Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 1
Steinbeck
Students research John Steinbeck's life using the provided web links and read biography material, then answer specific questions on the 'John Steinbeck' activity page. Students identify common themes in Steinbeck's novels and respond to a question asking how those themes reflect his life experiences, requiring them to connect main ideas to supporting biographical details. Students also view visual elements such as a black-and-white photo of Steinbeck and small graphics on the vocabulary pages while completing activities.
Lesson 2
The Scorpion
Students read Chapter 1 of The Pearl and answer comprehension questions that require identifying Kino's situation, the doctor's motives, and how Kino's life changes from the beginning to the end of the chapter (Questions #1, #3, #4). Students engage in oral discussion prompts about social class and Kino's perspective (Questions to Discuss) and are asked to read aloud descriptive words and phrases from their journals and explain grammatical concepts like verb phrases.
Lesson 3
The Pearl
Students read Chapter 2 and answer comprehension questions that ask them to identify Kino's valuable possession and infer its significance, and to analyze Steinbeck's phrases (e.g., "vagueness of a dream") and their effect on the reader. Students complete a Verbs and Adjectives Chart by locating strong verbs and vivid adjectives in the second paragraph and then produce a drawing or a poem based on Steinbeck's descriptive language, translating textual details into visual or poetic formats.
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students are asked to take notes on at least 15 note cards from websites and an encyclopedia and to organize those notes into a one-page oral presentation or a travel brochure with clearly labeled sections (places to see, nature and wildlife, people and culture, map, food). Students must create and use visual aids for the oral presentation and practice delivery, which requires deciding a logical sequence for presenting information. The wrap-up asks students to think about how the research will help them better understand the novel and the characters' choices and circumstances.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students read Chapter 3 and answer comprehension questions that require analysis of figurative language and motives (e.g., explaining the simile comparing the town to a colonial animal and why Kino became "every man's enemy"). Students keep a Stylistic Devices Log in which they identify similes, metaphors, imagery, and irony and note how those language choices affect the reader. Students write and (optionally) sing a cultural song and discuss how beat, tempo, rhythm, and word choices reflect mood and cultural ideas, providing an oral format to consider how ideas are presented.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students read Chapter 4 and answer specific comprehension questions that require identifying key details (e.g., what the pearl divers do not know, villagers' past actions, dealers' reactions). Students complete a visual graphic organizer ("The Pearl" web) in which they list and interpret at least five ideas about what the pearl symbolizes. The lesson includes guided oral discussion prompts (Introducing the Lesson and Parent Plan questions) that ask students to explain ideas about money, power, and how Kino and Juana change.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students read Chapter 5 and develop four discussion questions, including a "Think and Search" question that requires them to locate and synthesize information across the text. Students analyze characterization and theme by completing the "Wants" chart, recording each character's desires and drawing symbols to represent how those wants clarify the story's themes. The Student Activity Page provides a visual organizer (table) that students use to organize main ideas about characters and supporting details about their wants.
Lesson 8
Escape
Students read the final chapter of the novella and answer analytic questions that ask them to explain outcomes (QUESTION #1), relate setting to plot development (QUESTION #2), and connect Kino's quest to historical examples of wealth-driven destruction (QUESTION #4). The lesson prompts students to discuss symbolism, moral, and character descriptions in wrap-up questions and asks them to predict and verbally justify Kino's choices in the "Introducing the Lesson" parent prompts. Students are also asked to add examples of effective stylistic devices from the final chapter to a log, requiring them to cite textual details that support main ideas.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students read four parables and are asked to explain the lesson or moral of each story to a parent, including comparing the Parable of the Pearl to The Pearl novel and describing the lesson of the Good Samaritan. Students are given an option to retell a parable orally to an audience and then ask the audience to explain the lesson, and they may create a detailed illustration that expresses an important aspect of a chosen parable. The Parent Plan lists the skill 'Analyze the purpose of the author or creator by understanding the effects of the author's craft on the reader,' and discussion questions prompt students to explain definitions and use vocabulary correctly.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students make a list of the moral lessons taught in The Pearl and are asked to decide on one lesson to be the heart of their parable, which requires identifying a main idea from the text. Students are instructed to describe that lesson to a parent and to support their chosen lesson with evidence from the text (parent guidance prompts). Students complete a visual story map/graphic organizer that asks them to record setting, characters, themes, and plot and to consider how place and time influence the theme.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to discuss how the poem relates to the novel and to identify themes across the poem and text, which requires analyzing ideas presented in poetic and narrative formats. Students create a Venn diagram to compare/contrast the book with another story and answer Part D short-answer prompts asking what the pearl symbolizes and what stylistic devices Steinbeck uses, citing evidence. Students prepare and perform or write scripts, give speeches, and conduct a mock trial using evidence from the book, requiring them to use supporting details orally and in writing to clarify characters, themes, and issues.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and instructed to read four chapters and use a journal to record what they learn about culture and characters, noting customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, food, and other cultural elements. Students are directed to peruse two web links about Mozambique for additional information and to complete a Southeastern Africa map activity that requires locating and labeling geographic features. Students choose between creating a Mozambique quilt that represents cultural and geographic elements or writing Mozambique trivia questions and answers across categories such as geography, religion, jobs, and health.
Lesson 2
Sickness
Students are asked to act as an Investigator to "dig up background information" on topics related to the book, including geography, culture, history, pictures, objects, or materials, and to record four or five bits of information in a journal. Students create a Vocabulary Picture Dictionary where they draw visual symbols, write sentences, and attach definitions, linking visual and textual representations of key words. Discussion and wrapping-up prompts ask students to explain why villagers thought cholera arrived via witchcraft and to consider why survival rates would be lower in the village, requiring students to state and explain ideas using details from the chapters.
