Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 1
Steinbeck
Students are directed to research the life of John Steinbeck using specified websites and answer a series of written questions on the Student Activity Page, which requires composing short informational responses. Students write original sentences using each vocabulary word on the Vocabulary pages, producing short, discipline-related (literary) sentences. The lesson includes reflective prompts (e.g., "Are there any similarities between Steinbeck's life and your own?" and predictions about The Pearl) that ask students to write personal responses.
Lesson 3
The Pearl
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the Editing Sentences activity. Students analyze and record strong verbs and vivid adjectives in a chart and then choose to produce a creative product (draw a picture or write a poem) based on Steinbeck's description. The Life Application prompt asks students to record examples of strong verbs and adjectives in other readings, which encourages ongoing collection of writing examples.
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students choose and conduct a mini-research project over at least two days by researching La Paz or the history of pearl diving, using websites and at least one book as a reference. Students take notes on note cards (at least 15), organize those notes, and on Day 2 either create a travel brochure (writing pictures/text for a targeted audience) or write a one-page script and prepare visual aids for an oral presentation. Students practice delivery, give the presentation to family, and receive parent feedback on content, delivery, and visual aids.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are asked to keep a "Stylistic Devices" journal as they read the remainder of the book, with instructions to "jot down examples" and to "review the vocabulary words for the story," which requires ongoing entries over an extended portion of the text. Students must write short responses to Chapter 3 questions in complete sentences and perform a sentence-editing exercise, both of which are short-time-frame writing tasks. Students are asked to write the words for one of Kino's songs (5–10 lines) that incorporate stylistic devices, a creative discipline-specific writing task. The Parent Plan explicitly lists responding to expressive materials by generating a learning log or journal, reinforcing the expectation of repeated written entries.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students are asked to "answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires short-form written responses after reading Chapter 4. Students are instructed to "list [stylistic devices] in your journal," indicating ongoing note-taking and reflection as they read. Students complete grammar writing tasks by composing original sentences in Option 1 and Option 2 (e.g., sentences beginning with prepositional phrases, containing appositive phrases). Students produce a written web listing at least five symbolic interpretations of the pearl, a discipline-specific literary-analysis task.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students read Chapter 5 and write four discussion questions (Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, On My Own) and provide answers, showing practice in composing discipline-specific discussion prompts. Students copy and correct sentences in their journals, practicing sentence-level revision and editing. Students add sentences and phrases to a stylistic device log and complete a 'Wants' chart recording character desires and drawing symbols, practicing analytical writing about characters and themes.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students copy sentences into a journal and mark prepositional, appositive, and verbal phrases using colored pencils (Activity 1), which requires written work and grammatical analysis. Students are asked to create an illustration or practice an oral retelling of a parable and may retell it to their family, demonstrating practice for an audience (Activity 2). The Parent Plan and wrapping-up prompts ask students to explain lessons, reflect on learning growth, and create note cards for review, which involve short-term written study and reflective activities.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students engage in a multi-day writing process: they complete pre-writing (Activity 1 and Story Map), write a first draft on Day 2 (explicitly instructed to write a 500–700 word draft in one day), revise and edit on Day 3 using proofreading symbols, and produce a typed final copy. Students use a discipline-specific rubric (Parable Rubric) that defines narrative criteria (setting, theme, plot, character, voice, conventions) and are directed to apply narrative strategies and conventions in their writing.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to produce a range of written products: write and rehearse a script for a favorite scene (Scene Memory), draft a 2-minute Quick Script with a partner, and compose a speech defending or prosecuting Kino. Students also complete short written tasks in vocabulary and Part D short answers (2–3 sentence responses) and grammar identification exercises. The Think-Tac-Toe final project requires students to select and complete activities across days, with directions to complete two activities today and finish remaining selected activity on Day 2.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and told to "use your journal to record what the reader learns about the culture and characters in each chapter," which requires written responses as they read the first four chapters. Students are told to peruse linked websites for about ten minutes to "learn even more," providing a short research component to inform their writing. Students choose between two multi-day projects (a Mozambique Quilt or Mozambique Trivia) and are instructed to "complete your quilt or trivia questions" over the next three days, indicating an extended-time writing/creation task.
Lesson 2
Sickness
Students read Chapters 5–7 and record background information in an Investigator journal, gathering four or five facts related to the book. Students create a Vocabulary Picture Dictionary, writing sentences that use each vocabulary word, gluing definitions, and illustrating meanings. Students continue work on a quilt or trivia project that was started in a previous lesson, indicating an ongoing, multi-day activity.
