Fourth Grade - ELA
1: Interdependence
Unit 1: Little House in the Big Woods
Lesson 1
Introducing the Story
Students are prompted to write an account of a memory using the pre-writing organizer "A Memory," which has labeled sections (Briefly describe the memory; Who was involved?; What feelings do you get?; Why does this memory stand out?; What did you learn?). Students record plants and animals on a titled chart ("Setting: Wisconsin") with columns for Plants and Animals, demonstrating use of headings and organized sections. Students are asked to illustrate their memory and to use web links and a timeline, providing multimedia and visual-support opportunities.
Lesson 2
Little House in the Big Woods
Students are instructed to answer chapter questions in a journal, which requires written responses about the chapter. Students complete the "Life in the Big Woods vs. Life Today" chart to record and organize differences across chapters, and they use the "Natural Resources and Survival" sheet to list resources and describe how each aided survival, demonstrating use of tables/graphic organizers to group related information. The activity pages include headings and small illustrations that students interact with as they record answers.
Lesson 3
Winter Days and Winter Nights
Students fill labeled charts titled "Laura's Family" and "My Family" by writing chores and responsibilities next to each name, which has them group related information into organized sections. Students illustrate Laura's house and their own on the "Homes Today and Yesterday" page and record two similarities and two differences, using illustrations and brief explanatory notes to aid comprehension. Students answer journal questions about chores and family roles, producing written responses tied to specific topics from the reading.
Lesson 5
Christmas
Students are asked to compose three short paragraphs about Christmas at their home, with explicit directions that each paragraph will have a main idea and supporting ideas. The lesson provides a graphic organizer with labeled sections (Main Idea, Topic Sentence, Detail 1–3, Concluding Sentence) to plan and group related information into paragraphs and sections. Skills and activities also instruct students to draft preliminary plans that convey major ideas and maintain focus and to use transitional words to connect supporting ideas.
Lesson 6
Sundays and Two Big Bears
Students record factual information about bears in a labeled paw-print organizer with sections such as "Bear Habitats," "Types of Bears," "Bear Foods," and "Other facts," which requires them to place related information into distinct sections. The Student Activity Pages (e.g., "Least Favorite Day of the Week") provide structured lines and labeled prompts for each sense, guiding students to organize content by category. The lesson includes illustrations on activity pages and web links for research, prompting students to use multimedia and images as part of their information-gathering and presentation.
Lesson 7
The Sugar Snow
Students are asked to create a recipe card titled "From the Kitchen of..." and to provide step-by-step directions, which gives an explicit heading and organized sections for ingredients and directions. In the Maple Sugar Farming activities, students cut, order, or record the sequence of steps in numbered boxes, requiring them to group procedural information into a logical sequence. Multiple Student Activity Pages include dedicated spaces for a sentence from the book, a definition, a new sentence, and an illustration box, prompting students to add illustrations to support comprehension. The Wrapping Up/Life Application section provides web links and a video for students to consult multimedia about maple syrup production.
Lesson 8
Dance at Grandpa's
Students view a Student Activity Page that is explicitly organized into sections with visual aids and text explanations for each square-dance movement, providing a model of using headings/sections and illustrations. Students are asked to create a bar graph for the Song Graphing option and to label the graph and give it a title, which practices formatting and using visuals to aid comprehension. Students record one thing learned on the "Life in the Big Woods vs. Life Today" page, which asks them to organize a piece of information on a specific page.
Lesson 9
Going to Town
Students are asked to write about a visit to a historic place and "describe why it is an important part of the community's history," which requires composing an informational account. The "Mary and Laura" activity asks students to draw illustrations and make lists of adjectives for each character, providing opportunities to use illustrations and organized lists. Student activity pages provide structured sections (frames, columns, and labeled spaces) where students record responses (e.g., spaces for "tugged" and "tugging" and separate boxes for Mary and Laura).
Lesson 10
Summertime and Harvest
Students write in four clearly labeled sections on the 'Seasons on the Farm' activity page (winter, spring, summer, fall) with space for illustrations and lines for descriptive writing, which gives practice grouping information by section and using headings. Students are asked in Activity 3 Option 2 to write a paragraph describing the interdependence between bees and flowers and a second paragraph about a world without bees, providing explicit paragraph-writing practice. The materials include multimedia and web links (National Geographic page and a YouTube video) and prompt students to title and label their artwork, showing use of illustrations and multimedia to aid comprehension.
Lesson 11
Finishing the Book
The student organizer for "A Letter to Children of the Future" requires four labeled paragraphs (who you are; jobs/roles; entertainment; environment), and the rubric explicitly says each paragraph should focus on one idea. Directions require students to use a formal letter format with a date, greeting, and closing and to produce a rough draft, revise, and produce a final copy. The activity page includes a title and an envelope illustration, and the life-application suggests using video episodes to compare media versions of the story.
Final Project
Pioneer Family Night
Students complete a "Preparing for Pioneer Family Night" activity page that is divided into labeled sections (Cooking, Craft, Reading, Music, Storytelling) with headings, illustrations, and lined spaces for written responses. Students are prompted to explain ideas in those sections (e.g., explain how pioneers used natural resources, explain why certain book sections are favorites, explain the significance of music and storytelling) and to take notes to prepare presentations. Students use a "Pioneer Family Night Checklist" to read tasks, check off items, and organize the event, practicing sequencing and organization of information.
Unit 2: The Sign of the Beaver
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to complete Student Activity Pages that are divided into labeled sections (Location, Climate, Landforms, Plants, Animals, Native American tribes, etc.), and to fill in information in those sections. Students are asked to draw a homestead and give their picture a title, and to use web links provided to research Maine (multimedia sources). Students are asked to write a paragraph describing whether they would have wanted to be a settler or a Native American, which requires composing information in a paragraph form.
Lesson 4
A Treaty
Students write a lesson plan in Option 2 that asks them to fill labeled sections (Materials, "A" Activity, "B" Activity, "C" Activity, Conclusion), requiring them to organize information into discrete sections. Students select an object word for each letter and illustrate it in Option 1, practicing the use of illustrations to aid comprehension. Students answer journal questions and complete the Character Timelines and Interdependence worksheet, producing written responses that organize facts about characters and relationships.
Lesson 5
A Story
The Student Activity Page "A Desert Island" gives students a titled page with directions and clearly labeled sections (Item: a knife; Item: a home; Item: food) where they must record descriptions and provide illustrations. Students are also asked to complete "Character Timelines" and to write journal responses to guided questions, which requires them to produce organized written answers. The activity includes explicit space for illustrations paired with descriptive text.
