Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 1
Steinbeck
Students are directed to research John Steinbeck using the provided authoritative websites (nobelprize.org, notablebiographies.com, steinbeck.org) and to record answers on the "John Steinbeck" activity page. Students must identify common themes in Steinbeck's novels (question 3) and explain how those themes reflect his life experiences (question 4), which requires connecting biographical information to interpretive claims. Students write their responses on the activity page, demonstrating recall and basic synthesis of information from the sources.
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students are directed to conduct mini-research using provided websites and at least one book as a reference, and to take organized notes on note cards (at least 15) about pearl diving or La Paz. Students must organize information into a travel brochure or a one-page presentation script with two visual aids and decide on a logical sequence for presenting their information. Students are assessed on content and are asked to collect adequate information on graphic organizers and note cards, indicating use of sources and synthesis of information.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are asked to read Chapter 3 and answer interpretive questions (e.g., explain the simile comparing the town to a colonial animal and why Kino became "every man's enemy"), which requires them to give reasons rooted in the text. In Activity 3 students must create a "Stylistic Devices" log and "locate at least three examples" from the chapter, selecting phrases and sentences they feel are meaningful, which requires identifying and using textual evidence to support analyses. The parent notes and examples include direct quotations from the chapter, implying students will refer to the text when explaining meanings and effects.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students read Chapter 4 and answer specific questions in complete sentences, including an opinion question (Question #4: Should Kino have accepted 1500 pesos?) that asks for justification. Students are prompted to discuss themes and ideas (e.g., money, power, how poverty/wealth change people) with a parent and to brainstorm symbolic meanings of the pearl, which requires using the text to support interpretations. The activities require students to look for stylistic devices and list them in a journal, encouraging attention to textual evidence.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students are asked to develop four discussion questions (Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, On My Own) and provide answers, which requires locating textual evidence and giving reasoned responses. The lesson prompts evaluative discussion (e.g., "Do you agree with Juana? Why or why not?") that asks students to form a claim and explain their reasoning. The Wants activity asks students to identify each character's desires and justify whether those wants are good or evil, encouraging students to support interpretations with evidence from the story.
Lesson 8
Escape
Students read the final chapter and respond to open-ended questions in complete sentences, including QUESTION #1 which asks them to explain whether Kino loses his soul and QUESTION #2 which asks how the setting keeps the action going. QUESTION #4 asks students to identify historical examples where quest for wealth led to death and destruction, requiring them to bring examples to support their answer. Discussion prompts ask students to explain symbolism and the moral and to add examples of stylistic devices to a log, prompting written explanation and use of textual detail.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students are asked to read each parable and explain the moral or lesson of each story to a parent, prompting them to state a claim about meaning. Students are prompted to compare the Parable of the Pearl to Steinbeck's The Pearl and may note specific story details (for example, that Kino 'ends up paying for the pearl with everything he has'), which requires referencing events in the text. Students practice oral retelling of a parable to an audience and then ask that audience to explain the lesson, which engages students in presenting an interpretation and responding to others' understandings. The Parent Plan also directs students to analyze the purpose of the author or creator by understanding effects of the author's craft on the reader.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students are asked to list the different moral lessons taught in The Pearl and choose one as the heart of their parable (Activity 1), which requires identifying claims about the text. The Parent Plan explicitly instructs parents to make sure a child's chosen lesson "can be supported her idea with evidence from the text," prompting students to tie their parable's claim to textual evidence. The rubric asks whether the theme (lesson) is clearly portrayed through the story and the story map activity asks students to identify themes and relate setting and plot to that theme, reinforcing demonstration of understanding of the text.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to prepare and conduct a mock trial for Kino that requires assigning roles and using evidence from the book to argue the case. Students must write a speech defending or prosecuting Kino and are instructed to use persuasive techniques and evidence from the story. Part D short-answer question 3 explicitly asks students to identify stylistic devices and to "Support your answer with evidence from the story." The skills list also includes drawing conclusions based on evidence and identifying the development of an author's argument or perspective.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 2
Sickness
Students are assigned the role of Investigator to "dig up some background information" related to the book (geography, culture, history, author) and to "record the information" in their journal, which practices gathering evidence. Discussion and wrap-up prompts ask students to explain why villagers thought cholera arrived and to "consider why survival rates would be lower," asking for explanations and reasons. Students are asked to collect four or five bits of information that could serve as relevant facts about the book's context.