Lesson 3
A Visit with the Muvuki
Students are asked to write four discussion questions about Chapters 8–10, which requires composing multiple, open-ended written items for a discussion role. Students complete a timed 5-minute freewriting in a journal focused on their feelings and processes about writing, practicing short, focused writing in a single sitting. Students are introduced to and asked to reflect on the parts of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading) and to write or discuss their interpretation of a quotation about practice and process.
Lesson 5
Lake Cabora Bassa
Students practice short, timed writing through freewriting (5-minute timer) and the invisible writing activity, giving explicit short-sitting writing practice. Students generate and organize ideas using brainstorming and idea webs (including a printable cluster diagram) as prewriting strategies. Students begin a first-person personal narrative, record ideas in a journal, and share their work with a parent, demonstrating an identified writing purpose and a specific audience.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
Students are asked to carry work across days ("Yesterday, you chose the topic for your personal narrative. Today, you are going to generate ideas...") and to keep a journal (Line Locator task) where they copy passages, explain why lines are effective, and record thinking questions while reading chapters 17–20. Students complete prewriting organizers (5 W's chart and Personal Narrative Story Elements) and are told to review the Personal Narrative Rubric carefully before drafting. The text also states students will "continue to develop strategies for and a deeper understanding of the editing and revision process."
Lesson 7
Baboons
Students are asked to research baboons and write an 8–10 sentence museum exhibit plaque that explains social dynamics and educates zoo patrons. Students can create a guidebook to African wildlife, selecting five animals and writing 1–2 sentences about each page and assembling the book for a younger audience. The parent-plan skills explicitly state creating products for different purposes and audiences and using organizational patterns to summarize expository text.
Lesson 8
Survival
The lesson asks students to write a four- or five-sentence summary in their journal and share it with a parent, providing a short, single-sitting writing task. The lesson instructs students to begin drafting a 400–500 word personal narrative, offers drafting strategies (e.g., skip lines, begin in the middle, record yourself), and explicitly tells students they may write a little today and continue over the next few days. The lesson also models revision as part of the process (Avi quote and note that papers may go through several drafts) and prompts students to consider audience (share with a parent; start strong to hook the reader).
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students are asked to continue drafting a personal narrative (Activity 1) and, if finished, begin revising immediately or over the next several days. The revision guidance explicitly tells students to put a draft aside for several hours or a day before revising and to tackle revision items a little each day for the next two or three days. Students create or use a revision checklist and practice specific revision strategies (focusing on introduction, word choice, transitions) and will proofread in a subsequent lesson.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
Students are asked to write a 6–10 line imagined conversation as a Dialogue Designer, which requires a short, single-sitting piece of writing focused on purpose and voice. Students must write a 4–6 sentence postcard from Nhamo to her grandmother, including a greeting, closing, and audience-aware content about survival and change. Students may create a storyboard of six important scenes, drawing and writing a sentence for each scene to plan a film/play (discipline-specific planning and descriptive writing). Students are directed to continue revising a personal narrative using a revision checklist, returning to drafts to make changes and rewrites.
Lesson 11
Out with the Old
Students plan, revise, and proofread a personal narrative over three days, with explicit Day 1–Day 3 activities that require finishing revision, typing or recopying, printing, and making further changes. Students use a revision checklist, save and update electronic files, run a spelling checker, apply proofreading symbols and abbreviations, and produce a final draft to submit for evaluation.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students complete a personal narrative (noted as finished 'yesterday') and then prepare and practice an oral presentation of that narrative for family, showing writing-to-speaking transfer. Students record at least three text-to-text connections in a journal after reading the novel ending, and they answer short-response questions and vocabulary items on the unit test page. Part III of the Student Activity Page asks students to identify the four parts of the writing process and to explain the difference between revising and proofreading, which addresses revision concepts.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students are asked to "read Chapter 1 of the novel and answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires composing short written responses. Students are directed to record a short sentence describing what happened at Bilbo's home on the "Events of the Journey" page and to trace and label locations on the setting map as they read, which requires repeated writing across chapters. The vocabulary activity asks students to "use [a word] correctly in a sentence," requiring single-sitting sentence composition and application of vocabulary.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about Chapter 2 (e.g., describing Bilbo's feelings, identifying events, and writing a sentence characterizing Gandalf). Students practice editing and correcting sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation in Activity 1. After reading linked biographies, students write five interview questions with reasons and record three things they would tell Tolkien about the future with explanations, and they may create a collage with captions explaining each chosen image.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and record descriptions on the "Setting Map" and "Events of the Journey" pages, showing they produce written responses tied to reading. Students complete the "Working with Independent Clauses" activity and use the Student Activity Page to combine sentences with commas and coordinating conjunctions, practicing sentence-level writing. Students locate and record examples of foreshadowing and flashbacks on the three-column chart, writing citations (chapter/page) and brief explanations.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students write a brief description of Chapter 5 on the "Events of the Journey" page and record examples of foreshadowing, which requires literary summary and analysis. Students write a note to a parent or sibling using Anglo-Saxon runes, producing a real-audience message. Students follow multi-step directions to create riddles, use a thesaurus to find synonyms, write sensory and figurative clues, then revise and test their riddles with family members.
