Ninth Grade - ELA
• Literacy
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Early Civilizations and Migration (600 BCE)
Lesson 2
Early Agriculture
Students are asked in the Fertile Crescent activity to use the Internet to find average rainfall and images for cities near and far from the Tigris and Euphrates and then to record their thoughts on why people might have chosen to settle where they did, which requires bringing in information from outside the assigned reading. Option 2 for domesticated animals explicitly allows students to use Internet sources or outside reading to learn more about animals before responding. The mapping homework offers an optional video source students can view in addition to textbook maps, and several activities require students to compare pastoral, agricultural, and hunter-gatherer ways of life.
Lesson 5
Egypt
Students are asked to describe Egyptian mathematical and scientific achievements and explicitly to compare them to those of Mesopotamia in the Cultural Characteristics page. The mini-project instructions tell students to use the National Geographic reading and to conduct additional online or library research as needed to complete responses. The WebQuest option requires students to identify websites for each of six topics and to explain what students should understand from those external sources.
Lesson 6
Trade and Empire Building
Students read specific pages from the National Geographic Almanac (pp. 56-59) and are directed to review earlier readings about Mesopotamia and Egypt. Students watch short videos (Big History Project/Khan Academy) and then use information from both readings and videos to complete activity pages that ask them to record causes of expansion, list imports/exports, and explain how technologies facilitated trade. A discussion prompt asks students whether aspects of the Harappan civilization reminded them of other civilizations they have learned about, encouraging cross-reference of information.
Lesson 7
New Beliefs and Technologies
Students are asked to read multiple texts (National Geographic Almanac and selections from The One-Stop Guide to World Religions) and to fill a Comparing World Religions chart that places origin, deities, scriptures, and practices side-by-side for Hinduism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism. Students are prompted to consider how ancient China was similar to or different from other river-valley civilizations and to use past readings or internet research for the Inventions homework, which requires bringing together information from multiple sources. The activities require students to extract findings from more than one text and record similarities and differences in a structured chart or in comparative discussion prompts.
Lesson 8
Historical Essay
The assignment directs students to go back to readings from earlier lessons to find specific evidence and to provide parenthetical citations for sources, so students must locate and cite findings from texts. Option 2 explicitly asks students to track changes in two civilizations and to "describe the ways in which the civilizations you chose were similar to and different from one another," and the rubric for Option 2 includes an item that the essay "shows both similarities and differences". The planning and drafting steps require students to choose evidence and organize it to support a thesis, which engages students in assembling and comparing information from their sources.
Unit 1: Lord of the Flies
Lesson 1
The Call
Students are asked in Option 1 to record titles of dystopian novels and movies they have read or seen and to identify what the settings, plot ideas, and central struggles have in common. The activity includes a prompt: "Based on your answers above, what are some common elements among the novels and movies?" and asks: "Which elements do you anticipate you might see in Lord of the Flies?" Option 2 directs students to create utopia and dystopia lists, then ask someone else to do the same and compare the lists, noting conflicts in ideas.
Lesson 3
Paths in the Jungle
Students are asked to read and annotate a central article ('Why Is Dystopia So Appealing to Young Adults?'), identify the author's thesis and supporting points, and record their reactions on a graphic organizer. The activity offers an optional second article ('The Rising Popularity of Dystopian Literature') to give students additional input and asks students to evaluate the writer's view and decide their final opinion. The wrapping-up prompts students to articulate why they agree or disagree with others' opinions, encouraging comparison of their reactions with the author's claims.
Lesson 5
Not Hunting, But Hunted
Students are asked to "think about what you have learned about world history" and "think about America and its established rules for society" and to "use this understanding to complete" the activity asking them to draft or design laws for the boys (Option 1 and Option 2). The discussion prompts ask students to consider early civilizations compared to modern societies when answering what might happen if the boys do or do not have a system of laws. Option 2 requires students to create a system and be prepared to discuss and defend how that system works, which invites bringing in outside knowledge during discussion.
Lesson 8
Defects of Human Nature
Students are given William Golding's own statement of the novel's central idea and are asked to 'recall that Golding identified the major theme' when choosing supporting minor themes. In Activity 1 students must choose themes that best support Golding's major theme and 'support those choices by referring to details from the novel.' The wrapping-up notes instruct students to 'use the author's own words and description of the novel to evaluate and guide' their analysis.
Lesson 10
Which Is Better?
