Students are asked to compare leaders in discussion questions (e.g., "Who is the better leader, Ralph or Jack?"), which prompts them to form evaluative positions. Students collect textual evidence on STEAL character pages and are instructed to include page numbers and examples from speech, actions, thoughts, looks, and effects on others. The activities require students to infer character motivations and cite specific passages (examples and answer key show exact quotations and page references).

Students are directed to read an article, annotate it, and identify the author's thesis and supporting points (Activity 1). They fill a graphic organizer with the "Author's main argument/thesis," "Key points that support the thesis," and "Your reaction to the thesis," and are asked to evaluate the writer's view and decide their final opinion. The lesson asks students to record reactions, form their own opinion, and optionally consult a second article for additional perspectives.

Students are asked to draft four to five laws (Option 1) and to create a system for how laws should be adopted and what consequences/rewards should be in place (Option 2), and to "be prepared to discuss and defend their points of view." Discussion prompts ask students to predict outcomes if the boys do or do not have a system and to defend those positions. The assignment asks students to consider differences in laws for younger versus older boys, which invites comparison of alternative positions.

Students are asked on the Student Activity Page to choose an interpretation for symbols (e.g., Piggy's glasses, the conch) and to "write an explanation supported by the text," which requires them to state a claim and supply textual evidence. The parent notes explicitly state that students should be able to "explain their choice and back it up with support from the text." The wrapping-up prompts and discussion questions ask students to consider and evaluate different interpretations, encouraging reflection on alternative readings.

Students are asked to identify which minor themes support Golding's stated major theme and to "support those choices by referring to details from the novel" (Option 1). Both options require students to choose themes and write 3–4 sentence explanations of how the chosen theme supports the major theme, and the parent notes explicitly ask students to "support their choices with examples from the novel." Discussion prompts also ask students to compare Ralph's and Jack's power, inviting evidence-based reasoning.

Students are asked to write interpretations on the Recognizing Archetypes and Allegory Analysis pages, identifying what characters and settings might represent and citing character traits (e.g., Ralph = hero, Piggy = mentor). The lesson tells students to base ideas on the author's text and provides example details students may cite about characters' actions and motivations. The teacher prompts discussion of multiple interpretations and notes that answers will vary, encouraging students to consider different readings of the novel.

Students are asked to write a one-page journal entry from a chosen character's point of view analyzing aspects of Jack's leadership and contrasting it with Ralph's leadership and the boys' prior civilized lives, which asks students to form and support an interpretive claim. Students complete a Developing Civilization chart that requires them to list similarities and differences between the boys and early peoples, which asks them to weigh rival perspectives about civilization versus savagery. Class discussion questions prompt students to evaluate whether Jack's rule constitutes leadership and whether civilized practices (shelters, designated latrines) can coexist with violence, encouraging students to consider opposing ideas.

Students are asked to watch the 1963 film and complete a "Movie vs. Book" chart that requires them to list similarities and differences in characters, setting, theme, and plot, which prompts them to make claims about how the film and novel relate. Students must answer journal questions that ask whether omitted scenes were too critical to the novel's major theme and to explain why, which requires supplying textual and film evidence to support their positions. The answer key and discussion prompts include specific examples (e.g., omissions that obscure the boys' evacuation or the missing Ralph-officer conversation) that students can use as evidence when arguing a claim.

Students are asked to choose an essay prompt, develop a thesis, and locate specific passages from the text to support their claims (Brainstorming and sample prompt guidance). The guided outline and essay organizer require students to write topic sentences, include specific examples or quotes from the text, and explain how those examples support their points. The rubric and editor checklists ask students to evaluate whether a thesis is specific, arguable, and supportable and to check that details follow a logical order and are clearly explained.

Students are asked to identify a central theme and to use textual evidence (direct quotes, summaries, or paraphrase) to support their ideas (Exploring Theme activity, Homework APE guidance). Students respond to discussion prompts that present alternative interpretations (e.g., whether Mme. Loisel's hardships are due to her choices or to social factors) which invites considering different explanations. The APE strategy (Answer, Prove, Extend) directs students to make a claim (Answer) and supply evidence (Prove).

Students are guided to create a thesis that names two similarities and to support those claims with specific examples and quotations from the texts (Activities 1 and 2). The Details and Support page uses an APE structure that asks students to Answer, Prove (provide quotations from each story), and Extend (explain how the evidence supports the idea). The rubric explicitly assesses whether students support ideas with textual evidence and explain how the evidence supports points.