Lesson 5
Wolves, Goblins, and Eagles
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, draw the path on a setting map, and write a brief description of chapter events, which require short written responses. Students also record examples of foreshadowing and use the "Run-on Sentences" page to identify and correct sentence problems, providing opportunities to revise sentence-level writing.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students are asked to copy and correct sentences in a journal (Activity 1), which requires short, focused writing and editing. Students are directed to write a descriptive paragraph about a new Middle-earth race on the "Fantastical Creatures" page, using figurative language and then display it with a model; the directions explicitly state to write while the model bakes. The Parent Plan lists "Write descriptive text in the fantasy genre" and "Use figurative language in own writing," indicating a discipline-specific writing purpose.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and write a short sentence about the chapter on the "Events of the Journey" page, showing practice composing brief written responses. Students complete Option 1 by combining pairs of independent clauses into complex sentences and create compound sentences using coordinating conjunctions. Students complete Option 2 by revising a paragraph to combine sentences and improve flow, which requires editing and sentence-level revision.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and write simple sentences describing events on the "Events of the Journey" page, showing short-form writing in a single sitting. Students use the "Problem Solving" page to write a 2–3 sentence problem statement, brainstorm three solution options, and list pluses and minuses, then write and explain their chosen solution, practicing structured, discipline-specific writing for problem-analysis. Students copy and edit sentences in a journal and are asked to construct essays/presentations that respond to a given problem (listed in the Parent Plan skills), and to present their problem-solving process to others.
Lesson 9
Men of the Lake
Students are asked to "Answer the questions below in complete sentences after reading Chapters 10 and 11," requiring short written responses. Students write a short description of events on the "Events of the Journey" page and record examples of flashback or foreshadowing. The Student Activity Page has students underline and correct sentence fragments and explain what was missing, and Option 2 asks students to create a six-question quiz (writing items for others).
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 12 and 13, showing short‑timeframe writing practice. Students briefly summarize chapters on the "Events of the Journey" page and record examples of flashback or foreshadowing, engaging in literary analysis writing. Students copy and correct sentences in their journals (Editing Sentences), practicing revision, grammar, and mechanics. Students conduct research for Option 1 or Option 2, collect examples from media or history, record two- to three‑sentence descriptions in a journal, rank examples, and share findings with a parent.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students are asked to answer reading-comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 14 and 15, which requires short-form written responses. Students practice sentence-level writing by combining and revising sentences in Part I and Part II (including using semicolons and transitional expressions) and are instructed to rewrite sentences using different methods, which involves immediate revision. Students are also told to record examples of foreshadowing and flashback on a chart they began in Lesson 3, indicating continued written record-keeping across lessons.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students read Chapters 16 and 17 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, providing short, focused written responses. Students copy and correct given sentences in a journal, practicing editing for grammar, spelling, and punctuation (revision practice). Students create a Quest Cube and are asked to explain to a parent how each element affects theme and mood, which asks them to produce an explanation for a specific audience.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students are asked to write short, discipline-specific responses: they summarize early literary reviews of The Hobbit in two or three sentences in their journal and identify literary elements mentioned by the reviewers. Students answer reading-comprehension questions in complete sentences after finishing the novel. Students complete a grammar "Quiz Yourself!" with short-answer and punctuation items, producing written sentences and corrections.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students plan and brainstorm using a Prewriting Web and complete a Literary Response Outline to organize ideas (Part 3 and Part 4). Students write a rough draft on Day 2, use editing symbols to revise (Part 6), and type a final copy (Part 7), showing writing across multiple days with time for reflection and revision. Students use a rubric to guide revision and include textual evidence and interpretation in their responses, and are asked to consider audience by avoiding assumptions that readers have read the book.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 1
Korea
Students research Korea using the provided websites and record information on the "Elements of Korean Culture" pages, adding entries to the "Today" and "Centuries Past" columns as they read the novel. Students complete map labeling and coloring tasks that require writing labels and map key entries. Students practice vocabulary in context by inserting words into a paragraph and are prompted to use each vocabulary word in a sentence, with activities scheduled over the next two days and continued as they read the book.