Students complete a two-column "Developing Civilization" activity that asks them to record ways the boys are similar to and different from early peoples, explicitly prompting comparison and contrast. The lesson supplies an external source (a Crash Course World History video) and instructs students to ‘‘consider what you have learned about early civilizations in history classes'' when filling out the chart. The journal assignment asks students to analyze how Jack's leadership contrasts with Ralph's and with the civilized aspects of the boys' lives before the island, requiring cross-reference between the novel and background knowledge.
Lesson 11
The Film
Students are instructed to watch the 1963 film and complete a 'Movie vs. Book' chart listing similarities and differences in characters, setting, theme, and plot. Students answer journal questions asking whether any omitted scenes were too critical to the novel's major theme and to describe visuals that differed from their mental images. The provided answer key points out concrete examples where the film omits or alters material (e.g., omission of the Ralph-officer conversation) and notes how those omissions change or weaken the novel's thematic explanations.
Unit 2: World Religions (600 BCE - 600 CE)
Lesson 1
Rise of Religions
Students are asked in Option 1 to read a Smithsonian article about Hatshepsut and to review textbook readings, then answer questions that require responding to recent research and to textbook accounts. In Activity 2 students skim multiple civilization entries in the National Geographic almanac and collect at least two examples per society of how religion overlapped with government, which requires pulling findings from multiple textual sources. In Activity 3 students locate a contemporary news article about a modern conflict involving religion and summarize and reflect on that account, creating material they could compare to ancient examples.
Lesson 2
Shamanism, Animism, Ancestor Veneration
Students are asked in Option 1 to locate two or three folktales from around the world and "compare them on the 'Animism' activity page," identifying sacred animals/objects, morals, and common themes. In Option 2 students research Chinese New Year and Día de los Muertos using provided links or other sources and complete an "Ancestor Veneration" chart that asks them to describe each holiday and the role of ancestor veneration. The activities explicitly require students to analyze multiple sources and synthesize similarities and themes across those sources.
Lesson 3
Hinduism
Students compare the Ramayana slideshow to readings when Option 1 asks, "How does the story that you read relate to the Hindu beliefs and/or practices that you read about?" which asks them to relate findings from an art-based retelling to the assigned text. Students are prompted to do online research for the Hindu Festivals option and for the homework Dimensions of World Religions booklet, which requires combining information from the One-Stop Guide and additional web sources. The Life Application and Discussion questions ask students to contrast Hindu beliefs and practices with their own family's belief system and to reflect on personal yoga practice versus the religious origins described in the reading.
Lesson 4
Buddhism
Students fill out a comparative chart in Activity 1 that requires them to record key differences among Theraveda, Mahayana, and Vajrayana as they read pp. 50-51. Question #4 asks students to identify differences between eastern and western Buddhism, prompting students to contrast features described in the reading. Activity 2 asks students to do a bit of online research to fill in the 'Dimensions of World Religions' booklet, which may lead students to consult sources beyond the assigned text. The homework reaction paper prompts students to consider connections between the Buddha's biography and biographies of other religious leaders, encouraging comparison of accounts.
Lesson 5
Daoism and Confucianism
Students read the assigned text (pp. 54-65) containing Confucian sayings and are asked in Homework Option 2 to "find at least three other quotations, sayings, or proverbs that relate" to a chosen Confucian saying and write 1-2 paragraphs explaining similarities, differences, or opposite advice. Activity 2 directs students to do online research to fill the "Dimensions of World Religions" booklet, which requires integrating information from the textbook with other sources.
Lesson 7
Christianity
Students are directed in Option 1 to read at least two scientific articles about the life and times of Jesus and to complete a two-column activity page labeled Source #1 and Source #2 with summaries and follow-up questions. The lesson includes multiple distinct sources (One-Stop Guide, Almanac of World History, a Crash Course video, and a Pew report) that students read and use to answer factual and reflective questions. Option 2 asks students to read Matthew 5-7 and reflect on the Sermon on the Mount in relation to the historical context of Jesus and to today, which requires students to relate textual claims to contextual information.
Lesson 8
Islam
Students are assigned a homework task to choose a story that appears in both the Bible and the Qur'an, read both versions, and complete a "Two Versions" Venn-diagram activity that directs them to summarize common elements and key differences (omissions, tone, lessons, and portrayals of figures and God/Allah). The Parent Plan and discussion prompts ask students to compare stories from the Bible and the Qur'an, note specific differences in detail and tone, and attribute reasons for those differences. The reading assignment also directs students to use multiple texts (textbook excerpts and online versions of the Bible and Qur'an) as sources for comparison.
