Ninth Grade - ELA
• Literacy
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Early Civilizations and Migration (600 BCE)
Lesson 1
Preshistory
Students are asked to write a narrative in "A Day in the Life," describing a typical day for an early hunter-gatherer and explaining how needs (shelter, food, water, warmth, safety) are met. In Option 2, students must visit a natural area and write detailed, specific entries on the "Your Own Environment" worksheet about strategies for finding/taking/protection, how they would use resources, and potential problems. The reading questions require short written responses that summarize differences among hominids and explain how humans used fire and migrated.
Lesson 2
Early Agriculture
Students are asked to write a scripted dialogue (Activity 1) in which each character asks and answers questions and presents advantages and disadvantages of different ways of life, which requires attention to genre, audience (two teenagers), and purpose (compare perspectives). Students complete organized written tasks such as a Venn diagram comparing pastoralism and agriculture and a table analyzing domesticated animals (Option 2), both of which require organizing information and producing clear categories. Homework and activities ask students to write answers to content questions, record impressions of modern cities, and list and shade early farming locations, which require coherent short written explanations tied to specific tasks.
Lesson 3
Early Civilizations
Students are asked to produce written responses several times: they must answer reading questions in complete answers, define 'cultural hearth' in their own words, and fill in charts comparing elements of villages and civilizations. Students must create explanatory text for an urbanization flowchart or a self-designed visual representation that explains the causal steps from farming to civilizations. The Social Organization activity directs students to write descriptions of social strata in a pyramid organizer, and the Elements of Civilization page tells students to 'Write descriptive phrases or sentences' rather than single-word responses.
Lesson 4
Mesopotamia
Students are asked to produce a multi-page booklet (Option 1) with six labeled sections—Geography, Economic Development, Political Development, Social Distinctions, Cultural Characteristics, and Religious Beliefs—requiring them to write descriptions, lists, labels, and inferences for each section. In Option 2, students must plan (Day 1) and then write or record a time‑traveling journalist report, podcast, or video blog (Day 2) that addresses the six topics and an example of Hammurabi's Code in action, which frames purpose and audience. The activity pages and templates guide students to organize content into distinct sections and to draft and assemble a finished product.
Lesson 5
Egypt
Students are asked to produce an informative booklet or a WebQuest that covers six explicit topics (Geography & Natural Resources; Economic Development; Political Development; Social Distinctions; Cultural Characteristics; Religious Beliefs), requiring them to compose explanatory text for each section. Student activity pages provide structured writing spaces (map labels, trade goods boxes, a government diagram with explanation, lines for describing status of women, prompts to describe achievements and gods), so students must organize information by topic and develop explanatory responses. In Option 2, students must identify websites for younger learners and explain why each site is appropriate, which requires considering audience and purpose in their writing.
Lesson 6
Trade and Empire Building
Students answer targeted reading questions (Questions #1–#4) that require written explanations of causes, trade partners, class systems, and religions. Students complete two activity pages that ask them to produce organized responses: a chart of imports/exports, short-answer prompts about technologies, and extended responses (including a bonus question) that require explanation and argument. Homework and in-class activities require students to write responses that synthesize readings and video content.
Lesson 7
New Beliefs and Technologies
Students are asked to produce written work in multiple parts of the lesson: they fill a detailed "Comparing World Religions" chart (Option 1), they draft and record a two-minute-per-faith voice-over script covering origins, key beliefs/texts, and requirements of the faithful (Option 2), and they complete an "Inventions" chart that asks them to explain political, economic, military, and social/cultural applications. The lesson also signals a forthcoming paper about the development of ancient civilizations, indicating students will write a longer organized essay in a later lesson.
Lesson 8
Historical Essay
Students plan and draft essays by creating outlines, developing thesis statements, and writing introductions, body paragraphs with topic sentences, and conclusions as directed in the planning and drafting activity. Students locate and cite textual evidence using parenthetical citations and follow a rubric that requires strong topic sentences, relevant evidence, clear organization, smooth transitions, and an appropriately academic tone. Students revise for coherence and organization by summarizing each paragraph's main point, reordering paragraphs, improving transitions, reading aloud to catch awkward phrasing, and proofreading for mechanics and style.
Final Project
Flow Chart
Students are required to write 2–3 sentence descriptions for each element of the flowchart and include those descriptions and dates on their project. The rubric explicitly evaluates that "Descriptions for each box are informative, well written, and free of error." The unit test asks students to write a 2–3 sentence description of a hunter-gatherer day and a paragraph defining "civilization" with characteristics, and a reflective paragraph about what they learned.
Unit 1: Lord of the Flies
Lesson 1
The Call
The Parent Plan Skills section explicitly states students will "develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience." Students are asked to write responses on the Dystopias activity page (recording titles, answering questions about settings, plots, and central struggles) and to create journal columns listing utopian and dystopian characteristics. The Reading and Questions section requires students to write answers to comprehension questions about Chapter 1.
Lesson 2
Life on the Island
Students write original sentences in Part II of the Clauses activity, producing sentences that demonstrate an independent clause followed by a dependent clause, a dependent clause followed by an independent clause, two independent clauses, and a sentence with both a coordinating and subordinating conjunction. Students complete STEAL character pages by recording Speech, Thoughts, Actions, Looks, and Effect on Others with page-numbered notes, and they answer comprehension questions about chapters, which requires organized written responses. Students also complete short written homework (reading notes and additions to their character pages) that require concise, sentence-level composition.
Lesson 3
Paths in the Jungle
Students are asked to identify an author's thesis and supporting points and to record their reactions using a top-hat graphic organizer, which requires them to organize ideas. Students fill in a Student Activity Page that asks for the author's main argument, key supporting points, and their personal reaction, prompting written responses. Students write a one-paragraph character journal entry from a first-person point of view, answering guided questions about identity, goals, and obstacles to develop voice and content.
Lesson 4
Images from Paradise
Students practice producing written sentences by filling the "Five Senses" chart with quotations or original embellished sentences and then explaining how each example serves as imagery and conveys tone. Students write three sentences about the book on the "Types of Clauses" page, each required to contain a different clause type (noun, adjective, adverb), practicing sentence-level composition and stylistic variety. Students add to their STEAL character pages and answer chapter questions, producing short written responses that record characters' actions, thoughts, and changes over time.
Lesson 5
Not Hunting, But Hunted
Students are instructed in the Life in Slow Motion activity to "use slow motion narrative pacing to recreate an important moment from your life," with explicit examples (Example A vs Example B) showing how to expand and organize a moment into detailed, paced narrative. Students read and analyze underlined excerpts from Lord of the Flies that model interrupting dialogue with physical details to slow pacing, guiding their stylistic choices. Students are asked to produce writing for different purposes (a paced narrative, drafting four to five laws, or a one-page journal describing a system for adopting laws), providing opportunities to practice development and organization aligned with specific tasks.
