Eighth Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Abigail Adams
Lesson 1
Getting to Know Abigail Adams
Students are given a targeted vocabulary list (confidences, lucrative, wistfully, foreboding, affliction, fortitude, entail) with definitions and example sentences tied to the text. Students are instructed to choose words and write a letter that uses five or all seven vocabulary terms correctly in context, with Option 2 asking for an intellectual letter about the book or related topics. The Parent Plan and activity directions emphasize acquiring and using grade-appropriate words and checking that each vocabulary term is used accurately in the student's writing.
Lesson 2
John and Abigail Adams
Students are asked to identify and label sentence functions using terms such as topic sentence, supporting sentences, transition, and concluding observation in the paragraph-analysis activities. Students practice bibliographic recording and citation skills by locating endnote references, matching quotations to sources, and using the bibliography to create full citations. The materials introduce and use domain vocabulary related to research and paragraph structure (e.g., endnote reference numbers, bibliography, citation, plagiarism, paraphrasing).
Lesson 3
Unrest and War
Students read historical texts and answer questions that use domain-specific terms (e.g., Townsend Acts, Boston Tea Party, Boston Massacre), exposing them to content vocabulary in context. Students practice writing an explanatory paragraph about Paul Revere's engraving and a first-person account of the Boston Tea Party, with explicit directions to be descriptive and to use active voice to convey meaning. Students identify and rewrite passive constructions into active voice, which targets clearer and more precise verb usage in their writing.
Lesson 4
Continental Congress
Students are asked to review a vocabulary list drawn from Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and to mark each word as confident/maybe/unknown and then write sentences using those words (Vocabulary Review activity). The Parent Plan and Skills section explicitly state that students will "Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general, academic, and domain-specific words and phrases; gather vocabulary knowledge". The activity requires students to look up definitions and produce sentences, which practices choosing and using words in written sentences.
Lesson 6
Separation
Students are given a vocabulary list with definitions (protocol, abolish, destitute, sedition, apprehension, abhorrence, disconsolate, impudence) and instructed to "familiarize" themselves with those terms. Students complete a crossword puzzle using a word bank to practice recall and recognition of the domain-specific words. The Parent Plan skills explicitly list acquiring and using grade-appropriate general, academic, and domain-specific words and phrases.
Lesson 7
Education
Students are taught and given definitions of domain-specific vocabulary such as gerunds, participles, and infinitives and their functions. Students practice identifying gerunds, participles, and infinitives in sentences by underlining or circling examples and indicating what noun or verb they modify. Students analyze paragraph sentence roles (e.g., main point, background, transition) and reflect on how different verb forms influence clarity and power in writing.
Lesson 8
Genre
Students read the "Things to Know" section that defines genre terms (e.g., adventure, historical fiction, mystery, science fiction, allegory, parody, satire, graphic novel), and they complete a Matching Genres activity that requires applying those genre labels to book descriptions. Students are asked to summarize a scene from the nonfiction biography in one paragraph based solely on known facts, an explicit informative writing task. Students are also asked to rewrite that scene in a chosen genre or retell it as a graphic novel, which involves applying genre-related language and conventions.
Lesson 9
The Vice Presidency
Students read original letters between Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson and complete a diary-entry writing task that asks them to name the topics of the letters and describe Jefferson's character. Students also create book descriptions and new titles when reimagining Abigail Adams in different genres, which requires selecting language to convey genre and historical content. Students answer comprehension questions that refer to specific historical roles (e.g., vice president duties) and summarize those ideas in short written responses.
Lesson 10
Presidential Politics
The Parent Plan explicitly states that students will "Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general, academic, and domain-specific words and phrases," which names vocabulary use as a skill target. In Activity 2, students complete a compare-and-contrast chart about Federalists and Republicans that requires naming leaders, positions on federal vs. state power, and views of the French Revolution, which prompts use of political/domain-specific terms. The grammatical scavenger hunt asks students to find and label grammatical forms (e.g., passive voice, participle, subjunctive), prompting use of grammar-specific vocabulary in identifying examples.
Lesson 11
Later Life
Students are asked to consult the readings and photo resources and then write details and impressions about Peacefield and the President's House in a Venn diagram, using words or phrases to convey ideas. In Option 1 students are directed to capture particular details from readings and websites in their sketches, which requires selecting descriptive terms. Reading questions ask students to state facts (for example, what the Sedition Act did), which requires use of specific historical terms and factual language.
Lesson 12
Remembering Abigail Adams
Students are asked to write a 6–8 sentence eulogy or obituary about Abigail Adams, which requires composing an informative text about a historical figure. The activity directions tell students to "be sure to use the grammatical concepts you have covered," and the unit includes a detailed "Voice and Mood Summary" with domain-specific grammatical terms (indicative, subjunctive, conditional, active/passive) and example sentences about Abigail Adams. Several student pages also present exemplar sentences using historical terms (Revolution, First Lady, president) that students identify by mood and voice.
Final Project
A One-Person Play
Students review and practice vocabulary through a dedicated study-guide box titled "All of the vocabulary terms covered in previous lessons" and a unit test Part 1 that asks them to supply vocabulary words in context. Students study grammar and word choice in activities that call attention to verb voice, verb mood, verbals, and how different verbs and verb forms influence clarity and power. Students are asked to state dates and explain unfamiliar historical details in their play scenes and to quote primary sources, which requires selecting precise historical language and factual terminology.
Unit 2: Animal Farm
Lesson 1
What Is a Theme?
The lesson explicitly defines and contrasts the domain-specific terms topic, plot, and theme and asks students to sort phrases into those categories on the "Topic, Plot, and Theme" activity pages. Students also answer written pre-reading questions (e.g., describing cover art, what they learned from the preface/introduction, and what they think the book will be about) that require using those literary terms. The parent plan and activities reference using an answer key and the Handy Guide to Writing for more information about story elements.
Lesson 2
Major's Dream
Students review and label parts of speech (noun, verb, adjective, preposition, adverb, etc.) in Activity 1, using abbreviations and answer-key examples to identify grammatical categories in sentences from Animal Farm. In Activity 2, students choose a single adjective to describe each character and provide textual examples that justify their word choice, practicing selection of descriptive vocabulary.
Lesson 3
The Rebellion
Students are taught and practice grammatical terminology: the Things to Know section defines pronouns, antecedents, interrogative and relative pronouns, and the pronoun activities ask students to identify and replace nouns with pronouns. The pronoun exercises require students to improve sentences for clarity and avoid repetition, and the answer key shows corrected sentences using precise pronoun forms. The leadership activities ask students to list specific examples and compare the Seven Commandments to the Bill of Rights, prompting content-based analysis that could employ domain vocabulary about government and rights.
