Sixth Grade - ELA
1: Environment and Cycles
Unit 1: The Wanderer
Lesson 2
Preparations
Students are asked to write a Reflective Journal entry in which they describe a meaningful event, record their feelings, and state what they learned, using a three-part Student Activity Page (What Happened; Your Feelings; What You Learned). The Parent Plan explicitly lists as a skill: "Narrate an expressive account (e.g., fictional or autobiographical), which uses a coherent organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context." Students also have an option to write a focused paragraph about sailing that requires integrating vocabulary into a single organized paragraph.
Lesson 3
Juggling
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences and to record descriptive words and phrases on a Character Timeline, which practices clear sentence-level responses and character-focused development. Students complete the "Your Voice" prompts (e.g., "The scariest thing I remember...", "I'll never forget the day...") and are instructed to say each statement out loud and write it as if speaking to a best friend, which practices style and audience awareness. Students are directed to read aloud the sentences they wrote to check whether their personality and voice come through, reinforcing choices about tone and expression.
Lesson 4
Grand Manan
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences (Reading And Questions), which requires producing short written responses. In Activity 1 students write sentences that use predicate adjectives, direct objects, and indirect objects and identify subjects and predicates, practicing sentence-level composition. In Activity 2 students describe relationships among characters in labeled boxes and complete a Character Timelines sheet, which asks students to organize information about characters and events.
Lesson 5
Under Way
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences, which requires them to produce short, coherent written responses. Students must write two sentences about the book that include at least one adjective, one adverb, and one prepositional phrase, giving them practice composing sentences with appropriate word choices. Students also write and decode radio-code messages and fill out a "Character Timelines" sheet, which require producing short written items tied to specific tasks.
Lesson 6
Marine Life
Students are asked to "Read Chapters 31-35 and then answer the following questions in complete sentences," which requires composing sentence-level responses. The lesson directs students to "fill out your 'Character Timelines' for these chapters," which asks students to organize information about characters across chapters. The Parent Plan notes increasing "reading and writing vocabulary," indicating some attention to word choice in student writing.
Lesson 7
The Storm
Students practice writing in distinct voices by cutting out quotes and matching them to Brian, Cody, or Sophie and by composing one- or two-sentence quotes and thoughts/actions for each character in a given scenario. Students write original text using figurative language in the Similes & Personification activity, including composing two similes and two personifications or a paragraph describing a favorite natural place that must include similes and personification. Students answer short open-response questions about changes in setting and character behavior in complete sentences, reinforcing sentence-level writing.
Lesson 8
Changes
Students are asked to write a note on a 4" x 6" postcard describing what they are doing on a European vacation and to address and mail it to a friend or relative, which requires composing for a specific audience and purpose. Students complete sentence-revision tasks (Option 1 and Option 2) that require adding prepositional-phrase modifiers to make sentences more descriptive, practicing clarity and stylistic choices at the sentence level. Students write two sentences about images (stormy ship, orca) using prepositional phrases, and they answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, providing additional sentence-level writing practice.
Lesson 9
Land Ho!
Students are asked to "answer these questions in complete sentences," requiring sentence-level composition for reading responses. The Themes activities direct students to "list a way each character has changed" and to "provide evidence from the book to support both themes," with lined boxes for written responses. Option 2 and the "A Lesson" activity ask students to "write down a plan" for teaching a skill, which asks students to produce organized written plans for a real audience (their family).
Lesson 10
Narrative Essay Writing and Voice
Students use a Prewriting Narrative Organizer to plan events, include feelings, and state what they learned, which supports development of ideas. Students are instructed to include an introductory paragraph, body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph, and to grab the reader's attention, supporting organization. Students receive explicit guidance on voice, tone, sensory details, dialogue, and word choice and use a rubric that evaluates voice, word choice, and mechanics, supporting appropriate style. Students revise with an editing checklist addressing chronology, descriptive detail, tone clarity, and conventions, and produce a final typed, formatted copy.
Final Project
Character Lapbook and Test
Students write organized mini-books that require beginning/middle/end descriptions (Part 5: Character Changes) and an accordion of chronologically ordered events (Part 6: Important Events). Students select a character quote and write an explanation of its meaning (Part 3) and paste an artifact and explain why it represents the character (Part 4), which asks for developed explanation. The test prompts students to write sentences that reflect character voice, expand sentences using modifiers and prepositional phrases, define a personal narrative, and describe a theme with examples, all of which require attention to style, purpose, and supporting development.
Unit 2: The People of Sparks
Lesson 1
The City of Ember
Students are asked to watch The City of Ember and then write or perform a movie review in which they describe characters, setting, plot, and their feelings and discuss how the setting plays an important role. They are instructed to read and/or watch movie reviews online to better understand what to include in their review, and to "pretend you are a movie critic," which frames purpose and audience. In the vocabulary activity, students locate definitions, draw illustrations, and record sentences using each vocabulary word, giving them practice producing written sentences.
Lesson 2
Sparks
Students are instructed to answer reading questions in complete sentences, which requires producing clear sentence-level responses. In Option 2 students rewrite a paragraph by substituting pronouns and then read it aloud to evaluate how the revised paragraph sounds, practicing concision and sentence-level style. In Activity 2 students write five predictions about adjustments to the environment and track which come true, which requires planning and recording ideas in writing.
Lesson 3
Discovery
Students keep a "New Environment, New Discoveries" learning log in which they record discoveries, label pages by category, and illustrate entries, requiring them to organize content and group similar information. The lesson asks students to write seven sentences about Sparks (Option 2), each containing plural nouns that follow given rules, which requires producing written sentences for a specific task. The Skills section explicitly names creating products for different purposes and audiences, indicating an expectation that students extend understanding in varied contexts.
Lesson 4
The Disaster
Students are asked to write a ballad about the Disaster that tells a story and reminds the people of Sparks to pursue peace, with explicit constraints on stanza length (four-line stanzas), rhyme patterns (ABCB or AABB), and overall length (four to six stanzas). Students may also sketch and build a monument for Sparks, selecting materials, shapes, and colors to convey a message for a community audience, and they are instructed to add information to Lina and Doon's learning log and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences. The Parent Plan lists skills that include organizing an interpretation around several clear ideas and creating products for different purposes and audiences.
