Students are given a "Parts of a Sailboat" diagram and a Sailing Terminology list that provides explicit definitions (e.g., mizzen, bow, cleat). Students are asked to review the boat parts and draw connections between terms and diagram components, and to refer to the diagram when characters discuss actions in the novel. Students are also instructed to use the terminology sheet to better understand crew communication, effectively using the sheet as a reference for word meanings.

Activity 2 directs students to use page references to find how each vocabulary word is used in the book and notes that "Reading the words in context may give you clues to the correct definitions." The Parent Plan Skills explicitly list "Determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words by using context clues or a dictionary." The wrapping-up and review sections ask students to review definitions and make sure they can use each word in context.

The Vocabulary Memory activity directs students to "locate the words on the pages provided and read the vocabulary words within the context of a sentence," and the vocabulary list includes page references (e.g., deftly p. 135, careening p. 161, sextant p. 199). Students cut out cards and play a matching game that requires pairing each word with its definition. The wrapping up and review instructions ask students to review the definitions of the vocabulary words.

Students are instructed to locate each vocabulary word in the dictionary and record the definitions on a chart. The directions state that if a word has more than one definition, students should read the word in context on the provided page and select the definition that makes sense. Students are then asked to review definitions, draw an illustration, and use each word in an oral and written sentence, reinforcing the checked meaning.

Students are instructed to read each vocabulary word in context by looking at the sentence and surrounding sentences and then to look up each word in a thesaurus to find synonyms. The directions tell students to choose synonyms that fit the sentence context and to record what in the book's context helped them understand the word's meaning or choose a synonym. The materials explicitly say, "If you're not sure of the meaning of any of the words or synonyms, look them up in a dictionary."

The linking verbs section explicitly tells students how to test whether a verb is linking by substituting a form of "be" (e.g., "If you're not sure ... test it by seeing if a form of 'be' ... makes sense"). The lesson gives concrete context examples ("Mandy feels sad" vs. "Mandy feels the kitten's soft fur"; "The bread smells wonderful" vs. "Cindy smells the flowers") where students are asked "Can you substitute 'is'?" to verify meaning. The activities require students to write sentences and circle linking verbs and the Life Application asks students to identify linking and helping verbs in real-world signs, prompting contextual verification practice.

The lesson explicitly tells students to "Use sentence context to figure out the correct meaning" when distinguishing lie/lay and sit/set and explains that lay can be the present tense of lay or the past tense of lie. Students are given tables of principal parts and exercises (insert correct verb form; circle incorrect verb usage) that require them to determine which verb sense fits a sentence. Activities ask students to correct misused verbs in context and to choose appropriate verb forms based on sentence meaning.

The Skills section directs students to monitor expository text for unknown words using word, sentence, and paragraph clues, which has students infer meanings from context. Activity 1 tells students to match vocabulary to definitions and instructs, "If you are not sure about the meaning of a word, look it up in a dictionary," which has students verify meanings with a dictionary. Activity 1 also requires students to place each vocabulary word into sentences taken from the book, which has students check whether a chosen meaning fits the context.

The lesson lists specific vocabulary words and their definitions under "Things to Know" and asks students to complete a vocabulary crossword using those definitions. The crossword activity explicitly tells students to "Use a dictionary if you need assistance." The Wrap-up and Parent Plan ask students to review definitions and to use each vocabulary word in their own sentence verbally.

Students practice with proofreading abbreviations (Wdy, Ww, Pron) and are asked to rewrite a paragraph using those marks, which requires them to recognize incorrect words and pronoun errors. The Activity 1 answer key shows specific corrections students are expected to make (e.g., changing "accept" to "except," marking "Her and Ellen" as a pronoun error, and identifying wordy phrasing). Students are instructed to edit the paragraph on the page and check their answers against the provided corrections.

The Number the Stars test asks students to 'Use the word intricate correctly in a sentence' and to 'Circle the sentence where the word contempt is used correctly,' requiring students to apply word meanings and choose the contextually correct usage. The test items and answer key show students must distinguish correct contextual use of vocabulary (e.g., selecting the appropriate sentence for 'contempt'). These tasks require students to work with word meanings in context rather than only recognizing definitions.

Activity 1 asks students to create a Vocabulary Picture Dictionary that presents the word and an illustration first and then requires students to turn the page to read the definition and example sentence to see if their recalled meaning was correct. The lesson provides each target word with a sentence in context and instructs students to try to remember the definition before checking the provided definition and sentence. The Skills section explicitly lists using context (e.g., in-sentence restatement) to determine or clarify unfamiliar words.

Students are given contextual sentences with missing vocabulary words (Option 2) and are asked to match words, definitions, and sentences, which requires using sentence context to select the correct meaning. The vocabulary lists include page numbers for where each word appears in the novel, allowing students to locate the word in the text and compare usage in context. The matching activities require students to connect a word to both a definition and a contextual sentence, implicitly engaging them in confirming meaning from context.

