Third Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Tornado
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students are asked to read each vocabulary word in context and to guess word meanings, then use a dictionary to match each word to its definition (Activity 1 and the Word Match student page). The student activity page lists words with their definitions (cellar, trembling, bargain, encouragement, command) and directs students to look each word up and match to its definition. The Life Application section asks students to discuss how the family felt during the tornado and what they do when they feel nervous or afraid, which prompts discussion of emotional words in a real situation.
Lesson 3
The Tornado
Students are asked in Activity 2 to compare the author's descriptive passage with a simple description, underline the words that make the writing exciting, and think of sensory words to create their own unique description of the doghouse and dog. In Activity 3 students write a paragraph describing their own pet (or a friend's/relative's pet) for someone who has never seen it, choosing rich, colorful language to convey real-life characteristics. The Wrap-Up asks students to describe how the author's choice of words makes the book more interesting, linking word choice to real-world effects on a reader's understanding.
Lesson 5
Turtles
Students are asked to research turtles and "Describe a turtle's habitat," "Describe a turtle's diet," and "List animals that eat turtles," which requires using content words in real-life contexts. Students are prompted to talk about what they know about turtles and their habitats and to report "what he has learned about turtles that he did not know before," connecting vocabulary to real-world information. The journal and research tasks require students to write and illustrate summaries and fill factual sections on the turtle shell, using domain words in concrete, real-life descriptions.
Lesson 6
The Best Pet Award
Students discuss and look up the meanings of vocabulary words (mood, pleasure, damage, admitted, fond, miserable) and place note cards into sentence strips that use those words in everyday contexts (e.g., "I was in a bad _____ when we left the park"). Students complete the World's Best Pet Award ribbons by writing reasons why Tornado is nice, funny, or smart with specific examples from the story (Option 2) and are encouraged to write similar badges for real family members. The Life Application and badge activities prompt students to describe people (or pets) using vocabulary in real-life situations.
Lesson 8
The End of the Storm
Students are asked to reread the section describing Pete's sadness and to record the words and phrases the author uses to describe his feelings (Activity 2). Students generate three different ways to say "I feel sad" and three ways to say "I feel happy," look up synonyms in a thesaurus, and discuss shades of meaning between synonyms (Activity 3). Students write a personal paragraph about a time they were very happy or very sad using words other than "happy" and "sad," applying those synonyms to a real-life event (Activity 5).
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to "Pretend you are Pete. Write a letter...Explain to the girl how much Tornado means to you" and to "write a song about the Tornado...describe why Tornado is such a good dog," which require choosing descriptive words about a character. The activity to "Use the first few letters in Tornado's name to create a poem that describes Tornado" also requires selecting words that describe real traits. The task to "Write a paragraph that describes how the environment and/or weather affects the characters' feelings or actions" asks students to explain effects using language in a real-story context.
Unit 2: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Activity 2 asks students to name the words plain and tall as adjectives and to tell what they think about the person Sarah by looking at the book cover. Students are asked to create a book title about themselves using two adjectives (e.g., Jessica, Fun and Rowdy) and to explain how the cover reflects who they are. Activity 3 asks students to write five-senses poems and list facts about Kansas and Maine, using descriptive language to connect words to real places and experiences.
Lesson 2
Story Elements
Students are asked to write a sentence describing their favorite character and to produce one- and two-word descriptions of the main character in the Story Pyramid, which requires selecting descriptive words for people/characters. The Writing a Story activity asks students to choose characters from a list and write a creative story that includes descriptions and a theme, giving students repeated practice in selecting and using descriptive words for people/characters.
Lesson 3
The News
Students are asked to create a "WIFE WANTED" advertisement (Activity 2) in which they make a list of words to describe the perfect wife/mom for Anna and Caleb and are told to go beyond vague words like "nice" and "kind." Activity 3 directs students to make vocabulary cards, look up each word in a dictionary, discuss how many words can be used to describe an environment, and then use those words to fill blanks in a contextual story or to write a paragraph describing an environment. The skills list explicitly includes using dictionaries and context clues to develop word meaning and generating synonyms for commonly used words in written and oral communication.
Lesson 4
The Letters
Students are asked in Activity 2 to write a letter that includes details about their personality and character traits, requiring them to choose words that describe real people. Activity 3 asks students to brainstorm words and phrases that describe the environment where they live and then write a descriptive paragraph using that vocabulary. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes using expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly used words in written and oral communication.
Lesson 6
Life on the Prairie
Students are asked to discuss the lyrics of "Home on the Range" and how they reflect life on the prairie, which connects word meanings in song lyrics to real-world environment. Students are prompted to record names of wildflowers and note where each grows, linking vocabulary (flower names) to real-life locations and facts. Students compare activities in the book to activities at their own home and write a journal entry about Anna's thoughts and feelings, encouraging connections between words/descriptions and personal experience.
Lesson 7
The Dune
Students answer a comprehension question that identifies Sarah's personality (Question #2 asks what we learn about Sarah and notes she is adventurous and not easily scared). Activity 3 asks students to discuss ways people enjoy outside environments and to write or illustrate how the environment provides entertainment, connecting vocabulary like "environment" or activities to real-life situations. The spelling activity includes words such as "lonely" and "environment" that students practice writing, reinforcing word meanings tied to real experiences.
Lesson 8
Work and Play
Students are asked to read Chapter 6 and answer questions that require them to explain character actions and reasons (e.g., why Papa teaches Sarah to plow and how Caleb and Anna describe winter). Activity 3 asks students to describe their own winter environment, state what they like most and least, and act out things people do when it snows while discussing similarities and differences with historical prairie life. Activity 2 asks students to list three things from the book that are factual about the time period/environment and three things that are not, which requires linking textual details to real-world facts.
Lesson 9
Writing
Students are prompted to record three reasons and support each one with examples from the book, including descriptions of how characters feel, which requires choosing words to describe real situations. The Self-Editing Checklist directs students to consider 'Choice of Words' and asks 'Are your words going to help Sarah make her decision?,' prompting evaluation of word use for a real persuasive purpose. The Life Application asks students to write persuasive letters to family or friends, connecting word choice to real-life communication.