Lesson 5
Roamers
Students are asked to compose three organized arguments for a debate, using the provided 'The Debate' activity page that has a Position box and separate spaces for each argument and supporting details. Students must support each argument with evidence, anticipate opposing points (the activity and intro define debate structure and anticipating counterarguments), and read their arguments aloud to a parent, which requires attention to audience and purpose. Students also write a short descriptive paragraph to accompany an artwork, choosing language and tone to reflect mood, which practices organization and style for a different writing task.
Lesson 7
Tomatoes
Students are asked to write a paragraph in their journal explaining which single media outlet they would select for Sparks and Ember and to explain how it would help solve problems and change the emotional climate. Students must answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences and add information to Lina and Doon's learning log, indicating a final written entry. On the Roamers activity page students draw five items and then explain on the back why they chose each item, which requires written explanation tied to purpose.
Lesson 8
Unfairness
Students answer written comprehension questions about Chapters 17–19, including explanatory responses (e.g., describing relations between Ember and Sparks, and defending which leader is more effective). Students complete a "Town Government Systems" comparison table and write a justification for which system is more effective. Students record synonyms and "Clues in Context" for vocabulary words and explain which context clues support their word choices; Option 2 asks students to create a diagram of a government and describe it to a parent.
Lesson 9
Conflict
The lesson asks students to read chapters and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, practices combining sentences using conjunctions and commas (Activity 1), and provides a sequencing-events activity (Activity 2) that asks students to order plot events to show organization. The Combining Sentences student page gives sentence pairs to rewrite as single, clearer sentences and includes a parent answer key modeling combined sentences and comma use.
Lesson 10
The Decision
Students are asked to brainstorm solutions, select the best option, and write a 6–8 sentence speech to read at the town plaza explaining their solution and persuading two groups to work together peacefully, which requires writing for a specific audience and purpose. Students are given a choice to write procedural directions for an experiment with a materials list and step-by-step directions, which requires organized, sequential writing appropriate to the task. Students complete a bubble map to organize evidence about story conflict and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, practicing organization of ideas and sentence-level clarity.
Final Project
Wars and Plagues or A New Environment
Students are asked to write a three-paragraph essay with a clear main idea for each paragraph (geography/resources, government/economy, adaptation), and to produce a newspaper report with a rough draft and final copy using the Daily News organizer, showing practice with different tasks/audiences. Rubrics for both the New Environment essay and the Wars and Plagues project explicitly evaluate paragraph content, organization, sentence flow, writing quality, and revision (including spelling, grammar, and punctuation). The lesson requires students to gather research, use a Research Organizer (causes, effects, end), create a timeline and map, and to edit and revise work with a parent conference, prompting students to improve development and coherence.
Unit 3: Short Stories
Lesson 1
The Good Deed
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Eye Bouquet) to write vivid, creative descriptions of objects without naming them, using language that appeals to sight and targeting a recently blind listener; they must produce at least 25 words and read the description aloud to a listener who will try to guess the object. The Student Activity Page and Reading and Questions require students to answer five comprehension questions in complete sentences about characters, setting, incident, time, and lesson, which practices concise written responses and summarization.
Lesson 2
Short Story Genre
Students practice sentence-level clarity by identifying and correcting run-on sentences in Activity 1, using semicolons, periods, or commas plus coordinating conjunctions. Students are instructed to use a variety of sentence types correctly and to avoid fragments and run-ons (Skills section). Students produce short written items such as an acrostic poem about Mars and will write a short story at the end of the unit, and they collect and record descriptive phrases from texts in Activity 4.
Lesson 3
The Dog of Pompeii
Students research Pompeii and then produce a RAFT product in which they write and record a poem or song as a historian to be presented to a specific audience (community of Naples and invited historians), showing attention to role, audience, format, and theme. Students complete a Volcano Experiment Sheet where they write a question, hypothesis, procedure, results, and conclusion, which practices organized scientific writing. Students also write sensory descriptions (describing their home to a blind person) and journal three examples of irony, and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences.
Lesson 4
Rip Van Winkle
Students are asked to write a paragraph imagining waking up twenty years later (Activity 2), which directs them to consider environment, technology, and people to develop ideas. Students revise five run-on sentences using five explicit strategies (Day 2, Revising Run-Ons and the Student Activity Page), practicing sentence-level clarity, punctuation, and subordination. Students rewrite a scene as a script (Activity 5), identifying characters, writing lines, and adding stage directions, which requires organizing content in a format appropriate to that task. The lesson's Skills list also instructs students to use a variety of sentence types correctly and to avoid fragments and run-ons.
Lesson 5
Zlateh the Goat
Students are asked to "answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires composing full sentences in response to text. The Skills section directs students to "use a variety of sentence types correctly, punctuate them properly, and avoid fragments and run-ons," and Activity 1 has students identify and correct sentence fragments. Activity 2 (Option 2) asks students to make up sentences for different points of view, prompting sentence-level composition practice.
Lesson 6
Women in Short Stories
Students are asked to write and correct dialogue (Activity 1, Options 1 and 2), with explicit tips on dialogue tags, punctuation, paragraphing when a new speaker speaks, and varying tag placement. Students must write a 6–8 sentence short-story critique (Activity 3) that directs them to discuss characters, plot, and setting without retelling the ending, which frames purpose and audience (as a critic). Students use a Venn diagram (Activity 4) to organize similarities and differences between characters, and Option 2 requires narrating from a third-person omniscient viewpoint, which addresses narrative voice and style.
Lesson 7
Your Choice
Students are asked to create a "Your Own Activity" where they must give the activity a name, describe the activity and what the reader will do, list materials, and (if needed) develop step-by-step directions. The Parent Plan skills list explicitly includes "Write multi-step directions" and the Wrap Up notes that students will "write your own short story" as a final project, indicating at least two discrete writing tasks (activity description/directions and a forthcoming short story). The activities also require students to write answers and questions for four question types and to fill graphic organizers with written responses about character, plot, conflict, and theme.
Final Project
Writing a Short Story
Students complete graphic organizers (plot diagram, character/setting sheet, theme & conflict page) that require them to plan development and organization of a short story. The Short Story Rubric and Activity 1 explicitly ask students to stay focused on a plot, limit characters and setting, keep point of view consistent, and provide important details that further the plot. Activity 5 directs students to follow their plot diagram, use dialogue correctly, avoid run-ons and fragments, and apply sensory details and narrative devices, which practices elements of style and mechanics.
