Third Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Tornado
Lesson 1
Weather on the Farm
Students are asked to describe a tornado orally and draw and write three factual sentences about tornadoes (Activity 1). Students discuss the location of their home in relation to Tornado Alley and label/color a U.S. map, explaining why that region is prone to tornadoes (Activity 2). Students are prompted to discuss farm life, answer questions about what they would enjoy, and either draw and write a paragraph about working on a farm or complete a Venn diagram comparing their life to farm life (Day 2, Activity 3). The wrapping up prompts explicitly ask students to describe a tornado and describe what life on a farm might be like.
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students are asked to summarize Chapter 1 (Question #1) and to retell parts of the story (Skills: "Retell a story or parts of a story"), which requires reporting on a text. Students answer detailed questions (e.g., name all the people in the cellar, describe the cellar) that prompt use of appropriate facts and descriptive details. Activity 4 asks students to write a 3–4 sentence chapter summary and then read it aloud, and Activity 3 has students read paragraphs aloud while using time-transition words to organize events.
Lesson 3
The Tornado
Students are asked to listen to Chapter 2 being read aloud and then verbally summarize the chapter, and they answer guided comprehension questions about specific events and details (Questions 1–5). Students read the simple description aloud and compare it to the author's more descriptive wording, underlining descriptive words and naming senses that create imagery. Students produce a chapter summary in a journal and are prompted to use transition words to show event order, and they practice creating descriptive paragraphs about a pet using paragraph organizers.
Lesson 4
A Card Trick
Students are asked to read Chapter 3 and answer comprehension prompts such as "Describe what happens in this chapter," which prompts them to recount events from the text. The parent is instructed to ask the child if she has ever played cards, prompting an oral recollection of experience. Activity 2 and the Wrapping Up section require the child to read sentences aloud, identify intonation for questions and exclamations, and make up sentences orally while the parent provides punctuation feedback.
Lesson 5
Turtles
Students are asked to read Chapter 4 aloud and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires them to speak about the text. Students are prompted to retell one of the myths and to reread their favorite myth while completing a story map, giving practice in recounting and organizing story details. Students are asked to write a chapter summary in a journal, conduct turtle research to fill in factual details on a shell diagram, and then read their own turtle myth to the family, which links factual reporting and descriptive storytelling to an oral presentation.
Lesson 6
The Best Pet Award
Students are asked to read Chapter 5 aloud and participate in guided discussion questions about the story (e.g., why Five-Thirty got his name, why Tornado digs a hole). Students are prompted to describe ways that living things change their environment and answer comprehension questions, which requires them to recount facts and details from the text. In the World's Best Pet Award activities students write reasons and specific examples from the story (Option 2) to justify why Tornado is a good pet, and sentence starters in Option 1 prompt students to produce descriptive sentences about Tornado.
Lesson 7
Conflict
Students are asked to read Chapter 6 and answer oral comprehension and personal-experience questions (e.g., "Describe the saddest day of Pete's life," "Have you ever had a sad day?"). Activity 2 prompts students to explain the two conflicts aloud, name types of conflict, and dictate a sentence describing a conflict. The wrap-up and life-application ask students to describe the different types of conflict and to identify conflict types in other storybooks over the next few days.
Lesson 8
The End of the Storm
Students are asked to read Chapter 7 aloud and to 'read orally with fluency,' and they are reminded to speak in complete sentences when answering the discussion questions. Students answer comprehension and feeling questions about the text (e.g., how Pete felt and why), and they are asked to tell synonyms and describe how authors convey feelings during the wrap-up. Students complete a 'Happy or Sad Fishbone' graphic organizer and then write a paragraph recounting a time they were very happy or very sad with a topic sentence and supporting details.
Lesson 9
Plot
Students are asked to retell or act out the order of important events in a story and to act out important events (Activities and Skills). The Student Activity Pages direct students to identify the problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution and to write one-sentence summaries, using time transition words to reinforce order. The Wrapping Up section asks students to describe a story plot and to define rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and the Skills list includes recalling main ideas, facts, and details from a text.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to "sing your song aloud for an audience" when they write a song as Pete, which requires an oral performance. The wrap-up prompts ask the child to "explain what she learned from the story," which requires students to recount ideas verbally. The center mini-project uses a "Hamburger Paragraph Organizer" so students plan and organize content they could use when reporting or recounting.
Unit 2: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Students are asked to discuss what it might have been like to live on a farm and to describe differences between Maine and Kansas, prompting spoken description of environment and experience. Students identify and color New England and Heartland states on a map and discuss how far apart the places are and possible climate and land differences, supporting oral explanation with facts. Students are prompted to tell what they think about the book cover character, explain how they designed a personal book cover (including a title with adjectives), and to state which state they would prefer to live in and why. Activity 3 asks students to list six facts about each state and to write five-senses poems that provide descriptive details they can use when speaking about each place.
Lesson 2
Story Elements
Students are asked to read each definition aloud and explain it in their own words and to share examples of story elements from books they have read. Activity 2 (Story Pyramid) requires students to produce descriptive words and phrases about characters, setting, events, and solution. Activity 3 asks students to write (or dictate) a creative short story that includes plot events, a solution, time-transition words, and a theme/lesson.
Lesson 3
The News
Students are prompted to answer discussion questions about Chapter 1 and are reminded to answer discussion questions in complete sentences, requiring oral responses about the text. Parents are directed to ask initial comprehension/prediction questions (e.g., about setting and enjoyment) and to discuss why Anna's father might need help and how advertisements are written, prompting students to explain ideas verbally. The skills list explicitly names "Retell written messages by clarifying or summarizing" and "Use expanded vocabulary... in oral communication," indicating opportunities for students to practice retelling and oral use of vocabulary.
Lesson 4
The Letters
Students are asked to summarize Chapter 2 verbally after an adult reads it aloud, requiring them to report on a text. Students answer and discuss comprehension questions aloud (e.g., why Anna was worried; what Sarah describes about Maine), which asks for recounting facts and descriptive details. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to predict whether Sarah will enjoy Kansas and support their opinion verbally. Activity 2 includes a discussion of differences between speaking and writing and a dictation option in which students speak sentences and indicate ending punctuation.
Lesson 5
The Arrival
Students are asked to answer chapter questions "in a discussion with you" or in a journal, and are reminded to speak in complete sentences when answering discussion questions. The Venn diagram activity directs students to "look for examples in the book" about geography, plants, animals, and transportation, which requires identifying appropriate facts and details. Activity 3 begins with a discussion about tokens and asks students to pretend to be Anna and explain why a token is special, which can be done orally.