Lesson 4
Work on the Farm
Students are asked in Activity 1 to compare farm work before and after the rebellion and to ‘use specific examples from the text' including ‘how each job was completed (machinery used, amount of effort required),' which prompts use of farming terms (plowing, planting, threshing, milking). The answer key and student pages explicitly include domain vocabulary and concrete terms (e.g., threshing machine, harvest, plowing, milking, gathering eggs). Activity 2 also exposes students to precise formal wording and conventions in business letters (specific salutations, dates, enclosures) that require attention to exact phrasing.
Lesson 5
The Battle of the Cowshed
Students are asked to write a short informational speech (Option 2) that explains an individual's role in the Battle of the Cowshed, highlights qualities, and conveys a lesson, which requires organizing and explaining content. The Skills section explicitly lists applying parts of speech and using pronouns correctly, and Activity 2 has focused exercises on pronoun reference and agreement, prompting students to revise sentences for clear, correct pronoun use. The map option asks students to base a detailed representation on specific textual evidence, which requires translating textual details into precise spatial representation.
Lesson 6
Comrade Napoleon
Students are asked to research key figures of the Russian Revolution and complete activity pages that require them to list each person's role, birth/death dates, a connection to Animal Farm, and specific evidence supporting that connection. Students must create a short timeline and make connections between historical events and the novel, which requires explaining relationships and citing details. The lesson defines the literary term "satire" and the answer key uses domain-relevant language (e.g., "centralized power," "propaganda," "intimidation"), providing models of topic-specific vocabulary.
Lesson 7
Changes on the Farm
Students read Chapter 6 and answer a question that asks them to identify specific farm supplies (paraffin oil, nails, fertilizers, tools, etc.), exposing them to domain-specific farming vocabulary. The Leadership on the Farm activity and its answer key require students to describe leadership styles using terms such as "propaganda," "scapegoating," "violence and intimidation," and to explain impacts on productivity and fairness. Students are asked to interpret Orwell's intentions and justify which leadership qualities they would want, which requires selecting words to explain and inform.
Lesson 8
The End of the Rebellion
Students are asked to write a persuasive memoir from Napoleon's perspective (Activity 1) and to "be forceful and persuasive," using examples and appeals to emotion, logic, or duty to convince readers. In Activity 2, students compare business and friendly letter samples, identify tone differences, and are instructed to use an appropriately informal or formal voice when composing a friendly letter. Students also practice formatting and choosing tone for different audiences in multiple situational prompts.
Lesson 9
The Battle of the Windmill
Students are asked to apply parts of speech and use pronouns correctly (Skills section) and to focus on concise, professional tone in business letters (Things to Know; Activity 2). In Activity 2 students must write a one-paragraph formal letter from Mr. Frederick to Mr. Pilkington, including sender/recipient addresses, date, salutation, closing, and an enclosure line, which requires them to organize and produce formal business-language text. The Activities and Student Activity Page give a structured format and emphasize appropriate, professional wording and conciseness.
Lesson 11
The Farmers Pay a Visit
Students are asked to write a paragraph explaining how a theme from Animal Farm applies to a historical or modern situation (Activity 2), which requires informative/explanatory writing and use of examples. Students complete the "Seven Commandments, Revisited" chart and answer reflective questions about how the commandments changed, documenting specific textual changes. The Skills section requires students to determine a theme, analyze its development, and cite textual evidence, tasks that involve organizing and explaining content.
Final Project
Animal Farm Letter
Students review parts of speech, pronoun types, antecedents, and pronoun case charts and practice correcting pronoun errors on the unit test. Students draft, edit, and revise letters with specific prompts to check style, clarity, tone, and wordiness and use a rubric that evaluates ideas, organization, and mechanics. Students are asked to produce well-organized paragraphs, use topic sentences and supporting evidence, and to improve readability during the editing process.
Unit 3: Einstein Adds a New Dimension
Lesson 1
Expository Writing
Students complete an index activity that asks them to choose which words (e.g., "forces," "atoms," "weak nuclear") to look up to find information about weak nuclear forces, requiring them to evaluate and select specific search terms. The Expository Writing student page describes expository style as using "formal, concise, or summary, exact language." The lesson also points out book features that teach vocabulary use (glossary, sidebars that define unfamiliar terms, and green sidebars that define terms).
Lesson 2
Descriptive Writing
The lesson's Skills section explicitly tells students to "Determine the meaning of symbols, key terms, and other domain-specific words and phrases as they are used in a specific scientific or technical context." Activity directions ask students to choose more specific versions of objects and to use a thesaurus to find better words, and the reading introduction directs students to read sidebars and definitions in the margins and text boxes. The descriptive-writing tips instruct students to choose strong verbs and precise adjectives and to use spatial transition words when describing a picture.
Lesson 3
The Curies' Discoveries
Students complete a "Three Questions Vocabulary" activity that asks them to define terms, give a synonym/simile, and use each word in a sentence, and the Parent Plan explicitly lists "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary" as a skill. Note-taking Option 1 directs students to note "terms and definitions" in their own words and the sample notes model domain-specific vocabulary (e.g., "radioactivity," "pitchblende," "alpha rays"). Highlighting Option 2 asks students to highlight key terms and definitions and annotate their meaning directly in the text.
Lesson 4
Process Writing
The Skills section explicitly lists "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain a topic." The process-writing guidance asks writers to adjust wording for the audience (example: "dice an onion" vs. "chop an onion into small squares about a 1/4 inch wide"), which teaches precision in word choice. The Option 2 planning page includes a prompt for "Terms or concepts that need explanation," prompting students to identify domain-specific vocabulary they must explain in their writing.
Lesson 5
Envisioning Fission
Students are asked to take notes on what E=mc² means and how it changed understanding of the conservation of mass and energy, which requires engagement with domain-specific terms. Students complete a timeline recording scientific events that include specific vocabulary (neutron, particle accelerator, nuclear reaction, nuclear chain reaction). Activity 2 instructs students to use more specific search terms (e.g., "nuclear fusion") and to judge whether sources are "understandable," noting when technical language or advanced mathematics would make a site less useful.
Lesson 6
Cause and Effect Writing
Students read content that contains and uses domain-specific terms such as "nuclear fission bomb," "U-235," "U-238," "ether," "double-slit experiment," and "electromagnetic wave," and they answer comprehension questions that require understanding those terms. The sample planning and model paragraphs explicitly use scientific vocabulary (ether, wave, Maxwell, Young) and require students to include page numbers for specific information from the book. The Planning and Organization organizer asks students to list specific causes/effects and supporting details, which prompts use of concrete, topic-related words.