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students are asked to write a one-page summary of the chapters they read and to underline or note key ideas while reading to support that writing. The lesson lists skills such as summarizing/paraphrasing, presenting information in a consistent format, and using note taking, outlining, and summarizing to impose structure on composition drafts. The lesson provides strategies for summarizing (e.g., skim first sentences, restate ideas in own words) and prompts students to answer specific plot and character questions in complete sentences.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and then write four thoughtful questions and provide answers or possible answers, practicing focused writing in a single sitting. Students correct and rewrite sentences in their journals, practicing concise revision of grammar and mechanics. Students identify and sequence the steps for making pottery and write directions for a project they have made (Option 1) or list process steps based on text (Option 2), practicing discipline-specific technical writing.
Lesson 6
Village Life
Students complete a Pronoun Agreement worksheet in which they rewrite sentences or change pronouns, producing corrected sentences in a single sitting. Students research Linda Sue Park using linked bios and interviews, take notes in a journal, answer a set of author-analysis questions, and write a short paragraph about how the author's experiences influenced her writing.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 7 and 8. Students copy and correct sentences in their journals, practicing grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students create a Tree-ear mini-book by writing opportunities on flaps and recording how each opportunity benefited Tree-ear, then share the mini-book with a parent. Students are asked to add details to an "Elements of Korean Culture" page after reading and are told they will need vocabulary for a "writing project at the end of the unit."
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and correct and rewrite sentences, showing short, focused writing practice. Students write interpretations of Crane-man's quotes on the Student Activity Page and choose a product option that requires writing a quoted proverb or composing their own words of wisdom for a younger child. Students are asked to record wise words in a journal and to add details to an "Elements of Korean Culture" page, indicating ongoing written work across contexts and audiences.
Lesson 10
The Fox
Students are asked to read folktales from linked websites and then type a 1/2 to 1 typed page short story about a fox, labeled as a draft and focused on storytelling. Option 2 has students write a paragraph containing specified pronoun types and create a pronoun quiz for a friend or family member, then have that person take the quiz. Activity 1 includes short exercises (identifying relative clauses and underlining pronouns) that students complete in a single sitting.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences (Reading And Questions), which requires short-time-frame written responses. Students practice sentence correction by copying and revising sentences in their journals, demonstrating drafting and editing in a single sitting. Students create a Relationship Web or collect relationship words and write at least two sentences per relationship, citing textual evidence, and are told they will "write about the book" and "develop a product" in the next few days.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students plan and develop a comparison-and-contrast essay over multiple days: they brainstorm and outline (Activity 1 and Organizers), write a rough draft on Day 2 (Activity 4), revise and edit using proofreading symbols on Day 3 (Activity 5), conference with a parent (Activity 6), and type a final draft (Activity 8). The materials explicitly schedule work "over the next few days" and instruct students to study and revise between sessions, showing time for revision and reflection. The end-of-unit test and short activities (brainstorming, outlining, single-day rough draft) provide examples of shorter-timeframe writing tasks completed in a single sitting or a day.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students are guided to select a topic, develop research questions, find sources, record information, and write an argumentative essay (Steps to Independent Study). Students are asked to refer to rubrics throughout the unit and to use multiple (6–10) resources, indicating work over an extended research timeframe. Students will also develop a visual aid and deliver an oral presentation to an audience, connecting writing to a discipline-specific task and purpose.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students are asked to write responses in a journal after reading the "U.S. Steps Up Leaflets to Sway Afghans" article, answering specific questions about propaganda techniques and effectiveness. Students complete the "Detecting Bias" handout by recording findings after comparing two news articles and answering guided questions about portrayal and bias techniques. Students use the "Propaganda in Advertisements" handout to record notes about intended audience, the idea/product promoted, and whether the ad is effective, and they are asked to find two additional advertisements to analyze.