2: Force and Power
Unit 1: Bull Run
Lesson 1
Background on the Civil War
Students are asked to write the steps of the statehood/admission process in their journal in Activity 2 and to put that information in their own words, providing practice in composing explanatory writing. Activity 5 directs students to record information on color-coded note cards by topic and to record topics/colors in their journal, which practices organizing information for a research task. Activity 6 requires students to write five sentences about the Civil War (including compound predicates in Option 2), cut subjects and predicates apart, circle verbs, and rearrange parts to form new sentences, providing explicit sentence-level composition and editing practice.
Lesson 2
Pink and Say
Students are asked to choose a short passage and rewrite it from Pink's first-person point of view or from an omniscient third-person narrator, requiring them to adjust narrator voice and include thoughts and details. Students record factual information about the Civil War in a journal and may create a Venn diagram comparing life during the Civil War to life today, which requires organizing information for an explanatory purpose. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and work with historical letter pages, engaging with tone and audience in reading and brief written responses.
Lesson 3
Joining the Ranks
Students write answers to comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading pages 1–20, practicing sentence-level writing. Students record three factual statements and three opinion statements from a historical speech in a journal, practicing selection and written listing of evidence and opinions. Students write explanations of how Civil War images could have been used as propaganda, practicing short analytical written responses that connect evidence to claims.
Lesson 4
Ready for Battle
Students answer reading questions in complete sentences, practicing sentence-level clarity. Students write three or five sentences about the Civil War that must each include and identify linking verbs, practicing sentence construction and word choice. Students design a Civil War propaganda poster in which they decide audience (North or South), choose whether to emphasize words or images, and create short persuasive text to influence a reader, then explain the poster's message.
Lesson 5
Nerves
Students are asked to write sentences describing how Civil War photographs make them feel and to give each photograph a title, practicing concise expressive writing. Students must answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and are prompted to use correct subject-verb agreement and linking verbs orally. Students complete a verb-tense activity and an option to write sentences about characters and events using specified verb forms (past, past participle, present participle).
Lesson 6
The Battle Begins
Students are asked to write in complete sentences for reading questions and to choose Option 2 for Activity 2, which requires selecting an event or character from the book and composing a fictional story that adds details and reflects the time period. The activity explicitly tells students to add details to make the story entertaining and to keep it historically appropriate, which engages students in composing a narrative for a specific purpose and audience.
Lesson 7
Fleeing and Death
Students are asked to "finish reading the book today and then answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires producing written responses. Activity 1 directs students to "describe Toby's feelings... Use the page, 'Character, Conflict, & Change.' Cite evidence from the book to support your ideas," asking for developed, evidence-based description. Activity 3 (Character Quilt) and its instructions require students to label squares, include a description of each character's main achievement, and depict memorable scenes, which involve planning and composing short descriptive text tied to a specific task and purpose.
Final Project
Argumentative Essay
Students are required to create an Argumentative Outline that scaffolds each paragraph (introduction, three body paragraphs including a refutation, and conclusion), which teaches organization and development. The rubric and Prewriting/Organization directions ask students to choose two supporting arguments, provide relevant support from sources, and use transitional words and phrases to make relationships among ideas clear. Directions on tone (write formally, avoid "I", avoid contractions/slang) and to write as if persuading an opposing audience give students explicit guidance on style appropriate to purpose and audience, and editing/revising steps direct students to improve clarity and coherence.
Unit 2: Albert Einstein
Lesson 1
Who Is Albert Einstein?
Students are asked to read the biography introduction and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, requiring sentence-level clarity. In Activity 1, students research Isaac Newton, record 6–10 facts on note cards, and then use those notes to write a guided bio-poem with a provided outline, which organizes biographical information into a set format. Activity 2 has students generate three or four questions about Einstein and record answers as they find them, practicing targeted written responses.
Lesson 2
Einstein, The Boy
Students are asked to "Record your answers in complete sentences" for reading questions, which requires producing clear sentence-level writing. In Activity 2 students record positive and negative traits and "explain a consequence" for each, which asks students to develop and support ideas in writing. In Activity 3 students "record important events" in chronological order on a timeline, which requires organizing information appropriate to the task. In the vocabulary activity students place words into sentences, practicing word choice and sentence-level style.
Lesson 3
University Days and Beyond
Students are asked to write a short journal paragraph about a time when personal conflict led to negative consequences, prompting reflective writing for a specific purpose. Students complete a Biography Web and add chronological events, practicing organization of biographical information. Students answer reading questions in complete sentences, which requires forming coherent sentence-level responses.
Lesson 4
Research and Discovery
Students are asked to write a summary of one of the videos they watched and to use notes taken during the videos to assist in their summary (Activity 4 and Activity 5). Students are directed to answer reading questions in complete sentences and to add events to a timeline or fill in a biography web, which requires selecting and sequencing key ideas (Reading and Questions; Activity 1). Students also practice identifying major topics and explaining events verbally to family members, which supports planning and organizing ideas for an explanatory product (Parent Plan prompts and Activity 6).
Lesson 5
The Professor
Students are instructed to answer reading comprehension questions "in complete sentences," which requires composing clear sentence-level responses. Students fill in four major events on a "Biography Web," which asks them to organize information visually and select relevant events. Students are asked to "write a sentence" describing how math is used in five scientific fields and the Parent Plan lists using simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences and effective coordination and subordination of ideas.
Lesson 6
Fame
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer comprehension questions and add events to a timeline, requiring them to organize information chronologically. On the "Forms of Media" activity page, students answer directed questions in writing comparing an encyclopedia entry, biography, and documentary and then explain to a parent how each source contributed to their understanding. The activity pages prompt students to state preferences and justify them (e.g., "Which medium do you prefer? Why?"), which requires students to produce explanatory sentences for a given task and audience.
Lesson 7
War
Students are asked to answer chapter questions in complete sentences, which requires producing clear sentence-level writing. Students fill a biography web with four major events, practicing organization of information about a topic. Students choose a product (bumper sticker, t-shirt, or song) and create a slogan, graphic, or lyrics to promote peace, which asks them to write for a specific purpose and audience. Students also record factual and opinion statements from a video, practicing selection and phrasing of statements.
Lesson 8
Peace
Students are asked to compose a biography (Option 1) by recording characteristics, accomplishments, important moments, and to write "as if you are writing a biography," adding feelings and a personal touch rather than just listing facts. In Option 2, students provide examples from the book that demonstrate common biography elements, requiring them to organize evidence under headings (shows how the person affects others, illustrates individuality, etc.). The Curiosity activity asks students to develop a plan and attempt to find an answer, which requires planning and written explanation of methods and findings.
