Students record words and phrases that describe Cody and Sophie for Chapter 1-7, 8-15, and 16-end on the Character Development sheet, allowing them to track how each character changes over time. The lesson tells students to compare the two points of view and how each character views events and what they learn. The skills list explicitly asks students to evaluate the author's use of techniques such as point of view to influence readers' perspectives. Reading questions ask students to explain what Sophie's father calls her and to describe characters, prompting explanation from the text.

Students are asked to compare two short passages and identify which narrator is speaking, which requires them to distinguish and interpret voice and characterization. The lesson directs students to use a "Character Timeline" to record words and phrases describing Sophie and Cody from Chapters 8–14, supporting tracking of character traits over time. Question #3 asks students to explain how Cody feels about Sophie using examples from the book, prompting students to cite textual evidence to support characterization.

Students are asked to "examine relationships among characters," complete "Character Timelines," and "describe the relationships that exist among the characters," which asks them to note how relationships change over chapters. The Skills list includes "Make and evaluate inferences and conclusions about characters, events, and themes," and reading questions ask students to explain Sophie's interest in her environment and how Dock got his name, requiring use of textual details. Activity 2's diagram and the prompt to describe how characters interact and feel require students to identify and discuss character traits and interactions across multiple chapters.

Students are asked to summarize Bompie's story and answer inferential questions about his motivations, which requires examining an event and a character's behavior. The lesson directs students to complete "Character Timelines," track Little Peep, and answer questions about Brian's repeated references to orphans, prompting analysis of a key individual and related events. The activities and discussion prompts ask students to explain how whale and dolphin sightings symbolize family, trust, or memory for different crewmembers, asking students to connect examples from the text to those ideas.

Students are asked to describe the voyage up to this point and the relationships among the characters, which prompts recall of how characters and situations were presented. Students complete a "Character Timelines" sheet to track characters across chapters and answer comprehension questions about changes to the environment and the crew's actions. In the Identifying Voice activity students cut out quotes, match them to Brian, Cody, or Sophie, and write how each character would speak and act in a given scenario, using textual examples to represent character voice.

The lesson asks students to read Chapters 51–60 and answer targeted questions such as "How did the storm and The Wave change Cody?" and "How have the relationships among the crewmembers changed?", which require students to identify and describe character and event development. Students are directed to fill out a "Character Timelines" sheet and discuss prompts like "How are people changed by their experiences?" and interpret Sophie's quoted passage, supporting work that traces changes to individuals and relationships across the text.

Students are asked to list ways each character changed as a result of the voyage (Activity 1 Option 1) and to complete a "Character Timelines" sheet, which requires tracking character development. Students are prompted to provide evidence from the book to support stated themes or to identify two themes and supply three pieces of textual evidence for each (Activity 1 Option 2 and the third activity sheet). Comprehension questions also ask students to recall specific events and anecdotes (for example, Sophie knowing Bompie's stories and details about her past), which students must cite in answers.

Students are asked to document a character's beginning, middle, and end in the "Character's Changes" three-flap book, prompting them to note how the character appears at different points in the text. In the "Character Quote" mini book students record a quoted passage with a page number and explain why the quote is meaningful. The "Important Events" accordion requires students to select and illustrate the four main events affecting the character and to place them in chronological order; the materials also prompt students to refer to a character timeline and to use examples from the story (e.g., Test question #12 asks for a theme supported by examples).

Students are asked to watch the movie and "pay special attention to the environment of Ember and the main characters," and then write or perform a movie review describing the characters, setting, and plot. The review prompt explicitly directs students to "Discuss how the setting of the movie plays an important role in the movie." Parent discussion questions ask students to identify who Lina and Doon are and what they did, prompting attention to key individuals and events.

Students are asked to answer text-based questions (e.g., "Why is Lina afraid of fire?" and "How would you describe Torren?"), which prompt them to describe characters and events from chapters 4–5. In Activity 1 students keep a "Learning Log" in which they record, categorize, describe, and illustrate discoveries Doon and Lina make as they read through the chapters. The parent/skills notes emphasize "exploring relationships between and among characters, ideas, concepts and/or experiences," suggesting students will connect characters and ideas across the text.

Students are prompted to consider how change and limited resources lead to conflict in the "Ideas to Think About" and the Issue Box for the debate explicitly frames the resource conflict between Ember and Sparks. Students must read Chapters 8–10 and answer questions about how the new environment affects the people and why tensions exist between Ember and Sparks, requiring them to cite plot details. The Debate activity asks students to compose three arguments and "support each argument with evidence," and then identify which statements are facts and which are opinions.

Students answer targeted comprehension questions asking why Torren hates Lina and what he does in his rage and how Doon feels when Lina leaves, which requires explaining a character's motive and actions. A discussion prompt asks students to recall and list references to fire (e.g., fireplace, Lina burned, the name Sparks, matches), which has students identify multiple examples that illustrate an idea. The media activity and wrap-up ask students to consider the role and effects of media and write a paragraph explaining how a media source would benefit the communities, connecting an idea in the text to broader consequences.