Lesson 6
Symbolism, Part 1
Students are asked in Activity 1 to select interpretations for symbolic objects and write brief, text-supported explanations for their choices, requiring them to compose reasons and cite evidence. In Activity 2 students must write a one-page journal entry from a character's point of view that records actions and quotes from other characters and considers that character's priorities, fears, and trusts, which requires extended written expression in a specific voice. The lesson also directs students to prepare for a final essay at the end of the unit, signaling an expectation of longer-form writing.
Lesson 7
Bowed and Bowed Again
Students are prompted to write sentences in a journal that contain noun and verb phrases, adjective and adverb phrases, and absolute phrases, practicing sentence-level construction. The Parent Plan skill explicitly asks students to use various types of phrases and clauses to convey specific meanings and add variety and interest to writing or presentations. Students also analyze Golding's phrasing examples to notice how phrase choices create vivid images and stylistic effects.
Lesson 8
Defects of Human Nature
Students are asked to write 3–4 sentence explanations in both Option 1 and Option 2 of the "Determine the Theme" activity, supporting their chosen themes with specific details from the novel. The Parent Plan cites that students must "provide an objective summary of the text" and add to STEAL character pages, which requires written synthesis of character evidence. The student activity pages include structured boxes and lines for notes and a short written explanation, prompting students to organize evidence and compose brief responses.
Lesson 9
Symbolism, Part 2
Students are prompted to write short, focused responses on the Recognizing Archetypes activity page by naming examples and filling blank lines for each archetype. Students are also asked to "describe abstract ideas" for five prompts on the Allegory Analysis page (e.g., what Ralph's tribe might represent), which requires written explanation. The Parent Plan lists skills that include providing an objective summary and analyzing a theme in detail, implying students will produce analytical writing about the text.
Lesson 10
Which Is Better?
The lesson's Skills section explicitly lists the writing standard: "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience." Activity 2 asks students to "write a one-page journal entry from the point of view of your chosen character" that analyzes Jack's leadership and contrasts it with Ralph's and pre-island civilization, which requires students to adopt an audience and purpose and organize analysis. The Parent Plan reiterates the writing task and suggests expected content (doubts about Jack's leadership), reinforcing the writing assignment as practice of analytic prose.
Lesson 11
The Film
Students are asked to write responses in a journal to two prompts about omitted scenes and visual differences, and to complete a "Movie vs. Book" activity chart that requires written comparison of characters, setting, theme, and plot. The lesson notes that this work will prepare students to write a final essay and the Parent Plan lists the skill of developing and strengthening writing through planning, revising, editing, and rewriting.
Final Project
Now You Have the Conch
Students are guided to produce a five-paragraph essay through explicit steps: developing a thesis, creating an outline (traditional or guided), drafting, revising, and proofreading. The lesson includes an Essay Rubric and Checklist that assess thesis clarity, support, organization, and grammar, and students use 'You Are the Editor' pages to evaluate development, organization, sentence structure, transitions, and punctuation. The 'Things to Know' and Brainstorming pages teach how to craft a specific, arguable, and supportable thesis and prompt students to consider purpose, audience, and format when choosing topics.
Unit 2: World Religions (600 BCE - 600 CE)
Lesson 1
Rise of Religions
Students are asked to free-write questions and then write a more formal 3–4 sentence paragraph about how religious beliefs might have benefited ancient people (Activity 1). Students must skim readings and record at least two examples per civilization of how religion overlapped with government, filling out a chart (Homework/Activity 2). Students must summarize a modern news article about religion and conflict and reflect on the role religion plays, and choose between writing an informal response paragraph about Hatshepsut or creating a protest poster about gender roles (Activity 3 and Option 1/2).
Lesson 2
Shamanism, Animism, Ancestor Veneration
Students are asked to write answers to guided reading questions (pp. 12-14) and complete activity pages that require written comparisons of folktales or descriptions of holidays. Students must fill in the Dimensions of World Religions booklet, summarizing how the seven dimensions function for shamanism, animism, and ancestor veneration. The tasks require students to produce organized written responses on charts and in the booklet that address specific prompts and categories.
Lesson 3
Hinduism
Students are asked to write analytical responses for the Ramayana slideshow, including a summary of plot, description of artwork, and explanations of how the story relates to Hindu beliefs (Option 1). In Option 2 students must produce a multi-perspective creative writing piece with at least three 4–5 sentence paragraphs representing different castes, requiring organized, developed viewpoints. In Option 3 students draft a four-page children's-book section with text and sketches, prompting writing tailored to a specific audience and purpose; the homework Dimensions booklet also requires students to summarize dimensions of religion in their own words.
Lesson 4
Buddhism
Students are assigned a 1–2 page reaction paper that explicitly requires solid organization and correctness in grammar, spelling, and mechanics and that directs students to summarize and then reflect on readings. The lesson provides writing resources (links to college writing centers), suggests an outline structure, and allows a less formal, first-person style appropriate to a response paper. Option 2 asks students to write paragraph descriptions for a timeline, and Activity 1 and the booklet require students to organize information into charts and structured entries.
Lesson 5
Daoism and Confucianism
Students are asked to write an informal journal entry reflecting on at least two Daoist concepts (Activity 1), which requires them to explain their understanding and make personal connections. They are directed to fill in the Daoism and Confucianism sections of a "Dimensions of World Religions" booklet (Activity 2), which asks for organized entries across defined dimensions. Homework Option 2 asks students to find related quotations and write 1–2 paragraphs analyzing similarities or differences.
Lesson 6
Judaism
Students are asked to produce written work: Option 1 requires a short narrative (a couple of paragraphs) about a teenager celebrating a Jewish holiday with prompts about time, religious significance, traditions, observances, and personal meaning. Option 2 requires an educational slideshow with explicitly organized slides (Title, Basic Description, Religious Meaning, Faith Practices, Personal and Family Traditions, Interesting Facts) and states slides should be "well-organized, accurate, well-written, and attractively presented." Students also answer focused reading questions in writing and fill in a "Dimensions of World Religions" booklet, requiring them to organize information about Judaism.
Lesson 7
Christianity
Students are asked to write summaries of at least two scholarly articles about the historical life of Jesus and answer three reflective questions (Option 1), which requires synthesis of sources and written explanation. In Option 2, students must read Matthew 5-7 and summarize key points across specified categories (family, treatment of others, practice of faith, financial/governmental matters) and respond to analytic questions linking text to historical context. Students also fill in the Dimensions of World Religions booklet with organized information about Christianity and answer short-answer questions in the Reading and Questions section.