Final Project
Biography Scrapbook
Students are asked to produce multiple written pieces: an imagined letter (with a note to use letter format and Einstein's "voice"), a journal entry written from Einstein's point of view, and visually presented quotes, which require attention to style and audience. The Parent Plan explicitly directs students to "use a variety of preliminary strategies to plan and organize the writing and speaking task considering purpose, audience, and timeline" and to "produce work that follows the conventions of particular genres." The project requires students to use their biography web and timeline to find information, and to assemble scrapbook pages "in a way that makes logical sense," implying organization of content.
Unit 3: Number the Stars
Lesson 1
Background on Denmark and World War II
Students are asked to create an acrostic poem using the letters of "DENMARK," which requires them to compose sentences or phrases that highlight important aspects of the country and organize ideas around a fixed form. Students write vocabulary words on individual note cards as part of the vocabulary game, producing short written items tied to precise definitions. Students also color-code a map of Europe by categories (Axis, Allied, occupied, neutral), organizing information visually to represent relationships among countries.
Lesson 2
Soldiers on Every Corner
Students are asked to write a four- or five-sentence summary of Chapters 1 and 2, which requires them to identify main events and produce a concise organized paragraph. Students practice composing by choosing to write a "Before and After Occupation" poem or to complete an "Impact of Occupation" chart, which asks them to organize ideas for different audiences and purposes (poetic vs. informational). Students practice editing and mechanics by using proofreading symbols to correct a paragraph and by rewriting corrected text in their journals.
Lesson 3
The Button Shop
Students analyze historical propaganda and create their own propaganda poster, deciding a message and choosing images and text to influence a target audience. Activity 1 asks students to copy a paragraph using proofreading symbols and to mark corrections in a second paragraph, practicing editing for punctuation, spacing, and word order. The Parent Plan lists that students will use elements of the writing process, revise drafts to clarify meaning and enhance style, and edit drafts for grammar and mechanics.
Lesson 4
In Hiding
Students are asked to take the role of discussion director and write four open-ended discussion questions about Chapters 5–6, which requires composing purposeful written questions. Students complete a "Problem and Solution" graphic organizer in which they describe three problem/solution situations from the chapters and explain how characters solved each problem. The Parent Plan Skills statement explicitly directs students to "present problems coherently, describing the solution clearly, and sequencing reasons to support the solution."
Lesson 5
In the Country
Students write a postcard from Ellen or a coded message to Papa, producing a written product for a specific audience and purpose and creating a code key for a reader. Students describe where characters move and produce setting descriptions in words or maps, including page locations and an explanation of how the setting affects the conflict. Students apply proofreading marks to correct paragraphs (fixing fragments, run-ons, capitalization, and -ed endings) to improve sentence-level clarity and correctness.
Lesson 6
Aunt Birte is Dead
Students rewrite a given paragraph in their journals making corrections indicated by proofreading abbreviations, and they edit a separate practice paragraph marking spelling, verb tense, and subject-verb agreement errors. Students answer a reflective question in their journals about Barbara Rodbell and retell her story to a parent, and the parent-plan skills explicitly ask students to paraphrase major ideas and provide evidence from texts.
Lesson 7
Run!
Students learn specific editing conventions and apply them in Activity 1 by rewriting a paragraph in their journal using the abbreviations Wdy, Ww, and Pron to correct wordiness, wrong word choice, and pronoun errors. The Skills section explicitly lists that students should "Edit final products for grammar, language conventions, and format." In Activity 2 students organize comparative ideas by completing a Venn diagram that compares Annemarie's sacrifice with that of a historical figure.
Lesson 8
Little Red Riding Hood
Students are instructed to "record your connections in your journal," which asks them to compose written responses linking the book to their life and the world. In Activity 1 students write two character traits, provide examples from the text as evidence, and describe the problem Annemarie faced and how her traits helped solve it. In Activity 2 students complete a graphic organizer comparing and contrasting Annemarie's story with Little Red Riding Hood, filling labeled boxes to show similarities and differences.
Lesson 9
A Magazine Article
Students plan and organize their article using a Bubble Map that maps a central topic to three paragraph subtopics and supporting details. Students are given an Expository Rubric that explicitly assesses organization, introduction/support/conclusion, use of transitions, and word choice. Students are instructed to write in a formal magazine style (avoid I, contractions, slang), use the Transition Examples sheet to create coherence between ideas, and complete drafting, revising with editing symbols, and a polished final copy using a Magazine Template. Research guidance and prompts to include quotes, factoids, and appropriate pictures guide development and audience awareness.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
The Think-Tac-Toe board requires students to produce multiple written products (e.g., a research essay on Alexander Hamilton, a newspaper-article style piece, a letter from a historical figure, and a book-jacket summary). The book-jacket template directs students to write a summary that includes main character, setting, and the beginning, middle, and end, which scaffolds organization of ideas. The Number the Stars test includes items on editing symbols and capitalization, which requires students to attend to writing conventions and mechanics.
3: Change
Unit 1: Tuck Everlasting
Lesson 1
Getting Ready
Students create a Vocabulary Picture Dictionary where they write vocabulary words in alphabetical order, note the part of speech, draw a picture, and record the definition and an example sentence, which requires organizing and producing clear short informational entries. Students complete Activity 2 by making a pros-and-cons list or writing a paragraph imagining themselves ten years in the future, which requires producing written work for a stated task and purpose. Students review parts of speech and use the Handy Guide to Writing, supporting word-level clarity and grammatical accuracy in their writing.
Lesson 4
The Tucks
Students are asked to summarize what happened in previous chapters and to predict what will happen next, prompting them to produce concise written summaries and predictions. Students must read Chapters 6–8 and answer comprehension questions that require written responses (e.g., explaining whether the Tucks seem like kidnapping types and why). The Parent Plan asks students to retell the Tucks' story and to give oral examples, and the Life Application directs students to do research about local groundwater sources, which could result in a written report.
Lesson 5
At Home with the Tucks
Students are asked in Activity 2 Option 1 to write a short paragraph describing the Fosters' home and one describing the Tucks' home, using the author's descriptions and placing quotation marks around any direct text. Option 2 directs students to locate words and phrases from the text that juxtapose the two homes and record them on paper, then illustrate the homes based on those descriptions. The activities require students to choose which family they would prefer and explain why, prompting a written response that uses textual evidence.
