The dialogue activity (Activity 1) asks students to write a script in which a hunter-gatherer and a farmer each describe advantages and disadvantages of their ways of life and ask each other questions, using the reading as a jumping-off point. Option 2 (Domesticated Animals) requires students to analyze how each animal could be used, list benefits of domestication, and identify challenges, explicitly asking students to gather information (including internet sources if needed). The Venn diagram (Option 1) and answer key ask students to compare pastoral and agricultural lifestyles and note shared and differing features such as surplus leading to specialization.

Students are asked to evaluate the use of the concept of "civilization" (discussion question: Why is the use of the concept of "civilization" as an organizing principle considered controversial? Do you agree?), which asks them to state positions and consider criticisms. The lesson also includes guided activities (Cultural Hearths, Elements of Civilization, Urbanization flowchart) that require students to use readings as evidence to explain how agriculture led to civilization and to compare small villages with complex civilizations.

Students are asked to read examples from Hammurabi's Code and "list four things you can infer" about Babylonian society, which requires analyzing primary-source laws and drawing evidence-based conclusions. In Option 1, students must complete booklet sections using the National Geographic and AP course readings and may conduct additional research, supplying facts for Geography, Economic, Political, Social, Cultural, and Religious sections. Option 2 asks students to write a time‑traveling news report that includes an example of Hammurabi's law in action, encouraging use of specific textual or researched evidence to support descriptions.

Students are asked to use the National Geographic reading and additional research to fill booklet or WebQuest pages on six topics, which requires them to collect and supply factual data (e.g., map labeling, lists of trade goods, descriptions of political structure, religious beliefs). The WebQuest option explicitly asks students to identify at least one important thing for each topic, provide a URL, and explain why the website is worthwhile for an upper-elementary or middle-school audience, which requires students to select evidence and tailor explanation to an audience. The answer key and activity prompts require students to describe causes, effects, and comparisons (e.g., First Intermediate Period limits on pharaonic power; comparing Egyptian and Mesopotamian achievements), which requires use of textual evidence from the reading.

Students are asked to take a position in the bonus question ("Do you think this model of growth is sustainable? … Explain.") and to justify that position using readings and videos. The Early Trade Systems and Expansion of Empires activity pages require students to provide specific examples and explanations (e.g., list imports/exports, explain how technologies facilitated trade, name ways military innovations became civilian technologies), which prompts students to supply evidence from texts and media. The answer keys model using factual details (flooding, trade goods, infrastructure, costs of expansion) to support conclusions.

Students are instructed to develop a rough thesis statement and outline main points, and to gather specific evidence from earlier readings to support those points. Students are told to provide parenthetical citations for quotations and specific evidence and to write in an appropriately academic tone. The rubrics require a clear thesis, body paragraphs supported by relevant and accurate evidence, and accurate parenthetical citations; Option 2 asks students to describe similarities and differences between two civilizations.

Students must create a flowchart that includes images, approximate dates, and 2–3 sentence descriptions explaining the significance of items (hunter-gatherer groups, pastoralism, agriculture, migrations, and civilizations). The directions explicitly ask students to "note the specific advantages that certain changes created for civilizations," and the rubric requires that descriptions be informative and supported. The unit test asks students to define "civilization" and explain how it differs from smaller communities, which requires students to state and support claims about characteristics of civilizations.

Students are asked to read an article and identify the author's thesis and supporting points (Activity 1). They annotate the text and fill a graphic organizer that asks for the "Author's main argument/thesis," "Key points that support the thesis," and "Your reaction to the thesis." The parent plan and activity directions explicitly instruct students to evaluate the writer's view, record reactions, and decide a final opinion after reviewing the completed organizer.

Students are asked to draft four to five laws (Option 1) or to create a system for adopting laws and consequences (Option 2) and to record these in a journal. The instructions prompt students to "be prepared to discuss" and "defend their points of view," and to "think about what you have learned about world history," which invites use of historical knowledge as support. Discussion questions ask students to consider consequences of having or not having a system of laws, prompting consideration of different outcomes.

Activity 1 directs students to choose an interpretation for each symbol (e.g., Piggy's glasses: science and technology, intelligence, civilization) and to "write an explanation supported by the text." The Student Activity Page explicitly presents multiple interpretations for each symbol, so students see alternative claims to consider. The Wrapping Up and Things to Review sections ask students to remain open to adjusting interpretations and to consider others' views, prompting reflection on differing readings.