Lesson 6
The Beaver
Students are directed to complete a "Beaver Research" page by using the internet or books to locate and record information. The research worksheet provides labeled sections (Habitat, Food, Adaptations, Predators) and a space to illustrate the beaver, which prompts students to organize facts into discrete boxes. The lesson also offers web links and suggests watching film adaptations, providing multimedia resources students can use to support comprehension.
Lesson 7
Real Life Learning
Activity 3 asks students to make a book titled "Rules of the Forest," instructing them to dedicate each quarter-page to a single rule and to illustrate each rule, which has students organize content into separate pages/sections and add illustrations. The Student Activity Page directs students to write definitions in a column and draw an illustration for each vocabulary word, prompting students to pair text with visuals and to organize information into labeled columns. Activity 1 has students record descriptions on a "Character Timelines" page, which has students arrange related information about each character in a sequenced format.
Lesson 9
Attean's Past
Students are asked to answer selected questions in a journal and to fill in a "Character Timelines" sheet for Matt and Attean, which requires organizing facts about characters over time. Students are instructed to "describe and illustrate" a new method of keeping track of time in their journal, which prompts explanatory description and inclusion of an illustration. The "Stereotypes" activity asks students to explain how stereotypes are broken and to describe a stereotype they have observed, requiring written explanatory responses on the Student Activity Page.
Lesson 10
Manitou
Students are prompted to complete a structured "Values" worksheet that is labeled with headings ("Matt's Values," "Attean's Values," "My Values") and separate numbered lines for each entry, which groups related information into clear sections. Students complete a "Word Pictures - Imagery" page that provides three labeled sections, each with space for a written passage and a matching illustration, demonstrating use of headings/sections and illustrations to support comprehension. The activities also direct students to fill out a "Character Timelines" page, reinforcing organization of information across a formatted page.
Lesson 11
A Choice
Students are asked to write journal responses to focused questions about Chapters 21–22 and to add information to a "Character Timelines" page, which requires collecting and recording related information. Activity 2 asks students to "write about or illustrate" specific parts of the story (favorite, scariest, saddest, happiest), explicitly allowing illustrations as part of their responses. Activity 3 directs students to develop five interview questions for each main character and to respond in character, which requires organizing questions and answers in a coherent way.
Lesson 12
Persuasive Writing
Students fold a page and record advantages for each choice on separate sides, which requires grouping related information into two distinct columns. Students draft a letter or speech that must include three reasons and provide support for each reason, which requires organizing ideas and supporting details. The rubric asks whether the letter/speech addresses Matt and whether it provides three reasons with support, reinforcing organization of content and audience focus.
Final Project
The Sign of the Beaver Movie
Students create a movie poster page that includes a prominent heading "NOW SHOWING!" and space for a one-sentence description and an illustration. The Costumes activity provides four titled sections (Attean at beginning, Matt before winter, Attean after bear, Matt winter) in which students place related costume designs. The Movie Script page uses labeled columns for Matt and Attean, and the Design a Set and poster pages require students to produce illustrations that accompany their writing.
Unit 3: Native American Animal Stories
Lesson 1
Myths, Legends, and Folktales
Students are asked to record definitions in a journal and to list names of myths, legends, or folktales they have read, which has them collect and note topic-related information. Students complete an "Elements of Culture" Student Activity Page that uses a table with labeled columns (Transportation, Housing, Food, Activities/Entertainment, Music/Dance/Art, Religion, Stories, Customs), requiring them to identify and place related information into formatted categories. Directions explicitly tell students to "Read a myth or folktale...Then identify any elements of culture you can find in the myth," guiding them to extract and organize content from a text.
Lesson 2
People and Animal Stories
Students complete multiple labeled graphic organizers (Story Map, Elements of Culture chart, Venn double-bubble) that require them to record main characters, setting, problem, events, resolutions, and cultural information. Students are asked to fold paper into four boxes titled Story, Animal, Animal's Importance, and What the People Learned from the Animal to organize information for each story. The "An Animal Tale" page and other activity pages provide headings and labeled sections (e.g., Facts about the animal; List five human characteristics) and include illustrations that support comprehension.
Lesson 3
The Natural World
Students fill in the "Elements of Culture" chart that has labeled column headings (Transportation, Sources, Imports, etc.), so they practice recording and grouping related information in sections. Students use titled Student Activity Pages that include illustrations (e.g., "Butterflies," "Relative Pronouns") so they interact with formatted pages and visuals. Students watch a linked video (Lord Syntax -- Relative Pronouns) as part of instruction, showing use of multimedia to aid comprehension. Students also record story titles with problem and solution in a journal, which has them collect related information about each myth.
Lesson 4
Survival Stories
The Skills section asks students to "Use written language to report information on a topic," prompting written responses. The Elements of Culture activity gives students a labeled chart (transportation, food, language, etc.) that requires grouping information into categories, and the student pages include titles/headings and illustrations. Activities have students draw and write (Animals and Survival, Ecosystems) and fill outlines or chart cells, combining text with visuals.
Lesson 5
Legends from Other Cultures
Students record and illustrate elements of the Pan Gu myth, linking parts of the story to images and labels. Students complete an "Elements of Culture" chart and a double-bubble "Creation Stories" map, placing details into labeled columns and bubbles to compare and group related information. Students draw animals in boxes and write the lesson each animal teaches on the "Animal Tales" page, combining text with illustrations and organized spaces.
Final Project
My Own Myth
The Organizing the Myth worksheet asks students to record the Natural Phenomenon, Characters, Setting, Problem, and How the problem is solved, providing labeled sections for grouping related information. The Rough Draft rubric requires students to write at least three paragraphs of 5–8 sentences each and directs them to review organization separately when editing. Students are asked to type a final copy and to design a cover for publication, which prompts an illustrated element tied to the story.
2: Force and Power
Unit 1: Ben and Me
Lesson 1
Ben Franklin and the Colonies
Students are directed to locate and record facts about Ben Franklin on a kite-shaped diagram and on an Age 8-10 timeline, which organizes related biographical information into labeled fields. Students are prompted to fill in labeled sections (Characters, Setting, Plot, Theme, Descriptions) on the Elements of Historical Fiction activity, practicing grouping examples under headings. The lesson also asks students to use multimedia (web links, a virtual tour) and to create illustrations or collages in their journals to support comprehension.
Lesson 3
Swimming
Students are asked to write a descriptive paragraph as an advertisement for a new swimming apparatus (Option 1) and to write a script for a commercial (Option 2), which requires composing coherent written text. Students are asked to draw and label the hat and to create a model of their invention, providing opportunities to use illustrations and labeled diagrams. Students are directed to record lists and journal entries about inventions, demonstrating practice in organizing related information in short written forms.
