Students are asked to read Chapters 1–7 and answer questions about character traits and events, which requires attention to how those chapters present character information. The Character Timeline activity directs students to record words or phrases that describe Cody and Sophie for specific chapter ranges (Chapters 1–7, 8–15, 16–end), prompting students to track changes in characterization across sections. The lesson also prompts students to compare the two characters' points of view and what each learns, supporting comparison of how different sections (journal entries) present perspectives.

Students are asked to read two short sample passages and discuss which writing is better and why, focusing on differences in voice. Students are prompted to "open up a page anywhere in the story, and read a few lines" and determine who is telling the story, using voice to identify narrators. Question #1 asks students to explain why the author chose to have two narrators, which requires considering a structural choice (dual narration) and its purpose. The activities also direct students to read Chapters 8–14 and use a Character Timeline, linking sections of the text to characterization.

Students are asked to read Chapters 15–22 and complete a "Character Timelines" sheet, which requires tracking characters across multiple chapters. Activity 2 (Relationships) directs students to describe how characters are related, how they interact, and to note that "the relationships among the characters begin to change" as they read. Reading questions ask students to explain events and settings (e.g., environment of Grand Manan, reasons for actions), requiring synthesis of information across chapters.

Students read Chapters 31–35 and answer guided comprehension questions about character details and motivations (e.g., who Little Peep was; why Brian talks about orphans). Students are asked to fill out "Character Timelines," summarize Bompie's story, and discuss how whale and dolphin sightings affect the crewmembers' emotions and symbolize different ideas to each character. An activity asks students to research types of whales and dolphins and reflect on what those sightings mean to different crewmembers.

Students are asked to read Chapters 51–60 and answer questions about how the storm and The Wave changed Cody and how relationships among crewmembers changed, which requires them to track development across chapters. The lesson directs students to fill out a "Character Timelines" sheet, prompting them to place chapter events in sequence. The Parent Plan lists a skill of monitoring comprehension by restating and summarizing information, which supports students' practice with chapter-level comprehension.

Students are asked in the Character Quote mini-book to record a specific quote and explain why the quote is meaningful, which requires analyzing a particular sentence or passage and its relation to character. In the Character Changes three-flap activity, students write sentences describing the character at the beginning, middle, and end, connecting sections of the text to development of the character. The Important Events accordion requires students to select and sequence the four most important events, linking sections of the story to the overall narrative progression. The test includes a prompt to describe a theme and support it with examples from the story, asking students to use parts of the text as evidence for the development of ideas.

Students are instructed to read chapters (read chapters 4–5 and continue through chapter 16) and to keep a daily "New Environment, New Discoveries" learning log, recording and illustrating discoveries from each chapter. The log directions tell students to "Decide how you could group similar things together in the log" and to label each page to represent specific categories, requiring students to collect and organize information across sections of the book. Students also answer chapter comprehension questions in complete sentences and participate in discussion prompts that compare and synthesize information across sections (e.g., concerns of town leaders, how oxen were used).

Students read chapters 6–7 and answer comprehension and interpretive questions (e.g., Question #2 asks what the doctor means by "Someone pushes, someone pushes back…"). Students add information to Lina and Doon's learning log and complete Activity 1 by creating a monument or writing a ballad that captures the Disaster and the community's commitment to peace. The Parent Plan lists skills that ask students to "develop an interpretation exhibiting careful reading" and to "organize the interpretation around several clear ideas."

Students sequence events from chapters 20–22 by cutting out and ordering story squares and are asked to "note the quick progression that has led nonviolent people to violence," which requires them to connect parts of the text to the development of the plot. Students summarize important events and are prompted to discuss how the sequence of events makes up the plot and keeps the action going. Discussion questions ask students to analyze escalation, revenge, and how actions contribute to growing conflict, which asks them to relate sections of the text to overall ideas.

Students answer activity questions that require identifying plot, setting, main incident, and how much time passes (Activity 1 and the Student Activity Page). Students explain character motives and meanings of actions in specific parts of the text (e.g., why Heather hid the book, why the eye bouquet was thoughtful, and how Heather's impressions changed between visits). The Parent Plan and discussion prompts ask students to interpret elements such as plot, setting, problem and resolution and to consider how those elements affect meaning.