Lesson 4
Escape
Students are asked to serve as a Literary Luminary by choosing two or three passages, reading them aloud, and explaining their reasons for picking them, which requires giving reasons tied to text. Discussion questions (e.g., "Do you think that Nhamo should have listened to Ambuya?") prompt students to form and justify an opinion. Students read the back-of-book history pages and complete activity pages that require answering specific factual questions based on those informational pages, using the text as a source for responses.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
The Line Locator activity asks students to find three to five lines or short passages and then explain in their journals why those passages are examples of good writing or important to the story, which requires students to cite text passages as support for their judgments. Students must also record at least one thinking question that prompts interpretation beyond the facts of a passage, encouraging them to connect evidence to an inference. The 5 W's and story-element organizers require students to gather and record specific details about an event, which can function as evidence when explaining narrative choices.
Lesson 7
Baboons
Students are asked to research baboons and write an 8–10 sentence museum plaque describing social dynamics and how baboons live and interact in the wild (Option 1). The Parent Plan skills explicitly state students will "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts… and support those findings with textual evidence," indicating an expectation to use textual evidence. Option 2 asks students to research five animals, write 1–2 sentences about each, and paste internet images, which requires gathering information from sources.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students are asked to support character analyses with text evidence (Part IV, question 2: "What 3 words would you use to characterize Nhamo? (Use evidence from the text to support your answer.)"). The unit test short-answer questions require students to cite details from the novel to explain plot points and character acceptance. The parent-plan skills and presentation checklist instruct students to clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence and to support opinions in verbal presentations with detailed evidence or media.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students are asked to answer comprehension and opinion questions in complete sentences (e.g., "How does Tolkien characterize Bilbo Baggins…?", "Do you think Bilbo should go on the mission? Why or why not?"). Students must explain the meaning of a quote from Gandalf and summarize chapter events with chapter references on the map, which requires referring to the text for support. The Activities and Discussion prompts ask students to defend views (e.g., reasons for Gandalf's choice, whether Bilbo should go), indicating practice in giving reasons for claims.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students are directed to read two biography websites about J.R.R. Tolkien, providing access to accurate, credible sources. In Option 1, students write five interview questions and are asked to "consider why each question would be an important one," which prompts them to give reasons. Discussion prompts ask students to answer evaluative questions (e.g., "Do you think Bilbo will be an asset on this journey? Why or why not?"), requiring students to state and explain their opinions.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students are asked to find at least one example of foreshadowing from the chapters and record it on a chart with chapter and page number, which requires locating and citing textual evidence from the text. Several discussion prompts (for example, "Why do elves and dwarves usually not get along?" and "Would you rather spend time with the elves or the dwarves? Why?") require students to give reasons for opinions. The Reading and Questions and the "Events of the Journey" chart require students to describe events and answer in complete sentences, which involves using text-based details to support their responses.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students are asked to answer interpretive questions that require explanation (for example, Question #2 asks why Gandalf introduces the dwarves two at a time and a sample answer offers a reason about Beorn's temperament). Students are asked to draw and briefly describe events from the chapter and to record examples of foreshadowing or flashback, which requires them to identify and explain textual details. Discussion prompts ask students to explain characters' motives and whether Beorn will be a good friend, prompting reasoned responses about the text.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and to write a short sentence about the chapter's events, which requires using details from the text. The discussion prompt explicitly asks students to identify situations from the book that support the theme that size and strength are not always most valuable, prompting them to cite textual examples. Students are also asked to explain whether Bilbo has changed and whether Thorin should tell the Elvenking, which requires making a claim and providing reasons from the chapter.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
The Skills section explicitly includes "Construct essays/presentations that respond to a given problem by proposing a solution that includes relevant details," and the Problems and Solutions activity asks students to explain how story problems were solved and who solved them. The personal Problem Solving page requires students to state a problem, brainstorm three solutions, list pluses and minuses for each, and explain why they selected the best solution. Discussion questions (e.g., "Do you think Bilbo is a good leader? Why or why not?") ask students to give reasons for their judgments about characters and plans.