Lesson 4
Electricity
Students are asked to write a paragraph about a personal vision in Activity 3, including requirements for first-person voice, correct capitalization and punctuation, sentence variety, and specific parts of speech counts. In Activity 1 students record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter on a page titled "Fact and Fiction," which has them place related information into labeled sections. The activities require students to produce organized written work (a focused paragraph and labeled fact/fiction entries).
Lesson 7
France
Students are asked in Activity 2 to write a step-by-step plan for rescuing the mouse children and to include illustrations for mice that do not read English, which requires them to organize instructions and add visual aids. The lesson directs students to locate countries on a map and to take a "photo journey" through France online, providing multimedia and visual context to support comprehension. The Student Activity Page has a clear title (Varying Sentence Beginnings) and examples, showing use of a heading and formatted instructional text.
Lesson 8
Amos's Account
Students are prompted to choose a specific event and use the "Organizing My Writing" page to list the event, ten facts, five thoughts/opinions, and a sequence of events, providing explicit planning by sections. The lesson gives a three-paragraph sample outline (paragraph 1: lead-up, paragraph 2: event, paragraph 3: outcomes) and advises use of transitional words to show sequence and flow. The writing rubric asks whether paragraph descriptions of events are clear and whether factual information and Amos's ideas/feelings are included, directing students to organize content into coherent paragraphs.
Lesson 9
The Rescue
Students sort character information into labeled categories ("dislikes," "appearance," "uses of power," "likes," "personality") on the Ben and Amos Bags activity, which groups related information into distinct sections. Students decorate sacks with illustrations and place representative items in them, then explain the significance, using visual elements to aid comprehension. The Student Activity Pages include headings, illustrations, musical notation, and a web link/video for "Yankee Doodle," and students are asked to write a new verse from Amos's perspective, connecting writing with multimedia and illustration.
Lesson 10
Back Home
Students are asked to record examples beneath labeled sections on the "Elements of Historical Fiction" page (Characters, Setting, Plot, Theme, Descriptions), which requires grouping related information under headings. Students complete a "Ben's Maxims" table with columns for Maxim, Interpretation, and Adult's Interpretation, using formatted columns to organize their responses and then write their own maxim and interpretation. Students also list a factual and a fictional detail on the "Fact and Fiction" page, practicing categorizing information into distinct sections.
Final Project
An Interview or Party for Ben
Students write ten interview questions and corresponding answers on a Student Activity Page that is titled and has labeled sections for questions and answers. Students write two maxims and explain why each is important in a dedicated "Maxims" section. Students are encouraged to view pictures of Ben Franklin (multimedia) and the activity pages include an illustration and clear labeled spaces that separate tasks into parts.
Unit 2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lesson 1
The Professor's House
The Skills list asks students to "Compose a draft that conveys major ideas and focuses on a topic," which prompts focused informative writing. Activity 1 asks students to describe a battle between good and evil on paper and to illustrate a scene, providing practice including illustrations. Activity 3 Option 2 asks students to brainstorm five or six important details and write a short newspaper article about C.S. Lewis, which asks students to organize and record information and links to online resources are provided for research/multimedia.
Lesson 2
Edmund Discovers Narnia
Students are asked to write a paragraph describing how a food tastes or how the witch would persuade them to eat it (Activity 2), which asks them to produce focused written paragraphs. Students create and label a map (Activity 1) and use the "Good vs. Evil" chart to record chapter-by-chapter examples and draw simple pictures, which requires organizing information by chapter headings and adding illustrations. The materials include explicit chapter headings and structured chart spaces that prompt students to group examples under section labels.
Lesson 3
Always Winter and Never Christmas
Students are asked to write responses in a journal to discussion questions from Chapters 5 and 6, which requires producing written explanations. The Skills section lists "Write in different forms for different purposes," indicating students will practice varied writing tasks. Activity 1 asks students to list and illustrate an example of good vs. evil, prompting them to combine writing with an illustration.
Lesson 4
The Lion
Students are asked in Activity 3 to write a paragraph (or song) that describes an animal character and to illustrate the animal, which requires them to group related descriptive information into a single written paragraph. Activity 3 provides specific guiding questions (human characteristics, good/evil, role) that direct students to organize and record related information. The Student Activity Page "Lions in Myths and Legends" contains headings and illustrations that students read, exposing them to formatting and visual aids that support comprehension. Activity 2 has students record descriptive words/phrases and use a Venn diagram to compare lions, which practices organizing related information visually.
Lesson 5
A Disappointment
Students create a picture dictionary that requires a title page and arranging pages alphabetically, which models simple formatting and organization. The Villains activity provides a labeled student activity page and graphic organizers with separate spaces for appearance, actions, and effects on others, which prompts students to group related information into sections. Students are asked to illustrate villains and glue pictures for vocabulary entries, which incorporates illustrations to aid comprehension.
Lesson 6
A Gift from Father Christmas
Students are directed to write a draft consisting of three paragraphs with explicit prompts for each paragraph: Paragraph 1 (the problem), Paragraph 2 (how the gift was received), and Paragraph 3 (description and use for good). Students use the Student Activity Page "The Gift Ideas Rubric" to record ideas for each paragraph and to check that paragraphs stay focused on main ideas and use vocabulary words. Activities require students to draft, revise, and edit those paragraphs and to type a final copy, reinforcing the organization of related information into distinct paragraphs.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students are asked to write a paragraph in their journal describing a time they were tempted and made the right decision (Activity 4), which requires grouping related information into a paragraph. Students are asked to write a letter to a hero that gives examples of heroic deeds (Activity 2, Option 2), which requires organizing ideas and supporting details. The lesson assigns journal responses to several guided questions and asks students to answer multiple prompts about a hero (Activity 2), which prompts students to organize related information in written form.
Lesson 8
Deep Magic
Students are asked to research a historical leader "online or in other reference sources," record "10 Facts about" the chosen leader, and answer questions comparing the leader to Aslan or the White Witch on the "A Powerful Leader" activity page. The "Four Siblings" page requires students to draw each sibling, list descriptive words/phrases beneath each picture, and write which character they are most similar to and why. The "Imagery" activity asks students to record words and phrases that appeal to each of the five senses and to illustrate the scene.
Lesson 9
Back to Life
Students are asked to answer three or four comprehension questions in a journal, producing written responses about Chapters 15 and 16. Students are prompted in Activity 1 to record an example of good vs. evil on a 'Good vs. Evil' page, which requires selecting and writing about a topic-based example. Students are asked in Activity 2 to describe three ways Aslan resembles a Christ-like figure, which asks them to organize and state informational points about a single topic.