Lesson 3
A Visit with the Muvuki
Students read Chapters 8–10 and take on the role of Discussion Director, writing four discussion questions designed to cover the book's big ideas, which requires them to identify main ideas. The task requires at least one open-ended question and one inference question, prompting students to use textual details to infer meaning and to formulate questions about supporting evidence. The Parent Plan and question set ask students to answer specific factual and causal questions (e.g., what the muvuki told the family, how he tricks visitors), which has students locate supporting details that clarify characters' motives and issues in the text.
Lesson 4
Escape
Students are asked to serve as a "Literary Luminary," choosing two or three passages from the book, reading them aloud to a parent, and explaining their reasons for picking them, which requires identifying important textual details and giving an oral explanation. Students are directed to read the back-of-book section "The History and Peoples of Mozambique and Zimbabwe" and complete the "A History of Zimbabwe and Mozambique" activity pages, where they view maps and flags, color them, and answer questions about countries, tribes, and historical events. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill of responding to informational materials viewed and making connections to related topics, indicating tasks that involve comprehension of visual and informational content.
Lesson 5
Lake Cabora Bassa
Students read Chapters 14–16 and take the role of a Travel Tracer, carefully following where the action happens and describing where characters move to and from. Students describe each setting in detail either in words or in map form, providing a visual representation of setting locations. Students explain what role the setting plays in the conflict of the story and record these explanations in a journal to share with a parent.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
Students are asked to become a "Line Locator," finding three to five lines or short passages in chapters 17-20, copying or recording their locations, and explaining in their journals why those passages are examples of good writing or important to the story. Students complete a 5 W's graphic organizer (Who, When, Where, What, Why) to generate and organize the main events and supporting details of their personal narrative. Parents are prompted to ask the child to describe Nhamo's journey and discuss questions, which requires students to orally state main ideas and supporting details.
Lesson 7
Baboons
Students read chapters 21–23 and create an illustration related to the text, producing a visual representation of ideas from the chapters. Students research baboons' social dynamics and write an 8–10 sentence museum plaque that combines written explanations with a pasted or drawn picture. Students can alternatively create a guidebook by selecting five animals, writing 1–2 sentences about each, and pasting images, requiring them to summarize and present information in both visual and written formats.
Lesson 8
Survival
Students are asked to read Chapters 24–27 and take on the role of a Summarizer by writing a four- or five-sentence summary that contains the main events, which requires identifying main ideas and key details from the text. Discussion questions ask students to identify specific physical and emotional survival actions and cultural details from Nhamo's stories, prompting students to cite supporting details. The calabash activity includes a visual image and web links about calabash art that students view and use as reference when designing and explaining their own decorated calabash.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students are asked to explain how Nhamo has changed by comparing earlier and current chapters, prompting them to cite events and character actions as supporting details. The "Questions to Discuss" require students to identify specific plot events (e.g., the kudu, the burned picture) and infer motivations, which asks students to use textual evidence to explain ideas. The Figurative Language Finder activity has students locate examples in the text and read them aloud, and the "Why Proofread?" page asks students to explain how punctuation changes sentence meaning, giving practice analyzing oral/written representations.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
Students are assigned the role of Dialogue Designer to recreate interactions from Chapters 31–34 by writing a 6–10 line conversation that centers on events from the text, which requires them to identify events and supporting details to shape dialogue. In the postcard option, students must draw the island based on story geography and write a 4–6 sentence note explaining what Nhamo endured, how she survived, and how she changed, connecting details to main ideas. In the storyboard option, students select six important scenes, draw each scene, and write a sentence describing the action while ensuring the scenes reflect Nhamo's village culture, the land's geography, and her struggle for survival, which requires choosing main ideas and supporting details and representing them visually.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students answer Part IV questions that require identifying the two-country setting, characterizing Nhamo with text evidence, describing her biggest problem and its solution, and writing about the book's theme. Students take the role of Story Connector and record at least three text-to-text connections from Chapter 39 to other stories. Students plan and use 2–3 visual aids or props and practice oral delivery while being prompted to clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence and to emphasize salient points for listeners.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students read Chapter 1 and answer focused comprehension questions that require analysis of main ideas and supporting details (e.g., how Tolkien characterizes Bilbo; description of the dwarves; interpretation of Gandalf's line). Students create and annotate a Setting Map by tracing the journey, circling locations (Hobbiton), and recording chapter numbers and short event summaries, which converts textual events into a visual format. Parent-plan prompts and discussion questions ask students to explain directions and discuss reasons for character choices and themes orally.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students read Chapter 2 and answer specific comprehension questions that require identifying feelings, events, and who acted (e.g., Bilbo's emotions, discovery at the fire, who saves them), which practices locating supporting details. Students read two online biographies of J.R.R. Tolkien and either write five interview questions with reasons or create a collage with labeled images representing key aspects of his life, requiring them to select and explain important ideas from informational and visual sources. Students are asked to chart the journey and summarize the first night's camp, which engages them in summarizing main events and mapping how those events relate to setting.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students chart the group's locations on a Setting Map and record descriptions on an Events of the Journey page, producing a visual representation of plot elements. Students locate and record examples of foreshadowing and flashbacks from Chapters 3 and 4 and read at least one example aloud to a parent, engaging with the text orally and textually. Students answer comprehension questions about plot details and discuss the narrator's meaning and comparisons between elves and dwarves, citing textual details in discussion.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students answer targeted comprehension questions about Chapter 5 (e.g., what Bilbo found, the ring's magic, Gollum's feelings), which requires identifying main ideas and supporting details from the text. Students draw the path on a Setting Map and write a brief description of chapter events, engaging with a visual representation of narrative information. Students record examples of foreshadowing on a chart and decode messages using an Anglo-Saxon runes chart, practicing analysis of supporting details and visual-symbol formats. Students reread the riddles exchanged by characters and compose their own, analyzing figurative language and clue construction in a literary/oral format.