Lesson 6
Life on the Prairie
Students are asked to read Chapter 4 and to answer some questions in a journal and to discuss other questions orally with an adult, which creates opportunities to recount events from the text. Students are prompted to write a journal entry describing Anna's thoughts about the day with Sarah and to discuss what Sarah might be thinking about staying in Kansas. Students are asked to learn and sing songs (e.g., "Home on the Range" and "Summer Is Icumen In") and to write a new song about farm life, which involves recounting or describing aspects of prairie life aloud or in performance. Students research and record facts about wildflowers, producing descriptive entries for a field guide that summarize information from sources.
Lesson 7
The Dune
Students are prompted to discuss chapter questions verbally with an adult ("she can answer the questions in her journal or discuss them with you"), which requires recounting events and explaining reasons. The skills section explicitly lists retelling written messages by clarifying or summarizing, so students practice retelling the text. Activities ask students to share ideas about enjoying the environment and to predict and explain whether Sarah will enjoy Kansas, which elicits oral responses and recounting of the story.
Lesson 8
Work and Play
Students are asked to read aloud the description of winter from Chapter 6 and to describe their own winter environment and what they like most and least, which requires spoken recounting and description. Students are asked to act out different things people do when it snows and to act out events from Kansas 100 years ago while the adult guesses, which requires oral performance and dramatized recounting. The Skills section explicitly lists presenting dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays, which supports students speaking and performing content aloud.
Lesson 9
Writing
Students are asked orally to identify the problem of the story and to explain what characters (Caleb and Anna) have been worried about, prompting them to recount story details. Students discuss aloud which of two persuasive examples is most convincing and why, comparing reasons and supporting details. Students record three reasons and supporting details on a graphic organizer and are prompted to use examples from the book to support each reason, and they read their draft aloud during editing to locate changes.
Lesson 10
Neighbors
Students are asked to read Chapter 7 aloud and to answer comprehension questions about why characters visit, chores on the farm, and feelings Sarah experiences. The lesson prompts students to discuss who their neighbors are, to explain whether Sarah would be happier in Maine, and to talk about what they would miss if they moved—these prompts require students to recount elements of the story and relate personal experiences. Activity 3 asks students to discuss what Sarah misses and to list or write things they would miss, providing opportunities for spoken explanation.
Lesson 11
Squall
The lesson includes prompts to discuss the text (e.g., "Ask your child what she has learned about the weather in Kansas") and asks the child to read Chapter 8 and answer comprehension questions aloud. The wrapping-up directions ask the child to explain how to use a comma before 'and,' which requires an oral explanation. Several question prompts (why Sarah wants to learn to drive, clues Anna misses her mother) require the child to recount events and reasons from the text.
Lesson 12
The End of the Storm
Students read Chapter 9 and answer specific comprehension questions that require them to recount events and facts (e.g., storm damage, Sarah's purchases). Students write a journal entry about Anna's feelings and complete a plot diagram that requires them to sequence events and identify the problem, climax, and resolution. Students complete a theme web listing examples (characters' actions, words, thoughts, events) that support a stated theme and are asked at wrap-up to explain whether they would recommend the book and what they learned.
Final Project
Welcome To Kansas
Students are asked to locate and read sources about pioneer activities and foods and to use that information when planning the party and writing drafts. Students complete planning pages that require writing a paragraph about decorations, listing a recipe with ingredients and directions, and describing party activities and a game. Students use a self-editing checklist that prompts them to read their draft aloud and check contents, grammar, and word choice. Students share their work orally by reading the welcome card aloud at the party and by sharing the game and food with guests.
Unit 3: Who Was Helen Keller?
Lesson 1
Helen's Early Years
The lesson prompts the child to explain challenges, describe Helen's early life, and answer chapter questions verbally in complete sentences. It instructs the child to discuss feelings and strategies after sensory-deprivation activities and to generate and discuss questions about the book. The lesson also asks the child to use spelling/vocabulary words aloud in a sentence and to explain what a biography is and whether it is fiction or nonfiction.
Lesson 2
Helen's Childhood
Students are asked to read Chapter 2 and answer comprehension questions, including comparing their childhood to Helen's and explaining why Helen threw tantrums, which requires using facts from the text. Students fill in a timeline with one or two important events, and they are asked to describe how people who are deaf communicate and to explain how Helen's life might differ if she were deaf but not blind. Students also read vocabulary sentences aloud and play a clue game that requires speaking and giving/guessing verbal clues.
Lesson 3
Helen's Challenges
Students are asked to read Chapter 3 and answer specific comprehension questions about dangerous events and what Helen learned, which requires them to report facts from a text. In Activity 2 students write a sensory paragraph describing an object using smell/touch/taste words and then read the paragraph aloud for others to guess, practicing use of relevant, descriptive details in spoken form. Activity 3 (Option 1) asks students to write words for a song about Helen's experience and to discuss musical tone choices, which invites them to recount aspects of Helen's life in expressive language.
Lesson 4
Inventors
Students are asked to write ten factual clues about Alexander Graham Bell on the "A Bell Riddle" page and then read those clues aloud to family members or neighbors so others can guess his identity. Students answer comprehension questions about Chapter 4 and add events from Helen Keller's life to a timeline, requiring them to recall and recount facts and main ideas. On the "Famous Inventors and Inventions" pages, students write sentences that describe each invention, explain how it helped people, and describe how it changed the world, providing relevant descriptive details to report on a topic.
Lesson 5
Annie
Students read Chapter 5 and answer comprehension questions that require them to recount Helen's feelings and actions (Questions 1–5). Students draw before/after pictures, select adjectives, write sentences about Helen, and discuss why Helen changed and how her environment influenced her (Activity 2). Students are asked to describe the relationship between Annie and Helen, predict future events, and discuss how challenging Braille reading was when blindfolded (Wrapping Up, Activity 3).
Lesson 6
Helen Leaves Home
Students read Chapter 6 aloud to an adult and answer comprehension questions, practicing oral recounting of the text and events. Students add events from the chapter to a Helen Keller timeline and create a personal timeline, then share stories and discuss how events influenced them. The skills list tells students to read aloud with fluency and expression and to plan what to include in written and oral products, supporting preparation for oral presentation.
Lesson 7
More Learning
Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer specific comprehension questions that require recalling main ideas, facts, and details from the text. Students are prompted to discuss how Helen succeeded and to name important events and explain why they were important, which requires recounting events and explaining relevance. Students create a timeline and write a bio poem about Helen (and a poem about themselves), using descriptive phrases and details about Helen's life and environment.
Lesson 8
All Grown Up
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer factual questions about Helen Keller (e.g., college experience, name of her first book, lifelong job), which has them recount events and facts from a text. Students read quotes from Helen aloud, underline strong portions, and discuss how the author's word choices and figurative language create voice. Students read the "Writing with Voice" examples aloud, compare pieces, and write a personal event from their timeline focusing on voice and descriptive phrasing.