Lesson 8
Islam
Students are asked to create a timeline of Muhammad's life and for each date "write one clear, well-organized paragraph explaining the event and its significance to the Islamic faith," which requires organized written development. Students must complete short-answer reading questions (e.g., describing Ramadan, explaining jihad, outlining Qur'an organization, listing the Five Pillars) that require concise explanatory writing. The homework asks students to choose a story from the Bible and the Qur'an and complete a comparative activity page that requires summarizing overlapping elements and writing about differences in tone, omissions, and portrayal of figures.
Final Project
Dimensions of World Religions
Students are asked to complete a "Dimensions of World Religions" booklet and to revise it against a rubric that checks completeness, neatness, appropriate illustrations, and respectful writing. Students must write short identification responses (about two sentences each) and a timed 5–7 paragraph essay that requires describing origins, tenets, practices, and comparing religions, which directs organization and content. A parent note and test directions explicitly expect the essay to be "accurate, well-organized, and cogently written," and the rubric requires the writing to "convey respect for all world religions."
Unit 2: Short Stories
Lesson 1
The Gift of the Magi
Students are asked to write a descriptive paragraph for homework, which requires them to produce organized descriptive writing. Students complete journal entries researching the Magi, King Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba and explain how those allusions contribute to understanding the story, which asks for short analytic writing. Students use multiple graphic organizers (Short Story Elements and Same Story, Different Place) to plan and organize story summaries and a rewritten version, practicing organization and development prior to composing.
Lesson 2
The Necklace
Students are instructed to write a one-paragraph objective summary that includes the title and author, focuses on central ideas and main plot points, mentions setting, and uses the narrative present (explicit organizational and stylistic guidance). Students are told to use textual evidence and to incorporate direct quotations, summaries, or paraphrase to support ideas, and the APE (Answer, Prove, Extend) strategy is introduced for structuring responses. The Parent Plan and activities require students to analyze theme development and then produce written products (objective summary and a journal response) that follow stated genre conventions (factual/objective tone for summaries).
Lesson 3
Literary Response
Students are instructed to produce a four-paragraph literary response with a clear introduction (including titles/authors and a thesis), two body paragraphs each focused on a single similarity with evidence, and a conclusion, which directs organization and development. Students are guided to gather and cite textual evidence and to use the APE method (Answer, Prove, Extend) to develop and explain points, which targets development of ideas. Students are given explicit lists of transitional words and a detailed rubric that assesses introduction, thesis, clarity of similarities, support with textual evidence, explanation of evidence, use of transitions, conclusion strength, and grammar, which addresses coherence and organization.
Lesson 4
Characterization
The lesson's Skills section explicitly asks students to "use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language" and to "develop a topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts," which targets writing craft. The homework and end-of-unit task ask students to plan a main character and later write their own short story, and the Character Portrait page requires students to produce written descriptions (physical appearance, actions, thoughts, quotes, direct/indirect characterization). The reading questions require students to state opinions and "provide evidence to support their conclusions," prompting written responses that use textual support.
Lesson 5
Edgar Allan Poe
Students answer text-based questions that require explanatory writing (e.g., explaining why the narrator wants to kill the old man and why Poe uses first-person point of view). Students complete the 'Crazy Like a Fox?' two-column chart and write a response about narrator reliability, which requires organizing evidence for and against a claim. Students create a storyboard with 6–8 panels and write corresponding quoted sections beneath each panel, linking text to visual organization.
Lesson 6
The Lottery
Students are asked to write a paragraph for homework defending an opinion about the social effects of dystopian literature and to "support your ideas with your own evidence and observations." The Controversy activity page directs students to answer five written questions comparing The Lottery with another book or movie, requiring organized responses about themes and controversy. The Student Activity Page requires students to record and categorize textual notes into three labeled sections (physical description, reactions, historical connections), which asks students to organize information in writing.
Lesson 7
Everyday Use
Students are asked to rewrite a scene from Everyday Use from another character's point of view and to write a brief reflective paragraph about how the change affected the story, requiring narrative composition and analytical writing. Students complete an Author's Biographical Data Sheet and Quilted Heritage page where they research, select details, and record organized responses about quilts and the author's life. Students complete a Symbolism activity and homework in which they describe personal symbols and plan how to use a symbol in a future short story, connecting ideas in several sentences.
Lesson 8
Harrison Bergeron
Students are asked to write multiple journal responses (homework journal questions) that require explanation beyond yes/no answers. Students complete a written activity page titled "Harrison Bergeron: The Printed Word vs. the Movie," where they list scenes/character changes, analyze emphasis, and explain why changes were made. The lesson also requires students to take notes during the film and write answers to guided comparison and analysis questions for class discussion and homework.
Lesson 9
Dialogue
Students practice punctuation and formatting of dialogue by reading specific sections on quotation marks and completing workbook exercises with answer checks. Students write an analytical paragraph in their journals about how dialogue functions in a chosen short story, citing specific lines and considering pacing and character revelation. Students create a short scene for homework in which each character has multiple lines and are instructed to use the dialogue punctuation rules; the Parent Plan also lists use of narrative techniques (including dialogue) and command of conventions as targeted skills.
Final Project
Writing a Short Story
Students plan and organize their stories using explicit tools like the Brainstorming page and a Plot Diagram that require them to identify exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution. Students draft and revise their work through guided stages (invention, planning, drafting, revising) and practice style guidance such as "show, don't tell," controlling description, and appropriate dialogue. Students perform revision using reader review sheets and critical reading to improve development and organization, and they proofread for style, mechanics, and word count. A detailed rubric and checklist tie writing features (plot, characterization, point of view, descriptive language, style & mechanics) to expectations for the final product.
Unit 3: Rise of the Empires (600 BCE - 600 CE)
Lesson 3
Qin and Han Empires
Students answer directed reading questions that require written descriptions (e.g., describing Qin Shi Huangdi's government, causes of civil war, Confucianism's role, and Han inventions). Students create and label a timeline and map and fill an activity chart on politics, religion, and culture, using organized notes in different colors to distinguish Qin, Han, and shared information. Discussion prompts ask students to defend opinions in response to questions about why the Han lasted longer and which Han innovations are most important, implying written or oral argumentation.
