Students are directed to read a historical fiction book about Laura Ingalls Wilder and to add details (dates, birth information, map location) to a timeline, and two nonfiction web links about Laura are provided for further reading. Students are asked to locate and read pictures and reference material about Wisconsin (National Geographic Kids, state DNR pages) and to record plants and animals on a chart. The Skills section explicitly lists conducting research from a variety of sources and using oral and written language to present information in a sequenced, logical manner.

The Life Application directs students to "Read about maple sugar farming online" and to "Discuss how maple sugar farming has changed since the late 1880s," which asks students to use the chapter and online resources together. The Skills section requires students to "use oral and written language to present information" and to "discuss and sustain conversation on a topic," supporting speaking about integrated information. Activity 3 (Option 2) asks students to record the steps Grandpa took while referring to the text, showing students practice extracting and organizing information from a text.

Students read the chapter "Going to Town" and answer comprehension questions that probe setting, character differences, and items purchased. Students are asked to research the town of Pepin, Wisconsin using a provided web link and to write about a visit to a historic place, describing why it is important. Students complete activities that compare life in the Big Woods to life today and produce written responses (e.g., lists, adjectives, and drawings) based on the chapter.

Activity 4 asks students to read or hear Pa's story about Charley and Aesop's "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," to compare how the stories are similar and different, and then to write their own version of the story. The lesson also has students read two chapters, "Summertime" and "Harvest," and complete comparison tasks such as recording how life in the Big Woods differs from life today and describing the four seasons using the author's words and illustrations. Activity 3 directs students to read online information about honeybees and then produce either an illustrated diagram or two paragraphs describing the interdependence of bees and flowers and the consequences if bees disappeared.

Students read two related texts: the last two chapters of Little House in the Big Woods and "A Letter from the Author," and they answer comprehension questions for each text. Students complete an Activity titled "Life in the Woods vs. Life Today" where they record something learned about how life in the woods differed from life today. Students use an organizer to write a letter to children of the future that includes a paragraph on the environment and the family's dependence on it, and they are asked to review a rubric and produce a final draft.

Students are asked to conduct research about Maine using multiple provided web links and a Student Activity Page that collects location, climate, landforms, plants, animals, habitats, and historical information. Students are prompted to find information about Native American groups that lived in the state and to record facts on the timeline and activity pages. Students write a paragraph about whether they would have wanted to be a settler or a Native American and may produce a poem or a labeled drawing of a homestead using researched details.

Students are asked to explain how Saknis helped heal Matt's bee stings based on Chapters 3–5 of the story. The Natural Remedies activity asks students to research natural remedies online or in other resource books and to describe a natural remedy for each listed condition (bee stings, snake bite, poison ivy, sunburn). Students are asked to discuss which ingredients can be found in their environment, linking the story event to informational sources.

Students read Chapters 7–9 and respond to questions that ask them to compare characters, events, and ideas (e.g., how Matt and Attean depend on each other and how they react to Robinson Crusoe). Students complete a Journal Activity that asks them to explain why Matt identifies with Robinson Crusoe and why Attean reacts strongly to Friday, and then to write about a time they connected with a character. Skills listed include identifying and discussing similarities and differences among selections and supporting them by referencing the text.

Students are asked to compare Robinson Crusoe and Friday with Matt and Attean using a Venn diagram, requiring them to identify similarities and differences across two texts. Students are instructed to reread pages 55–57 and then use the internet or reference books to research beavers, recording information on a Beaver Research page. Students are prompted to discuss findings (how and why beavers use natural resources) and to answer wrap-up questions orally about what Matt learned from Attean.

Activity 4 (Flood Stories) directs students to compare Matt's retelling of Noah's Ark and Attean's flood story using a double-bubble map, prompting students to record details for each story and identify similarities and differences. The skills section includes "Share written and oral products," which supports opportunities for students to present their comparisons orally or in writing. The directions explicitly ask students to read both stories (the Bible's Noah's Ark and Attean's Flood Story) and populate the graphic organizer based on details from each.