Students are asked to state opinions and provide evidence in Question #1 (Do you think Roger should be in jail? Why or why not?) and Question #2 (Do you believe that Roger changed after interacting with Mrs. Jones? Support your answer with evidence from the story). The model answers for those questions present both pro and con rationales, showing examples of supporting claims with textual evidence. The Parent Plan skills also list "Develop a topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts... appropriate to the audience's knowledge," which aligns with supplying evidence for a claim.

Students complete the "Crazy Like a Fox?" activity in which they list textual evidence in one column that the narrator is "Rational and Trustworthy" and in the other column that he is "Irrational or Insane." Students then answer whether the narrator is a reliable source of information and must explain why or why not. The provided answer key explicitly models pointing out strengths and limitations of each side (noting that reasons the narrator gives for sanity are unconvincing and may serve as evidence of madness).

Students are asked to cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis (Skills section) and to record story elements that mention the box in categorized sections (Physical description, Reactions, Connections) so they can support an interpretation. The Controversy activity asks students to compare The Lottery with another work, discuss whether the other work caused controversy, and answer whether people's complaints were valid, which asks students to evaluate opposing views. The homework requires students to write a paragraph stating an opinion and to support their ideas with evidence and observations.

Students are asked to take positions and support them in several places (Question #2 asks whether Dee or Maggie should have the quilts and requires justification; Question #3 asks whether Dee is right to be angry and asks for reasons). The Parent Plan lists a skill to "cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions," and discussion prompts explicitly ask students to consider pros and cons (e.g., benefits and drawbacks of Dee's name change). Activity 2 requires students to write a reflective paragraph explaining how a change in point of view alters interpretation, which asks for supported reasoning.

Students are asked to take and defend positions in multiple written tasks: the three journal homework questions require students to state whether the society is a fulfillment or perversion of equality, whether equality is compatible with competition, and whether they would object to different methods of achieving equality. In the comparative activity page and Day 2 discussion prompts, students must analyze and explain why the film/director made specific changes, list changes and discuss whether those changes are good or bad, and cite scenes/techniques as evidence. Classroom discussion prompts invite students to consider alternative perspectives (e.g., different interpretations of Harrison's speech and the film's slower execution scene) and to weigh reasons for why changes were made.

Students are asked to write formal opening statements for both the semicolon and the colon in the 'Great Punctuation Trial,' with explicit directions to utilize listed claims and include specific examples (e.g., joining independent clauses, conjunctive adverb + comma, complex lists, introducing a list, before a quotation). The instructions state that "every claim requires evidence" and require students to demonstrate rules with example sentences. During the courtroom hearing, students present their statements aloud and answer judge questions that probe understanding and require explanation or additional example sentences as proof.

Students are asked to make evaluative claims and support them with textual reference when they answer journal questions such as "What does 'crossover' mean in each poem? Do you feel using the word in different ways is effective? Why or why not?" and when they are directed to look at specific pages (pp. 227-228, pp. 234-237). Homework Option 2 asks students to state an opinion about whether certain basketball rules are good for life and to justify it in 3–4 sentences, prompting students to give reasons. Vocabulary activities require students to compare the book's definitions with dictionary definitions and explain how the book's method aids understanding, which asks students to supply evidence and explanations for claims about word meaning.

The "Provide Your Opinion" project asks students to read supportive and critical articles about Bob Dylan's 2016 Nobel Prize and to "consider both sides of the debate" before writing a one-page, double-spaced response arguing whether Dylan deserved the prize. Students are directed to read Dylan's lyrics and optional performance videos and to "explain your reasons," and to give credit for any quotations or arguments used from outside sources. The assignment thus requires students to form and support a central claim and to engage with opposing perspectives.

Students are asked to classify I Am Malala as a biography, autobiography, or memoir and to "Give specific examples" from the catalog record, front matter, and back matter to support that classification. Students are prompted to compare books, "Support your comparison with specific examples," which requires making claims about similarities or differences and citing evidence. Students read an interview with Patricia McCormick and are asked to explain her role and whether her involvement changes how the book should be classified, which invites consideration of alternative viewpoints.

Students are asked in Option 1 to record assumptions about schools from pictures and to conduct brief research about school conditions and notable statistics, which requires gathering and citing supporting information. In Option 2, students choose types of transportation and write advantages and disadvantages for each, explicitly identifying strengths and limitations. Discussion prompts ask students to consider laws and surprises about classroom pictures, prompting them to articulate and discuss differing perspectives.