Lesson 4
Roman Empire
Students read assigned pages and answer specific short-response questions that ask them to explain and describe (e.g., "Was the Roman republic a democracy? Explain." and detailed descriptions of the army and slavery). Students complete a chart distinguishing politics, religion, and culture for the Republic and Empire, requiring them to organize information and categorize content. Students add the Roman Empire to a timeline and map, which requires arranging information chronologically and spatially.
Unit 3: Grammar, Part I
Lesson 2
Subject-Verb Agreement
Students are asked to record notes and examples on the "Commonly Confused Words" activity pages and to "write down in your journal any rules you weren't aware of," which requires composing brief explanatory text. Option 2 asks students to create a short quiz of at least five sentences and to provide explanations for answers, which requires composing sentences aimed at a peer and explaining grammatical choices. Students also complete activity pages that require selecting and justifying correct word or verb forms in context, practicing sentence-level accuracy.
Lesson 3
Pronoun Problems
Students practice correcting and rewriting sentences for pronoun-antecedent agreement, vague reference, shifts in point of view, and pronoun case through multiple exercises and answer-key feedback (Activity 1, Activity 2, and the Pronoun Cases activity). Students choose a topic (vague pronoun references or shifts in point of view) and create a poster or a short slideshow in which they explain the problem in their own words, provide two example sentences with errors, and show corrected versions and strategies for fixing them. Classroom discussion prompts ask students to identify unclear antecedents and correct sentences, and homework asks students to apply case rules in sentence-level exercises.
Lesson 4
Commas
Students practice and apply punctuation rules by creating a comma guide and adding rules, explanations, and examples for items in a series, coordinate adjectives, compound sentences, introductory elements, names/dates/addresses, and nonessential elements. Students rewrite and punctuate multiple sentences on activity pages (Commas, Part I; Comma Homework; Essential vs. Nonessential) and check answers against provided answer keys. Students choose punctuation for effect by deciding whether to use commas, parentheses, or dashes and must explain their choices for some sentences on the Commas, Parentheses, and Dashes activity page.
Lesson 5
Review
Students review and practice sentence-level conventions: the lesson has them review commonly confused words, subject-verb agreement, pronoun reference/case, and comma usage. Students complete a multi-part "Grammar Quiz" in which they identify and correct misused words, fix subject-verb and pronoun errors, and insert commas in passages. Students also create index cards of rules and examples and participate in oral drills (a parent/sibling calling out words) to reinforce correct usage.
Lesson 6
Colons and Semicolons
Students are instructed to write two well-developed opening paragraphs as part of "The Great Punctuation Trial," one for the semicolon and one for the colon, including required examples (e.g., joining independent clauses, conjunctive adverb use, introducing a list, and introducing a quotation). Students must present those opening statements aloud to a judge, answer probing questions, and revise or provide additional examples if explanations are incomplete, practicing audience-aware oral defense and revision. Students also complete targeted activities that require them to revise sentences and apply punctuation to improve clarity (semicolon and colon activity pages and answer-key checks).
Final Project
Wrapping Up
The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience." Option 2 asks students to create a short paragraph that "work[s] together as a paragraph to tell a story, give advice, make an observation, etc.," which requires composing organized, coherent sentences for a specific task. Option 1 asks students to make a visual aid that graphically explains grammar tips, which requires selecting and presenting explanatory text appropriate to a chosen audience or purpose.
Unit 4: Poetry
Lesson 1
Introduction to Poetry
Students write a two-minute list and a personal definition of poetry and then revise that definition after reading poets' quotations. Students identify words in poems, record denotations and connotations, choose three words to analyze, and write explanations comparing similar words and effectiveness. For homework, students mark a poem and write responses to guided questions about meaning, audience, and word choice.
Lesson 3
Figurative Language
Students are asked to write their own poem (Option 2) that includes imagery appealing to two or more senses and two other figurative language devices, and they are instructed to consider sensory details and ways to make the reader experience the subject. Students are also asked to record examples and analyses of figurative devices in their journals for multiple poems (Activity 2 and the Figurative Language I activity page). The Parent Plan lists that students will "apply knowledge of language... to make effective choices for meaning or style," which frames written work around style and purpose.
Lesson 4
Voice and Tone
Students are asked to write a short letter in a character's voice explaining who they are and why they are writing and to refer to parts of the poem to support their message (Option 1). Students are also asked to write new lines or a stanza in the voice of another character, matching the original poem's style, rhythm, and rhyme where applicable (Option 2). The activity pages and answer keys model expected responses (sample letter and sample stanza) and require students to identify speaker, tone, and supporting words or phrases before composing.
Lesson 5
What Does It Mean?
Students are asked to "write a brief summary of the poem in your own words" and to "summarize each stanza" for longer poems, which requires composing coherent prose. Student Activity Pages provide lined spaces for written responses to guided prompts (identify title, speaker, unfamiliar words, images, tone, symbols, theme) and homework asks students to answer multiple analytic questions in their journals. The activities require students to produce written analyses and reflections about poems such as "Grass," "O Captain! My Captain!", and "The Fish."
Lesson 6
Fooling with Words
Students watch a one-hour video of poets and are assigned homework to research a chosen poet. Students complete a structured 'Poet Profile' worksheet in which they write the poet's name, identify a favorite poem, list additional poems, answer biographical questions (where the poet is from, age, publications/awards), and provide a personal reflection explaining why they chose the poet and what was appealing about the poet's work or delivery.
Lesson 7
Analyzing Poetry
Students are asked to write annotations in the margins of poems, recording questions, reactions, and interpretations (Activity 1). Students fill in a Poetry Map graphic organizer, paraphrase the poem, summarize in their own words, identify theme, and record personal reactions (Activity 2 and Student Activity Pages). The Poetry Puzzle requires students to write answers about setting, topic, repetition, and to mark words by category, which involves composing brief analytic responses.
Lesson 8
Types of Poems
Students are instructed to compose a Shakespearean sonnet using a provided template that specifies quatrains, a couplet, rhyme schemes (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG), and an aim toward iambic pentameter. Students are given a free-verse writing task with brainstorming prompts, sensory-detail charts, and explicit direction to include at least two literary devices (simile/metaphor, personification, apostrophe). Activity pages and prompts guide students to analyze poem structure (stanza divisions, rhyme schemes) and to transform visual art into ekphrastic poems, requiring them to organize ideas and develop responses in journal entries. Students also complete analysis and identification activities that reinforce understanding of organization and stylistic conventions of specific poetic tasks.
Lesson 9
The Crossover
Students are asked to write a vocabulary poem in the author's style (Option 2) using three 'As in:' sentences that draw on personal people and events. Students must answer journal questions about how the meaning of "crossover" changes across poems (Homework Option 1) and write a 3–4 sentence response evaluating basketball rules (Homework Option 2). The Vocabulary Option 1 prompts students to compare book definitions with dictionary definitions and explain how the author's method aids understanding, requiring explanatory writing.