Lesson 10
Back Through the Wardrobe
Students are asked to describe and illustrate a new route to Narnia (Activity 1), which asks them to produce an illustrated written description and to act out the scene. Students are instructed to watch the movie (multimedia) and then write a movie review or create a casting list with brief explanations (Activity 2), which requires producing organized written responses. The Skills section asks students to share written and oral products and to identify (with assistance) the purpose, audience, and appropriate form for the oral or written task, supporting awareness of form and audience.
Final Project
Narnia Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to produce several written pieces such as a paragraph describing tension, journal entries, a short story, and a national anthem, which requires composing focused text. Students create visual artifacts (a flag, a model, crown designs) and are given the option to videotape their presentations, providing opportunities for illustrations and multimedia. Students must summarize the book before presenting, which prompts them to organize and present information for an audience.
Unit 3: The BFG
Lesson 1
In the Middle of the Night
The lesson asks students to write a paragraph describing how the street looks different at night than it does during the day (Activity 2, Option 1), which has students compose focused explanatory writing. The same activity also asks students to create an illustration of the street scene, directly involving students in using illustrations to aid comprehension. The student activity page and vocabulary exercise require cutting, pasting, and matching definitions to parts of an illustrated giant, which has students pair text and visuals.
Lesson 2
Snatched
Students are asked to record labeled headings (Location, Language, People, Homes, Buildings, Similarities to America, Differences from America, Other) on a folded flap and then write information and draw illustrations beneath each label, which requires grouping related information into sections and using headings. In the Giant Country activity students write a description of a setting and illustrate it, and Option 2 directs students to copy the author's description and illustrate it, demonstrating use of illustrations to aid comprehension and basic formatting (the framed drawing area and labeled lines).
Lesson 3
The BFG
Students are instructed to answer three or four comprehension questions in a journal, which requires them to write responses about topics from the chapters. The "Quotable Quotes" activity has students record quotes organized by chapter headings, so students group information into chapter-based sections. The "Giant Geography" activity asks students to locate places on a map and create illustrations and short written descriptions, incorporating illustrations alongside written information.
Lesson 4
Ears and Snozzcumbers
Activity 3 directs the student to "write a paragraph" describing how she would use an incredible power of hearing, which requires composing a focused paragraph. Activity 2 asks the student to "write about one of the most vivid dreams" and then "illustrate the dream," explicitly including an illustration as part of the product. Activity 1 asks the student to record quotes on a "Quotable Quotes" page, which asks the student to collect and place related text on a dedicated page.
Lesson 5
Time with the BFG
Students complete Activity 2, which directs them to compare the Bloodbottler and the BFG in three labeled sections (Appearance, Personality, Power), listing similarities and differences in each slot. The Student Activity Pages include explicit section headings, a horizontal layout for side-by-side entries, and sketches near relevant sections that students use while recording observations. The Recipe for Frobscottle presents ingredients and directions in a formatted way that students follow, practicing reading and using a structured informational layout.
Lesson 6
Catching People and Dreams
Students are asked to describe how the BFG captures dreams in the "Wrapping Up" section, which requires explanatory writing. In "A New Giant," students must name a giant, draw it, and describe how the giant catches human beans, producing a focused explanatory description. In "Sweet Dream or Nightmare," students give each dream a title, draw the dream, and write how the dreamer would respond, which combines a titled topic with descriptive writing and illustration.
Lesson 8
A Dreamy Plan
Students are asked in Option 2 (Advanced) to write a paragraph describing an encounter with a giant and to include specific vocabulary words, which requires them to produce a single, coherent paragraph. The Queen of England activity gives students structured prompts and space for written responses comparing the queen and the president, encouraging organized, sectioned answers. Student pages include pictures and a drawing (decorative borders and a scepter) that provide illustrations to aid comprehension during the tasks.
Lesson 9
The Palace
Students are asked to "write out a plan" for how the BFG and Sophie could save children in a chosen U.S. city, which requires organizing steps and including location details. The lesson provides graphic organizers (Cause and Effect tables) that require students to group information into labeled columns and to fill in related details. The lesson includes multimedia and web links about London and Buckingham Palace that students can use to support understanding and content in their writing.
Lesson 10
A Breakfast Fit for a Queen
Students complete the "Characterizing the Queen" activity in which they list five adjectives and provide supporting examples from the text in a two-column table, thereby grouping related information and using a formatted page. Students complete the "Hosting a Giant" page where they describe or illustrate solutions (e.g., bed size, pillow, bathtub) and record calculations and drawn illustrations, showing use of illustrations and a formatted student page. Students also answer chapter questions in a journal and record "Quotable Quotes" on a dedicated page, which requires them to collect and organize textual evidence.
Lesson 11
Fighting Giants
The lesson asks the child to read about the different branches of the U.S. armed forces and to take notes on four sheets labeled Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines, which has students group related information under labeled sections. Activity 3 directs the child to draw maps, label countries, and add landforms, which has students create illustrations to aid comprehension. The Skills list includes "Write to record ideas and reflections" and "Take simple notes from relevant sources," supporting practice in organizing information from multiple sources.
Lesson 12
Snozzcumbers
Students use a graphic organizer in Activity 3 to record events, quotes, and characters' actions under three named themes, which has them group related information by topic. In Activity 4 Option 1 students design a new book cover and are asked to include the author, illustrator, and title, which requires them to use formatting and create an illustration. In Activity 4 Option 2 students choose actors for characters and write explanations for each casting choice, practicing short explanatory writing.
Final Project
Recipe for a Dream or Newspaper Report
Students are asked to write multi-paragraph pieces: Option 1 requires three paragraphs that describe the recipe, the beginning/middle/end of the dream, who would receive it and why, and Option 2 requires three paragraphs (5–8 sentences each) describing what happened, the queen's response, and how characters used power. The materials require a title for the dream and an illustration (5x5 inch) to be attached to the jar, and Option 2 asks students to draw a photograph to accompany the article. The directions and rubrics explicitly call for topic sentences, logical sequence, paragraph length, correct capitalization/punctuation, and allow students to type a final copy and use a newspaper template for formatting.
3: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Stories from Africa and Asia
Lesson 1
Meerkats in Botswana
Students are asked in Option 1 to write a descriptive paragraph beneath a drawing that includes five facts about the meerkat, and in Option 2 to write a short story that includes at least five facts. The Botswana graphic organizer directs students to record information in four labeled circles (Land, Language, Animals, People), which requires grouping related information into sections. The lesson provides web links (National Geographic, Smithsonian/National Zoo, NatGeo Kids) and multiple illustrated activity pages and craft visuals that students use as multimedia and illustrations to aid comprehension.
Lesson 3
The Surprise
Students are asked in Activity 3 to write a paragraph describing why they would want to study a chosen African animal and to illustrate or model the animal, which practices combining text with illustrations. In the Editing activity students correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in three provided paragraphs, giving them exposure to paragraph-level organization and revision. The Life Application provides a linked video for students to watch, showing use of multimedia to aid comprehension.
