Fourth Grade - ELA
1: Interdependence
Unit 1: Little House in the Big Woods
Lesson 1
Introducing the Story
Students are asked to locate information and record examples of plants and animals from texts about Wisconsin on the "Setting: Wisconsin" chart, which requires identifying specific details from informational sources. Students are asked to look at the book cover and point out clues that indicate the story took place long ago, and to add dates (1871, Laura's birth in 1867) to a timeline based on the text, which requires using text-based details to explain setting and chronology. The skills section also directs students to interact with the text by making connections, answering questions, and locating information.
Lesson 2
Little House in the Big Woods
Students are asked to read the chapter and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., Q1: "What was the girl's house made from?" and Q3: "How does Laura describe the attic?") that require locating details from the text. Several questions prompt inference (e.g., Q1: "Why do you think it was made from this material?" and Q2: "How do you think these animals were dependent on the woods?"), asking students to use text-based reasoning. Activities require students to record observations from the chapter (Life in the Big Woods vs. Life Today chart) and to list natural resources mentioned in the chapter and describe how each aided survival, which directs students to use examples from the text.
Lesson 3
Winter Days and Winter Nights
The Skills section tells students to interact with the text by locating information and answering questions. Multiple comprehension questions (e.g., Q1 and Q2) require students to identify explicit facts from the chapter (which chore days Laura enjoyed) and to infer reasons (why the family made their own butter and ate animals). Activities 1 and 2 ask students to record chores and responsibilities 'in the book' next to character names, and Activity 3 directs students to reread a specific paragraph (page 4, paragraph 2) when comparing homes.
Lesson 4
The Long Rifle
Students are asked to retell the chapter aloud and include the plot elements of Pa bringing cows home, getting lost, hearing a voice, and being punished (Question #2), which asks them to recount explicit events from the text. Students are asked why Pa made his own bullets (Question #1) and why Pa told the girls the story (Question #3), tasks that require them to draw inferences about character motives and historical context. Activity 1 asks students to record one thing they learned about how life in the Big Woods differed from life today, which requires drawing on details from the reading to make a comparison.
Lesson 5
Christmas
Students are prompted to write three questions before reading and then check the text to see if those questions are answered, which requires using the text for explicit information. The Skills section explicitly instructs students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences... and support them by referencing the text." Guided questions (e.g., How does the author describe the snow? What resources were used for the different gifts given?) ask students to cite specific details and examples from the chapter. The Life Application and discussion prompts ask students to explain how gifts reflect the environment, which requires drawing inferences from textual details.
Lesson 6
Sundays and Two Big Bears
Students read two chapters and answer guided comprehension questions (e.g., "Why did Laura and Mary dislike Sundays?" and "What was Laura's favorite picture in the Bible? Why did it appeal to her?"). One question asks for an inference: "Why do you think [she] wasn't punished when she cried, kicked the chair, and said, 'I hate Sunday'?" The Wrap Up asks students to locate a factual statement in the book and a statement that is an opinion, and Activity 1 asks students to record something they learned about life in the Big Woods versus today, which requires using details from the text.
Lesson 7
The Sugar Snow
Students are asked to read the chapter and answer explicit comprehension and inferential questions (Q1–Q5), including ‘‘Do you think Laura was happy…? Why or why not?'' and ‘‘What part of the tree does Pa say the sap is? Why do you think he calls it this?''. Option 2 of the Maple Sugar Farming activity requires students to record the steps Grandpa took while referring to the text, and the Vocabulary Mini-Book asks students to copy a sentence from the book for each target word. The Wrap-Up asks students to summarize what happened in the chapter, which requires referring to text details.
Lesson 8
Dance at Grandpa's
The Skills section explicitly tells students to "gather support by referencing the text" and to "draw conclusions, make generalizations," which directs use of textual evidence. Question 1 asks students to draw a diagram of Grandma's house based on Laura's description, requiring students to locate and use specific details. Multiple comprehension questions (e.g., Q3, Q5) ask for explicit facts from the chapter, and several questions (Q2, Q4, Q6) prompt students to explain "Why do you think..." responses that require inference from the text.