Lesson 7
Fishing
Students are directed to write a summary of the chapters they read that must include the six vocabulary words, which requires composing a written response that conveys main ideas and uses academic vocabulary. Students analyze examples of similes and metaphors from the text and are asked to write their own similes and a metaphor, giving practice with stylistic choices in writing. The skills list explicitly includes summarizing main ideas and supporting details and writing similes and metaphors, indicating students will produce written work and practice language use.
Lesson 8
The Gallows
Students are asked to create a print ad or a 30-second commercial that markets the spring of eternal life, requiring them to write ad copy or a script and to decide images, text, and layout. The parent plan and skills list explicitly ask for a multimedia presentation involving text and graphics and for an organized presentation with a specific point of view. Students are instructed to analyze magazine layouts, write a script, gather props, and practice performance, which engages writing for a purpose and audience.
Lesson 9
The Plan
Students are directed to select a cause-or-effect and use a graphic organizer to plan a paragraph, then use that organizer as an outline to write an introduction, body sentences, and a concluding sentence. The materials include a sample paragraph and explicit instructions about topic sentence, body details, and a concluding sentence. The parent plan and activity emphasize developing drafts following a cause-and-effect organizational strategy and reviewing organization of the paragraph.
Lesson 10
The Water and the Toad
Students write predictions about the ending and record them. Students compose journal responses for activities such as answering interview questions, listing three ways the movie differed from the book and three changes they would make, and selecting and writing a meaningful book quote. Students create written similes and descriptions for characters in the "Symbols & Similes" activity.
Final Project
A Debate
Students record three quotes or actions from the text and categorize three positive and three negative responses on a Pros/Cons graphic organizer, and they write their own thoughts in a "Your Own Words" section. Students prepare a two-minute opening argument and a one- or two-sentence closing statement, using note cards to record main points. Students write three clear, specific questions for an opponent and write prepared answers to opponent questions on note cards. The "Rules of Debate" and facilitator sheet prompt students to watch tone, avoid presenting opinions as facts, and consider audience perspective when composing responses.
Unit 2: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry
Lesson 1
School's In
Students are asked to write a three- or four-sentence journal response after watching a Civil Rights Movement video, using guiding questions to shape their writing. Students complete "Recognizing Discrimination" graphic organizers for chapters 1–12, recording "Who was involved?/What happened?" and explaining "How was this an example of discrimination?". Students answer written comprehension questions about the chapter (e.g., why children had a shorter school year, why Little Man refused a book) that require brief written explanations.
Lesson 2
A Visitor
Students practice combining independent and dependent clauses to add description and vary sentence length (Activity 1), and they are directed to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences. Students choose between two research-writing products: a filled-in "Mississippi Facts" organizer (Option 1) or a tri-fold brochure with labeled panels for map, natural resources, climate, statistics, photos, and short historical descriptions (Option 2). The parent skills list explicitly includes "Write research reports about important ideas, issues, or events."
Lesson 3
The Bus
Students are instructed to write a 6–10 sentence formal letter to the head of the school board explaining what the county is doing wrong, why it is wrong, and what should be done, and to identify at least two problems. A formal letter template (sender address, recipient address, date, salutation, body, closing, signature) and examples of formal salutations/closings are provided for students to follow. Students must include specified sentence structures in their writing and practice clause combination in the "Combining Clauses" activity to vary sentence structure and increase sentence-level coherence.
Lesson 4
T.J.
The lesson includes a 'Combining Sentences, Part I' activity where students practice turning short, choppy sentences into longer, more interesting sentences and are told to vary how sentences start and their length. Instructions tell students to read a first draft aloud to find places to combine sentences and provide example rewrites that show combining dependent and independent clauses. Students also answer short written comprehension questions after reading Chapter 4, which requires brief written responses.
Lesson 5
The Market
Students practice combining and rearranging sentences through a Conjunction Cards activity that asks them to draw a conjunction and two noun cards and create sentences using coordinating or subordinating conjunctions. The Parent Plan lists skills students will use: forming simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences; using effective coordination and subordination; and using semicolons and commas in compound sentences. Option 2 asks students to write five sentences in a journal using drawn conjunctions, reinforcing sentence-level sentence construction and punctuation.
Lesson 6
Uncle Hammer
The lesson requires students to "write responses to literary or expository texts" and to "use complete simple and compound sentences," which gives students opportunities to produce written answers about Chapter 6. The "Expanding Sentences" activity has students add adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and descriptive verbs to make sentences more vivid, directly practicing word choice and sentence-level style. The poster activity asks students to "Make a poster to promote positive race relations" with a powerful slogan and images that appeal to emotions, which asks students to write for an audience and purpose.
Lesson 7
Christmas
Students complete a Venn-diagram activity titled "A Southern Christmas," writing similarities and differences across categories (Family, Food, Gifts) which requires organizing ideas for a compare/contrast purpose. Students fill a recipe template and write ingredients and preparation steps for dishes (Butter Pound Cake, Fried Chicken, Sweet Potato Pie), producing procedural writing in an expected recipe format. Students create a vocabulary crossword by selecting words, finding definitions, and typing each word and its definition as a clue, which requires composing concise explanatory text.
Lesson 8
Taking a Stand
The Parent Plan Skills explicitly tell students to edit and revise manuscripts to improve meaning and focus and to identify and use prepositional phrases, independent/dependent clauses, conjunctions, and sentence types. The Activities give students sentence-level revision practice (inserting and deleting commas) and short-response questions that require students to explain and justify opinions about events in the text. The Boycotts activity asks students to select and explain important suggestions, which requires organizing reasons and expressing them to a parent.
Lesson 9
Papa's Accident
The Parent Plan explicitly lists revising drafts to clarify meaning and enhance style, combining and improving transitions, and editing drafts for grammar and mechanics. The Editing and Revising Sentences activity asks students to combine short sentences, correct fragments and run-ons, add details, and use descriptive verbs, with two provided passages for students to revise and rewrite. Option activities require students to produce a diagram with text or find an image and write a realistic quote, which asks for a short written product that combines visual and textual elements.
Lesson 10
Revival
The Book Report Rubric asks students to evaluate sentence structure, voice, and word choice (strong verbs, showing vs. telling), which directs attention to style appropriate for an audience. The Organizing Ideas pages require students to plan the content of each of the five paragraphs (setting, characters, problem, events, and why to read), providing explicit organization and development prompts. Activity 3 instructs students to write paragraphs of 5–8 sentences with a topic sentence, 3–5 body sentences, and a concluding sentence and to adopt a persuasive voice aimed at peers, connecting sentence-level craft to overall purpose.