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students answer text-dependent questions (e.g., explain why Bilbo becomes leader and why the dragon wakes) that require them to give reasons based on the chapters. Students collect and classify real-world examples of consumerist advertising (Option 1) or research historical and current events motivated by greed and power (Option 2), recording two- to three-sentence descriptions and ranking examples. The Skills section also directs students to identify, analyze, and critique persuasive techniques, which involves examining how claims are supported by appeals like flattery or promises.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students answer comprehension and short-response questions about the text in complete sentences (e.g., identifying Smaug's attack, explaining Bard's role). The lesson includes discussion prompts that ask students to give reasons (e.g., "Do you think the townspeople should be upset... Why?" and "Do you think the townspeople deserve some of Smaug's treasure? Why or why not?"). Students record examples of foreshadowing and flashback from the chapters, demonstrating engagement with textual evidence.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students read Chapters 16 and 17 and answer comprehension and opinion questions in complete sentences that require them to state reasons (e.g., why Bilbo sneaked out; whether he should have admitted giving the Arkenstone). Students explain how each element of the quest contributes to central themes and mood and are asked to explain their choices to a parent, which requires linking events from the text to thematic claims. Students respond to discussion prompts that ask them to defend positions (for example, whether Bilbo should have given the Arkenstone and whether it was his to give), prompting use of reasons and evidence from the novel.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students are instructed to support their personal responses with examples from the text, including figurative language, direct quotes, and events from the story. The outline and body-paragraph templates require a topic sentence and multiple supporting ideas with lines for evidence. The rubric explicitly assesses "Textual Evidence" and comprehension, asking for direct quotes and reference to the text and evaluation of understanding and interpretation.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 1
Korea
The lesson asks students to "evaluate information from different sources about the same topic" and directs students to read specified websites (Ancient History Encyclopedia, Britannica, National Geographic Kids, etc.) to gather information about Korea. Activity 3 requires students to record information from those online sources on "Elements of Korean Culture" charts, deciding whether each fact fits "Today" or "Centuries Past." The Skills list explicitly includes evaluating information from different sources, and the Parent Plan asks caregivers to discuss the information students recorded.
Lesson 2
Tree-Ear
Students are asked to give brief oral summaries of the chapters and to answer text-based questions in complete sentences, including an opinion question that asks "Do you think Tree-ear should have told the man that he was losing his rice? Why or why not?" Discussion prompts ask students to explain relationships and to give reasons for whether working for Min is a good opportunity. Students are directed to add details to their "Elements of Korean Culture" pages, demonstrating attention to understanding the text and its context.
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students answer comprehension questions that require explanation (for example, explaining why Tree-ear refuses Crane-man's help), prompting them to give reasons tied to the text. Students are directed to write a one-page summary by locating main ideas, restating them in their own words, and organizing events in a logical order. Students are given explicit prompts to ensure their summaries address who/what/when/where and events that shape plot and character, which requires using text details as support.
Lesson 4
Food and Pottery
Students carry out a pottery investigation where they dig soil, sieve it, add water, shape and dry it, and then judge how much clay the sample contained, requiring them to draw conclusions from observations. Students are prompted to discuss and explain how food and artwork reflect the natural environment and to add new information to an 'Elements of Korean Culture' page, which encourages using information from the book or activities. The pottery section includes a linked webpage about types of clay that students can consult as a source of information.