Students are asked to choose themes that support Golding's major theme and "support those choices by referring to details from the novel" (Option 1). Students must write 3–4 sentence explanations of how their chosen theme supports the major theme (Options 1 and 2) and are guided to "support their choices with examples from the novel" in the Parent Plan. The Skills section also asks students to "determine a theme or central idea... and analyze in detail its development...; provide an objective summary of the text," which requires citing textual evidence.

Students are asked to write a one-page journal entry analyzing aspects of Jack's leadership and how it contrasts with Ralph's leadership and pre-island civilized life, which requires making and supporting interpretive claims about leadership. The "Developing Civilization" activity asks students to compare similarities and differences between the boys and early peoples in a two-column chart, prompting students to organize and justify comparative claims using examples from the text and historical context. Discussion questions ask students to evaluate whether shelters and order could exist under Jack and to consider what it means to be civilized, inviting students to take positions and defend them in class discussion.

Students watch the 1963 film and complete a "Movie vs. Book" chart in which they record similarities and differences across characters, setting, theme, and plot, which requires citing specific film/book details. Students answer a journal prompt asking whether omitted scenes were too critical to the novel's major theme and explain why, which asks them to make a claim and support it with textual/film evidence. The provided answer key models students supplying specific examples (e.g., omitted conversation between Ralph and the officer, littluns' behavior) to justify how omissions affect the novel's themes.

Students are guided to develop a thesis statement and organize a five-paragraph essay with three supporting points (Traditional Outline and Essay Organizer). They are instructed to locate passages and include specific examples and quotes from the text (Brainstorming steps, Essay Prompts example) and to explain how those examples support their thesis (Outline template and Rubric 'Support'). The checklist and pre-writing steps ask students to consider the assignment's purpose, audience, and format when choosing topics and composing ideas.

Students are asked to take an argumentative stance in Option 2 by creating a protest poster that makes one of two explicit claims about Hatshepsut (either she violated gender/religious norms and should be deposed, or she was a victim of unfair treatment). In Option 1 students are prompted to read scholarship on Hatshepsut, respond in an informal paragraph, ‘‘draw your own conclusions,'' and answer questions about roles, violations of expectations, and how presenting as male bolstered her claims to power. The parent-plan notes and activity directions ask students to summarize modern articles and collect examples of religion intertwined with government, providing source-based material they could use to support claims.

Students are asked to research and compare folktales in Option 1, locating specific examples of animist beliefs and completing an activity chart that asks what is sacred and what moral or lesson the story conveys. In Option 2, students research Chinese New Year and Día de los Muertos and complete a chart describing the holidays and the role ancestor veneration plays, which requires gathering and citing informational details. A discussion prompt asks students to consider advantages and disadvantages of oral versus written traditions, which invites students to articulate opposing perspectives about how beliefs were transmitted.

Students are asked to write a 5-7 paragraph persuasive essay (Topic 2) in which they describe similarities and differences among three world religions and "make a persuasive argument" about whether the religions are more alike or more different. The test requires students to identify terms and "briefly provide the significance" of each term, prompting students to supply factual evidence and significance in short-answer form. The rubric and teacher notes require essays to be accurate, well-organized, and cogently written, and the timed essay format expects discipline-appropriate expository structure.

The Parent Plan lists the skill "Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis," and students are directed to annotate texts and take notes for journal entries and activities. Question #3 asks students to explain how Jim and Della can be both "unwise and wise," prompting students to weigh opposing interpretations. Homework asks students to research allusions and explain how that knowledge contributes to understanding the story, which requires supplying textual and background evidence to support claims.

Students identify a central theme and record supporting textual evidence in the Exploring Theme activity, using annotations and a theme web to link repeated literary elements to a main idea. Students write a one-paragraph objective summary that requires stating the main idea and key plot points in narrative present and citing story details. The homework and journal tasks require students to support their responses with specific examples or quotations from the text and introduce the APE (Answer, Prove, Extend) structure for backing up claims. A discussion question explicitly asks students to consider whether Mme. Loisel alone caused the hardship or whether other factors contributed, prompting consideration of alternative explanations.