Lesson 11
Trouble
The Skills section directs students to use elements of the writing process (planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing) and to plan a first draft by selecting a genre appropriate for an audience. Activity 1 has students finish a rough draft of a book report, and Activity 2 has students revise by combining sentences, adding details, and correcting fragments, run-ons, and comma errors using proofreading symbols. The Student Activity Page provides explicit proofreading symbols and examples, and the Wrapping Up activity has students read their revised report aloud to a sibling or friend to consider audience response.
Final Project
Unit Test and Presentation for Change
Students are asked to use a PowerPoint Organizer and preliminary planning strategies to plan and organize their presentation considering purpose and audience. Students must create four slides/posters that organize a persuasive message (present the problem, give examples of discrimination, propose changes, describe community impact), forcing selection and organization of key ideas. The Presentation Rubric requires a clear topic, effective tone, maintenance of a coherent message, and a balance of important details, which directs students to produce organized, audience-appropriate writing for their slides and notes.
Unit 3: The Giver
Lesson 1
The Community
Students are asked to "write responses to literary or expository texts" and "write about personal experiences" (Parent Plan Skills). Students produce journal work listing three things to prepare for an assignment and describe how each item prepares them, and they write 3–4 sentences beneath a drawing explaining why an assignment fits them. Students also create sentences using vocabulary words and record descriptive words/phrases for Jonas on a Character Timeline after each reading.
Lesson 2
Baby Gabriel
Students are asked to write a poem about their Utopia and to consider and apply techniques such as similes, metaphors, descriptive language, irony, and other stylistic choices. Students are prompted to discuss the meaning behind their poem and to explain which techniques they used to appeal to the reader's emotions. Students are also asked to write in their journal a list of three criteria for establishing laws and three criteria for home rules, and to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences.
Lesson 3
The Ceremony of Twelve
Students are asked to summarize chapters and are reminded that a summary recounts main events in order and excludes personal opinion, which directs them to organize content according to purpose. Students must answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and record descriptive words or phrases for a timeline, practicing sentence-level clarity and concise organization. In activities, students write positive and negative effects, a reasoned sentence defending whether a rule should exist, and label and describe ceremonies for a timeline, which requires composing targeted explanatory and descriptive sentences.
Lesson 4
The Selection
Students are instructed to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about Chapters 7 and 8, providing sentence-level writing practice. Students record words or phrases that describe Jonas on a timeline and copy or predict meanings on the Euphemisms activity page, requiring them to compose brief explanatory phrases. Students write journal entries identifying italicized words and complete the Italics activity page, which asks them to mark and produce correctly formatted text and to use italics/underlining for titles.
Lesson 5
Memories
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and to record descriptive words/phrases on a "Character Timeline." Students complete vocabulary webs that require them to write a sentence using each target word. In the history activity, students must write three- or four-sentence descriptions of historical events and explain how each memory could help Jonas's community, connecting content to purpose.
Lesson 6
Color
Students are asked to identify and organize descriptive words and phrases according to the five senses and record them on a "Sled Ride" chart, which directs them to select sensory details that create vivid images. Students are instructed to write a descriptive paragraph of a childhood memory using the senses chart, and the Parent Plan explicitly instructs developing written responses with supporting details and precise verbs, nouns, and adjectives. The activities require students to aim their language so the reader "feels as if he or she is experiencing the event," linking word choice and imagery to audience effect.
Lesson 7
Pain
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences and to record information about Jonas on a "Character Timeline," which requires organizing character details. Activity 2 asks students to write two sentences with adjective clauses or, in Option 2, to "write a paragraph describing a person, place, or object" that contains at least three adjective clauses, prompting descriptive paragraph production. The Skills section explicitly includes "Use complete simple and compound sentences," supporting sentence-level writing practice.
Lesson 8
Love
Students are asked to produce a short persuasive letter to Jonas' community that explains freedom, with an example first paragraph provided and explicit directions to include symbolism and audience-appropriate ideas. Students are given alternative writing tasks (three poems: before-and-after, acrostic, and a bio-poem) with definitions and a structured bio-poem template to guide organization and content. The tasks require students to imagine an audience (the community), explain benefits and trade-offs, and prepare work to share with others, which targets purpose and audience-aware style.
Lesson 9
Rosemary
Students are asked to "Answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires composing clear sentence-level responses. The Activities direct students to use specific, descriptive verbs and to avoid passive voice, and the Student Activity Page asks students to write/label sentences as active or passive and produce two active and two passive sentences. The COLORS & FEELINGS pages ask students to record feelings using "interesting words," prompting word-choice and stylistic decisions.
Lesson 10
The Plan
Students are asked to write descriptive explanations in the Music Collage option to explain the concept of music to an unfamiliar audience, requiring them to choose language appropriate to that audience and purpose. In the Musical Selection option, students must write song titles and explain why each would be shared, practicing audience-aware justification and conventions (capitalization/titles). The Active/Passive Voice activity asks students to revise sentences and a paragraph to use active voice, which addresses sentence-level style and clarity.
4: Systems and Interaction
Unit 1: Esperanza Rising
Lesson 1
Tragedy in Mexico
Students are assigned short-answer questions (Questions 1-5) that require written explanations, summaries, and comparisons (for example, listing reasons for the Depression and explaining Roosevelt's three R's). As Cultural Commentator, students are instructed to record in a journal places in the chapters that reveal cultural details, describing customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, and food. In Activity 1 students create a Great Depression photo journal by selecting accounts, pasting pages, adding images, and assembling a cover, which requires organizing content across pages. Students also create Spanish vocabulary note cards, which involves producing written word/definition pairs.
Lesson 2
Escape
The lesson asks students to write a free-verse poem about the Phoenix that "should serve as an inspiration for Esperanza," which gives students a clear writing task with a purpose and audience. Option 1 asks students to describe how the phoenix might serve as a symbol for Esperanza's circumstances, requiring students to produce explanatory prose. The Student Activity Page also requires students to write two sentences using quotation marks and to explain their choices, which involves composing original sentences for specified purposes.
Lesson 3
Train Ride
Students are taught explicit rules for writing dialogue (quotation marks, tag placement, commas/periods before end quotations, paragraphing each time a new person speaks). Students practice punctuating dialogue by correcting passages with missing quotation marks and commas and by writing their own imagined dialogue for a train scene, checking paragraph formation and punctuation. Students also write four discussion questions (including at least one open-ended question), which requires composing clear questions aimed at a discussion audience.
