Ninth Grade - ELA
• Literacy
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Early Civilizations and Migration (600 BCE)
Lesson 1
Preshistory
Students are assigned to read pp. 40-43 of the National Geographic Almanac of World History and then answer specific comprehension questions about human evolution, tool use, and migration, requiring them to use information from that informational text. The lesson asks students to shade a map showing migration time periods and routes (Activity 1) using the provided answer key, which requires interpreting evidence about where and when humans settled. Homework Option 1 directs students to base a narrative "A Day in the Life" on descriptions from pages 41-42, and Option 2 asks students to apply what they have learned from the readings to a real environment, both of which require drawing on the informational text.
Lesson 2
Early Agriculture
Students are assigned to read pp. 16-17 in the National Geographic Almanac of World History and answer specific comprehension questions that require using the text (Questions 1–4). Activity 2 (The Fertile Crescent) directs students to use the Internet to gather average rainfall and images for cities and to record reasons why people settled where they did, requiring students to collect and interpret informational evidence. The Mapping Early Farming Civilizations homework asks students to locate, sequence, and shade early farming regions using a video and maps, and Option 2 explicitly allows students to use Internet sources to analyze uses and challenges of domesticating animals.
Lesson 3
Early Civilizations
Students are directed to read pp. 44-49 of the National Geographic Almanac of World History and answer specific comprehension and analysis questions (QUESTION #1-#4) using that text. Multiple activities explicitly instruct students to "use the readings as a guide" or "use the information from the reading in your responses" for the Cultural Hearth chart, the Urbanization flowchart, the Elements of Civilization comparison, and the Social Organization pyramid. Activity 1 invites students to conduct atlas or Internet research to learn more about cultural hearths, and homework options require students to create visual representations that synthesize textual information.
Lesson 4
Mesopotamia
Students are directed to review pp. 44-49 of the National Geographic Almanac and answer specific reading questions about priests/temples, cuneiform, Hammurapi, and the Iron Age. In the Political Development activity, students must read examples from the Code of Hammurabi and list four things they can infer about Babylonian society based on analysis of those laws. The mini-project requires students to use the reading (and, if needed, additional online or library research) to support descriptions of geography, economic and political development, social distinctions, cultural characteristics, and religious beliefs.
Lesson 5
Egypt
Students are asked to read pp. 50–55 of the National Geographic Almanac of World History and to answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., about hieroglyphs, the Nile's role, the First Intermediate Period) that require using information from that text. Students must create a mini-project (booklet) that uses the reading as the primary source for six topics (geography, economy, politics, social distinctions, culture, religion) and may do additional online or library research to complete responses. In Option 2, students must identify at least one important idea for each topic, locate a website that illustrates that idea, and explain why the website is worthwhile, which requires gathering and citing evidence from informational sources to support their choices.
Lesson 6
Trade and Empire Building
Students are assigned to read pp. 56-59 in the National Geographic Almanac and answer specific comprehension questions that require facts from that text (e.g., causes of flooding, Harappan trade partners and exports). Activity instructions tell students to "use what you learned from reviewing the readings and watching the video" to complete the Expansion of Empires page, and the Early Trade Systems page directs students to fill a chart and provide examples "based on the readings." The bonus and reflection prompts ask students to explain causes and consequences using information drawn from the readings and video.
Lesson 7
New Beliefs and Technologies
Students are asked to read specific informational pages (pp. 60-62) and answer directed factual questions about ancient China, which requires pulling details from the text. Students are instructed to "use the readings" to fill a comparative chart on Hinduism, Judaism, and Zoroastrianism (Option 1) and to write a 2-minute-per-faith voice-over script covering origins, key beliefs, and requirements (Option 2), both of which require drawing content from informational texts. The homework on inventions asks students to "go back to past readings or do a bit of internet research" and to consider political, economic, military, and cultural applications, prompting students to use sources to support their analysis.
Lesson 8
Historical Essay
Students are instructed to "go back to the readings from earlier lessons to look for specific evidence to support [their] main points," and to provide parenthetical references in the text with an example citation format. The rubric requires that body paragraphs be "supported by relevant and accurate evidence" and that "accurate parenthetical citations for quotations and specific evidence are provided throughout." Activities direct students to identify evidence during planning, use it to develop a thesis and body paragraphs, and to explain choices in the discussion prompts.
Final Project
Flow Chart
Students are directed to "use the readings from earlier lessons to help you fill in each piece of the template" for the flowchart. Both project options require 2–3 sentence descriptions explaining the significance of each element (hunter-gatherers, pastoralism, agriculture, migrations, and civilizations). The unit test and homework ask students to review readings, answer analytical questions (e.g., define "civilization" and explain differences) and write a reflective paragraph about what they learned.
Unit 1: Lord of the Flies
Lesson 2
Life on the Island
Students are instructed to create STEAL character pages and "add your impressions... Record those examples that you think are important," with explicit directions to include page numbers. The parent notes and activity pages model using details from the text (quotes and actions) to support character inferences and analysis. The reading questions and homework ask students to read chapters and answer comprehension and analysis questions that rely on cited events from the text.
Lesson 3
Paths in the Jungle
Students are instructed to annotate an informational article and mark important ideas, questions, and supporting details. Students complete a Student Activity Page where they identify the author's main argument/thesis and list key points that support that thesis. The Parent Plan and Skills section explicitly state that students should "cite strong and thorough textual evidence" to support analysis of what the text says.
Lesson 4
Images from Paradise
Students are prompted to cite direct quotations from the novel in Activity 1 by filling the "Five Senses" chart with a quotation, labeling it positive or negative, and explaining how the description serves as an example of imagery and tone. The directions require students to include the original sentence (or an embellished original) and to explain how the description demonstrates imagery, which asks students to use textual evidence to support literary analysis. The Student Activity Pages ask students to write sentences and identify clauses, which requires attention to specific language choices and their effects.