Unit 2: Short Stories
Lesson 1
The Gift of the Magi
Students are asked to go online and research the Magi, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon and then write in their journal why the author alludes to these figures and how that knowledge contributes to their understanding of the short story. The homework prompts students to use specific external passages (Matthew 2:1-12 and 1 Kings 10:1-10) and PBS material and then explain the historical significance and connections to the story. The Parent Plan and answer key model responses that relate the biblical/historical accounts to the story's meaning (e.g., comparing the value of Della's hair and Jim's watch to the riches of Solomon and the gifts of the Magi).
Lesson 6
The Lottery
The Controversy activity asks students to choose a book or movie and answer directed comparison questions (e.g., "In what ways does it remind you of 'The Lottery'?", "How are their themes similar?", and "Did the book/movie cause any controversy?"). The Student Activity Page structures students' responses so they explicitly compare themes, levels of darkness/disturbing content, and public reactions between 'The Lottery' and another source. The directions also ask students to evaluate whether people's concerns or complaints about the other work were valid, prompting students to weigh agreement or disagreement between accounts of audience reaction.
Lesson 7
Everyday Use
Students are asked to research Alice Walker using provided biography links and complete an "Author's Biographical Data Sheet" that includes a section for "Parallels between the author's life and the story," which requires comparing story details to external biographical sources. For homework, students browse gallery links about African-American quilts and complete the "Quilted Heritage" activity page, describing how quilt designs reflect the culture shown in external museum collections and connecting those findings to the story. In Activity 2, students rewrite a scene from another character's point of view and reflect on how the change alters meaning, which asks students to compare different narrative perspectives.
Lesson 8
Harrison Bergeron
Students are asked to compare and contrast Kurt Vonnegut's printed short story "Harrison Bergeron" with the 2009 film adaptation 2081 (Activity 2) by listing scenes the director added/altered/deleted and by noting changes in characters and their significance. The student activity page and wrap-up questions prompt students to identify what concepts are emphasized more in the film than the text and to explain why specific changes (for example, Harrison's longer, differently themed speech) were made. Students also watch a related video discussing equality (Activity 1) and record observations, providing an additional source to compare with the story's account of equality.
Unit 3: Rise of the Empires (600 BCE - 600 CE)
Lesson 1
Persian Empire
Students read a specified text (pp. 72-73 in National Geographic Almanac of World History) and answer targeted comprehension questions about Persian origins, religion, government, and decline. Activity 2 directs students to record politics, religion, and culture information and explicitly tells them they may "return to your readings or do a bit of online research" to fill gaps. The unit repeatedly instructs students to save these pages and, "as you learn about other empires, you'll be able to easily compare and contrast these factors across several empires," and to keep similarities and differences in mind for synthesis.
Lesson 2
Greek Empire
Students are assigned readings from two different sources (National Geographic Almanac of World History and AP World History: An Essential Coursebook) to gather information about Greece. Students use both the AP World map and the National Geographic maps as source material for Activity 1, and are asked to consult a modern atlas when drawing modern boundaries. Activity 2 directs students to save their notes and pages from other lessons "so that you can use them later for comparative purposes," and a discussion question explicitly asks students to compare Greeks to Persians.
Lesson 3
Qin and Han Empires
Students are directed to read two separate sources (pp. 90-93 in National Geographic Almanac of World History and mid-pp. 98-105 in AP World History) and then answer content questions based on those readings. In Activity 2, students fill in a chart about politics, religion, and culture and are instructed to use different colored pens to note information that applies to Qin only, Han only, or both, explicitly prompting students to record similarities and differences. Students are also asked to save their notes and pages for later comparative work, implying retention of multiple-source notes for future use.
Lesson 4
Roman Empire
Students are asked to read specific pages (pp. 80-85) and answer guided questions that draw on that text. Activity 2 instructs students to "do a bit of online research to fill in any information you cannot find in the reading," which directs students to consult additional sources. The activities require saving pages and notes "so that you can use it later for comparative purposes," implying use of multiple sources and materials for later comparison.
Unit 3: Grammar, Part I
Lesson 4
Commas
Students are instructed to use explanations from the book and external websites (Purdue OWL, Towson) to create a comma guide, which requires gathering information from multiple sources. Students watch a video about the Oxford (serial) comma and may read an NPR article about a court case, tasks that expose them to differing treatments of the Oxford comma in print and media. Students also check their practice answers against the provided Answer Keys, comparing their responses to authoritative answers.