Lesson 10
Neighbors
Students are prompted to name their neighbors and discuss what neighbors do for one another and different ways to be a good neighbor. Students are encouraged to meet someone new and discuss concrete actions to welcome them (make a welcome card, bake cookies, invite to the park). Students connect ideas from the text to personal experiences in the "Missing Home" activity by listing and discussing what they would miss and why.
Lesson 11
Squall
Students are asked to complete the Character Line-Up where they draw each character and "write words or phrases to describe each character". The Skills list explicitly includes "Explain and describe characters in own words," and Activity 1 asks students to write Anna's journal entry describing Sarah's request and the storm. The Getting Started discussion asks students to compare the weather in Kansas to the weather where they live, prompting connections between text vocabulary and their own environment.
Final Project
Welcome To Kansas
Students plan and write a welcome card to Sarah and a descriptive paragraph about party decorations that require them to select words that reflect Sarah's preferences. The Self-Editing Checklist asks students to evaluate "Choice of Words," including "Did you use interesting words?" and "Are your words going to help Sarah make her decision?", prompting attention to word choice in real contexts. Students also compose invitations, recipes, and game directions, which require choosing words appropriate for real-life tasks and audiences.
Unit 3: Who Was Helen Keller?
Lesson 1
Helen's Early Years
Students are asked to use the spelling words in sentences aloud, which requires them to apply word meanings in spoken, real-life contexts. Students are prompted to describe Helen's early life and to discuss what would be most challenging about being deaf or blind, connecting descriptive language to real situations. Students participate in simulation activities (blindfold, earmuffs) and then discuss strategies and tools (Braille labels, voice instructions, vibrating alerts), linking vocabulary to real-life use and solutions.
Lesson 2
Helen's Childhood
Students record each vocabulary word's definition, synonym or antonym, syllable count, and the sentence from the book that uses the word. Students locate the words in the text and read the sentence aloud, directly connecting the word to its contextual use in the story. Students play a clue game in which they guess words from definitions, syllable counts, example sentences, or synonyms/antonyms, practicing recognizing word meaning from real usage.
Lesson 3
Helen's Challenges
Activity 2 asks students to write a paragraph describing an object using only words that describe how the object smells, feels, or tastes and then have others guess the object, explicitly connecting descriptive words to real-life object properties. Activity 3 Option 2 asks students to choose a gift for Helen (considering that she could not see or hear) and to write a paragraph explaining why they selected that gift, which requires using words in a real-life context tied to a person's needs. The introduction and discussion prompts ask students to describe why Helen's environment could be frustrating or dangerous, prompting students to use words to explain real-life situations and behaviors.
Lesson 4
Inventors
Students answer comprehension questions about Alexander Graham Bell that require them to describe his actions and character (e.g., why Helen loved him and how he felt about her), which prompts use of descriptive words like "helpful," "smart," and "sensible." Students write ten facts in the "Bell Riddle," requiring them to choose words that characterize Bell's life and behavior without using his name. Students write sentences explaining how specific inventions "helped people" and "what changed," connecting action words to real-life effects.
Lesson 5
Annie
The lesson reviews that an adjective describes a noun and has students generate three adjectives for items held up around the room, reinforcing descriptive word use. In Activity 2 students draw Helen before and after Annie's arrival, list three adjectives for each drawing, select one adjective from each list, and write sentences using those adjectives. The activities also prompt a discussion of why Helen changed and how her environment influenced her behavior, connecting adjective choices to a real person's actions and circumstances.
Lesson 7
More Learning
The bio poem activity asks students to choose "4 describing words" and to fill lines such as "Who feels..., Who needs..., Who gives...," requiring students to select words that describe a real person (Helen) and themselves. Skills explicitly include increasing oral and written vocabulary by discussing and composing texts, which supports using words in real contexts. Questions asking how students are similar to or different from Helen prompt students to describe people using real-life word choices and examples.
Lesson 8
All Grown Up
Students read Helen Keller's quotes and are asked to underline parts they think are very good and discuss figurative language and advanced vocabulary found in the quotes. Students answer questions such as "What words or phrases create images in your mind?" and connect Helen's experiences and voice to their own experience and knowledge. Students pick an event from a personal timeline and write about it focusing on voice, choosing words and phrases to create a particular effect (humorous, exciting, honest, or suspenseful).
Final Project
Scrapbook or Interview
Students write journal entries and scrapbook pages that describe Helen's family, home, school, and proudest moment, requiring them to choose words to portray people (e.g., a portrait of Helen's family including Annie, a journal entry about how her environment shaped her). Students develop and answer five interview questions about Helen's childhood, family, Annie, environment, and achievements, composing answers in Helen's voice. The rubrics evaluate whether "Helen's voice" is apparent and whether questions and answers are interesting and informative, which asks students to use descriptive language in real-life contexts.
2: Change
Unit 1: Morning Girl
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to write a short report about the Bahamas using prompts such as "You would see...", "You would eat...", and "You would do...", which requires them to choose and apply descriptive words to real-life situations. Students are asked to write sentences about how artifacts may have been used and to list the materials, connecting object names and uses in real historical contexts. Students create an acrostic poem about the Taino that includes descriptive statements about the people and their resources, requiring selection of words that describe real-life traits and activities.
Lesson 2
Point of View
Students are asked to identify words, phrases, and sentences that reveal each character's personality (Activity 3) and to record three thoughts, feelings, or phrases used by a first-person narrator in their journal (Activity 1). The skills list directs students to locate and discuss an author's specific word choice and the effect of nouns, verbs, modifiers, and vocabulary on comprehension. Activity 5 has students write personal descriptions of a shared outing and compare accounts, prompting students to use descriptive language about real events and reactions.