Lesson 6
Symbolism, Part 1
Students are directed to "back up your explanation with support from the text" on the Student Activity Page, asking them to circle an interpretation for each symbol and write text-based reasoning. The journal assignment asks students to write a one-page entry that "record[s] actions and quotes from the other main characters," requiring them to cite evidence from the novel. The reading questions for Chapter 7 require students to answer using details from the chapter, practicing extraction of textual evidence to support responses.
Lesson 10
Which Is Better?
Students read informational material about ancient Rome (the aqueducts and Colosseum) and a definition of civilization in the Developing Civilizations activity. The lesson provides a Crash Course World History video link as an informational source and asks students to compare the boys' lives and mindsets with those of early human civilizations on a two-column activity page. The Things to Know and Activity 1 sections present factual descriptions (e.g., functions of aqueducts, traits of civilizations) that students can use when making comparisons.
Unit 2: World Religions (600 BCE - 600 CE)
Lesson 1
Rise of Religions
Students are asked to skim sections of the National Geographic Almanac (pp. 44-61, 66-67) and "find at least two examples from each civilization" of how religion overlapped with government, recording those examples on an activity page. Students must do a Google News search or use specified news sites to "find an article that describes a modern-era conflict in which religion plays a role," then summarize and reflect on that article on the Religions and Conflict activity page. In the Hatshepsut option, students read a Smithsonian article and textbook sections and answer guided questions about gender, religion, and power, using those texts to support their responses.
Lesson 2
Shamanism, Animism, Ancestor Veneration
Students are asked to read pp. 12–14 of The One-Stop Guide and answer comprehension questions that require extracting information about animism, shamanism, and ancestor veneration. In Option 1, students must find two or three folktales, "look for evidence of animist beliefs," and compare the stories on an activity page, identifying sacred objects/places and shared themes. In Option 2, students research Chinese New Year and Día de los Muertos using provided links or other sources and complete a chart about the role of ancestor veneration and the relationship between living people and ancestors.
Lesson 3
Hinduism
Students are asked to read The One-Stop Guide to World Religions and answer targeted reading questions (e.g., defining an avatar, describing Harappan religious practices, distinguishing Sruti and Smriti, and explaining karma) that require using the informational text. In Option 1 students must read a portion of the Ramayana slideshow and answer analytical questions linking the story and artworks to Hindu beliefs. In Option 2 students are directed to "pay particular attention" to specific pages on caste and then write three-perspective narratives that show understanding of those textual descriptions. The homework asks students to fill the Dimensions of World Religions booklet using the assigned reading (and, if needed, online research) to summarize how the seven dimensions function in Hinduism.
Lesson 4
Buddhism
Students are asked to read informational pages (pp. 44-53) and answer specific content questions (e.g., identify why Buddhism became global, list the Four Noble Truths, explain the Heart Sutra). Activity 1 directs students to fill a comparison chart about Theraveda, Mahayana, and Vajrayana as they read pp. 50-51, requiring them to extract and record textual information. Activity 2 and the homework options ask students to complete a "Dimensions" booklet and write a reaction paper or create a timeline using the readings (and optional online research) to support their work.
Lesson 5
Daoism and Confucianism
Students are assigned to read pp. 54-65 of an informational text and answer directed comprehension questions that quote and cite the text (e.g., the answer to "What is the Dao?" references p. 58). Activity 1 asks students to review main ideas on pages 58-59 and write an informal journal entry "based on your understanding" of those concepts, linking reflection to the reading. Activity 2 directs students to fill in sections of a "Dimensions of World Religions" booklet and explicitly allows them to do online research to complete the map and dimensions. Homework Option 2 requires students to find at least three other quotations and write 1-2 paragraphs analyzing connections among them, which involves drawing on additional informational sources.
Lesson 6
Judaism
Students are assigned The One-Stop Guide to World Religions (pp. 66-75 and p.120) and must answer specific questions (e.g., describe origins of Judaism, how Jews show love for God) that direct them to use information from those pages. Students are asked to fill in a "Dimensions of World Religions" booklet and to complete a map of the Jewish diaspora, tasks that require online or text-based research to locate facts and historical locations. The homework requires students to research a Jewish holiday and produce either a written narrative or a slideshow, and the slideshow instructions explicitly ask for citations for images used.
Lesson 7
Christianity
Students are assigned specific informational texts (One-Stop Guide pp. 76-85, Almanac pp. 98-99) and must answer targeted questions (Questions #1-#4) that require use of those sources. In Activity 1 Option 1, students must read at least two historical/archaeological articles and summarize each source in designated boxes and respond to analytic questions about scholars' motivations and implications. In Activity 1 Option 2 and Activity 2, students read Matthew 5-7 and other online resources and are prompted to reflect on teachings in historical context and to use online research to fill their Dimensions of World Religions booklet; homework also asks students to use a Crash Course video and a Pew report and reflect on the spread of Christianity.
Lesson 8
Islam
Students are assigned specific informational texts (The One-Stop Guide to World Religions and National Geographic Almanac) and answer directed reading questions (e.g., Describe Ramadan, What is jihad?), which requires extracting facts from those sources. Students must create a timeline of Muhammad's life with one clear, well-organized paragraph for each date explaining the event and its significance, requiring them to draw information from texts and summarize it. The homework asks students to read parallel stories from the Bible and the Qur'an and complete a Two Versions activity that explicitly directs them to summarize shared elements and identify omissions, tone differences, and how figures are portrayed, which requires citing textual evidence for comparisons.
Final Project
Dimensions of World Religions
Students are asked to study the unit readings and review headings and major sections as homework, indicating they should draw on informational texts when preparing. The Day 2 essay prompt requires students to describe origins, tenets, practices, and explain similarities or make a persuasive argument about religions, which requires using information from those texts. The identification questions ask students to provide basic information and significance for selected terms, which depends on evidence drawn from the unit readings and answer key.