Students order and sequence specific story events on the "Sequencing Events" page, cutting out squares and placing events in chronological order to note the progression from nonviolent acts to violence. Students answer text-based questions (e.g., Question #1 and #5) that ask them to explain how people change and what Lina realizes about songs and legends, prompting consideration of causes and ideas in the text. Discussion prompts ask students to summarize important events, recognize the sequence that leads to a problem, and explain how cycles of revenge or violence escalate.

Students are asked to identify the main problem or conflict of the plot and explain how it is resolved (Skills; Activity 1). Students are directed to analyze the effect of character qualities on the conflict and to explain roles and functions of characters in plots (Skills; Parent Plan discussion about Tick and Doon). The Story Conflict bubble map requires students to identify the conflict type in The People of Sparks and provide textual evidence (events, characters' words and actions, or dialogue) that reveals and supports the conflict.

Students are asked to identify the two main characters and write descriptive adjectives for each, which prompts character description (Question 2). Students are asked to describe the conflict in the novel (Question 6) and to complete a Venn diagram comparing Ember and Sparks, which asks them to analyze similarities and differences between key settings. In the final-project options, students research a war or plague by investigating causes, effects, and how it ended and write a newspaper report, and Option 2 asks students to write a three-paragraph essay describing a new environment and how Ember's people would adapt.

Students answer comprehension questions that ask why Heather visited Miss Benson, why Risa hid the cookies, why an "eye bouquet" was thoughtful, and why Heather hid the book, requiring them to infer characters' motives and actions from the text. Students complete Activity 1 questions identifying the main characters, the primary incident, and how much time passes, focusing attention on what happens to specific individuals. Discussion prompts ask students to describe Heather and Risa and to explain how Heather's impressions of Risa changed between her first and second visits, prompting students to consider character development over the story.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to list three examples that show the setting is a rational world and three examples of non-rational events, requiring them to find textual examples that illustrate the idea. In Activity 4 students are instructed to record phrases and sentences the author uses to describe an environment and then create a visual representation, which has students identify descriptive elaboration of the setting. Question #4 asks students to explain why the setting is important, prompting students to connect examples from the text to the role of the environment in the story.

Students analyze characters by listing actions and the traits those actions reveal (Activity 1). Students record phrases that describe Pompeii from Tito's point of view and compare those descriptions before and after the eruption (Activity 3). Students identify and reflect on the ironic ending—how Bimbo's actions that try to save Tito lead to his death—and are asked to produce additional examples of irony (Activity 2).

Students are asked to characterize Rip Van Winkle (Question #1) and to explain how his actions support that characterization (Question #2), which requires citing examples from the text. Parent Plan skills explicitly include interpreting text by explaining elements such as characterization and exploring the impact of literary elements like setting and problem/resolution. Activity 5 asks students to rewrite the scene where Rip returns as a script and act it out, which has students examine and represent how the character is portrayed in that episode.

Students are asked specific comprehension and interpretive questions about Zlateh (e.g., "As the author points out, 'Zlateh's language consisted of only one word, but it meant many things.' What does this statement mean?" and "How did Zlateh save Aaron's life?"). Discussion prompts ask students to explain changes in how the family treated Zlateh after Aaron's experience and to analyze the role of the natural setting in the conflict (snowstorm as antagonist). Students are also directed to reread pages (e.g., first pages of stories) for point-of-view activities, which requires revisiting text details.

Students read two short stories that center on female characters (Sylvia in "A White Heron" and Widow Carey) and answer comprehension and discussion questions about character decisions and the role of the natural environment. Students complete a Short Story Critique that requires discussing characters, what the author was trying to communicate, and including specific references to the text. Students compare the two female characters on a Venn diagram and are prompted to "consider how authors develop characters for whom the reader feels sympathy," which asks them to think about character development.

Students are asked to identify the main character and cite actions that show specific character traits, which requires finding how the character is illustrated through actions. Students complete a plot diagram listing main events, problem, climax, and resolution, which requires locating and sequencing events in the text. Students use a bubble map to identify a major theme and list specific examples from the text that support that theme, and the question types prompt students to write Think and Search and Reader-and-Author questions that combine text evidence with inference.

Students are asked to identify a major theme and provide examples from the text on the Theme & Conflict organizer, which requires them to find and cite supporting details. Students fill out a plot diagram naming the problem, rising action, climax, and resolution, which makes them identify and outline key events. Students list actions that reveal character traits and describe words/phrases for setting, which has them analyze how characters and settings are illustrated through actions and sensory detail.

Students arrange and sequence events on a Timeline: 1861 so they become familiar with what occurred before the Battle of Bull Run. Students read primary-source diary and journal entries and are asked to discuss perspectives, identify facts and opinions, and compare the two authors' viewpoints. Students research the Battle of Bull Run using secondary sources and record causes, leaders, mistakes, and outcomes on color-coded note cards.