The lesson asks students to read multiple myths/folktales (Activity 1) and to record cultural elements for each story on the "Elements of Culture" chart (Activity 3). The Student Activity Page includes two "myth origin" entries and a table to record cultural elements, and the lesson notes that a child can "read another story from a different culture and compare the two." The wrapping up and retelling activities ask students to discuss what they learn about cultures from the stories.

Students read paired stories and are asked to compare them directly: Activity 4 has students read "The Woman Who Married a Frog" and the Brothers Grimm "The Frog Prince" and complete a double-bubble (Venn) map to record similarities and differences. Activity 8 asks students to compare "Eagle Boy" and "Salmon Boy," discuss reasons for similarities, and then create an animal tale for writing. Activity 7 asks students to write in a journal the four story titles, the animals, each animal's importance, and what people learned, which requires pulling information across texts.

Students read multiple myths (for example, "How the Deer Got its Spots" and other animal legends) and are asked to compare the mythical explanation with a scientific explanation of adaptation (Activity 6). Students are prompted to read about other animals that use camouflage, list three names, and describe how Native Americans might have explained those characteristics, which requires bringing information from the myths and from informational texts together. Students also record problems and solutions for each myth in a journal (Activity 7) and fill an Elements of Culture chart across the legends (Activities 1 and 5), which has them gather information from more than one text on related topics.

Students read multiple related texts (stories about the alligator, the whale, and the buffalo) and answer comprehension questions for each. Students complete an "Elements of Culture" chart that asks them to identify cultural elements in the myths they read, which requires pulling information from the stories. Activity 2 asks students to write a sentence about each story explaining why the Indians hunted and to discuss how hunting differs today, prompting comparison across texts. Activity 3 has students describe the role each animal played in its survival story, reinforcing extraction of relevant details from each text.

Students are asked in Activity 3 to compare the Chinese myth "Pan Gu Makes the World" with the Native American story "Silver Fox and Coyote Create the Earth" using a double-bubble story map, requiring them to record details for each text and shared/unique elements. The Creation Stories page explicitly places the two titles in central boxes and provides linked circles for students to fill in similarities and differences. The lesson also directs students to review the myths and then discuss what they learned, prompting oral integration of ideas across the two texts.

Activity 1 directs students to locate information about Benjamin Franklin using multiple provided web links and to record that information on a 'The Life of Ben Franklin' page. Activity 6 provides two web links (a virtual tour of Philadelphia and a Colonial Philadelphia site) and asks students to compare Philadelphia 'yesterday and today' and then write a poem. The Skills list explicitly includes 'Conduct research on a variety of topics,' and several activities prompt students to discuss or write about topics (e.g., discussing 'freedom' and illustrating ideas of power).

The lesson tells students to select an experience from Ben Franklin's life and suggests they "read a short biography of Franklin's life" and "look back at information she gathered about his life in Lesson 1," which directs them to use multiple sources. Students are asked to list ten facts about the event and five thoughts/opinions, record a sequence of events, and then write a three-paragraph first-person account (Amos) based on the information recorded. The writing rubric asks students to include factual information and ideas from Amos's point of view, which encourages using gathered information in their final account.

Activity 3 directs students to read informational pages about C.S. Lewis (two provided websites and suggestions to use an encyclopedia or Internet) and then use that research to complete a "Meet the Author" worksheet or write a short newspaper article about his life. Activity 1 invites students to locate books and websites for additional background about World War II, providing multiple informational sources on a related topic. The writing task (newspaper article) asks students to brainstorm important details and compose an informational piece based on their research.

Students are assigned Chapters 7 and 8 about Aslan as one text and are directed in Activity 2 to find a separate myth/folk/legend about a lion (e.g., Aesop, Yaqui myth) as a second text. Students are asked to record words and phrases that describe the lion in the second story and then use a Venn diagram to compare that lion to Aslan. The Student Activity Page "Lions in Myths and Legends" provides background information and cultural examples that students can integrate with their reading of Aslan.

Students are asked to list two other villains they have read about in books or seen in movies and to illustrate each and write three words or phrases that describe them (Activity 2). The skills list includes "Compare experiences of characters across texts," and the Life Application asks students to go through books and movies and record names of different villains and write a sentence to describe each one.