The lesson asks students to state opinions and provide evidence (Question #1: "Do you think Roger should be in jail? Why or why not?" with guidance that students should support conclusions). Question #2 explicitly asks students to support their answer about Roger changing "with evidence from the story." The Skills section also includes "Develop a topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic," which supports practicing evidence use.

Students are asked to complete the "Crazy Like a Fox?" chart by listing textual evidence in a left column for the narrator being "Rational and Trustworthy" and in a right column for the narrator being "Irrational or Insane." Students must then answer whether the narrator is a reliable source of information and explain why or why not, which requires them to choose a claim and support it with evidence. The answer key and teacher notes explicitly discuss the strengths and limitations of both sides (for example, that the narrator's claims of wisdom could also be read as evidence of madness), modeling consideration of counterclaims.

Students are instructed to provide specific evidence from the text to support their interpretations, as noted in 'Things to Know' and the Black Box activity that asks them to record and categorize textual elements about the box. Students complete the Controversy activity page that asks them to compare 'The Lottery' with another book or movie and to explain whether people's concerns or complaints were valid, prompting consideration of differing viewpoints. Students are assigned homework to write a supported opinion paragraph, requiring them to make a claim and back it with evidence and observations.

Students are prompted to take positions and support them in guided questions such as Question #2 and #3 (Do you think Dee or Maggie should have gotten the quilts? Why?; Do you think Dee is right to be angry about not being given the quilts? Why or why not?), and the Skills section explicitly requires students to "cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions." Classroom discussion prompts list possible answers for opposing views and model reasons for each side.

Students compare the printed story and the film by listing 3–4 scenes the director added, altered, or deleted and explain why those changes were made, which asks them to support claims with textual and cinematic evidence. Students answer journal and discussion questions that require explanations (not yes/no) about whether the society is a fulfillment or perversion of equality and whether equality and excellence conflict, prompting them to give reasons and examples. Students evaluate the director's interpretation and state reasons why changes are good or bad, citing specific scenes, character changes, or film techniques as supporting evidence.

Students are asked to answer focused short-answer questions that require claims supported by evidence from the reading (e.g., QUESTION #1: "Was the Roman republic a democracy? Explain." and QUESTION #4: description of the Pax Romana and Augustus's reforms). Students respond to discussion prompts that require causal argumentation (e.g., "Why did the Roman Republic fail?" and "Why do you think the Roman Empire ultimately fell?"). In Activity 2 students complete a chart distinguishing politics, religion, and culture for the Republic and the Empire, which requires selecting and organizing supporting facts for different assertions.

Students must write formal opening statements for both the semicolon and the colon in the "Great Punctuation Trial," using listed claims and including specified examples (e.g., joining two independent clauses, using a conjunctive adverb + comma, complex lists; introducing a list; introducing a quotation). Students present those statements aloud to a judge, answer probing questions about rules (e.g., why a semicolon cannot join a fragment), and are asked to demonstrate rules with example sentences as evidence. The activity also asks students to address common mistakes and to revise or defend their explanations if the judge finds them unclear.

The lesson's Choice 7 ("Provide Your Opinion") asks students to consider both sides of the debate over Bob Dylan's Nobel Prize and then write a one-page argumentative response asserting whether Dylan deserved the prize. Students are directed to read supportive and critical articles and some of Dylan's lyrics (links provided) and to provide specific reasons and give credit for any quotations or arguments they use. The parent notes reiterate that students should address the controversy, read sources on both sides, and explain their reasons in the written response.

Students are asked to classify I Am Malala as a biography, autobiography, or memoir on the "All About a Person" page and to "support your comparison with specific examples," which requires them to make a claim about genre and cite evidence from front/back matter. Students read an interview with Patricia McCormick and are asked to consider and explain whether McCormick's role changes the book's classification, which prompts students to weigh an alternative view. Activity 2 asks students to read an article and write a short journal response comparing categorization systems, prompting students to state and support a position.

Students research school conditions and collect statistics in Option 1, where they are asked to "record information about challenges that schoolchildren in that area face and any notable statistics they find." Students write three assumptions about a school from a photo and compose a short statement from a student's point of view, practicing evidence-based inference. In Option 2, students list advantages and disadvantages of transportation methods, which requires weighing pros and cons and citing ideas from an article.