Lesson 7
Relativity
Students practice domain-specific vocabulary in Activity 1 by looking up listed physics terms (e.g., uniform motion, frame of reference, invariant, relativity), writing definitions in their own words, and providing examples or illustrations. Activity 2 asks students to use precise technical language (contrast of good vs. bad technical writing is shown) and requires them to create a poster that uses and defines at least three domain-specific terms for a younger audience. The Parent Plan Skills explicitly list "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain a topic."
Lesson 8
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are asked to compare or contrast people or concepts from the book (Option 2), which involves topics like Einstein, Newton, and relativity and may require referring to specific page numbers. The Parent Plan Skills explicitly list determining the meaning of key terms and other domain-specific words and phrases in scientific/technical contexts. The assignment emphasizes using specific details and examples and avoiding vague phrases like "I believe," which supports more precise phrasing in writing.
Lesson 9
Avoiding Plagiarism
Students read and answer questions using domain-specific astronomy terms such as "redshift," "Cepheid stars," "luminosity," and "white dwarf," requiring them to recognize and use those technical words. The paraphrasing guidance explicitly tells students that if a source uses technical terminology they may keep those terms while rewriting sentence structure, and it gives an extended paraphrase example for the term "luminosity." Students complete activities that require them to paraphrase captions and write chapter summaries, which demand selecting precise wording to convey scientific ideas accurately.
Lesson 10
Problem and Solution Writing
Students read passages that introduce and use domain-specific terms (supernova, pulsar, quasar, black hole) and answer comprehension questions that require definitions and technical explanations (e.g., What causes a supernova? Why can't you see beyond an event horizon?). The sample explanatory paragraph about light explicitly uses and explains technical vocabulary (ether, photons) and models precise phrasing about scientific concepts. The reading answers include discipline-specific words such as "luminosity" and "event horizon," which students must understand to respond correctly.
Lesson 11
Citing Sources
Students answer targeted questions that require defining and explaining domain-specific terms (e.g., questions asking what a bit is, what a qubit is, and how Boolean AND/OR affect searches). The Student Activity Page asks students to paraphrase and cite content from technical articles (e.g., "Black Holes Explained"), which requires engaging with scientific vocabulary when restating ideas. Activity 2 asks students to create graphics with captions and labels to help explain writing assignments, encouraging use of precise terminology to clarify concepts visually.
Final Project
Research Paper
The lesson's Skills list explicitly states students will "Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain a topic." The Research Rubric's Word Choice criterion requires use of domain-specific vocabulary and the Unit Test Review and science-term lists direct students to learn and be familiar with specific technical terms (ether, wave-particle duality, quantum mechanics, etc.). The unit test includes a short-answer question asking students to explain the importance of domain-specific vocabulary in technical writing, and the rubric and final research paper require students to employ such vocabulary in their writing.
Unit 4: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Lesson 1
Introduction to Mark Twain and the Novel
Students complete a 10-word vocabulary activity from Chapters 1–21 where they read words in context, choose definitions, and may use a dictionary (e.g., abolitionist, plunder). Students write journal entries answering focused prompts (summarize how the slave trade arrived in America; list rules slaves had to follow) and respond to guided questions about dialect and author background. The lesson's skills list includes determining word meanings in context and analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Lesson 2
Point of View
Students read explicit definitions and examples for 1st person, 2nd person, 3rd person limited, 3rd person omniscient, and 3rd person objective, exposing them to domain-specific vocabulary. Students complete practice pages that require them to identify and circle the point of view of passages and to record titles and check boxes labeled with the POV terms. Students answer journal questions and discuss pronoun usage and characters' perspectives, which requires using POV terminology to explain narrative perspective.
Lesson 5
Expository Writing
Students are asked to view a "Types of Writing" slideshow and take notes recording each type of writing and its definition, which exposes them to genre-specific vocabulary (expository, narrative, persuasive, descriptive, process, cause/effect, compare/contrast, problem/solution). The Skills section requires students to "Establish and maintain a formal style," and Activity 2 asks students to write a compare-and-contrast paragraph using a "hook," "topic sentence," and textual evidence, which uses domain terms from writing instruction. Students are also prompted to consider specific content vocabulary related to the novel (dialect, themes of freedom and slavery) when supporting their comparisons.
Lesson 6
The Power of Persuasion
The lesson names and uses genre-specific terms such as "thesis statement," "evidence," "anecdotes," "similes," "metaphors," and "analogy" and explains persuasive techniques (reason, emotion, beliefs, repetition, explanations). Students identify the thesis and types of evidence in a model persuasive essay and analyze what kinds of evidence the writer uses. Students write targeted sentences using rhetorical devices (logic/reasoning, emotional appeals, similes/metaphors, problem/solution, storytelling) in the "Powers of Persuasion" activity.
Lesson 7
Persuasive Writing
Students are asked to define vocabulary words from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and write sentences using each word (Activity 2). The Parent Plan lists the skill to "determine the meaning of words and phrases...; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone," which requires students to consider word choice. The Word Choice Debate (Activity 1) has students read about the language-change controversy and craft a persuasive paragraph about whether to substitute the n-word with "slave," prompting attention to word choice in argumentation.
Lesson 9
Irony
The lesson defines irony and explicitly names the three domain-specific terms dramatic, situational, and verbal irony. Students watch videos and take notes, recording and labeling examples in an "Irony Chart," and they are instructed to analyze examples to ensure they match the definitions. In Options 1 and 2 students categorize text examples, explain why items are ironic or not, and create their own examples using the precise type labels.
Lesson 10
Figures of Speech
Students read definitions for pun, hyperbole, oxymoron, simile, and idiom and practice applying those domain-specific terms on multiple activity pages. Students label expressions from Huckleberry Finn with the correct figurative-language type, compose their own examples for similes/oxymorons/hyperboles, and color-code/underline instances of figurative language in a written letter. Discussion prompts ask students to explain how figurative language enhances a story, encouraging use of the taught vocabulary in explanations.
Lesson 11
Mark Twain's Influence
Students are asked to explain in 3–4 sentences what Hemingway meant by his quote, which requires them to write an explanatory response. Activity 3 and the Story Map require students to include and label specific literary devices (verbal/situational irony, pun, oxymoron, idiom, hyperbole) and a box for "Figurative Language Techniques," which engages domain-specific vocabulary for literary analysis. Activity 2 has students compare and note dialect and figurative language in slave narratives and contrast it with Jim, prompting use of literary terminology in comparisons.