Unit 2: Short Stories
Lesson 1
The Gift of the Magi
Students are asked to go online and research the Magi, the Queen of Sheba, and King Solomon using provided informational links (Matthew 2:1-12, 1 Kings 10:1-10, PBS page). Students must take notes on who the Magi were and what they were known for and write journal sentences describing the historical significance of these figures. The homework directs students to explain why the author alludes to these figures and how that knowledge contributes to their understanding of the short story.
Lesson 2
The Necklace
Students are instructed to locate and use textual evidence from "The Necklace" to support claims about the story's theme (Activity 1 asks students to re-read annotated sections and use those passages to fill out a theme web). Students practice incorporating direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries to support analysis (Activity 2 and the homework explicitly tell students to use direct quotes, summarize passages, or paraphrase to prove their points and introduce the APE strategy: Answer, Prove, Extend). The Parent Plan and skills list explicitly require students to "cite strong and thorough textual evidence" and to use evidence to support literary analysis and objective summary writing.
Lesson 5
Edgar Allan Poe
Students locate and cite specific lines from "The Tell-Tale Heart" when completing the "Crazy Like a Fox?" chart, listing evidence that supports and contradicts the narrator's reliability. They identify and record three to four examples of foreshadowing in a journal activity, with parent-plan examples quoting passages (e.g., sharpened hearing, the "vulture" eye, repeated references to the heart and beating). Students quote corresponding story sections under each panel when creating a 6–8 panel storyboard, using textual passages to support their visual interpretations.
Lesson 6
The Lottery
Students are instructed to record and cite elements from Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery" that mention the black box, using a three-part worksheet that asks for physical description, townspeople reactions, and historical connections. The Parent Plan and Skills sections explicitly state that students should "cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis" and should provide specific evidence from the text to support interpretations of symbols. Activity 2 suggests students may "do a web search" about controversies, which could lead students to consult informational sources about reception of similar works.
Lesson 7
Everyday Use
Students are directed to read online biographical pages about Alice Walker and complete an "Author's Biographical Data Sheet" that asks them to record biographical facts and note parallels between Walker's life and "Everyday Use." For homework, students browse museum quilt galleries (informational texts) and complete the "Quilted Heritage" activity page that asks them to describe a quilt and analyze how it reflects culture. The Skills and Parent Plan sections explicitly instruct students to conduct research, record findings, and to cite textual evidence when drawing conclusions.
Lesson 9
Dialogue
Students are instructed in Activity 2 to "refer to specific lines or sections of dialogue to support your points," and to skim and re-read sections containing dialogue from listed short stories to justify their analysis. The Parent Plan Skills explicitly list "Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text." Students also read an informational grammar text (The Only Grammar Book You'll Ever Need) in Activity 1 to review rules for quotation marks and punctuation.
Unit 3: Rise of the Empires (600 BCE - 600 CE)
Lesson 1
Persian Empire
Students are instructed to read pages 72-73 of the National Geographic Almanac of World History and answer specific factual questions, requiring them to pull information from an informational text. Activity 2 directs students to record information about politics, religion, and culture and to return to readings or do online research to fill gaps, supporting research and comparison across empires. The unit asks students to synthesize similarities and differences for a unit test and final project, which requires using gathered information to support analyses and reflections.
Lesson 2
Greek Empire
Students are assigned specific pages in two informational texts (National Geographic Almanac of World History and AP World History: An Essential Coursebook) and must read them to answer four guided content questions. Students use those same texts as source material to shade and label territories in Activity 1, explicitly referencing pages for map boundaries. Students fill an Activity 2 chart using colored pens to record politics, religion, and culture details from the readings and save those notes for later comparative work.
Lesson 3
Qin and Han Empires
Students are assigned specific informational texts (pages from National Geographic Almanac and AP World History) and are instructed to read them and then answer targeted comprehension and content questions about Qin and Han government, causes of civil war, Confucianism, and Han innovations. Students are told to preview Activity 2 while reading and to start filling in information on politics, religion, and culture, which requires extracting facts from the readings. Activity 2 asks students to organize evidence (using different colored pens) to distinguish Qin-only, Han-only, and shared information. Discussion prompts ask students to defend their answers about causes and significance, which requires using evidence from the readings to support their positions.
Lesson 4
Roman Empire
Students are directed to read pp. 80-85 in the National Geographic Almanac of World History and then answer specific explanatory questions (e.g., "Was the Roman republic a democracy? Explain.") that require using information from the reading. Activity 1 explicitly tells students to use the maps on pages 83 and 85 as the source material for building and labeling their map of the Roman Republic and Empire. Activity 2 asks students to fill a chart about politics, religion, and culture and allows them to do a bit of online research to complete information not found in the reading.
Unit 3: Grammar, Part I
Lesson 2
Subject-Verb Agreement
Students are directed to read specified pages in The Only Grammar Book and linked informational webpages about subject-verb agreement and prepositions. They record notes, examples, and rules on the "Commonly Confused Words" activity pages and are told to "write down in your journal any rules you weren't aware of." Students also use answer keys to check their answers and revisit text sections when they miss questions.
Lesson 3
Pronoun Problems
Students are asked to read specific informational pages in The Only Grammar Book (pp. 90–94) and optional online resources and then explain a chosen topic in their own words (Activity 2). They must create a poster or slideshow that provides two example sentences showing the error and one or more strategies for fixing them, drawing on the reading for explanations and corrections. The student activity pages and exercises (Pronoun Agreement, Pronoun Cases) require students to apply rules presented in the lesson text to identify and correct pronoun errors.
Lesson 4
Commas
Students are asked to use explanations in the textbook (pp. 117–mid-123) and the provided Purdue and Towson web pages to find explanations and examples for their comma guide, which requires them to consult informational texts. Students watch a video about the Oxford comma and then write in their journal explaining what it is and whether they think it should be used, a reflective task tied to a multimedia informational source. The Parent Plan also lists the skill 'Integrate and evaluate information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally,' indicating students will work with multiple informational sources.