Lesson 3
Starting Your Research
Students are asked to brainstorm and "write down as many potential topics as you can" in a journal and to complete a KWM chart (What I Know, What I Want to Know, Why It Matters), which requires written reflection and question development. The text explicitly directs students to select a topic they will research "for the next couple of weeks" and refers to making the essay question manageable for a "two-week independent study," indicating an extended time frame for work. Students draft and revise essay questions using the "Just Right Questions" activity and the "Focusing Your Topic" rubric, which involve writing, evaluating, and refining questions.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students plan, draft, revise, and publish an argumentative essay using an outline, rubric, and multiple drafts over a 2–3 day period. Students spend two days writing the first draft, then evaluate and revise their work using the Argumentative Essay Rubric, and produce a cleaned final copy. Students practice discipline-specific persuasive techniques: stating a position, supporting claims with evidence, addressing counterarguments, and considering audience relevance.
Lesson 6
Presentation
Students complete a multi-day project with explicit day-by-day activities (Day 2: begin creating the visual aid; Day 3: finish and present), and they use the "Plan for Creating Visual Aid" sheet to write materials, list steps, assign approximate times, and check off completed tasks. Students are instructed to create an outline for their presentation, to prepare 3x5 index cards if needed, and to time and practice their presentation in advance. The student activity options (brochure, PowerPoint, tri-board, movie) require students to compose content for discipline-specific products and to prepare a presentation for a live audience.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 1
Ancient Greece
Students write short responses to text-based questions, including a two-sentence summary of the Greek creation story and answers to comparative/reflective questions about other creation stories. Students practice writing by decoding and encoding messages in the Greek alphabet, including writing an English message in Greek script. Students complete vocabulary practice that involves using roots and taking online quizzes, which requires short written responses and application of word-knowledge.
Lesson 2
The Gods and Goddesses
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences across three days, showing repeated short-form writing practice. Students perform sentence-editing by copying and correcting a provided sentence, practicing revision skills at the sentence level. Students write descriptions on character cards (Option 2) and fill in vocabulary strips and family-tree leaves, producing discipline-specific written responses and notes over multiple activities.
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students are asked to write an acrostic poem about a chosen god or goddess, producing a draft and then a final copy on art paper, which provides an explicit opportunity for revision. Students complete a sentence-editing activity that has them correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in given sentences, practicing short-format writing and editing in a single sitting. The wrapping-up language notes that students have "contributed your own unique piece of writing, reflecting on the Greek god or goddess of your choice," which indicates a written reflective product tied to the unit.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students correct and rewrite sentences in Activity 1 (Sentence Editing), demonstrating focused, short-time grammar and editing work. In Activity 2 (Fire!), students brainstorm five uses of fire and write a descriptive paragraph titled "Life Without Fire," showing a short, reflective writing task. In Activity 4 (A Play), students plan and produce a short scripted skit (18–25 lines), use a script-formatting guide, read the script aloud, and may perform it for family, which addresses a discipline-specific task and audience awareness.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students are asked to complete the "Conventions of a Myth: Perseus" activity page by writing short responses identifying a hero, gods, a monster, a problem, a maiden, and helpers. The lesson states that students will be asked to "write your own myth that follows these conventions" as a final project, indicating a longer, product-oriented task. The activity prompts and answer key provide explicit writing prompts and a described final writing assignment.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are asked to write in several short-format, discipline-specific ways: they write a 60–90 second trailer script and read it aloud to family, design a comic-book cover and complete a Venn diagram comparing Hercules to a modern superhero, and complete a chart comparing two versions of the Icarus story. Students also copy and correct sentences for grammar and create a wordless book, puzzle, or song that represents a myth, which requires composing lyrics or puzzle clues. The lesson unfolds over three days, and students answer written comprehension questions in complete sentences after each reading.
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students are asked to summarize/retell the Trojan War using props and are given the option to "write out your entire summary, take notes, or make a diagram" to prepare. The Parent Plan lists skills including "Write responses to literature" and "Organize literary interpretations around several clear ideas," which imply students will produce written literary interpretations. Students are directed to begin their story summary on a specific page and to practice the retelling before presenting to a family audience.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students plan and prewrite by listing favorite myths, identifying conventions and themes, and selecting a myth to retell. Students draft a 400–500 word myth over two days, writing one page the first day and finishing the draft the next, showing work in both shorter and extended time frames. Students edit and revise using proofreading symbols, a rubric, and a parent conference, then type a final copy and publish for a parent/teacher audience.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students write 3-4 sentence commentaries from the perspectives of a knight, a lord, and a peasant on the Feudalism student page (Activity 2), using the lined sections provided. Students complete the "A Medieval Manor" worksheet by recording observations about jobs, clothing, homes, inventions, and military defense based on the book's map (Activity 1). Students read their commentaries aloud to a parent, which requires composing for an audience.