Lesson 3
The News
Activity 2 (Vocabulary) asks students to place vocabulary words into sentences that fit their meanings and then use those words in their own island short story, requiring students to apply words in contextual, real-life-like sentences. Activity 3 (Families Change) asks students to write three phrases or sentences that describe what each family member brings to the family, directly requiring students to use words to describe real people. The journal activity asks students to record feelings/words/thoughts of Morning Girl, linking vocabulary to real emotional contexts.
Lesson 4
The Rock
Students are asked to record three feelings, three phrases, and two events from chapters using Star Boy's and Morning Girl's voices, which requires choosing words that express characters' emotions and experiences. In Activity 3 students look at photos of family members and identify which family members share which physical traits, linking descriptive words to real people. In Activity 4 students write a sentence beneath each family member's name describing one thing they might do to make that person feel better, and role-play responses, requiring them to choose words that describe actions and reactions for specific people.
Lesson 5
Let's Write
Students plan and write two first-person paragraphs in distinct voices (Morning Girl and Star Boy) using an organizer that prompts what each would see, hear, think, and do. Students are asked to think about each character's personality and to describe their differences so the voice is obvious. Students use an editing rubric that explicitly asks them to evaluate and revise for precise word choices and whether the character's voice is apparent.
Lesson 6
The Storm
Activity 3 asks the student to invent a childhood name and a "grown" name that reflect personal characteristics and to explain how she has changed, directly linking words (names) to real-life traits. The student is asked to give each family member a name and explain the significance of each name, which requires describing people through word choice. The student makes name tags and uses the new names for the day, providing practice in using words to refer to and describe real people in a real-life interaction.
Lesson 7
Visitors
The Name Poem activity uses the prompt "I once was Hungry / But now I am Star Boy" and asks students to write parallel lines about themselves, which has students map word labels to real-life changes. Question #2 and #3 ask students to explain why Star Boy is upset when Red Feather calls him "Hungry" and to reflect on being made fun of, linking a descriptive word to feelings and actions. The Visitor's Point of View organizer has students describe Morning Girl and a visitor, prompting them to use descriptive words about people in real-life scenarios.
Unit 2: Communities and Culture
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Students are asked to convert common nouns into real-life examples by writing proper nouns for prompts (Activity 2), then use three of those proper nouns in written sentences. Students perform a Proper Nouns Scavenger Hunt (Activity 3) where they find proper nouns naming people, places, and things from real-world sources and then use three proper nouns in sentences. The activities also ask students to locate and list proper nouns from the unit books, tying word forms to real people, places, and objects students encounter.
Lesson 3
The King
The vocabulary activity asks students to look up words, write definitions on note cards, and use each word in a sentence if they are familiar with it. Students are instructed to use the vocabulary words to create a short story about their own adventure in Egypt and then read it aloud to ensure the words make sense in context. The lesson also lists concrete role words (noble, craftsmen, farmers, laborers, scribes, king) and asks students to compare roles in a Venn diagram of king vs. president.
Lesson 5
A Day in Egypt
Students are asked to choose whether they are a wealthy Egyptian or a laborer and to describe activities for each time slot, which requires using role-related vocabulary in a real-life context. Students record daily events (meals, work, school, entertainment, shopping) and provide brief descriptions, applying words to concrete situations. Students write a paragraph comparing ancient and modern life, describing differences in areas such as meals, shopping, and school.
Lesson 6
Middle Ages
In Activity 2 (Concrete and Abstract Nouns) students read a list of nouns aloud, mark each as concrete or abstract, and then write two sentences about the Middle Ages that must include at least one concrete noun and one abstract noun. In Activity 3 students write a first-person journal entry as a peasant that describes daily work and feelings, using language to express real-life experiences and emotions. In Activity 5 students discuss the concept of "freedom" in comparing historical power structures to modern government, linking an abstract word to a real civic situation.
Lesson 7
Off to the Castle
The Skills section lists "Relate personal experiences to those found in text," which asks students to connect reading to real life. Question #2 asks, "Have you ever been to a carnival or fair? What did you see?" requiring students to describe personal experiences. Activity 2 directs students to compare events in a medieval castle to events in their community, having students list similar activities between historical and modern contexts.
Lesson 8
Return Home
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Vocabulary) to write a sentence for each target word about life in the Middle Ages, which requires them to use each word in a contextual, real-world (historical) situation. The Skills section explicitly states students will "use new vocabulary in speaking and writing," indicating practice applying words. In Activity 3 (Binkerton Characters) students record three adjectives for each character and explain how text and illustrations support those adjectives, then circle the character most similar to them and complete a Venn diagram, which asks students to relate descriptive words to themselves.
Lesson 9
Writing About History
The materials ask students to "discuss an author's structural decisions and word choice," and the editing rubric directs students to consider voice and "interesting word choice." Students are encouraged to use complex and interesting words and to look up harder words in a dictionary or receive correct spellings when needed. The Rough Draft and Final Copy activities require students to choose language for factual and fantasy paragraphs, prompting attention to word selection.
Unit 3: American Heroes
Lesson 1
Heroes
In Activity 1, students list eight adjectives that describe a hero and then write the names of people in their life or famous people who exhibit each adjective, directly linking word choice to real people. In Activity 2, students draw a hero, list the adjectives from Activity 1 that apply to that person, and write a sentence using each adjective, practicing real-life word use in context. The Wrapping Up and Life Application sections ask students to tell about times they have seen or read about heroes and to look for heroes in the local community, reinforcing connections between descriptive words and actual people and events.
Lesson 2
Early American Heroes
Students are prompted to list three adjectives to describe each hero on the Hero Cards and to write a sentence about how each hero changed the world, which requires connecting descriptive words to real people. Discussion questions ask students to identify "characteristics of a hero" for George Washington and to state what they admire about Franklin and Jefferson, prompting students to use descriptive words in real-life contexts. Activities ask students to compare themselves to the historical figures and to write an epitaph describing the three greatest things each hero did, linking word choices to real-life actions and contributions.