Lesson 10
Poems and Poets
Students are asked to summarize poems and identify themes and literary elements on the "Poetry Map," requiring written paraphrase and organized responses about word choice, imagery, tone, and theme. Students complete a "Poet Biography Boxes" sheet and a one-page biographical sketch that must include specific elements (name, country, language, dates, and at least three facts) and be "brief but informative" and visually appealing. Students write a journal response that summarizes a poem and explains how cultural references enrich meaning, explicitly tying content to purpose and audience (journal or presentation).
Final Project
Poetry
Students are asked to write a one-page, typed, double-spaced argumentative response about whether Bob Dylan deserved the Nobel Prize, requiring them to state a claim and explain reasons. The Poetry Explication choice requires students to produce a structured digital presentation (slide-by-slide) that demonstrates analysis of form, rhyme, meter, sound devices, speaker, tone, imagery, figurative language, and theme, asking students to highlight and organize those elements. The Director's Notebook and other project choices require students to write explanatory paragraphs about artistic choices (sets, costumes, lighting) and to display or present their written work alongside creative elements.
Unit 5: Nonfiction
Lesson 1
Types of Nonfiction
Students are asked to write definitions in their own words (Parent Plan answer key) and complete the 'All About a Person' activity page by writing observations, comparisons, and notes about theme, character, setting, and plot. Activity 2 asks students to read an article and "write a short response in your journal." Homework requires students to answer several comprehension questions in writing about I Am Malala.
Lesson 3
The Taliban
Students are asked to write an informational paragraph that begins with a strong introductory sentence, uses transitional words and phrases to link ideas, answers specified content questions, and ends with a concluding sentence. An alternative option asks students to create slides that combine visual aids and text, require text in students' own words, and require noting image sources. The parent plan and wrapping-up directions explicitly identify producing clear and coherent writing and practicing paraphrasing as targeted skills.
Lesson 4
Dear Diary
Students are asked to produce a one-page diary entry about a significant event (homework), so they write an extended piece of narrative prose. Students analyze and create paraphrases in multiple activities, practicing choosing words and rearranging sentences to convey meaning in their own writing. The Parent Plan Skills list explicitly names "Produce clear and coherent writing..." and "Write narratives...," indicating that students are expected to write organized narrative responses.
Lesson 5
Displacement
Students are asked to produce written responses in several activities: in Option 1 they write three assumptions about a school and compose 3–4 sentences from a student's point of view about likes and dislikes, and in Option 2 they write advantages and disadvantages for four transportation types and assemble a mini-book with titles and pages. The reading tasks also require students to answer comprehension questions in writing (short answer responses). These tasks require students to organize brief written ideas and present them in specific formats (worksheet entries, a mini-book).
Lesson 6
A Day Like Any Other
Students are asked to write analytical responses using the APE (Answer, Prove, Extend) strategy, completing an activity page that requires a written Answer in a complete sentence, a Prove section with specific quotations or examples (including page numbers), and an Extend section with explanation or personal connection. The Parent Plan specifies that answers should include part of the question, be in students' own words, and that the "prove" section must provide textual evidence, indicating students must organize and support claims. The example shows students drafting a multi-part, organized response (restate question, cite evidence, explain how evidence supports the answer).
Lesson 7
Life in England
Students are asked to write a short informal journal response imagining a future project that could qualify them for a Nobel Peace Prize, which requires composing ideas in writing. The plan also states that students will write a final project paper about an issue important to them, indicating an extended writing task will be assigned. Students take notes on the video and respond to guided comparison questions, providing material they could use in written work.
Lesson 8
Civil Rights
Students write short constructed responses in journals to questions about the Freedom Riders and Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail." Students complete a "Just and Unjust Laws" double-entry diary and the "African-American Authors" Part II where they write sentences describing each author's contributions. Students also create a written creative response (original or found poem) or write brief descriptions for the "People of the Past" activity.
Lesson 9
Civil Disobedience
Students are asked to explain overlapping ideas between Thoreau and King by filling the "Overlapping Ideas" column and to "explain the ways that your views and his align" in the "Opposing Quotes" activity, providing explicit opportunities to compose written responses. The Parent Plan section explicitly lists related writing skills: developing a topic with relevant facts and maintaining a formal style and objective tone. Homework requires students to read excerpts and "answer the question about each one," which prompts written responses that develop and support analysis.
Lesson 10
Learning from the Past
Students are asked to draft a paragraph in their journals analyzing a universal truth in Wiesel's speech and to support that paragraph with quotes from Wiesel and one or two other authors, which requires organized development and use of evidence (Activity 3). Students must create a museum wall with one- or two-sentence explanations and a "clear and formal description" of their point, and the Parent Plan explicitly directs students to write in a formal tone appropriate for a museum audience (Activity 4 and Parent Plan). For homework, students write a personal journal entry or poem recording a sad event, giving them practice producing coherent written records for a particular purpose and audience.
Lesson 12
Running from War
The lesson includes explicit writing tasks that require students to compose organized responses: the homework asks students to use the APE strategy (Answer, Prove, Extend) to form a written journal response that includes a quotation integrated using methods taught in Activity 1. Activity 1 and the Student Activity Page require students to practice introducing and punctuating quotations correctly (Part I) and to produce an introductory sentence or phrase that provides context before a quotation (Part II). The Parent Plan Skills list that students will "Write informative/explanatory texts" and "Develop the topic with well-chosen... quotations," indicating an expectation that students produce evidence-based explanatory writing.
Lesson 13
Child Soldier
Students are asked to write a journal response about the memoir controversy, requiring them to develop an argument for or against the importance of Beah's accuracy. The Skills section instructs students to cite strong textual evidence and to delineate and evaluate arguments, implying practice in supporting claims with evidence. Students complete multiple written activity pages (Role of Rap, Different Accounts, Child Soldiers) that require organized responses, comparisons between book and video accounts, and listing advantages/disadvantages from specific perspectives.
Lesson 14
Rehabilitation
Students are asked to write a developed response in Activity 1 (Option 2) where they state a conclusion about whether the government committed war crimes and provide examples or quotations from the text to support that conclusion. The "Wiesel's Words" activity requires students to choose a quotation and explain, with specific examples from the book or author video, how the quotation relates to Beah's memoir. Homework options ask students to write journal analyses (either of a personal dream or of one of Beah's nightmares), record page numbers, and analyze meaning using textual evidence.