Lesson 4
Los Angeles
Students are asked to write detailed descriptions of settings or create maps, noting page locations and explaining the role of setting in the story (Reading And Questions). Students practice word choice and dialogue by replacing instances of "said" with more descriptive verbs and by writing an original dialogue in a journal without using "said" (Activity 1 Options 1 and 2). Students record quotes from videos in a journal and create a poster titled "The Dust Bowl," combining images and written quotations for presentation (Activity 2).
Lesson 5
Home Sweet Home
The lesson gives explicit instruction on organizing a problem-solution paragraph, including a labeled example that breaks the paragraph into topic sentence (problem), two to three sentences explaining causes, two to three sentences proposing a solution with details, and a concluding sentence that restates the problem and benefit. Students are asked to use a graphic organizer with dedicated sections (topic sentence, explanation, solution, concluding sentence) and to write their own problem-solution paragraph about Esperanza or a personal problem. Students also read selected passages aloud to a parent and explain their choices, which practices considering an audience for their explanations.
Lesson 6
Papa's Roses
The Shrine activity instructs students to "draw a picture of the shrine" and then "explain the elements of the shrine, what they represent about your life, and why they are an important part of who you are," providing a prompted expository writing task with lines for writing. The "More Spanish Vocabulary" activity requires students to write vocabulary words in blank quote bubbles and labels and paste them on the picture, which has students produce short written labels and match words to context. The Student Activity Pages include spaces and prompts that require students to compose written explanations or labels tied to a clear purpose.
Lesson 7
Dust Storm
Students practice organization and coherence by combining sentences using suggested transition words and by ordering sentence strips to create logical paragraphs in the "Using Transition Words" activity. The Parent Plan explicitly states skills to "elaborate information and ideas in speaking and writing by using transitions" and to "identify and correctly use transitions to connect ideas." Students also write an "I Am" poem that requires them to produce connected lines about Esperanza, applying choices in wording and structure to convey character.
Lesson 8
Christmas
Students are taught to use transition words and phrases to link paragraphs and to vary topic-sentence wording (Activity 2 and the Transitioning Between Paragraphs student page). Students must write explanations: they choose a Cesar Chavez quote, write it, explain its meaning in their own words, and relate it to Esperanza's story (Cesar Chavez student activity page). The skills list explicitly requires students to use a variety of sentence structures and transitions and to elaborate information and ideas in writing.
Lesson 9
The Strike
Students are asked to write a four- to five-sentence summary of two chapters, explicitly practicing summarizing main events and supporting details. Students complete sentence-creation items that require writing sentences using commonly confused words correctly, and they practice verb usage as noted in the skills list. Students use a graphic organizer ('On Strike!') to record text examples, summarize those examples, and cite page numbers, which requires selecting and writing supporting details.
Lesson 10
Together
Students are assigned the role of "Dialogue Designer" and instructed to create and record an imagined conversation that centers on events from the chapters read. The lesson provides explicit, practical rules for writing dialogue (use quotation marks, punctuation placement, separate indented paragraph for each speaker) and stylistic guidance (vary tag placement, avoid overusing "said", include descriptive actions and vocal tone). Students are directed to rewrite a scene into mostly dialogue, read it aloud using distinct character voices, and are reminded to make the conversation entertaining, persuasive, or informative to fit a purpose.
Final Project
A Dramatization
Students are asked to write a movie trailer script that must highlight main events, describe characters and obstacles, include major themes, and be written to make an audience want to see the movie, which requires purpose- and audience-driven word choice and organization. Students are instructed to write a readers' theatre script following script conventions (no quotation marks, actions in parentheses) and a specified length (12–15 lines), and then to rehearse and perform it for an audience. Students create a movie poster and sketch sets, selecting titles, images, and setting details intended to persuade or inform viewers, which requires stylistic and organizational choices appropriate to those tasks.
Unit 2: The Tree That Time Built
Lesson 1
Fields
Students are asked to compose original poems (Activity 2) about nature, using poetic license and specific constraints (at least two stanzas and end rhyme). The lesson prompts students to consider topic, intended emotion/tone, word choice, and title—explicitly asking them to think about the listener/reader. Students label stanza counts and rhyme patterns (Activity 1) and learn terminology (stanza, end rhyme, metaphor, imagery), which provides instruction on poetic form and stylistic devices.
Lesson 2
The Sea
Students are asked to write a poem about the sea (Activity 3) and may use a provided template (Option 1) or compose an original poem on lined paper (Option 2). Students must include at least one example of personification and one metaphor, and are instructed to rewrite the poem on lined paper for a final project. Parents are instructed to check that the child followed the provided structure and to encourage inclusion of figurative language.
Lesson 3
Prehistoric
Students are asked in Activity 2 to reread "Obituary for a Clam" and write their own obituary for a prehistoric animal, which requires them to produce a piece of writing. The Student Activity Page provides labeled sections (name, date, cause of death, native location, description of life, family list, species name, how the animal will be remembered) that guide the organization of their writing. Students are instructed to research their animal and to read examples of obituaries before writing, and to copy the poem neatly and read it aloud, which supports content development and presentation.
Lesson 4
Plants
Students are asked to write a shape poem (Activity 3) in which they select a shape, collect observations of a leaf, trace its outline, and record their poem inside the outline; the prompt also requires including a hyphen in the poem. Students are asked to brainstorm and record in a journal ways that humans and animals depend on plants (Activity 2). The Skills section asks students to use simple, compound, and compound-complex sentences, and the Wrapping Up asks students to read a chosen poem aloud with tone, mood, and emotion appropriate to the poem.
Lesson 5
Amphibians and Reptiles
Students are asked to produce original poetry in the Found Poem activity by selecting text, rearranging lines, and adding or removing words to create imagery and effect. Students write a two-line couplet in the Camouflage Option 1 activity, practicing end rhyme and concise poetic style. Students also rewrite sentences to insert dashes and are prompted to write two sentences that contain dashes and explain their usage, practicing sentence-level clarity and punctuation choices.
Lesson 6
Insects
Students are asked to write a haiku with the 5/7/5 syllable structure and to record and count syllables, which teaches form and concise poetic style. Students are guided to plan and write a narrative poem by identifying a main character, problem/conflict, and the poem's beginning, middle, and end, which teaches organization and development. Students are instructed not to write in prose and to use poetic license, which addresses choosing an appropriate style for the task. Students practice punctuation (parentheses) to control emphasis and clarity in their writing.