Lesson 6
Colons and Semicolons
Students read specified informational pages about semicolons and colons (e.g., pp. 124–126 and first half of p. 124) and read explanatory text on commonly confused words (pp. 18–19). Students are instructed to "Review the Evidence," prepare formal opening statements that must "utilize the listed claims" and include examples, and to answer judge questions using examples or by writing a sentence to demonstrate the rule. The Great Punctuation Trial asks students to defend rules with evidence and to explain reasoning aloud or in writing.
Unit 4: Poetry
Lesson 1
Introduction to Poetry
Students are asked to read a "What Is Poetry" page of poets' quotations and then add to or revise their original definition of poetry based on what they read. The Parent Plan explicitly directs students to look up the word "poetry" in a dictionary or online encyclopedia and compare that definition to their own. In Activity 2 students are instructed to use a dictionary to record the denotation of selected words from an Emily Dickinson poem and to analyze their connotations, listing similar words and explaining why the original word is more effective.
Lesson 4
Voice and Tone
Students are instructed to identify the speaker of poems and list three things they know about the speaker from the text (Activity 1 and the Student Activity Page), which requires citing details from the poems. In the Tone activity, students record tone words and list specific words or phrases from each poem that convey the poet's attitude, explicitly locating textual evidence. In Option 1 (Letter) students must "refer to parts of the poem and explain why" when writing as a speaker, which asks them to use poem details to support their analysis and reflection.
Lesson 5
What Does It Mean?
Students read provided informational background about Walt Whitman and Abraham Lincoln and use that information to interpret symbols and theme in "O Captain! My Captain!". Students read an explanatory paragraph about "Old Christmas" and are asked to use that information to identify and explain allusions in Roy Helton's "Old Christmas Morning." Web links and prompts direct students to look up unfamiliar words and research allusions online to support their answers on the activity pages.
Lesson 6
Fooling with Words
Students watch a one-hour video of poets and are asked to choose a favorite poet for homework. Students are instructed to "research your poet online and learn more about him or her" and to use a provided Poet Profile worksheet to record biographical facts (where the poet is from, age, current work, publications/awards) and titles of other poems. The lesson lists Poetry Foundation and Poets.org as starting sources, directing students to gather information from informational websites.
Lesson 8
Types of Poems
Students are instructed to read sonnets and mark rhyme schemes and meter (e.g., the Sonnet Identification activity asks students to mark end-line rhyme and follow iambic pentameter to identify Petrarchan vs. Shakespearean forms). Students read poems (Billy Collins, Whitman, Dunbar, Keats, Owen, etc.) and answer focused questions in journals about point, tone, speaker, and poetic devices, requiring them to cite specifics from the texts. In the Ekphrasis Analysis, students read poems and view artworks, then fill a chart describing what the poem says about the artwork and what emotions or meanings are evoked, which requires referencing textual and visual details as evidence.
Lesson 9
The Crossover
Students are asked to use the provided Resource List link to consult online dictionaries and to complete the Vocabulary activity page, which directs them to compare the words and definitions as shown in the book with how they appear in a dictionary. The Parent Plan and activity directions explicitly instruct students to discuss differences between the book and dictionary definitions and to explain how the book's method of defining words aids understanding using one word as an example.
Lesson 10
Poems and Poets
Students are asked to research a poet and record biographical and cultural information using the Poet Biography Boxes and provided web links (Poetry Foundation, Poets.org, MyLifeElsewhere). Activity 3 requires students to take notes on culture-specific information and include at least three interesting facts in a one-page biographical sketch. Activity 4 instructs students to "look back at the biographical information you collected" and "research any references in the poem that you're not familiar with," then write a journal response explaining how cultural references enrich the poem.
Lesson 11
Reciting Poetry
The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill to "cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text," which directs students to use textual evidence. Students are instructed to read the informational "Tips on Reciting" webpage and to read and analyze multiple poems and recitation videos, noting in their journals what makes each performance effective. Homework asks students to mark poems, look up unfamiliar words, determine speaker and tone, and consider why poets chose specific words — activities that require finding and using textual details to support interpretation.
Final Project
Poetry
In Choice 7 (Provide Your Opinion), students are directed to read Bob Dylan lyrics and two linked articles (one supportive, one critical) and then write a one-page argumentative response explaining whether Dylan deserved the Nobel Prize. The directions explicitly tell students that if they use other writers' arguments or quotations from articles they consult, they must give credit to those sources. The assignment requires students to explain their reasons, which encourages using evidence from those informational articles to support their argument.
Unit 5: Nonfiction
Lesson 1
Types of Nonfiction
Students are asked on the "All About a Person" activity page to examine the catalog record, front matter, and back matter and to "Give specific examples" that support whether a book is a biography, autobiography, or memoir. Students read the Patricia McCormick interview and are asked to "explain what role McCormick had" and whether that role changes the book's classification, which requires using textual evidence. The homework asks students to read the prologue and chapter 1 of I Am Malala, consult the glossary as needed, and answer specific content questions that require drawing facts and details from the text.
Lesson 2
Pakistan
Students are directed to "use information from the book as well as from the web links provided in the lesson to find the answers" on the Pakistan activity page, requiring them to gather evidence from multiple informational texts. The activity tells students to use the book timeline and specific web pages (Wikipedia, World Factbook, language page) to answer factual and causal questions (e.g., why Pakistan and India went to war, how conservative groups gained a foothold). Reading assignments (Chapters 2–4 and 5–6) are paired with questions that ask students to explain conditions and causes (e.g., effects of the earthquake, Taliban actions), which requires drawing evidence from the assigned texts. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to report what they learned in their research, prompting reflection based on gathered information.
Lesson 3
The Taliban
Students read chapters of I Am Malala and answer specific comprehension questions that require retrieving information from the text. Students are asked to consult the PBS article "Who Are the Taliban?" (and other web sources) and then write an informational paragraph or create slides summarizing who the Taliban are, using information gathered from those informational texts. Students complete a homework activity that has them read an article listing "10 Barriers to Education," record and classify each barrier, and be prepared to discuss which barriers have been a factor in I Am Malala. The wrapping-up section explicitly notes practice with paraphrasing, a skill for drawing and restating evidence from sources.