Unit 4: Poetry
Lesson 1
Introduction to Poetry
Students first brainstorm and write their own definition of poetry (Activity 1) and then read a curated page of poets' quotations about what poetry is. They are asked to discuss how their definition differs from the poets' definitions, which definition appealed to them most, and to add to or revise their original definition based on what they read. Homework and wrap-up questions also ask students whether a poem "adds to your understanding of poetry" and to explain differences between reader expectations and the speaker's suggestions, prompting comparison between their prior ideas and textual findings.
Lesson 2
Sound and Rhythm
Students listen to an audio recording of "Lord Randall" and are asked to compare the audio version with the printed version and explain what accounts for the differences. In Activity 2 students compare "Counting-Out Rhyme" to traditional counting-out rhymes by answering how the poem is similar to and different from the traditional form. In the scansion and homework activities students listen to readings (e.g., Marlowe) and then read the printed poem to determine the poem's meter, and they use an interactive scansion tool that lets them check their work against another source.
Lesson 5
What Does It Mean?
Students read Walt Whitman's "O Captain! My Captain!" and accompanying background information about Lincoln, then identify the captain as Lincoln and the ship as the United States, linking poem elements to historical facts. Students are directed to research allusions (e.g., "Old Christmas" traditions) using provided web links and answer questions about how those references help their understanding. Activity pages prompt students to look up unfamiliar words and write summaries, which requires consulting external reference material.
Lesson 8
Types of Poems
Students compare poems to other sources when they complete the ekphrasis chart, reading poems and viewing the related artworks and answering how the poem adds to or changes the meaning of the artwork. Students compare multiple interpretations of Whitman's "A Noiseless Patient Spider" by watching three animators' videos and answering how each interpretation is similar or different and how the readers' performances differ. Students compare poetic forms and conventions by identifying sonnet types, marking rhyme/meter, and answering how Wilfred Owen's "Anthem for Doomed Youth" is similar to or differs from traditional sonnet forms.
Lesson 9
The Crossover
Students are prompted in Option 1 to "Compare the words and definitions as shown in the book with how they appear in a dictionary." The Student Activity Page lists specific vocabulary words and asks students to "Discuss differences between the book and dictionary definitions" and to "Explain how the book's method of defining words aids understanding, using one word as an example." The Parent Plan reiterates that students should describe similarities and differences (syllable breaks, pronunciation, part of speech, example sentences) and use one word as an example.
Lesson 10
Poems and Poets
Students compare poetic features across texts (e.g., Question #2 compares meter of "A Birthday" and "She Walks in Beauty," Day 2 Q2 compares rhyme schemes across multiple poems, and Day 2 Q4 compares techniques used to convey tone). Students research poets and cultural context (Activity 3 asks students to gather biographical and country-specific information and to use MyLifeElsewhere to compare the poet's country to their own). Students compare poem content to outside sources when interpreting cultural references (Activity 4 directs students to look back at biographical information and research unfamiliar references to explain how cultural references enrich the poem).
Final Project
Poetry
In Choice 7 students are directed to read multiple sources (Dylan lyrics and two articles—one supportive and one critical) and to "consider both sides of the debate" before writing a reasoned response about whether Dylan deserved the Nobel Prize. Choice 2 asks students to view three animators' interpretations of a poem and then create their own visual interpretation, exposing students to multiple accounts of the same text. The poetry explication (Choice 5) asks students to gather and present findings about a poem's features using textual evidence in a presentation.
Unit 5: Nonfiction
Lesson 1
Types of Nonfiction
Students are asked to use the "All About a Person" activity to examine a book's catalog record, front matter, and back matter and to decide whether it is a biography, autobiography, or memoir. The activity explicitly instructs students to "compare it with the others that were considered" and to "Compare themes, view points, thoughts about character identity, and evidence about the book's accuracy," supporting comparisons with specific examples. Students also read part of an interview with Patricia McCormick and are asked to consider her role in writing I Am Malala and whether that involvement changes how the book should be classified.
Lesson 2
Pakistan
Students are asked to use information from I Am Malala together with web links (Wikipedia and a languages webpage) to answer the Pakistan activity questions, so they must gather findings from multiple sources. The activity directs students to use the book's timeline (pp. 219-235) and web resources to answer specific questions (e.g., creation date of Pakistan, capital, geographic features). Question 5 explicitly asks students to look at the World Factbook language list and identify what is unusual about the country's official languages, which requires comparing data from the book and the external source.
Lesson 3
The Taliban
Students are asked in Activity 1 to consult the provided PBS webpage and any other sites and then synthesize that information into an informational paragraph or presentation about the Taliban, which requires using findings from multiple sources. The homework asks students to read an article listing 10 barriers to education and then be prepared to discuss which of those barriers have been a factor in what they've read in I Am Malala, prompting students to relate findings from the article to the book.