Lesson 7
Birds
Students are asked to write their own poem about birds to decoupage onto a shoebox lid, giving them a clear writing task and a real audience when they are encouraged to recite the poem for family. Students memorize and recite poems, practicing voice and tone, which connects writing choices to oral presentation and audience. Students analyze poetic devices (word choice, figurative language, rhythm, rhyme) that can inform stylistic decisions in their own writing.
Lesson 8
Mammals
Students are asked to write their own lyric poem (Activity 1), which requires them to choose a task and apply poetic devices (metaphor, alliteration, end rhyme, imagery, personification) to achieve a song-like style. Students are invited to rewrite a poem using the author's structure (Option 2), practicing organization by modeling an existing compositional framework. Students analyze and practice the use of ellipses and other stylistic punctuation (Activity 2), which engages them in choices of style and tone.
Lesson 9
Preservation
Students are asked to research an endangered or extinct species and write a poem that gives details about the animal and conveys an emotion of loss, with explicit direction to use figurative language (Activity 2). Students write an acrostic poem about a researched poet, which requires using a specific organizational form tied to purpose (Activity 5). Students copy and analyze poems for metaphors, personification, tone, alliteration, rhyme, and imagery, and read their poems aloud, which supports attention to style and audience (Activity 6 and wrapping-up tasks).
Final Project
Poetry Lapbook
Students create and arrange multiple poem types (haiku, narrative, lyric, found poem) into a organized lapbook and follow explicit formatting instructions (e.g., haiku 5/7/5 syllables, narrative with plot). The rubric asks students to make their poems neat and easy to read, to show figurative language, and to produce a well-organized lapbook that follows directions and reflects the nature theme. Students copy or type poems onto specified mini-book pages and are directed to study punctuation and poem types for clarity on conventions.
Unit 3: Secret of the Andes
Lesson 1
The Andes Mountains
Students write three sentences to create a subject-verb agreement quiz, produce an answer key, and give the quiz to a friend, which requires composing sentences for a real audience. Students write concise dictionary-based definitions as clues and place vocabulary words into a 4-by-4 crossword, which requires selecting words and phrasing clues accurately. Students also edit and rewrite verbs on the "Do We Agree?" activity, practicing sentence-level revision and correctness.
Lesson 2
The Valley
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, practicing clear sentence-level writing. Students record information about Incan culture on structured charts and graphic organizers (Holidays, Clothing, Government, Technology, etc.), practicing organization of information into categories. Students are instructed to focus on the overall picture rather than details, which directs their note-taking toward a specific purpose.
Lesson 3
People Below
Students are directed to plan and organize a lyric poem using the "Writing a Lyric Poem for a Minstrel" organizer, dividing the story into 3–4 events to form stanzas. Students are prompted to develop their topic with supporting details and to use precise verbs, nouns, adjectives, rhymes, and word-pictures to create style and imagery. The activities require students to retell a personal or historical event in 3–4 verses and to incorporate figurative language (similes, metaphors, personification, imagery).
Lesson 4
The Journey
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences, which requires them to produce coherent sentence-level writing. Students are directed to create a "Wildflowers of __" book with pages, drawings, and names to help a hiker or nature lover identify flowers, which frames a writing task with a particular audience and purpose. The Peru photo collage option asks students to locate and assemble pictures and to "consider the different elements of culture," which prompts selection and organization of content for a specific project.
Lesson 5
New Sights
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences and to write five journal sentences using provided verbal phrases, which practices sentence-level clarity and correctness. Students must record personification descriptions in complete sentences and label the personifying words, which practices choosing words and phrasing to convey meaning. The Parent Plan states students will 'use a variety of sentence types correctly' and 'use phrases and clauses correctly within sentences,' reinforcing sentence-level composition skills.
Lesson 6
Llama Training
Students practice sentence-level clarity and style in Activity 1 by combining short sentences using participial phrases to vary sentence types and make writing more interesting. Students are asked to create a "Guide to Incan Landmarks" book and to "pretend you are creating the book for tourists," which requires them to write with a clear purpose and specific audience in mind. The Parent Plan lists skills students will practice including editing and revising manuscripts and synthesizing research into a written presentation, which relates to producing coherent written work.
Lesson 7
The Temple
The Parent Plan lists skills that require students to use transitional words and phrases and to provide details and transitional expressions that link one paragraph to another. Activity 2 asks students to identify and underline time- and sequence-related transition words in a myth, and the Wrapping Up and review prompts ask students to explain why transitional words are important. The Reading and Questions section requires students to answer questions in complete sentences, reinforcing sentence-level organization.
Lesson 8
The City
The Student Activity Page asks students to write a short, multi-paragraph book review and requires at least two paragraphs with transitions that link paragraphs and ideas. The transitions chart and directions ask students to use time, cause-effect, contrast/comparison transitions to show sequence and relations and to include at least one example transition to illustrate a feature of the book. Activity 2 offers a writing task (a poem) that asks students to select a form and use figurative language, giving practice with stylistic choices.
Lesson 9
Belonging
Students are asked to write an informative paragraph about Ann Nolan Clark using a list of facts and are given explicit tips for varying sentence beginnings and using transitions. Students read revision examples that show combining short sentences and adding transitions, then practice editing and rearranging sentences for smoother flow. Students plan and produce a five-slide slideshow with specified slide topics and 2–3 sentences per slide, requiring them to organize content for a young-child audience.
Lesson 10
Painting Sentences
Students expand simple sentences by adding details (adverbs and adjectives) to answer How, When, Where and Which, What kind, How many, and Whose. Students practice painting the predicate and subject, choosing a word to 'paint,' and then refine wording and check spelling and punctuation in a final sentence. Students are directed to create complex sentences, edit and revise to improve meaning and focus, and identify subject and predicate through multiple guided practice pages.
Final Project
Narrative Essay
Students are asked to produce a five-paragraph narrative in first person as Cusi and to reflect Cusi's voice, which directs audience and stylistic choices. Organizing activities require students to choose three key events (beginning, middle, end), craft a hook and thesis, and use graphic organizers to sequence ideas and develop paragraphs. A rubric and rubric-related tasks explicitly target voice, sentence structure (including transitions and sentence variation), descriptive language, and mechanics, and students complete revision tasks (editing symbols, painting a sentence) before producing a final copy.