Lesson 5
Wolves, Goblins, and Eagles
Students read Chapter 6 and answer specific comprehension questions about how wolves, goblins, and eagles act, which requires identifying key events and details from the text. Students draw the path from the Goblin Gate to the Eyrie on a Setting Map, producing a visual representation of the narrative's geography. Students write a brief description of what happens in the chapter and record examples of foreshadowing, which requires selecting supporting details from the text.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students are asked to verbally summarize what happened after Bilbo escaped from Gollum, requiring them to orally state main events and supporting details. Students draw a path from the Eyrie to the Carrock and to Beorn's house, circle locations, write chapter numbers, and briefly describe what happened, which requires them to represent chapter events visually. Students answer comprehension questions (e.g., defining a skin-changer, explaining why Gandalf introduces the dwarves two at a time) that require extracting supporting details and interpreting character motives.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students answer targeted comprehension questions (e.g., what happens to Bombur, how Bilbo saves the dwarves, how Bilbo feels) that require identifying main events and supporting details from the chapter. Students draw a path from the Forest Gate to the spiderwebs and label the chapter, and they write a short sentence on the "Events of the Journey" page, providing a visual-and-text activity. Students are asked to record an example of foreshadowing on their chart and to participate in discussion prompts that ask them to explain themes and give supporting situations from the book.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
Students read Chapter 9 and answer focused comprehension questions that require locating supporting details (e.g., why Thorin withholds their mission, how supplies move, how Bilbo frees the dwarves). Students create a Setting Map and write sentences on an "Events of the Journey" page, recording events that advance the plot and noting examples of flashback or foreshadowing to explain character change. Students complete Problems & Solutions and Problem Solving graphic organizers (visual formats) and are asked to present their personal problem-solving process orally to a parent.
Lesson 9
Men of the Lake
Students are asked to trace the journey on a Setting Map (visual format) and to draw lines and record chapter numbers, which requires representing and referencing visual information. Students write short descriptions of events on the "Events of the Journey" page and record examples of flashback or foreshadowing, which asks them to identify events and supporting textual details. Students are asked orally to explain Bilbo's plan and discuss how the ring helped him, and they answer comprehension questions that require citing reasons (e.g., why Bilbo has more spirit).
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students are asked to collect and analyze media artifacts in Activity 2 (Option 1) by finding at least two local examples, three online examples, and two magazine/newspaper examples and then classify how each ad preys on people's greed and desire for power. In Option 2 students locate examples in different media (online, books, newspapers) of events motivated by greed and power, write two- to three-sentence descriptions, and rank them by impact. Students also summarize chapters and record examples of foreshadowing/flashback, which requires identifying main ideas and supporting textual details from the book.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students read Chapters 14 and 15 and answer targeted comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that require identifying key events and supporting details (e.g., Smaug's attack, townspeople's reaction, Bard's action). Students record examples of foreshadowing and flashback on a chart and respond to discussion prompts and "Ideas to Think About" questions that ask them to explain themes (power, greed) and motivations. The lesson includes oral discussion prompts (share examples, Questions to Discuss) that ask students to explain reasons and clarify issues related to the text.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students read Chapters 16–17 and answer questions requiring them to identify reasons for characters' actions (e.g., why Bilbo sneaked out, why dwarves refrained from battle), which asks them to locate supporting details in the text. Students create a Quest Cube by drawing or pasting images for each quest element and then explain to a parent how each visual element contributes to central themes and the mood. Students engage in oral discussion prompts that ask them to describe character change and explain how power and greed affect events, connecting ideas across oral and written formats.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students are asked to read a couple of early reviews (a web review by C.S. Lewis and a handwritten review image by Rayner Unwin) and then write a 2–3 sentence journal summary of each critic's response. Students must identify whether each response is positive or negative and explain some of the major points the critic makes. Students are also asked to describe any literary elements the reviewer alludes to and, per the parent notes, to recognize that one review focuses on themes while another emphasizes characters and plot.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students are asked to identify and explain the novel's important timeless lesson and how characters change, and to support opinions with examples from the text, including direct quotes, figurative language, and events. The rubric explicitly assesses 'Comprehension' and 'Textual Evidence,' requiring students to use direct quotes and references to the text. The prewriting web and outline prompt students to organize main ideas (e.g., 'An important lesson learned' and 'How the characters changed') and plan supporting details for each body paragraph.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 1
Korea
Students locate and use diverse media (maps, online articles, and pictures) by finding a map of Asia, coloring and labeling countries and seas, and locating pictures of Korea online. Students read multiple web sources about ancient and modern Korea and record information on the "Elements of Korean Culture" charts, deciding whether each piece of information belongs in the "Today" or "Centuries Past" column. The Parent Plan skills explicitly direct students to "Evaluate information from different sources about the same topic," and discussion questions ask students to consider how culture has changed.
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students are instructed to underline the most important information as they read and to write a one-page summary that combines main ideas and events in logical order. The lesson gives strategies for finding main ideas (skim first sentence of each paragraph) and a checklist of questions the summary should answer (who did what, what events contribute to plot and character development, order of events). Students are also asked to read their summaries aloud to practice oral presentation and to check that they did not include opinions or excessive detail.
