The Maxims, card, gift, and song activities ask students to explain why maxims or actions are important or how inventions changed culture, prompting students to cite examples or reasons tied to Ben's life and work.
Unit 2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lesson 1
The Professor's House
Students read chapters 1–2 and answer selected comprehension questions in a journal or discussion, including explicit recall questions (for example, why the children went to live with the Professor and what happened when Lucy entered the wardrobe). Students respond to inferential questions that require drawing conclusions from text details (for example, why Mr. Tumnus calls Lucy a 'daughter of Eve,' whether Lucy should have gone with Mr. Tumnus, and why Mr. Tumnus agrees to do bad things for the White Witch). Students summarize events and discuss the book's genre, which requires them to refer to story details and examples.
Lesson 2
Edmund Discovers Narnia
Students answer explicit text-based comprehension questions (Questions #1-#6) that ask what happened, how characters behaved, and what characters heard, requiring them to use details from Chapters 3 and 4. Students complete the 'Good vs. Evil' chart by recording an example from each chapter and drawing a symbol, which requires identifying and citing examples from the text. Students write journal responses and paragraphs (Activity 2 options) that describe sensory detail or the witch's persuasive language, prompting them to refer to textual description and character dialogue when explaining events or motives.
Lesson 3
Always Winter and Never Christmas
Students answer focused comprehension questions that ask them to explain characters' actions and events (e.g., Why Edmund lied; What happened to Mr. Tumnus' home; Is the woman a queen or a witch and how do you know?). Activity 1 asks students to list and illustrate examples of good vs. evil from the chapters, requiring them to pull specific examples. Activity 2 (Narnia Logic) has students evaluate conclusions based on statements drawn from the text, and the Wrapping Up prompts ask students what they discover and what can be assumed about the witch based on events.
Lesson 4
The Lion
Multiple comprehension questions require students to recall explicit details (e.g., Q1 where the robin led the children; Q5 what each child felt; Q11 what happened to Edmund). Several questions ask students to explain or infer and provide reasons (e.g., Q2 Whose side was the robin on? Why?; Q4 How did the children feel when the beaver spoke the name 'Aslan'?; Q6 what thoughts ran through Edmund's head?). Activity 2 asks students to record words and phrases that describe a lion in a short story and to use a Venn diagram to compare that lion to Aslan, which requires using textual details and examples for explanation and comparison.
Lesson 5
A Disappointment
Students are asked to summarize what they learned from Mr. and Mrs. Beaver and to recall what happened to Edmund, prompting explicit recall of text details. The guided questions (Questions #1-#7) ask for specific details from Chapters 9–10 (reasons Edmund fled, what he saw at the castle, gifts from Father Christmas), and one question asks why Edmund acted a certain way, prompting inference. The Villains activity and the Student Activity Page explicitly direct students to describe the White Witch's appearance, actions, and the good or bad things she caused, requiring students to record examples from the text.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students read Chapters 11 and 12 and are assigned three or four text-based questions to answer in a journal, including explicit comprehension items (e.g., How does the White Witch treat Edmund?) and inferential items (e.g., Why do you think these changes were occurring?). Students record examples of good vs. evil from the chapters and discuss what makes Aslan a hero, citing instances from the text in those activities. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe how the environment in Narnia is changing and how Edmund is changing, which requires referring to events in the chapters.
Lesson 8
Deep Magic
Students are asked to locate information for specific purposes (Skills list) and to answer directed reading questions that require explicit recall (e.g., "How was Edmund rescued?" and "What did the White Witch tell Aslan about Edmund?"). Several questions require students to draw inferences (e.g., "Do you think Edmund should have been rescued? Why or why not?" and "Why did Lucy and Susan cry…?"). The Imagery activity explicitly instructs students to reread a passage and record the exact words and phrases from the chapter that appeal to the senses, requiring students to cite textual details as evidence for their interpretation.
Lesson 9
Back to Life
Students are asked to summarize what Lucy and Susan observed and to answer specific reading questions (Questions #1-#6) that require referring to explicit events in Chapters 15 and 16 (e.g., what the mice did to Aslan, what happened to the Stone Table, and that Aslan came back to life). Question #7 and the Activity 2 prompt (Aslan — A Christ-like Figure) ask students to explain reasons and describe similarities, which require drawing inferences about characters and themes from the text. Activities also ask students to record examples of good vs. evil from the chapters, prompting them to identify examples in the text.
Lesson 10
Back Through the Wardrobe
Students are assigned to read Chapter 17 and answer journal questions that ask for explicit events (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks what bravery Edmund showed and QUESTION #8 asks what happened when the children went back through the wardrobe). Several questions require inference and explanation (e.g., QUESTION #2 asks whether Lucy and Susan should have told Edmund about Aslan, QUESTION #3 asks why Mr. Beaver called Aslan wild, and QUESTION #7 asks about the significance of finding the lamppost). The Activity comparing book and movie asks students to discuss similarities and differences in characters, creatures, and setting, which asks them to refer to text-based details and their interpretations.
Final Project
Narnia Think-Tac-Toe
The Skills list explicitly includes "Make inferences and draw conclusions about characters and events" and "Identify the theme or author's message." Students are asked to write journal entries as characters, "pretend that you are Edmund" and summarize the book before presenting, and to complete Think-Tac-Toe tasks that analyze characters, themes, and tensions in the story.