Lesson 9
Going to Town
Several comprehension questions ask students to use text details: Q1 asks how the author describes the woods in spring (students identify birds, green grass, wildflowers), Q5 asks how Laura differs from Mary (students cite age, hair color, behavior). Inferential prompts require students to draw conclusions from details: Q3 asks why the family dressed up for town and Q4 asks students to list purchases and explain differences from modern shopping. Activities 1 and 3 ask students to record things they learned from the text and to give examples to support which character they resemble.
Lesson 10
Summertime and Harvest
Students answer literal comprehension questions that require recalling details from the text (e.g., What did Pa bring home with him? How did he get it?; What did Charley do in the fields?). Activity 2 directs students to "record the words and phrases the author uses" to describe each season, which requires locating and citing textual descriptions. Activity 4 asks students to compare Pa's story to "The Boy Who Cried Wolf," prompting comparison of details across texts. Several questions ask "Why do you think...", prompting students to draw inferences from the text.
Lesson 11
Finishing the Book
Students read the last two chapters and answer specific comprehension questions that require recalling details (e.g., What did Ma make from the grain? What did the wonderful machine do?). Several questions also require students to draw inferences or give reasons (e.g., Why might the family need these? Why did Mary and Laura hold hands? Why did Pa say he didn't shoot the deer? Do you think he made a good decision?). Activity 1 asks students to record one thing they learned about how life in the woods was different than life today, which requires using details from the text.
Final Project
Pioneer Family Night
The skills list tells students to "interact with the text by making connections, answering questions, and locating information," which requires students to use the text. The Reading Activity asks students to choose two to three favorite book sections, practice reading them aloud, and be ready to "explain the favorites." The checklist repeats the task to "read favorite parts of the book... to your family and explain your choices," and other tasks ask students to "explain how the pioneers were dependent on natural resources" and to "explain the significance of music and dance," which invite students to draw on text-based content.
Unit 2: The Sign of the Beaver
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are asked to analyze the book cover and predict what the story might be about, using cover details to infer setting and plot. Activity 1 has students identify the explicit year (1768) and place it on a timeline and locate Maine on a map, linking a stated historical fact to their explanation of context. Activity 2 asks students to explain why Native Americans and settlers might have been upset, prompting students to draw inferences from the presented fact that they fought over land. Activity 3 asks students to include details of the environment in a drawing or poem to show how resources meet needs, encouraging use of concrete details in responses.
Lesson 2
Alone
Students are directed to read Chapters 1–2 and answer chapter questions in a journal, including factual questions (e.g., Why was Matt standing in the woods alone? Describe Matt's home; What chores did Matt have to do?) that require citing specific details from the text. Several questions ask students to explain reasons or make judgments (e.g., Do you think Matt's father should have left him alone? Why or why not?; What was Matt's greatest fear? Why was he so afraid?), which require drawing inferences from text details. The Character Timelines activity asks students to record words or phrases that describe characters' feelings, attitudes, and actions over the course of the book, prompting students to track and cite textual evidence for changes.
Lesson 3
A Stranger
Students answer specific comprehension questions that ask for textual details (e.g., describing Ben's appearance, what happened to the cabin, and what happened when Matt tried to get honey). Students complete a Character Timelines activity in which they record words or phrases describing Matt's feelings, attitudes, and actions from Chapters 3–5. Students explain how Saknis helped heal Matt's bee stings in the Natural Remedies activity and discuss why it might be unusual for an Indian to help a white settler, which requires drawing inferences from the events and social context in the text.
Lesson 4
A Treaty
Students are asked to describe what happened to Matt and who saved him, requiring recall of explicit events. Several comprehension questions require factual answers (e.g., what the old Indian left on the table; what gift Matthew gave Saknis) that ask students to refer to details. Question #1 and #4 prompt inference about why the Indians watched Matthew and how Attean felt, with Question #4 explicitly asking for evidence supporting the inference. The Character Timelines activity asks students to fill in information learned in the section, which directs them to use text details.
Lesson 5
A Story
The Skills section explicitly instructs students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences… and support them by referencing the text." Several comprehension items require referring to explicit details (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks how Matt prepared for Attean's arrival; QUESTION #3 asks how they were dependent on each other). Multiple questions ask students to draw inferences (e.g., QUESTION #2, QUESTION #5, and QUESTION #7 ask why Attean reacted or why Matt made choices), and Activity 3 asks students to explain differing perspectives and reflect on reasons based on the characters' experiences.