Final Project
Scrapbook or Interview
Students develop five interview questions about Helen Keller, write answers in Helen's voice, and practice the interview with a parent or sibling. Rubrics for the interview score Questions, Answers, Helen's Voice, and Presentation (including whether the presentation was easy to understand). For the scrapbook option, students write first-person journal entries and pages that require appropriate facts and descriptive details about Helen's birth, learning, family, school, and proudest moment, then share the finished project with others.
2: Change
Unit 1: Morning Girl
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to summarize information and create a short report about the Bahamas using a structured worksheet that prompts location, sights, food, activities, and things to avoid (Activity 2). Students memorize and sing a song about Columbus's voyage and share an acrostic poem about the Taino people (Activity 1 and Activity 4). Students create a cave drawing that tells a major event in their life and participate in a beachfront role-play where they act out island activities (Activity 6 and Life Application).
Lesson 2
Point of View
Students read texts and answer questions orally or in writing, including discussing who is narrating Morning Girl and Voices in the Park. Students reread Voices in the Park aloud using different voices for each character and complete a journal activity that asks them to record three thoughts/feelings/phrases and two important events from each chapter. In Activity 5 students each write a short description of a shared outing and then read their accounts aloud and discuss differences, and other activities ask students to identify words and phrases that reveal character personality and specific details.
Lesson 3
The News
Students are asked to read Chapter 3 and answer some questions aloud and to record other answers in a journal, which requires recounting text content. Activity 2 asks students to tell an island short story aloud ("Record his story as he tells it") using vocabulary and a clear beginning, middle, and end. Activity 3 and the Wrapping Up prompt students to describe similarities and differences between characters and their own family, requiring them to report on a topic/text and provide descriptive phrases about people and events.
Lesson 4
The Rock
Students are asked to read Chapters 4 and 5 and then "answer the questions aloud or record them in her journal," which requires verbally reporting on the text. The lesson lists the skill "Present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays" and asks students to role-play family interactions, which has students tell or reenact events. Activity 1 asks students to record feelings, phrases, and events using characters' voices, prompting students to recount parts of the story from specific perspectives.
Lesson 5
Let's Write
Students plan and write two first-person paragraphs using the "Ideas and Rough Draft" organizer with prompts for opening idea, things to see, hear, think, do, and a concluding idea, which guides use of descriptive details. Students draft and revise writing using an Editing Rubric that explicitly evaluates Ideas, Grammar, and Voice, and they produce a final copy of their paragraphs. Students are encouraged to share their writing with their family and to describe the steps of the writing process and how they created an obvious voice.
Lesson 6
The Storm
Students read Chapters 6 and 7 and answer specific comprehension questions aloud or in writing, recounting events such as what happens to Star Boy and how the storm changes the island. Students are asked to describe the setting, record words or phrases that describe the setting before and after the storm, and list positive and negative effects of the storm, which encourages use of descriptive details and facts. The activities prompt students to explain the significance of names and to tell how they have changed, which requires recounting personal or fictional experiences with relevant details.
Lesson 7
Visitors
Students are asked to read Chapters 8 and 9 and then answer comprehension questions aloud and in writing, with the teacher/parent instructed to have them respond in complete sentences for both verbal and written answers. Students are asked to read the epilogue aloud and to write short journal entries from Morning Girl's and an explorer's points of view, including each individual's feelings, ideas, opinions, and descriptions. The Morning Girl/Visitor organizer prompts students to describe the arrival and record thoughts, feelings, and other ideas, guiding students to recount events and provide descriptive details.
Final Project
Poetry Night
Students read Encounter aloud and answer guided comprehension questions that require them to recount events and details from the text. Students create a mini-fold book categorizing positive, negative, and mixed effects using examples from the Encounter text and the provided European Explorers and Native Americans page, summarizing facts under each flap. Students write two before-and-after poems that include specific changes to environment, community, health, and lives, then prepare and record themselves reading the poems aloud, listen to playback, discuss vocal delivery, revise, and re-record for improved clarity and engagement.
Unit 2: Communities and Culture
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Students are prompted to discuss differences between the two books' covers and to answer questions about how cultures and time periods look different. Multiple activities ask students to discuss and describe settings, clothing, and homes (Activities 4–6) and to share examples of how things differed between the Middle Ages and ancient Egypt. The Wrapping Up section asks students to name the two historical periods and to name three proper nouns related to each, which requires brief oral recall.
Lesson 2
Where Are We?
The Introduction asks the child to tell anything he already knows about ancient Egypt and to explain whether it would have been a fun place to live, which requires an oral recount with supporting reasons. The Reading and Questions section instructs the child to answer questions in complete sentences for both verbal and written answers, prompting spoken responses about facts (e.g., how the Nile affected life). Activity 3 asks the child to describe homes and foods, explain natural resources, and discuss changes, all through discussion and verbal explanation. The Wrapping Up directs the child to say what he learned about ancient Egypt and the Binkerton kids.
Lesson 3
The King
Students are asked to read pages 16–27 and answer specific comprehension questions aloud, prompting them to recount events and report facts from the text. Students create a short story using the lesson vocabulary, dictate it for an adult to record, and then read the story aloud, practicing oral storytelling and using descriptive words. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to tell what they learned and to predict plot outcomes, which requires oral reporting and recounting of the text.
Lesson 4
Back Home
Students are prompted to predict the ending and then compare their prediction to the actual ending, which requires them to recount parts of the story. Students answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., how Emma and Libby rescue Josh; what happened in the mortuary temple; what a mummy is), requiring recall of facts from the text. In Activity 2 students create a Plot Pyramid recording five events leading to the climax and three events after the climax, and in Activity 3 they are asked to "discuss" burial rituals and religion, which asks them to speak about the topic and its details. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students to describe what they enjoyed and explain whether they would recommend the book, encouraging spoken explanation and reasons.
Lesson 5
A Day in Egypt
Students plan and write a detailed daily schedule of ancient Egyptian life, including meals, work, entertainment, and marketplace activities, and are prompted to include descriptive details for each event. Students write a paragraph comparing life now and in ancient Egypt using a hamburger organizer, are instructed to produce a rough draft, and are told to read that draft aloud and edit it. The wrapping-up prompts students to discuss whether life in ancient Egypt would have been more enjoyable, which requires students to speak about the topic.
Lesson 6
Middle Ages
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions verbally in complete sentences and to read lists and pages aloud to a parent, providing practice in speaking about the text. Students are prompted to describe the Binkertons' adventures and to reflect on a peasant role-play experience through discussion, which requires recounting events and details. Students are directed to reread aloud page 14 and "talk about how different our government is today," creating opportunities to report information and explain ideas orally.