Unit 3: The BFG
Lesson 1
In the Middle of the Night
Several comprehension questions require students to cite text details: Question #1 asks where Sophie lives and explicitly prompts "What clues from the text support your guess?" Question #2 and Question #4 ask students to describe what Sophie sees in the moonlight and to list the "words and phrases the author uses" about the giant, requiring students to refer to explicit textual descriptions. The vocabulary activity directs students to reread the sentence where a word is found and use context clues from the text to determine meaning.
Lesson 2
Snatched
Students read two chapters and answer explicit comprehension questions (Questions #1, #2, #4, #5, #6) that require them to state what the text says (e.g., what happened to Sophie; how the author describes the environment). Question #3 asks students to judge whether the giant is powerful and to give reasons, and the Wrapping Up prompt asks students to predict what will happen next, both of which require students to draw inferences supported by the text. Activity pages ask students to copy the author's description of the setting and to use text to locate information about London, reinforcing use of textual details and examples.
Lesson 3
The BFG
Students read two chapters and answer three or four journal questions (Questions #1-#7) that ask for what Sophie learns, how giants use power, why the BFG took Sophie, and descriptions of the giants, which require referring to details in the text. The Quotable Quotes activity asks students to identify three exact quotes from the text and to record the most important or meaningful quote for each chapter, requiring students to locate and cite explicit text evidence. The wrap-up and discussion prompts ask students to explain how the BFG is different and why he did not exert power, which asks students to draw inferences about character motives based on textual details.
Lesson 4
Ears and Snozzcumbers
Students answer a set of chapter questions in a journal that ask for facts from the text (e.g., where Sophie lived, what the BFG eats, how he knew Sophie was watching). Activity 1 asks students to identify and record a direct quote from Sophie and a quote from the BFG, requiring them to locate exact text examples. Activity 3 asks students to discuss how the giant uses his sense of hearing to help others and to write a paragraph imagining using that power, prompting inference based on the character's actions.
Lesson 5
Time with the BFG
Students are asked to identify and record a quote from Sophie and the BFG in Activity 1, which requires locating exact text examples. The Reading and Questions section includes explicit comprehension items (e.g., Q1, Q4, Q5) that ask students to explain what happened using chapter details. The introduction asks students to summarize prior chapters and make then check predictions, and Q2 asks for an explanation of why the Bloodbottler behaves rudely, prompting students to draw inferences from the text. Activity 2 directs students to compare the BFG and Bloodbottler in appearance, personality, and power, which requires using story information to support comparisons.
Lesson 6
Catching People and Dreams
Students answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#8) that ask for facts from the chapters (e.g., how the giants catch people, how they avoid an outcry, what upset the BFG). Students identify direct quotations from Sophie and the BFG in Activity 1 and record them on a page labeled "Quotable Quotes." In Activity 3 students read the section about how giants catch humans and then draw and describe a new giant's method, requiring use of textual details to create a plausible strategy.
Lesson 7
A Nightmare for Fleshlumpeater
Students are asked to identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG in the 'Quotable Quotes' activity, which requires locating exact textual evidence. Several journal/discussion questions ask for explanations and justification (e.g., "Who is more powerful... How do you know?" and "Do you think it was right... Why or why not?"), prompting students to explain answers with reasons. Activity 2 asks students to interpret the giant's statement about humans not believing what they cannot see, requiring students to draw an inference about meaning from the quoted text.
Lesson 8
A Dreamy Plan
Students are asked to answer comprehension and inferential questions about the chapters (e.g., Question #1 asks who Sophie thought was a good human being and why; Question #3 asks students to describe Sophie's plan and judge whether it will work). Students are directed to identify and record quotes from Sophie and the BFG (Activity 1), which requires locating and citing specific lines from the text. Several questions require students to state explicit events (Question #4, #5) and to explain or justify opinions (Question #3 and #6), prompting use of textual details and examples.
Lesson 9
The Palace
Students are asked to identify and record direct quotations from Sophie and the BFG in the "Quotable Quotes" activity, which requires locating exact lines from the chapters. The comprehension questions include literal-detail items (e.g., Question #1 and #2 ask who the characters saw and why no one could see the BFG) that require reference to text details. Several questions (e.g., #4–#6) and the prediction/summarize wrap-up prompt ask students to make inferences about motives and outcomes based on the chapters. The Cause and Effect activities ask students to fill in missing causes or effects and to list actions from the story that had positive or negative outcomes, which asks students to use story events as evidence for explanations.
Lesson 10
A Breakfast Fit for a Queen
Students are asked to identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG in Activity 1, requiring them to locate exact textual evidence. In Activity 3 students must select five adjectives describing the queen and "support it with at least one example from the text," which explicitly requires citing text to justify character traits. The Reading and Questions section asks students to answer chapter questions in their journals (including inferential questions such as why the queen told Mary not to take Sophie) and the Wrapping Up prompts ask students to explain whether the queen's response was believable and why, encouraging use of text-based reasoning.
Lesson 11
Fighting Giants
Students are asked to answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., What force did the queen plan to use? How was the BFG able to tie the hands of Fleshlumpeater?), which requires recalling explicit details from the chapters. Activity 1 directs students to identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG, which has students locate and extract textual evidence. Question #7 asks students to explain how characters used their wits to overcome an antagonist, prompting students to interpret events and explain causes from the text.
Lesson 12
Snozzcumbers
Students answer targeted comprehension questions in their journals that require referring to explicit details from the text (e.g., How were the giants imprisoned? What did the BFG bring back in his sack?). Students record quotations for character voices in Activity 1, which requires selecting and citing lines from the text. In Activity 3 students list events, quotes, and characters' actions on a graphic organizer to support identified themes, directly tying examples from the story to interpretive claims.