Lesson 5
Displacement
Students are asked to examine photographs of schools and write three assumptions about each image and a short statement from a student's point of view (Option 1). They are also directed to do brief research about school conditions and educational opportunities in the pictured locations and record challenges and statistics. The Parent Plan lists skills including integrating and evaluating content presented in diverse media and conducting short research projects.
Lesson 7
Life in England
Students read Chapters 33–36 of I Am Malala and then watch an 11-minute documentary segment, taking notes that directly compare the book's account to the filmmaker's account. The activity prompts students to compare specific findings such as the role Malala's father in her decision to become a politician, how his influence on her activism is portrayed, the filmmaker's focus versus Malala's focus, and different impressions of Malala's mother. Students are asked to consider how the film and book differently emphasize details and to evaluate in what ways the film and book support or contradict each other's accounts.
Lesson 9
Civil Disobedience
Students analyze paired excerpts from Thoreau and King in Activity 1 using a three-column chart that asks them to mark overlapping ideas and highlight similar phrases. In Activity 2 students read opposing quotes on America, government, and voting and must decide which author's account they agree with and explain how their views align. The parent notes and student pages direct students to identify areas of agreement and disagreement and to explain overlapping ideas in writing.
Lesson 10
Learning from the Past
Students are asked in Activity 3 to skim Wiesel's speech, identify a universal truth, and then draft a paragraph comparing how Wiesel's view aligns with one or two other human-rights advocates (Malala, MLK, or Thoreau), using a quote from each person to support their argument. Activity 2 asks students to reflect on differences between reading and listening/watching Dr. King, noting how those differences affect understanding and emotional response. Activity 4 has students consider progress made by multiple activists and write formal explanations connecting their contributions.
Lesson 12
Running from War
Students complete Activity 2 (Memory) where they record details of a past event or draw a scene and then share that work with a parent, grandparent, or older sibling who judges how accurate the memory is; this requires students to compare their own recollections (their findings) with another person's account. The wrapping-up questions and discussion prompts ask students to consider how accurate the author's memories are and whether the author's explanation for his memory is believable, prompting comparison between the text's claims and other perspectives. The homework APE task requires students to support an answer with a quotation from the text, which has students locate and use findings presented in the text as evidence.
Lesson 13
Child Soldier
Students complete Activity 2 ("Different Accounts") in which they fill out parallel "Book" and "Video" columns after reading the book and watching a six-minute interview, then discuss differences between the accounts. In Activity 1 ("The Truth about Memoirs") students write a journal response weighing the Australian newspaper's challenges to Beah's timeline and Beah/publisher denials, directly comparing the book's claims to another source. The homework on "Child Soldiers" directs students to use the book, the video, and their own thoughts to record advantages and disadvantages from commanders' and children's perspectives, synthesizing multiple sources.
Lesson 14
Rehabilitation
Students are asked in Activity 1 to complete a comparative worksheet ("RUF vs. Government Soldiers") using the Geneva Conventions criteria and to provide supporting examples or quotations from A Long Way Gone that show whether the government army committed the listed war crimes. Option 2 explicitly directs students to re-read the lieutenant's speech and the conversation with the RUF child and then state a conclusion about whether the lieutenant's analysis is accurate, using examples/quotations from the text. The Wiesel's Words activity requires students to compare quotations from Elie Wiesel and a one-minute author video to Beah's memoir and explain how those external accounts relate to the book.
Lesson 15
A New Life
Students are asked to "compare aspects of the two memoirs" and to complete the Student Activity Page titled "Comparing Memoirs," which prompts direct side-by-side comparison of themes (for example, how education is addressed) and specific scenes from each book. The lesson directs students to discuss whether details each book included were appropriate for the author's purpose and audience and suggests comparing specific accounts (e.g., Malala's shooting vs. Beah's rebel attack). Students are also directed to consult external web links (Malala Fund and Human Rights Watch) when creating marketing materials, which requires reading and using information from other sources.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
Students are asked to explain relationships among nonfiction texts and authors (Day 2: e.g., explain how Malala Yousafzai and Ishmael Beah have used their experiences, how Thoreau influenced Martin Luther King, Jr., and how the term "war crimes" applies to both Wiesel's and Beah's experience). Part IV, Discussion B explicitly asks students to describe the controversy over accuracy in A Long Way Gone and how the memoir genre affected that debate. Part IV, Discussion E asks students to use essays and texts from the Nonfiction unit to reflect on how authors' accounts of war support broader lessons, which requires comparing perspectives across sources.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Ender's Game
Lesson 1
Born to Genius
Students complete the "Your Views on the Issues" activity by rating their feelings on listed issues before reading and are instructed to re-rate them after finishing the book to "see if the novel influenced your feelings" and be prepared to discuss changes. In "About the Author," students read pages of the book's introduction and use Internet research together to answer questions about historical context and the author's influences, combining findings from the text with external sources.