Lesson 12
The Movie Adaptation
Students are asked to take notes while watching the film, observing changes the director or actors have made regarding character, plot, language, setting, or dialect, and to consider why those changes were made. Students must compare and contrast the novel and film, decide whether directorial/acting choices were good, and share ways the film strayed from the book. Discussion prompts ask students to explain similarities and differences and to justify which version they enjoyed more.
Final Project
Cultural Biography
Students are asked to "Use 3 vocabulary words in sentences related to the character" on the cultural biography poster and to write sentences using six different vocabulary words on a story-block face. The unit test requires students to pick three vocabulary words from the unit and use each in a sentence, and study instructions explicitly tell students to review the vocabulary words. Students are also asked to "Write an expository sentence about something you learned about slavery or dialect," which prompts use of topic-related terms.
Unit 5: Elijah of Buxton
Lesson 1
Introduction to the Novel
The lesson includes a dedicated vocabulary activity (Activity 2) listing words such as truck patch, brogans, and flimflam, and asks students to study meanings and illustrate each word on index cards. Students are asked to write informational/persuasive pieces (a 6-8 sentence speech to encourage a freed slave to move to Buxton and a 6-8 sentence journal entry from a slave's perspective) that would be opportunities to inform about the topic. The "Things to Review" and other prompts ask students to explain terms like "flashback" and to tell what the Underground Railroad was and how it worked.
Lesson 2
The Preacher
Students are asked to use a senses web and to brainstorm effective adjectives and phrases in the "Showing Emotion" activity, and to choose at least two verbs and repeat powerful verbs in their 4-5 sentence paragraph. In the Frederick Douglass activity, students re-read a passage and are instructed to circle vivid adjectives and underline the most frequently used verb to analyze how word choice makes the passage persuasive. The Parent Plan skills explicitly state students should "use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language" in narrative writing.
Lesson 3
Creating a Character
Students practice correcting pronoun agreement, grammar, and punctuation in the Sentence Editing activity, which requires attention to precise word choice and form. The Skills list and activity instructions ask students to "employ narrative and descriptive strategies" and to record "physical appearance," "character traits," "Elijah's thoughts," and direct "quotes," which prompt selection of specific descriptive language. The lesson defines terms like "idiom" and "proverb," giving explicit domain vocabulary related to figurative language.
Lesson 4
Tone and Mood
The lesson provides a categorized list of tone and mood words (Sample Words to Describe Positive/Negative Tone and Mood) that students can use to label and describe literary attitude and reader feeling. Student activity pages require students to identify the tone Elijah sets for specific events and to "provide an example of a sentence or words that set that tone," which asks students to select precise words from the text. The sentence-editing activity asks students to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, which reinforces attention to precise language.
Lesson 5
Colorful Language
Students are asked to choose precise words and phrases, effective verbs, descriptive details, and sensory language when they write a 6–8 sentence narrative in the Colorful Description activity. The Skills section explicitly lists "Use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language to capture the action and convey experiences and events." The Figures of Speech activity defines domain-specific vocabulary (idiom, simile, metaphor, personification, pun, hyperbole) and requires students to identify examples and produce a product (visual display or carnival advertisement) that uses those terms.
Lesson 6
Symbolism
The lesson defines precise language and gives multiple explicit examples contrasting general versus precise wording (e.g., "The big dog" vs. "The enormous dog, appearing as tall as a small pony"). Students are instructed to use a thesaurus and to write 2–3 sentence precise descriptions of two household items and a feeling (Option 1) or to revise song lyrics with more precise words (Option 2). The Skills section and activities explicitly ask students to "use precise words and phrases, relevant descriptive details, and sensory language," and the symbolism activity asks students to explain the symbolic value of items from the novel.
Lesson 7
The Importance of Education
Students analyze and define vocabulary words (e.g., missive, endure, tolerable, buckboard, calamity, posse, flanks) by using context clues and then compare their definitions to provided definitions. Students discuss these words with a parent and categorize vocabulary by part of speech or semantic category on the Student Activity Page. Students also prepare spoken or written responses in Option 1 (an interview) and write the remainder of a scene in Option 2 that asks them to explain motivations for seeking education, which could draw on newly learned vocabulary.
Lesson 8
Transitions and Characters
Students practice with a substantial "Transitions List" and complete exercises that ask them to insert or identify transition words and phrases in sentences and passages. Students perform sentence editing tasks that require choosing correct word forms and punctuation (e.g., correcting "every thing" to "everything" and adding possessives). In the character comparison activity, students select specific descriptive words for characters and record similarities and differences using a graphic organizer.
Lesson 10
Allusions and Authors
Students are asked to complete a Sentence Editing activity in which they correct grammar, punctuation, and word choice (e.g., changing "flyed" to "flew" and fixing agreement). The Allusions activity directs students to write 2–3 sentences explaining an allusion's origin and its connection to Elijah of Buxton, and Student Activity Pages include biblical and literary passages for students to reference. The parent plan also prompts students to explain what an allusion is and why authors use them, which requires using accurate literary terminology.
Lesson 11
Story Reflections
The lesson defines literary terms (conflict, climax, theme) in the "Things to Know" section and labels student workspaces (Plot Diagram, Theme web) with those domain-specific terms. Students are asked to identify the main conflict, determine the climax, list events for rising/falling action, and "explain how the main conflict of the book was resolved," which requires using those terms in explanations. The theme web directs students to "record instances from different parts of the story that help develop that theme," prompting use of topic-specific vocabulary about theme and freedom.
Final Project
Personal Narrative
Students are required to include "Two vocabulary words from the unit, used correctly" in their finished narrative and the rubric's Word Choice category explicitly evaluates use of at least two unit vocabulary words and specific, strong verbs and adjectives. The skills list and Activity 4 direct students to "use precise words and phrases," to communicate tone with strong verbs and adjectives, and to ensure vocabulary words are used effectively when revising their drafts. The student activity pages and test items also ask students to define and apply vocabulary terms from the unit in written responses.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: The House of the Scorpion
Lesson 1
Cloning
Students research scientific aspects of cloning (e.g., "What is cloning?", DNA, cells, embryos) and make note cards summarizing technical information from domain-specific sources. The lesson defines domain-specific terms and rhetorical vocabulary (e.g., cloning definition, pathos, ethos, kairos) in the "Things to Know" section. Students create MLA source cards and use parenthetical citations, practicing discipline-specific citation language and conventions. The skills list and rubric instruct students to establish a formal style and to "use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion," which guides language choices in writing.
Lesson 2
Revising and Editing
Students study and practice specific vocabulary terms (disconsolately, caches, furtively, harangued, servile, rite, malevolence) through two explicit activities: creating labeled scenes with a toy or figurine and writing analogies for each word. The Parent Plan Skills list explicitly tells students to "acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases." Students also revise and edit a persuasive essay, which is a writing task where word choice could be applied.