Final Project
Recipe for a Dream or Newspaper Report
In the newspaper option students are asked to write a detailed three-paragraph account of what happened to the disappeared children and how the Queen found out and responded, which requires recounting explicit events from the novel. The directions also require students to include an interview with the BFG using three quotes that reflect his speech, and the rubric explicitly requires inclusion of at least three of the giant's quotes. These tasks ask students to select and use specific lines and plot details from the text.
3: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Stories from Africa and Asia
Lesson 1
Meerkats in Botswana
Students are prompted to look at the cover and illustrations and predict what the book might be about, and the lesson lists "Make predictions about text" as a skill. Students are directed to read background information about Botswana and to record notes in a graphic organizer, locating information for specific purposes. Students must use provided websites to gather meerkat facts and then write a descriptive paragraph or a short story that includes at least five facts; Activity 3 asks students to discuss adaptations and consider the function of each feature.
Lesson 2
Meeting Precious
Students are asked to read chapters and answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#5) that require recalling and explaining explicit details from the text (e.g., description of Botswana, how the hat saved his life, Precious's feelings and reactions). Question #6 explicitly asks students to use clues from the book to make a prediction, directing them to draw an inference. The "Precious and Me" activity requires students to identify similarities and differences between Precious's life and their own for each chapter, prompting them to refer to chapter details to support their comparisons.
Lesson 3
The Surprise
Multiple comprehension questions (e.g., Questions #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, #6) require students to explain characters' actions, infer motives, and cite scientific details from the story. Activity 4 directs students to skim Chapter 3 to find specific examples of authorial intrusion and even cites page excerpts for comparison, prompting students to locate textual evidence. The wrapping-up and life-application tasks ask students to summarize what happened and to compare the book's meerkat to a documentary, requiring students to use details from the text when explaining and inferring.
Lesson 4
A Missing Cow
Several comprehension questions ask students to explain events and reasons from the chapters (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks what Pontsho brought and why he might have done this; QUESTION #4 asks what the family lost and why it was a problem), requiring students to use text details to explain explicit content. QUESTION #3 explicitly prompts students to base their answer on what the children knew about the principal, asking them to draw an inference about his reaction and justify it. QUESTION #5 asks students to identify the detective skills Precious used (footprints, careful walking), which directs students to cite specific examples from the text. The Script for a Scene activity asks students to write dialogue for a scene where Kosi escapes, which requires students to reproduce and rely on details and examples from the text.
Lesson 5
A Good Idea
Students are asked to read Chapters 7 and 8 and to describe what happened and to predict what will happen, which requires using the text for explicit explanation and inference. Students answer specific text-based comprehension questions (e.g., where the cows' tracks ended, how the men reacted, how the family responded) that require referring to details from the chapters. Question #6 and the prediction prompt ask students to draw conclusions about what characters learned and to make inferences about future events. The instruction to answer three or four questions in a journal and discuss the remaining questions requires students to explain their answers using examples from the text.
Lesson 6
African Bush Diorama
Students are asked to summarize main events (plot) and to describe main characters and the setting in the Book Report Rubric and organizers. The organizer prompts a specific paragraph asking how Precious's life is similar to and different from the life of a child in the United States, which requires students to draw comparisons from the text. Students are encouraged to find descriptions of the book's setting to help design the diorama, prompting them to locate and use text details.
Lesson 7
Japan
Students are asked to read A Kids Guide to Japan and answer specific comprehension questions requiring recall of explicit details (e.g., climate, common foods, traditions). Students complete a Venn diagram comparing Japan and America using information they have learned, and they label places on a map using a provided list (e.g., Hiroshima, Tokyo, Mt. Fuji). Students are asked to explain why Japan and America were at war and to discuss negative outcomes and why the atomic bomb was deadly, which requires drawing on information from the text and prior facts.
Lesson 8
Peace Day
Students are prompted to record the sentence from the book containing each vocabulary word on the Japanese Vocabulary activity pages, requiring them to locate and copy text evidence. The comprehension questions (e.g., Who were the members of Sadako's family?, What was Peace Day?, What did the family do on Peace Day?) ask students to explain explicit details from chapters 1–2. The chapter-by-chapter graphic organizers and the Peace Day comparison graphic organizer require students to fill in specific cultural details and activities drawn from each chapter. The wrapping up prompt asks students to describe Sadako's family and what they learned about Japanese culture in the first two chapters, directing students to refer to chapter content.
Lesson 9
The Secret is Out
Students are asked explicit comprehension questions that require recall of details (e.g., Question #1 asks what Sadako's special talent was; Question #2 asks what good news she brought home; Question #6 asks how her parents learned her secret). The introduction asks students to predict Sadako's secret and to explain how they made that prediction, prompting students to draw inferences. The wrapping up prompt and several questions (e.g., Why do you think she kept it a secret?) ask students to explain motivations and infer from the events in the chapters.
Lesson 10
Kenji
The skills list explicitly instructs students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences... and support them by referencing the text," which directs students to use textual evidence. Students are told to answer comprehension questions in a journal (three written answers) and discuss the remaining questions, providing practice in explaining explicit text details (Questions #1-#6). Question #7 and the Wrapping Up prompt ask students to compare characters and reflect on how Sadako's family must feel, which requires students to draw inferences from the text.