Lesson 7
Off to the Castle
Students are asked to read pages 16-31 and answer specific comprehension questions about events and characters, which requires recounting what happened. Activity 2 asks students to list and compare events that occur in a castle and in their community, prompting them to organize information from the text. The Build a Castle activity suggests that students act out activities inside the castle with dolls or action figures, and the Wrapping Up and Life Application prompts ask students to discuss similarities/differences and materials, which require spoken responses.
Lesson 8
Return Home
Students answer guided comprehension questions that require reporting facts from the text (e.g., describe chivalry, list castle defenses, and explain how the Binkertons retrieved the book). Students discuss and compare the two cultures (Middle Ages vs. Ancient Egypt) and record similarities, which requires recounting details and citing evidence. The materials prompt students to use new vocabulary in speaking and writing and to explain how text and illustrations support character adjectives, prompting verbal explanation.
Lesson 9
Writing About History
Students are prompted to write one factual paragraph that "will include more details and examples" and a fantasy paragraph with narrative action (Rough Draft: Fact and Fantasy), which requires selecting and recording specific facts about homes, clothing, religion, food, education, entertainment, and jobs. Students are asked to read mentor pages and "discuss the difference between the factual text and the fictional text," and the Skills list includes "Discuss an author's structural decisions and word choice," supporting practice with content and descriptive detail. An Editing Rubric asks students to evaluate grammar, voice, ideas, and overall structure, guiding revision of content and descriptive details in their written report or story.
Final Project
Elements of Change
Students plan and write sentences for each cultural element across three time periods, with explicit prompts to use descriptive words and edit for correct grammar and punctuation. Students are asked to "describe some reasons for the changes" they include and to provide illustrations and cultural artifacts to support their explanations. The wrap-up directs students to "share the book with his family and explain how cultures and communities have changed over the ages," and the skills list includes using media/technology to enhance a presentation to an audience.
Unit 3: American Heroes
Lesson 1
Heroes
Students are asked orally to tell about a time they have seen or read about a hero and to describe what the hero did, which prompts them to recount an experience. Students write sentences using adjectives to describe a chosen hero and write how the hero changed the world, which asks for relevant, descriptive details and facts. Students record lists of American heroes in a journal and crosscheck with a book's table of contents, which engages them with topic reporting and referencing a text.
Lesson 2
Early American Heroes
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions aloud and in journal form after reading about Franklin, Jefferson, and Washington, with prompts used as discussion questions. Activities ask students to describe how their family celebrates the Fourth of July, sing "The Star Spangled Banner," and say the Pledge of Allegiance, which require oral presentation. The Wrapping Up section asks students to describe how Jefferson, Washington, and Franklin changed America, prompting students to recount facts and descriptive details verbally.
Lesson 3
Heroes of Freedom
Students are asked to read Abraham Lincoln's poem aloud and are invited to let the child read the poem aloud, which practices oral reading. Students answer multiple comprehension questions about Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman, requiring them to describe how each changed the world and what can be learned from them. In the wrapping-up section students are prompted to describe orally the remarkable roles these heroes played and to discuss characteristics that help people make positive changes.
Lesson 4
Hard Times
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions after reading chapters on Eleanor Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt, which requires them to recount events and describe characteristics (e.g., how Eleanor changed; challenges FDR faced). The lesson prompts discussion with the caregiver about the racial climate of the 1940s and 50s and about ways young people can change the world, which requires students to speak about a topic. Activities ask students to say contractions out loud and to use contractions in sentences (Option 1 encourages saying words out loud), providing some spoken practice.
Lesson 5
Recent Heroes
Students are prompted to answer comprehension questions about Walt Disney and Jesse Owens, which require them to describe characteristics, achievements, and effects (e.g., "What characteristics of a hero do you believe Disney demonstrated?" and "How did Disney change the world?"). The lesson asks students to describe other modern-day heroes verbally ("Ask your child if he knows of any other modern-day heroes. Then ask him to describe what makes each one a hero") and to meet and talk with a local hero, preparing questions for that conversation. The "Be an Imagineer" activity requires students to briefly describe a new character or ride, including personality and story details, which could be spoken or presented aloud.
Lesson 6
African-American Heroes
Students answer targeted comprehension questions about Mary McLeod Bethune, Frederick Douglass, and George Washington Carver, requiring them to recount factual information and effects of each person's actions. Students create hero cards and place birthdates on a timeline, which asks them to organize and present key facts about each person. The lesson also prompts discussion and asks the child to name other heroes, creating an opportunity for oral recounting of information.
Lesson 7
Female Heroes
Students read chapters on Susan B. Anthony and Sandra Day O'Connor and answer factual comprehension questions (e.g., why Anthony was arrested; what O'Connor was first to do). Students write two declarative, two interrogative, and two exclamatory sentences about what they learned, and create hero cards and a timeline recording dates of birth. Students compose an acrostic poem that lists accomplishments and descriptive phrases about a woman they admire and are prompted to discuss ideas with an adult.
Lesson 8
Heroes of Science and Invention
Students answer specific comprehension questions after reading chapters on Einstein, Edison, and the Wright brothers, requiring them to report facts from texts. In the Perseverance activity, students recount a challenging personal experience and list three supporting details, practicing inclusion of relevant, descriptive details. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students to describe why science and inventions are important and to describe how the heroes persevered, which elicits spoken descriptions.
Lesson 9
Book of Heroes
Students are asked to describe heroes they have read about and what those heroes did to change the world, prompting oral recounting of text-based information. Students create a Book of Heroes by arranging hero cards chronologically, numbering pages, and composing a table of contents, which requires organizing and recording factual details about each person. Students select three favorites and complete a three-ring Venn diagram with names, dates, and significant national events, and write three sentences explaining why a chosen hero is their favorite, encouraging use of descriptive details and facts.
Final Project
My Life Story
Students are prompted to recount personal experiences by filling a Pre-Writing Organizer with birth information, three major life events, and a concluding idea, and to write two paragraphs about events in their life and how they will make the world better. Students are required to include descriptive language and facts by using at least five adjectives and three adverbs and by selecting photographs that help tell their story. Students are asked to share their scrapbook page with family and to use media/technology and decorative elements to enhance the presentation.
3: Cycles
Unit 1: Poppy
Lesson 1
Preparing for Poppy
Students are asked to tell a short story that includes fantasy elements (Activity 1) and to say vocabulary words aloud (Activity 3), which requires oral expression. Students conduct research on deer mice and great horned owls and record habitat, food source, predators, shelter, size, and other facts (Activity 2 student pages). Students listen to a video about the author and are asked to summarize Avi's idea of Poppy and answer oral questions about power and the story (Activity 5 and Wrapping Up).
Lesson 2
Mr. Ocax
Students are asked to answer chapter questions verbally and in complete sentences, and to discuss responses to wrap-up questions about the relationship between the mice and Mr. Ocax. Students are encouraged to create and use Poppy and Mr. Ocax puppets to reenact the event when Mr. Ocax tries to catch Poppy, which requires recounting the scene aloud. Students are prompted to say sentences aloud while practicing conjunctions and to support a written paragraph with evidence from the story.