Students are asked to use the APE strategy (Answer, Prove, Extend) to analyze a decision Malala or her father made, which requires them to write an answer (a claim) and to "Prove" it by providing quotations or specific examples from the text. The example provided models answering a question, citing a textual quotation with a page number, and then explaining how that evidence supports the answer in the "Extend" step. The activity also prompts students to be prepared to discuss whether they think the decision was a good one and why, inviting reasoning and justification.

Students are asked to watch a documentary and take notes comparing how the filmmaker's account differs from Malala's book, including questions about the father's role, the filmmaker's focus, and why impressions of Malala's mother differ. Students are prompted to evaluate in what ways the film and book are effective, and to discuss whether Malala's father or the media bear any responsibility for making her a target. The Parent Plan skills also state that students will prepare for and participate in conversations, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

Students complete the "Students in Action" activity page in which they record arguments for and against children participating in the 1963 march and then state an overall opinion. Students complete a "Just and Unjust Laws" double-entry diary where they analyze excerpts from King's letter, mark passages they agree with, and articulate their own views. Students also read the first and second halves of King's "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and answer prompts about the most persuasive arguments, which requires identifying and explaining rhetorical claims.

Students analyze parallel excerpts from Thoreau and King using side-by-side passages and fill a middle column of 'Overlapping Ideas,' which requires citing textual similarities and differences. Activity 2 asks students to read opposing quotes on America, government, and voting, decide which author they agree with, and explain how their views align, prompting students to support a chosen claim with textual evidence. The Parent Plan lists skills including developing a topic with relevant facts and determining an author's point of view, which frames students' work comparing and evaluating both authors' rhetoric.

Students are asked to skim Wiesel's speech, identify a universal-truth statement, and draft a paragraph arguing how that statement aligns with one or two other advocates (Malala, MLK, or Thoreau), using a quote from each person to support their argument. Students are directed to annotate the speech, locate supporting quotations (e.g., "Find a quote from the text that supports this"), and answer short-response items that require textual evidence. Students create a model museum wall and write a clear, formal description of the point they want to make, requiring them to state a claim and support it with one- or two-sentence explanations of chosen images.

Students are asked to state a clear claim using the APE strategy (Answer) and then 'Prove' it by using a quotation from the text, with explicit directions to introduce and integrate quotations. Activity 1 and the Student Activity Page require students to practice several methods of blending quotations (complete introductory sentence + colon, short introductory phrase + comma, or integrating part of a quote) and to introduce a specific quotation from Chapter 5 with contextual framing. The homework explicitly directs students to use the APE steps (Answer, Prove, Extend), requiring a claim, textual evidence, and an explanation that connects the evidence to the claim.

Students are asked to write a journal response in Activity 1 ("The Truth about Memoirs") that presents and weighs two explicit viewpoints (Beah's supporters and detractors) and to explain whether inaccuracies matter. In Activity 2 ("Different Accounts") students fill parallel "Book" and "Video" columns with examples or quotes, comparing claims across sources and noting differences in reasoning and evidence. In the "Child Soldiers" activity students list advantages and disadvantages (from commander and child perspectives) using the book, the video, and their own ideas, which requires stating claims and counterclaims and supporting them with text-based evidence.

Students are asked in Activity 1 (Option 1) to compare RUF and government soldiers on specific alleged war crimes, marking Yes/No and providing supporting examples or quotations from the text. In Activity 1 (Option 2) students must choose or craft a conclusion about whether one or both sides committed war crimes and write a journal response that cites examples/quotations and explains their reasoning. Students also examine the lieutenant's speech and the RUF soldier's comments (p.123 and p.134) to analyze conflicting claims about the two sides' conduct.

Students are asked to compare the two memoirs' use of rhetoric and writing style and to answer guided questions about whether each author's style is effective for the intended audience. The activity asks students to justify responses to prompts such as "Was the writer effective in persuading you? Why or why not?" and to discuss whether the details each book included were appropriate for the author's purpose and audience. The Comparing Memoirs page asks students to evaluate strengths and educational opportunities for each author and to explain how they would address those opportunities and challenges.

Students are asked to write extended paragraph responses in Part IV: Discussion (e.g., explain civil disobedience, describe the controversy about accuracy in A Long Way Gone, compare genres, and reflect on authors' transparency), which requires forming claims and supporting explanations. Part V: Quoting and Paraphrasing asks students to introduce and correctly integrate quotations and to paraphrase passages, so students practice supplying textual evidence to support their assertions. The skills list and directions to "provide a thorough answer in paragraph form" emphasize producing clear, coherent writing appropriate to task and audience.