Lesson 6
Village Life
Activity 2 instructs students to read biographies and interviews on Linda Sue Park using specific web links, take notes, answer guided questions about her life, and write a short paragraph describing how her experiences and relationships influenced her writing. The student question sheet includes prompts that ask students to explain reasons (e.g., "Why do you think Linda Sue Park chose to write fictional books about Korean culture rather than nonfiction books?" and "What do you think Linda is trying to teach readers in 'A Single Shard'?"). These tasks require students to draw on information from provided sources and to state interpretations about cause and influence.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students answer open-ended reading questions in complete sentences that require explanation of character actions (for example, explaining why Min laughs or what happens to Min's pieces). The Parent Plan explicitly asks students to "defend his answer with a logical explanation" and to "provide evidence from the text" when creating Tree-ear's mini-book. Discussion prompts and the mini-book activity require students to record how opportunities benefited Tree-ear and to support those conclusions with text-based evidence.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students are asked to read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, requiring them to use the text to explain motivations and events. The Skills section directs students to "develop and justify the interpretation of literature through sustained use of examples" and to "organize interpretations...around several clear ideas," which requires using reasons and examples from the text. The Quotes activity asks students to explain Crane-man's quotes in their own words, prompting students to interpret and support meanings with textual understanding.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are asked toDescribe the relationship Tree-ear has with each main character and to write at least two sentences for each relationship, explicitly requiring that descriptions be supported with examples from the text, including characters' thoughts, words, and actions (Relationship Web). In the Relationship Words option, students must select descriptive words from magazines and then support each word choice with examples from the book, again citing characters' thoughts, words, or actions. The skills section and parent prompts emphasize justifying interpretations through sustained use of examples and textual evidence and organizing interpretations around clear ideas.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are directed to record similarities and differences between Tree-ear's relationships and to "provide support from the text" on the Essay Organizer and Brainstorming pages. The Comparison and Contrast Essay Rubric rates "Ideas and Support," requiring the paper to provide specific examples and support for comparisons. Students are prompted to revise writing "after checking the logic of the ideas" and to use topic sentences and organized body paragraphs to present claims and supporting evidence.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students are guided to select a topic, develop research questions, find sources, and record information to answer those questions (steps 3–5). Students complete a Point of View chart analyzing stakeholders' perspectives from a cited article and are asked to consider multiple points of view when weighing pros and cons. The materials require use of multiple resource types (at least four) and include an Argumentative Essay Rubric that evaluates Ideas (clarity, focus, effectiveness) and a Research Process section that asks whether students used a note-taking method and whether the big question answers "so what?".
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students read two contrasting news articles about the same event and are asked to record how Sam Hughes is portrayed and to identify specific bias techniques with examples on the "Detecting Bias" handout (Activity 1). Students read an article about U.S. propaganda leaflets and answer journal questions about which techniques were used and whether the leaflets were persuasive (Activity 2). Students watch and analyze advertisements to identify propaganda techniques, determine intended audience, and explain how effective the ads are, citing examples in the "Propaganda in Advertisements" handout (Activity 3).
Lesson 3
Starting Your Research
Students are asked to generate a research plan and to "include evidence compiled through the formal research process (e.g., use of a card catalog, Reader's Guide to Periodical Literature, a computer catalog, magazines, newspapers, and dictionaries)." Students complete a KWM chart to record what they know and what they want to know, guiding evidence gathering. Students are directed to consider multiple points of view and to select topics that allow research from a variety of sources.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students are taught to evaluate websites using purpose, authority, currency, and objectivity and to rate sites on those criteria, which trains them to choose accurate, credible sources. Students must use at least four different types of resources (reference books, websites, audio/video, periodicals) and record supporting details on note cards or a gathering grid. Students are instructed to find at least three opinions from different stakeholders and record at least three supporting details for each, and to complete a Works Cited page using MLA format with practice citation exercises.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students are instructed to include reasoning and multiple types of evidence in body paragraphs ("Evidence, evidence, and more evidence... facts, statistics, research, expert opinions, examples, quotes, text details"). The Parent Plan skills explicitly tell students to "Support the main idea... with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources" and to "Synthesize research into a written or an oral presentation... and uses evidence to support conclusions". The Activities require students to draft, revise, and connect research to claims (e.g., using transitions to create cohesion when demonstrating connections between research and your claims) and to address counterarguments.