Lesson 3
The Emergency Meeting
Students are asked to answer discussion and journal questions in complete sentences and to write a short summary of Chapters 3 and 4, which requires recalling main ideas, facts, and details from a text. Students are directed to read a passage aloud, identify paragraph boundaries, and read the selection aloud while marking paragraph endings, which provides practice with oral presentation. Students are prompted to discuss the owl pellet dissection results and to answer inferential questions about the owl, which requires them to recount observations and explain conclusions verbally.
Lesson 4
Standing Before Mr. Ocax
Students are asked to explain what happened to Poppy and to answer and discuss comprehension questions aloud, practicing reporting on a text. Students write a speech to their parents that must explain an idea and be supported with evidence, examples, or reasons, then present that speech to an audience. Students reenact and read dialogue aloud using puppets and unique voices, practicing oral storytelling and character speech.
Lesson 5
Poppy and Poppa
Students are asked to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences and to discuss prediction questions (e.g., predicting how the mice will respond and discussing Poppy's choices). Students are prompted to discuss how Poppy might break the cycle of power and to explain their answers to vocabulary/word-choice activities. Several prompts require students to speak about cause-and-effect situations and to explain word choices orally during the "Choose the Right Word" activity.
Lesson 6
Dimwood Forest
Students are prompted to discuss predictions ("Ask your child what she thinks will happen...") and to answer comprehension questions aloud about character feelings and motives. Students are asked to define good and evil and explain which characters represent those concepts, and to explain how Poppy and Mr. Ocax are opposites. The wrapping-up step asks students to point out words and phrases that make the forest feel bad or good, engaging them in recounting textual evidence.
Lesson 7
Ereth
Students are prompted to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences about Chapters 11 and 12, including who Poppy found, descriptions of Ereth, and what Poppy learned. Multiple discussion prompts ask students to explain why Ereth is not prey for Mr. Ocax, how porcupine defenses work, and how Poppy's knowledge could break a cycle of power. Skills list includes "Ask and answer relevant questions" and activities require students to discuss author choices and represent text information in different ways, which can involve speaking about the text.
Lesson 8
On the Way to New House
Students are asked to explain what was happening in the story and what they remember about a character, which requires an oral recounting of the text. Students read Chapters 13 and 14 and are asked to write a summary of the two chapters, recalling main ideas, facts, and details. Students create porcupine, owl, and mouse puppets and are instructed to act out a scene using quoted dialogue and to give the characters voices, supporting dramatic oral presentation. Students are prompted to use each vocabulary word in an oral sentence and to answer verbal questions in complete sentences.
Lesson 9
The Truth at Last
The lesson prompts students to tell about their favorite part of Poppy and to answer verbal questions in complete sentences, which requires oral recounting of the text. Multiple discussion prompts ask students to explain truths Poppy learned, describe characters, and recap the cycle of power, asking for examples and reasons (e.g., Activity 3 asks for two text-based examples of Mr. Ocax losing power and two of Poppy gaining hers). The wrapping up directions ask students to explain differences between prefixes/suffixes and to recap how the cycle of power is breaking down, prompting spoken explanation and use of relevant facts.
Lesson 10
The Battle
Students are prompted to answer discussion and journal questions verbally and in writing, with a reminder to answer verbal questions in complete sentences. Activity 2 asks students to write a personal account of a time they showed bravery with details about what made them afraid, how they overcame it, and the outcome, then read that journal entry aloud. Activity 1 requires students to design a victory flag and explain the meaning of their symbols aloud, and the wrapping up prompt asks students to describe how Poppy defeated Mr. Ocax.
Lesson 11
Writing Project
Students plan and write three organized paragraphs that report on the cycle of power between Mr. Ocax and the mice, how Poppy broke the cycle, and how life will change, which requires reporting on a text. The Paragraph Organizer and Paragraph Rubric prompt students to create topic sentences, supporting evidence, and concluding sentences and to include elements such as dialogue, vocabulary words, and combined sentences, which prompts inclusion of relevant facts and descriptive details. Students are prompted to read their paragraphs aloud during editing to check flow and to read their final three paragraphs to their family, providing an oral presentation opportunity.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students are asked to answer verbal and written discussion questions about Chapters 19–20, encouraging them to recount events and explain character feelings (e.g., why Poppy did not feel joy, how her life changed 13 moons later). Students trace Poppy's journey on a setting map and complete a Story Tree to describe theme, setting, protagonist, antagonist, and other literary elements, which requires them to report on the text's content and details. Students write epitaphs in their journal and are instructed in the Life Application to write a short speech about a person after planting a tree, which prompts them to organize facts and descriptions for a spoken or written report.
Final Project
Poppy
Students are asked to "present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays," which gives them opportunities to tell a story or recount events aloud. Students complete Think-Tac-Toe projects that involve storytelling tasks (for example, pretending to be Poppy and writing a journal entry, making up a dance and selecting music, or creating a victory party card and explaining choices) and are invited to share their projects with family members. Students create a plot diagram and describe problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, which supports including facts and story details when recounting events.
Unit 2: Charlotte's Web
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Students are prompted to discuss the book and answer verbal questions (e.g., "encourage your child to discuss the characters and their relationships" and "answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences"). They are asked to say vocabulary sentences aloud and to explain the relationship between Fern and Wilbur. Activities require students to recount plot events and character traits (plot flow chart, character descriptions) and to use descriptive vocabulary when describing friends and characters.
Lesson 2
Charlotte
Students are prompted to discuss and answer comprehension questions aloud (e.g., describing Wilbur's day, Charlotte's behavior, and Templeton), which requires recounting events and giving relevant details. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to describe what they would enjoy about summer on the farm and to describe their feelings about Charlotte, encouraging oral expression about a text. The spider research activity asks students to locate factual information and then produce a poem from Wilbur's point of view, which requires organizing and using facts and descriptive detail (even if the product is written).
Lesson 3
Bad News
Students are asked to read Chapters 7–9 and answer discussion and journal questions that require them to recount events and facts (Questions 1–7). Activity 1 has students fill a Plot Flow Chart and write Character Descriptions, which requires recalling and organizing major events and character details. Activity 3 asks students to locate and record sensory descriptions from the text and discuss those descriptive details, and multiple prompts tell the child to "discuss" and to "predict" outcomes orally.
Lesson 4
Some Pig
Students are asked to read Chapters 10–12 and respond to discussion/journal questions about plot and characters, which prompts them to recall main ideas, facts, and details. Students complete a Plot Flow Chart by highlighting a major event in each chapter and write character descriptions, which requires recounting events and citing details. Students are prompted to locate three adverbs in Charlotte's Web and read the sentences containing them aloud, and to discuss friendship scenarios orally with guided questions.