Lesson 4
Food and Pottery
Students are asked to explore an aspect of 12th-century Korean culture by making kimchi or investigating local soil for pottery clay, and to add new information to an "Elements of Korean Culture" page. Students are prompted to discuss and think about how food and art reflect natural resources and what those artifacts can tell someone about the culture. The pottery activity has students collect, observe, and draw conclusions about their soil sample (e.g., moldability, drying behavior), and the materials include visuals (a kimchi image and a sieve illustration) that accompany the hands-on tasks.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students read Chapters 4–6 and are asked to use information from those chapters to list and sequence the steps for making pottery (Option 1 and Option 2), which requires identifying supporting details across the text and organizing them into a clear process. Students are asked to write fact-based questions whose answers can be taken straight from the book and to provide answers, which requires locating explicit details. Students are prompted to explain how the pottery-making process is dependent on the environment, which asks them to state how supporting details clarify the topic of how resources shape pottery-making.
Lesson 6
Village Life
Students are asked to read biographical webpages and watch video interviews of Linda Sue Park, take notes on important information she shares, and answer specific comprehension and analysis questions on the "Linda Sue Park" page. Students must write a short paragraph explaining how the author's experiences and relationships influenced her writing and answer interpretive questions such as what the author is trying to teach readers in A Single Shard. The lesson also directs students to consider the author's perspective and background as they continue reading the novel.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer comprehension questions that ask about character motivations, plot events, and outcomes (e.g., why Min laughs, what happens to Min's pieces, what the commissioner tells Min). In the Tree-Ear's Mini-Book activity, students list specific opportunities and beneath each flap record at least one way the opportunity benefited Tree-ear or how he used it to improve life for himself or others. The Parent Plan and discussion prompts ask students to defend their answers with evidence from the text and to share their mini-book with a parent, which requires an oral explanation of their analysis.
Lesson 8
Korean Pottery
Students are directed to take a virtual field trip to museum web pages where they view pictures and read explanations of Korean celadon pottery. The Activities and Parent Plan prompt students to "consider how the artwork reflects the Korean culture and geography of the region" and include discussion questions asking how pottery reflected environment and culture. The Parent Plan lists the skill "Interpret both explicit and implicit messages in various forms of media," indicating students will work with visual and written media and discuss their meanings.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students read Chapters 9–10 and answer comprehension questions that require them to explain characters' motives and cite events (e.g., why Tree-ear goes on the journey, what he learns from the fox). Students interpret Crane-man's quotes in writing by explaining each quote in their own words on the "Quotes" activity page. Students create a visual representation of a chosen quote (draw/paint/collage) and are asked to share and explain how the image reflects the quote, providing an oral explanation to an adult.
Lesson 10
The Fox
Students read several folktales linked on websites (Japanese, Aesop, Norwegian) and are instructed to "read each story and think about the purpose of the story and what it teaches." Students are asked to summarize chapters they read and to explain the purpose and lesson of their own fox story during parent-led discussion prompts. Students also encounter a visual illustration on the Relative Pronouns activity page, which provides a non-textual element to review alongside reading tasks.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are asked to create a Relationship Web that requires them to describe Tree-ear's relationship with each main character in two sentences and support descriptions with examples from the text, including characters' thoughts, words, and actions. In the Relationship Words option, students cut words from magazines (a visual/textual source) and glue them to show relationships, then must support those word choices with examples from the book. Parent-plan prompts ask students to explain their reading predictions and to discuss relationships orally, which elicits spoken analysis of ideas from the text.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students plan and write a comparison-and-contrast essay comparing Tree-ear's relationships with Min and Crane-man, brainstorming similarities and differences and noting how the relationships affect Tree-ear's decisions and emotions. Students use graphic organizers (Option 1 and 2) that prompt them to list similarities/differences and provide support from the text for each point. The rubric and activities require students to provide specific examples and textual support and to explain consequences or opportunities from the novel in test questions.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students read the CNN article "Dakota Access Pipeline: What's at Stake" and use the Point of View handout to list each stakeholder's view and the reasons they support or oppose the pipeline. Students follow the "Steps to Independent Study" to develop research questions, find sources, and record information to answer those questions, which requires gathering evidence and supporting details. Students plan and create a visual aid and deliver an oral presentation, and the Parent Plan notes use of at least four different types of resources, indicating work with multiple resource formats.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students read and compare two news articles about the same event ("Sir Sam Steps Down!" and "Hughes Fired from Cabinet") and are asked to describe how Sam Hughes is portrayed in each piece and to record examples of bias techniques as supporting evidence. Students read an article about U.S. propaganda leaflets and answer targeted questions about the propaganda techniques used, the purpose of the leaflets, and whether they were persuasive. Students view two video advertisements and identify propaganda techniques, the intended audience, the idea or product promoted, and evaluate effectiveness using a structured handout.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students are required to use at least four different types of resources (reference books, websites, audio/video, periodicals) and the gathering grid includes examples from a report, a speech, a photograph, and an article, which exposes them to diverse media and formats. Activity 5 directs students to find at least three opinions from different stakeholders and to record at least three supporting details for each, prompting identification of main ideas and supporting evidence. Activity 6 asks students to reflect on how examining other points of view has changed their position, asking them to explain how the gathered ideas clarify the issue under study.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students are guided to state a clear position, organize supporting reasons, and support main ideas with facts, details, examples, quotes, and statistics (e.g., the example cites "The U.S. consumes 20.8 million barrels of oil a day"). The skills list asks students to synthesize research into a written or oral presentation and to support main ideas with information from multiple authoritative sources. The student activity pages include visual elements (images of oil barrels, a wind turbine, and other illustrations) alongside text-based evidence and counterarguments that students can use when planning their essays.