Lesson 6
The Beaver
The Skills section instructs students to "use text and own experiences to verify facts, concepts, and ideas" and to "identify and discuss similarities and differences... and support them by referencing the text," which directs students to refer to textual details. The reading questions ask students to answer explicit text-based items (e.g., how Attean fished, what Matt is learning, what the "sign of the beaver" was) that require citing details and examples. Several questions invite inference (e.g., "Why did this seem strange to Matt?" and "Why do you think the story is called The Sign of the Beaver?") and activities (Venn diagram, rereading pages 55-57, Beaver Research) require students to revisit the text and record supporting information.
Lesson 7
Real Life Learning
Students are directed to read Chapters 12 and 13 and answer specific comprehension questions in a journal or discussion (e.g., how Attean taught Matt to make a bow; what they discovered in the woods). The Skills section explicitly tells students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences in events, characters, and ideas... and support them by referencing the text." Activity 1 (Character Timelines) and Activity 3 (Rules of the Forest) require students to record descriptions and create rules "based on what Matt is learning from Attean," which asks them to use story events as the basis for their work.
Lesson 8
The Bear
Students read Chapters 14–16 and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., Q1 asks how Attean and Matt killed the bear with the provided answer referencing the rabbit distraction and the arrow). Students are asked to draw an inference about Attean's feelings (Q2 asks why he felt bad and whether he should have, based on the mama bear with her baby). The Cause and Effect activity and the Flood Stories double-bubble map require students to identify effects and compare details from the text, prompting them to use story events and examples to support their responses.
Lesson 9
Attean's Past
The lesson's Skills section explicitly tells students to "Support interpretations or conclusions with examples from text." The Reading and Questions section gives explicit text-based comprehension questions (e.g., Q1–Q6) that require students to state what the text says (How does Matt describe the village? What did Matt discover in the trap?) and to draw inferences (How might this help explain Attean's attitude toward Matt?). The Activity 3 "Stereotypes" and the Student Activity Page ask students to explain how characters break stereotypes and to describe a stereotype from the book, requiring students to use details and examples from the chapters.
Lesson 10
Manitou
Students are asked to read Chapters 19 and 20 and answer guided questions, including QUESTION #1: "How have Attean's grandmother's feelings toward Matt changed? How do you know?" which explicitly asks for justification from the text. In Activity 2 (Word Pictures) students are instructed to record three passages where the author creates vivid images, copying text passages and illustrating them. In Activity 3 (Values) students record three values for each character and describe what the character did or said to demonstrate each value, requiring them to point to specific examples in the text.
Lesson 11
A Choice
The Skills section explicitly tells students to "Support interpretations or conclusions with examples from text," which directs students to use text-based evidence. Multiple comprehension questions (e.g., Q1, Q2, Q5, Q7, Q8) require students to state explicit details from Chapters 21–22 (how Attean looked, why Matt would not go, what gifts were exchanged). Inference prompts (Q3, Q4) and Activity 3 (Character Interview) ask students to draw conclusions about motivations and character traits, and Activity 1 (Character Timelines) asks students to add specific story information.
Lesson 13
The Return
Students are asked to record the "Book's Solution" for problems in the Solving Problems activity, requiring them to describe how Matt solved each problem using resources and Attean's advice. The reading-and-questions section asks students to answer comprehension questions (e.g., how Matt prepared for winter, how snowshoes helped, why he dreamed of his mother) that require citing specific events and details from the text. The Story Elements and Character Timelines activities require students to fill in setting, problem, resolution, theme, and characters based on the book.
Final Project
The Sign of the Beaver Movie
Students are asked to write a movie synopsis and use a rubric that explicitly asks whether the synopsis "accurately describe[s] the setting" and "accurately describe[s] the main characters," prompting attention to textual details. Students must design Attean's costumes so they "reflect resources in the environment," and must design sets that include props from their chosen scene, requiring recall of scene elements. Students will select a scene and write a script of dialogue between Attean and Matt, recreating interactions from the book.
Unit 3: Native American Animal Stories
Lesson 1
Myths, Legends, and Folktales
Activity 3 asks the student to reread a myth or folktale and identify elements of culture, recording them on an "Elements of Culture" page, with directions to fill only information found in the story. The Student Activity Page explicitly directs: "Read a myth or folktale in your library. Then identify any elements of culture you can find in the myth." Activity 1 asks the student to read stories from the home library and discuss what he can learn about the culture from each story, and Activity 2 asks the student to retell the story after listening.