Lesson 4
A Missing Cow
Students complete titled activity pages such as "Story Conflict" and "Script for a Scene," which provide headings and framed writing spaces. Students write responses next to illustrated prompts (a sailboat, desert, snowy mountain) on the Story Conflict page, using illustrations to support their written ideas. Students fill in a "Precious and Me" chart that requires grouping similar and different information about themselves and the character.
Lesson 5
A Good Idea
Students are asked to write a paragraph about a challenging experience (Activity 2), which has them record events and consider what readers could learn. Students can create a poster with the animal's name written at the top and a drawn habitat, combining a heading/label with an illustration (Activity 4, Option 1). Students are directed to find and read an African Wildlife Foundation website (multimedia) to gather information for the poster or a short story (Activity 4).
Lesson 6
African Bush Diorama
Students are directed to write a four-paragraph book report and given organizer pages that label Paragraph 1 (Characters and Setting), Paragraph 2 (Plot), Paragraph 3 (how Precious's life is similar/different), and Paragraph 4 (opinion). Students use a rubric that explicitly asks whether the first paragraph focuses on setting and characters and whether subsequent paragraphs focus on plot, comparison, and opinion, guiding how related information is grouped. Students create a diorama as an illustration of the setting and are invited to display the diorama with the book and report, linking visual support to the written text.
Lesson 7
Japan
The lesson asks students to "use written language to report information on a topic" and offers a travel poster option in which students must include major sights and cultural elements, which can involve headings, illustrations, and arranged content. The Venn diagram activity directs students to organize similarities and differences using words and pictures, which requires grouping related information visually. The map and poster activities ask students to label and present information, providing opportunities to format and illustrate content for comprehension.
Lesson 8
Peace Day
Students create a picture dictionary by writing definitions, recording sentences from the book, illustrating each entry, arranging pages alphabetically, and stapling them into a small book, which shows practice with formatting and illustrations. Students complete a Peace Day graphic organizer and chapter-by-chapter cultural elements tables where they record information under topic headings (food, clothing, school, family life, celebrations, similarities), which requires grouping related information into labeled sections. Students answer journal questions and compare Peace Day with an American holiday, which has them organize and record information about a topic for others to read.
Lesson 9
The Secret is Out
Students are asked in Activity 3, Option 2 to write a paragraph about a special ability or talent, which requires them to produce a focused piece of writing about a topic. Activity 2 asks students to organize similarities and differences in a chart or Venn diagram, which has them group related information visually. Activity 3, Option 1 has students create a folded 'gift' with labeled flaps and small illustrations, and the included example image shows how an illustration can clarify written text.
Lesson 10
Kenji
The lesson asks students to "review the form for letter writing (initial greeting, date, first person, closing, and signature)", which gives explicit instruction on formatting a written product. Students are asked to write a get-well card of at least eight sentences, draft and edit it, and include Japanese cultural elements, which provides practice composing and revising a connected piece of writing. The lesson includes Web links and an origami activity (make a golden crane using online instructions), offering multimedia/illustrative resources that students can use to support comprehension. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to summarize events, giving practice in organizing and conveying information about a topic.
Lesson 11
O Bon
Students record information on a "Japanese Cultural Elements" chart, which requires them to collect and group related cultural details. Students write journal entries from two perspectives (an American child and a Japanese child after O Bon), which asks them to produce organized written responses about a topic. The Student Activity Page for verb tenses uses labeled sections (Past, Present, Future; Progressive) that prompt students to write under specific headings and formats.
Lesson 12
Racing the Wind
Students are asked to record information about Japanese culture on a "Japanese Cultural Elements" chart, which has them gather and group related facts. The haiku activity includes a Student Activity Page with titled writing boxes and a decorative illustration, and an extension asks students to type their haiku into PowerPoint or Prezi and insert nature images, which practices adding multimedia and illustrations to support text.
Lesson 13
Precious and Sadako
Students complete labeled activity pages titled "Precious and Sadako: Similarities and Differences" in which they record a character description, a quote, a character action, words/phrases used by others, and two personality traits, and they are prompted to draw an illustration for each character. Students create scrapbook pages (Activity 3 Option 1) that involve placing images and decorating a page, and the activity pages themselves provide a clear title and labeled sections that act as headings and formatting. Students also write an eight-sentence first-person letter option (Activity 3 Option 2) in which they explain an important event, which requires producing connected sentences about a topic.
Unit 2: Holes
Lesson 1
Texas and Desert Biomes
The lesson asks students to write a paragraph (Option 2) that describes the geographic location, rainfall, and indigenous plants and animals of a desert, and to describe adaptations, which practices writing an informative/explanatory paragraph. The Desert Biome (Option 1) activity organizes students' responses into labeled sections (Desert Animals, Desert Plants, Special Adaptations) that require students to record and group related information. Student pages include titles/headings (e.g., "Desert Biome," "TEXAS"), an illustration box for drawing, and web/video links that students are directed to use as multimedia resources.
Lesson 2
Camp Green Lake
Students name and describe an invention on the "An Inventor" pages, list materials, outline steps for making it, and draw and label parts, which demonstrates introducing a topic and using illustrations to explain ideas. Students record information about individual boys on the labeled "The Happy Campers" pages, grouping related details and illustrations under each character's name (section heading). The "Titles" activity explicitly teaches and has students apply formatting rules (underline/italicize, quotation marks, capitalization) for different kinds of titles.
Lesson 3
Digging
Students are asked to write answers in a journal to reading questions about Chapters 5–7 and to record information about characters on the "Happy Campers" pages, which requires written responses and information collection. In Activity 3 students are prompted to list family nicknames, record and describe their own nickname, and write why they like or would choose a nickname. Activity 2 provides a web link and labeled illustrations of soil layers and asks students to cut, draw, label, and glue layers and definitions, which uses illustrations and multimedia as aids to comprehension.
Lesson 4
Caveman
The Yellow-Spotted Lizard activity asks students to "record the author's description" on a page titled "The Yellow-Spotted Lizard" that includes lines for writing and a framed illustration box, so students create written text accompanied by an illustration and a title. The Make Your Own Fossil student page provides step-by-step directions, ingredient headings, and sketches, modeling formatted instructions and visual supports. Activity 3 asks students to write a journal response about their future, and the Skills list includes "Write to record ideas and reflections," indicating students engage in written composition tasks.