Students are asked to record specific phrases and sentences that describe a setting (Activity 4), which requires locating textual lines that convey environment. In Activity 2 students categorize events as "Rational World" or "Non-rational Events," connecting particular events to the story's setting and meaning. A comprehension question asks why the setting is important, prompting students to explain how setting contributes to story ideas.

Students are asked in Activity 3 (Descriptive Language) to record phrases that describe Pompeii from Tito's point of view and to pay attention to how his observations change before and after the eruption, which asks them to analyze different sections of the text and their contribution to meaning. In Activity 2 (Irony) students identify and respond emotionally to the story's ironic ending, examining how the final section contributes to the story's effect. In Activity 5 students consider the volcano as an antagonist and explain how the erupting volcano impacts the community, connecting the setting section to the development of conflict.

Students are asked to identify the narrator's point of view (third person, omniscient, detached observer, first person protagonist/observer) in multiple activities and to explain which perspective is used in Zlateh the Goat. Discussion prompts ask students to explain the role the natural setting (the snowstorm) plays in the conflict, linking that section of the story to the development of the central conflict. Comprehension questions (e.g., why the family sold the goat, how Zlateh saved Aaron) require students to connect particular events or actions to the story's outcomes and character treatment.

Students answer comprehension and discussion questions that ask about the role of the natural environment and the significance of the sea birds flying out to sea, requiring explanation of how those story sections develop ideas. Students write a 6–8 sentence critique that asks them to discuss what the author was trying to communicate and to include specific references to the story, which asks for analysis of how parts support overall meaning. Students complete a Venn diagram comparing Sylvia and Widow Carey and discuss sympathy and character development, which asks them to synthesize information from different sections of the texts.

Students are directed to "make sure each sentence is powerful and furthers the plot of the story" and the rubric asks whether "I provide important details that further the plot" and whether "my sentences/paragraphs [are] in a logical order." Activity 5 tells students to refer back to plot diagrams and to "stay focused on the central incident" and "stick with a consistent point of view," which requires considering how parts of the story work together. The Theme & Conflict and Plot Diagram activities ask students to identify main events, the problem, climax, and resolution, encouraging attention to how sections contribute to overall story development.

The Point of View activity asks students to choose a short passage (1–2 paragraphs) from the book and rewrite it from Pink's point of view or from an omniscient third-person narrator, requiring them to consider how the narrator changes what impressions and details are included. Activity 5 has students read Civil War letters, identify the writers/recipients and perspectives, and analyze opinions expressed, which has students examine how specific passages convey viewpoint. The parent notes for the POV task instruct students to include what Pink is seeing and thinking or what an omniscient narrator would notice, prompting close work with selected paragraphs.

Students are asked to summarize the accounts they read and explain the perspective of each character, which requires them to consider how individual character sections convey viewpoint. They are prompted to "consider whether or not the characters' ideas and perspectives change," encouraging students to track development across sections. In Activity 2 students analyze a Civil War speech and posters by identifying factual vs. opinion statements and explaining how images could be used as propaganda, which asks students to interpret how particular passages and images aim to shape readers' attitudes.

Students are instructed to read pages 61–80 and answer comprehension questions about characters' feelings and events, which requires engagement with a specific section of the text. A discussion prompt asks, "Why do you think the author made the entries shorter during this section of the book?" and offers answers linking short entries to pacing and the writers' state of mind. The wrap-up directs students to review the tables with misused verbs, but the only explicit structural analysis task is the discussion about the shorter entries.

Students answer a question that asks them to interpret a specific sentence (Q3) and explain its meaning in the context of the book. Students reread Toby's accounts on specified pages and describe his feelings before and after Bull Run, citing textual evidence to show how those sections reflect character change. Students create a character quilt and label squares with character details and memorable scenes, synthesizing information from multiple sections of the text.

Students are asked to create an argumentative outline that specifies what information goes in each paragraph (introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion), which requires them to place sentences and ideas into the essay's overall structure. During editing and revising, students are prompted to ask whether any sentences need to be moved around and whether they followed their outline, which has them evaluate sentence and paragraph placement. The rubric's Organization criteria ask students to check that each paragraph focuses on an idea, includes introduction/support/conclusion, uses transitions, and has logical order and flow, directing students to assess how paragraphs contribute to the development of ideas.