Lesson 5
Progress
Students are asked to read Chapters 13–15 and answer questions in a discussion or in a journal, which requires them to recount events and explain reasons (e.g., why Farmer Zuckerman treated Wilbur differently). Students complete a Plot Flow Chart and Character Descriptions, organizing major events and descriptive words about characters. In Activity 2 students create webs for family members and give each person their web and explain why they selected the word, which requires them to speak about descriptive details. Activity 4 asks students to describe the stages of a spider's life cycle (or illustrate and then describe), prompting verbal description of a topic.
Lesson 6
The Fair
The introduction asks the child to discuss a personal fair experience, prompting oral recounting of what she saw, tasted, and did. The lesson directs the child to read Chapters 16–18 and use the provided questions in a discussion, which requires talking about the text and events. Activity 5 asks the child to describe her designed booth and optionally set it up for family members to visit, creating an opportunity to report orally about a topic.
Lesson 7
The End
Students are asked to prepare and deliver spoken work: the 'Spiders Around the World' activity explicitly says to 'Use as a guide to your oral report,' and multiple sections prompt the child to explain, discuss, or read aloud (e.g., reread Charlotte's description, ask your child to explain cycles, and 'ask your child which character he liked most...let him tell you about his favorite part'). Students are directed to gather and organize facts and descriptive details through character descriptions, the 'Characters Change' chart, life cycle charts, and the spider research prompts that list habitat, foods, culture, and other factual items.
Final Project
Charlotte's Web
Students are asked to prepare a three-paragraph book review that requires describing the setting, major events, the problem, main characters, the theme of cycles, and a recommendation, which asks them to organize appropriate facts and descriptive details about the text. Students can alternatively design a print advertisement that highlights characters, setting, events, and two illustrated cycles with short catchy phrases, requiring concise, relevant descriptive details. The skills list and the wrap-up direct students to create structured, informative presentations and to share their project with family or friends, implying presentation of their work to an audience.
Unit 3: The Family Under the Bridge
Lesson 1
Pre-Reading
The lesson includes prompts that require oral explanation and discussion: students are asked to "explain how the cycle would be disrupted" if a person did not have a job and to "discuss ways that people can be in need." The wrapping up directions tell the parent to "ask your child what he learned today about Paris," prompting an oral recount. Several activities prompt students to describe Paris and write a paragraph, which could be used as content for a report or recount.
Lesson 2
The French Man
Students are prompted to discuss Chapter 1 orally or in journal writing and are reminded to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences. Students role-play by pretending to be Armand and explain what she enjoys about not having a job, which requires recounting an experience and giving reasons. Wrap-up prompts ask students to describe the community and explain commas, which elicits spoken descriptions and explanations.
Lesson 3
A Discovery
Students are prompted to answer verbal questions and to predict events ("Ask your child what it was. Let your child predict...") and are reminded to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences. The lesson provides guided discussion questions about Chapter 2 that students can discuss aloud ("These questions can be used for discussion or journal writing"). The wrapping up step explicitly asks students to tell about the children Armand discovered, giving an opportunity to report aloud on the text.
Lesson 4
A Day in the City
The lesson repeatedly prompts verbal discussion and responses (e.g., "Discuss," "Let your child answer the questions," and "Remind your child to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences"), which requires students to speak about the text. Students are asked to recall the main idea, facts, and details from Chapter 3 and to answer specific comprehension questions, providing content they can report. Activities such as comparing Christmas traditions with a Venn diagram and creating a plan for giving require students to describe similarities/differences and explain their ideas during discussions.
Lesson 5
Singing
Students plan and write a speech (or letter) from a character's perspective that must include three reasons with supporting details, and they are instructed to read the speech aloud. Students are directed to review the "Meeting Characters" page to use what the author tells about the character, which requires recalling facts and details from the text. Students are encouraged to reread page 27 aloud and to record a short pretend conversation, giving opportunities to speak about the text and related experiences.
Lesson 6
The Shoe
The lesson asks students to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences and provides seven comprehension questions (Q1–Q7) that require recalling facts and explaining motivations from the text. It directs the child to read aloud the description of the Gypsies (pp. 60–61) and to discuss punctuation examples (dash, hyphen, ellipsis) with an adult, prompting oral explanation. Activities ask students to compare and discuss similarities and differences (double-bubble map) and to respond to wrap-up discussion prompts about visiting Paris, which involve speaking about text-related ideas.
Lesson 7
Among Friends
Students are encouraged to read Chapter 6 aloud with fluency and expression, giving characters voices when reading dialogue. Students answer discussion and journaling questions about the chapter, explaining characters' actions and relationships. Students explain the items they put in the Pack a Bag activity and state which character will benefit and why, and students may teach a skill or tradition to a child from a different cultural background.
Lesson 8
Christmas Eve
Students are prompted to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences and to explain which character is most like them, providing opportunities to recount text details. Students are asked to describe how Armand and the Calcets celebrate Christmas Eve and to compare that description to their own experiences, which requires reporting on the text and personal experience. Discussion tasks about churches, gifts, and character choices ask students to explain reasons and use details from the chapter when they write or speak.
Lesson 9
Saying Goodbye
Students are prompted to discuss Chapter 8 using guided questions and are reminded to answer verbal questions in complete sentences, which requires them to recount events and explain motivations from the text. The Culture Commentary activity asks students to locate and describe aspects of French culture from the story and to discuss how characters' economic situations vary, prompting them to summarize text details. The Meeting Characters chart and the wrapping-up discussion ask students to describe character relationships and reactions, which engages them in recounting experiences from the book.
Lesson 10
A Home at Last
Students are prompted to answer chapter questions verbally and in writing, with a reminder to answer verbal questions in complete sentences, which gives practice in recounting text. Students discuss how Armand helped the children and describe the new home, providing opportunities to report on the text. In Activity 4 Option 2, students write a letter, wrap a gift, and then pretend to deliver it and perform a singing telegram, which requires them to speak or perform aloud about the text. Activity 3 asks students to create a flip book and accompany illustrations with descriptive phrases or sentences, supporting use of descriptive details.
Final Project
Reader's Theater
Students select a scene from the text and convert events into a Reader's Theater script, writing at least twenty lines and including narrator passages that provide details about what is happening. Students plan character dialogue, stage directions, and props, and the rubric requires descriptive script elements (e.g., stage directions, prop descriptions, and references to plot elements such as care for someone in need). Students rehearse their lines multiple times, are instructed to use voices that fit the characters, and perform the drama for an audience (with a suggested recording).