Students read Pink and Say and answer comprehension questions about what Pink and Say did and what happened to other characters, demonstrating attention to key individuals and events. Activity 2 asks students to choose a passage and rewrite it from Pink's or an omniscient narrator's point of view, prompting them to consider which details, thoughts, and impressions each narrator would include. Activity 5 has students analyze Civil War letters by identifying authors, recipients, sides, and opinions, which requires examining how perspectives and firsthand anecdotes convey events and viewpoints.

Students read multiple first-person and third-person accounts (pages 1–20) and answer questions that require explaining a character's motivations (e.g., why Vernon was afraid to show emotion and why Gideon Adams faced challenges joining the Union). Students sort characters by home state and summarize each account, which requires identifying each character's perspective and allegiance. In Activity 2, students identify factual vs. opinion statements in a Civil War speech and explain how images and posters could be used as propaganda to influence attitudes, which asks students to analyze how an idea is illustrated and used.

Students read pages 21–40 of Bull Run and answer targeted comprehension questions about individuals (e.g., Dietrich Herz's note, the doctor's quote, Lily and Patrick's relationship). Discussion prompts ask students to explain changes in Toby's attitude, leaders' preparedness, and Gideon's reaction to racism, which require students to consider how characters and ideas are presented. The propaganda poster activity asks students to think about what types of posters would influence characters they have read about and to explain the message and intended influence.

Students are asked to read pages 41-60 and to identify each new character's home state when introduced, which requires noting introduction details. The guided questions require students to state what Carlotta King wanted to do, to explain how Shem Sugg's perspective on the war is unique, and to describe Edmund Upwing's situation, prompting students to describe character roles and perspectives. The parent plan directs reviewing the names, roles, and different perspectives of characters, encouraging students to recount and compare character information from the text.

Students read pages 61–80 and answer comprehension questions asking how specific characters felt (e.g., Carlotta, Gideon Adams) and what happened in events (e.g., Tilbury's squad firing on their own). Discussion prompts ask students to consider why the author shortened entries during the battle and whether witnessing battle changes a character's perspective. Option 2 asks students to select an event or character from the book and create a fictional story based on that event or character.

Students are asked to reread Toby's accounts on specific pages (13, 29, 63, 83, 96) and describe his feelings toward army life before and after Bull Run, citing evidence from the book. Students must select and reread a favorite character's accounts, study personality traits and mannerisms, and practice reading the accounts aloud in character, which requires attending to how the character is illustrated through voice and anecdote. The Character Quilt activity requires students to label each square with a character's name, main achievement, and depict a memorable scene, prompting students to assemble examples from the text that elaborate each character.

Students read the introduction and answer specific questions that ask them to identify illustrative details (e.g., why Einstein thought scientists should work as lighthouse keepers, what his big abstract question was, and how he differed from other scientists). Students generate their own questions about Einstein and are asked to find answers in the text, which prompts them to track how information about him is developed. Discussion prompts ask students to interpret a quoted idea and to summarize major events in Einstein's life, drawing on examples from the reading.

Students read Chapters 1–2 and answer questions that ask them to identify features of Einstein's early life (e.g., what made him different, how his interest in science began via the compass anecdote). Activity 2 directs students to record positive and negative traits and explain consequences those traits had on events and conflicts in his life. Activity 3 has students place important events on a timeline, linking events to biographical details. The Parent Plan and skills list explicitly prompt analysis of character qualities and their effects on events.

Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer questions that require restating key events (e.g., identifying quantum theory and explaining why 1905 is Einstein's "miracle year"). Students create a Biography Web by locating and filling in four major events from the turning point in Einstein's career, which requires selecting and organizing events that elaborate his life. Students watch videos, take notes, write a video summary, and compare the book and video accounts, which asks them to identify major topics, themes, and similarities/differences in how information is presented.

Students read Chapters 7 and 8 about Einstein and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Q1 asks how the science world responded to his papers; Q3 asks how Einstein describes gravity). Students create a trampoline illustration for the gravity demonstration (Q4) and add events to an Einstein timeline and a Biography Web, identifying four major events during the Professor period. The lesson also prompts discussion of the idea "knowledge is power," asking students to explain how knowledge gives power and how it can be used.

Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer targeted questions that require interpretation of Einstein's views (QUESTION #1) and character traits (QUESTION #2), and they explain causes for events in his life (QUESTION #3 about reasons he was passed over for the Nobel). Students add events to a timeline, which requires locating and sequencing textual details. In Activity 2 students compare an encyclopedia entry, a biography, and videos and explain how each medium contributed to their understanding of Einstein.

Students read Chapters 11 and 12 and answer targeted questions about Einstein (e.g., what theory he disagreed with, why he received death threats, why he moved to America, and how his feelings about the war changed). Students add events to a timeline and fill in four major events for the "The War" section on a biography web, selecting and organizing key events from the text. Students watch a biography video and record at least three factual statements and two opinions, practicing distinguishing fact from opinion and monitoring comprehension.

Students read the final chapter and answer comprehension questions that ask for causes and evidence (e.g., Question #3 asks what drove Einstein and how this is evidenced in his life). Students complete Option 2 of "A Biography," where they describe two ways the author accomplished each common biographical element and provide examples from the book that demonstrate those elements. Students are prompted to provide examples that demonstrate behavior, illustrate individuality, show effects on others, note the author's feelings, and describe surroundings, which requires identifying how the subject is illustrated and elaborated.