Lesson 6
Presentation
Students choose and create a variety of visual media (tri-board, poster, slideshow, PowerPoint, movie, brochure) to present their position and to explain multiple points of view. Students plan steps and materials, produce the visual aid, and practice referencing the visual aid while adding spoken information to help the audience understand the visuals. Students are explicitly asked to explain opposing views on some products (e.g., propaganda, poster) and to use images to enhance and clarify their oral presentation.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 1
Ancient Greece
Students read pages 9-15 of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths and are asked to summarize the Greek creation story in two sentences, which requires identifying the main idea and key supporting details. Students answer a question asking why the Greeks worshipped gods who looked and acted like perfect people, prompting inference about cultural beliefs and values. Students use a Greek alphabet chart to decode and translate messages, engaging with information presented in a visual/script format.
Lesson 2
The Gods and Goddesses
Students read myth passages and answer targeted questions that require explanation (e.g., questions asking how Typhon explains volcanoes, how Poseidon explains storms at sea, and how Persephone explains winter and spring). Students create and label character cards and a Mount Olympus family tree, which require them to match textual descriptions to pictures and place gods visually in relation to one another. Students make vocabulary strips with motions, linking word meanings (text) to kinesthetic actions (motion) and read definitions in context.
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students are asked to examine ancient Greek writings and artwork (web links to pottery images and descriptions) and to "think about what people in the past were trying to convey" when they passed down myths. Students choose a favorite god or goddess and either write an acrostic poem reflecting that figure or design and decorate a pot, using symbols and imagery from the provided artifact images. Students also read and use informational cards about gods (Go Greek) that pair visual/iconic images with short textual descriptions.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students read specified myth texts (pages 70–89 and 90–107) and answer comprehension questions that ask them to identify examples of themes (e.g., how greed and desire for power lead to consequences) and character traits (e.g., Pan's appearance, Chiron's differences). Students compare flood stories from different cultures and discuss similarities and differences, which involves analyzing main ideas across texts. Students convert a myth into an 18–25 line play after reading an adapted play, and they complete a "Fire Web" visual organizer and a descriptive paragraph about "Life Without Fire," exposing them to visual and oral/script formats.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students read the Perseus text (pages 114-122) and answer comprehension questions that require identifying plot details (e.g., why Acrisius locked his daughter, the king's request to kill Medusa, what sprang from Medusa's neck). Students complete a 'Conventions of a Myth: Perseus' activity page, labeling the hero, gods, monster, problem, helpers, and items using both the written story and the provided illustrations. Parent/teacher prompts ask students to verbally summarize the story and discuss themes (e.g., consequences of abusing power), which requires students to explain how ideas clarify the issue of power and fate.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students compare a traditional Daedalus and Icarus myth to Brian Greene's futuristic retelling using a detailed chart (Activity 3) that asks them to identify theme/lesson, method of flight, setting, and other supporting details. Students watch a filmed version of Daedalus and Icarus, take notes, and evaluate how film techniques (sound, music, images, added dialogue, acting, narration) enhance or change the story (Activity 4). Students choose between comparing Heracles to a modern comic-book hero and creating a comic cover or designing a movie poster and a 60–90 second trailer script, then present or read their trailer aloud, requiring analysis across visual and oral formats (Activity 1).
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students are instructed to read pages 178-189 and then summarize/retell the story orally using cut-out characters, a constructed Trojan horse, and city walls, which requires translating text into a visual/oral format. The Skills list explicitly requires students to "Deliver oral summaries...that include the main ideas of the event or article and the most significant details," to "Use own words in oral summaries," and to "Convey a comprehensive understanding of sources, not just superficial details." The activity directs students to pick out the most important events (start at p. 180 and end at p. 184), practice their retelling with props, and decide on narrative perspective and use of quoted material.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students identify conventions and themes by completing the Conventions of a Myth activity (naming hero, gods, monster, problem, helpers, and theme) and use those answers to plan an original retelling. Students summarize and synthesize myth content on the unit test (two- to three-sentence synopses) and match gods, vocabulary, and roots, which requires extracting supporting details from texts. Students orally explain how their retelling follows myth conventions during a conference with a parent and discuss rubric criteria and revisions.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students examine a detailed map of a medieval manor and record observations in labeled sections (Jobs, Clothing, Homes, Inventions & Technological Advancements, Military Defense, Comparisons to Neighborhoods Today), identifying visual details that illustrate life on the manor. Students locate peasants, knights, and lords on the map and write 3–4 sentence commentaries from the perspectives of a knight, a lord, and a peasant, then read those commentaries aloud using appropriate tone. Students are prompted to discuss advantages and disadvantages of feudalism and to compare medieval neighborhoods to modern ones, linking observed details to broader ideas about the feudal system.
Lesson 2
Beetle
Students read the poem "A Dialogue on Poverty" and answer four guided questions that ask them to describe the narrator's outlook, identify what the narrator lacks physically and emotionally, and compare the narrator's situation to Beetle/Brat. One question asks how using first-person point of view affects the poem compared to third-person, prompting students to explain how the poem's ideas clarify the topic of poverty. Students are also assigned the role of Researcher to gather related information (geography, culture, history) to better understand the novel's context.
Lesson 3
Summer
Students read Chapters 4 and 5 and take on the role of Discussion Director, writing four discussion questions designed to cover the book's big ideas (including at least one on relationships and one on survival) and providing answers. Students also must write a paragraph summarizing aspects of Beetle (character description, living conditions, or summary) that includes specific sentence types. The worksheet asks students to identify clauses and sentence structures in sentences drawn from the text, requiring close reading of textual details.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students take on the role of a Line Locator to find three to five lines or short passages, record page and paragraph numbers, and explain in their journals why those passages are examples of good writing or important to the story, which requires identifying supporting details and relating them to the text's main ideas. The Venn diagram activity has students compare a personal event to Alyce's delivering of the calves, listing similarities and differences, which asks students to analyze elements that clarify how the event changed a character. Discussion prompts ask students to explain motivations and consequences (for example, why villagers are superstitious or why Alyce is proud), encouraging oral explanation of how details clarify themes and character development.