Students are prompted to take positions and justify them in the "Questions to Discuss" (e.g., whether Dink is right that the government lies, whether Ender should try to find out). The Flashbacks activity asks students to find a specific passage and explain what insights it gives about Ender and how it increases tension, requiring students to cite textual evidence. The homework and activity questions require written answers that use evidence from Ender's Game to support interpretations.

Students are asked to write a journal entry explaining the links between Peter and Valentine's chosen pen names, which requires them to state a claim about motive and support it with textual and historical references. In the "Complete the Thought" activity, students match leadership quotes to characters and fill a chart that asks them to explain why they assigned each quote, prompting justification using character evidence. Discussion questions (e.g., whether Valentine is smarter than Peter and why she allows Peter to proceed) ask students to consider differing perspectives about characters' motives.

The lesson asks students to form and defend opinions in directed questions such as "Do you think Colonel Graff is pushing Ender too hard? Why or why not?" and prompts discussion about Ender's self-evaluation versus outside evaluation. The Lord of the Flies vs. Ender's Game activity asks students to compare and contrast settings, leadership, themes, and consequences, which requires students to state claims about similarities and differences and support them with textual comparisons. The parent notes explicitly tell students to evaluate Ender's actions rather than accept his perception, prompting critical assessment and justification.

Students are asked to re-read a scene from the book and re-watch the same scene in the film, take notes on differences, and decide which version is more effective and why, which requires making a supported claim. The Comic Adaptation activity has students list narration or dialogue omitted or changed and judge whether the omission compromised the novel or whether Marvel communicated the message through pictures, which asks students to weigh strengths and limitations and cite evidence. Discussion prompts ask students to explain which version was more effective and why, prompting students to defend their judgments with examples from text and images.

Students retake an issues survey and are asked to compare their new answers to their initial responses and discuss what changed, citing examples from Ender's Game. Discussion prompts ask students to consider character perspectives (e.g., Dink's and Mazer's views about the buggers and the I.F.), which requires evaluating alternative viewpoints. The Hero's Journey activity asks students to choose steps and describe parallels to the novel, prompting them to support their analyses with textual examples.

Students are asked to discuss competing perspectives in discussion questions (e.g., whether Graff has Ender's best interest in mind, whether Ender would have destroyed the bugger planet if he had more peer influence). The Discovering Subplots activity prompts students to compare the Graff subplot and the Peter/Valentine subplot and to consider what themes would be missing if a subplot were removed, which invites weighing alternative interpretations. The wrap-up and questions to discuss present prompt pairs (pro/con style) that require students to consider different possible answers.

Students summarize and analyze Sections 1–3 of Gladwell's chapter and answer directed questions about how Gladwell introduces Bill Joy, why Gladwell interrupts the story to present scientific studies, and how Section 3 applies those studies back to Joy, which requires students to identify claims and supporting examples. The skills list explicitly asks students to 'cite strong and thorough textual evidence,' 'determine an author's point of view or purpose,' and 'analyze how the author unfolds an analysis or series of ideas,' and class discussion questions ask students to weigh whether Gladwell credits talent, practice, or luck for success. The homework asks students to track key opportunities for The Beatles or Bill Gates and then communicate how those opportunities tie to the chapter's bigger ideas, prompting students to use evidence from the text to support an interpretation.

Students read Malcolm Gladwell's chapter and a critical blog post and are asked to identify the blog author's primary objections (Activity 4). In Activity 5 Option 2, students complete a chart listing each criticism, how Gladwell responds, and evaluate the effectiveness of those responses, noting criticisms Gladwell did not address. In Activity 5 Option 1, students prepare a short oral summary of the article's objections and answer discussion questions about which objections are strongest, weak, and whether the blog author's information is trustworthy.

The Parent Plan and skills list instruct students to "draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis" and to "cite strong and thorough textual evidence," which requires students to support claims with textual evidence. The homework and discussion prompts ask students to evaluate Gladwell's claims (e.g., whether the 10,000-hour rule is encouraging or fatalistic, and the roles of talent, preparation, and opportunity), prompting students to make and support evaluative claims. The infographic mini-project asks students to "clearly and effectively communicate" a chosen concept and allows embedding evidence (e.g., audio or images) to support their explanation.