Lesson 3
Heroes of Freedom
Students are asked to describe Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman using adjective lists (e.g., compassionate, brilliant, courageous, brave, stubborn) and are encouraged to add more descriptors beyond the chapter's seven adjectives. The lesson directs students to interpret the words in Lincoln's poem and to consider that people in the past "spoke differently than we do today," which asks students to notice differences in word use over time.
Lesson 4
Hard Times
Students answer comprehension questions that ask them to describe real people: they describe how Eleanor changed from a "shy, lonely, sad, fearful girl" to a "confident, outspoken, vivacious woman," and they list characteristics of FDR (charisma, care for others, will to never give up, hard work). Students complete a Hero Cards activity where they record heroes' names and attributes and place them on a timeline. In the "Making a Difference" activity students write sentences imagining real-life behavior in a social scenario (each sentence must include a contraction), thereby using descriptive language to explain actions toward others.
Lesson 5
Recent Heroes
Students are asked to think of adjectives to describe real people listed on the activity page (e.g., Jesse Owens, Walt Disney, Mickey Mouse) and to write sentences using those adjective+noun combinations. Option 2 requires students to select nouns related to the heroes and choose adjectives that relate to each person, explicitly connecting word choice to real people. In the imagineer and wrapping-up activities, students describe a character's personality and explain what makes modern-day or local heroes, using descriptive words in real-life contexts.
Lesson 6
African-American Heroes
Students read biographical passages and answer questions that require them to describe attributes of Mary McLeod Bethune, Frederick Douglass, and George Washington Carver (e.g., "worked hard," "committed," "education gives you the power to change your life"). In Activity 1 students create hero cards and record each person's birthdate and distinguishing attributes, which requires labeling people with descriptive words. In Activity 2 students write a letter giving three reasons all children should attend school and include a personal example, connecting the concept "education" to real-life situations.
Lesson 7
Female Heroes
Students are asked to write an acrostic poem about a woman they admire, using phrases that describe her accomplishments and what they admire (Activity 3), which requires applying descriptive words to a real person. The Hero Cards activity and the Skills list asking students to "identify and describe attributes of responsible citizenship" prompt students to name and apply attribute words to real-life people. The wrapping-up discussion asks students to explain why it is important to treat men and women as equals, which invites use of real-life descriptors and connections between words and behavior.
Lesson 8
Heroes of Science and Invention
Students are asked to apply the vocabulary word perseverance to their own lives by naming a challenging task, stating whether they have succeeded, and listing three reasons (with supporting details) that helped them keep trying. In the adverb activities (Option 1 and 2) students select or create adverbs for verbs and then write sentences using those words in realistic actions (e.g., invent neatly, fly high), linking word choice to real actions. Reading comprehension prompts ask students to describe qualities of historical figures and to explain how inventions have been used in their own lives, which requires connecting descriptive words to real people and situations.
Lesson 9
Book of Heroes
Students are asked to describe heroes and what they have done to change the world, prompting them to use descriptive words about people. On the 'My Favorite Hero' page students complete sentence stems such as '__________ is my hero because __________' and 'The thing I most admire about __________ is __________,' requiring them to choose and apply trait words. The wrapping up prompt asks students to think of character traits and explain how each hero changed the world, connecting word choices to real-life actions.
Final Project
My Life Story
The Editing Rubric asks students to include "some characteristics of a 'hero'" and to explain how they hope to change the world, prompting descriptive word use. The Pre-Writing Organizer asks students to list an action that makes them a "hero" and to provide life events and concluding ideas that anchor words in personal contexts. Activity 2 requires reviewing characteristics of a hero and examples of adjectives and then using at least five adjectives (and three adverbs) in their two-paragraph narrative, which has students apply descriptive words to real-life people and actions.
3: Cycles
Unit 1: Poppy
Lesson 1
Preparing for Poppy
The lesson asks students to think of human characteristics (shy, stubborn, mean, anxious, etc.) to assign to the mouse and the owl and to record, evaluate, and revise those characteristics as they read (Activity 2). The vocabulary activity has students say each word aloud, define it, and write sentences that use the word in context on note cards (Activity 3). The Wrapping Up section explicitly prompts students to discuss what it means to have "power" and to give real-life situations where a person has power in a relationship.
Lesson 2
Mr. Ocax
Students are asked to write a paragraph describing three ways they are similar to a character and to support those similarities with evidence from the story and events in their own lives, which requires connecting character-descriptive words to real-life experience. Several comprehension questions (e.g., Are you more similar to Ragweed or Poppy? Why?) prompt students to describe characters using trait words like 'cautious,' 'daredevil,' 'powerful,' and 'frightening' and to relate those traits to themselves. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to think of situations in their own life where a person has power but is respectful, prompting real-life connections between behavioral vocabulary and experiences.
Lesson 3
The Emergency Meeting
The lesson asks students to describe characters' traits (Question #8: "How did Poppy's family feel about Ragweed?" with expected answers like rude, stubborn, and thoughtless), which requires using descriptive words for people. Question #7 reports dialogue that labels Poppy as "straight and loyal," giving students an example of applying character-describing words to a person. The dog passage (Activity 2) uses real-life terms like friend, love, and attention and asks students to identify main ideas about caring for a dog, which connects words to real-life behaviors.
Lesson 4
Standing Before Mr. Ocax
The lesson asks students to compare Lungwort's speech with a speech to a kind and caring ruler and to discuss how and why the speeches differ, prompting consideration of word choice and tone. It asks students to write a speech to their parents asking permission, to address an audience respectfully, and to support the speech with evidence, examples, or reasons. Activity 2 has students practice writing and performing dialogue, identifying quotation marks and who is speaking, which connects word use to real-life speaking situations.
Lesson 5
Poppy and Poppa
Students practice synonyms and antonyms through matching and written-response activities (Options 1 and 2) and are asked to write their own synonym/antonym pairs. In the "Choose the Right Word" activity, students create mental images for words (e.g., gobble vs. nibble), choose words that better fit sentence contexts, and explain why they selected specific words. The lesson also directs students to use a thesaurus for word choices and to explain how different words communicate slightly different ideas or strengths.