Lesson 11
O Bon
Students read the chapters "Hundreds of Wishes" and "Last Days" and are asked to answer specific comprehension questions in a journal or discussion (e.g., Q1 asks how the author describes the weather; Q2 asks what Sadako's mother brought and what Sadako did; Q5–Q6 ask what O Bon is and how the family celebrated). Several questions require students to explain reasoning or beliefs (Q3: Do you think she believes this? Why or why not?; Q7: Why do you think she did this?), which asks students to draw inferences from the text. Activities ask students to record cultural information on a chart and write journal entries comparing American and Japanese remembrance practices, encouraging use of details from the reading.
Lesson 12
Racing the Wind
Students are asked comprehension questions after reading sections (e.g., "What did Sadako keep thinking about? Why do you think she couldn't stop?" and "What did Sadako say about her family right before she died? Why do you think the author ends the story this way?") that require them to state explicit details and offer explanations. Other questions (epilogue and About the Author) ask students to recall explicit facts (e.g., what the class made, how the author knows about Japan). Students are instructed to answer questions in a journal and discuss responses, which provides opportunities to explain and infer about the text.
Lesson 13
Precious and Sadako
The Skills section explicitly tells students to "draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text" and to "interact with text by making predictions and drawing connections." Activity 1 directs students to cite a description from the book, record a quotation, note a character's action, and write a word or phrase another character uses to describe them. Activity 3 asks students to explain three or four important events and offers a writing task in which a character explains an event and how she felt (first-person), requiring students to support explanations with text details.
Unit 2: Holes
Lesson 1
Texas and Desert Biomes
Students are asked to look at the cover of Holes and to "look for clues in the cover's illustration," which directs them to use visual/textual details to infer what the story might be about. In the desert activities, students locate information on maps and videos and then record names of animals and plants and write paragraphs describing geographic location, rainfall, and adaptations, which requires using details from those sources. The wrapping up prompt asks students to describe what they learned about Texas and the desert, encouraging them to report information gathered from texts and media.
Lesson 2
Camp Green Lake
Students read Chapters 1–4 and answer specific comprehension questions that ask for explicit facts from the text (e.g., Stanley's father's job and the description of Camp Green Lake). The "Happy Campers" activity asks students to record things they learn about each boy and to illustrate physical appearances based on textual information. Question #8 and the Wrapping Up prompts ask students to give opinions about whether the camp's punishment will reform a boy and to describe what they think about the main character, which require drawing inferences from the text.
Lesson 3
Digging
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Make inferences and draw conclusions about characters," and students are instructed to read Chapters 5–7 and answer journal or discussion questions. Several specific questions ask for explicit details (e.g., "What was the one rule at Camp Green Lake?"; "What did Stanley tell the boys he had done…?" and "What had actually happened?") and inferential reasoning (e.g., "Why do you think all the boys had nicknames?"; "Why do you think someone dropped the shoes?"). Students are also asked to record information about characters on the "Happy Campers" pages and to write journal entries relating plot, setting, and characters to personal experience.
Lesson 4
Caveman
Students are prompted to record the author's description of the yellow-spotted lizard on the activity page, requiring them to pull explicit descriptive details from Chapter 8. The question set asks factual questions (e.g., "What is a yellow spotted lizard?" and "What did Stanley find when he was digging his second hole?") that require students to identify explicit text details. Several questions ask for reasoning or interpretation (e.g., "Why do you think the other boys let X-Ray be their leader?", "Why would Zero say this?", "How were the boys similar to and different from other boys?"), which require students to draw inferences from the text. Activity 3 asks students to write and explain their choice about future plans as if they were a camper, prompting explanation that can be supported by text-based character analysis.
Lesson 5
KB
Students are asked to read Chapters 13–16 and answer comprehension questions that require explanation and reasoning (for example, Q1 asks what Stanley found and whether he should have given it to X-Ray, and Q3 asks what the Warden is looking for and why). Activity 2 (Irony) asks students to identify and explain ironic statements from the book and to create one ironic sentence related to the text. The introduction prompts students to make a prediction before reading and then check whether their prediction was correct after reading, which requires comparing their ideas to the text.
Lesson 6
Sunflower Seeds
Students read Chapters 17–20 and answer specific text-based questions (e.g., Q1 asks what the Warden did to Armpit and why; Q3 asks what Stanley learned about Zero and what Zero asked him to do). The Skills section lists 'Summarize written text,' and the Getting Started and Wrapping Up prompts ask students to summarize prior chapters and describe how Camp Green Lake is changing Stanley, which require using details from the chapters. Question 4 asks students to interpret the figurative phrase about Stanley's heart hardening, prompting inference from the text.
Lesson 7
Zero
Students read Chapters 21–24 and are asked to answer journal questions that require both explicit recall (e.g., where Stanley saw the gold tube, how Green Lake was different 100 years ago) and inference (e.g., why Zero dug Stanley's hole, how Zero knew Stanley did not steal the sneakers). Activity 3 directs students to find the author's description of the earlier Green Lake and then draw it based on those textual details, comparing it to the present-day description. Multiple comprehension questions ask students to explain how they know (e.g., "How does he figure this out?" regarding Zero's math), which requires using examples from the text.
Lesson 8
Sam the Onion Man
Students read Chapters 25–28 and are instructed to answer four or five questions in their journals and discuss others, which requires them to explain what the text says (e.g., Who was Sam? What did the town do to Sam?). The lesson includes inferential prompts (e.g., Why do you think it stopped raining in Green Lake? Do you feel sorry for Kate Barlow? How was her death ironic?) and a skills statement that directs students to "gather support by referencing the text."