Students read Chapters 1–2 and are asked to record important events from those chapters on a timeline, choosing which events are most important and including dates when provided. Students examine pages from Chapters 1–2 to list Einstein's positive and negative traits and explain consequences or outcomes tied to those traits. The parent plan also lists a related skill: students analyze the effect of character qualities on events and conflict in the story.

Students read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer specific comprehension questions about events and consequences, prompting them to connect chapter content to outcomes. Students add two to four important events from the chapters to a timeline/"Biography Web," placing chapter events into the larger chronological structure of Einstein's life. Students summarize or paraphrase what they read (parent plan skill) and write a journal paragraph linking personal conflict to negative consequences, connecting chapter themes to broader ideas.

Students are asked to read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer specific comprehension questions, add events to a timeline, and fill a Biography Web with four major events from Einstein's "miracle year," which requires identifying how those chapters/sections present key events. Students are asked to write a summary of a video (analogous to a chapter summary) and to compare the book and video accounts in discussion questions, prompting consideration of differences in how sections present information. The activities require students to explain the theory of relativity using examples and props, which asks them to connect specific sections or examples to the larger ideas.

The Parent Plan 'Skills' bullet explicitly instructs students to 'understand, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the varied structural patterns and features of literary nonfiction and provide evidence from text,' which relates to analyzing text structure. Activity 2 ('Forms of Media') directs students to compare an encyclopedia entry, a biography, and videos and to explain how each source contributed to their understanding, prompting consideration of how different sections or media contribute to idea development. The reading task asks students to read Chapters 9 and 10 and add events to a timeline, engaging students with the sequence and organization of content across sections.

Students are asked to read Chapters 11 and 12 and add events to a timeline, which requires them to place chapter content into a broader sequence. Students complete a Biography Web by filling in four major events for the section titled "The War," identifying key events that belong to that section. Question #4 asks students to explain how Einstein's feelings changed when he discovered Hitler's Germany was working on a bomb, which has students connect a section's content to a change in ideas.

Students are asked to read the last chapter, add events to a timeline, and answer questions that require citing evidence (e.g., what drove Einstein and how this is evidenced in his life). In Option 2, students must identify two ways the author accomplished each common element of a biography and provide examples from the book that demonstrate how the author fulfilled each element. Several activities require students to locate examples in the text and explain how those examples show characteristics like behavior, individuality, and the author's attitude.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to describe three problem/solution situations found in Chapters 5 and 6, recording each problem and how characters solved it. The Reading and Questions task asks students to take the role of discussion director and write four discussion questions that cover the big ideas in those chapters, prompting them to think about how those chapters convey main ideas. Parent prompts ask students to explain what happened at the end of Chapter 4 and to predict future problems and solutions, connecting chapter events to the unfolding plot.

Students are assigned to read Chapters 7 and 8 and act as a "travel tracer," following where the action happens and describing where characters move to and from. They must describe each setting in detail (in words or map form), give page locations for each scene, and "Explain what role the setting plays in the conflict of the story." The Skills section explicitly states students will "Explore the impact of setting on the conflict of the story."

Students are asked to choose two or three passages from Chapters 9 and 10, read them aloud, and explain their reasons for picking them; this requires identifying sentences or short sections that are important or illuminating. The Wrap-Up and parent discussion prompts ask students to explain why characters lied, why Annemarie felt older, and how specific events (the closed casket, Aunt Birte) relate to the story's ideas, which asks students to connect specific parts to character development and themes.

Students are instructed to read Chapters 14–17 and to act as a "connector," recording links between the book and the outside world, which requires them to consider how parts of the text relate to larger ideas. In Activity 2, students read two versions of "Little Red Riding Hood," are told the author parallels Annemarie's journey with the fairy tale, and are asked to decide which version is most similar to Annemarie's story. Students then complete a graphic organizer to show similarities and differences between Annemarie's story and Little Red Riding Hood, explicitly comparing sections of texts.

The Expository Rubric explicitly asks students to attend to organization, including "sentence/paragraph sequence and logic," introduction of topic and main points, concluding paragraph effectiveness, and use of transitions. The Bubble Map organizer requires students to plan a central topic with three paragraph-sized subtopics and supporting details, guiding paragraph-level structure. Revision and editing activities ask students to "check to make sure you followed your outline, stayed on topic, and supported your ideas" and to apply transition words from the Transition Examples sheet.