The lesson requires students to use the APE strategy where students must Answer (state a claim), Prove (provide evidence using specific examples and quotations with page numbers), and Extend (give an explanation or connection). Students choose a decision scenario about Malala or her father and respond to a focused question such as "Why did X keep the school open?" which asks them to form and support a claim. The parent plan and activity directions require the "prove" section to include quotations or examples and the "extend" section to explain how that evidence supports the answer.

Students are asked to watch a filmmaker's video and take notes comparing how the book and video differ in focus and portrayal (Activity 1 prompts asking how the father's influence is portrayed and how the filmmaker's focus differs). The lesson asks students to discuss whether Malala's father or the media bear responsibility for making her a target and to explain why or why not, which requires students to form and support an argument using details from the book and video. The skills section lists preparing for and participating in conversations and building on others' ideas, implying practice in articulating claims during discussion.

Students complete the "Students in Action" activity page where they record arguments for and against children participating in the 1963 march and state an overall opinion, which requires generating competing claims. Students read Martin Luther King Jr.'s "Letter from Birmingham Jail," answer journal questions about which arguments were most persuasive, and complete a "Just and Unjust Laws" double-entry diary in which they annotate excerpts and state agreement or disagreement. Students also write short responses about how Douglass, Hughes, and Angelou contributed to progress, which requires making evaluative claims about authors' influence.

Students analyze and compare excerpts from Thoreau and King in Activity 1 by highlighting similar phrases and filling an "Overlapping Ideas" column, which requires citing specific textual passages. In Activity 2 (Opposing Quotes) students must decide which thinker they agree with more and "explain the ways that your views and his align," prompting students to state a claim and support it with quotations. Homework asks students to read excerpts from "Civil Disobedience" and answer text-based questions, requiring them to draw evidence from the readings to support their responses.

Students are asked in Activity 3 to "skim Wiesel's speech and... draft a paragraph" that links a Wiesel statement to one or two other advocates and to "Use a quote from each person you mention to support your argument," which requires forming a claim and supporting it with textual evidence. In Activity 4 students must create a museum wall and write "a clear and formal description of the point you want to make," prompting them to state a position and provide explanatory evidence. The Parent Plan skills explicitly include "Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts... appropriate to the audience's knowledge," indicating students should gather and use evidence to develop their topics.

Students are required to use the APE strategy for written responses, which asks them to Answer a question and Prove their answer by using a quotation from the text. Activity 1 teaches multiple methods for integrating quotations into students' writing and the Student Activity Page Part II asks students to introduce a specific quotation using those methods. Homework prompts require students to choose a quotation to support their claim and then Extend by explaining how the quotation supports their answer.

Students are asked to write a journal response about the controversy over Beah's memoir in Activity 1, which presents two explicit viewpoints (supporters and detractors) for students to consider. The "Different Accounts" activity directs students to complete book and video columns and to "give examples or quotes from the book to back up your answer," requiring students to cite textual evidence. The "Child Soldiers" chart and related prompts ask students to list advantages and disadvantages using what they read and what Beah said in the video, encouraging use of multiple sources to support positions.

Students are asked to evaluate whether the government army committed war crimes by completing a comparative "RUF vs. Government Soldiers" worksheet that requires marking Yes/No and providing supporting examples or quotations from the text. Students are asked in Option 2 to choose or develop a conclusion about the conduct of the two sides and to write a journal response that cites examples or quotations from A Long Way Gone to support that conclusion. Students also must select a quotation from Elie Wiesel and explain, with specific examples from the book or author video, how it relates to Beah's memoir.

The lesson asks students to consider rhetoric and how an author's style can persuade readers and includes prompts such as "What do you think the author wants to persuade the readers into understanding/believing?" and whether the style is effective for the intended audience. The Parent Plan and Comparing Memoirs activity require students to analyze an author's purpose, intended audience, and effectiveness of rhetoric and to support answers with examples from text. The nonprofit marketing activity requires students to create persuasive flyers or webpages using information from organizational websites, which asks students to highlight the worthiness of a cause and attract volunteers/donors.

Students are instructed to develop a research question and write a thesis that answers it, then identify three supporting facts and the sources for each. Students practice quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing those facts and are required to provide in-text citations and a Works Cited page. Students are told to write for an audience of peers with the same background knowledge, guiding how they anticipate readers' knowledge and concerns.