Lesson 3
Cast of Characters
Students are asked to write brief descriptions of each Alacrán family member next to names on a family tree, which requires selecting words to convey character traits. Students answer guided reading questions that require use of story-specific terms (for example, identifying that Matt is a clone and defining eejits). The skills list asks students to "establish and maintain a formal style" and to "use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion," which directs attention to language choices in their final draft persuasive essay.
Lesson 4
Rhetorical and Logical Fallacies
The lesson provides explicit definitions of domain-specific vocabulary (fallacy, loaded terms, caricature, leading questions, false assumption, incorrect premise). Students are directed to read an essay on human cloning and underline instances of those fallacies using specified colors, requiring identification and labeling of the terms. Students are also asked to create advertisements that include at least three rhetorical or logical fallacies and to discuss those choices with a parent, prompting use of the vocabulary in discussion.
Lesson 5
Arguing the Issue
Students are prompted on the "Arguing the Issue" activity page to record each author's main arguments about human cloning and to list any logical or rhetorical fallacies they find. The lesson provides an explicit list of fallacy categories (Loaded Terms, Caricatures, Leading Questions, False Assumptions, Incorrect Premises) that students must identify and use. In the "A Game of Fallacies," students draw fallacy cards and apply those named fallacies to given arguments, practicing use of the terminology in analysis and oral claims.
Lesson 6
Societal Comparisons
The lesson defines the terms utopia and dystopia and asks students to "Review the definitions and characteristics of utopian and dystopian societies in literature." Students are asked to use a graphic organizer to record similarities and differences between Opium and the United States and to answer analytic questions about who holds power and how rights differ. Option 2 directs students to write a descriptive paragraph of a created dystopian society and to visually represent the environment, which requires explanatory writing about the topic.
Lesson 8
Family Crest
Students create index cards for eight vocabulary words, find each word in a dictionary, record the part of speech, and choose the meaning that fits the sentence from the book. Students then practice using each word by writing an original sentence or creating an illustration to capture the meaning. The parent plan and skills list direct students to consult general and specialized reference materials and to verify word meanings in context.
Lesson 9
Science Fiction
Students are given a defined list of science-fiction characteristics (setting, technology grounded in present science, impact on people, utopian/dystopian, commentary) and asked to fill a table with "Evidence From The House of the Scorpion," prompting them to match domain terms to textual examples. Students are asked to write in their journal what makes literature science fiction and to conclude whether the novel fits the criteria, which requires them to explain using genre vocabulary. The lesson defines the rhetorical fallacy "irrelevant evidence" and asks students to identify and highlight instances in passages and to write a persuasive paragraph that intentionally uses irrelevant evidence, requiring them to apply the term in their writing.
Lesson 13
Unit Test and Essay Reflections
Students are asked to define vocabulary words (disconsolately, furtively, harangued, rite, welter, creosote, aristocrat, purgatory, brine) in their own words, showing direct practice with word choice. Students complete activities that require identification and examples of rhetorical fallacies (loaded terms, caricature, leading questions, false assumptions, incorrect premises, irrelevant evidence). Students answer short-answer and essay-reflection prompts that ask them to explain character actions, persuasive structure, ethos/kairos/pathos, counterarguments, and to evaluate whether they used fallacies in their own persuasive writing.
Unit 2: Watership Down
Lesson 1
Preparing to Read
Students study a list of domain-specific words (culvert, warren, buoyant, rank, down, copse, bracken, sentry, reconnoiter, envisage) and record precise definitions. Students complete Vocabulary Cubes by writing the word, definition, alternate definition, part of speech, a synonym, and the word in a sentence, and they play a game that requires matching definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and sentences to the correct word. Students also use the vocabulary and map to discuss and predict the book's content, citing word meanings and contextual clues.
Lesson 2
Foreshadowing
Students are asked to define and work with literary terms: the lesson's "Things to Know" gives definitions for foreshadowing and symbol, and the Foreshadowing and Symbolism activity requires students to identify and describe instances of foreshadowing and symbolism in passages. Students complete a Rabbit Research graphic organizer that asks for domain-specific items (Scientific name; Physical description; Behavior; Communication; Reproduction; Life Span) and are directed to use a provided scientific source to record facts. Students also record character details (actions, quotes, traits) using terminology appropriate to literary analysis.
Lesson 3
An Epic Journey
Students are asked in Activity 1 to use the Lapine Glossary and a list of English words borrowed from other languages to write several sentences or a short poem, using at least 10 borrowed or Lapine words and underlining them. The Skills section directs students to identify common words or word parts from other languages that are used in written English (examples provided). The Student Activity Page asks students to record examples of fantasy and epic characteristics using terms such as "omniscient narrator," "fantasy," and "epic," requiring use of literary domain vocabulary.
Lesson 4
Comparing Rabbits
Students complete a "Latin Roots, Prefixes, and Suffixes" activity in which they write definitions for italicized words based on roots, prefixes, suffixes, and passage context. Parents are asked to discuss the meanings students determined and how those definitions reflect Latin roots, and a provided answer key links specific vocabulary (e.g., indolence, prudence, precipitous) to precise meanings. Students also write several sentences as "Connection Commander" and complete a Venn-diagram comparison listing characteristics of Hazel's and Cowslip's groups, which requires selecting and recording specific descriptive terms from the text.
Lesson 5
Quotes and Creatures
Students are asked to research each living thing and explicitly record whether it is a producer or a consumer and, if a consumer, whether it is a herbivore, carnivore, or omnivore. Students must create a food web (poster or digital diagram) that depicts how the organisms are connected and labels feeding relationships. The activity pages and parent notes use and model domain-specific ecological terms (producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, primary/secondary) for students to apply in their writing and diagrams.
Lesson 6
Dramatic Irony
Students practice vocabulary by reviewing Latin roots and affixes, hypothesizing word meanings, and recording dictionary definitions on the "Latin Roots and Affixes" activity page. The parent plan lists the skill of using common Greek or Latin affixes and roots as clues to word meaning. Students also read a clear definition of "dramatic irony" and complete worksheets that ask them to explain "what the reader knows," "what the characters believe," and the "effect on the reader," which requires use of literary vocabulary and precise explanations of literary effects.
Lesson 7
Rabbit Societies
Students practice determining word meanings from context and then looking up and recording multiple dictionary definitions (Activity 1's "Vocabulary: Multiple Meanings" pages). The Parent Plan explicitly instructs students to consult general and specialized reference materials to clarify precise meanings and parts of speech. Students organize and record leaders' and groups' positive and negative traits in the Rabbit Societies chart, and students must describe choices for flags or slogans (Option 1 and Option 2), which requires selecting language to explain community values.