Lesson 4
Dear Diary
Students read informational texts (Chapters 11–13 of I Am Malala and BBC diary excerpts) and answer text-based comprehension questions (e.g., how Malala felt about giving speeches). Students analyze example paraphrases and complete paraphrasing practice using original sentences drawn from cited sources. The lesson repeatedly defines and contrasts quoting, summarizing, and paraphrasing and explicitly tells students they must cite their sources unless information is common knowledge.
Lesson 5
Displacement
Students read informational chapters (Chapters 16–17) and answer specific comprehension questions that require pulling facts from the text (e.g., defining IDPs, describing school conditions on return). In Option 1, students view Guardian photos and are asked to "do some brief research" about school conditions in that city/country and record challenges and statistics they find. In Option 2, students read an article about how kids get to school and are instructed to use points mentioned in the article to list advantages and disadvantages for different transport types and to include information from the article in a mini-book.
Lesson 6
A Day Like Any Other
The lesson requires students to read chapters of the nonfiction book I Am Malala and answer comprehension and analysis questions, which asks them to cite text details (Questions and Answers sections). The APE graphic and instructions explicitly tell students to "Prove: Provide evidence to support your answer. Use specific examples and quotations from the text." The Parent Plan and activity directions require students to use the APE strategy to analyze decisions and to include quotations with page numbers in the "prove" section.
Lesson 7
Life in England
Students read Chapters 33–34 and answer targeted comprehension questions that require them to draw details from the text (for example, differences between Malala's old and new school). Students watch an 11-minute documentary segment and are explicitly instructed to take notes comparing how the book and the filmmaker portray Malala and her family, with prompts that reference specific page locations and ask about the filmmaker's focus, the father's influence, and impressions of the mother. Students prepare to discuss and reflect on those comparisons, using both the print memoir and the film as sources of evidence.
Lesson 8
Civil Rights
Students read informational texts and media (e.g., PBS Freedom Riders videos, timelines, and the first and second halves of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail") and answer guided questions in journals about events and arguments. Students underline excerpts from King's letter, identify whether they agree with his reasoning, and list the four steps of a nonviolent campaign, demonstrating extraction of specific evidence and factual details. Students read works and biographies of Frederick Douglass, Langston Hughes, and Maya Angelou and write sentences about each author's contribution, and students cut out timeline excerpts and arrange them chronologically to synthesize information across texts.
Lesson 9
Civil Disobedience
Students analyze parallel excerpts from Thoreau and King by highlighting phrases that express similar ideas and completing a comparison table (Activity 1). Students read opposing quotes on America, government, and voting, choose which author they agree with, and explain how their views align (Activity 2). Students read excerpts from "Civil Disobedience" for homework and answer text-based questions about Thoreau's claims and reasoning.
Lesson 10
Learning from the Past
Students read and annotate Elie Wiesel's speech and complete activity sheets that ask them to find and cite specific quotes from the text (e.g., "Find a quote from the text that supports this"). Students rewrite passages in their own words and use direct quotations to draft analytical paragraphs comparing Wiesel to other figures (Activity 3 asks for a paragraph using a quote from each person mentioned). Students complete short-answer and matching exercises that require locating textual evidence to support answers and reflections.
Lesson 11
A Boy's Story
Students read the Chronology entries (pp. 222-224) to learn who was involved in the Sierra Leone war and how it began and progressed. Students watch the author interview and answer Q1–Q4, which ask them to identify the RUF's initial goal, explain continued fighting, explain why the war lasted long, and report what the author says the book tries to explain (explicitly referencing the video). Homework directs students to read specific pages (p. 3 and Chapter 1, pp. 5–17) and answer comprehension questions that require using details from those texts and the map to support responses.
Lesson 12
Running from War
Students are required to use textual quotations to support answers in the APE homework, where the 'Prove' step instructs them to 'Use a quotation from the text to support your answer' and to apply methods from Activity 1 to introduce the quotation. Activity 1 explicitly teaches strategies for integrating quotations, using square brackets, and ellipses, and gives students practice selecting correctly punctuated sentences and composing introductory phrases for a quoted line from Chapter 5. Reading questions and comprehension tasks ask students to answer questions based on specific chapters and summaries, which requires locating and referring to details from the text.
Lesson 13
Child Soldier
The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill to "Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis" and the "Different Accounts" activity directs students to "Give examples or quotes from the book to back up your answer." Multiple question sets ask students to read specified chapters and answer inferential questions using the text (e.g., explaining motivations, effects of drugs, and the role of music), and the homework and activity pages instruct students to use the book and the author video to record advantages/disadvantages and compare accounts.
Lesson 14
Rehabilitation
Students are asked to reread specific passages (the lieutenant's speech on p. 123 and the RUF conversation on p. 134) and to provide examples or quotations from the book to support conclusions in Option 2. The "RUF vs. Government Soldiers" activity page directs students to highlight actions and record whether each side committed listed war crimes, including space to record supporting examples or quotations. The "Wiesel's Words" page and journal prompts require students to choose a quotation and explain how it relates to Beah's memoir using specific information from the book or author video.
Lesson 15
A New Life
Students are asked to read chapters and write 1-2 paragraph summaries, which requires identifying main ideas from the text. Students answer chapter comprehension questions and a Comparing Memoirs activity that directs them to look at specific scenes and compare themes, style, and purpose across texts. For research practice, students review provided nonprofit websites and use information from those informational texts to create a flyer or webpage for an organization.