Lesson 3
Science Fiction
Students read an external article about science fiction and fill out a graphic organizer that asks for a definition, common themes, historical eras, and lists of authors, which requires them to synthesize information from two written sources (the introduction and the web article). Students classify scenarios as science fiction or fantasy and label descriptions as hard or soft science fiction, which requires comparing characteristics across genre examples. In the discussion prompts, students are asked to evaluate Graff's pronouncements and note inaccuracies or oversimplifications, which prompts them to compare claims in the text with general historical or factual knowledge.
Lesson 6
Performance Is Personal
Students are prompted to compare and rank three commanders (Petra, Bonzo, Rose) using self-chosen criteria and to score and justify their evaluations in the "Competing Commanders" activity. The "Text Structure" activity asks students to identify foreshadowing and to explain how conversations among authority figures create tension by presenting conflicting opinions, which requires comparing different accounts within the text. The Wrapping Up/Things to Know section introduces the real-world Warsaw Pact background and tells students to "keep this history in mind" while reading Chapter 9, connecting the novel's "Second Warsaw Pact" to an external historical source.
Lesson 7
Leaders Motivate
Students are asked to read background materials on John Locke and Demosthenes (web links and a short presentation) and then write a journal entry describing links between those historical figures and the novel characters Peter and Valentine, which requires comparing the novel's portrayal to external sources. In the quote-matching and character-application activities, students match famous statements about leadership to events and personalities in the novel and explain why a quote fits a given character, prompting them to relate claims from outside texts to the novel's accounts. The Parent Plan notes the ironic discrepancy between Locke's real philosophy and Peter's actions, which frames an explicit comparison between findings from historical sources and the novel's depiction.
Lesson 8
Flies and Self-Loathing
The lesson includes Activity 2, "Lord of the Flies vs. Ender's Game," which directs students to use a graphic organizer to compare settings, leadership, and themes across the two novels. The activity asks students to consider common responsibilities, consequences of conflicts, and how fear and power operate in both texts, and the wrap-up explicitly tells students they considered scenes that "touch on themes" and portions that are "different" from Golding's tale. Discussion questions ask students to evaluate Ender's perception against others' actions, prompting comparison of accounts within the texts.
Lesson 11
Thud, Whump, Huut
Students are asked to re-read a scene from Ender's Game and re-watch the corresponding scene in the 2013 movie, take notes on differences, and consider what information or dialogue was omitted or changed. The Comic Book option directs students to use a "Comic Adaptation" activity page to list narration or dialogue that was omitted or changed and to decide whether the comic communicated the omitted material through pictures or whether that omission was a mistake. The parent/skills notes explicitly require students to analyze representation of a subject or key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment.
Lesson 12
Campbell's Comparisons
Students watch a video summarizing Joseph Campbell's 12-step Hero's Journey and record the steps, then choose six steps and describe parallels between those steps and events in Ender's Game on the activity sheet. Students compare protagonists and plot elements (e.g., Ender vs. Spiderman and Ender vs. Katniss) in the opening discussion, identifying similarities and differences in traits and motivations. Students retake an initial "Issues" survey and compare their new answers to their original ones, explaining any changes and citing examples from the novel.
Lesson 13
The Enemy's Gate Is Down
Activity 2 requires students to review a Forbes article read for homework and complete the "Leadership Lessons: Forbes Four" activity by labeling four leadership lessons from the article and writing one- to two-sentence summaries of each. The wrap-up and Parent Plan state that students reflected on leadership lessons in Ender's Game and that many of those lessons "are supported in the subplots," linking the article's findings to elements of the novel. Activity 1 and its discussion questions ask students to analyze how the Graff and Peter/Valentine subplots enhance themes, prompting students to consider how ideas in the novel relate to those leadership lessons.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked in Box 8 (Historical References) to look up NATO and the 1955 Warsaw Pact, color and sort member countries, and then list two key similarities and two key differences between the historical Warsaw Pact and the fictional Second Warsaw Pact in Ender's Game, followed by an explanation of why the author might have used this historical reference. In Part III (Conflict in Literature) students identify internal and external conflicts in Ender's Game and then compare how similar conflicts manifest differently in George Eliot's Silas Marner. Box 5 asks students to write two to three paragraphs comparing and contrasting military and civilian leadership as portrayed in the novel, providing additional practice in comparing findings or portrayals across contexts.