Lesson 5
A Baby
Students read Chapters 9–11 and take on the role of Dialogue Designer, creating and orally presenting a conversation centered on events from the text. Students answer guided discussion questions that ask them to explain why Alyce's relationships change, how Alyce delivers babies differently from Jane, and how a boy's situation is similar to Alyce's—tasks that require citing events and details from the chapters. The Wrapping Up and Questions to Discuss sections prompt students to summarize main ideas (Alyce's decision to leave, relationship changes) and link those ideas to supporting events in the story.
Lesson 6
The Inn
Students read Chapters 12 and 13 and are asked to serve as an Illustrator by drawing a picture related to the chapters and sharing it with a parent, which asks them to translate text into a visual format. Students select and prepare medieval recipes from linked web sources and are asked to consider how those recipes are similar to and different from their family meals, prompting comparison between textual/web recipes and lived experience. The life-application and parent-discussion prompts ask students to explain reasons for differences in food availability and obesity across socioeconomic groups, which requires students to connect details to broader issues.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students read specified monologues from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!! and are asked to consider the role of domesticated animals, then draw three animals and write examples of how each influenced medieval economics (what they provided, dependence for income, and consequences of loss). In the sheep craft option, students write three sentences explaining the relationship between peasants and domesticated animals. As Literary Luminaries, students select passages to read aloud and discuss, recording page and paragraph references for oral sharing.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students finish the novel and take on the role of a Connector, finding and recording connections between the book, their life, and the outside world. Students complete a "Relationships" graphic organizer that asks them to describe Alyce's relationships at the beginning and end of the book and to provide details from the text to support their answers. The Parent Plan and activities explicitly ask students to analyze themes, central ideas, and connections between characters and events, and to record supporting details in their journal or on the activity pages.
Lesson 9
Cast of Characters
Students are asked to read each character's monologue and summarize the character's monologue in 1–2 sentences on the Cast of Characters chart, which requires identifying the main idea of each monologue. Students must provide one example of effective descriptive language for each character, which asks them to select supporting details from the text. Students also describe one relationship or encounter the character has with another character and are asked to "try to find connections between characters among the different monologues," which requires comparing details across texts to clarify character roles and the social context.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students watch a linked video and a slide show (visual/aural media) to review first- and third-person points of view and then read monologues and passages (text) from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! and other novels. Students fill out a chart for each monologue, identify whether a narrator is first- or third-person and whether a third-person narrator is limited or omniscient, and are asked to decide and explain whether a narrator is more subjective or objective. Students share findings with a parent and respond to discussion prompts that ask them to explain differences in perspectives and how those perspectives affect interpretation of characters and theme.
Lesson 11
Village Life
Students read monologues (pages 42–65 of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!) and complete a "Cast of Characters" chart that requires identifying who is involved and what happens. Students are prompted to compare perspectives when a monologue is written for two voices and to note where perspectives overlap or differ. Discussion questions ask students to describe differences between characters' perspectives and to explain the relationship between Jews and Christians as described by the author.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to summarize key changes in "European Transformations," which requires identifying main ideas and their impacts. In Part V essays students write brief overviews of feudalism and describe how a peasant lived, tasks that require selecting supporting details from the texts. Students also produce and label a "Castle Blueprint" and complete "SHELTER" and "FOOD" pages, which ask them to represent ideas visually and state purposes. The Think‑Tac‑Toe includes a Monologue activity where students write and perform a character perspective orally.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
Students read the author biography and answer questions that target key details (e.g., why the writer used "prestigious" repeatedly and what else the author did). Students identify and define four persuasion techniques and collect real advertisements to paste into examples, matching technique names with descriptions and real-world examples. Students write their own ads and role-play as creators, and the Life Application asks students to decide what each ad is trying to persuade them to buy and which techniques are used.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
Students answer comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that ask for reasons behind characters' actions and interpret narrative details, requiring them to identify main ideas and supporting details from the text. In the parentheses activity, students analyze specific textual choices and explain the effect of parenthetical comments on meaning. In the Venn diagram activity, students extract statements from the narrator, organize them visually into child/adult perspectives, add their own supporting questions, and then discuss their diagram orally with a parent.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students read Chapters VII–XII of The Little Prince and answer comprehension questions that require identifying central points (e.g., whether the King is always obeyed and what the flower fears). In Option 2, students locate instances of ellipses in the text and write explanations of their use or effect, analyzing authorial choices in the written format. In Activity 2 students create and perform a 30-second persuasive video message from the flower, working in an oral/visual medium and discussing which persuasion techniques they used.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students read Chapters XIII-XX and answer comprehension questions that require identifying a main idea and supporting detail (e.g., explaining why the lamplighter could be the little prince's friend). Students use illustrations from the book to create clay models of planets and complete a "Planet Problem" worksheet that asks them to describe the planet, list resources, and state problems faced by inhabitants. Students write one or two persuasive letters that require them to propose solutions and explain how those solutions will solve the inhabitants' problems; the adult-perspective letter prompts inclusion of facts and figures.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
Students read Chapters XXI-XXV and answer comprehension questions (Q1–Q3) that require them to identify and paraphrase main ideas (e.g., what it means to be 'tamed') and cite supporting reasoning (time and energy spent). The Parent Plan lists the skill to "Paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence in formal and informal presentations," and the Wrapping Up task asks students to explain to a parent why friendship prevents activities from becoming monotonous, requiring explanation and examples. Part II of the student activity asks students to examine text under a picture in Chapter II, which asks them to reflect on why that text is italicized, engaging with a visual element of the book.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students read Chapters XXVI to the end and answer targeted comprehension questions that require identifying supporting details (for example, "List two ways the narrator says he knows the little prince made it home"). Students create a poem or a drawing plus a written description to explain the little prince's departure and to persuade the fox that he made it home, and they share a letter explaining their conclusion. The Parent Plan explicitly lists skills to "Offer persuasive evidence to validate arguments" and to "Paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence," which students practice in their responses and presentations.