Lesson 2
Beetle
Students answer four written response questions about the poem "A Dialogue on Poverty," with lines provided for detailed answers, demonstrating short-form analytical writing. Students are assigned the role of Researcher to dig up related information about the book's setting or topics and to print and read that information to build context. Students complete a vocabulary activity and fill in a crossword, which requires producing written word answers in a single sitting.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students write journal entries as Line Locators by recording page and paragraph numbers and explaining why selected passages reflect good writing or are important to the story. Students practice sentence-level composition by combining sentences into compound and complex forms. Students create a longer piece or product by composing a ballad or complete a Venn diagram comparing a personal event to Alyce's and may perform or share the ballad with a family audience.
Lesson 5
A Baby
Students write an original conversation between characters from Chapters 9-11 and record it in a journal, then read it aloud to a parent, which provides a clear purpose and audience for writing. Students locate passive-voice sentences in the book, explain why the author used passive constructions, and attempt rewrites into active voice, which requires reflection on authorial choices and sentence revision. Students complete targeted practice converting active and passive sentences (including online exercises with feedback) and create their own sentence to convert, practicing discipline-specific grammar tasks.
Lesson 6
The Inn
Students are asked to write in a journal to combine sets of sentences into a compound sentence and then a complex sentence, practicing sentence construction and revision of short sentences. The Parent Plan directs students to use a variety of complete sentences, and the lesson asks students to draw a picture related to the chapters and share it in their journal. The Things to Review section explicitly asks students to review sentence types and how to change passive voice to active voice, indicating short-form writing and grammar practice.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students are asked to rewrite two sentences in their journals to practice sentence elaboration, demonstrating short-form composition and craft revision. Students record page and paragraph numbers of selected passages and read them aloud to a parent, indicating a purpose and audience for brief writing/listening tasks. Students complete either a craft plus write three sentences about peasants' relationships with animals or draw three animals and write explanations of their economic roles, showing discipline-specific (historical) explanatory writing.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students are asked to record connections in a journal as a "Connector," which requires writing about connections between the book, their life, and the world. Students write one or two sentences in a Relationships graphic organizer comparing beginning and end states of character relationships. Students correct homophone errors in a paragraph and compose sentences using homophone groups, and they are given proofreading tips to check apostrophes and revise contractions.
Lesson 9
Cast of Characters
Students are instructed to read the first 23 pages and "as you read each day, you will fill out the chart on the four 'Cast of Characters' pages," which requires daily written summaries (1-2 sentences or longer on some pages) and recording examples of descriptive language and relationships. Students are asked to "record your corrections in your journal or on a separate sheet of paper" for the parallelism/tense activities, and to complete grammar exercises online or on provided activity pages. Multiple student activity pages require written summaries of characters (some prompting 5–15 sentence summaries), showing practice with discipline-specific literary writing tasks.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students write 3–5 short sentences in a journal describing an outdoor object, then re-examine the object, jot additional notes, and revise by adding elaboration and combining sentences (Activity 1). Students fill out a chart for each monologue from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!, continuing work begun in a previous lesson, and are asked to find books and decide narrator types, then share findings with a parent (reading/chart and Activity 2).
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students complete a multi-day Think-Tac-Toe final project by selecting and finishing one activity from Row 1, Row 2, and Row 3 on separate days, showing writing tasks spread over time. Students produce a variety of written products (short story as a queen, squire description, monologue, book review, descriptive writing, story-cube narratives, and research-based tasks like "Dress Code") and create sentences for grammar practice. Students also write timed/shorter pieces on the unit test (Part V essays, Part IV grammar sentences) that are completed in a single sitting.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
Students are asked to write two sentences that contain parentheses (one a complete sentence) on the Parenthetical Expressions page, showing direct short-form writing practice. In the Media Awareness activity (Option 2) students are directed to write their own examples of persuasive copy and "practice writing your own ads and role-play as the creator," indicating students produce discipline-specific persuasive pieces. The Activities include a "Writing Persuasive Copy" sheet and blank lines for student-written responses, which require students to compose original text.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students answer comprehension questions in full sentences after reading chapters VII–XII, demonstrating short-form written responses. Students plan and/or script a 30-second persuasive message from the flower to the little prince, choosing and attempting specific persuasion techniques and then performing the message. Students complete ellipsis activities that require them to reconstruct, omit, and rewrite passages and to find and analyze authorial uses of ellipses, producing edited written passages and explanations.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students plan and write persuasive letters to characters from The Little Prince using the "Planet Problem," "Children Say," and "Two Views" templates, including one- and two-perspective letters that target different audiences (child vs. adult). Students take notes on the problem faced by an inhabitant, brainstorm solutions, and complete sentence-editing and short response questions about the reading. Students create a clay model to inform their writing and then share and explain their letter to a parent, practicing organization and audience awareness.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