Students read a descriptive passage that introduces Adolf Hitler as a dictator and gives concrete examples of how he gained and abused power (e.g., laws passed without citizen input, use of fear, anti-Semitic policies). Students examine a timeline of German invasions and casualty figures that illustrate and elaborate the events of World War II. Students complete a map activity color-coding countries by Axis/Allied/occupied/neutral status and answer a discussion question about Hitler's motives, which prompts consideration of his actions and their effects.

Students are assigned the role of summarizer and must write a four- or five-sentence summary of Chapters 1 and 2, which asks them to identify main events. Discussion questions ask students to explain why soldiers are on corners, why characters burn a newspaper, and how Annemarie describes King Christian, prompting interpretation of events and a key individual. In Activity 2 students must think about and describe the impacts of occupation (through a poem or chart), which requires them to consider the significance of the occupation event in the text and in their imagined community.

Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4 as a 'wordsmith' and mark passages they consider interesting, powerful, or important to read aloud, which requires selecting text that illustrates key moments or ideas. Activity 2 directs students to analyze World War II propaganda posters, attend to techniques used and messages presented, and summarize each poster's message. Discussion questions ask students to explain specific events and character situations (e.g., why Mrs. Hirsch's shop was closed, why Danes destroyed their fleet, why Ellen stayed with Annemarie), prompting students to state causes and consequences from the text.

Students are asked to read Chapters 7 and 8 and "describe where the characters have moved to and from and describe each setting in detail," including page locations. Students must "explain what role the setting plays in the conflict of the story" and respond to guided questions about characters (e.g., why Mama did not want the girls to see anyone; why Aunt Birte's death seemed suspicious). Students also reflect on the personal sacrifices characters make during wartime and create products (postcards or coded letters) adopting a character's perspective.

Students are asked to act as a "literary luminary" by choosing two or three passages that spotlight important parts of the text and to read them aloud and explain their reasons for picking them, which requires identifying and discussing illustrative passages. In Activity 2 students read a biographical account of Barbara Rodbell, retell her story to a parent, and answer how her message relates to wartime resistance, which asks them to interpret an individual's actions and central idea using textual details. The Parent Plan lists skills to "explain the roles and functions of characters... including their relationships and conflicts" and to "provide evidence from the text to demonstrate understanding," and includes discussion questions that prompt students to explain motivations (e.g., why Henrik and Mama lied) and consequences for characters.

Students are asked to act as an illustrator: they draw a picture related to Chapters 11–13 and explain what it represents and why they chose it, which asks them to represent story elements and character moments. In Activity 2, students brainstorm historical figures who made sacrifices, select one, and use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast that person's sacrifice with Annemarie's, recording differences and at least two similarities. Discussion questions prompt students to recall specific events and character actions (e.g., what was inside the coffin, what dangerous task did Mama send Annemarie to do?).

Students are asked to create a character sketch of Annemarie that requires them to name two character traits and provide examples from the text showing when she exhibited each trait. Students must describe the problem Annemarie faced and explain how her traits helped her solve it, and they answer discussion questions about why Annemarie acted a certain way and to summarize the escape plan. Students also read two versions of Little Red Riding Hood and use a graphic organizer to identify similarities and differences, deciding which version parallels Annemarie's story.

Students are asked to read the book's "Afterword" to discover which parts of the story were based on historic fact, and they are directed to do additional research using provided links (National Museum of Denmark and BBC). The skills list and rubric prompt students to "guide and inform the reader's understanding of key ideas and evidence," to "include specific facts, details, and examples," and to "write responses to literary or expository texts and provide evidence from the text." The bubble map organizer and draft/editing activities require students to identify main ideas and supporting details and to incorporate quotations and factoids into their article.

The Number the Stars test asks students to describe how the Danish people felt about King Christian and to explain how Annemarie showed bravery, which requires students to refer to character portrayal and events. The test also asks students to explain the plan Uncle Henrik and Mrs. Johansen carried out to help Jewish people, which asks for description of a key event and its details. Several choice activities (create a book jacket with beginning/middle/end, act out a favorite scene, write a letter from a historical figure, or create a skit) require students to represent and use examples from the text to illustrate characters and events.

Students read the prologue and Chapters 1–2 and answer questions that require identifying events described in the prologue (Q1) and explaining character details (Q3). Students are asked to record phrases where the author 'uses words to paint a picture' (Q4) and to underline sentences that describe the setting to support an illustration or map. Parent/teacher prompts ask students to describe Tuck's personality and cite evidence from the book to support their ideas.

Students are asked to locate words and phrases the author uses to juxtapose the Fosters' home and the Tucks' home and to put quotations around any textual phrases they use. Students write paragraphs describing each family/home using the author's descriptions and record specific text-based words and phrases on folded paper. Students answer questions about the Tucks (why they were excited, Winnie's theories) and reflect on how Winnie's interactions with the Tucks will change her.