Lesson 6
Sunflower Seeds
Students are asked to research rattlesnakes by writing three questions and recording answers on the "Rattlesnake Research" page, which contains a snake-shaped graphic with lines for responses. Students write findings within the provided snake outline, using an illustration as a space and format for their recorded information. Students also create shape poems and an alliterative shape poem, which requires composing text to fit a provided illustrated outline.
Lesson 7
Zero
Students are asked to write a paragraph describing their experiences and occupation in the Old West (Option 1) or to write a letter describing their journey, job, and hardships (Option 2), which requires grouping related information. The Student Activity Page (recipe) is presented with clear headings ("Ingredients" and "Directions") and step-by-step formatting that students follow. Activity 3 asks students to draw Green Lake as it was and as it is now, requiring use of illustrations to aid comprehension.
Lesson 8
Sam the Onion Man
Students are asked in Activity 2 to rewrite a disjointed paragraph correcting run-ons and sentence fragments, which requires them to produce a coherent paragraph of related information. In Activity 1 students must write a speech or a poem explaining why racism is wrong and why the townspeople should not punish Kate and Sam, which requires organizing ideas into a sustained written piece. The Wrapping Up step asks students to summarize the story, prompting them to condense and present central information.
Lesson 9
Driving a Truck
The Skills section directs students to "Compose readable text in a variety of forms," and students are asked to answer four questions in their journal, requiring written responses. Activity 2 Option 1 asks students to design a Wanted Poster that includes a picture and descriptive text, explicitly involving formatting and illustration. Activity 2 Option 2 provides a "Character Comparisons" graphic organizer where students write similarities and differences on connecting lines, prompting them to group related information visually.
Lesson 12
Treasure and Lizards
The Student Activity Page "Conflict in Holes" asks students to choose three types of conflict, write each in its own box/section, describe the conflict, and create an illustration for each. The page includes a visible title and a layout divided into three labeled sections with lines for description and blank spaces for illustrations. The instructions explicitly direct students to describe and illustrate each conflict, which requires them to place related information into separate sections and to add illustrations.
Lesson 13
Innocent
Students are guided to write a formal business letter (Activity 1) with an outlined structure listing sender, recipient, date, greeting, body, closure, and signature. The Student Activity Page "A Business Letter" provides an organizer with labeled parts and lines for students to complete. In Activity 3, students physically group and sequence story events into two separate plots (Stanley vs. Katherine), which practices grouping related information into sections. Activity 2 directs students to watch the movie adaptation, prompting consideration of multimedia as a tool for comprehension.
Final Project
Welcome to Camp
Students are asked to write two specific paragraphs: Paragraph 1 must introduce the camp name, geography, sleeping/eating quarters, and staff; Paragraph 2 must describe activities, character-building, and staff–camper interactions. Student Activity Pages have clear titles and sections (e.g., "Camp Checklist," "Camp Song," "Camp Chant," "Camp Uniform," "New Camp vs. Camp Green Lake") which provide headings and organized spaces for different parts of the project. The activities require students to create illustrations and labeled artifacts (drawing a uniform, pictures for a welcome pack) and the lesson notes visual elements such as illustrations of a campfire, guitar, and tree.
Unit 3: Stories from Europe
Lesson 1
Tradition Stories
Students are asked to brainstorm and sort remembered stories into labeled boxes on the "Story Traditions" activity page, which requires grouping related information by category (folktale, fable, fairy tale, myth, legend). The student activity pages are organized into labeled sections and prompts (e.g., Myth Section, Legend Section, reflection prompts), providing formatted spaces for students to write examples and responses. The lesson includes a linked video ("Myths, Fables, Legends, and Fairy Tales"), providing multimedia to aid comprehension. The Skills statement directs students to "take notes and categorize information," which supports organizing information.
Lesson 2
Fiona's Luck
Students record story elements on a clover-shaped activity page with labeled sections for Characters, Setting, Theme, Conflict, Plot, and Resolution, grouping related information in those sections. Students complete a Fact and Fantasy page that asks them to list three facts and three fantasy elements in separate labeled parts. Students paste the story picture on a map activity and are directed to watch linked videos, using illustrations and multimedia to aid comprehension.
Lesson 3
The Sea King's Daughter
Students complete a "Fact and Fantasy" activity in which they record three factual details and three fantasy elements on a page clearly divided into "Fact" and "Fantasy," practicing sorting and categorizing information. Students fill a "Story Elements" graphic organizer with labeled sections for Characters, Conflict, Setting, Resolution, and Theme, grouping related information into separate labeled spaces. Students place the story title inside a map of Russia and color the country, and they view linked paintings and an opera recording, incorporating illustrations and multimedia for comprehension.
Lesson 4
The Snow Queen
Students are asked to create a small informational book about Denmark with labeled pages (Page 1--Geography; Page 2--History; Page 3--Transportation; Page 4--Food; Page 5--Economy), to illustrate the cover, and to staple the pages together, providing headings and illustrations. The lesson models concise informative wording with the polar bear example and instructs students to convey information accurately and precisely rather than writing creatively. Multiple Student Activity Pages include titled sections and lined areas for writing (e.g., 'Denmark', 'History', 'Transportation', 'Food', 'Economy') and links and a video are provided (Denmark web reading and a YouTube interview/scene) that students can use as sources or multimedia support.
Lesson 5
Comparing and Contrasting Stories
Students complete a "Comparing Story Elements" activity page that is divided into sections where they list three similarities and three differences and write explanations of which stories are most similar or different. Students also watch a linked video (multimedia) about point of view and produce an 8–10 sentence retelling from a character's first-person perspective. The activity page includes visual elements (illustrations and themed borders) that accompany the student prompts.
Final Project
Writing Your Own Story
The lesson explicitly asks students to "Introduce the setting and the characters" on Page Layout 1 of the Rough Draft and includes a skill stating students should "Introduce a topic or text clearly" and "create an organizational structure in which related ideas are grouped." The lesson requires students to use a Plot Organizer and separate pages/slides that each focus on a specific part of the plot, which organizes related ideas into sections. The lesson also directs students to create a title/cover page labeled with Title and "Written and illustrated by:" and permits a slideshow option where each slide contains images, showing use of illustrations and multimedia.
4: Exploration and Survival
Unit 1: Abel's Island
Lesson 1
Survival
Students complete a labeled graphic organizer titled "Natural River Resources" that groups resources under headings (River Resource / How Resources Can Be Used). Students create a titled book cover and illustrations for "An Animal for Me," using a heading and drawings to convey information about their chosen character. Students use web links to read about river habitats (multimedia) and are asked to report orally or in writing on topics as listed in the Skills section.