Lesson 9
Driving a Truck
Students read Chapters 29–32 and select four questions to answer in a journal, including factual items (e.g., identifying the "thumb of God" and what Stanley did) and inferential/opinion questions (e.g., whether Stanley should have gone after Zero). Students complete a "Character Comparisons" activity in which they write similarities and differences among named characters, and students are asked to summarize what happened in the chapters as a wrap-up. Several comprehension questions include specific answers tied to text events (for example, the description that Stanley drove off with Mr. Sir's truck).
Lesson 10
The Mary Lou
Students are asked to read Chapters 33–36 and answer three chapter questions in a journal, which requires them to explain events such as why Stanley looked down in every hole (explicit detail) and how Zero survived (explicit detail). One question (Q5) asks students to explain why Zero would rather die than go back and dig another hole, which prompts students to draw an inference. In Activity 1, students determine whether given sentences from the text are similes or metaphors and explain the meaning of each comparison, using the sentence as the textual example. Activity 2 asks students to find similes and metaphors in song lyrics or poetry (or write their own and then identify the figures), which requires locating and referring to examples in text.
Lesson 11
The Thumb of God
Students are prompted to predict events before reading and to answer journal questions that ask for explicit details (e.g., Q1 and Q2 ask what Stanley found beneath his feet and what this meant). Several questions require students to draw inferences from the text (e.g., Q3, Q8 ask why Zero told Stanley or why it took him so long to tell the truth; Q4 and Q6 ask for opinion-based inferences supported by text). The Venn diagram activity asks students to identify specific similarities and differences between two storylines, requiring them to refer to story details and examples when comparing.
Lesson 12
Treasure and Lizards
Students are asked to summarize the last chapter and to read Chapters 42–45, then answer journal questions that ask for reasons (e.g., "How had Stanley's feelings about himself changed? Why do you think they changed?"). Students complete the "Conflict in Holes" activity by choosing three types of conflict, describing the conflict from the book, and illustrating it, which requires using events from the novel. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to "describe what happened to Stanley and Zero" and to explain which conflict is most interesting and why, which asks for explanation and inference about story events.
Lesson 13
Innocent
Students read Chapters 46–50 and answer a set of comprehension questions that require them to state explicit details from the text (for example, identifying what was in the suitcase and who Ms. Morengo was). One question asks students to explain motivations ("Why do you think the Warden decided not to shoot Stanley and Zero?"), requiring them to draw an inference from events. In Activity 3 students sort and sequence story events and identify the problem, climax, and solution for two interwoven plots, using specific events from the text as evidence.
Unit 3: Stories from Europe
Lesson 2
Fiona's Luck
Question 1 explicitly asks students to describe Fiona and to state "what evidence from the story supports your opinion," requiring students to cite details. Several comprehension questions (e.g., about the leprechauns, what happened when they swept up the luck, and how Fiona fooled people) require students to explain events using story details. The Fact vs. Fantasy activity and the Story Elements page require students to list facts from the text, identify plot/conflict/resolution, and provide a verbal summary, all of which require referencing specific examples from the story.
Lesson 3
The Sea King's Daughter
Students answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., "What was Sadko's job?") that require stating what the text says explicitly. One question asks "How did Sadko feel about the city where he lived? How do you know he felt this way?", which requires students to cite text-based reasons. Inferential questions (e.g., "Why do you think the Sea King wanted to keep Sadko forever?" and the evaluative question about Sadko's choice) require students to draw conclusions from story details. Activities such as the Fact and Fantasy sorting and the Story Elements organizer ask students to identify specific facts, fictional elements, characters, setting, conflict, and resolution from the text.
Lesson 4
The Snow Queen
Students answer numerous explicit comprehension questions about the text (e.g., what the goblin's mirror does; what gets in Kay's eye; who is driving the sled). Students complete a story-elements organizer that asks for setting, characters, conflict, resolution, and theme—tasks that require identifying textual details and drawing a thematic inference. Students are asked to refer to the Hans Christian Andersen biography while discussing his life and to create a script by selecting the most important words from specified scenes, which requires locating and using scene details.
Lesson 5
Comparing and Contrasting Stories
Students are asked to summarize each story and identify the point of view of each text (first vs. third person). Students retell specific events from a chosen story in first person, selecting pages or scenes to use as the basis for their retelling. Students complete a "Comparing Story Elements" page, listing three similarities and three differences between stories and explaining which stories are most similar or different while referring to their story-elements pages to support their comparisons.
4: Exploration and Survival
Unit 1: Abel's Island
Lesson 1
Survival
Students are asked to look for names of river plants and animals in the story and to add those names to a chart (Activity 2). Students are instructed to note ways the main character uses river resources and add these to the "Natural River Resources" graphic organizer (Activity 3). Students compare a personal list of things they would miss to the things Abel says he misses most, connecting character details to their own experience (Activity 4). The skills list includes interacting with the text before, during, and after reading and responding to literature by relating plot, characters, and setting to personal experience.
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students answer direct comprehension questions (Q1–Q8) about events and details from Chapters 1–2, requiring them to explain what the text says explicitly. Students use the "Using Natural Resources" organizer to record the natural resources Abel uses and describe how he uses them, which asks for examples drawn from the story. Students complete the Predictions and Inferences activities (both basic and advanced) that ask them to infer character traits from provided text details and to write predictions with reasons.
Lesson 3
Where Am I?
Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#7) that require locating explicit details such as where Abel was stuck, what he ate, how he carved a rudder, and what happened to each boat. Question #8 explicitly asks students to "support interpretations or conclusions with examples drawn from text," requiring students to draw inferences and cite textual examples. Activities ask students to fill in a chart using information from the chapters and to describe the boats and resources Abel used, which requires locating and using details from the text.
Lesson 4
Who Is Abel?
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text," "Make inferences and draw conclusions about characters and events," and "Use text and personal experience to verify facts, concepts, and ideas." Activity 2 asks students to provide evidence from the story to support character traits and to note whether they inferred those traits before the author stated them. The Student Activity Page directs students to record physical and personality descriptions alongside corresponding evidence from the text, and the reading questions require students to answer both explicit (e.g., "What was Abel's new plan?") and inferential (e.g., "How is Abel learning to adapt?") prompts.
Lesson 5
Perseverance
Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer specific comprehension questions that require pulling details from the text (e.g., how Abel tried to cross the river, how he made and used fire, what he dreamed). Students are asked to fill in a chart "Using Natural Resources" using information taken directly from the chapters. Students respond to at least one inference prompt (Question #4: Why do you think Abel would not leave Amanda's scarf?) and discuss/interpret the author's description of Abel's "shadowed, more poignant part of life."
Lesson 6
Surprises
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer specific comprehension questions that require citing text details (e.g., Question #1 asks why Abel did not feel lonely with an answer listing his star, birch tree, earth, and sky; Question #2 asks why Abel worried about winter). Some questions require drawing inferences from the text (e.g., Question #4 asks how unusual objects might have gotten to the island and Question #6 asks how Abel knew to dive between rocks despite never encountering an owl). Activities ask students to take information from the chapters to complete a "Using Natural Resources" chart and to order Abel's routines and explain how they decided the order, explicitly prompting students to reference the text to support their choices.
Lesson 7
Threats
Students read Chapters 11 and 12 and answer explicit comprehension questions (Questions #1-#5) that ask for details from the text (e.g., how Abel protected himself, how the environment is changing). Students are asked inferential questions (e.g., why Abel started talking out loud; why a question seems funny coming from a mouse) that require drawing conclusions beyond explicit statements. Activity 1 directs students to fill a chart using information taken from the chapters, and Activity 2 requires students to record the sentence from the book for each vocabulary word. Activity 3 and the Wrapping Up prompt students to describe threats Abel faces and how he adapts, tying their responses to examples in the story.
Lesson 8
The Dead of Winter
The Skills section explicitly requires students to "support [similarities and differences] by referencing the text." Students are asked to "fill in the chart, 'Using Natural Resources,' taking information from Chapters 13 and 14," and to "find information in the chapters that explains Abel's hibernation/torpor (p. 74-75)." The guided reading questions include explicit comprehension items and inference prompts (e.g., "What do you think Abel meant when he said..." and "Why did Abel begin to blame Amanda...").
Lesson 9
The Newcomer
Students are asked to take information from Chapters 15 and 16 to fill in a chart, which requires locating details in the text. Students create a Venn diagram comparing Gower and Abel by physical attributes, attitudes, and personalities, which requires using textual descriptions and examples. Journal/discussion questions (e.g., Why did Gower leave the island? Why didn't Abel go with him?) ask students to explain events and motives based on the chapters. Students are asked to reread pages 93–96 and discuss action and dialogue to prepare a script, which directs them to use specific passages.
Lesson 10
Escape
Students are asked to write three "big" and three "little" questions about Chapters 17-18 using a Big and Little Questions sheet that distinguishes inferential (big) questions from factual (little) questions. Students must describe Abel before and after the island and explain what caused him to change in the "Abel to Change" activity, including writing acrostic descriptions that contrast pre- and post-island traits. The lesson's skills list also instructs students to "Use text and personal experience to verify facts, concepts, and ideas," which directs students to consult the text when forming responses.
Lesson 11
Home at Last
Students answer literal comprehension questions (Questions #1-#4) that require referring to specific details from Chapters 19–20 (e.g., how Abel left the island, what he discovered when he woke up). Students fill a "Using Natural Resources" chart by taking information directly from the chapters. Students complete a Theme Bubble Map and are instructed to cite evidence from the text to support the identified theme, and they respond to inference questions (Questions #5 and #6) that ask them to explain author choices.
Unit 2: Pedro's Journal
Lesson 1
Exploring with Columbus
The skills section explicitly tells students to "support by referencing the text to determine the author's purpose, plot, and the author's lesson or message," requiring text-based support. Activity 3 (Historical Fiction) asks students to list two factual descriptions, two examples of fiction, two historical events, and two authentic setting descriptions from the novel and to decide if the book is more fact or fiction. Activity 1 directs students to research Columbus, organize positive and negative characteristics on an activity sheet, and discuss fact versus opinion while using biographies and logs. Activity 4 asks students to record dates and important events along Columbus' route on a map as they read the chapters, tying events directly to text details.
Lesson 2
August
Students read Pedro's journal entries for August and are assigned three or four questions to answer in their journals, which requires them to refer to the text. Students respond to comprehension and inferential questions such as why Pedro turned away from his mother, why the crew says prayers, and how Pedro describes Columbus, which ask for explicit explanations and inferences drawn from the entries. Students complete a "Journey" chart recording geographic location, important events, and the attitudes of Columbus, Pedro, and the crew, which asks them to extract details and interpret characters' attitudes from the text.