Lesson 7
Introduction to Shakespeare
Students read an article on Early Modern English and are asked to restate confusing Shakespearean lines in today's English to focus on overall meaning, which engages them in interpreting text meaning. Students compare original and modern versions of excerpts and use brackets to define or clarify underlined words, practicing how supporting details (word meanings) clarify passages. Students sort characters into groups (actors, humans in love, fairies), which requires identifying and organizing key ideas from a character list.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students read Act 1 Scene 1 through Act 2 Scene 1 and answer comprehension questions that require identifying main events (plot lines) and supporting details (couples, who loves whom, Robin Goodfellow's mischief). Students create a character collage that asks them to select images showing the character's problems, personality traits, and at least one image showing what the character tries to persuade someone to do, linking visual choices to textual evidence. Students complete a "Cast the Character" activity page that prompts them to analyze character traits, challenges, persuasion goals, and to explain what the character wants and does, and then explain their choices to a parent.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students read Act 2, Scene 2 to Act 3, Scene 2 in a modern translation and answer comprehension questions that ask for causes and motives (e.g., what Oberon does and why, what mistake Puck made, and how Oberon plans to solve the problem). The lesson invites students to look at the original Shakespearean wording on the left-hand pages and to read their written poem or story aloud to a parent, providing exposure to original text and an oral format. The writing activity asks students to use Shakespearean phrases in their own poem or short story, requiring them to identify and apply expressions from the text.
Lesson 10
Dreams
Students read the modern translation of scenes and answer comprehension questions that ask them to explain plot changes, character beliefs, and outcomes (e.g., questions about Demetrius, Titania, and Nick Bottom). Students prepare and perform a scene aloud, attend to stage directions and punctuation-based pauses, and write a short paragraph describing what the passage says about love, friendship, or persuasion. Option 2 asks students to summarize what happens and explain how the passage deals with persuasion, which requires connecting supporting details to a central idea.
Lesson 11
Watching the Play
Students watch a 25–30 minute animated version of A Midsummer Night's Dream and compare it to the written play. Students answer comprehension questions that require identifying specific supporting details (for example, what the wedding guests think and what Robin says). Students discuss whether the animation included key scenes, which scenes were omitted, and whether the animated tale does a good job of telling Shakespeare's story, explaining reasons for their judgments.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students read an abridged version of Romeo and Juliet (print) and answer specific comprehension questions about plot and character (e.g., who Romeo loves, why he kills Tybalt). In Activity 1 (Quotable) students write interview questions for Romeo or Juliet, locate and record direct quotes from the text to answer those questions, and compose interview responses using quotation marks and ellipses. The lesson also includes oral reading options (taking turns reading aloud) and a student activity page with a visual illustration of two people embracing.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students choose a couple from The Little Prince, A Midsummer Night's Dream, or Romeo and Juliet and take notes on thesis, problem, solution, evidence, and important quotes using the "Play Cupid" or "Strongest of All" pages. Students outline their essay using the OUTLINING page, listing reasons and evidence (quotations, examples, observations) for each body paragraph. Students write a persuasive essay that requires them to state a thesis, include quotes and persuasive evidence, explain the couple's problem and solution, and summarize why the love was strongest, and they answer test questions about main storylines and characters.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 1
Features of Non-Fiction
The lesson has students read sections titled Featuring Non-Fiction and use highlighters to mark main information and the names of features, then write definitions for page layout, table of contents, index, headings, and graphics. Students are directed to identify and explain graphical components (graphics, captions, charts, diagrams, sidebars, bold words, highlights) and to explain the function of those components. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill "Explain the function of the graphical components of a text," indicating students will practice describing how those elements operate in a nonfiction book.
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students identify and take notes on nonfiction features and summarize page 163, answering guided questions about the title, topic sentence, what the graphic shows, whether the graphic is part of the main idea, details included, and the main idea those details support. Students give a 2-minute or less oral summary that must include the main idea and what is shown by the graph. Students also summarize directions and diagrams (how to draw an ellipse) and reflect on how a diagram helps, then ask a parent to follow their written or oral directions without viewing the diagram.
Lesson 3
Newton and Light
Students read pages 164–171 of The Story of Science and answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#4) that ask them to identify revolutionary methods, technological improvements, interpersonal conflicts, and how spectroscopy reveals elements. The Parent Plan lists skills students will practice such as monitoring comprehension and summarizing and determining the importance of information. The lesson includes a life-application/practical visual task (use a prism or view a rainbow) that prompts observation of visual phenomena related to the topic.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students read specific pages of an informational text (pages 172-183) and are instructed to highlight or take notes on important information and unfamiliar words, which requires identifying main ideas and supporting details. Students answer comprehension questions that ask them to summarize events and evaluate significance (e.g., choosing Newton's most important accomplishment and explaining why). Students also produce and present two perspectives on the same event by writing headlines or acting out viewpoints, which requires summarizing the event and selecting details that support each perspective.