Students are asked to answer an evaluative homework question (Question #1) that prompts them to argue whether Colonel Graff is pushing Ender too hard and to explain why. Discussion prompts ask students to evaluate Ender's perception of his own actions and to compare leadership and themes between Ender's Game and Lord of the Flies using a graphic organizer. The rubric language for the compare/contrast activity notes that answers will be evaluated based on the depth of insights, which implies students must support their comparisons.

Students identify and categorize internal and external conflicts from Ender's Game using a chart and text boxes (Activity 1). Students write paragraphs explaining how a chosen conflict affects relationships, plot development, and character change, and they circle and justify which theme they think is most central to the novel. The parent plan explicitly lists the skill to "cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text," and Activity 2 asks students to write 1–2 paragraphs speculating about an authorial choice, which requires supporting interpretation.

Students are asked to compare a scene in the book with the movie (Option 1) and to take notes on differences, omissions, and which version is more effective, which requires forming a supported claim. The Comic Adaptation activity (Option 2) directs students to list narration or dialogue omitted or changed and to decide whether the omission compromised the original, asking for evidence from both texts. Discussion prompts (e.g., whether Ender should make up for what he was used for) invite students to state and defend positions using textual details.

Students watch a video on Campbell's hero's journey, record the 12 steps, and choose six steps to describe specific parallels between those steps and Ender's Game using a graphic organizer. Students retake an issues survey and compare their pre- and post-reading responses, then discuss reasons for any changes and are asked to provide examples from the novel that influenced them. Discussion prompts ask students to consider and articulate alternative perspectives (for example, Dink's view that the I.F. manipulates fear and Mazer's rationale for destroying the buggers), inviting consideration of opposing explanations.

Students are asked to write two to three paragraphs comparing and contrasting military and civilian leadership in Box 5, which directs them to include examples (e.g., Peter and Valentine) to draw contrasts. In Box 8 students must research NATO and the Warsaw Pact, list two key similarities and two key differences between the historical and fictional alliances, and explain why the author used the reference. The Parent Plan Skills section instructs students to "cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text."

Students read Gladwell's chapter and a critical blog post that challenges his conclusions (Activity 4) and are asked to identify the blog author's primary objections. In Activity 5 Option 2, students complete an "Analyzing Gladwell's Response" chart in which they note each criticism, how Gladwell responds, and evaluate the effectiveness of his responses. Option 1 asks students to prepare an oral summary of the article's main objections and answer questions about which objections are strongest, whether the blog author's information is trustworthy, and whether the blog changes their mind.

The parent-plan skills explicitly ask students to "draw evidence from literary or informational texts" and to "cite strong and thorough textual evidence," which requires using data from the Outliers chapters. Students are required to create an infographic that "clearly and effectively communicates the concept" and may "embed audio files... so others can understand," which asks students to organize evidence for an audience. Several discussion and homework prompts ask students to explain Gladwell's claims (e.g., about the 10,000-hour rule, talent vs. preparation) and discuss how their views have changed, prompting claim-making based on the text.

Students match secondary-source claims to supporting primary-source excerpts in the Firsthand Accounts graphic organizer (the worksheet and answer key show students linking a secondary claim about flags and civilian deaths to specific testimony by John S. Smith and Robert Brent). Students read pro-Chivington editorials and are asked to write an editorial supporting the Indians' side using facts from the accounts, which requires responding to opposing claims. Students complete the Primary Falsehoods activity and a double-entry diary selecting quotes from Chivington's testimony and explaining their relevance, which requires identifying inaccuracies or weaknesses in a primary account.

Students read specific sections about forces and circular motion and answer comprehension questions that identify claims (e.g., definitions of equilibrium, centripetal vs. centrifugal force, and why centrifugal force can be called fictitious). In Activity 1, students complete an "Investigating Claims in Science Writing" page where they explain how the author supports two explicit claims, identify the methods used to explain terms (highlighting, explanation, example, illustration), and judge whether the booklet is appropriate for a middle-school audience. The parent plan answer key explicitly describes students citing examples, illustrations, and frame-of-reference reasoning as evidence that supports or challenges the claims.

Students are asked to write a brief introduction that states the skill and its advantages and to "back up your claim with information from an outside source," and the Guide Checklist explicitly requires that the benefit be supported by an outside source and a "Works Cited" section. Students are instructed to assume readers know little and to define jargon, create a glossary, and revise content to make information appropriate to the audience. Students must test their guide with another person and observe questions or confusions, which requires anticipating audience knowledge and concerns.