4: Relationships
Unit 1: One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
Lesson 1
The Rain Forests
The wrap-up asks the child to "tell you what he learned about the rain forest today" and to "explain the difference between temperate rain forests and tropical rain forests," which requires an oral recount or report. Activity 2 directs the child to illustrate relationships and "let him describe the relationship that exists between the two living things," prompting verbal description of content. The introduction and activities prompt asking and answering questions about rain forest facts and the setting, encouraging children to speak about the topic.
Lesson 2
Morning in the Rain Forest
The lesson includes multiple opportunities for oral recounting: it lists the skill 'Retell a spoken message by summarizing or clarifying' and instructs the child to answer discussion questions as she reads each chapter. The Wrapping Up prompt asks the child to 'describe Tepui's early morning,' and Activity 3 asks the child to compare her day to Tepui's day and answer several oral questions about events and relationships. Discussion prompts and the back-and-forth questioning require the child to recall facts and provide descriptive details about events in the story.
Lesson 3
The Tree
Students answer guided journal or discussion questions about Chapter 2 (e.g., questions about how plants depend on water, army ants, and organisms that depend on tall trees). Students add animals to a Rain Forest Animals Chart and record major events on a Daily Activities sheet, which requires recalling facts and details. Students discuss the theme of relationships, explain how a local tree differs from Tepui's tree, and analyze the author's adjectives, naming and replacing descriptive words to affect meaning.
Lesson 4
Butterfly Search
Students are prompted to describe relationships between living things aloud in the introduction and to answer selected chapter questions as journal prompts or in discussion, providing opportunities to report on the text. Students write a paragraph about which type of animal scientist they would like to be and complete Activity 3 by designing a new butterfly and writing about two relationships the butterfly has with a plant or animal, which requires including facts and descriptive details. The wrap-up and life-application tasks ask students to explain what they learned and to prepare interview questions, giving additional chances to recount experiences or information orally.
Lesson 5
Rain Forest Relationships
Students are prompted to describe what they learned about relationships (for example, the relationship between Tepui and the scientists) and to answer specific comprehension questions that require facts and descriptive details (e.g., describing the nameless butterfly, the sloth and sloth moth relationship). Students discuss pairs of organisms on the "Relationships" page and write three-line descriptions of how the beings help or harm each other, practicing selection of relevant details. Students create plot timelines by identifying and sequencing events for different characters, recounting simultaneous events and explaining how earlier events affect later ones.
Lesson 6
Law of the Jungle
Students are asked to reread page 40 aloud and to describe The Law of the Jungle and explain why it exists. Students illustrate or describe three examples of The Law of the Jungle in their journal, using examples from the story or other rainforest animals. Students are prompted to write a free-verse poem titled "The Law of the Jungle" between five and ten lines and are given example poems to model.
Lesson 7
Helping a Friend
Students are asked to write or arrange a script for the tree-climbing scene, deciding which lines belong to which character, the order of lines, and important stage directions. They rehearse and perform the dramatization aloud, with instructions to think about the character's feelings, tone of voice, and facial expressions. The lesson also directs students to retell or record the major events on a "Daily Activities" page and lists the skill "Present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays."
Lesson 8
Persuasive Writing
Students plan and write a three-paragraph persuasive paper with organizers that require topic sentences, reasons, and supporting details (Option 2 asks for a supporting sentence for each idea). The editing and revising rubric directs students to check that paragraphs have supporting details and that the opening and closing sentences convey the persuasive purpose. Students are asked to read their persuasive paragraphs aloud to an imagined audience (people who want to clear the rainforest).
Lesson 9
A Close Call
The Reading and Questions section provides specific comprehension prompts (e.g., why Dr. Rivero climbed the tree, how Tepui stopped the bulldozers) that students can answer and discuss aloud. Activity 4 directs students to select major events, list them on a plot diagram, and "discuss the climax," prompting students to recount the story's problem, climax, and resolution. Activity 2 asks students to discuss metaphors and similes and to think of and share their own comparisons, encouraging use of descriptive details. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students what they enjoyed and what they would tell a friend, eliciting an oral recommendation or recounting of the text.
Final Project
Field Guide or Documentary
Students are prompted to research animals and record appropriate facts (name, layer where found, food, predators, interesting facts, relationships) on organizer pages for either a field guide or documentary. For the documentary option, students write a script using those facts, practice the script, and film a presentation to an audience. The rubric and organizer explicitly require clear, engaging information and provide criteria for Understanding (clarity) and Relationships, supporting factual and descriptive reporting.
Unit 2: The Whipping Boy
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students are asked to act out events from relationships (Activity 3, Option 2), describing the event to guide actors and then reflecting on what the role-play shows about the relationship. The plan prompts students to discuss and explain whether they would enjoy living in a castle and to describe what they know about castles and the Middle Ages (Day 2, Activity 4). Skills include "Present dramatic interpretations of experiences, stories, poems, or plays," and the wrapping-up prompts ask students to describe the relationship a king or president has with the people and to explain why relationships are important.
Lesson 2
Jemmy and Prince Brat
The lesson prompts students to answer chapter questions aloud or in discussion after reading Chapters 1–3 and lists skills such as recalling main ideas, facts, and details and discussing similarities and differences in events and characters. It asks students to summarize Chapter 3 and to describe the relationship between Jemmy and Prince Brat, and it directs teachers/parents to "use other questions in a discussion" and to ask the child what she likes or does not like about each character. The Activities include guided journal prompts (A Day in the Castle) and discussion directions that require students to recount events from Jemmy's and the prince's points of view.
Lesson 3
The Plot Thickens
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in a journal and discuss Chapters 4–6, recalling events (e.g., what happened in the foggy woods, why the men didn't believe the prince). Students create crests for Jemmy and Prince Brat and are asked to describe how the characters' personalities affect their relationship, which requires using relevant descriptive details and facts about the characters. The wrap-up directs students to give two examples of idioms and to describe differences between Jemmy and Prince Brat, prompting spoken description and comparison.
Lesson 4
A Note to the King
Students are asked to read Chapters 7–9 aloud and are encouraged to give characters voices and read with feeling, which practices speaking clearly and pacing. Students answer comprehension questions in discussion and journal entries, recalling main ideas, facts, and details from the text. Students are asked to explain the relationships in the feudal system and discuss how life might differ, which requires verbally reporting facts about a topic.
Lesson 5
Disagreements
Students are prompted to answer some comprehension questions orally in discussion after reading Chapters 10–12 ("answer some of the questions below in his journal and others in a discussion with you"). The skills list asks students to "discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, and concepts" and to "explain and describe characters in own words," which requires spoken explanation. The vocabulary activity asks students to locate words in context and "read them aloud," and the skills include "clarify and support spoken messages using appropriate props."