Lesson 15
A New Life
Students practice summarizing Chapter 20 by writing a 1–2 paragraph summary in their journals, with explicit steps on identifying main ideas, annotating, choosing which points to include, and writing in their own words. Students are directed to make sentences flow together and to use transitional words and phrases (referencing pp. 159–161), which addresses organization and coherence. Students create a flyer or a webpage for a nonprofit, composing background, how the organization helps, and accomplishments—an activity that requires adapting style and content for a specific task, purpose, and audience.
Final Project
Expository Essay
Students plan and produce a five-paragraph researched expository essay that requires a clear thesis, three supporting points, an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Students identify audience and purpose by assuming readers who completed the unit and are instructed to maintain a formal, objective tone and to avoid persuasive language. Students develop organization and coherence by outlining a thesis-driven structure, using transitions, drafting body paragraphs with Answer-Prove-Extend structure, and creating a Works Cited page with in-text citations. The provided rubric and parent-plan criteria explicitly assess thesis, organization, support, style, and grammar, guiding students to develop clear, coherent writing.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
The Parent Plan skills list explicitly names "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience." Part IV (Discussion) asks students to choose two prompts and "provide a thorough answer to each in paragraph form," then "read back over the paragraphs and revise them as needed." Part V (Quoting and Paraphrasing) requires students to introduce and correctly integrate quotations and to paraphrase passages in their own words, demonstrating sentence-level control of integrating sources.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Ender's Game
Lesson 6
Performance Is Personal
Students answer the Text Structure activity questions by reviewing chapter openings and writing explanations of foreshadowing, tension, character roles, and stylistic differences, which requires constructing analytic responses. Students complete the Competing Commanders activity by choosing three evaluation criteria, recording those criteria, assigning scores, totaling points, and ranking commanders, which asks them to organize and justify a point of view in writing on the activity sheet. The homework section asks students to read Chapter 9 and answer specific written comprehension questions about plot details and character actions.
Lesson 7
Leaders Motivate
Students write a journal entry synthesizing readings on John Locke and Demosthenes to explain why Peter chose those pen names, which requires organizing ideas and developing an argument. Students match and complete famous leadership quotes and then select three novel characters and write reasons linking quotes to character actions, which asks them to produce explanatory prose for a specific analytic task. Students complete a three-column organizer (Character, Quote, Reason) that prompts selection, matching, and brief written justification, engaging them in focused written explanation.
Lesson 9
Conflict Within and Without
Students are asked to write a paragraph addressing three questions about a conflict's impact on relationships, plot development, and character change, which requires composing organized prose. Students complete a chart that organizes examples of internal and external conflict and then write a journal entry selecting a central theme and describing conflict development over the text. Students are asked to write one to two paragraphs (5-6 sentences) reflecting on the chapter title and its foreshadowing, demonstrating practice in developing an idea in paragraph form.
Lesson 11
Thud, Whump, Huut
Students are asked to finish reading chapters and answer guided questions, which requires written responses (Reading And Questions). In the Adaptations activity, students must take notes comparing a scene in the book and its movie version and explain which version is more effective and why. The Comic Book option asks students to complete a "Comic Adaptation" activity page by listing omitted or changed narration/dialogue and judging whether the comic communicated the omitted material, which requires written analysis.
Lesson 12
Campbell's Comparisons
Students record the 12 steps of the hero's journey in their journals after watching a summary video, which requires summarizing and organizing information. Students choose six steps and use the Hero's Journey activity sheet to describe parallels between those steps and Ender's Game, producing written comparisons in six labeled boxes. Students retake an issues survey and compare their before/after answers, which asks them to reflect and provide reasons for any changes (potentially in writing or prepared discussion).
Lesson 13
The Enemy's Gate Is Down
Students write one- to two-sentence summaries of four leadership lessons on the "Leadership Lessons: Forbes Four" activity page and describe how to apply one lesson to their own life. Students complete the "Discovering Subplots" activity page by listing unanswered questions and filling a three-column table comparing Graff, Ender, and Peter/Valentine, producing written analyses. Students prepare answers to discussion questions that require written reasoning about text structure, theme, and the effects of subplots.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to produce multiple written products: a one- to three-paragraph flashback (Box 2), a three- to four-paragraph passage rewritten in first-person (Box 3), and two to three paragraphs comparing military and civilian leadership (Box 5). Students must also complete shorter written tasks on the unit test (e.g., use the word "invective" in a sentence, define flashback, identify conflicts) and choose additional writing or narrative tasks from the Think-Tac-Toe board (storyboard, dialogue rewrite, acrostic answers). Instructions specify expected formats and lengths (paragraph counts, use of "I" for first-person rewrites) that require students to produce writing for particular tasks and purposes.
Unit 2: Grammar, Part II
Lesson 3
Sentence Fragments and Run-on Sentences
Students practice sentence-level clarity by identifying and correcting sentence fragments and run-on sentences through quizzes, a worksheet, and a paragraph-editing activity that requires marking and correcting fused sentences and comma splices. Students practice correct word choice and audience-aware usage by writing a 1–2 page narrative (Creative Writing Challenge) that must use all target commonly confused words correctly and then reviewing and revising the draft and sharing it with a parent. Students also analyze and label verbals and verbal phrases (gerunds, participles, infinitives) to improve sentence formation and reduce modifier errors.
Lesson 4
Modifier Errors
Students practice identifying and correcting misplaced and dangling modifiers by rewriting sentences in the "Modifier Problems" activity (Part 1 and Part 2) and checking answers against the provided Answer Key. Students produce corrected versions of confusing sentences in Option 1 by drawing cartoons that contrast the original sentence with the corrected sentence to show clearer meaning. Students create an original modifier-error quiz with an answer key in Option 2, which requires composing sentences that demonstrate and fix modifier errors (including a misplaced adverb example).
Lesson 5
Hyphens and Apostrophes
Students rewrite paired sentences to explain how hyphenation changes meaning and then produce corrected versions (Hyphen or No Hyphen? Part 1). Students rewrite sentences using hyphens with numbers, divide words at syllable boundaries, and replace spaces with en dashes or em dashes to clarify ranges and interruptions (Parts 2–5). Students mark up and correct apostrophe errors in a travel-influencer post, inserting, removing, or explaining apostrophes and completing related challenge sentences. Students are instructed to take notes in a journal and to check answers against an answer key and an online quiz, reinforcing punctuation conventions.