Activity 4 directs students to read about a historical leader "online or in other reference sources" (a second text) and to fill in "10 Facts about" that leader. The same activity then asks students to decide whether the leader was more similar to Aslan or the White Witch and to explain "How did the leader use his or her power?", requiring students to use information from both the book chapters and the research source. The wrapping up and discussion prompts also ask students to describe and explain Aslan's actions, which can be combined with the research to support comparisons.

The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Identify similarities and differences across texts" and "Connect ideas and themes across texts," which directs students to compare across works. Activity 2 presents multiple Christ-like figures (Harry Potter, Superman, Simba, Anna) and asks the student to describe three ways Aslan resembles a Christ-like figure, prompting the student to draw comparisons between The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and other texts/media. Activities also ask the student to record examples (Good vs. Evil page) and to discuss examples, which involve speaking or writing about comparisons.

Students are asked to watch the movie The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe and to "Discuss the differences between the book and the movie," which prompts comparison of two sources on the same topic. Students are asked to explain which version they enjoyed most and why and to note how characters, creatures, and setting were similar to or different from their imagination. Students are given two written product options (a movie review or a casting rationale) and are prompted to share written and oral products, which would require them to speak or write about the subject.

The Think-Tac-Toe student page asks students to "Write about three books/movies that affected you and tell why you think they affected you," which requires students to work with multiple texts or media. The Skills list and Day 2 directions ask students to "share written and oral products" and to "summarize the book for his audience," indicating students will present information in speaking and writing.

Activity 2 asks students to locate information about London in books and online and to record details (Location, Language, People, Homes, Buildings, Similarities/Differences) on a folded sheet. The skills list includes "Use text to locate information for specific purposes," and students are directed to find pictures and facts about London to write and illustrate on the activity pages.

Students read the chapters "The Marvellous Ears" and "Snozzcumbers" and answer comprehension questions that compare characters and events (e.g., asking how the BFG is different from the other giants). Students locate and record quotes from Sophie and the BFG across chapters. Students take a nature walk focused on hearing, then write a paragraph describing how they would use an incredible power of hearing to help others, and they watch/discuss superhero cartoons and how those characters use powers.

Students read chapters from The BFG and then read the "Jack and the Beanstalk" story and related activity pages. Students are asked comparative questions such as "How is the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk similar to and different from the giants in the BFG?" and "How are the two stories similar? How are they different?" Students are instructed to answer selected questions in their journal or verbally and to discuss similarities and differences among different versions of Jack and the Beanstalk.

Students are asked to read two chapters, "Journey to London" and "The Palace," and answer questions from both chapters. The Introduction directs students to locate pictures of London and provides two web links (a video of London and a Buckingham Palace page) to gather background information. Activity 2 ("A Different Setting") explicitly asks students to find information about a selected city (buildings, important places, people) and use that information to write a plan describing how the BFG and Sophie could rescue children there.

The lesson's Skills list tells students to "use multiple sources, including print such as an encyclopedia, technology, and experts, to locate information that addresses questions." Activity 2 directs students to read about the U.S. armed forces online or in books, take notes on four labeled sheets (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines), and optionally interview someone who serves. The Skills also include "Take simple notes from relevant sources" and "Write to record ideas and reflections," which supports gathering information from more than one text.

Students are directed to use web resources to research Botswana (National Geographic) and to read scientific information about meerkats via two web links (Smithsonian and NatGeoKids). Students are asked to record notes in a graphic organizer about Botswana (land, language, animals, people) and to write a descriptive paragraph or a short story that includes at least five facts about the meerkat. Students are also asked to discuss meerkat adaptations and to verbally share what they learned about Botswana and the meerkat.

Activity 2 directs students to read informational texts about ostriches and cobras (two web links) and then either list five facts about each animal or complete a chart comparing ostrich, cobra, and meerkat. The chart explicitly asks students to refer back to information gathered in Lesson 1 for the meerkat column, requiring students to use the book plus the two web sources. Both options require students to write facts and fill a comparative organizer that brings information from multiple texts together.