Students read a dedicated "Cycles and Change" activity that asks them to read quoted passages illustrating the theme, answer questions about how nature changes, and collect natural items to explain the significance of each item as a representation of cycles. Students are asked in "Wrapping Up" to consider Tuck's explanation about living forever and to defend whether they believe his theory, prompting explanation of an idea using text details. The "Things to Review" section asks students to explain one or two themes found in the novel, reinforcing interpretation of an idea.

Students are asked to describe the personality of the man in the yellow suit and the constable (QUESTION #1 and #2), which prompts character analysis. The Getting Started and opening prompts ask students to "consider how the events lead to these changes," encouraging them to link events to character change. A wrap-up discussion question asks students why the author uses only the man's words when describing a conversation with the Fosters, prompting students to consider how an event and a character are presented by the narrator.

Students are asked comprehension questions about the man in the yellow suit (how he knew about the Tucks and his plans for the water) and about Mae's inability to go to the gallows, prompting examination of motives and consequences. Students are prompted to discuss why the author does not give the man in the yellow suit a name, which asks them to consider an author's characterization choice. Students are asked to explain how Winnie's feelings for the Tucks have changed and how she has changed as a person, prompting analysis of a key individual's development over the chapters.

Students answer a comprehension question asking what it means that Winnie "was different now," prompting interpretation of a key individual's change. Students identify and record three cause-and-effect examples from the novel and use a graphic organizer to outline and write a cause-and-effect paragraph (including a sample tracing how the man in the yellow suit followed a music box to discover the Tucks). Students read myths and write three similarities and differences between those stories (and the Ponce de León account) and the novel, comparing how the idea of ‘‘magic waters'' appears across texts.

Students choose symbols for each main character and write similes explaining their choices (Activity 2), which requires them to identify and describe character traits and how those traits are shown. Students answer comprehension and inference questions about Winnie's relationships and the Tucks' reactions to Winnie's grave (Questions #1–#3), which asks them to explain characters' feelings and changes. Students select a meaningful book quote and create an illustration (Activity 3), which asks them to identify and represent an important idea or moment from the text.

Students are asked to record three quotes or actions from the book that describe how characters feel about living forever and to note which character made each statement, which requires finding and citing textual evidence. The Student Activity Page instructs students to sort those quotes into "Pros" and "Cons" and to summarize their own thoughts in a "Your Own Words" section, encouraging students to interpret examples from the text. The unit also asks students to prepare debate questions and at least one question must relate to the theme of change, prompting students to connect textual details to a larger idea.

Students read chapters 1–4 and answer questions that require explaining causes and character actions (e.g., why African-American children have a shorter school year; why Little Man refused the book). Students complete a "Recognizing Discrimination" organizer that prompts them to record "Who was involved?/What happened?" and "How was this an example of discrimination?" for chapters 1–12. Students watch primary-source Civil Rights Movement video and write a three- or four-sentence journal response describing what they learned and which events or interviews surprised or affected them.

Students read Chapter 4 and answer questions that ask them to explain character feelings and motives (for example, explaining why Stacey is upset that Mr. Morrison is staying). Students respond to discussion prompts that require evaluating a key individual (T.J.) and explaining Mr. Morrison's choices. Students are instructed to keep track of instances of discrimination on a "Recognizing Discrimination" page, linking text details to a larger idea about race and property.

Students are asked to read Chapter 6 and answer questions that probe character motivation and ideas in the text (e.g., Why do you think Uncle Hammer bought a car like Mr. Granger's?; What do you think Mama means when she says...?). Discussion prompts ask students to explain how Mama tells Cassie why black people are treated differently and to describe how Cassie's attitude changes after that explanation. Activity 2 asks students to consider historical discrimination and create a poster promoting positive race relations, which requires connecting the text's depiction of racism to broader ideas and examples.

Students are asked targeted comprehension and response questions about characters and actions (e.g., Why did Stacey give T.J. his new coat?; What did Mr. Jamison offer to do?), which require explaining motives and consequences. Discussion prompts ask students to consider why Uncle Hammer wanted T.J. to keep the coat and how Mr. Morrison's offer could lead to community change, prompting analysis of individuals' actions. The Option 2 activity asks students to compare and contrast the Logan family's Christmas with their own, which asks students to identify and explain illustrative details about an event.

Students are asked to describe the relationship between Cassie and Lillian Jean and to predict what will happen between them. Discussion and comprehension questions prompt students to evaluate events (e.g., whether Lillian Jean was worth Cassie's taking a stand and why T.J. lied about Mama). Activity 2 asks students to consider how the Integrated Bus Suggestions promote peace and strength and to underline and explain the three suggestions they think were most important. The lesson also asks students to explain to a parent what they learned about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and to discuss the boycott in the story.

Students answer specific comprehension questions about how and why T.J. was hurt and why R.W. and Melvin brought people to take T.J., demonstrating analysis of events and motives. Students discuss discrimination and author's purpose using prompts that require them to explain how T.J. is being treated and why that is unfair. Students summarize the chapter and predict outcomes, practicing extraction of key events and ideas from the text.