Lesson 6
Word Choice
Students revise and rewrite sentences and paragraphs in activities on avoiding redundancy and avoiding wordiness, crossing out redundant words and producing more concise versions. Students complete a "College Essay Editor" activity in which they identify clichés, vague language, and weak verbs and then rewrite a personal-statement paragraph to make it clearer and more specific for admissions readers. Students learn and practice audience-appropriate language in the homework that requires using standard and formal English for academic assignments and taking notes on levels of formality. Students practice clause-level clarity by distinguishing restrictive vs. nonrestrictive clauses and using "that/which" correctly to make sentence meaning precise.
Lesson 7
Verb Voice and Mood
Students are asked to create a creative explanatory product (poster, slideshow, comic strip, card game) that explains the subjunctive mood to a younger relative, which requires them to adapt content and style for a specific audience. Students are instructed to use active voice in most academic writing and to avoid inappropriate shifts between active and passive voice and between moods. The project rubric requires the message to be "clear and cohesive (audience has no questions or confusions)" and asks for definitions, examples, and useful strategies, which directs students to produce understandable, audience-appropriate content.
Lesson 8
Parallelism
Students identify and correct faulty parallelism by analyzing the example sentence about Rashad and rewriting it so the list items share the same grammatical form. Students read an online explanation of parallel structure and the book, and take guided notes on a provided "Parallelism" activity page that asks them to list coordinating conjunctions, comparison words, correlative conjunctions, and examples of parallelism problems. Students complete practice exercises linked on the Towson webpage (and are encouraged to try the linked exercises and post-test) to test their understanding of parallel structure.
Final Project
Wrapping Up
Students are asked to create audience-specific products (an explanatory guide for teens/adults, an elementary poster, a slideshow) and to plan content before creating, which requires organizing information and choosing an appropriate style. The mini-project rubric explicitly evaluates whether information is appropriate for the target audience and whether each mini-project clearly explains the topic and would be useful to others. Instructions require students to define terms, provide examples, and use graphic organizers or presentation formats (slideshows, brochures) that structure information for a particular purpose.
Unit 3: Informational Texts
Lesson 3
The Matthew Effect
The Skills section explicitly lists "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience," indicating writing is an intended learning target. Students are asked to write in their journals to brainstorm factors that contribute to sports success and to answer homework questions about the reading, producing written responses about merit, the 10,000-hour rule, and how practice relates to sports examples. Discussion prompts and short-answer homework require students to organize responses that explain ideas from the text.
Lesson 4
The 10,000 Hour Rule
Students are asked to write brief summaries for Sections 1–3 using the three blank lines in the "Looking Closely" activity, and to answer analysis questions that require written explanations of how Gladwell introduces Bill Joy, why Joy is omitted in Section 2, and how the sections are structured. Students are instructed to mark key opportunities in their book or record them in a journal while reading Sections 4–6, which requires noting and organizing information in writing. The Parent Plan and answer key prompt students to provide objective summaries and analyze how the author's ideas are developed, which students must express in written responses.
Lesson 5
Harlan, Kentucky
The lesson explicitly lists "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience" in the Skills section. Students are asked to write an informal journal reflection as homework: they must research local settlers, note stereotypes, reflect on influences, take notes, and share their findings with family (Parent Plan and Homework instructions).
Lesson 6
The Ethnic Theory of Plane Crashes
Students are asked to write journal responses about why Gladwell structured the chapter and to speculate on the ethnic/cultural issue, which requires development of ideas in writing. Students complete Activity 5 Option 2 by filling out an "Analyzing Gladwell's Response" chart that asks them to identify criticisms, describe Gladwell's responses, and evaluate effectiveness, a task that requires organized written analysis. The Parent Plan also lists "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience" as a targeted skill.
Lesson 7
Rice Paddies and Math Tests
Students are asked to produce a diagram or infographic that "clearly and effectively communicates" a chosen concept and to make the product "neat, attractive, and free from grammar and punctuation errors," which requires them to consider clarity, audience, and correctness. The Skills section and homework encourage students to "translate quantitative or technical information... into visual form" and to "make strategic use of digital media... to enhance understanding," supporting choices about organization and presentation. Activities also require students to share or present their findings to a parent, which asks students to shape their product for an audience.
Lesson 8
With Malice Toward None
Students analyze Lincoln's rhetorical strategies (parallelism, antithesis, allusion) and complete a chart identifying quotes, devices, and intended effects, practicing diction and tone recognition. The homework asks students to identify the persuasive-speech organizational structure (background, main message, forward-looking statement) and write three sentences as a three-item bulleted list. The wrapping-up language and activity pages prompt students to consider how to use these devices in their own work.
Lesson 9
Writing about History
Students are asked to compose a persuasive editorial (Option 2) that uses facts from primary and secondary accounts to persuade readers that the attack was unnecessary and excessive. Students complete a graphic organizer that requires them to connect secondary-source claims to supporting primary-source evidence. The parent-facing skills list explicitly names writing tasks: "Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content" and "Introduce precise claim(s)... and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence."
Lesson 10
Science Writing
Students read targeted sections of a middle-school science booklet and complete the "Investigating Claims in Science Writing" activity, in which they explain how the author supports two claims and identify methods used to explain terms like "centripetal force." Students are prompted to evaluate audience appropriateness by explaining whether the booklet provides enough detail for a middle-school audience and to suggest improvements. Homework asks students to compare a written explanation and a video and discuss which made the concept more understandable, requiring written or spoken evaluation tied to purpose and audience.
Lesson 11
Technical Writing
Students plan, draft, and produce a short how-to guide (Activities 2–4, Day 2) that requires an introduction, background, chronological steps, tips, a conclusion, and a Works Cited section. Students apply organizational features of technical writing by adding titles, headings, bulleted/numbered steps, a glossary, and an infographic (Activity 1, Activity 5). Students revise for audience and clarity by using the Guide Checklist and by having another person follow their guide while they observe and note places that need clarification (Activity 6 and Day 3 homework).
Lesson 12
Logical Fallacies
Students are asked to write a persuasive essay as the final project and to prepare for it in the next lesson, indicating they will produce extended persuasive writing. In Option 2 of the appeals activity, students write their own short speech, identify where they used ethos, pathos, and logos, name their intended audience, and may deliver it to a parent. The lesson also provides an example speech with labeled appeals and guidance that students should rely on logos while using ethos and pathos as appropriate.
Final Project
Argumentative Research Essay
Students are asked to produce a five‑paragraph argumentative essay organized using the classical argument structure (Introduction/Narration, Confirmation, Concession/Refutation, Conclusion) and to use a clear thesis and supporting evidence. The lesson includes explicit tasks to plan, draft, revise, and produce a Works Cited in MLA, and a rubric that evaluates Thesis, Content Development (including counterargument), Organization, and Style (sentence variety, word choice, pronoun use). Students must also adapt their written essay into an oral presentation, shortening sentences and tailoring content for listeners, and they are directed to revise for content, organization, and support using the provided rubric.