Lesson 6
Dimwood Forest
Students are asked to define 'good' and 'evil' and to identify which characters in the book represent those concepts, linking word meanings to character traits. Students are prompted to explain opposites (e.g., large/small; kind/mean; scary/friendly) and to use synonyms and antonyms when composing a diamante poem about Poppy and Mr. Ocax, practicing descriptive word use. Students are invited to think of characters in other books or movies that are good or bad and to look for symbols and colors that depict good and bad in artworks, making connections between words and images.
Lesson 7
Ereth
The Skills section asks students to "Discuss an author's choices for nouns, verbs, modifiers, and specific vocabulary" and to "Describe a character in own words," which prompts vocabulary use for description. Activity 4 (Ereth's Circle Map) requires students to write words or phrases that describe Ereth. Activity 3 asks students to identify Ereth as an herbivore and discuss porcupine defenses and which animals eat porcupines, linking animal vocabulary (herbivore/carnivore, predator) to real-world animal behavior. The Life Application asks students to look for examples of alliteration in advertisements, connecting a language feature to real-life contexts.
Lesson 8
On the Way to New House
Question 4 asks students to interpret the phrase "likable unlikable creature" and to answer "Do you know anyone who is a 'likable unlikable' person?", prompting them to connect a word/phrase from the text to a real person. The Wrapping Up section directs students to use each vocabulary word in their own sentence orally, which can require applying words to real-life situations. The Skills section lists developing vocabulary by listening and discussing selections, implying students will discuss word use.
Lesson 9
The Truth at Last
Students are asked to find words with given prefixes and suffixes in the book and in real-world print (life application: look on magazine covers, food labels, billboards, etc.). Students complete writing prompts that require them to use words with a suffix or prefix in a sentence, and journal prompts ask them to describe Poppy's feelings at different points in the story. Activities also ask students to discuss and give examples of words that contain prefixes and suffixes.
Lesson 10
The Battle
Students are asked in Activity 2 to discuss what it means to face fears and to write a personal journal entry about a time they showed bravery, connecting the word "bravery" to their own experiences. The skills section explicitly lists "Connect experiences and ideas with those of others," which supports practicing real-life connections between words and experiences. The prompt to "encourage her to use interesting words to make her writing more engaging" asks students to choose words to describe personal events.
Lesson 11
Writing Project
The paragraph rubric requires students to use "three vocabulary words from the previous lesson," prompting them to place vocabulary in context within their writing. Students are asked to describe the cycle of power, how Poppy broke the cycle, and how life will be different for the mice, which requires using descriptive words to explain characters and situations. The activities direct students to produce paragraphs that include topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences, giving practice in applying words within coherent real-world-like scenarios from the story.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Question #2 asks students to explain what Ereth meant when he told Poppy she was the "salt of the earth," prompting students to interpret an idiom as it applies to a person. Activity 1 asks students to write epitaphs for Ragweed and Mr. Ocax and explains what an epitaph is, so students must apply that word to real people and choose appropriate tone. The Story Tree worksheet includes a "New words" leaf where students can record unfamiliar words from the book and connect them to the story context.
Final Project
Poppy
The Language Think-Tac-Toe includes explicit vocabulary tasks where students must "use six vocabulary words in sentences," "write a synonym for three vocabulary words and an antonym for two," and "use four vocabulary words in a paragraph that focuses on a topic of your choice." These activities require students to produce contextualized uses of words and to select synonyms and antonyms, which practices word meanings and relationships. The Poppy Think-Tac-Toe also asks students to write character descriptions and journal entries, which could involve applying vocabulary in context.
Unit 2: Charlotte's Web
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Students brainstorm at least eight words or phrases that describe a good friend in Activity 2 and then check which of those words apply to characters as they read. In Activity 5 students select descriptive words or phrases to describe how Fern, Charlotte, and Wilbur act or feel and are asked to record and use a list of descriptive words in their journals. Activity 4 (Option 2) asks students to use vocabulary words in sentences that relate to farm life, and Activity 1 asks students to write about a special pet, linking word use to their own experiences.
Lesson 2
Charlotte
Students are asked to complete a "Character Descriptions" page where they write a word or phrase describing how each character acted or felt during the chapter. Question prompts ask students to explain Wilbur's needs (love and friendship) and to consider whether real pigs feel this way, prompting a link between character descriptors and real-life animals. The skills list asks students to "use expanded vocabulary to generate synonyms for commonly over-used words," which practices choosing nuanced words to describe people or characters.
Lesson 3
Bad News
Students are asked to write a word or phrase that describes how each character acted or felt on the "Character Descriptions" page, and Question #5 prompts students to explain why the animals trust Fern (answers may include that she is kind or listens). Activity 4 has students choose specific descriptive words and write a paragraph about their home that uses words to convey feelings and sensory detail. Activity 2 asks students to list pig products and circle those consumed by their family, connecting word labels to real-life use.
Lesson 4
Some Pig
Students read and discuss explicit friendship questions (e.g., "What is a friend?", "What responsibilities do friends have?") and describe the friendship between Wilbur and Charlotte. Students complete a "Friendship Scenarios" page in which they read real-life situations and select three to answer in a journal, deciding how they would respond. Students also fill in "Character Descriptions" by writing a word or phrase that describes how each character acted or felt during the chapter.
Lesson 5
Progress
Activity 2 asks students to think of a creative adjective that describes each member of their family, design a web for each person with that word woven into it, and explain why they selected the word. The extension asks students to use a thesaurus to find synonyms and justify why those words would be appropriate for their family members. Activity 3 has students match vocabulary words to definitions, find the words in context in the book, and then make up their own sentences using each word.
Lesson 6
The Fair
The Character Descriptions activity asks students to "write a word or phrase that describes how each character on the page acted or felt during the chapter," which has students select descriptive words for people. Activity 3 asks students to write a paragraph describing their best day and to "use exciting language" and vary sentence starts, prompting word choice in a real-life personal narrative. Activity 5 asks students to make a list of things people do at a fair and to describe a booth and its activities, which has students name and describe real-life actions and roles.