Lesson 6
In the Woods
The lesson asks students to explain what it is like to run in the woods and to discuss the habitat, which requires spoken description. Students are directed to participate in discussions after reading (use remaining questions in a discussion) and to retell what happened in the reading today. The Skills section explicitly lists "Recall the main idea, facts, and details from a text," and activities ask students to explain character differences and show and explain objects from packed bags.
Lesson 7
The Rescue
Students are asked to read Chapters 16-18 aloud and answer discussion questions, which requires them to recount events and explain characters' feelings. Activity 3 asks students to develop and practice a medieval performance and then perform it for their family, providing an opportunity to tell a story or enact a recounting orally. Activity 4 asks students to write and sing a ballad about Jemmy and the prince, which has students orally recount an event with rhymed lines and sing the composition aloud.
Lesson 8
Friends
Students answer specific comprehension questions about Chapters 19–20 in a journal and are directed to use the remaining questions in an oral discussion. The lesson prompts students to discuss how the prince and Jemmy have changed and to respond to wrap-up prompts such as whether they enjoyed the story and would recommend it. Activity 3 asks students to create 'A Day in the Castle' journal entries from Prince Horace's and Jemmy's perspectives, giving students structured content to recount events or experiences.
Final Project
A Monologue
Students are directed to write and perform monologues for Prince Brat and Jemmy, and to reread specific pages (Prince: pp. 68-70; Jemmy: pp. 65-66 and 79) to gather facts and details from the text. The activity pages provide structured sentence starters and prompts that require students to recount experiences, describe how relationships changed, and include similes, hyperboles, or idioms as descriptive detail. Rubrics and Part 3 require students to read aloud with expression, practice presentations (including recording and comparing videos), and evaluate clarity, expression, and physicality, which target speaking clearly at an understandable pace and using relevant descriptive detail.
Unit 3: Iggie's House
Lesson 1
The Move
Students are prompted to discuss the book cover and predict the story and to answer selected comprehension questions either in their journal or in discussion. Students are asked to list five characteristics of a good friend, write sentences explaining each one, and give examples of how they have demonstrated those characteristics. Students are instructed to discuss character reactions using the Reactions Chart and to summarize the important events from Chapter 1 (an oral summary is prompted).
Lesson 2
Meeting the Neighbors
Students are prompted to predict what the new neighbors might be like and to answer selected comprehension questions in a discussion, which requires them to speak about the text. The lesson asks students to read each scenario on the "Racial Relationships" page aloud and decide how they would respond, giving opportunities for spoken responses. The teacher prompts (e.g., "Ask your child how Winnie acted... Ask him why...") require students to verbally recount events and explain reasons during discussion.
Lesson 3
The Softball Game
Students are asked to discuss and journal about Chapter 3 (e.g., think about what Winnie does to be a good friend and answer guided questions about events and characters). The Skills list explicitly includes "Recall the main idea, facts, and details from a text," and the Wrapping Up section asks the child to "describe the softball game that occurred in the book." Several discussion questions require students to recount events and give factual answers (e.g., why Winnie lied, how Winnie tries to start a relationship with the Garbers).
Lesson 4
A New Dog
Students are prompted to answer some reading questions aloud in discussion ("select two or three... and the others in a discussion with you"). The Wrapping Up section asks students to "summarize the events that occurred in Chapter 4," which requires an oral recounting of the text. Activity 2 directs students to discuss the relationship between pets and owners and to describe owner responsibilities, which elicits spoken description about a topic.
Lesson 5
A Visit from Germs
The lesson directs use of the reading questions as "discussion questions," so students verbally answer and discuss Chapter 5 questions about why characters reacted as they did and what actions occurred. Activity 3 asks students to pretend they are inviting a new friend into a tree house and to list three points of interest they would show, requiring them to recount and describe features. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to say how they feel about Mrs. Landon going to the Garbers' house and to explain what Winnie did to be a good friend, which elicits spoken recounting of events and responses.
Lesson 6
A New Petition
Students are asked to summarize important events from previous reading and to summarize what happened in the chapter they read, which requires recounting a text. Students answer comprehension questions in a journal and participate in discussions, practicing oral reporting and recounting of details. Students complete character circle maps and then explain and support their word choices with evidence from the text, practicing inclusion of relevant facts and descriptive details; Option 2 has students write sentences and read them aloud.
Lesson 7
The Swim Club
Students are encouraged to read Chapter 7 aloud and to use journal and discussion questions to talk about events and characters. Students are asked to describe what happened to Winnie and to discuss answers to comprehension questions about characters' feelings and actions. Students complete a Reactions Chart and create a Friendship House in which they write sentences that describe friendships and the relationships between characters.
Lesson 8
Moving
Students are prompted to orally describe what happened to Winnie at the pool and to answer journal/discussion questions about Chapter 8 that require recounting events and recalling facts. Students fill a Reactions Chart and complete double-bubble maps comparing characters, which requires citing facts and descriptive character details from the text. The Skills section asks students to write structured presentations and narratives and to recall main ideas, facts, and details, indicating practice in organizing content to report on a topic or text.
Lesson 9
A Letter
Students plan and write a three-paragraph letter in first person from Winnie's perspective, using provided planning pages that prompt a topic sentence, multiple supporting details, and a concluding sentence for each paragraph. The directions explicitly tell students to use events that occurred in the story and the sample letter models relevant facts and descriptive details about what Winnie misses, the Garber children, and neighborhood problems. Students draft, revise, and edit their writing using a content-and-mechanics rubric that asks about sentence organization, use of examples, and descriptive words. Students are asked to read their final letter aloud and discuss which parts were most enjoyable.
Lesson 10
I Have a Dream
The lesson directs the child to read the "I Have a Dream" speech aloud and to answer specific comprehension and discussion questions (e.g., What was Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream? What can you do to help King's dream come true?), which requires oral recounting of a text. The lesson asks the child to answer some questions in a journal and to participate in discussion about the speech and personal dreams, prompting students to describe ideas and experiences. The lesson also asks the child to tell what his dream is for the future and to discuss how he can make that dream come true, which asks students to recount a personal experience or plan.
Lesson 11
The End
The Introduction asks the child to name and describe the main characters and the story problem, prompting oral recounting and description of text details. The Reading and Questions section gives multiple prompts (e.g., why characters acted a certain way, what the author's message was) that require students to report facts and relevant details from the text. Activity 2 (Book in a Bag) asks the child to pull out each selected item and describe why she selected it, which requires speaking to explain choices tied to story elements.
Final Project
Character Interviews
Students write interview questions for story characters and are instructed to include at least one question about relationships and to avoid yes/no answers, which requires gathering and reporting relevant information. Students make up character responses using events from the story and the Reactions Chart, explicitly told to include events in their answers. Students practice and perform interviews (or record them) using props and a pretend microphone, and the rubric asks whether answers were easy to understand; the lesson's skills list also names appropriate volume and rate.