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students are instructed to create a picture dictionary in which they write each vocabulary word and definition on the left-hand page and draw an illustration on the right-hand page, which demonstrates using illustrations and a simple book format to aid comprehension. Students use the "Using Natural Resources" organizer to record natural resources Abel uses by chapter, which groups related information into labeled rows/sections (e.g., "1 and 2", "3 and 4"). The activity pages include headings and structured spaces for student writing (e.g., "Predictions and Inferences" with labeled question sections).
Lesson 3
Where Am I?
Students are asked to fill in a chart titled "Using Natural Resources," taking information from Chapters 3 and 4, which requires them to collect and group related information. Students label and annotate a "Parts of a Boat" diagram and are asked to illustrate Abel's boats, which provides illustrations and opportunities to use visual formatting. Students can listen to linked songs (multimedia) and sing along, and students answer chapter questions in a journal, producing written responses tied to specific prompts.
Lesson 4
Who Is Abel?
Students are asked to complete the "Who Is Abel?" activity page where they illustrate Abel and record descriptions in labeled sections (Physical Appearance and Personality) with spaces for textual evidence. Students respond to journal questions about Chapters 5 and 6, requiring written answers and discussion that organize ideas about Abel's actions and changes. Activity pages and charts (e.g., "Using Natural Resources" and the Mouse Measurements worksheet) present information in titled sections and require students to add drawings or charts, which practices using illustrations and organized sections to convey information.
Lesson 5
Perseverance
Students are taught that a paragraph has a topic sentence, supporting sentences, and a conclusion sentence, and they are prompted to write three paragraphs using a Reflective Writing Organizer that labels Paragraph 1 (goal/problem), Paragraph 2 (obstacles), and Paragraph 3 (how you persevered). The activities instruct students to develop topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences, and the Reflective Writing Rubric asks students to check that paragraphs have a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence. The skills and activities require students to use planning strategies to generate and organize ideas and to compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus on the topic.
Lesson 7
Threats
The Adaptations for a Mouse activity asks students to list three adaptations and describe how each will aid Abel, with three labeled boxes and corresponding lined areas, which requires students to organize related information into separate sections. The Student Activity Pages (vocabulary cards and adaptations page) provide formatted spaces and a titled layout that guide students to record vocabulary information and to add an illustration for comprehension. The Using Natural Resources chart and the structured vocabulary cards prompt students to place related facts into distinct fields, reinforcing organizing information into grouped sections.
Lesson 8
The Dead of Winter
Students complete a titled Hibernation activity page that asks them to answer specific questions in complete sentences and includes a small illustration. Students perform a Hibernation Experiment using a clearly labeled data table (columns: Resting, After Exercise; rows: Pulse, Breaths, Temperature) and record measurements and responses. Students also fill in a "Using Natural Resources" chart drawing information from chapters and are asked to report on a topic in oral and written language (Skills).
Lesson 9
The Newcomer
Students are asked to fill in a chart titled "Using Natural Resources" (Activity 1), taking information from Chapters 15 and 16, which requires them to collect and place related facts into a structured format. Students create a Venn diagram comparing Gower and Abel (Activity 2), which has them group related information into labeled sections. For the script activity (Activity 3), students prepare a formatted script that includes lines, stage directions, a set description, and a list of three props, and the Student Activity Page provides an example of script format and labeled spaces (e.g., Space for 3 Props, lines for writing).
Lesson 10
Escape
Students are asked to describe Abel before and after the island and to explain what caused his change on the "Abel to Change" activity page, which organizes responses into distinct before/after sections. Students write acrostic poems for Abel's name that capture traits from the two time periods, practicing grouping related descriptive information. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to describe a situation in their life that caused change and to explain how and why it changed them, prompting explanatory writing.
Final Project
Your Own Deserted Island
Students are directed to write a paragraph that describes the island environment (Part 1) and to write a paragraph describing how they landed, what they have, and how they use resources (Part 2), which requires introducing and focusing on specific topics. Students draw an island map with a scale, symbols, and a key, and the rubric explicitly checks for a paragraph description, map title, key, and scale, which provides practice with illustrations and formatting. Students produce a numbered, step-by-step escape plan (Part 4) and a separate letter (Part 3), which organizes content into distinct sections and forms.
Unit 2: Pedro's Journal
Lesson 1
Exploring with Columbus
Students use the "Columbus, The Man" activity sheet to list positive and negative characteristics in two labeled sections, organizing evidence about Columbus. Students complete the "Reasons for Exploration" table by grouping each reason into columns and writing possible positives and negatives, practicing organization of related information. Students trace Columbus' route on a labeled map and record dates and events, using an illustration to support comprehension.
Lesson 2
August
Students fill out a labeled chart titled "The Journey," recording geographic location, important events, and the attitudes of Columbus, Pedro, and the crew in separate columns, which requires grouping related information under headings. Students complete a "Tools of Navigation" matching activity that uses illustrations and web links, and are directed to locate images online if unfamiliar, which incorporates illustrations and multimedia. In the writing options, students list ten factual items about oceans, draw a simple illustration for each fact, and then write a descriptive paragraph based on those facts, which asks them to organize facts and produce a focused paragraph.
Lesson 3
September
Students are prompted to write answers to guided questions in their journal and to "fill out 'The Journey' sheet for September," which requires written responses. Option 2 asks students to "write a short paragraph" using provided vocabulary, providing practice composing a focused paragraph. Activity 2 directs students to "find pictures of comets and meteors online" and provides a NASA link, which incorporates illustrations/multimedia for comprehension. The "Meteors as Signs" student page is formatted with a header, bullet points, and lines for student writing, offering a modeled formatted page.
Lesson 4
October
Students use a bubble map (Activity 2) to record and group words or phrases describing "Native People" and "White Men," which practices organizing related information. Students are asked to draw a picture of San Salvador and include animals in their journal (Activity 4), incorporating illustrations. The lesson provides titled student pages (e.g., "The Natives and the White Men," "Using Quotation Marks") and web links to images and reference pages, exposing students to headings and multimedia resources.
Lesson 5
Journal Writing
Students use a Pre-Writing organizer that explicitly groups ideas into labeled sections (ten facts, three feelings, quotes), which supports organizing related information. Students are told to include the date at the top of the page when writing their journal entry, which is a form of formatting. The Student Activity Page for Selecting an Event includes a bold title and a page icon, showing an example of document formatting and a heading.
Lesson 6
November
Students use a two-column graphic organizer titled "Surviving Life at Sea, Surviving Life on Land" to list disadvantages in separate sections and complete a concluding sentence "I would rather be ___ because ___." Students complete "The Journey" information organizer after answering guided questions, which requires sorting facts from Pedro's entries. Students plan and create a Native American animal mask, sketching a design and using materials and illustration techniques to represent ideas visually.