Lesson 8
Folktales and Fantasy
Students read explicit definitions of myth, legend, and folktale in the "Things to Know" section and are asked to consider how those types of stories communicate values. Students are directed to write a summary of Chapter 31 and record observations about the story's messages, which asks them to explain ideas about rabbit culture. Students complete an "Animal Research" organizer that asks for domain-focused categories (habitat, diet, lifespan, physical appearance, predators and defense) and must consult and record at least three sources.
Lesson 9
Characters
Students practice distinguishing denotation and connotation in Activity 1 by reading passages and comparing pairs of words (e.g., run/bolt, punt/raft, wild/savage) and writing their sense of each word's connotative differences. Students develop character profiles in Activity 2 by naming characters, describing personality traits (strengths and weaknesses), and composing sample quotes, which requires selecting descriptive words to convey character traits.
Lesson 10
Setting
Students are asked to label landforms (rivers, mountains, deserts) and name important places on a map, which requires use of geographic vocabulary. Students create a Venn diagram comparing physical settings using words and write a 2-4 sentence reflection explaining how setting details give clues about places. Students also write 3-5 higher-level questions about big ideas, which prompts careful word choice to express complex ideas.
Lesson 11
Conflict and Escape
Students are given explicit definitions of literary/domain terms (types of conflict: man vs. nature, man vs. self, man vs. man, man vs. society) and are asked to determine the conflict that will drive their fantasy story. The lesson asks students to create a plot diagram using labeled parts (exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution) and provides a sample diagram that uses these domain-specific terms. Students are assigned roles (Travel Tracker) and tasks (map settings, add details to character cards) that implicitly require use of story-related vocabulary.
Lesson 12
Dramatic Enactment
Students play a Root Charade where they act out Latin roots and must name an English word that uses each root, practicing recognition and application of domain-specific morphemes. Students write a 3–5 minute script for a dramatized scene, planning dialogue and stage directions and deciding what to add or omit to communicate the story. Students are asked to add notes for music, lighting, or other effects, which requires choosing language to describe production choices.
Lesson 13
A Fantasy Story
The rubric's Word Choice criterion asks students to "use strong, specific words" and to support a consistent mood, and parent instructions repeatedly encourage students to "choose strong and clear words" when writing. The study guide and flash card activities require students to learn Latin roots, affixes, and literary terms (connotation, denotation, foreshadowing, epic, myth, etc.), and the unit test asks students to define and apply those domain-specific terms. The sample and rubric prompt students to evaluate word choice in a model story, giving them practice noticing precise language in context.
Unit 3: The Book Thief
Lesson 1
The Author and Narrator
Students research World War II and complete the "World War II Detective" grid, which requires them to write factual answers using terms such as "Axis," "Allies," "Holocaust," dates (1939–1945), and leaders (e.g., Roosevelt, Churchill, Hitler). Students create an author-promotion poster or a 90-second radio spot that must include factual biographical information about Markus Zusak and event details, requiring informative word choice. Activity 4 asks students to write three sentences that use color imagery to explain feelings, prompting careful selection of words to convey meaning and tone. The Skills section explicitly directs students to determine meanings of words and analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Lesson 2
Similes and Metaphors
Students look up six vocabulary words from the text and write definitions in their own words, creating a mini picture dictionary that pairs each word with a symbol. Students analyze similes and metaphors, identify the elements being compared, explain whether phrases are similes or metaphors, and explain why selected examples are effective. The parent notes and answer key reinforce precise definitions and encourage students to put definitions in their own words.
Lesson 3
Burning Books
Students research and answer specific questions on the "Historical References" activity page that ask them to define and explain terms such as Kommunist, Aryan, Mein Kampf goals, anti-Semitism, and the yellow stars, using linked primary and reference sources. In the "Propaganda" activity, students analyze three Nazi posters and must identify the target group, the poster's goal, and what makes the poster effective, prompting use of vocabulary like target audience, propaganda, symbols, and emotional appeal. The provided answer key and infographic supply domain-specific terms (e.g., Lebensraum, autarky, social Darwinism) that students are expected to interpret and incorporate into their responses.
Lesson 4
The Value of Books
Students practice choosing precise descriptive words and sensory details in the "Five Senses Writing" activity by describing a candy's looks, feels, smells, sounds, and tastes and then writing a short paragraph that appeals to all five senses. Students are shown examples of vivid adjectives and figurative language (e.g., "murky, foul, rotting, flaking") and are directed to use a thesaurus to find stronger synonyms. Students are instructed to record examples of effective imagery from the reading and to analyze what made those examples effective (adjectives, simile, unexpected descriptions).
Lesson 5
The Accordion Player
Students complete Activity 2 "Be Specific," where they revise sentences and short phrases to make wording more specific, are given examples of improved descriptive language, and are instructed to use a dictionary or thesaurus. The lesson gives multiple practice prompts (e.g., modify "the boy ran," improve underlined phrases) that require students to select stronger, more precise verbs and adjectives. Students also read excerpts of the Nuremberg Laws and answer questions, encountering historical/legal terms such as "Reich citizenship," "Nuremberg Laws," and "Hitler Youth."
Lesson 7
The Seven-Sided Die
Students are given explicit definitions of domain-specific terms (Slippery Slope, Bandwagon Appeal, Genetic Fallacy, Hasty Generalization, Post Hoc Argument, Appeal to Improper Authority) and asked to identify which fallacy appears in advertisements and examples (Part I). In Part II and Activity 2, students must label fallacies in historical propaganda passages and explain why those arguments may have been effective, using the list of logical fallacies as tools for explanation. Students are also asked to produce written lines for political ads that deliberately use specific fallacy types, requiring them to select and apply the correct vocabulary in writing.
Lesson 8
The Thief Strikes Again
Students are asked to watch two Hitler speech/rally clips and take notes on what might have been compelling about his speaking and the aspects of the rally designed to appeal to the crowd, prompting analysis of rhetorical delivery (e.g., repetition, pauses, hand motions). Students complete a "Describing the Ordinary" activity in which they write short descriptions (using similes or metaphors) to create vivid, specific images and practice deliberate word choice. The Parent Plan skills list also directs students to determine meanings of words and analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Lesson 9
Close Calls
Students are directed to "paint" sentences by adding precise details to predicates and subjects, selecting a single word to elaborate, and refining wording in the "Painting Sentences" activity. Students are asked to find and record figurative language and to analyze how specific word choices create tone in Activity 1 and the Parent Plan skills section, which explicitly notes determining meanings and analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone. The finishing-touches checklist asks students to work with words or phrases and to refine wording, reinforcing attention to specific word choice.