Lesson 6
Presentation
Students are instructed to present their argumentative essay to a live audience and to create a visual aid (e.g., tri-board, brochure, poster, slideshow, PowerPoint) that explains multiple points of view and persuades the audience. The parent-plan skills explicitly state that students synthesize research into an oral presentation and use evidence to support conclusions, and that persuasive compositions should employ well-articulated evidence. Students are told to create an outline that may follow their essay and to practice referencing the visual aid rather than reading from it.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 3
The Stories
The lesson's Skills section asks students to "provide evidence from the text to support their understanding," which requires citing textual support. The Introducing the Lesson parent prompt asks students to explain which god or goddess they found most interesting and to "explain his decisions with examples," prompting students to support a claim with examples. The lesson also provides web links to images of pottery and artifact descriptions that students can consult as sources when creating their pot design or poem.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students are prompted to take a position and justify it in QUESTION #1 ("Do you think Prometheus should have given fire to the people? Why or why not?"), which asks for reasons for or against the claim. Several questions (e.g., Day 2 QUESTION #3) ask students to provide examples from the myths demonstrating how greed and the desire for power cause consequences, prompting students to support a general claim with textual evidence. The Skills and Wrapping Up sections ask students to compare and contrast myths and explain how values and beliefs are affected by historical and cultural settings, which requires using text-based reasoning and evidence.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
The Skills section explicitly tells students to "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts, and support those findings with textual evidence," indicating students will practice supporting claims with text-based evidence. The "Questions to Discuss" section asks students to justify opinions (e.g., "Do you think that Perseus will be a good ruler? Why or why not?"), prompting students to give reasons for a claim. Reading questions require students to explain motivations and outcomes (e.g., why the king sent Perseus to kill Medusa), which asks for causal reasoning tied to the text.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are asked to "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts, and support those findings with textual evidence" (Parent Plan Skills), requiring them to back comparisons with text detail. In Activity 3 students complete a detailed chart comparing the traditional Daedalus and Icarus myth to a modern retelling, using specific categories (theme, method of flight, result of not listening, etc.) that require citing story details. Activity 1 (Venn diagram) and discussion prompts ask students to identify similarities/differences and give examples, which asks them to use evidence from the texts and media they read or watched.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
The Parent Plan Skills list tells students to "analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author's purpose... and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding," and to "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts... and support those findings with textual evidence." Students are asked to identify conventions and themes of myths, develop retellings, and explain how their retelling follows those conventions during a conference. The rubric requires organization and asks students to follow conventions and provide insight into culture, which involves using textual details to support narrative choices.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students are instructed to examine the map in Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! and record observations about jobs, clothing, homes, inventions, military defense, and comparisons to modern neighborhoods on the "A Medieval Manor" activity page. Students are asked to identify peasants, knights, and lords from the map and to consider relationships, advantages, and disadvantages of feudalism. Students must write 3–4 sentence commentaries about feudalism from the perspectives of a knight, a lord, and a peasant and read those commentaries aloud with appropriate tone.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students are asked to serve as a Line Locator by finding three to five lines or short passages, recording page and paragraph numbers, and explaining in a journal why those passages are examples of good writing or important to the story, which requires citing textual evidence and giving reasons. The Venn diagram activity asks students to compare an event in their life to Alyce's delivering the calves, listing similarities and differences, which requires them to support comparisons with specific points. Discussion prompts ask students to explain character motivations and consequences (for example, why villagers are superstitious or why Alyce is proud), prompting students to give reasons grounded in the text.