Lesson 2
People and Animal Stories
Students read four short stories and answer directed comprehension questions that ask for specific events and reasons (e.g., how the woman felt about frogs and why; how the dogs protected the hunter; why Salmon Boy could not live with humans). Students complete a Story Map that requires listing main characters, setting, problem, events, resolution, and ending, which asks them to locate and record story details. Students compare two texts ("The Woman Who Married a Frog" and "The Frog Prince") using a Venn diagram or self-designed chart, requiring them to identify similarities and differences across texts and use examples to support comparisons. Activities such as Elements of Culture, Animal Characters, and Lessons from Animals ask students to record cultural elements, animal traits, and lessons found in the texts, prompting them to draw conclusions from story details.
Lesson 3
The Natural World
Students answer specific text-based comprehension questions after each myth (e.g., "What made Elder Brother sad?"; "What did the vine do to help the Choctaw people?"), which requires retrieving explicit details. Students retell "How Butterflies Came to Be" using a paper bag and the story's ingredients, adding items as they narrate, which uses examples from the text to explain the story. Students also infer character traits (e.g., "How would you describe Possum?") and compare the mythical versus scientific explanations for why the fawn has spots, prompting explanation based on story details.
Lesson 4
Survival Stories
Students are prompted to locate information and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., "What was the man's problem?" and "Why was the whale so important to the Inupiaq people?") that require them to explain what the text says. The lesson includes inference prompts such as "What do you think the author means when he says the Bowhead whale was in 'perfect balance with everything around it'?" and open-response items ("What does the story teach you about U.S. history? -- Answers may vary") that require students to draw conclusions from events. The Skills list explicitly names "Locate information from text for specific purposes" and "Make inferences and draw conclusions based on events in the story." Activities (Elements of Culture chart, Animals and Survival, Ecosystems) require students to identify elements and write sentences describing animals' roles based on the texts they read.
Lesson 5
Legends from Other Cultures
Students are asked direct comprehension questions (e.g., Who was Polo/Ntambo/Kalulu; What did Polo discover; How did Kalulu trick the animals) that require locating and reporting explicit details from the Rabbit/Elephant tale. Students record and illustrate transformations in the Pan Gu myth and complete a double-bubble story map comparing Pan Gu and Silver Fox and Coyote, which requires using specific examples from each text. Students also describe Uaica, explain why people were jealous, summarize the Brazilian story, and identify lessons from animals, all tasks that require drawing inferences or pointing to textual details.
2: Force and Power
Unit 1: Ben and Me
Lesson 1
Ben Franklin and the Colonies
Students are asked to locate and record specific facts about Benjamin Franklin (dates of birth and death, where he lived, scientific and political contributions) which requires referring to details in source texts (Activity 1). Students are prompted to fill in examples of characters and events from a historical fiction novel to show how it qualifies as that genre, which requires citing examples from a text to support a classification (Activity 2). Students label and color the thirteen colonies and list facts about life in the 1700s, which has them extract explicit information from informational sources (Activity 3 and Day 2 activities).
Lesson 2
Setting the Record Straight
Students read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer text-based comprehension questions that ask for explicit details (e.g., where Amos slept, what materials Ben used for the stove, why Amos left his family) and for interpretations (e.g., meaning of 'waste not, want not' and how the stove changed colonists' lives). The vocabulary activity requires students to copy a sentence from the book that contains an unfamiliar word and use that sentence as the basis for defining and applying the word. The Fact and Fiction chart asks students to record a factual event and a fictional event for each chapter, requiring students to identify details from the chapters.
Lesson 3
Swimming
Students read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#6) that require them to recall explicit events and details (e.g., the agreement between Amos and Ben, the dog running off with the hat, what men thought happened to Ben). In Activity 2 students copy the sentences that describe the hat from the text, circle the adjectives, and then illustrate and label the hat based on that description. Activity 1 directs students to record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter, which requires distinguishing text-based facts from fictional elements. Question #7 asks students to explain why Ben did not take the offered hat, prompting students to draw an inference about character motivation.