Lesson 10
The Trilogy of Happiness
Students read sections that include domain-specific terms such as "propaganda," "war correspondents," "newsreels," and "censorship," and they are directed to record examples of propaganda from the text. Students complete the War Journalism activity that asks them to explain how correspondents brought vivid descriptions, identify news formats (newspapers, radio, newsreels), and distinguish informational content from propaganda. Students answer questions about Ernie Pyle's columns that require describing how his writing creates "living pictures," which invites use of precise descriptive language.
Lesson 11
The Word Shaker
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Descriptive Examples) to identify 2–3 effective adverbs, adjectives, and strong verbs from the text and to explain why each example is effective, which prompts attention to precise word choice. The lesson provides definitions for domain-specific terms (e.g., primary source, ghetto, allegory) and asks students to interpret Max's allegory and explain what Hitler is "planting," encouraging use of vocabulary like propaganda and indoctrination. The "Primary Sources vs. Historical Fiction" organizer requires students to list advantages/disadvantages and provide specific examples from texts, prompting them to explain ideas using content-specific language.
Lesson 12
The Teddy Bear
Students are prompted to notice and jot down specific figurative language types (personification, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, allegory, and symbolism) as they read, using those domain-specific terms. The lesson asks students to consider how "word choice" and figurative language create tone and emotionally engage the reader. In the project options, students must explain the significance of stops on a journey and describe how characters' physical and emotional states change, which requires explanatory writing using selected vocabulary.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to create a "Teaching Figuratively" lesson in which they define six figurative language devices (personification, simile, metaphor, onomatopoeia, allegory, symbolism) and provide examples, which requires use of domain-specific literary vocabulary. The "Figuratively Writing" and descriptive-paragraph tasks require students to employ strong verbs, powerful adjectives/adverbs, and at least one figurative device, which practices precise word choice. The propaganda-analysis and censorship/debate tasks prompt students to identify logical fallacies and analyze persuasive features, encouraging use of analytic vocabulary in responses.
Unit 4: To Kill a Mockingbird
Lesson 1
Historical Context
Students are asked to watch a video and create a mind map titled "Alabama in the 1930s," which prompts them to add branches with words and connections about historical topics. The Parent Plan specifies that students' mind maps should include domain-specific terms such as the Great Depression, WPA, Dust Bowl, Jim Crow laws, segregation, lynchings, Civil Rights, Martin Luther King, and Rosa Parks. Students also learn and practice grammatical terminology (e.g., phrase, clause, independent/dependent clause) through explicit definitions and identification activities.
Lesson 2
Home and School
Students complete a Student Activity Page that requires them to determine word meanings from context and then verify definitions with a dictionary for terms such as assuaged, predilection, sojourn, disapprobation, and asinine. The lesson provides an explicit vocabulary list with definitions and directs students to review those vocabulary words. Students also complete a journal task asking them to record events and "give a brief explanation of how that novel could impact a reader and bring to light important issues," which requires explanatory writing.
Lesson 3
The Mystery of Boo
Students are asked to define and review the meaning of the term "hearsay" in the "Things to Know" and "Things to Review" sections. Students complete a Student Activity Page that requires listing five items under "Hearsay and Gossip" and five items under "Personal Experience and Reliable Sources," classifying evidence from chapters 1 and 5. Students write a hypothesis in the "The Real Boo Radley..." box, which requires them to explain their interpretation based on the classified information.
Lesson 5
Surprising Talent
Students are asked to label and diagram sentences using grammatical terms such as simple subject, simple predicate, direct object, predicate noun, predicate adjective, adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and objects of preposition. The Student Activity Page requires students to underline/label parts of speech and to produce sentence diagrams that show grammatical relationships. The lesson provides answer keys that model the use of domain-specific vocabulary in analyzing sentences.
Lesson 6
Separate
Students read explicit definitions of quotation, paraphrase, and summary and complete Activity 1 that asks them to identify examples and to write a quotation and a paraphrase from the text. Students follow a Purdue OWL article on quoting/paraphrasing/summarizing, which guides word choice when incorporating source material. In Activity 2 students create a caption and write two to three sentences connecting a historical image of segregation to the book, which requires using topic-related terms (e.g., segregation, racial divides) to explain the connection.
Lesson 7
A Moral Dilemma
The lesson provides a Student Activity Page listing domain-specific vocabulary with definitions and example sentences and includes blank lines for students to write their own sentences using each word. The Parent Plan asks caregivers to review the child's sentences to ensure correct usage. The Skills section explicitly directs students to determine word meanings and analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone.
Lesson 8
Identity
Students learn and practice grammatical terms (adjectives, adverbs, direct and indirect objects, predicate nouns) through sentence-diagramming activities and labeled examples. Students are asked to explain their collage or grab-bag choices to a family member, which involves describing aspects of their identity and giving reasons for their selections.
Lesson 9
Order in the Court
Students read the student activity page "Order in the Court," which defines roles and terms such as defendant, prosecution, jury, cross-examine, evidence, verdict, sentencing, and appeal. Students watch a courtroom tour and complete the page titled "The Trial," filling in blanks with the correct legal names and terms drawn from the Order in the Court page. Students also sequence trial events by cutting and pasting boxes (opening statements, presenting witnesses, cross-examination, closing arguments, jury instructions, deliberation, verdict), reinforcing domain-specific vocabulary and procedural order.
Lesson 10
Equal Rights?
Students read multiple examples of Jim Crow laws and related historical terms (e.g., "Jim Crow," "separate, but equal," "intermarriage," "voting rights") in the activity text, exposing them to domain-specific vocabulary. Students are asked to create a found poem using words and phrases from the Jim Crow laws, which requires selecting and arranging historical wording. The summary task (7–9 sentences) and discussion prompts ask students to explain the verdict and the role of law, which could prompt use of precise terms from the unit.
Lesson 11
The Mockingbird
Students identify and label grammatical terms (independent/dependent clauses, subjects, predicates, direct objects, subordinating and coordinating conjunctions, linking verbs) when they diagram compound and complex sentences and follow explicit marking directions (red/blue/green pencils, boxes, circles). Students define and discuss the literary term "symbol" in the "Things to Know" section and fill a web organizer to list examples of innocence being threatened, linking the mockingbird symbol to theme. The Parent Plan and activity pages provide model explanations that use domain-specific vocabulary (e.g., "innocence," "symbol," "hypocrisy") that students can reference while answering questions and completing the organizer.