Lesson 7
The End
Students choose descriptive words for characters on the 'Character Descriptions' sheet and are asked to read through the words they selected. Students complete the 'Characters Change' chart by writing short descriptions of each character at the beginning and end of the story. Students are asked which character they liked most and whether any characters reminded them of people they know, prompting a real-life connection between character-descriptive words and people.
Final Project
Charlotte's Web
The lesson asks students to write a character description paragraph and provides a sample book review that labels characters with trait words (e.g., "Charlotte is intelligent, friendly, and caring; Wilbur is a worrywart..."), which models using descriptive words for people. The advertisement option requires students to create pictures and "interesting and exciting descriptions" for three or four main characters and the advertisement rubric checks whether one part "reveal[s] the characters in an interesting way." These tasks require students to choose and use words that describe people.
Unit 3: The Family Under the Bridge
Lesson 1
Pre-Reading
Students are asked to describe local people in the 'People' section of the Paris activity, using research to write about inhabitants. In the 'Economic Cycles' activity, students list examples for labels such as 'people have wants and needs,' 'people must work to earn money,' and 'people purchase goods and services,' connecting those words to real community examples. In the theme activity, students list ways people can care for others and circle actions their family has done, directly linking words like 'help' or 'care' to real-life behaviors.
Lesson 2
The French Man
Students look up vocabulary words using a dictionary and thesaurus, record definitions, synonyms, antonyms, and base words, and write a sentence from the book plus 'your new sentence' for each word (Activity 2: Vocabulary Webs). The directions state that "your child's sentence should show that she understands the meaning of the word," and the Skills list includes "Increase oral and written vocabulary when responding to literature," prompting students to use words in their own writing. The vocabulary pages require students to read words in context and choose the correct definition from the book sentence provided.
Lesson 3
A Discovery
Students are prompted to describe characters using sentence starters such as "Those children are __." and "The man was __." when writing diary entries from Armand's and Suzy's perspectives. Students are asked to think about the children's needs and how the community helps homeless people (soup kitchens, shelters), linking vocabulary about people and services to real situations. The activities require students to write feelings and character descriptions and to discuss how families "stick together," which invites use of descriptive words in a real-life context.
Lesson 4
A Day in the City
Students are asked to interpret character labels and phrasing (e.g., Question #1 asks what Armand calls pigeons and how he feels about them, and Question #4 asks why a shopkeeper asked if they were "in the wrong store"). Question #2 asks students to explain why Armand said the Christmas log "tasted like medicine," which requires connecting a figurative description to a real motivation. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to decide whether a desired gift is a need or a want, requiring students to apply those word meanings to a real-life choice.
Lesson 5
Singing
Students are asked to list goods from the text and identify which are needs and which are wants, connecting the vocabulary words needs/wants to real items and family situations. Students are prompted to discuss words or phrases to use in a persuasive letter or speech and to choose language that will appeal to Armand's emotions, linking word choice to a real persuasive purpose. The student is also asked to fill in an economic cycle for his own family, applying vocabulary about earning and purchasing to real-life family contexts.
Lesson 6
The Shoe
Students read the description of the Gypsies and are asked to compare the Gypsies and the Calcet children using a double-bubble map, writing words and phrases that describe each group and their common traits. The teacher prompts students to discuss how the Gypsies are different from and similar to the Calcets and to reflect that all people have the same needs and are equally valuable. Comprehension questions (for example, about Armand's feelings and actions) require students to describe characters and explain reasons in complete sentences.
Lesson 7
Among Friends
Students match vocabulary words to definitions and fill blanks from the text, then are asked to use each vocabulary word in sentences of their own (Activity 3). The skills list asks students to use beginners' dictionaries, glossaries, and context to build word meanings. In Activity 2 (Pack a Bag) students choose items for characters, explain reasons for each item, and state which character benefits and how the items meet wants and needs. Discussion questions ask students to describe what they think of the Gypsies and whether they were good citizens.
Lesson 8
Christmas Eve
Students are asked which character is most like them and to explain why, which requires using descriptive words about people. The "Meeting Characters" chart and the "Gifts" activity ask students to analyze character traits and choose gifts that reflect those traits. Activity 2 asks students to discuss how churches and community groups help people and to describe their own experiences with places of worship and helping behaviors.
Lesson 9
Saying Goodbye
Students are asked to record and describe characters in the "Meeting Characters" chart and to write quinzaine poems about a character and about homelessness, which requires choosing words to describe people and situations. The "Culture Commentary" activity asks students to note "People (clothing, personalities, and jobs)" and to list "Examples of French words or phrases the author uses," linking words and cultural context. The Skills section explicitly lists "Connect life experiences with the life experiences, language, customs, and culture of others," indicating tasks where students relate words/phrases to real situations.
Lesson 10
A Home at Last
Students fill in a "Meeting Characters" chart with new information about Armand, which can include character traits and actions. Students discuss how Armand's willingness to get a job will help the children and write in their journals about a time they gave up something to help someone else. In Option 2 students write a letter explaining why they selected a housewarming gift and how it can be used, which asks them to connect descriptive language to real-life choices.
Final Project
Reader's Theater
The lesson asks questions about how and why people help others and includes a rubric criterion requiring the script to show "care for someone in need," which prompts students to think about real-life helping behavior. Students are instructed to think about how characters might say things — what words they might use, what attitude or emotion they could have — and to list character traits on the "Meeting Characters" page. The script-writing and acting tasks require students to choose words and dialogue that express characters' helpfulness or friendliness in scenes drawn from the novel.
4: Relationships
Unit 1: One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
Lesson 2
Morning in the Rain Forest
Activity 2 asks students to locate vocabulary words in the text, use context clues, look up definitions, and then use each word in a sentence. The vocabulary exercise also prompts students to tell whether they are familiar with a word and to give a definition before using it in a sentence. Activity 3 asks students to describe events and roles in real-life daily activities and relationships between living things, which could support applying language about relationships.