Lesson 5
Newton's Contemporaries
Students read chapter 18 and the sidebar "Turning on the Light," are asked to highlight or take notes on important information and unfamiliar words, and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., why clocks were important for sailors, why Saturn seems to change shape, and what Thomas Young did). The parent discussion prompt asks students to explain the meaning of "We are seeing ancient history when we look at the sky," which requires explaining how the idea (light travel time) clarifies the topic. The skills list explicitly includes summarizing and determining the importance of information and monitoring comprehension of what is read or viewed.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students read a chapter and a NASA webpage and watch demonstration videos, then take notes using diagrams, captions, and text to create a numbered procedure for a demonstration of lift. Students complete a Conclusions/Inferences section asking "How does this demonstration explain how airplanes fly?" and are asked to summarize for a parent how an airplane wing works. The Parent Plan also lists the skill "Deliver an oral summary with inferences and conclusions," which students are directed to perform in the wrap-up.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students research and complete a K-W-L chart for Jacques-Louis David or J.M.W. Turner using book chapters and online biographical and artwork sources, documenting what they know, what they want to know, and what they learned. Students print a painting, choose one that captures the artist's style, and give an oral summary of the artist and how the painting illustrates that style, then write a 1–2 paragraph sidebar with a caption explaining the work. Students read and optionally watch a Simple Machines resource, use vocabulary cards and discussion questions to test understanding, and then locate a mechanical device at home and explain how it works while identifying which simple machines are involved.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students are asked to summarize key points from their highlights/notes and compare those summaries to the "Things to Know" and "Readings and Questions" sections to identify main ideas and key facts (Activity 1). The unit test asks students to explain the role of headings/sub-headings and to name and sketch types of graphics found in non-fiction (Part A, Q1–Q2), which requires analysis of visual/organizational features. The Outlining and Rubric activities require students to list three areas of Newton's expertise, gather 2–3 supporting details (observations, examples, quotations, personal experiences) for each, and explain how those areas relate to current industries in their town (Activity 2, Outlining pages, Ideas & Support rubric).
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students read the unit introduction and answer comprehension questions (Q1–Q3) that ask them to identify societal influences on Victorian writing and to compare poems from different eras, which requires identifying main ideas and supporting details in the text. Students watch a short instructional video on stressed and unstressed syllables and mark stress patterns in poem lines and vocabulary words, engaging with the topic in both written and audio/visual formats. The life-application asks students to attend or listen to a poetry reading and note whether poems rhyme or follow a meter, which has students observe oral presentations of poetic ideas.
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students read chapters about Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning and answer questions that require analysis (e.g., identifying Sonnet 13's rhyme scheme and explaining why Browning's sonnet is unusual). Students consider how point of view shapes meaning by answering how "My Last Duchess" might differ if it included both sides of the conversation. Students orally explain how their own poem reflects their time period and compare voices and themes between the poets during wrap-up discussion prompts.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
Students read Tennyson's "Dedication" and are asked in Activity 1 to identify graphic elements (capitalization, punctuation, line length, stanza length) that call attention to particular words or phrases, which involves analyzing how textual features highlight ideas. Activity 2 asks students to choose a line from the poem and a prose statement from an online biography that express the same idea and to compare them, directly engaging students in comparing content across two different formats (poetry and prose). Discussion prompts ask students to consider how poetry communicates the same story differently than prose, which invites analysis of how ideas are presented in different formats.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students read chapters on Matthew Arnold and Christina Rossetti and answer specific questions that require identifying a poem's central image (e.g., Arnold's use of the tide to represent passage of time) and listing similes and instances of personification. Students take and analyze at least five photographs (visual media) and complete a table labeling metaphors, similes, personification, and other figurative language for each image. Students compare themes across poems in discussion prompts (e.g., similarities and differences in love and natural themes) and read their own poems aloud, linking textual analysis to oral presentation.
Lesson 5
Allusions
Students read chapters on Yeats, Sitwell, and Owen and answer guided questions that ask them to identify allusions and the meaning of repetition (e.g., recognizing that "Still falls the rain" evokes an unending storm and the bombing of London). Students complete a Contemporary Events Scavenger Hunt using Time for Kids or a local newspaper, recording each article's title, topic, location, and three interesting facts or vivid details. Students write a repetition poem using a phrase from a news article, create a staged photograph to represent that poem (a visual translation), and read their poem aloud to a parent (an oral presentation).
Lesson 6
Tone
Students read Chapter 9 about Stevie Smith and answer questions that ask about the article that inspired "Not Waving But Drowning" and how the poem differs from Browning's monologue, prompting comparison between a news article and a poem. A parent discussion question explicitly asks students to compare the original article's content (more complete information, names, places) with Smith's poem, which directs students to consider supporting details versus poetic focus. The activity asks students to change the visual position of lines to make speakers clear and to read the conversational poem aloud with a partner, engaging visual and oral formats in order to clarify meaning.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students read chapters on W.H. Auden and Dylan Thomas and answer questions that require identifying messages and themes (e.g., explaining that "The Unknown Citizen" is about government/corporate control and that Auden used artwork from the past in "Musee des Beaux Arts"). Students compare themes across poems (questions about themes common to Auden and Thomas) and are asked to consider how poem structure communicates meaning. Students memorize and recite a poem aloud, practicing oral presentation of a poem and explaining why they chose it.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
Students are asked in Activity 6 to review written analyses of two poems that identify the main topic, specific images/events, and the structure and techniques used, then write a two-paragraph analysis of one of their own poems (one paragraph on images/events and one on structure/techniques). In Activity 1 students place poets and their genres/techniques on a timeline chart, organizing historical events and poetic details in a visual/chronological format. In the Wrapping Up section students read their poems aloud to family and are asked to consider how the poems sound different when read aloud than when read silently.