Students are asked to create a four-slide presentation that directly requires them to present the problem (Slide 1) and to "Provide examples of discrimination that currently exist in the community" (Slide 2), including examples based on what they learned from the story and unit materials. The Parent Plan skills and rubric prompt students to "deliver oral responses to literature that summarize significant events and details and articulate an understanding of several ideas" and to emphasize salient points to help listeners follow main ideas. The end-of-unit test includes questions asking students to explain the Civil Rights Movement, Jim Crow laws, and how black school children were treated, which requires students to identify and summarize ideas and events from the text and unit.

Students are asked to keep a "Character Timeline" recording a word or phrase that describes Jonas after each reading, starting with Chapters 1–2, which requires tracking how the central character changes over time. Students answer targeted comprehension questions about events (e.g., the Ceremony of Twelve) and character concerns (why Jonas worries about Asher), prompting them to connect events to character development. The parent-plan skill list explicitly tells students to draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence. Activity 2 asks students to infer how Elders would observe and assign jobs, which requires students to use textual details about Jonas' community and behavior.

Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4 and then record words or phrases on a timeline to describe Jonas in those chapters, which requires tracking his portrayal. Question prompts ask students to identify Jonas's shared trait with Gabe, describe the apple incident, and consider what the change might mean, which focuses attention on specific events and details. The Parent Plan explicitly lists skills to "analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author's purpose" and asks students to provide evidence from the text and to consider foreshadowing, pushing students toward textual analysis.

Students are asked to "record on the timeline words or phrases that describe Jonas in the chapters you read today," which requires collecting textual descriptions of a key individual across chapters. The "Stages of Life Timeline" activity directs students to label each ceremony, write a description of what happens, and create a picture reflecting the change, which has students illustrate and summarize key events. The "Community Rules & Laws" task has students think critically about each rule, recording possible positive and negative effects and reasoning, which asks them to analyze an important idea from the text.

Students are asked to record on a timeline words or phrases that describe Jonas in Chapters 7 and 8, which requires identifying textual descriptors of a key individual. Questions ask students to identify Jonas's assigned job (Receiver of Memory) and explain why that assignment is strange, prompting students to connect an event to its significance. The parent/teacher prompts ask students to evaluate the four qualities of a Receiver and in what ways Jonas does or does not exhibit each trait, which asks students to analyze Jonas's character traits and supporting details. Activities on euphemisms direct students to identify language that masks reality and record actual meanings, connecting an idea (precision of language/euphemism) to examples in the text.

Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and complete a "Character Timeline" page recording words or phrases to describe Jonas in these chapters. Students answer specific questions about what Jonas learned about the previous Receiver, which of his eight rules might be most challenging, and what he receives from the Receiver of Memory. Students choose three historical events, describe each in several sentences, and explain how those memories could help Jonas's community, prompting them to think about the idea of memory and its effects. Discussion prompts ask students to explain how Jonas felt after his assignment and to consider implications of the rule "You may lie."

Students are asked to reread the sled-ride description (pages 80–82), select descriptive words and phrases, and organize them according to the five senses on a "Sled Ride" chart. Activities ask students to evaluate the impact of sensory details and imagery and to describe the function and effect of literary devices such as symbolism and imagery. Students record words or phrases that describe Jonas on a "Character Timeline" and answer questions about events (e.g., the first memory, seeing color) that focus attention on how the event is portrayed.

Students are asked to record information about Jonas on a "Character Timeline," which prompts them to gather and track details about a key individual across chapters. Students answer specific questions (e.g., why Jonas feels Sameness is unfair; what The Giver means when he says instructors know nothing; why Jonas wants the community to share memories) that require analyzing Jonas's feelings, motives, and the idea of Sameness. Students discuss answers to several questions with a parent and respond to prompts connecting Jonas's choices to broader ideas about freedom of speech and the Committee of Elders.

Students read Chapters 15 and 16 and record words and phrases that describe Jonas on a Character Timeline, tracking how his experiences change him across these chapters. Students answer questions about the specific memories The Giver transmits (e.g., warfare, Christmas, horseback ride) and Jonas' reactions, practicing interpretation of how events affect the character. Students analyze the theme of freedom by composing persuasive letters and poems (before-and-after, acrostic, bio-poem) that use examples, symbolism, and contrasts to illustrate and elaborate the idea for Jonas' community.

Students are asked to record on a timeline words or phrases that describe Jonas in Chapters 17 and 18, which prompts tracking how the character is portrayed across the text. Comprehension questions ask students to state how Jonas' vision changed and what happened to Rosemary, requiring recall of events and character outcomes. Parent/Discussion prompts ask students to consider how Jonas' feelings differ from others and why Rosemary requested release, encouraging explanation of character motivations and effects on the community.

Students read Chapters 19–20 and record words or phrases on a timeline that describe Jonas, which requires noticing how his character is presented across the chapters. Students answer directed comprehension questions about the key event of release and the revelation about Rosemary, demonstrating attention to important events and relationships. Discussion prompts ask students to explain meanings (e.g., what The Giver means by "they live the life that was created for them") and to describe Jonas and The Giver's plan, requiring interpretation of character motives and plot developments.