Students are asked to create a book jacket back cover that requires a summary including the main character, setting, and the beginning, middle, and end of the book, which has them divide the text into sections. The Number the Stars test asks students to describe main events, explain the plan Uncle Henrik and Mrs. Johansen carried out, and identify how characters show bravery, which requires linking sections/events to overall ideas. Several project choices (act out your favorite scene, make a scrapbook page, create a skit) require selecting and working with particular scenes or sections of the text.

Students are asked to read the prologue and identify the three things described there that appear unrelated (Question #1), which prompts them to examine that section's contents. Question #2 and Activity 2 note that the author devotes most of the first chapter to describing the setting and require students to record or underline sentences/phrases where the author describes the setting. In Option 1 and Option 2 students must reread the first two pages, choose specific sentences to quote or underline, and then create an illustration or map based on those selected sentences, connecting those sentences to the depiction of setting.

Students read Chapters 3–5 and answer comprehension questions about character motivations and events, prompting them to consider how these chapters show Winnie's life about to change. In Activity 2 students underline examples of personification taken directly from the text and are asked to explain how the author uses personification to shape the reader's feelings or perspective. The Wrap Up/Things to Review sections explicitly ask students to consider whether Winnie's life is changing for the better or worse and to discuss how personification influences the reader.

Students are asked to summarize and predict events from specific chapters ("Ask your child to summarize what happened in the chapters she read yesterday"), and to retell the Tucks' story (Parent Plan: "Retell the story the Tucks told to Winnie"). The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to consider how the book's fantasy elements interact with natural cycles ("In what ways do the book's fantasy elements go against the nature of cycles?"), which requires connecting sections of the text to the development of thematic ideas.

Students are asked to analyze the author's juxtaposition of the Fosters' home and the Tucks' home by writing paragraphs that use the author's descriptions and by locating words and phrases from the text that show the comparison (Option 1 and Option 2 of the Juxtaposition activity). Students are instructed to put quotations around words and phrases they record, indicating they must identify specific textual language that contributes to the comparison. The Wrapping Up question asks students to consider how Winnie's interactions with the Tucks will change her life, prompting students to think about development across chapters.

The Parent Plan lists "Summarize the main ideas and supporting details in text," and students are asked to write a summary of Chapters 15–17 using vocabulary words, which requires identifying main ideas. The Getting Started prompt asks students to "Consider how the events lead to these changes," which prompts thinking about event development. A discussion question asks, "Why do you think the author chooses only to use the words of the man in the yellow suit...Why does she not provide the Fosters with any dialogue?" which asks students to consider an author's structural choice and its effect on portrayal.

The Parent Plan Skills list explicitly tells students to "Analyze how the organizational patterns of a text (e.g., cause and effect) influence the relationship among ideas," and Activity 1 directs students to record three examples of cause and effect from the novel and to use a graphic organizer to outline and write a cause-and-effect paragraph. The activity text states that "Considering cause and effect can help you better understand the characters' motives and decisions," and provides a sample paragraph showing how a specific sequence of events (hearing the music box) leads to discoveries. The graphic organizers require students to map causes to effects (or effects to causes) and then use that mapping as the basis for a written paragraph.

Students are directed to read the last two chapters and the epilogue and then answer comprehension questions about outcomes (e.g., Winnie's relationship with her family, the Tucks' reaction to Winnie's grave, and how Treegap changed). The "Things to Know" section explicitly defines an epilogue and its role in bringing closure or revealing characters' fates. Activities such as selecting a meaningful book quote ask students to identify an important passage and represent its meaning.

Students are asked to use the "Recognizing Discrimination" pages to record examples from specific chapters, filling in "Who was involved?/What happened?" and "How was this an example of discrimination?" which requires them to identify events in particular sections (chapters 1–12). Reading comprehension questions ask students to explain reasons for events in the chapter (e.g., why African-American children have a shorter school year; why Little Man refused the book), linking chapter details to the book's ideas about injustice. The wrap-up and journal prompts for the Civil Rights video ask students to reflect on what they learned and how it relates to the novel's depiction of discrimination, connecting sections of content to larger ideas.

Students are asked to read Chapter 5 and answer comprehension questions about events (e.g., why Big Ma parked at the back of the market). A discussion prompt asks, "Why did Cassie say, 'No day in my life had ever been as cruel as this one'?" prompting students to interpret a specific sentence from the chapter. The Wrapping Up section asks students to consider how Cassie begins to understand discrimination, linking the chapter content to the development of ideas about injustice.