The Life Application directs students to find a video or documentary about meerkats and to discuss how the meerkats in the film are similar to and different from the one in the book, which requires using two sources on the same topic. Question #3 asks students to identify scientifically accurate information about meerkats encountered in the story, prompting attention to factual details. Activity 3 asks students to research an African animal and write a paragraph describing why they would want to study it, offering an opportunity to gather outside information and produce a written response.

The lesson asks students to "think of other books that involve man vs. nature conflict" and to "Discuss how they were similar to and different from Precious's story," which prompts comparison across texts. The Story Conflict activity requires students to generate examples of man vs. nature conflicts from other books and discuss similarities and differences with The Mystery of Meerkat Hill.

Students read the final two chapters of a book set in Botswana and respond to comprehension questions about geography and wildlife. Students are directed to find and read the African Wildlife Foundation website and to pick an animal to research. Students are asked to produce a product (poster or short story) that can include factual information from the AWF reading and to discuss what they learned about geography and people of Botswana.

The Skills section explicitly instructs students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences... within and across selections and support them by referencing the text," which directs cross-text comparison and use of textual evidence. Students read two chapters, "The Golden Crane" and "Kenji," and answer comprehension questions that require using information from both chapters (for example, Question #7 asks how Kenji and Sadako are similar and different). Students are also asked to summarize events from the chapters and to develop and ask their own questions in a discussion, prompting spoken synthesis of information from the two selections.

Activity 1 directs students to record descriptions, quotations, actions, and phrases for both Precious and Sadako and then explain how the two characters are similar and different. The lesson's skill statements explicitly require students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences... within and across selections and support them by referencing the text." Activity 3 Option 2 asks students to write an eight-sentence, first-person letter from one character to the other describing an important event and feelings, which requires drawing on text details to produce a written response. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students to explain what they learned from each character and to recommend the books, supporting oral or written explanation based on both texts.

Students are asked to use multiple resources (books, online pages, maps, and videos) to research Texas and desert biomes, for example by reading about the state, using the provided links to world and USA vegetation maps, and watching desert adaptation videos. Students are directed to record information (names of animals and plants) and to write a paragraph describing a selected U.S. desert's location, rainfall, and indigenous species. Students are also asked to describe what they learned about Texas and the desert orally at the end of the lesson.

Students read Chapters 5–7 of the book that describe Stanley digging holes (e.g., Q9 asks how Stanley felt after he dug his first hole). Students are directed to an informational web page ("What Is Soil?") and complete an activity that identifies and describes soil layers (topsoil, weathered material, subsoil, bedrock) by cutting, ordering, and labeling layers. Students also perform a hands-on digging activity to examine dirt they dig up, linking narrative activity (digging in the story) with real-world and informational text content about soil.

The lesson asks students to prepare for Activity 2 by discussing any books or movies they might have read or seen about pioneer life and suggests reading information online, which prompts students to consult multiple sources about the Old West. Activity 3 requires students to find the author's description of Green Lake from the text and create two drawings (Green Lake 100 years ago and Camp Green Lake today) and then discuss similarities and differences, which has students compare and use textual descriptions to explain change. The wrapping up prompt asks students to explain what they learned about the history of Green Lake and the people who lived there, which asks students to speak or write about the topic knowledgeably.

Activity 2 asks students to watch the movie Holes and then think about how the movie and book were similar and different, and to discuss which they enjoyed more. The skills section explicitly lists comparing communication in different forms (a dramatic performance and a print version). The Reading and Questions section lets students answer orally or in their journal, providing opportunities to speak or write about their comparisons.

Students write two descriptive paragraphs about a new camp and complete a "New Camp vs. Camp Green Lake" page where they list five ways their camp is different from Camp Green Lake and describe the importance of each difference. Students create written products (camp description, uniform design, welcome pack, song/chant, exercise routine) that they then present to family, requiring them to speak about their camp and its contrasts with Camp Green Lake. The activities explicitly ask students to explain how and why their camp differs from Camp Green Lake, prompting use of information from that text in their responses.