Lesson 13
Text and Film
Students are asked to analyze film techniques in question 3 on the Movie and Text activity page, explicitly naming features such as lighting, music, and camera angle and explaining how the director used them. Students must keep a running two-column list of similarities and differences between the novel and film, which requires use of comparative and literary vocabulary. Option 2 asks students to write a short movie script that includes stage directions (lighting, props, music), prompting use of film-specific terms, and Option 1 asks for a poster with a sentence of summary/explanation that requires informative language.
Final Project
Oral Book Presentation
Students study a focused list of domain-specific words and historical terms (e.g., Great Depression, Jim Crow Laws, segregation, racism) with definitions in the study guide and a vocabulary matching activity. The unit test requires students to choose two historical terms and give examples from To Kill a Mockingbird of how those terms affected the novel's events, prompting them to use those terms to explain context. Students are instructed to create a Historical Context slide and to "use text to highlight important terms" on slides, and the presentation rubric and planning tasks ask them to explain themes, plot, and characters using textual evidence.
Unit 5: Great American Poets
Lesson 1
Poetry Basics
Students learn and practice domain-specific vocabulary (simile, alliteration, onomatopoeia, stanza, couplet, refrain, rhyme scheme, assonance, rhythm/meter, line break) through explicit definitions in the Things to Know section. Students identify and label these terms in tasks (e.g., the Poetry Vocabulary page asks them to determine rhyme scheme, identify refrains, note line breaks, and find assonance) and record definitions in the Active Reading activity. Students also use poetic devices in writing tasks (Part I and II of Words of Poetry) where they transform prose and apply alliteration or onomatopoeia to enhance description.
Lesson 2
Early American Poetry
Students complete a Word Choice activity where they look up synonyms (e.g., for "acquainted" and "noiseless"), choose which synonyms fit the poem, and justify their reasoning. The lesson defines and asks students to consider literary terms (tone, mood, narrative poetry) and grammar terms (dependent clause, participial phrase, FANBOYS) and has exercises (comma matching, Venn diagram) that ask them to identify and compare use of literary language. In the Comparing Texts activity students note differences in "use of literary language" and are prompted to explain how form influences the reader.
Lesson 3
Figurative Language
Students are given explicit definitions of domain-specific terms (metaphor, hyperbole, irony, idiom, personification, imagery, alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia, concrete poem) and asked to identify those devices in named poems (e.g., asking for examples of personification in "Paul Revere's Ride"). Students answer analysis questions that require them to name and compare figurative devices (Part I) and to explain how the comparisons differ. Students are instructed to write original lines and a two-paragraph description that must use simile or metaphor and other figurative techniques (Part II), which requires applying the vocabulary in their own explanatory/descriptive writing.
Lesson 4
Poetic Forms
Students read explicit definitions of domain-specific terms (lyric poetry, sonnet, ballad, blank verse, iambic pentameter, haiku, limerick) and are asked to apply them. Students mark unstressed and stressed syllables and determine whether a poem uses iambic pentameter. Students compare rhyme scheme and structure of Longfellow's sonnet with the Shakespearean sonnet and analyze why "John Henry" is a ballad, which requires use of poetic vocabulary.
Lesson 6
Meaning in Poetry
The Skills section directs students to "determine the meaning of words and phrases... including figurative and connotative meanings" and to "analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone," which requires attention to precise language. The lesson explicitly defines and uses domain-specific terms (denotation, connotation, symbolic meaning, enjambment, poetic license, narrator/speaker, allusion) and instructs students to refer to figures as the "speaker" or "narrator." The Student Activity pages ask students to summarize a poem's literal and symbolic meanings and to look up unfamiliar words, prompting use of specific vocabulary in their analyses.
Lesson 7
Poetry Analysis
The Poem Analysis activity directs students to identify and explain rhyme scheme, sound devices (alliteration, assonance, onomatopoeia), figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, irony), imagery, tone and mood, and literal vs. symbolic meaning, requiring use of poetry-specific terminology. The vocabulary activities ask students to cut out, match, or write definitions/examples for terms (e.g., sonnet, iambic pentameter, personification, mood) and to use the cards as study aids. The Skills section explicitly tells students to "determine the meaning of words and phrases...; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone," connecting word choice and precise language to their analytical writing.
Lesson 8
Robert Frost
Students are asked to write a nature poem that uses descriptive words, appeals to multiple senses, and includes at least one simile or metaphor, requiring precise word choice. The Skills and Activities direct students to use poetic and grammatical terms (e.g., simile, metaphor, rhyme scheme, sonnet, assonance, alliteration) when reading and analyzing poems. The Hyphens and Dashes activity defines hyphen, en dash, and em dash and asks students to analyze the function of dashes and hyphens in poems, which requires use of domain-specific punctuation vocabulary. The Cubism section defines the art movement and asks students to compare a poem to Cubist art, prompting use of art- and literary-specific terms in analysis.
Lesson 9
Memorizing Poetry
The lesson defines elegy and lists villanelle features using domain-specific terms (e.g., elegy, villanelle, tercets, quatrain, refrains, rhyme scheme). The Student Activity Page asks students to explain whether a poem is an elegy and to compare how two poems adhere to villanelle rules, prompting use of those terms in responses. The memorization activity tells students to look up unfamiliar words and check pronunciation, encouraging attention to precise word meanings and usage.
Lesson 11
Editing Your Work
Students are asked to write a poem that explains how to use one or more punctuation marks "as if the poem were used to help another student learning about the mark" (Activity 3, Option 1). In Activity 3, Option 2, students must compose a poem containing at least three punctuation marks and then record on a separate sheet why they used each mark, with an explicit example given ("In line 1, the comma separates 2 coordinate adjectives"). The lesson also prompts students to consider word choice ("Why is word choice key to creating effective poems?") and includes objectives about analyzing the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone in the parent plan.
Lesson 12
Reciting Poetry
Students are asked to consider "Why is word choice key to creating effective poems?" and to use a Five Senses Web to brainstorm precise sensory descriptions for their poem. The Skills list directs students to "Write a poem using poetic techniques... figurative language (e.g., personification, idioms, hyperbole)" which requires selecting specific language and literary terms. Students also complete a Poet Research sheet that requires identifying "types of poetry" and other factual, domain-related details about poets.
Final Project
Poetry Journal
The unit test includes an explicit short-answer item asking students to define denotation and connotation (Part IV, Q14), requiring students to use domain-specific vocabulary to explain a concept. Multiple-choice and matching items ask students to identify and apply terms such as tone, mood, figurative language devices (personification, onomatopoeia, assonance, idiom), and punctuation usage, which requires recognition and use of precise vocabulary. The Parent Plan skills list also instructs students to determine meanings of words and analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, and the project asks students to include original and edited versions of a poem, implying attention to word choice and revision.