Lesson 6
The Inn
The Life Application asks students to consider the cost of food and patterns of obesity and provides a CDC policy brief link, giving students a prompt and a credible source they could consult to explain a claim about socioeconomic differences. The lesson's Medieval Dishes activity provides multiple web links to historical recipes that students can consult to compare medieval and modern diets and support observations about food availability and social status. Discussion questions ask students to explain character motivations and social conditions, which requires students to use textual details to justify their answers.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students read chapters and assigned monologues from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!! and are asked in Activity 2 (Livestock and Economics) to draw three domesticated animals and write examples of how each animal influenced peasants' economics, including what would happen if an animal or the serf died. In the Literary Luminary role students locate and record passages worth reading aloud, which requires identifying relevant textual sections they might later use as support. Activity 1 (Sentence Elaboration) asks students to add detail and clarity to sentences, which can help them produce clearer supporting statements.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students are asked on the "Relationships" page to describe Alyce's relationships at the beginning and end of the book and to "Provide details from the book to support your answers," which requires citing textual evidence. The lesson prompts students to share connections they recorded as a "Connector," explaining connections between the book, their life, and the outside world, and asks discussion questions such as "Do you think Alyce makes the right decision... Why or why not?" that invite students to make claims and give reasons.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students are asked to read monologues and fill out a chart for each monologue, which requires citing specific details from the text. The wrap-up questions explicitly ask students to explain differences (e.g., How are Edgar and Simon different?) and to 'Use examples from the book to support your answer.' In Activity 2 students examine multiple books to decide first- vs. third-person, judge whether a third-person narrator is limited or omniscient, and explain whether the narrator is more subjective or objective, sharing findings with a parent.
Lesson 11
Village Life
Students read specified pages of Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! and complete a "Cast of Characters" chart, which requires attention to details from the text. Discussion prompts ask students to describe differences between characters' perspectives and to explain the relationship between Jews and Christians "as described by the author," which requires students to cite or reference the text to explain their answers. The wrapping-up and parent-plan questions prompt students to choose whose perspective they agree with and to explain changes in relationships and responsibilities, prompting reasoning about the text.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write a book review that requires discussing themes and historical accuracy, which asks them to make evaluative claims about a text. Students are prompted in test essays to "discuss" or "describe" topics and to provide "examples from the book," requiring students to support statements with textual evidence. Students are asked to "research the clothing styles" and to complete summary tasks (e.g., "European Transformations: Summarize three important changes") that require gathering information and explaining impacts.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
Students are asked to identify and analyze persuasive techniques (promises, dares, flattery, glittering generalities) through the Media Awareness activity and matching exercises. The curriculum requires students to write their own ads (Option 2) and to practice writing persuasive copy and role-play as the creator. The skills list also asks students to distinguish between fact and opinion and to recognize effective arguments in oral presentations and media messages.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences that ask them to explain reasons from the text (for example, why the little prince wants the sheep to eat baobabs and why he asks the narrator to draw a planet taken over by baobabs). Students create and justify a Venn diagram comparing child and adult questions and then discuss which set of questions better gets to know a friend, prompting them to give reasons for their choice. Parent prompts ask students to look beyond the text to main messages and to explain how the narrator treats adults versus children, encouraging students to ground responses in the text.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students are asked to plan and perform a 30-second persuasive message from the flower to convince the little prince to return, choosing from specific persuasion techniques (flattery, dares, promises, glittering generalities). The lesson prompts students to use prior "Persuasion Techniques" or "Write Persuading Copy" work and to identify which technique(s) they used when performing. The "Ideas to Think About" and discussion questions explicitly ask students to consider how characters persuade or change one another.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students read Chapters XIII-XX and use the "Planet Problem" page to describe a planet, list problems faced by an inhabitant, and brainstorm solutions. Students write persuasive letters (Children Say or Two Views) in which they state a proposal and complete prompts such as "I'd like to solve your problem by ___" and "This will solve your problem by ___." The parent guidance for the adult viewpoint explicitly asks students to include facts and figures and prompts discussion of which persuasion techniques were used.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