Final Project
Expository Essay
Students are instructed to develop a research question, gather multiple credible sources (K-N-S chart and guidance on .edu/.gov and reputable outlets), and choose three key facts to support a thesis. They must use at least two of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing to incorporate outside information, provide in-text citations for each source, and produce a properly formatted Works Cited page. Activity sheets require students to record sources for each key fact and to turn those facts into body paragraphs using the APE (Answer, Prove, Extend) method.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
Students are asked to review the Nonfiction unit and to understand differences among quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing, including a Part V activity that requires them to correctly introduce and integrate a quotation and to paraphrase passages. Discussion prompts (Part IV, especially item E) explicitly ask students to use essays, speeches, and other texts from the Nonfiction unit to discuss the importance of writing about the horrors of war, and other prompts ask students to explain how Thoreau influenced King or how authors used experiences to affect others. The multiple-choice and short-answer items also require students to cite textual details (e.g., identifying allusion, explaining why the Taliban targeted Malala) that draw on informational texts read this semester.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Ender's Game
Lesson 1
Born to Genius
Students read pp. xi-xiii of Orson Scott Card's introduction and are directed to use that information plus Internet research to complete the "About the Author" activity page, answering questions about historical facts, the author's influences, and sources for his military ideas. The student directions explicitly state, "Answer the following questions using Internet research as needed," requiring students to locate and extract information from informational texts. Students complete a pre/post "Your Views on the Issues" rating and are asked to be prepared to discuss whether the novel influenced their feelings, providing a chance for reflection after reading.
Lesson 2
We're People, Not Thirds
Students are asked in Activity 2 Option 2 to "research eugenics and record ten facts you learned," which requires consulting informational sources. The "Planned Procreation" activity directs students to consider historical and contemporary reasons for limiting children and explicitly suggests using Internet research and search terms to gather ideas. The Parent Plan repeats that students will "briefly research historic reasons" and may use online sources to generate facts for the activity.
Lesson 3
Science Fiction
Students read an informational article on the genre of science fiction and use that article together with the lesson introduction to complete a graphic organizer defining science fiction, listing common themes, naming historical eras and authors, and distinguishing science fiction from fantasy. Students complete a Quiz Prep sheet that requires them to fill in the definition, classify scenarios as science fiction or fantasy, and match statements to genre elements (romanticization, anachronism, hard/soft science fiction). The answer key and activity instructions explicitly tell students to use the article and the introduction to fill out the organizer and activity pages.
Lesson 7
Leaders Motivate
Students are instructed to read about John Locke and Demosthenes using provided web links and a short presentation, then reflect and write a journal entry describing the links between those historical figures and the characters Peter and Valentine. The Parent Plan reiterates that after learning about Locke and Demosthenes, students wrote a short journal entry offering a theory explaining why Peter chose the pen names. Activity 2 asks students to match leadership quotes to novel characters and to explain why each quote applies, which requires using informational quotations to support character analysis.
Lesson 8
Flies and Self-Loathing
The Activity 1 directions explicitly tell students they "could research the symbolism or significance of the animals in cultures around the world" before finalizing a logo, which asks students to use informational sources to inform a creative product. The Parent Plan reinforces that students "could also research the symbolism of the animals in cultures around the world," linking outside informational research to the design task. The compare/contrast organizer in Activity 2 asks students to think about themes, settings, and leadership, which could prompt students to seek background information, though it does not explicitly require informational sources.
Lesson 11
Thud, Whump, Huut
Students are asked to re-read a specific scene from Ender's Game and re-watch the corresponding movie scene, taking notes on differences and on omitted or changed dialogue. Students complete a Comic Adaptation activity page that requires listing specific narration or dialogue that was omitted or changed and judging whether the comic's pictures communicate the omitted words. Students also answer targeted reading questions and discuss which version (book or adaptation) they find more effective, using quoted passages as part of their comparison.
Lesson 12
Campbell's Comparisons
Students watch an informational video that summarizes Campbell's 12 steps and record the 12 steps in their journals. Students choose six steps from that informational summary and use the Hero's Journey activity sheet to describe parallels between those steps (from the video) and events in Ender's Game. The homework directs students to read a Forbes article (an informational text) to be used in a later activity.
Lesson 13
The Enemy's Gate Is Down
Students read an informational Forbes article about leadership lessons from Ender's Game as homework and then used that article to complete the "Leadership Lessons: Forbes Four" activity page. Students labeled four numbered boxes with the leadership lessons from the article and wrote one- to two-sentence summaries for each lesson. Students also chose one lesson and described how they would apply it to an aspect of their own life, which requires reflective use of the article's content.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
The Historical References activity (Box 8) asks students to "look up NATO and the Warsaw Pact," color and categorize countries, and then "list two key similarities" and "two key differences" between the historical Warsaw Pact and the fictional Second Warsaw Pact, and to explain why the author might have used the reference. The Parent Plan clarifies that students researched NATO and the Warsaw Pact and answered comparison questions, which requires consulting informational sources about those alliances.
Unit 2: Grammar, Part II
Lesson 2
Capitalization and Numbers
Students read informational explanations about commonly confused words and rules for capitalization and numbers, and they are instructed to record notes, examples, and preferred styles on activity pages. Students complete a fill-in-the-blank activity using a word bank and check their answers against an Answer Key, and they place check marks beside correctly capitalized sentences and then write the rule that explains each pair. The lesson provides web links to OWL Purdue and GrammarBook for reference and asks students to use those sites when completing capitalization activities and to take an online quiz with explanations.
Lesson 5
Hyphens and Apostrophes
Students are directed to read specified informational pages in the book (e.g., pp. 23-24 for commonly confused words; pp. 126-131 for hyphens; pp. 112-117 for apostrophes) and to take notes in their journal. Students are asked to consult outside resources (dictionaries, GrammarBook.com quiz) and to check answers against an Answer Key, which requires referring back to the informational text. Students edit and mark up a travel-post passage for apostrophe errors, which asks them to apply rules drawn from the explanatory text.
Lesson 6
Word Choice
Students are directed to read informational webpages (OWL Purdue on levels of formality; UNC Writing Center on word choice) and to take notes in their journals. Activity 1 instructs students to read book pages about commonly confused words and record notes and examples; several activities ask students to consult the book or web links and check understanding against an answer key. The optional College Essay Editor asks students to revise a draft using guidance drawn from instructional text about clichés, vagueness, and wordiness.