Lesson 3
The Tree
Students match nouns and the author's adjectives and then generate their own adjectives for rainforest nouns (Activity 3 Sections 1 and 2). Students are asked to circle adjectives that clarify relationships among living things (e.g., flesh-eating ants, crab-eating raccoons, terrified insects), connecting word choice to meaning in context. Students are prompted to observe a real tree in their own environment and explain how it differs from Tepui's tree and to think of adjectives for things in nature in their outside environment (Activity 2 extension and Life Application).
Lesson 4
Butterfly Search
Students match scientist names (e.g., herpetologist, ornithologist, lepidopterist) with the types of organisms they study and write the name of a real animal for each category. Students write a paragraph describing which type of animal scientist they would like to be, the habitat they would visit, and three animals they would study. Students are asked to prepare interview questions and, if possible, meet a scientist, directly linking the word 'scientist' to a real-life person and job.
Lesson 5
Rain Forest Relationships
Students are asked to describe relationships between living things (Activity 2: Relationships) and to write how the fig and palm, sloth and moths, mother and baby sloth, beetles, and termites help or harm one another on the Student Activity Page. Question #1 has students translate the author's descriptive wording about the butterfly into a sketch, linking descriptive words to a real-life image. The Skills section explicitly lists increasing oral and written vocabulary by listening, discussing, and composing texts when responding to literature.
Lesson 6
Law of the Jungle
Students are asked to match vocabulary words with their definitions and are instructed to look up each word in the book for context clues or in a dictionary if needed, which requires them to connect word meaning to use. Students must then use each vocabulary word in a sentence related to the rain forest, explicitly asking them to apply words to real-world (rain forest) situations. The activities emphasize using context to determine meaning and producing sentences that show how the words function in real-life settings.
Lesson 7
Helping a Friend
Students are asked to describe the relationship between Tepui and Dr. Rivero and to discuss friendship and what it means to be a good friend, including how Tepui and Dr. Rivero help one another (Activity 2). Students are prompted to record and describe relationships among living things on a Rain Forest Animals Chart and to consider roles and how leaf-cutter ants help one another (Activity 1 and Activity 3). A comprehension question asks students to compare Tepui's grin to a crocodile's, prompting a real-life comparison between words/imagery and animals (Question #7).
Lesson 9
A Close Call
Activity 2 asks students to discuss definitions of metaphors and similes and to identify what two unrelated things the author is comparing (e.g., "Tepui grinned like a crocodile" and "Their...feathers were fireworks celebrating the day"). Students are asked to create their own metaphors or similes for specific animals and illustrate one, and examples tie comparisons to everyday objects (alarm clock, vacuum, ocean waves). Activity 1 and the Plot Diagram also ask students to describe relationships among animals and events, reinforcing connections between words and real-world referents.
Final Project
Field Guide or Documentary
Students are asked to write field guide entries and documentary scripts that record and describe real animals using prompts such as name, layer where found, food, predators, interesting facts, and relationships with other living things. The skills list asks students to "make precise word choices" and to revise drafts for audience and vivid images, and the rubrics assess "Understanding" and explanation of "Relationships." Students will orally present or film their scripts, practicing use of descriptive words in real contexts.
Unit 2: The Whipping Boy
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students are asked to name several people they have relationships with and write a sentence describing each relationship (Activity 3, Relationships page). Students may illustrate each relationship and, in Option 2, act out real events and then state whether what happened was positive or negative and what that reveals about the relationship. The unit also prompts students to compare the relationship between characters in the book (prince and servant) to their own relationships and to describe why relationships are important.
Lesson 2
Jemmy and Prince Brat
The vocabulary activity asks students to write definitions, copy the sentence from the book where each vocabulary word appears, and then write a new sentence using the word that fits the chapter context. The skills list includes "Discuss meanings of words and develop vocabulary through meaningful/concrete experiences" and activities prompt students to write diary entries (a life application) and to discuss relationships between characters. The comic-strip and journal tasks require students to use vocabulary in written responses about characters and events.
Lesson 3
The Plot Thickens
Students match idiom phrases from the book with their translations on the Idioms activity page and attempt to translate each idiom into literal meaning. Students are asked to use each idiom in a new sentence and to have idioms modeled if they struggle. An extension prompt asks students to list idioms they have heard at home, in movies, or in the community, and the wrap-up asks students to give two examples of idioms.
Lesson 4
A Note to the King
Students are asked to identify idioms from the chapters and to find and record similes from the text, noting the two things being compared. They read similes in context, fill in blanks that link the figurative phrase to its literal comparison, and write three original similes and illustrate one. The activities require students to recognize and produce figurative language and discuss examples orally or in writing.
Lesson 5
Disagreements
Students read a paragraph and select vocabulary words (fuming, imposter, glaring, fend, coach, betray, fathom, fret) to fit each blank, and are encouraged to look up dictionary definitions and decide which meaning fits best in context. Students are asked to locate the words in the book, read them aloud, and the skills list includes explaining and describing characters in their own words. The wrap-up prompts ask students to state what they learned about the two characters and why their relationship is poor, which requires using word meanings to describe people in the story.
Lesson 6
In the Woods
Students are asked to discuss whether Jemmy and Prince Brat are friends and to explain why, directly linking the word 'friend' to character behavior. Students make a list in their journal of things that friends do and complete the prompt "A good friend...", connecting the label to real-life actions. Students circle statements that apply to each character and choose activities (writing a letter or designing a "Best Friend Award") that require them to name traits that make someone a good friend. The lesson explicitly tells students to discuss how, in a friendship, both people should give to or help each other, tying the words 'help' and 'friendly' to real-life examples.
Lesson 7
The Rescue
Students are asked to pick and write virtues on each point of a crown (Activity 6), which requires selecting words that describe real-life character traits a prince should have. Activity 5 directs students to discuss English dialect differences and words/phrases not used today, connecting word usage to a historical real-life context. The At Home writing task asks students to describe the place where they feel most comfortable and explain why, prompting them to use descriptive words tied to their own experiences.