Students are asked to answer text-dependent questions (Q1, Q2, Q3) that require explaining meanings and giving reasons from The Little Prince (e.g., explain what it means to be "tamed," why the prince says his rose has tamed him, and whether the fox's secret is true). The wrapping-up prompt asks students to "explain to your parent" why friendship prevents activities from becoming monotonous and to give two examples, requiring students to provide reasons and examples. The skills section explicitly lists paraphrasing major ideas and supporting evidence in presentations, indicating students should identify and restate supporting evidence.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students are asked to produce a persuasive poem or drawing 'from the narrator to the fox' that explains the little prince's departure and reassures the fox, requiring them to state reasons (e.g., narrator's explanations that he never found a body and hears the stars laughing). The Student Activity Page asks students to 'List two ways the narrator says he knows the little prince made it home' and to suggest 'What else could the narrator say to persuade the fox?', prompting use of text-based evidence and reasoning. The Wrapping Up task asks students to 'Explain why you agree with the narrator that the little prince made it home or why you do not,' which directs students to support a claim with reasons from the book.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students read Act 1 Scene 1 through Act 2 Scene 1 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, requiring them to interpret plot and character relationships. Students complete character activities (collage or casting description) that ask them to identify what a character wants, the problems the character faces, and what the character tries to persuade others to do. The Student Activity Page prompts students to analyze traits, challenges, and persuasion skills, and students must explain who the character is and what he or she has done so far to a parent.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students read specified scenes and answer comprehension questions that ask "Why?" (e.g., explaining Oberon's motive and Puck's mistake), which requires them to give reasons based on the text. The Skills statement asks students to "write responses to literature, developing an interpretation exhibiting careful reading, understanding, and insight," and a discussion prompt asks students to explain why Shakespearean phrases have endured. Students also discuss characters' viewpoints on love, which invites reasoning about textual elements.
Lesson 10
Dreams
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about plot and character changes and write short paragraphs about a chosen scene (Option 1) or summarize and explain how a passage deals with persuasion (Option 2). Students are prompted to discuss whether Demetrius's love is real or caused by the magic flower and to explain their reasoning. The activities ask students to consider themes (love, friendship, persuasion) and to describe what a passage has to say about those ideas.
Lesson 11
Watching the Play
Students read Act 4, Scene 2 through the end and answer Question #3 asking whether the play is a comedy or a tragedy and to explain why, which requires them to give reasons. Students watch an animated version and then discuss whether key scenes were included or omitted and whether the animation does a good job, prompting them to support opinions with examples from the play and video. Wrapping-up prompts ask which couple has the strongest relationship and how the play might have ended differently if it were a tragedy, requiring students to refer to events and character behavior to justify their answers.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students are asked to locate and include direct quotations from the abridged Romeo and Juliet to answer interview questions (Activity 1), including directions to use correct quotation marks and ellipses. Reading comprehension questions require students to answer cause-and-effect and plot-based prompts (e.g., why Romeo kills Tybalt; what Friar John's quarantine causes), which ask students to refer to the text. Activity 2 asks students to compose a persuasive message using identified persuasive techniques and selected vocabulary drawn from the unit.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students are prompted on the "Play Cupid" and "Strongest of All" pages to write a thesis, list evidence, and record important quotes from the texts about their chosen couple. The OUTLINING page directs students to state a thesis, list 2–3 reasons as body paragraphs, and place 2–3 pieces of evidence (observations, examples, quotations, personal experiences) under each reason. Activity 3 requires students to include quotes, provide persuasive evidence of love, explain the couple's problem and solution, and summarize why their chosen relationship is strongest. The Classics Rubric and Organization criteria require ideas to be supported with evidence and presented in logical sequence.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students are asked to take notes with page numbers on information they think is important and to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires citing textual details. Students must prepare a 2-minute oral summary of page 163 that includes the main idea and what the graph shows, and they use notes on nonfiction features (headings, graphics, italicized words) to support that summary. Activities require students to summarize procedures (how to draw an ellipse) in ordered written steps or as an oral explanation so a parent can follow them without the diagram, which practices selecting and presenting relevant information from the text.