Lesson 7
Verb Voice and Mood
Students are directed to read informational webpages (OWL Purdue on active vs. passive voice and online guides on the subjunctive mood from Carson-Newman and Grammarly) and to complete an online exercise that gives answers and explanations. The subjunctive-mood project asks students to explain the mood using definitions, examples, and/or context and allows students to refer to the provided web links as needed. The project rubric requires that students 'clearly show what the subjunctive mood is using definitions, examples, and/or context' and provide 'useful strategies/techniques' demonstrating understanding.
Lesson 8
Parallelism
Students are instructed to read an online explanation (Towson University module) and book passages about parallelism and to use that information to complete a structured "Parallelism" activity page. The activity page directs students to list coordinating and correlative conjunctions, describe parallelism problems, and provide examples drawn from the webpage and book. For commonly confused words, students read explanatory text, record notes and examples, and choose correct words on activity pages, then check answers against an answer key.
Unit 3: Informational Texts
Lesson 1
What Are Informational Texts?
Students read an informational chapter from Outliers and answer specific comprehension and analysis questions (e.g., explain how Rosetans came to Pennsylvania; explain researchers' conclusions about their health). Students locate and check text features (index, bibliography/endnotes, charts, footnotes) on the Informational Text Features activity page and identify how the book uses or alters those features. Students watch Gladwell's TED talk and respond to analytic questions that require citing details from the talk (e.g., reasons David may have had advantages over Goliath) and predict the author's background based on textual clues.
Lesson 2
Outliers
Students are directed to re-read specific pages of the Introduction (pp. 3, 7, 10-11) to identify how Gladwell defines "outlier" and to explain how the Roseto study functions as an analogy; answer keys point to exact passages as sources. The homework questions ask students to extract factual details from the informational chapter "The Matthew Effect" (e.g., Roger Barnsley's observation about birth months, why cutoff dates matter, and the origin/meaning of the phrase). Activity prompts require students to analyze how the author uses analogy and rhetoric and to justify their answers using text-based examples.
Lesson 3
The Matthew Effect
Students are asked to extract birth-month data from the book's chart (pp. 20-21) and recreate it in another visual form (Activity 1, Option 1), which requires pulling information directly from an informational text. Option 2 asks students to read the TIMSS paragraph (p. 28) and sketch a graphic that communicates the study findings, requiring translation of written findings into a visual representation. Homework questions ask students to explain the 10,000-hour rule and relate it back to sports examples from Chapter 1, which requires using the chapter's information to support their explanations.
Lesson 4
The 10,000 Hour Rule
Students are asked to summarize Sections 1–3 and answer directed analysis questions that require referencing specific paragraphs about Bill Joy and the 10,000-hour rule. Students are instructed to mark key opportunities in Sections 4–6 (The Beatles or Bill Gates) as they read and to use those marked details for a homework product. The Parent Plan skills explicitly list drawing evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research, and the homework asks students to communicate tracked textual information in a visual form.
Lesson 5
Harlan, Kentucky
Students are instructed to read the informational chapter "Harlan, Kentucky" (pp. 162–176) including footnotes and to answer specific content questions asking them to describe patterns of violence, define a "culture of honor," and explain the University of Michigan experiment and its findings. The homework asks students to do brief research on who first settled their area, take notes, and write an informal journal reflection about stereotypes and influences, and the skills list explicitly includes "Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research."
Lesson 6
The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
Students read multiple informational texts (selected sections of Outliers, a critical blog post, and Gladwell's response) and are asked to identify the blog author's primary objections and note how Gladwell responds. In Activity 5 Option 2 students complete an "Analyzing Gladwell's Response" chart requiring them to record each criticism, Gladwell's response, and evaluate the effectiveness of the response using textual material. Throughout Activities 2 and Day 2 students answer guided questions that ask them to use specific details and footnotes from the chapter to explain causes and interpretations of events.
Lesson 7
Rice Paddies and Math Tests
The Parent Plan Skills list explicitly includes "Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research" and "Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis." Students read specified sections of Outliers (Sections 1-3 and 4-7) and answer targeted comprehension questions about rice farming, counting systems, and hours worked, requiring use of details from the text. The homework/mini-project asks students to create an infographic "using just the information found in the book" (or other sources) and to give credit to outside sources, and Activity 1 asks students to take notes and present findings about the Chinese counting system using examples from the materials.
Lesson 8
With Malice Toward None
Students read Lincoln's "Second Inaugural Address" and answer text-based questions that require citing details (e.g., justifying why Lincoln kept the speech short and interpreting specific lines). Students complete the "Lincoln's Literary Devices" activity page in which they identify direct quotes from the speech, label the literary device, and explain the device's intended effect. The homework asks students to choose three sentences from the text that correspond to background, main message, and a forward-looking statement, requiring selection of textual evidence for structure analysis. The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text."
Lesson 9
Writing about History
Students read multiple informational summaries and answer comparative questions (e.g., Question #1 asks them to list two facts all three sources agree upon), requiring them to draw evidence across texts. Students examine primary source testimonies (John S. Smith, Robert Brent) and complete a graphic organizer that pairs secondary-source claims with supporting primary-source quotations. Students synthesize evidence to support analysis and argument when they compose an editorial (Option 2) using facts from the accounts and when they complete activities that ask them to assess reasoning and evidence in texts.
Lesson 10
Science Writing
Students are asked to read specified pages of an informational science booklet and answer content questions that require referring to the text (Reading And Questions). The lesson's Skills list explicitly states students will "Cite specific textual evidence (including precise details from the text) to support an analysis of a piece of scientific writing." The Investigating Claims student page requires students to explain how the author supports two specific claims and to identify which explanatory methods the author uses, tasks that require drawing evidence from the text. The homework asks students to compare the written text and a video and to justify which made the concept more understandable using specific examples from each source.