Students analyze and evaluate arguments for fallacious reasoning (e.g., identifying ad hominem, slippery slope, bandwagon, hasty generalization, false dilemma) in activities such as the Andrew Jackson speech and the politician examples. Students practice supporting claims with evidence and appeals to logos when they write their own short speech (Option 2) and are asked to note where they used ethos, logos, and pathos. The Parent Plan skills explicitly ask students to delineate and evaluate arguments and assess whether reasoning is valid and evidence is relevant and sufficient.

Students are directed to "investigate, acknowledge, and refute a counterargument to your own claim," and the "Present the Evidence" activity requires students to state a clear thesis and a concise opposing viewpoint (the counterargument). The lesson tells students to take notes recording both points of view and their sources, to use library databases that include pro and con viewpoints, and to write a dedicated Paragraph 4 for Concession and Refutation. The lesson provides an explicit example of acknowledging a counterargument and then rebutting it, and the essay rubric includes a "Content Development including Counter argument" criterion.

Students are prompted to make interpretive claims and provide supporting details when they answer journal questions (e.g., "What was the motive for murder?" and "How is Mrs. Wright like the bird?"). The Applying Aristotle's Six Elements activity asks students to state and justify claims about plot, protagonist, theme, and diction (e.g., "Is the plot centered on a discovery or on a reversal of fortune? Explain."). Discussion prompts ask students to evaluate perspectives and ethics (e.g., "Are the women's actions ethically moral?" and "Does the play have a moral or point?") which invites students to form and support positions using textual evidence.

Students write a reader-response paragraph using the APE method (Answer, Prove, Extend), requiring them to state a claim and provide specific examples and quotations from the play as evidence. Students analyze excerpts from Hansberry's To Be Young, Gifted and Black and answer questions that require them to identify which characters the quotations describe and explain their reasoning using textual support. Students complete character analyses and write a six-sentence monologue that require making assertions about a character and supporting those assertions with details from the script or reasoned inference.

Students are asked to interpret and support positions in open-response questions (e.g., whether Beneatha should marry and move to Africa and whether the Youngers should move into an unwelcome neighborhood), which requires giving reasons. Students analyze Langston Hughes's poem by identifying similes, defining "defer," and explaining which poem comparison best describes a chosen character's deferred dream, using textual imagery as support. The activity asks students to relate poem images to characters' experiences, prompting them to make claims about how dreams have been deferred and to justify those claims with evidence from the poem and play.

Students are prompted to evaluate whether Romeo and Juliet are tragic heroes by watching a video and answering journal questions that ask them to explain how Romeo does or does not meet each tragic-hero criterion and to state Romeo's major flaw. Students complete a Timeline and Character Development activity in which they record specific acts/scenes and events for chosen characters and then use that chart to determine and support whether a character is static or dynamic and round or flat. Students compare excerpts of Pyramus and Thisbe with Romeo and Juliet, noting textual similarities as evidence.

Students are asked to write an informal three-paragraph analysis with a thesis that identifies three areas of difference and topic sentences that answer comparison questions. The lesson requires students to 'Prove your point by providing specific examples from the two productions' (APE method) and the checklist demands each paragraph 'contain specific information or examples from both productions' and end with an explanation of significance or effect. Students complete a 'Two Versions' activity page to collect comparative evidence while watching both performances.

The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Write arguments to support claims... using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence." Several mini-projects require students to make and support choices with evidence: costume and set design ask students to research Renaissance clothing or scene context and write a paragraph explaining design decisions, and the News and Playlist projects require written justifications (who/what/when/where leads, reasons songs fit characters). The final project instructions require citing outside sources and attaching a Works Cited page, which asks students to supply evidence for claims they make about historical or textual details.

Students are asked to write argumentative responses in Part IV discussion prompts (e.g., defend a position about teaching Shakespeare or evaluate whether Outliers is primarily informational or persuasive) that require providing reasons and examples. Students are explicitly asked to explain what a counterargument is and why it is useful in an argumentative essay in a short-answer question. Students review rhetorical appeals (logos, pathos, ethos) and logical fallacies in the Informational Texts unit and are asked to analyze Gladwell's methods and criticisms in questions about Outliers.