Students answer comprehension questions using complete sentences after reading Chapters XXI-XXV, showing practice in short written responses. Students complete an activity page that asks them to underline/italicize text and to write two original sentences using italics for emphasis, practicing sentence-level composition and audience-aware formatting. Students are asked to explain to their parent why the fox's friendship prevents monotony and to give two examples, which requires composing a short explanatory piece for a specific audience.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and copy/correct sentences in a journal, practicing written expression and editing. Students create a poem or a drawing with a short written artist's description from the narrator to the fox, composing for a specific audience and purpose. Students write and share a letter with a parent explaining their position about the little prince, practicing audience-aware persuasive/reflective writing.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about Acts 1–2, providing short written responses. Students complete a "Cast the Character" activity page that prompts multiple written responses (character information, traits, challenges, skills) and a written casting description option that asks them to describe the ideal actor. The collage option asks students to gather images from magazines or the Internet and include at least one image showing what the character tries to persuade someone to do, which involves selecting and organizing sources to support a product.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about Acts 2–3, practicing written responses to literature. Students are explicitly asked to "write a poem or short story using at least four of the phrases," which requires composing original text. Students read their poem or short story aloud to a parent, providing a real audience for their writing.
Lesson 10
Dreams
Students are asked to "Answer the following questions using complete sentences," producing short written responses to comprehension questions. In Activity 1 students are instructed to "write a short paragraph about the scene" (Option 1) or "write a short paragraph... that summarizes what happens and how the passage deals with persuasion" (Option 2). Students are also told to copy the scene into a document and make notes to themselves, which requires written annotation for performance preparation.
Lesson 11
Watching the Play
Students are asked to "Answer the following questions using complete sentences," which requires them to write short, focused responses after reading Act 4, Scene 2 to the end of the play. The Activities and Wrapping Up sections ask students to watch an animated version and discuss key scenes and the play's presentation, which may prompt brief written reflections or notes tied to the reading and viewing.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students write answers in complete sentences to comprehension questions about Romeo and Juliet, showing short-form writing practice. Students plan and write an interview (three questions, quoted answers) on the "Quotable" activity page, practicing quoting and composing character responses. Students create a persuasive message from Romeo or Juliet to their parents using specified persuasive techniques and unit vocabulary and then share and explain the message to a parent, addressing purpose and audience.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students plan and develop a persuasive essay across activities: they take notes on a chosen couple (Activity 1), create an outline (Activity 2), and write the essay the next day (Activity 3), showing a multi-day writing task. Students also complete shorter, single-sitting writing tasks on the unit test (Part A short answers and Part B vocabulary sentences) and use discipline-specific supports (Outlining page, Play Cupid/Strongest of All note pages, and a Classics Rubric) that instruct thesis, evidence, quotes, organization, and mechanics for persuasive literary writing.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 1
Features of Non-Fiction
Students answer two comprehension questions in complete sentences and write definitions on the "Featuring Non-Fiction" activity page, using highlighters to take notes and then filling in blanks for page layout, table of contents, index, headings, graphics, and extra information. Students are instructed to share their notes with a parent and keep them for the next lesson. These activities require students to produce written responses tied to a discipline-specific reading task (analyzing non-fiction features).
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students read assigned chapters across three days and take notes, answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, and complete daily written tasks (e.g., question responses, seven-step procedures for drawing ellipses). Students produce both written and oral summaries (a written directions page for a parent, a 2-minute oral summary of a calculus graph) and practice discipline-specific writing tasks (procedural writing, nonfiction summaries, and sentence diagramming). Students are directed to keep notes for later use and to discuss and reflect orally with a parent about their summaries and directions.
Lesson 3
Newton and Light
Students are asked to answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences and to take notes or highlight important information and unfamiliar words as they read, which requires short-span written responses and note-taking. Students must brainstorm, sketch, and neatly produce visual aids (cardstock/poster or PowerPoint) and write or print sample sentences to mark up before diagramming, involving planning and drafting written materials. Students are instructed to prepare notes or index cards for an oral presentation and to create original sentences inspired by the reading to use in the presentation, which requires writing for a specific audience (the parent) and purpose (teaching diagramming).