Students read the folktale Fiona's Luck and complete a 'Fact and Fantasy' activity in which they record three factual details from the story about Ireland and three fantasy elements. Students locate Ireland on a map, watch informational videos about Ireland, and on Day 2 read an informational website about Ireland and answer factual questions (for example, about invasions and independence). Students are asked to give a verbal summary of Fiona's Luck and to describe story elements.

Students read the narrative The Sea King's Daughter and also read factual information about Russia (Day 2 web link). Students complete the "Fact and Fantasy" activity in which they record three factual elements from the story and three fantasy elements, and they answer factual questions from the Russia article. Students locate Russia on maps, report what they learned about Russia's culture and geography, and verbally summarize the story and its elements.

The lesson asks students to watch the movie Frozen and take notes on ways it relates to the story The Snow Queen, then fill out a "Frozen vs The Snow Queen" page comparing differences and similarities. The directions require students to find at least two ways each story is unique and two ways they are similar and to explain why the screenwriters may have chosen to change elements. Activity 8 therefore requires students to use information from two texts (the book and the film) and record comparisons.

Students are asked to summarize each of the three stories and to identify the point of view of each text (Activity 1). In Activity 2 students gather story-elements pages from the three stories and complete a "Comparing Story Elements" sheet, listing three similarities and three differences and explaining which two stories are most similar and most different and why. Wrapping-up questions prompt students to use their comparisons to justify which story is best and to explain how analyzing story elements informed that decision.

Students are asked to read informational web pages about river habitats (Activity 2) and to read the book Abel's Island, then look for river plants and animals that appear in both sources. Students are directed to add details from the story and from the online texts to a single chart labeled "Natural River Resources," listing resources and how they can be used. Students are also asked to write in a journal comparing what they would miss to what Abel misses and to discuss life along a river, supporting oral and written reporting of the topic.

Students are asked to take information from Chapters 11 and 12 to fill in the chart "Using Natural Resources," which requires pulling details from two separate chapters. Students are prompted to describe threats Abel faces and how he is adapting (Wrapping Up and Questions), which requires speaking or writing knowledgeably about the topic. Activity 3 has students list three adaptations for Abel and describe how each aids survival, requiring them to use textual evidence about threats and adaptations to support their ideas.

The lesson instructs students to "conduct research for projects from a variety of sources (with assistance)" and to "use oral and written language to report on a topic," which supports gathering and reporting information. Activity 1 asks students to fill in a chart using information from Chapters 13 and 14, and Activity 2 directs students to research information about hibernation and answer specific questions. The Hibernation Experiment and student pages provide structured prompts for recording and explaining findings, which could be used in a report or oral explanation.

The Life Application directs students to watch Swiss Family Robinson and "Discuss how the family uses natural resources in order to survive," and to "compare the family's situation to Abel's," which prompts use of two sources on the same topic. Activity 1 asks students to fill in a "Using Natural Resources" chart taking information from Chapters 19 and 20, so students extract and record textual information about survival from Abel. The Wrapping Up section asks students to discuss what they learned from Abel and how to practice his strengths, encouraging oral discussion about the topic.

Activity 1 asks students to read a short biography or online information about Columbus and to use the "Columbus, The Man" activity sheet to organize positive and negative characteristics, which requires consulting at least one nonfiction source alongside Pedro's Journal. Activity 3 directs students to identify two factual descriptions, two examples of fiction, two historical events, and two authentic settings from the historical fiction text and to decide whether the book is more fact or fiction, prompting comparison of fiction with factual elements. The lesson includes web links to nonfiction biographies and repeatedly asks students to distinguish fact from opinion, supporting use of multiple texts about the same topic.

Students read Pedro's journal entries describing sailors' reactions to a meteor and answer questions comparing sailors' interpretation with Columbus'. Students are directed to "read about meteors" via a NASA web link and the "Meteors as Signs" activity page that presents cultural beliefs about meteors. The lesson prompts students to "talk about why meteor sightings may have been fearful for the sailors," to "find pictures" and "discuss the origin of comets and meteors," and to write their own myth or omen after reading the cultural accounts.