Students are given a "Dialect Guide" with regional words listed in one column and meanings in the other, and are instructed to "use the sheet... as you read to help you understand some of the more challenging words or phrases." The lesson also directs students to discuss comprehension (take turns reading aloud and discussing what is happening) when dialect impedes understanding. The provided web links and research activities give students access to informational sources they could consult while reading.

Students are directed to use a dictionary or thesaurus to help find more lively, descriptive verbs (under 'Descriptive verbs'). The 'Expanding Sentences' activity asks students to change existing verbs to more descriptive ones and suggests using reference tools. The student activity page requires students to select and apply descriptive verbs when making sentences more vivid.

Students are instructed to select eight unknown words from chapters 7–12 and locate their definitions in a dictionary. They are directed to read each word in context so they can identify the correct definition if there is more than one. The parent guidelines and review steps require students to recognize meanings and use the vocabulary words in context when completing and solving the crossword puzzle.

Students are instructed to "read over the vocabulary words and definitions" from Lesson 1 and Lesson 7 and to review the "Things to Know" sections to prepare for the unit test. The end-of-unit test includes items that ask students to select the correct usage of the word "reprimand" and to "use a vocabulary word selected from the novel in a sentence," which require applying word meanings. The lesson also suggests making note cards with vocabulary information, reinforcing attention to definitions.

The activities ask students to add an unfamiliar word from the novel to a blank vocabulary card and explicitly instruct them to "use a dictionary to complete the card and then write a sentence that contains the word," which requires students to look up word meanings. The Vocabulary Cards and Vocabulary Cube prompt students to give definitions, identify parts of speech, supply synonyms/antonyms, and use words in sentences, providing multiple opportunities to work with and confirm word meanings.

Students are given an activity titled "Euphemisms in The Giver" in which they record the "Actual Meaning" beside listed euphemisms and are told to "identify or predict the meanings if not explicitly revealed." The Student Activity Page provides a list of euphemisms with blank spaces for meanings, and the Parent Plan includes an Answer Key with the intended meanings. The instructions ask students to read chapters and record meanings, which requires students to make preliminary determinations of word meanings from the text.

The Parent Plan skills list explicitly tells students to "Use a dictionary, a glossary, or a thesaurus (printed or electronic) to determine the meanings, syllabication, pronunciations, alternate word choices, and parts of speech of words." The Vocabulary Web activity directs students to "use a dictionary to locate each word" and to "read the word in context so you will know which definition to use." Students must record definition, part of speech, syllables, roots/prefixes/suffixes, and then write a sentence using each word.

Students are asked to "try to guess what some of [the acronyms] stand for and then look up their meaning to see if you were right," which requires making a preliminary determination and then checking it. The Abbreviations & Acronyms activity directs students to "pick four of the acronyms listed and, using a dictionary or the Internet, write out what each acronym stands for," explicitly requiring verification with a reference source. The journal prompt to notice acronyms in reading and record them for later checking encourages students to infer meaning from context before verifying.

The lesson includes a "Commonly Confused Words" list with short definitions (e.g., its/it's, breathe/breath) that students read and refer to. Students complete a multiple-choice section that requires them to select the correct word based on sentence context. Students also write their own sentences using target word pairs, demonstrating application of inferred meanings in context.

Students are asked to predict whether words are hyphenated and then confirm by looking them up in a dictionary (Part II of the Hyphens activities). Option 2 directs students to look up two hyphenated words from the poem "The Dandelion" in the dictionary and reflect on why the poet wrote them differently. The materials explicitly advise students to "Always check a dictionary to make sure" and ask students to compare pairs like re-creation/recreation and co-owner/coexist to note differences in meaning and pronunciation.

Students are prompted to write initial guesses and then record dictionary findings for the plural of "ellipsis," explicitly verifying their preliminary determination. Students compare a provided paragraph with the original text and place ellipses, using contextual cues to confirm where words or sentences were omitted. Students choose poems and explain why poets used ellipses, citing poem context to support their explanations.

Activity 3 directs students to "look up each word in the dictionary; if there is more than one definition for the word, use context clues to identify the correct definition." The Student/Parent notes repeat that students should use context clues when multiple definitions exist and then write the definition as the clue for the crossword. The wrap-up instructs students to keep the crossword handy to review definitions as they encounter the words in the text, reinforcing checking meaning in context.

Students are asked to interpret the phrase "people are of two bloods" in the Parent Plan Questions to Discuss, prompting them to determine meaning from cultural and historical context. Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer comprehension questions that require making inferences about characters' feelings and setting, which involves deriving meaning from the text. The lesson also includes research tasks (wildflowers, Peru collage) that may require students to look up names or cultural terms while working with text and sources.