Lesson 8
Friends
Students list four behaviors that show Prince Brat is mean, stubborn, or selfish and four behaviors that show Prince Horace is a good person and friend on the "Changes" activity page, directly linking descriptive words to concrete actions. Students discuss the idea that in a friendship both people must respect each other, treat each other kindly, and help each other, connecting words like respect, kind, and help to real-life expectations. Students write journal entries from Jemmy's and Prince Horace's perspectives describing their feelings, actions, and responsibilities, which requires using descriptive words to explain real-life-like situations.
Final Project
A Monologue
Students are prompted to review examples of similes, idioms, and hyperboles and to locate a variety of figurative language in the book. Students are asked to include a simile or hyperbole and an idiom in their Prince and Jemmy monologues and to use sentence starters that describe characters' feelings and relationships. Students rehearse and present monologues that require them to describe how characters relate to and change because of one another.
Unit 3: Iggie's House
Lesson 1
The Move
Students identify correct vocabulary usage by checking sentences that make sense for words (rate, convinced, racial, sarcastic, approval, glum) and may look up definitions to do so. Students list five important characteristics of a good friend and write a sentence for each describing why it is important, then give examples of how they have demonstrated those characteristics. Students write personal reactions in the Reactions Chart and may write a letter or paragraph about what they miss about a friend who moved away, applying friendship-related words to real-life situations.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Neighbors
Students are asked directly to describe characters (Question #4: "How would you describe the Garbers?") and to analyze character traits and relationships (Skills: "Analyze characters, including their traits, relationships, actions, and changes"). In Activity 2 students read and respond to real-life racial-relationship scenarios and must decide how they would react, connecting words like "mean," "unfair," and "stereotype" to actions. The Fact or Opinion activity has students label and rewrite statements about people and neighborhood interactions, linking descriptive language to real situations.
Lesson 3
The Softball Game
Students are prompted to think about and describe Winnie's actions as a friend in the Introduction and Questions to Explore. Specific comprehension questions ask students to explain how Winnie is trying to start a relationship with the Garbers (Question #6) and to evaluate whether Winnie is being a good friend (Question #7). Activity 2 and the life application encourage students to discuss games as a way to get to know new friends and to practice social interaction by playing catch.
Lesson 4
A New Dog
Students are prompted to discuss the relationship between pets and their owners and to describe owner responsibilities (feed, attention, safe place, vet) in Activity 2. Students are asked to write a paragraph about their own relationship with a pet or a pet they would like to have and to draw a picture of themselves with the pet. The chapter questions and discussion prompts focus on real-life relationships and responsibilities between people and pets.
Lesson 5
A Visit from Germs
Students are asked in the Wrapping Up to say what Winnie did in the chapter to be a good friend, which prompts them to link the idea of being a friend to specific actions. The Tree House activity has students pretend they are inviting a new friend and list three points of interest they would show, requiring them to apply the concept of "friend" to a real-life scenario. The prompt to discuss the proper way to respond to people with different and even hurtful opinions asks students to consider real responses and behaviors toward others.
Lesson 6
A New Petition
Students complete Character Circle Maps by writing descriptive words or phrases for each main character and are asked to support selections with evidence from the text. In the Life Application students are instructed to make circle maps for friends, family members, and themselves, recording positive and negative descriptive words and discussing how personality influences relationships. Students create vocabulary flashcards, match words to definitions, and use vocabulary words in spoken or written sentences during the vocabulary game.
Lesson 7
The Swim Club
The Friendship House activity asks students to draw pairs of friends from the book in windows and to write a sentence that describes the friendship between each pair. The extension asks students to make a Friendship House for themselves and their own friends, number the windows, and write sentences describing those real-life friendships. The lesson also directs discussion that "skin color has nothing to do with a person's personality," prompting students to connect character relationships in the text to real-life ideas about people.
Lesson 8
Moving
Activity 2 (Similarities and Differences) asks students to discuss how two people who have a relationship can share similarities and differences and uses the Garbers/peanut-butter exchange as a real-life example. The Student Activity Page requires students to fill double-bubble maps by writing examples of how two characters are connected and listing unique characteristics or personality traits for each character. Question prompts (e.g., Why was Herbie so rude to Winnie? What did Winnie do to Herbie? What could she have done instead?) ask students to describe characters' behaviors and consider appropriate real-life responses.
Lesson 9
A Letter
Students are asked to write a letter from Winnie's perspective that includes descriptions of people (e.g., "Glenn is...pretty nice," "Herbie...can be very hard to deal with," "Tina is their sweet little sister"), and they must use events from the story to support those descriptions. The "Planning My Letter" pages explicitly prompt students to write a sentence about Glenn, Herbie, and Tina, requiring them to choose and apply descriptive words in real-life character contexts. The rubric asks about use of examples and descriptive words, which directs students to select words that match real-life people and situations.
Lesson 10
I Have a Dream
Students read an excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and answer comprehension questions such as "What does 'all men are created equal' mean?" and "What is Winnie doing to try to help Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream come true?" Students discuss Winnie's picnic and actions (inviting and treating the Garbers) and are prompted to consider what they can do to help King's dream come true. The Life Application asks students to invite a friend on a picnic to demonstrate friendship, linking behavior to social concepts.
Lesson 11
The End
Activity 3 asks students to choose a character they would enjoy being friends with, describe what they would have in common, explain why the character would be a good friend, and write and draw activities friends would do together. The Wrapping Up section directs students to discuss what friends do for one another and how friends can help and enjoy one another. The Book in a Bag activity asks students to select an item to represent a relationship between two people in the story, prompting students to connect the concept of friendship/relationship to concrete examples.
Final Project
Character Interviews
Students are asked to write interview questions for story characters, with an explicit requirement that at least one question for each character be about relationships. Students make up responses from each character's perspective and are prompted to include events in the story and reflect characters' personalities. The rubric asks whether students developed good interview questions, asked about relationships, used story events, and whether their answers reflected the personalities of the characters.