Students are asked to finish reading and "Analyze how Jonas changed as the book progressed" and to add final thoughts to a Character Timeline, which prompts analysis of a key individual over the text. Parent-plan skills explicitly tell students to "Examine reasons for a character's actions, taking into account the situation and basic motivation," and Option 2 requires students to "keep these changes in mind" and "stay true to Jonas' character" when writing a final chapter. Students also read Lois Lowry's Newbery acceptance speech and are prompted to connect the author's memories to The Giver, providing opportunities to consider examples and anecdotes that influenced the text.

Students read the informational book What Was the Great Depression (pp. 1–81) and answer comprehension questions that ask them to explain causes, define shantytowns, and explain how the Depression affected farmers and Roosevelt's programs. Students examine multiple firsthand accounts and diary entries (e.g., "No Help Wanted," "The Dust Bowl," "What If Our Check Does Not Come?" and "Dear Mrs. Roosevelt") and create a photo journal pairing anecdotes with images, which requires them to consider the perspective and illustrative detail of those accounts. As a Cultural Commentator, students record places in the novel where the reader learns about culture (customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, food), identifying concrete examples from the chapters they read. The lesson also provides a focused informational section on the Mexican Revolution that introduces an event and connects it to migration and farm labor in the novel.

Students are asked to "pay close attention to what the author tells us about the phoenix" and to read specific paragraphs about the phoenix, prompting focused reading of how the idea is presented. Option 1 directs students to "describe how the phoenix might serve as a symbol for Esperanza's circumstances," which asks them to connect the phoenix idea to the main character. The Parent Plan lists skills that include analyzing the author's purpose and analyzing the function of stylistic elements in traditional literature, which supports interpretation of how ideas function in a text.

Students are asked to reread the section describing the train and to "pay close attention to the description of the train and the people on the train," then draw the wealthy and poor cars, which directs them to analyze how the idea of class is illustrated. Students must write four discussion questions as a Discussion Director about the chapters' big ideas and read them aloud, prompting them to identify and frame interpretive issues about characters and events. Students complete Venn-diagram activities comparing Mexico and the U.S. political and social systems and answer wrap-up discussion prompts that ask what specific quotes reveal about the social system, which engages them in interpreting and elaborating the idea of class differences.

Students read the chapter and take on the role of a Travel Tracer to follow where action happens, describe settings in detail, and explain what role the setting plays in the story's conflict. Students read pages about the 'Okies' and the Dust Bowl, record quotes from linked videos, and create a poster that uses images and selected quotations to illustrate the Dust Bowl. Students respond to discussion questions asking how Marta treats Esperanza and why, and why immigrant workers might strike, which requires explaining character behavior and causes using text details. Activity 1 has students replace instances of 'said' with descriptive verbs, prompting them to interpret how dialogue illustrates character tone and emotion.

Students are asked to act as a Literary Luminary by choosing two or three passages that spotlight important parts of the text and to read them aloud and explain their reasons for picking them, which requires selecting and explaining textual evidence. The Comparison Chart activity directs students to describe how Esperanza's life in California is similar to and different from life at Rancho de las Rosas, prompting students to analyze aspects of a key character's situation and setting. Discussion prompts ask students to describe living conditions, interpret Mama's line about happiness, and explain Esperanza's jobs, which elicit analysis of events and character details.

Students are asked to take on the role of an Illustrator and draw a picture related to the chapter, which asks them to represent plot, character, or setting from the text. The "A Shrine" activity requires students to draw a shrine and explain the elements of the shrine and what they represent about the character's life. The Parent Plan skill statement asks students to "examine reasons for a character's actions," prompting analysis of character motivation (e.g., Miguel and Alfonso bringing the rose cutting).

Students are asked to write an "I Am" poem that requires them to describe Esperanza's personality, culture, and circumstances, which prompts character-focused thinking. Students answer guided discussion questions about Esperanza's first day caring for the babies and why the new way of life is hard for her, requiring explanation of events and character responses. The Connector role asks students to record connections between book events and their own life or history, encouraging them to reflect on events and their meaning.

Students are asked to be a "Line Locator" by finding three to five lines or short passages that they think are key to the story, copying them (or recording page/paragraph numbers), and explaining in their journals why those passages are examples of good writing or important to the story. In the Cesar Chavez activity, students choose a Chavez quote, write it down, explain its meaning in their own words, and explain how it relates to Esperanza's story. The Line Locator task also requires students to record a thinking question that prompts them to think beyond the facts of a passage.

Students are asked in the "On Strike!" activity to examine listed reasons for striking, record information from the book that could support those reasons, and summarize the examples with page numbers. Students listen to two interviews with Mexican migrant workers to gather first-hand accounts that illustrate life in the camps and discrimination, then connect those accounts to the text. Parent/teacher prompts ask students to explain examples from the text that support why some workers chose to strike and to discuss how Mexicans were treated and why strikers intimidated non-strikers.