Lesson 4
Electricity
Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer a set of specific comprehension questions (QUESTION #1–#9) that ask for explicit information from the text (e.g., why Ben was interested in printing, what Amos did while the almanac was printing, what happened to the governor). Students complete a Fact and Fiction activity that requires identifying a factual event and a fictional event from each chapter. QUESTION #7 asks students to infer how Ben would finish a sentence, and the wrap-up asks students to verbally summarize events from the chapters.
Lesson 5
Electrifying
Students are asked to read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer specific comprehension questions that require referring to text details (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks what Ben told Amos he was wondering about; QUESTION #3 asks what happened when the lightning struck). Several prompts require drawing inferences from the text (e.g., QUESTION #2 "Why do you think Ben thought...", QUESTION #6 "Do you think it was wrong for Ben to deceive Amos?" and other "Answers will vary" items). Activity 1 (Fact and Fiction) requires students to record a factual and a fictional event from each chapter, and the Student Activity Page asks students to "Describe what happened" and "Why do you think this happened?", prompting explicit explanation and inference from the reading.
Lesson 6
War
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer chapter questions in a journal, including Q4 which asks, "Why did Ben travel to France? How do you think France could help the colonists?", prompting inference. Students complete a "Fact and Fiction" page by recording a factual and a fictional event from each chapter and complete a "Fact and Opinion" activity in which they mark statements and write two facts and two opinions that Amos shares. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to explain why the colonists went to war and to discuss the problems the colonists had.
Lesson 7
France
Students answer guided reading questions that require referring to text details (for example, Question #1: "How did the French feel about Ben Franklin? How do you know?" and Question #6 asking how Amos describes mice from different countries). Students record factual and fictional events from each chapter in Activity 1, which asks them to identify explicit events versus invented ones. Students describe what force Amos was enlisting and who the mice would use force against in Activity 2, which requires using story events and details to explain plans and motivations.
Lesson 8
Amos's Account
Students are asked to read additional biographical sources (a short biography, prior lesson notes, or Internet sources) to select an event from Ben Franklin's life. In Part 1 students must list ten facts about the event and five ideas/thoughts/opinions Amos would have had, and they must record the sequence of events. The writing rubric explicitly checks whether factual information and vocabulary from the story were included in the student's account.
Lesson 9
The Rescue
Students read Chapters 13 and 14 and answer selected comprehension questions in a journal and discussion, including explicit questions (e.g., what happened when the mice scampered) and inferential questions (e.g., was Amos able to prove he had 'vision?'). In the Fact and Fiction activity, students choose and record a factual event and a fictional event from the chapters. In the Ben and Amos Bags activity, students characterize Ben and Amos 'according to what he has learned from Amos's account,' list traits in categories, place representative items in bags, and explain the significance of each item.
Lesson 10
Back Home
Students are asked to list a factual and a fictional detail from Chapter XV on the Fact and Fiction page, which requires extracting explicit details from the text. Students must locate each of Ben's maxims in context in the book and provide their own interpretations, showing they refer to specific examples in the text. On the Elements of Historical Fiction page students provide examples of events or characters from the book to support each historical-fiction element, which asks them to cite textual evidence for their claims.
Final Project
An Interview or Party for Ben
The lesson's Skills section explicitly tells students to "Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text," which directs them to use text-based support. In the interview option, students must write and answer ten questions "according to what you know about Ben Franklin and the event," tying their answers to events and accomplishments. In the maxims and party tasks, students must explain why maxims or gifts are important, which asks them to justify interpretations about Ben's actions and influence.
Unit 2: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Lesson 1
The Professor's House
Activity 4 directs students to read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer selected questions in a journal or online. Several questions ask for explicit explanations (e.g., why the children went to live with the Professor) and for inferences about character motives and meanings (e.g., why Mr. Tumnus agrees to do bad things, why he calls Lucy a "daughter of Eve"). The wrapping-up task asks students to summarize events and discuss why the book is fantasy instead of historical fiction, requiring them to explain what the text says.
Lesson 2
Edmund Discovers Narnia
Students answer targeted comprehension questions that require recalling explicit details from the chapters (e.g., what happened when Lucy returned, what Edmund heard, how Edmund treated Lucy). Students respond to inferential questions that ask them to interpret motives and meanings (e.g., why the queen changed her tone, what the witch meant by the Turkish Delight being enchanted). Students record concrete examples from each chapter on the "Good vs. Evil" chart and describe characters and setting in wrap-up activities.