Unit 3: Informational Texts
Lesson 1
What Are Informational Texts?
Students watch Malcolm Gladwell's TED talk and are asked to compare his reinterpretation of the David and Goliath story with the traditional account, discussing ways Gladwell's explanation supports or contradicts common beliefs. In the Roseto reading and homework questions, students identify researchers' initial hypotheses (diet, exercise, genetics, region) and then state the researchers' final determination (close-knit community reduced stress), which requires students to note a change from earlier explanations. Activity 2 also directs students to recognize that Gladwell uses other researchers' studies to draw conclusions, prompting consideration of how one account relies on prior research.
Lesson 2
Outliers
Students are asked to re-read the last two paragraphs of the Introduction and explain how the Roseto study applies to Gladwell's argument, identifying the Roseto study as an analogy and noting how researchers had to "look beyond the individual." The activity prompts students to explore how Gladwell uses analogy and other strategies to define and explain the term "outlier." Homework questions ask students to describe Roger Barnsley's observation about hockey players' birth months and to explain how that finding supports the chapter's account of advantage and the Matthew Effect.
Lesson 5
Harlan, Kentucky
Students read Chapter 6 (pp.162-176) that presents findings about a "culture of honor" and are asked to explain the University of Michigan experiment and its findings (Question #4). The homework asks students to conduct brief research about who settled their area, note stereotypes and whether they are accurate, and reflect on how early settlers may have influenced present-day behavior. Discussion prompts ask students to consider how they might have reacted in the Michigan experiment and to compare regional behaviors, inviting some cross-source reflection.
Lesson 6
The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
Students read Malcolm Gladwell's chapter and then read a linked critical blog post (Activity 4) that challenges Gladwell's assertions. In Activity 5 Option 1, students prepare an oral summary of the blog's main objections and answer questions about which objections are strongest and whether the blog changes their view of Gladwell's conclusions. In Activity 5 Option 2, students complete a chart that identifies each criticism, records Gladwell's response, and evaluates the effectiveness of that response, explicitly comparing claims from the book to claims from the blog and noting where they contradict or support one another.
Lesson 7
Rice Paddies and Math Tests
Students explicitly compare the Chinese counting system to English when they take notes and "record some examples of irregularities in English number words" (Activity 1, Option 1) and present those findings to a parent. Students practice and demonstrate Chinese counting (Option 2) and may be asked to show they can say any number called out, reinforcing direct comparison of number-word forms and ease of use. For the infographic homework, students are invited to "embed audio files" and "use other sources" to illustrate differences between Asian language number words and English, which allows incorporation of external evidence into their product.
Lesson 9
Writing about History
Students read three secondary summaries of the Sand Creek Massacre and answer a question asking them to list two facts that all three sources agree upon, requiring direct comparison across texts. The Firsthand Accounts activity and accompanying student page explicitly instruct students to 'Compare a firsthand account to a secondary source of the same event' and to identify supporting primary-source evidence for secondary-source claims. The Primary Falsehoods and Two Points of View activities have students analyze eyewitness testimony and contemporary editorials, noting inconsistencies, possible falsehoods, and differing treatments of the same events.
Lesson 10
Science Writing
Students read specific sections of a science booklet and complete an activity that asks them to explain how the author supports two claims (e.g., about noncontact forces and centripetal/centrifugal forces). Students analyze the author's methods of explanation (highlighting, explanation, example, illustration) when explaining terms like "centripetal force." For homework, students watch a short video on centrifugal force and discuss which version (text or video) made the concept more understandable, noting pros and cons of each.
Lesson 11
Technical Writing
Students are asked to back up the introduction to their how-to guide with information from an outside source and to record and cite that source (Day 1 homework and Works Cited on Day 3). Students are also required to have a peer, sibling, or parent follow their written guide while the student silently observes, take notes on where the instructions fail or cause questions, and conduct a follow-up interview about missing or unclear instructions (Day 3 homework). These activities require students to use external information to support claims and to compare the written instructions to the real-world results of someone performing the task.
Final Project
Argumentative Research Essay
Students are instructed to locate multiple (at least five) high-quality sources (Day 2/Part 3) and to evaluate source accuracy and whether information can be verified in other sources (Day 3/Part 5). In Part 4 students are asked to collect facts, statistics, and examples and explicitly to note when sources contradict one another and to record which sources present each point of view. In Part 6 (Present the Evidence) students record quotes/ideas from sources and write how each piece of evidence influences their thinking, then state their thesis and the opposing viewpoint to acknowledge and refute counterarguments.