Students read Chapter 6 and answer questions that ask them to interpret specific parts of the text (for example, Question #2 asks what Mama means by a quoted sentence and Question #1 asks why Uncle Hammer bought a car like Mr. Granger's). The Wrapping Up section states that Cassie's attitude changes after her mother explains why black people are treated differently, prompting students to connect that explanatory section to character development. Activity 2 asks students to reflect on the chapter's discussion of discrimination and create a poster, requiring them to consider the chapter's ideas and their social implications.

The Option 2 activity directs students to locate specific sections in Chapter 7 (the day before Christmas and Christmas morning) and use a Venn-diagram organizer to compare the Logans' celebration with their own, which requires students to identify and use particular sections of the text. The Introducing the Lesson and Activity 2 prompts tell students to think about ways their family's holiday celebrations are similar to and different from the Logans', encouraging attention to described sections and events. Reading and Questions reference specific events and page ranges (pages 145-147 and 153-154), asking students to refer back to those parts of the chapter when answering comprehension prompts.

Students are asked to read Chapter 11 and answer focused questions (e.g., how and why T.J. was hurt; why R.W. and Melvin brought people to take T.J.), which requires explaining how that chapter's events fit into the plot. Students are instructed to keep track of instances of discrimination on the "Recognizing Discrimination" pages after reading chapters, which has them connect specific sections to the development of the theme. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to summarize the chapter and predict the final chapter, encouraging reflection on the chapter's role in the overall narrative.

Students read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer chapter-level comprehension questions (e.g., why the aircraft flew over; what happens at the Ceremony of Twelve). Students are directed to keep a "Character Timeline" and "after each reading, record a word or phrase that accurately describes Jonas," explicitly asking them to track how each chapter reflects Jonas' changing circumstances. The activities prompt students to reflect on how chapters contribute to character development and plot events.

Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4, answer targeted questions about events (e.g., the apple changing) and record words or phrases on a timeline to describe Jonas across those chapters, which asks them to connect those sections to character development. The parent-plan skills explicitly include inferring the implicit theme and analyzing and drawing conclusions about the author's purpose using evidence from the text. The Wrapping Up and Parent Plan discussion prompts ask students to identify incidents that may foreshadow future events and to explain what was learned about the community in the chapters.

Students are asked to read Chapters 5 and 6 and "record on the timeline words or phrases that describe Jonas in the chapters you read today," which has them track how chapter content develops a character. Students create a "Timeline of Change" by making a sheet for each ceremony, labeling the ceremony, describing what happens, illustrating it, and ordering the pages to represent the progression of events across the text. In Activity 1 students evaluate specific community rules by recording positive and negative effects and defending whether each rule should exist, connecting specific sections of the text to the development of societal ideas.

Students are asked to read Chapters 7 and 8 and "record on the timeline your words or phrases that describe Jonas in these chapters," which prompts them to track character development across sections. Discussion prompts ask students to consider how verbal interactions reflect a society's culture and to evaluate Jonas's qualities (intelligence, integrity, courage, and wisdom), which asks students to connect chapter content to broader ideas about character and society.

Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and are asked to record words or phrases to describe Jonas on a "Character Timeline," which requires them to consider what those chapters reveal about his character. Students answer targeted questions about events, rules, and what Jonas receives, prompting them to connect those chapter events to the development of ideas about the community. In the history activity, students choose historical events and explain how those memories could help Jonas's community, linking sections of content to broader ideas about memory and societal change.

Students read Chapters 11–12 and are asked to record words or phrases that describe Jonas on a "Character Timeline," linking those chapters to Jonas's development. The lesson asks students to answer specific comprehension questions about events in those chapters (e.g., first memory, seeing color), which requires attending to the chapter-level content. Classroom activities ask students to analyze descriptive language in the sled ride passage and organize sensory details by sense, connecting that passage's language to the experience it conveys.

Students read Chapters 19–20 and record words or phrases on a timeline that describe Jonas in these chapters, connecting those chapters to his character development. Students answer comprehension questions about revelations (what happens at release, The Giver and Rosemary, the plan) that require them to identify plot events and their implications. Students participate in wrap-up discussion prompts that ask them to explain the meaning of key lines and how Jonas' discoveries motivate a plan to change the community.