Lesson 3
Always Winter and Never Christmas
Students are asked inference questions such as "Why do you think Edmund lied to Peter and Susan about going to Narnia with Lucy?" and evaluative questions like "Is the woman who has power over the creatures of Narnia a queen or a witch? How do you know?" which require students to draw conclusions from the chapters. Several items ask for explicit recall of details (e.g., "What did you learn about the house in this chapter?" and "What happened to Mr. Tumnus' home?"). The "Good vs. Evil" activity asks students to list and illustrate examples from the chapters, and the "Narnia Logic" worksheet has students decide whether conclusions follow from given statements drawn from the text. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students to state what the children discover in Narnia and what can be assumed about the witch, prompting inference from chapter details.
Lesson 4
The Lion
Students answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Where did the robin lead the children? Who was Aslan?) that require recounting explicit details from Chapters 7–8. Several discussion questions ask for inference and justification (e.g., "Whose side do you think the robin was on? Why?" and questions about the children's feelings on hearing the name Aslan). Activity 1 asks students to list examples of good vs. evil from the chapters, and Activity 2 requires students to record words and phrases describing a lion in another story and use a Venn diagram to compare that lion to Aslan, which asks students to use textual details and examples in comparison.
Lesson 5
A Disappointment
Students are asked to summarize what Mr. and Mrs. Beaver taught the children and to recall what happened to Edmund, which requires referring to explicit events. The provided comprehension questions (e.g., reasons Edmund fled to the White Witch, what Edmund saw at the castle, what gifts Father Christmas gave) require students to cite specific details from Chapters 9–10 when answering. Activity 1 asks students to record examples of good vs. evil from the chapters, and Activity 2 and the student activity page require students to read or listen to descriptions of the White Witch and describe her appearance, actions, effects on others, and how others felt, prompting use of textual details and inference.
Lesson 7
Spring
Students read Chapters 11 and 12 and are assigned three or four comprehension questions to answer in a journal, including explicit-detail questions such as how the White Witch treats Edmund and what the animals were doing. Several prompts ask students to draw inferences (e.g., "Why do you think this makes the White Witch so angry?" and "Why do you think these changes were occurring?") and to describe how the environment and Edmund are changing. Activities require students to record examples from the chapters (Good vs. Evil) and to give specific examples of heroic deeds in a letter or award justification.
Lesson 8
Deep Magic
Students are asked to locate specific information in the text (Skills: "Interact with text by locating information for specific purposes") and to answer directed comprehension questions (e.g., Q1: How was Edmund rescued? Q3: What did the White Witch tell Aslan about Edmund? Q4: What was the 'deep magic from the dawn of time?'). The Imagery activity requires students to reread a scene and record the exact words and phrases that appeal to the senses. The Wrapping Up prompt and several open-ended questions (e.g., Why did Lucy and Susan follow Aslan? Why did Aslan not attempt to escape?) require students to explain events and motivations from the chapters.
Lesson 9
Back to Life
Students are asked to summarize what Lucy and Susan observed when they followed Aslan and to answer three or four journal questions about Chapters 15 and 16, including factual items (e.g., what the mice did to Aslan, what happened to the Stone Table, what Aslan did to the stone creatures). Several questions require students to explain events explicitly from the chapters and one question is open-ended (Answers will vary), prompting inference. Activity 2 asks students to describe three ways Aslan resembles a Christ-like figure using a provided list and any other similarities they notice, which prompts students to draw inferences from the text.
Lesson 10
Back Through the Wardrobe
Students answer specific comprehension questions that require recalling explicit details from Chapter 17 (for example, QUESTION #1 asks what bravery Edmund showed and the answer names the act of striking the witch's wand; QUESTION #7 asks what the children discovered and its significance, prompting recall of the lamppost). Several questions require students to explain or justify interpretations (QUESTION #2 asks whether Lucy and Susan should have told Edmund and why; QUESTION #3 asks why Mr. Beaver called Aslan wild and asks for the student's judgment). Activity 2 asks students to discuss and compare differences between the book and the movie and to explain how characters, creatures, and settings matched or differed from their imaginations.