Unit 4: Drama
Lesson 2
How to Read Drama
Students read Aristotle's definition of tragedy (Poetics) and are asked to apply Aristotle's six elements of tragedy to Susan Glaspell's play Trifles using the "Applying Aristotle's Six Elements of Tragedy" activity page. The lesson prompt asks students to consider whether "Aristotle's ideas from so long ago [are] still relevant today" and to "look to see if some of them are on television shows or movies you watch," encouraging comparison between Aristotle's claims and modern texts or media.
Lesson 4
A Raisin in the Sun
Students listen to five external dialect recordings from the Speech Accent Archive and are instructed to note differences and which sample is most similar to their own speech, preparing to discuss their findings. Students watch two videos about first-generation college students and view an infographic about earnings by education level, then answer journal questions about what led those students to college and whether college is necessary for success. Vocabulary and character activities ask students to use play text excerpts for context, and the homework asks students to summarize Act I and reflect on themes such as education and opportunity.
Lesson 5
Act II
Students read excerpts from Lorraine Hansberry's To Be Young, Gifted and Black and answer questions that ask which characters from A Raisin in the Sun the quotations might describe and to compare Hansberry and Beneatha. Students listen to multiple songs about the American Dream and write what each song says about the American Dream and why it may have been written, drawing information from sources outside the play. The Hansberry activity explicitly prompts students to relate claims from an external text to characters and themes in the play.
Lesson 6
Act III
Students read Langston Hughes's poem "Harlem" and are directed to "examine the poem more closely and how it relates to the play." The Student Activity Page asks students to identify similes and imagery in the poem and to "choose one of the play's characters and explain how his or her dream has been deferred," explicitly requiring comparison between the poem's images and the play's character experiences. The Parent Plan skills explicitly require students to "analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums" and to "analyze how an author draws on and transforms source material," supporting cross-text comparison and analysis.
Lesson 7
Fences
Students complete Activity 2 using a Comparison activity page that asks them to compare and contrast Fences and A Raisin in the Sun across theme, characters (including specific pairings like Walter and Troy, Rose and Mama, Cory and Beneatha), plot, and setting, and to write at least two sentences about how they are alike and two about how they are different. The Student Activity Page provides structured sections (Theme, Characters, Plot, Setting) that require students to identify similarities and differences. In Activity 3 students watch an interview with Washington and Davis and write at least three insights, explicitly comparing the play versus the movie interpretation of the same material.
Lesson 10
Figurative Language
Students complete a "Spouse Survey" and then compare their responses to their parents', noting similarities, differences, and surprises. Students write journal responses comparing situations and people from Romeo and Juliet to their own experiences and explain how they would respond as a character (Friar Lawrence). Students identify and match Shakespearean examples of oxymoron, paradox, idioms, and puns with modern-day examples, thereby comparing language uses across sources.
Lesson 13
Tragic Hero
Students directly compare Romeo and Juliet to Ovid's Pyramus and Thisbe using a structured activity sheet that asks them to note similarities between the two texts. Students watch a TedEd video about types of heroes and explicitly answer questions asking them to explain how Romeo does or does not meet each tragic-hero criterion, including whether they agree with the video's claim about his major flaw. The parent notes and answer key provide model comparisons and explicit similarities/parallel outcomes for students to reference.
Lesson 14
Modern Retelling
Students watch two versions of Romeo and Juliet and complete a Two Versions comparison chart with parallel columns for the Luhrmann 1996 production and the Globe Theatre performance, noting character portrayals, major changes, use of setting, and use of color. Students are instructed to choose three specific areas of difference, write a thesis comparing the two productions, and use the APE method to Answer, Prove with specific examples from both productions, and Extend by explaining the significance or effect of those differences. The homework checklist requires each paragraph to contain specific information or examples from both productions and end with an explanation of the significance or effect of those differences.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
The Part IV discussion prompt F asks students to evaluate Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers and to consider criticisms of the chapter "The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes," asking students to weigh whether the book is informational or persuasive and to consider how Gladwell may have selected stories and facts. Question 5 and related short-answer items ask students to explain why researchers concluded the Roseto residents were "outliers," which requires comparing Gladwell's presentation to researchers' findings. Part IV B asks students to evaluate source credibility, which prompts students to consider differences among sources when using them for research.