Students are asked to read journal entries for October and answer comprehension questions, and Activity 4 directs students to "learn more about the island and some of the animals" using two named web links (a Wikipedia list of birds and a Caribbean herpetology site). The "Natives and the White Men" bubble-map activity asks students to record words or phrases that each group might use, prompting students to compare perspectives. The lesson provides sources beyond the main text (web links) that students can consult for additional factual information about San Salvador and its fauna.

Students read Pedro's journal entries for November and answer comprehension and discussion questions about interactions between crew and natives, which requires them to speak about what Pedro learns about the natives and Columbus. Students also read a separate description about the natives on Bohio (p.49) and are directed to look at examples of Native American masks online, providing information from another source. Students discuss and respond to prompts (journal questions and a wrapping-up discussion) that draw on those readings.

Students use a graphic organizer in Activity 1 to compare Pedro's Journal and The Island of the Skog, writing similarities and unique characteristics from both texts. In Activity 2 students write three ways the mice showed prejudice and three ways Columbus was prejudiced, then discuss and connect those examples across the two books. Activity 3 asks students to write and read an anthem that reflects a combined understanding of relations between explorers and natives, and the guided discussion questions prompt direct comparisons of events and characters between the two texts.

Students read Pedro's journal entry about Columbus's voyage and the crew's encounter with manatees and answer comprehension questions about that text. Students are asked to find pictures of manatees online and are provided a web link (Save the Manatee Club) to obtain additional information and adopt a manatee. The skills list includes "Conduct research to learn more about a topic" and "Demonstrate understanding of informational text through writing and illustrating," implying students will use multiple informational resources about manatees.

The lesson provides two web links about rats and mice and instructs students to "read factual information about rats and mice online or in books" and then "compare the two types of animals in her journal using a Venn diagram." The skills section explicitly lists "Conduct research on assigned topics using books and technology," and Option 2 asks students to "develop her own way to show how mice and rats are similar and different." These elements require students to consult informational sources and produce a comparative representation of the topic.

Students read two chapters titled "Go to the Rats" and "In the Rosebush," answer comprehension questions, and complete a plot flowchart and character map about Mrs. Frisby. Activity 3 asks students to describe what the owl told Mrs. Frisby about his house and to research information about owls in books or online to design a new home, using pictures and descriptions as resources. The activities prompt students to use information from the narrative and from external informational sources about owls when creating a model or picture of a new owl home.

Students are asked to read two chapters, The Marketplace and In the Cage, and to describe an important event from both chapters on a Plot Flowchart. Students are asked to write a summary in their journal that combines Nicodemus' account of life at the farmers' market, the rats' capture, and life at NIMH. The Wrapping Up section asks students to explain (speak) how the rats were captured and what happened afterward.

Students are asked to read two chapters, The Maze and A Lesson in Reading, and answer comprehension questions about events and details from those chapters. Students are asked to complete a Plot Flowchart describing an important event from both chapters, which requires them to identify and record information from each chapter. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to describe what life was like for the rats at NIMH and to state and justify whether the scientists were doing a good or bad thing, prompting a written or spoken response about the topic.

The lesson asks students to consult other sources if unfamiliar with a tool or machine ("she can find information about it online or in an encyclopedia") when completing the Tools and Machines activity. Activity 3 directs students to "Research conductors and circuits" and brainstorm ways the mice could have gotten electricity in their cave. Activity 4 invites students to "do her own research on rats" as an extension and to write a paragraph supporting an opinion with reasons. The skills list explicitly includes reading from a variety of genres (print and electronic) to acquire information.

Activity 3 directs students to read multiple arguments for and against animal research online and to interview people in the community about the same issue. Students record the positives and negatives on an "Animal Testing and Research" chart and are then asked to write a speech that takes a position and includes three reasons, transitional phrases, and a concluding reference to their opinion. The wrapping up prompts ask students to discuss the issue, supporting opportunities to speak knowledgeably about the topic.

The Life Application section asks the child to compare the book with the movie The Secret of NIMH and to "discuss how the book and the movie are similar and different," which directs students to use two sources (book + movie) on the same topic. A second suggestion invites the child to compare the rats of NIMH with the rats in Disney's Ratatouille, prompting cross-text comparison between the novel and another film.