Lesson 11
Technical Writing
Students are asked to back up the introduction to their how-to guide with information from an outside source (a statistic, opinion, or quotation), to record where they got the information, and to place quoted information in quotation marks. The Guide Checklist explicitly requires that the stated benefit be supported by an outside source and properly credited. During revision students add a "Works Cited" section and are instructed to give credit to sources used in their introduction. In Activity 1 students annotate an informational passage to identify main topics and important terms, which requires locating and citing specific information from the text.
Lesson 12
Logical Fallacies
Students read and annotate informational speeches (e.g., Andrew Jackson's message, Lou Gehrig's speech) and are asked to highlight or select at least three passages that exemplify logical or informal fallacies. Students identify specific examples from provided texts and match them to fallacy labels (Ad hominem, slippery slope, bandwagon) on activity pages and in the Fallacy Bank. Students look up definitions (hasty generalization, false dilemma) and record meanings, then apply those definitions to real political statements and short speeches to justify their identifications.
Final Project
Argumentative Research Essay
Students are asked to locate at least five high-quality sources (with library databases emphasized) and to take notes, copy citation information, and print or bookmark sources. The "Present the Evidence" activity directs students to record source quotes/ideas and write a "My Thoughts" response that leads to forming a thesis and counterargument. The lesson requires students to use evidence in the classical argument (confirmation and concession/refutation paragraphs), include in-text MLA citations, and produce a Works Cited page; it also includes explicit guidance on evaluating source credibility and content.
Unit 4: Drama
Lesson 2
How to Read Drama
Students are directed to read an informational article (Reading Drama) via a web link and to study the provided summary of Aristotle's Poetics and his six elements of tragedy. Students are asked to apply Aristotle's framework by completing the "Applying Aristotle's Six Elements of Tragedy" activity page and answering guided questions about plot, character, diction, theme, melody, and spectacle. Students are instructed to use the play's video and script to support their answers about how the elements appear in Trifles.
Lesson 3
Life and Times
Students read multiple informational texts (Robert Nemiroff's introduction, the setting and cast notes, the text of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and a biographical webpage on Lorraine Hansberry) and watch an informational video about the Civil Rights Act. Students are asked to answer specific comprehension questions about those readings (e.g., date range of the play, setting, biographical facts) and to "jot down some major points in your journal" from the video. The activities require students to refer to those texts and the video when responding to questions.
Lesson 4
A Raisin in the Sun
Students listen to five speech-accent audio samples and are instructed to "jot down notes in your journal" and discuss differences among dialects. Students watch two informational videos about college success and respond in their journals to questions about what led each student to want to go to college and what qualities helped them succeed. Students are asked to view an infographic about earnings by education level and to note new information from the infographic and videos for class discussion.
Lesson 5
Act II
Students are prompted to "Provide evidence to support your answer. Use specific examples and quotations from the text" in the Reader Response Paragraph, which requires drawing evidence to support analysis. Students read and respond to excerpts from Hansberry's To Be Young, Gifted and Black and answer questions that require using those informational excerpts as support. Homework asks students to analyze songs (media) about the American Dream and record the song's title and year, which requires locating factual information and using song content as evidence.
Lesson 8
Shakespeare
Students read the informational introductions "Reading Shakespeare's Language" and "Shakespeare's Life" and answer specific questions (Q1–Q6) whose answers are drawn directly from those texts. Students use the "How to Read a Shakespeare Play" activity sheet to examine a passage, using contextual clues or a dictionary, identifying speaker, meaning, actions, and desires, and summarizing the passage in their own words. Students complete a research task to create a timeline using the book, a video, and web resources, collecting dates and facts from those informational sources.
Lesson 9
Romeo and Juliet
Students read informational resources about the Globe Theatre (video and virtual tour links) and an informational article on Italian Renaissance weddings and dowries. They answer specific comprehension questions, take journal summaries of important events, and respond to guided prompts about acting challenges, wedding practices, and pros/cons of arranged marriages. The homework asks students to note concrete evidence (costume colors, lack of props, movement) while watching a recorded performance.
Lesson 12
Time and Tension
Students are directed to use an online copy of Romeo and Juliet (MIT link) to search the play for specific time-related words and record how many times each appears. Students analyze Scene 1 line 90 (Friar Lawrence's monologue), Scene 2, Scene 3, and Scene 5, listing ways time is mentioned and explaining how those references create tension. Students write a journal summary of the most important event in the scene, and answer structured questions that require citing occurrences in the text (e.g., Nurse's repeated use of "day," Capulet's repeated use of "tomorrow").
Lesson 13
Tragic Hero
Students watch and respond to the TedEd video "A Host of Heroes," answering questions that require them to record the video's definition and criteria for a tragic hero and to apply those criteria to Romeo and Juliet. Students read a short informational paragraph about Ovid, Metamorphoses, and Shakespeare's schooling and then read the Pyramus and Thisbe excerpts to note similarities with Romeo and Juliet. Students also watch short explanatory videos (dynamic vs. static, types of characters) and complete activities that ask them to use those explanations when analyzing characters.
Final Project
Drama
Students are asked to use outside research for several projects (e.g., "Using information from your research, create three costumes" and set-design links/sources) and to record and describe that research in written paragraphs. The materials require citation when students "use information (images, quotations, facts) from outside sources," instructing them to include parenthetical references and attach a Works Cited page. The Drama Project Rubric includes a "Sources" category evaluating use of resources, citing, and research, which ties source use to assessment.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
Students are asked to explain and give examples from Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers (e.g., ‘‘Provide an example from the book that illustrates this point''; ‘‘Explain why the residents of Roseto... Be sure to mention what researchers ultimately decided''). Students must evaluate source credibility and distinguish primary vs. secondary sources in short-answer and discussion prompts (Part III and Part IV B). Multiple prompts ask students to use specific information from informational texts to justify claims (e.g., argue whether Outliers is primarily informational or persuasive and cite features and criticisms to support the conclusion).