Final Project
Narnia Think-Tac-Toe
The skills list explicitly tells students to "make inferences and draw conclusions about characters and events," and students are asked to "summarize the book" before presentations. Several Think-Tac-Toe tasks require inferential work and explanation (e.g., writing journal entries as characters, writing a paragraph about the tension between creatures' struggles and loyalty, and imagining Edmund's desired reputation). Students also produce analytic and narrative products that would require them to explain what the text says and to interpret characters and themes.
Unit 3: The BFG
Lesson 1
In the Middle of the Night
Students are asked in Question #1 to guess where Sophie lives and explicitly to state "What clues from the text support your guess?" Question #4 asks students to identify "what words and phrases does the author use to describe the giant?" which requires citing textual details. Activity 1 directs students to reread sentences where a vocabulary word appears and use context clues from the novel to determine meaning, and Activity 2 asks students to use Sophie's quoted description of the "witching hour" to produce new writing, requiring interpretation of that text excerpt.
Lesson 2
Snatched
The comprehension questions ask students to recount explicit events (Question 1: What happened to Sophie; Question 5: How does the author describe the environment) and to make inferences or judgments (Question 2: How did Sophie feel; Question 3: Do you think the giant is powerful; Wrapping Up: predict what will happen next). Activity Option 2 directs students to copy the author's description of the setting and then illustrate it, and Activity Option 1/2 ask students to write their own setting description based on the text. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Use text to locate information for specific purposes."
Lesson 3
The BFG
Students read specified chapters ("The BFG" and "The Giants") and are assigned three or four journal questions that ask about what Sophie learns, how giants use size and power, and why the BFG took Sophie, requiring reference to events and character details. The "Quotable Quotes" activity directs students to identify and record exact quotes from each chapter and to choose the most important or meaningful quote, which has students locate textual examples. Multiple comprehension questions ask for descriptions of characters and actions (e.g., what the giants look like, why the BFG did not stop the giants), prompting students to use text details.
Lesson 4
Ears and Snozzcumbers
Students answer specific text-based comprehension questions in a journal (e.g., Where did Sophie live? Why did the BFG cry?), which requires locating explicit details. Students identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG in Activity 1, showing practice with using textual examples. Students are prompted in the Introduction and Skills to use text and personal experience to verify facts and to discuss what Sophie learned and how the BFG differs from other giants.
Lesson 5
Time with the BFG
Students are asked to summarize chapters and make predictions then check them against what they read, which engages them in explaining explicit events and drawing inferences. Students identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG in the "Quotable Quotes" activity, which requires referring to details and examples in the text. Students answer targeted comprehension and inference questions (e.g., why Bloodbottler is rude, how the giants differ) and complete a comparison chart listing similarities and differences in appearance, personality, and power using story-based content.
Lesson 6
Catching People and Dreams
Students answer targeted comprehension questions (e.g., How did the other giants use their power to hurt the BFG? How does the BFG describe the ways the giants catch people to eat? When the BFG was catching dreams, what happened that made him upset?), which require recalling explicit details from the chapters. Activity 1 asks students to identify and record a quote from Sophie and the BFG in each chapter, which has students locate and cite specific text passages. Activity 3 directs students to read a section aloud about how giants catch human beans and then describe how a new giant would catch humans, connecting their responses to the text. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe how the BFG captures dreams, encouraging students to refer to story events.
Lesson 7
A Nightmare for Fleshlumpeater
Students are asked explicit recall questions (e.g., "What did the BFG do to the Fleshlumpeater's face?" and "Who is the one 'human bean' the giants are afraid of?") that require stating what the text says. Students are prompted to identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG and to answer comparison questions (e.g., similarities/differences between Jack and the giants) that require using story details. Students are also asked to explain meanings and make inferences (e.g., "What does the BFG believe is the problem that humans have? Do you think that is true? Why or why not?" and "Ask your child what the giant means by this statement") and to provide examples or evidence for intangible concepts.
Lesson 8
A Dreamy Plan
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in a journal, including inference-style items such as "Why do you think Sophie thought this?" and explanation items such as "Describe Sophie's plan." The "Quotable Quotes" activity requires students to identify and record a direct quote from Sophie and from the BFG in each chapter. Vocabulary and matching activities direct students to find words in context on specified pages, which requires locating details in the text.