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students are asked to read specified pages and to take notes including page numbers on important information and unfamiliar words, which directs them to use text-based evidence. Question 1 asks students to identify who convinced Newton to publish and to describe the arguments made, prompting students to locate and report supporting details. The "Extra! Extra! Write All About It!" activity requires students to describe an event as presented in the book and to write two opposing perspectives, which asks students to summarize textual viewpoints and produce claims from those perspectives.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are directed to reread the textbook chapter and a NASA webpage and to take notes from diagrams, captions, and text. Students choose and perform a demonstration (cookie sheet or floating ball), record materials and a numbered procedure, and write conclusions/inferences about how the demonstration explains lift. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., explaining why a roof blows off), demonstrating explanatory reasoning tied to the Bernoulli principle.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students are asked to research artists (Jacques-Louis David or J.M.W. Turner) using linked reputable sites (Britannica, the Met, wikiart) and to complete a K-W-L chart and an oral summary, which requires gathering information from sources and demonstrating understanding. Students must create a 1–2 paragraph sidebar about the artist and include a printout of an artwork, which asks them to synthesize and present information they found. Students also follow web resources (Generation Genius, Simple Machines page) and answer comprehension and explanation prompts (e.g., explain how a mechanical device works and identify the simple machines involved).
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students are asked to review highlighted passages and notes from their book and summarize key points, linking their summaries to the "Things to Know" and "Readings and Questions" sections. The Outlining Newton activity directs students to write a thesis, identify three supporting areas, and gather observations, examples, quotations, and personal experiences (2–3 details per area) to support each point. The Technical Writing Rubric's Ideas and Support criteria require students to list 2–3 relevant areas of Newton's studies and explain their relation to current industries, and the parent plan notes students should "accurately synthesize ideas from several sources."
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students read chapters on Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning and answer short-answer questions that require explanation (e.g., explaining why it was unusual for Browning to write a sonnet and how "My Last Duchess" might differ if it were a dialogue). Students explain choices about their own poems in a wrap-up by describing how their poem reflects a time period, which asks them to justify their decisions. The activities require students to use the poem texts as sources of evidence when responding to comprehension and analytic prompts.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
Students are asked in Activity 1 to identify and record two lines that exemplify three specific graphic elements (capitalization, punctuation in the middle of a line, and varying line length), which requires selecting textual evidence to support their analyses. Activity 2 directs students to read a nonfiction biography on the provided royal.uk link and choose a prose statement that expresses the same idea as a chosen poetic line, which has students use an external (credible) source to connect text and idea. The Parent Plan skills explicitly include "provide evidence from text to support understanding," indicating students will use lines from the poem as evidence for their inferences about structure and elements.
Lesson 5
Allusions
Students search for and record three contemporary news events and list "3 interesting facts or vivid details" for each article, and they write a phrase about each article to use in later work. Option 2 asks students to answer "How this issue or event might affect the community" and "Will it affect me personally?", prompts that require students to state effects and support them with details from the articles. The Parent Plan skills explicitly include providing evidence from text to support understanding of poetry, and students answer comprehension questions about poems using text-based details.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students answer text-based questions in complete sentences about Auden and Thomas that require making claims and giving reasons (e.g., explaining why Auden married Erika Mann and what that reveals about his personality; stating that "The Unknown Citizen" is not about a real person and explaining its message). Students are asked to analyze themes and how poem structure communicates meaning, which requires drawing on textual details. Students must recite a memorized poem and explain why they chose it, providing a stated reason for their claim.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
Students are asked to write a two-paragraph analysis of one of their poems with a topic sentence and at least two supporting sentences for each paragraph (Activity 6), which requires them to provide reasons and textual support about images, events, structure, and techniques. Students must explain why they chose three current events as possible poetic subjects in a one-paragraph autobiography (Activity 3), requiring them to give reasons for claims about subject choice. The Skills statement and rubric explicitly require students to provide evidence from text and include a 2-paragraph analysis, reinforcing that students must use textual evidence and explanations to support their points.