Students are asked to "Analyze how Jonas changed as the book progressed" and to "Add your final thoughts to the timeline for today's chapters," which requires examining chapters/sections across the novel. The Plot Flowchart directs students to put events in chronological order, prompting students to consider how sections sequence and build the plot. The final-chapter option asks students to "Keep these changes in mind" and to follow a plot diagram, tying their writing to the novel's development of ideas and character.

Students are asked to locate and use the table of contents in the informational text, which directs them to chapters or sections (Reading And Questions). Students take on the role of a Cultural Commentator and are instructed to read specific chapters and record places in the chapter where the reader learns about culture, noting customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, food, or other cultural elements (Day 2). Students are asked to explain the author's purpose in the informational book and compare how the novel's purpose or viewpoint will differ, which asks them to consider how sections contribute to overall meaning (Question #5).

Students are asked to serve as a Wordsmith by locating specific passages or paragraphs they find "interesting, powerful, funny, puzzling, or important," record page numbers, read them aloud, and discuss why they chose them. Students read a focused section about the phoenix and are asked to "pay close attention to what the author tells us about the phoenix," then Option 1 asks students to describe how the phoenix might serve as a symbol for Esperanza's circumstances. The activity directions and parent prompts require students to explain and provide reasons for why particular passages are significant.

Students are asked to "Reread the section of the chapter after the first break to the second break" and "Pay close attention to the description of the train and the people on the train," which directs them to analyze a specific section. Students then choose activities that require interpreting that section: drawing the wealthy car and the poor car based on the author's description or completing Venn diagrams comparing social and political systems using text-based evidence. The Discussion Director task asks students to write four discussion questions that cover the big ideas found in the book, and the wrap-up questions ask students to discuss specific quotes and what they reveal about the social system.

Students are assigned the role of a Travel Tracer to read the chapter "Los Melones," describe where characters move to and from, give page locations for each scene, and explain what role each setting plays in the conflict. Activity 2 directs students to read a specific set of pages (82–89) about the "Okies," record quotes from that section, and create a poster titled "The Dust Bowl," which has students extract and use information from a discrete section of a text. The Questions to Discuss and Things to Review ask students to describe the Dust Bowl and explain how it affected farming families, prompting students to draw meaning from particular sections of the readings.

The "Things to Know" section explicitly teaches the structure of a problem-solution paragraph (topic sentence states the problem; next 2–3 sentences explain why; following 2–3 sentences provide a solution; concluding sentence restates problem and benefit). Activity 1 provides an example paragraph about Esperanza and then breaks that paragraph down by labeling the topic sentence, explanation, solution, and concluding sentence. The Student Activity Page gives a graphic organizer with labeled spaces for topic sentence, explanation sentences, solution sentences, and concluding sentence for students to complete.

Students are asked to become a "Line Locator" by finding three to five lines or short passages, copying them, and explaining in their journals why those lines are examples of good writing or important to the story. Students must record a thinking question that prompts reflection beyond the facts of a passage, encouraging interpretation of a passage's significance. Students rewrite topic sentences using transitional elements to show how one paragraph relates to the next, practicing how paragraphs connect and contribute to a coherent line of thought.

Students are asked to finish reading the book and "consider how Esperanza's life has changed over the course of the novel and how the changes in her life have changed her as a person," which requires synthesizing events across chapters. Students read specific chapters "Los Duraznos" and "Las Uvas" and take on the role of a Dialogue Designer, recreating interactions centered on events from those chapters. Parent prompts ask students to discuss what a reader can learn about character through the dialogue the author presents, prompting analysis of how dialogue contributes to characterization.

Students read and perform a provided readers' theater script and are asked to pick an event from the story and write their own script based on that section, which requires them to identify key events and how to present them dramatically. Students are prompted to write a movie trailer that highlights main events, characters, obstacles, and major themes, which asks them to condense sections of the text and show how those parts develop ideas. Parent-plan skills state that students should "understand, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of drama and provide evidence from text to support understanding," and students are asked to discuss similarities and differences between the book and dramatic adaptations.