Lesson 7
December
The Student Activity Page directs students to illustrate and label two clearly titled sections: "Treasures from the Indies (Asia)" and "Treasures found in the Americas," requiring them to group related information under headings and add illustrations. Students are asked to answer three or four questions in a journal and to explain the difference between expected and actual treasures, prompting written explanatory responses. The activity pages are organized with explicit titles and parts (Part A/Part B), giving students a formatted space in which to place information.
Lesson 8
The Island of the Skog
Students are asked to use planning strategies (with assistance) to generate topics and organize ideas, and they complete a Comparing Stories graphic organizer that groups similarities and differences in separate boxes. Students write in a journal when asked to list three ways the mice and Columbus showed prejudice, and they compose an anthem that requires writing and may include gestures or performance.
Lesson 9
January
Activity 3 asks students to find pictures of manatees online and offers a web link for adoption, giving students a multimedia source to support understanding. The skills list instructs students to "demonstrate understanding of informational text in a variety of ways through writing and illustrating," and the lesson invites students to illustrate a manatee in its ecosystem. Activity 1 asks the child to fill in information on "The Journey" page, which provides a structured page for recording information.
Lesson 10
February
Students are asked in Activity 3 to write a firsthand report as Pedro that explains the crew's survival, their discoveries, and what it was like to sail with Columbus. The directions tell students to look back at information recorded on the "The Journey" pages and to deliver the report to an audience. The lesson also has students complete journal entries and a "The Journey" page that collect related facts about the voyage.
Final Project
Story Blocks
Students create eight topic-specific cubes (Setting, Characters, Vocabulary, Survival, Similes, Quotes, Historical Fiction, Exploration) and record sentences, facts, quotes, and similes on the faces, which groups related information by cube. Students are instructed to use colored pens, pencils, and graphics to make the cubes appealing and to illustrate faces (e.g., Setting Cube and Exploration Cube). Students use the cubes to share information orally as they stack them, explaining the information on each block.
Unit 3: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Lesson 1
Sickness
Students are asked to read about elements of the fantasy genre and "record an example in each box" on a Fantasy Genre activity page that is explicitly divided into labeled sections (Characterization, Setting, Plot, Theme, Style and Tone). Students complete a Plot Flowchart where they "record the title and a brief retell" for each day in separate, connected boxes, organizing events into sections. Vocabulary and activity pages provide labeled fields (root, prefix/suffix, part of speech, definition, sentence from book) and include headings and an illustration that students use while recording information.
Lesson 2
Spring is Coming
Students are asked to compare rats and mice in their journal using a Venn diagram, which requires grouping related information. Students are asked to illustrate the cat and the setting and then write a description beneath the picture explaining how the mice's survival is threatened, which integrates illustrations with explanatory text. Students are directed to use web links and books for research, providing multimedia and informational sources to support their writing.
Lesson 4
Rats in the Rosebush
Students answer journal questions about the chapters, which requires them to write responses to specific prompts. Students complete a bubble map labeled "Bravery," drawing Mrs. Frisby and listing five ways she showed bravery, which organizes related ideas visually. Students research and design a new owl home and are encouraged to look for pictures and descriptions online or in books, which invites use of illustrations and multimedia.
Lesson 5
Meeting the Rats
Students are asked to complete a 'Beyond Needs' student activity page that is divided into four labeled sections (Inventions, Machines, Decorative Appeal, Signs of Education) where they list or illustrate examples and describe how each item makes life easier. The activity page explicitly uses headings for each section and includes illustrations for students to use or create. The Life Application and Extension prompt ask students to identify machines/inventions and describe how they make life easier, requiring explanatory description tied to the labeled sections.
Lesson 6
A Plan for Mrs. Frisby
Students are asked to answer questions in their journal about the chapters, which requires them to write explanatory responses. Students complete a Plot Flowchart to describe important events, which asks them to organize events visually into a sequence. Students are asked to illustrate the garden, rock, and Mrs. Frisby's house and to devise and describe a plan for moving the house, which explicitly uses illustrations to aid comprehension and asks for a written description of a plan.
Lesson 7
The Capture
Students are asked to write a summary in their journal of Nicodemus' story after making a list of important events, which requires them to organize and convey information. Students complete a Plot Flowchart by describing important events from the chapters, practicing organization of ideas in sequence. The Student Activity Page and lesson materials display headings (e.g., "Acronyms") and illustrations that demonstrate formatting and visual aids for comprehension.
Lesson 9
The Escape
Students are asked to write answers in a journal to comprehension questions and to record important events on a Plot Flowchart, which requires organizing information by chapter. Students complete a Student Activity Page that has labeled sections ("Nicodemus Before NIMH" and "Nicodemus After NIMH") and an illustration, prompting them to place related information in those sections. Students are also asked to make a list of needs and to explain changes in Nicodemus, which requires composing explanatory responses.
Lesson 10
Amazing Rats
Students are asked in Activity 4 to write a paragraph describing how their opinion about rats has changed and to support that opinion with reasons using linking phrases such as "for example," "in addition," and to include a conclusion sentence. Students complete a "Plot Flowchart" to record an important event from each chapter, which has them organize events sequentially. Students use the "Tools and Machines" activity page to record how the Rats of NIMH use various tools and machines, writing organized responses next to each listed item and referring to accompanying illustrations.
Lesson 11
The Plan
Students are asked to write a paragraph to accompany a pop-up picture describing their "perfect place to live," which links an illustration with explanatory writing. The Animal Testing and Research activity asks students to record arguments in two labeled columns (Arguments For / Arguments Against) and then write a speech with three reasons, transitional phrases, and a concluding reference to their opinion. The Plot Flowchart and the labeled student pages provide explicit sectioned organizers (chapter events, pros/cons chart) that structure information by topic.
Lesson 13
A New Home
Students complete graphic organizers (Plot Flowchart and Plot Diagram) that require them to record the problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and solution, which groups related information into labeled sections. Option 2 explicitly asks students to label the boxes on the Plot Diagram using terms like rising action, climax, falling action, problem, and solution, which practices using headings/labels. The Elements of Fantasy activity asks students to read prompts and record examples in separate boxes (Setting, Characterization, Plot, Theme, Style and Tone), providing a boxed layout and an illustrative cartoon that supports organizing information visually.
Final Project
The Next Chapter or Book Float
Students write descriptions of each character and of Thorn Valley (Part 1), which asks them to collect and present related information about topic elements. Students complete an outline labeled with sections (Chapter Opening, Event 1–4, Chapter Ending, Chapter Summary) and then write a chapter that follows those outlined sections (Part 2 and Day 2 Part 4), supporting organized paragraphs or sections. In Option 2 students sketch and decorate three sides of a float and select a song to play, providing explicit opportunities to include illustrations and multimedia tied to the topic.