Students are asked to "consider how Esperanza's life has changed over the course of the novel and how the changes in her life have changed her as a person," which prompts analysis of character development. The Parent Plan asks students to discuss what a reader can learn about character through the dialogue the author presents, linking dialogue to character revelation. The Reading and Questions task (Dialogue Designer) requires students to center a recreated conversation around one or more events from the chapters, engaging with how events are portrayed. Discussion prompts (Wrapping Up) ask students to explain Isabel's discrimination, Miguel's views, the symbolism of knitting, and the significance of Esperanza's name, which require students to interpret events, ideas, and character significance.

Students are asked to write a movie trailer script that highlights main events, describes characters and the obstacles they face, and includes lines about major themes such as adjusting to a new culture. Students read and perform a provided readers' theatre script, then pick a specific event from the story and write a 12–15 line script for that event. Students are prompted to compare their dramatic adaptation to the original text and explain how their script is similar to and different from the actual events in the story.

Students are asked to find and describe metaphors (e.g., "The sea is our mother") and to record words and phrases that attribute human traits to objects on the Personification & Metaphor activity page. They match objects (Ocean, Water, Snail, Hermit Crab, etc.) with human traits and are encouraged to find 3–5 examples of personification. Students brainstorm ways living things depend on the sea and answer an interpretive question about why poets focus on obscure sea animals.

Students are asked to explain how the author uses personification in "Dinosaur Bone" and to identify the irony in the poem "206," which requires analyzing specific authorial choices. The Parent Plan lists skills that direct students to analyze author's craft, infer author's purpose, and evaluate techniques used to influence the reader. A discussion prompt asks students how their perspective on prehistoric life has changed after reading the poems, and Activity 2 asks students to research a prehistoric animal and write an obituary describing how the animal lived.

Students are prompted to consider how poets address both the physical aspects of plants and their role in the natural world at the start of the lesson. They read the poems in the "Think Like a Tree" section and answer analytic questions such as identifying a metaphor in "The Dandelion," rhyming patterns in "Cross-Purposes," and stanza patterns in "All Day Long." Activity 2 directs students to brainstorm and journal ways humans and animals depend on plants and vice versa, connecting poem themes to larger natural systems. The shape-poem activity asks students to reread p. 65 where the author creates a parallel between analyzing a leaf and poetic attentiveness, encouraging close attention to how ideas are presented.

Students are asked to identify specific language features (simile in "Earthworm," metaphors in "Rainforest," and the rhyme scheme of "The Tortoise in Eternity"), and to analyze poetic sound and imagery (alliteration, rhyme, imagery). They are prompted to explain how language produces feeling (e.g., "How did you feel after you read 'Early Walk'? What language does the author use to make you feel that way?") and to explain how dashes are used in lines from poems. The camouflage activities ask students to connect the poem "The Chameleon" to the biological idea of camouflage and to explain what the experiment reinforces about that idea.

The Analyzing a Poem student page asks students to identify poetic devices, list words/phrases that create imagery, determine tone, and state the poem's theme, which requires students to examine how meaning is conveyed. The reading questions ask students to list adaptations explored in the poems and to interpret a D.H. Lawrence line, prompting students to identify and explain specific ideas and examples within the poems. The activities ask students to select a poem and analyze it for devices, rhythm, and tone, engaging students in close reading of how language illustrates ideas.

Students reread poems such as "Song of Myself" and answer questions identifying the poet's observations and feelings. They list words and phrases that appeal to emotions in poems like "The Panther" and "The Bear," and identify attributes Whitman gives to animals. Students explain why poets might have used ellipses in specific poems and practice inserting ellipses in a quoted paragraph.

Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer guided questions that ask them to explain character motivation (QUESTION #1 asks why Cusi says Chuto is troubled and how Cusi feels) and to describe setting changes (QUESTION #2 asks how the landscape and environment changed). The Parent Plan and Skills section instructs students to "analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author's purpose," and discussion prompts ask students to explain cultural ideas (e.g., "What do you think the author means when she says the people are of two bloods?").

Students are asked to characterize Cusi and discuss how his life differs from other children, prompting them to examine a key individual (Getting Started; Parent Plan). Students answer questions about why Cusi is fascinated and interpret a line about his need to understand, which requires them to consider how the character's reactions are illustrated (Reading and Questions). Students are directed to reread Chuto's description of the truck and to create personifications of animals and objects, which asks them to analyze how an idea or object is illustrated through figurative language (Activity 2).

Students answer a comprehension question that asks why Cusi felt more alone in the city, which requires them to infer and interpret a character's experience (QUESTION #3). Students discuss and explain the metaphor about Cuzco—"The rivers of Cuzco lie hidden beneath the cobblestones..."—in the Wrapping Up parent-discussion prompts, which asks them to interpret how an idea is illustrated. Activity 2 provides historical summary text about the Spanish conquest and asks students to write a poem focused on how the conquest affected Incan culture, encouraging them to engage with how the event is described and its cultural effects.