Students compare the structure of specific poems (Question #2 asks how the structure of "Tunnels" differs from other poems). Students identify stanza counts and label end-rhyme patterns (Activity 1 asks students to find the number of stanzas in poems and mark rhyme scheme). Students analyze punctuation, capitalization, and sentence structure in poems and consider how those choices affect meaning and tone (Activity 2 instructs students to analyze these features and to use poetic license in writing). The Parent Plan skills explicitly direct students to recognize how tone or meaning is conveyed through sentence structure, line length, punctuation, and other formal features.

Students are asked to find and describe metaphors and to record words and phrases that show personification (Activity 2 Student Activity Page), which requires close reading of specific lines. The Parent Plan instructs explaining how authors create meaning through stylistic elements and figurative language, emphasizing personification. Question #3 asks students to explain why poets focus on certain animals, prompting students to analyze author choices and how those choices affect the poems' ideas.

Students are asked to locate lines with dashes in specific poems and to explain how the dashed material functions (Option 2, Part II and the Dashes activity). The answer key shows students must explain roles such as listing gifts after a dash, renaming or defining a prior phrase, or interrupting the main thought (examples: "The Sea Is Our Mother," "Snail," "The Chameleon"). The Student Activity Page instructs students to copy the part of the poem with the dash and provide a reasonable explanation for how or why the dash was used.

Students are asked in Question #3 to record a line that creates a vivid image and to describe the words the author uses, which requires analyzing how an individual line contributes to imagery. The Parent Plan answer key (Part II) directs students to consider how parentheses change focus or meaning in specific lines of poems, prompting analysis of a line's effect on interpretation. Activity 1 asks students to find haiku in the poems and count syllables, requiring identification of a section's formal structure within the text.

Students are asked to identify the number of stanzas and to find examples of poetic devices (Question 1 and 2), which requires attention to text structure and elements. Question 5 asks students to identify a distinct rhythm or rhyming pattern and explain how it affects the tone and meaning, directly linking a part of the poem's structure to its meaning. The Student Activity Page also asks students to draw an image the poem creates and list words/phrases that help create that image, prompting analysis of how lines and phrases contribute to meaning.

Students are asked in Activity 2 Part I to compare a provided paragraph with the original paragraph on p.136 and insert an ellipsis where needed, which requires comparing a section to its source. In Activity 2 Part II students must choose three poems and explain why each poet might have used an ellipsis, and the answer key explains that an ellipsis can show an excerpt continues or prompt a pause—linking a section's punctuation to meaning. In Option 2 students are instructed to use an author's structure to rewrite a poem, which requires identifying how the poem's structure functions and reproducing that structure in a new version.

Students are asked to reread Chuto's description of the truck/car (page 47) and explain how Chuto characterizes it, directly engaging with a specific sentence/description. Students are prompted to personify animals and nonliving things and to note how Chuto's personification helps Cusi understand the new world, connecting a specific passage to character understanding. Students are also asked to consider how Cusi's life and experiences differ from other children and to discuss cultural-identity questions across Chapters 7 and 8, prompting thinking about ideas across sections.

Students practice identifying and using transitional words and phrases in Activity 2 by underlining time- and sequence-related transitions in the Aztec Creation Myth. The Parent Plan Skills state that students will "provide details and transitional expressions that link one paragraph to another" and "use transitional words and understand their function," which frames student work on organization. The Things to Review asks students to explain why transition words are important and why time-related transitions are especially important in stories, prompting reflection on how transitions affect sequence and flow.

Students read Chapters 13 and 14 and respond to Question #3, which asks them to explain why the sentence about Cusi feeling "more alone than he had ever felt before" conveys his isolation—requiring students to interpret how that sentence relates to character and theme. A parent discussion prompt asks students to explain the meaning of the line about "rivers of Cuzco" and to connect that sentence to the larger idea that ancient ways persist beneath modern life. The wrapping up prompt asks students to describe differences between old Incan ways and modern city life, encouraging connections between sections of the text and overarching ideas.

Students read and compare two versions of a paragraph in the Varying Sentence Beginnings activity and are asked to notice how combining short sentences, adding transitions, and changing sentence beginnings improves flow. Students are instructed to turn bulleted facts about the author into an informative paragraph while varying sentence starts, practicing revision of sentence-level structure. The Skills section directs students to edit and revise manuscripts by adding, deleting, consolidating, clarifying, and rearranging words and sentences, which involves manipulating sentence and paragraph composition.