Unit 4: Drama
Lesson 1
What Is Drama?
The homework directs students to "Write a paragraph in your journal recalling a play" and provides specific prompts about the play, setting, characters, and viewing experience, which requires students to produce a written response. Activity 1 also asks students to "record your guesses in your journal" about genre when watching video clips, giving students practice in brief written reporting. The Parent Plan reiterates that "Students will recall a time when they saw a play... and then write a paragraph reflecting their experience."
Lesson 2
How to Read Drama
Students are asked to write answers in a journal and to complete the "Applying Aristotle's Six Elements of Tragedy" activity page, responding to prompts about plot, character, thought, diction, melody, and spectacle. The activity page directs students to "Try to answer each question in just one sentence," prompting concise written responses. The lesson includes specific question prompts (e.g., "Is the plot centered on a discovery or on a reversal of fortune?") and provides answer keys that model expected responses.
Lesson 4
A Raisin in the Sun
Students are asked to write a one-paragraph summary of Act I in their journals that must include the setting, main characters, and the plot of each scene, plus a sentence predicting Act II. Students take notes in their journals on dialect listening activities and respond to guided questions about college videos, requiring them to produce written reflections. Students complete a "Characters and Their Dreams" graphic organizer, recording ages, adjectives, and each character's dream, which requires selecting and organizing textual details into a coherent chart.
Lesson 5
Act II
Students are asked to write a 5-sentence reader-response paragraph using the APE method (Answer, Prove, Extend), which requires them to state a claim, provide textual evidence, and explain or extend their reasoning. Option 1 asks students to write a six-sentence monologue that must reflect a chosen character's voice, requiring attention to style and audience. The character analysis, Hansberry-quote responses, and song-journal homework require organized written responses that use evidence and connect purpose (analysis, performance, or reflection) to form.
Lesson 6
Act III
Students are asked to answer open-response questions about Act III (e.g., whether Beneatha should marry and move to Africa and why), which requires written explanation and reasoning. The "A Dream Deferred" activity directs students to define terms, identify five similes in the poem, analyze the final line's imagery, and relate the poem's comparisons to a play character, prompting written analysis and textual support. The wrap-up and parent-plan prompts ask students to explain character motives and make interpretive connections in writing.
Lesson 7
Fences
Students are asked to write comparative responses in Activity 2, filling out a comparison chart and writing at least two sentences about similarities and differences between Fences and A Raisin in the Sun. The Student Activity Page provides an organizational scaffold with labeled sections (theme, characters, plot, setting) to help students structure their comparisons. Activity 3 and the homework require students to write a paragraph (three insights; a reflective paragraph) about character insights and learning from the play and movie.
Lesson 8
Shakespeare
Students are asked to "rewrite the passage in your own words" on the activity sheet, providing direct practice in producing written summaries. The activity sheet requires written responses identifying speaker, meaning, actions, and desires, giving students opportunities to organize information and record it in writing. Students also must create a chronological "Shakespeare Timeline," which asks them to select, order, and annotate key events, practicing organization of content for a specific task.
Lesson 9
Romeo and Juliet
Students are asked to write journal summaries after reading each scene (e.g., "summarize what you think is the most important event that occurred in the scene"). Students answer directed written questions about plot and characters after each scene and complete journal responses for the Renaissance marriage activity (e.g., pros/cons, why dowries were burdensome). Homework requires students to take notes on the Globe performance features (colors, props, movement), which involves written observation.
Lesson 10
Figurative Language
Students are asked to write journal summaries after reading each set of scenes and to answer focused comprehension and analysis questions in writing (e.g., summarizing the most important event, explaining oxymorons and paradoxes). Students rearrange sonnet lines, mark rhyme scheme, and write an explanation of the major conflict summarized by the sonnet. Students complete comparative written work for the 'Spouse Survey' (recording their own and their parents' responses) and respond in a journal to prompts such as what they would say to Friar Lawrence. The Parent Plan's skills list explicitly includes "Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts."
Lesson 11
Nuanced Meaning
Students are asked to write journal summaries of the most important event in each scene, which requires selecting and organizing key ideas from Act III. In Part III of the activity page, students must produce sentences using synonyms with positive and negative connotations, practicing word choice and sentence-level style. The Day 2 Text Messaging activity requires students to rewrite a six-line exchange as modern text messages, explicitly asking them to use modern language and emojis and to demonstrate the characters' relationships, plot, and emotions—adapting style to audience and purpose.
Lesson 13
Tragic Hero
Students are asked to write a journal summary of the most important event in Act V and to answer guided questions about Romeo's dream, the apothecary, and plot events. Students complete a "Timeline and Character Development" activity in which they record actions by act/scene and write explanations deciding whether characters are static or dynamic and whether they are round or flat. Students complete a comparative activity filling in similarities between Pyramus and Thisbe and Romeo and Juliet, answering directed questions about tragic-hero criteria in a written journal response.
Lesson 14
Modern Retelling
Students are asked to produce an informal three-paragraph analysis comparing the Luhrmann film and a Globe Theatre production, including a required thesis and three supporting paragraphs. The lesson directs students to choose three specific areas to discuss, craft topic sentences, use the APE (Answer, Prove, Extend) method, and provide specific examples from both productions. A checklist requires each paragraph to begin with a topic sentence, include specific evidence from both productions, and end with an explanation of significance or effect. Students are also instructed to type, read aloud, revise, and edit their paragraphs.
Final Project
Drama
Students are asked to produce multiple written artifacts: paragraphs describing costumes and set designs, scripts for podcasts and commercials, instructions for a board game, article leads for a news webpage, comic-strip summaries, and song/rap lyrics. Students must include citations and a Works Cited page when using outside sources and are directed to write scripts or summaries before recording or presenting, demonstrating practice in planning written work. The project rubric includes a Mechanics category (spelling, punctuation, grammar) and Content and Presentation categories that require clear explanations and audience engagement.
Semester Exam
Semester Exam
The Parent Plan skills list explicitly names the standard, and Part V (Grammar and Usage) asks students to rewrite verbose or misplaced-modifier sentences, correct parallelism, and prefer active voice, which practices clarity and style. Part IV: Discussion requires students to write 1–3 paragraph responses to analytical prompts (e.g., defend a position on teaching Shakespeare, evaluate sources, compare writing types) that call for organized, developed answers and use of textual evidence. The exam's short-answer and essay-style prompts (counterargument explanation, social-message analysis, Outliers rhetorical analysis) require students to produce coherent written arguments appropriate to task and purpose.