Lesson 3
September
Students answer five specific reading questions (e.g., Pedro's job, consequences of not finding port, why men distrust Columbus, sailors' sighting in the sky, signs of land) that require using details from Pedro's journal entries. Students are asked to summarize what happened to Columbus and the crew for the month of September and to fill out a "The Journey" sheet, both tasks that require referring to events and examples in the text. The activity asking why sailors feared meteors and the question comparing sailors' and Columbus' interpretations require students to draw inferences from textual events and character actions.
Lesson 4
October
Students read the October journal entries and answer targeted questions that ask for explicit details (e.g., what animals they saw, where Columbus thought they had landed) and inferential explanations (e.g., why the men might think Columbus is crazy, why Columbus wants to take natives back). Students complete a two-bubble graphic organizer recording words or phrases the crew might use to describe the native people and vice versa, requiring them to use textual details and infer perspectives. In the wrap-up students are asked to describe how the book portrays the native people and to explain why Pedro is uncomfortable, prompting them to refer to examples from the text when explaining and drawing conclusions.
Lesson 5
Journal Writing
The lesson asks students to identify three events Pedro writes about and three places where Pedro records his feelings, requiring students to refer to specific parts of Pedro's journal. The introduction explicitly discusses that the author tells the story through Pedro's journal entries, prompting students to locate details in that text. The activity prompts students to read the journal entry and determine whether they communicated the importance of the event and their own feelings and observations, encouraging attention to specific content.
Lesson 6
November
Students read Pedro's journal entries and answer specific comprehension questions that require referring to text details (for example, Q1 asks why Columbus wanted to take natives back to Spain and Q5 asks what past experience Pedro relates). Students are asked to explain interactions among crew and natives and to describe Pedro's feelings, which requires drawing inferences from the text. Activity 2 asks students to list disadvantages of life at sea versus life on land from Pedro's perspective, requiring them to draw conclusions based on textual information. The lesson's skill list explicitly includes "Draw conclusions from information gathered."
Lesson 7
December
Students read the December journal entries and are assigned three or four questions to answer in their journals, including explicit-detail questions such as describing the sailors' encounter with natives on December 3rd and whether Columbus' crew believed they were in Asia. Students are asked inferential questions—e.g., why the king telling Columbus to take anything might be a mistake, whether Ruiz should have let Pedro steer, and whether Pedro was at fault for sinking the Santa Maria. Students compare expected treasures (Asia) with actual treasures found in the Americas by reading pages 52–53, illustrating and labeling items, and then explain differences and judge whether the soldiers are right to complain.
Lesson 8
The Island of the Skog
The Skills section instructs students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences ... and support them by referencing the text," and to "use text and personal experiences to verify facts, concepts, and ideas." The guided Reading and Questions require students to answer text-based questions (e.g., why the mice set off, what threatened their survival, how the mice responded to the Skog) that ask for explicit details and comparative inferences. Activity 1 asks students to complete a graphic organizer comparing two texts, which requires citing similarities and unique characteristics from each story, and Activity 2 asks students to write three ways the mice showed prejudice and three ways Columbus was prejudiced, requiring textual examples.
Lesson 9
January
Students read Pedro's journal entry and answer targeted comprehension questions (QUESTION #1–#3) that require locating explicit details such as why some men stayed behind, where Pedro went, and how the manatees are described. One question (QUESTION #4) asks students to explain why the natives became less friendly, which prompts students to draw an inference from the text. Activity 1 asks students to fill in "The Journey" page, which requires extracting information from the reading to complete a summary task.
Lesson 10
February
Students answer targeted comprehension questions (for example questions about whether Pedro enjoyed the voyage, how sea conditions changed, what happened to the Pinta, and how long the voyage took), which requires them to refer to explicit events and details in the story. Students identify and explain figurative language using quoted similes and idioms with page references, recording the two things being compared and explaining idiom meanings from the text. Students write a firsthand report in character as Pedro and are instructed to look back at the information recorded on their Journey pages to explain the crew's survival, discoveries, and what it was like to sail with Columbus.
Final Project
Story Blocks
Students are asked to record three sentences with quotes from the book on the Quotes Cube and to write sentences describing those quotes, which requires locating and using explicit textual details. The Vocabulary Cube and Simile Cube require students to record vocabulary words and similes from the text and use them in sentences, prompting students to refer to examples in the book. The Survival Cube and Historical Fiction Cube ask students to list threats, survival actions, and three historical facts from the story, which requires extracting explicit information. The Characters and Exploration cubes require students to describe character traits and cultural impacts, which invites students to draw conclusions based on text details.
Unit 3: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Lesson 1
Sickness
Students answer targeted reading questions (e.g., Describe Mrs. Frisby and her family; How does their environment meet their needs; What was Mr. Ages' diagnosis?) that require recalling plot details and character information from the chapters. Students use sentences taken directly from the book on the vocabulary activity pages to determine word meanings and analyze roots, affixes, parts of speech, and usage. Students keep a Plot Flowchart in which they record major events from each chapter, and on the Fantasy Genre page they record events, characters, and descriptions from a chosen fantasy novel.
Lesson 2
Spring is Coming
Students read specified chapters and answer questions that require them to identify explicit details (for example, Q1 asks how the author describes the cat and directs students to illustrate based on that description). Questions ask for both explicit recall and inference (Q2 asks what happens in the garden and how that threatens the mice, Q3 asks what Mr. Frisby meant by a proverb). Activities ask students to record events on a plot flowchart and describe the setting and threats to survival, prompting use of events and descriptions from the text.