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students read specified pages and are instructed to take notes and highlight information with page numbers and to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, showing short-term writing practice. Students choose between dramatizing perspectives (using index-card notes) or writing opposing viewpoints and newspaper headlines, and the Student Activity Page provides space to write an event description and two perspective headlines. Students summarize and determine important information as part of the questions and activity, which requires writing for a specific audience (readers of a headline) and purpose (explaining perspectives).
Lesson 5
Newton's Contemporaries
Students are asked to answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading chapters and a sidebar, which requires written responses. The materials prompt students to take notes (including page numbers) and highlight important information and unfamiliar words while reading. The activity page requires students to circle the correct verb and diagram sentences, producing written work that practices grammar and sentence construction.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students read a chapter and are instructed to take notes (including page numbers and unfamiliar words) and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences. Students diagram sentences on a separate sheet and ask a parent to check them, then compare their work to an answer key if errors appear. Students read a NASA webpage, choose and perform a demonstration, take structured notes on a "Demonstrating Lift" page (definition, materials, numbered procedure, conclusions), and prepare a summary for a parent about how a wing works.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students answer daily reading questions in complete sentences and complete short, single-sitting tasks such as rewriting sentences in different tenses or diagramming sentences. Students conduct multi-day research on an artist using a K-W-L chart, give an oral summary to a parent, then write a 1-2 paragraph sidebar that incorporates parent feedback. Students check and revise their sidebar for grammar errors and diagram sentences from their writing, demonstrating reflection and revision.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students plan, draft, revise, and produce a final multi-paragraph technical essay across multiple days: they brainstorm using highlighted notes (Activity 1), create an outline (Activity 3), write a rough draft on Day 2 (Activity 4), and revise/edit to produce a final copy (Activity 7). Students also complete discipline-related preparatory tasks such as summarizing chapter highlights for review, answering targeted Newton questions, and using a Technical Writing Rubric that specifies audience- and industry-related content. The assignment asks students to prepare an essay that could accompany a community sculpture proposal, identifying 2–3 fields of Newton's work that relate to the town, which establishes a specific purpose and audience.
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students choose a theme for all the poems they will write in the unit, indicating ongoing composition across multiple pieces. Students brainstorm rhyming words, draft a sonnet-form poem on the "Sublime Rhyme" page, and produce a final copy to paste or handwrite on the "Sonnets and Rhymes" page. Students read their poem aloud to a parent and explain topic and time-period choices, which provides an opportunity for reflection and presentation to an audience.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, providing short-term written responses. Students read a nonfiction biography (research) and write a line from the poem alongside a prose statement that expresses the same idea, composing and comparing poetic and prose expressions. Students revisit a poem from Lesson 2 and are directed to decide on and make graphic changes (reflection and revision).
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students gather evidence over time by taking a nature walk, photographing at least five scenes, and making notes about possible metaphors, similes, and personification (research/observation over more than one session). On a subsequent day they choose one photograph and write a poem using personification and either metaphor or simile, then add the poem to the Figurative Language page and save it for a final project. Students read their poem aloud to a parent, providing a real audience for their writing.
Lesson 5
Allusions
Students research contemporary events on Day 1 by completing a scavenger hunt and record phrases to use in writing. Students compose a repetition poem on Day 2 using a chosen phrase and add it to the Repetition Poem page, completing a writing task in a single session. Students finalize their work on Day 3 by staging artwork, photographing it, gluing the photo to the poem page, and reading the poem aloud to a parent, indicating a multi-day sequence that culminates in presentation to an audience.
Lesson 6
Tone
Students are instructed to write a conversational poem and produce a first draft (Activity 1: Conversational Poem). They are asked to reconsider speaker separation and line positioning and then save their poem for the final project, which implies an additional step after the initial draft. The wrapping up asks a parent to read the poem aloud with the student, providing an audience for the written work.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students read chapters on Auden and Dylan Thomas and answer directed questions in complete sentences, producing written responses about poet biographies and poem meanings. Students complete a punctuation activity page by selecting and placing rule descriptions, engaging in a discipline-specific task about hyphens, dashes, and colons. Students choose a poem to memorize and prepare an oral recitation and explanation of why they selected it, practicing presentation for a specific audience (their parent).
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
Students are asked to "spend the next three days finalizing her poetry collection," during which they edit poems (capitalization and punctuation), proofread, rewrite neatly, and compile a book—showing work across a multi-day timeframe. Students write a one-paragraph autobiography and a two-paragraph poem analysis, include specific punctuation requirements (a dash or colon), and create a cover, then staple and share the anthology with family, which provides a clear purpose and audience. The unit also asks students to reread, reflect on themes, and revise poems and accompanying materials before the unit test and presentation.