Students are asked to write an editorial supporting the Indians' side using facts from the primary and secondary accounts and to question Chivington's motives, which requires developing a claim and responding to opposing coverage. The lesson includes a graphic organizer that connects secondary-source claims to supporting primary-source evidence, and a "Primary Falsehoods" activity that has students identify inaccuracies and limitations in testimonies. Option 1 asks students to produce a split-perspective magazine cover that represents both the Indian and Chivington/Rocky Mountain News viewpoints, requiring them to present alternate claims side by side.

Students are asked to evaluate how the author supports two explicit claims (e.g., "Noncontact forces are invisible" and "Centripetal force is often called a fictitious force") and to cite examples and illustrations as support. Students are prompted to judge audience appropriateness by explaining whether the booklet provides enough details and clarity for a middle-school audience and to suggest improvements. The skills list asks students to assess the extent to which reasoning and evidence in a text support the author's claim, and the activity page directs students to identify the methods the author uses to explain terms (e.g., example, explanation, illustration).

Students are instructed to write an introduction that states the skill and "back up your claim with information from an outside source," requiring them to supply evidence for their claim. The activities require students to assume a reader "knows little or nothing," explain jargon, and create a glossary, which asks students to anticipate audience knowledge and concerns. In the Technical Writing Strategies activity and the coco coir example, students identify and label sections such as "Advantages" and "Disadvantages," which has students point out strengths and limitations of a topic.

Students are asked to choose arguable topics and to create a thesis and an opposing counterargument (Part 1 and the "Present the Evidence" activity). The lesson requires students to locate pro and con sources (Day 2/Part 3, CQ Researcher/SIRS suggestions) and to take notes on both points of view and their sources (Part 4). The classical argument structure and the five-paragraph plan explicitly reserve a paragraph for concession and refutation (Paragraph 4) and the rubric assesses "Content Development including Counter argument," asking students to present and strengthen key points and to acknowledge/refute opposing views.

Students are asked to write a Reader Response paragraph using the APE method (Answer, Prove, Extend) and to "use evidence from the play to support your points," which requires making a claim and supporting it with textual evidence. In the Hansberry Quotes activity students must connect quotations to characters and explain their answers, which asks students to justify interpretations with reference to the text. The character analysis and monologue assignments require students to state a character interpretation and support it with script details and imagined biography.

Students are asked to take positions and justify them in open-response questions (e.g., "Do you think Beneatha should marry and move to Africa? Why or why not?" and "Do you think it is a good idea for the Youngers to move into a neighborhood where they are not wanted? Why or why not?"). The "A Dream Deferred" activity asks students to analyze the poem's similes and to choose a play character and explain how that character's dream has been deferred, which requires students to make interpretive claims and support them with textual evidence. Several short-answer items and the character-comparison prompt require students to reference specific images or lines from the poem and play when explaining their conclusions.

Students are asked in Activity 1 to decide whether Romeo and Juliet are heroes and to "Explain how Romeo does or does not meet each criterion," which requires making a claim and supporting it with examples from the play. In the Timeline and Character Development activity, students fill in scene-by-scene actions and "support" conclusions about whether a character is static or dynamic and round or flat, which requires citing events as evidence. The Pyramus and Thisbe comparison asks students to note similarities between the excerpt and Romeo and Juliet, prompting use of textual examples to support comparisons.

Students are instructed to write a three-paragraph analysis that compares the Luhrmann film and the Globe Theatre production and to create a thesis naming three areas of difference. The APE method is taught, requiring students to Answer a question, Prove their point with specific examples from both productions, and Extend by explaining the significance or effect of those differences. The checklist requires each paragraph to contain specific information or examples from both productions and to end with an explanation of the significance or effect.

Students must write scripts and persuasive text for projects such as the Commercial (students write a script that explains what the product is, why people should buy it, and why it is good) and the Podcast (students write what they and others will say). Several projects (Playlist, Set Design, Costumes, News) require students to provide a paragraph or short explanations justifying choices and reasons for those choices. The unit requires students to cite outside information and includes a rubric category for "Sources," prompting students to support work with evidence and include a Works Cited page when applicable.

Students are explicitly asked to explain what a counterargument is and why it is useful in an argumentative or persuasive essay (Part III), and the answer key defines counterargument and its purpose. Several discussion prompts (e.g., whether Shakespeare should be taught, which type of writing is more challenging, and whether Outliers is informational or persuasive) require students to take a position and defend it with specific reasons and examples. The exam tasks ask students to produce 1–3 paragraph responses and cite examples, indicating opportunities to practice making claims and supporting them with evidence.