Lesson 3
A Visit to an Owl
Students answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#5) that require recalling explicit details from the chapters (e.g., Jeremy's suggestion, description of the owl, owl's home). Students complete a Plot Flowchart by selecting an event from the two chapters, which asks them to identify and sequence text events. The wrap-up asks students to describe what happened in the reading and Question #6 asks for a judgment about Mrs. Frisby that could draw on text information.
Lesson 4
Rats in the Rosebush
Students read the chapters and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that require recalling explicit details from the text, such as the owl's advice and Timothy's response. Students complete a Plot Flowchart and answer Q5 and Q6, which ask them to explain motivations and predict outcomes, requiring them to draw inferences from events and character actions. Students create a bubble map listing five ways Mrs. Frisby showed bravery, citing story events as evidence for those character traits.
Lesson 5
Meeting the Rats
Students are asked to make a prediction about the rats and then check whether their predictions were correct after reading, which requires comparing ideas to the text. Students answer explicit comprehension and inferential questions in a journal (e.g., how did Brutus respond, who was Mrs. Frisby surprised to see, what connection might her husband have had with the rats). Students list examples on the 'Beyond Needs' activity and describe inventions/machines and signs of education, which requires pulling specific examples from the chapters.
Lesson 6
A Plan for Mrs. Frisby
Students answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., "Who is Isabella?", "Where did the rats want to move Mrs. Frisby's home?", "How did Mrs. Frisby's husband die?") that require recalling explicit details from the chapters. Students create a Plot Flowchart describing important events from both chapters, and they are asked to describe the rats' plan and to illustrate where the rats want to move the house, tasks that ask them to use story details. The lesson includes an open inferential question ("Do you think the rat's plan will work? Why or why not?") that asks students to form an inference about the plot.
Lesson 7
The Capture
The Skills section explicitly lists 'Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text.' The Reading and Questions include multiple factual questions (e.g., where the rats lived, how they were caught, where they were taken) that require students to refer to text details. QUESTION #7 instructs students to 'Use evidence from the book to support your answer,' and the Summary activity asks students to make a list of important events before writing a summary.
Lesson 8
Life at NIMH
Students answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#5) that require recalling explicit details from the chapters (e.g., Justin's escape plan, scientists' responses, how the rats were taught to read). Students respond to open-ended prompts (Questions #6–#7 and the Wrapping Up prompts) that require them to draw inferences and give reasons about scientists' motives and possible human applications. Students also create a Plot Flowchart and write journal responses, tasks that ask them to identify and describe events and support explanations with text-based details.
Lesson 9
The Escape
The Skills section directs students to "Use text and personal experiences to verify facts," "Locate information in text for specific purposes," and "Make inferences and draw conclusions about characters and events," which explicitly ties tasks to using textual details. The Reading and Questions activity has students read two chapters and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q7) that require referring to plot details and examples (e.g., why rats delayed escape, what they learned in the building, tools used). Activity 2 and the Student Activity Page ask students to write journal entries and compare Nicodemus before and after NIMH, prompting students to support explanations and inferences with examples from the text.
Lesson 10
Amazing Rats
The Skills section explicitly lists "Support interpretations or conclusions with examples drawn from text," and the Reading and Questions activity requires students to answer specific text-based questions (e.g., plan for moving Mrs. Frisby's home; what Mrs. Frisby saw in the Main Hall). The Plot Flowchart asks students to record an important event from each chapter, and Activity 4 asks students to list things learned about rats and write a paragraph explaining how their opinion changed, using reasons and linking words. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe the Main Hall, the rats' plan, and why they devised it, which requires referring to textual details and drawing conclusions.
Lesson 11
The Plan
Students answer chapter-specific comprehension questions in their journals after reading Thorn Valley and Captured, including factual items like what the rats discovered in the Toy Tinker truck and how they tapped the power cable. Students respond to interpretive questions (for example, why Jonathan never told Mrs. Frisby about NIMH and why Jenner left) and discuss their answers aloud. Students record important events from each chapter on a Plot Flowchart and describe the new home the rats hope to make, activities that require referring to events and details in the text.
Lesson 12
Working in the Night
Students read specific chapters and answer guided questions that require explicit recall and inference: QUESTION #1 asks what happened to Jenner and the rats (explicit detail), QUESTION #5 asks what equipment the rats used and how they used it (explicit detail), and QUESTION #3 asks whether investigators are from NIMH and asks for reasoning (drawing an inference). The Wrap-Up directs students to describe ways the rats were inventive "using examples from the text," and QUESTION #2 explicitly prompts students to explain "How do you know?" which requires citing textual evidence.
Lesson 13
A New Home
Students answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Why did Nicodemus want Mrs. Frisby at the meeting? How did the rats get out of the hole?) that require referring to events and details from the chapters. Students fill a Plot Flowchart and Plot Diagram by listing the problem, three major events, the climax, falling action, and solution, pulling events directly from the text. Students record examples from the book for each element on the "Elements of Fantasy" activity, explicitly locating textual examples to support genre features.
Final Project
The Next Chapter or Book Float
Students are directed to "look at the chapter, 'Thorn Valley,' to find the author's description," which requires referring back to text details when describing setting. The rubric asks whether the setting reflected Thorn Valley as described, whether characters acted and spoke in ways appropriate for their personalities, and whether events matched what the rats wanted—tasks that ask students to base choices on examples from the book. Students are asked to "discuss how the rats were hoping to live in Thorn Valley" and to make dialogue that "must be realistic and represent the way the characters spoke in the book," which prompts using textual details to draw conclusions about characters and motives.