Lesson 9
The Palace
Students are asked to identify and record direct quotations from Sophie and the BFG in the "Quotable Quotes" activity, which requires selecting exact lines from the text. Several reading comprehension questions (e.g., Q1 and Q2) ask students to state explicit events or details from the chapters. Other tasks (Questions #4-#6 and the Cause and Effect activities) require students to infer reasons for events, list actions and their effects, or fill in missing causes/effects based on story events.
Lesson 10
A Breakfast Fit for a Queen
Students are asked to answer chapter questions in a journal and respond to comprehension items (e.g., Why did Mary look as though she was going to faint?; How did the queen react when she saw Sophie?), which requires referring to explicit details. Activity 1 directs students to identify direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG, providing practice in citing textual evidence. Activity 3 requires students to select adjectives for the queen and "support it with at least one example from the text," explicitly asking for text-based evidence when characterizing. The Wrap-Up asks students to judge whether the queen's response was believable and explain why, prompting students to draw inferences supported by text details.
Lesson 11
Fighting Giants
Students answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#6) that require recalling explicit details from the chapters, and they respond to inference questions such as Question #3 (opinion on killing giants) and Question #7 (how wits overcame Fleshlumpeater). Activity 1 asks students to identify and record direct quotes from Sophie and the BFG, giving explicit practice in citing textual evidence. The lesson's stated skills include taking notes from relevant sources and drawing conclusions from information gathered, which support using text details to explain and infer.
Lesson 12
Snozzcumbers
The lesson's skills explicitly include "Reference the text to support the theme of a story" and "Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text." Activity 3 directs students to record events, quotes, and characters' actions that support each listed theme. The Reading and Questions section asks students to answer comprehension questions in a journal (including inferential questions such as why the queen's remark matters and whether size and strength are the only sources of power). Activity 1 has students record direct quotes from characters, reinforcing use of textual examples.
Final Project
Recipe for a Dream or Newspaper Report
The unit frames the activity as a final project on the novel The BFG and Option 2 directs students to "write a cover news story that describes what has happened to the children" and "how the Queen found out and responded," which requires recounting explicit events from the text. The London Times directions also require an interview with the BFG using three quotes that reflect his speech, and the rubric explicitly lists inclusion of at least three of the giant's quotes as a criterion. These elements require students to locate and use specific lines or examples from the novel when composing their report.
3: Similarities and Differences
Unit 1: Stories from Africa and Asia
Lesson 1
Meerkats in Botswana
Students are directed to read informational web pages about Botswana and meerkats and to record information in a graphic organizer about land, language, animals, and people. Students must write a descriptive paragraph or a short story that includes at least five facts about meerkats, requiring them to extract explicit details from the texts. The introduction asks students to look at the cover and illustrations and make predictions, and Activity 3 prompts students to discuss meerkat adaptations and the functions those features provide (inferring function from description).
Lesson 2
Meeting Precious
Students read specified chapters and answer targeted comprehension questions (Questions #1–#5) that require them to state explicit details from the text (e.g., description of Botswana; how the hat saved Precious's father). Question #6 asks students to consider clues from the book to make a prediction, prompting them to draw inferences based on textual evidence. Activity 3 asks students to record, for each chapter, ways Precious is similar to or different from themselves, requiring students to use chapter details to support their comparisons.
Lesson 3
The Surprise
Students answer text-based questions (Questions #1–#5) that ask them to explain characters' responses and motivations, identify how Pontsho obtained Kosi and the meaning of the name, and cite scientifically accurate details about meerkats (e.g., Kosi standing on hind legs, diet, family group). Activity 4 asks students to skim Chapter 3 and find specific examples of authorial intrusion, including quoted phrases and page references. Wrapping Up and Activity 1 require students to summarize what happened using details from the chapters, predict next events (drawing inferences), and compare themselves to Precious based on details they learned.
Lesson 4
A Missing Cow
Students are asked explicit comprehension questions (Questions #1, #2, and #4) that require them to state details from the chapters (e.g., what Pontsho brought, what happened when Kosi got out, and that the family lost a cow). Several prompts require students to draw inferences using text details (Question #1 asks why Pontsho brought Kosi, Question #3 asks why the principal reacted differently "based on what the children knew," and the Wrapping Up asks students to predict what will happen following the cows' footprints). Activity 3 directs students to recreate the scene's dialogue and stage directions, which requires referring to and using specific events and actions from the text.
Lesson 5
A Good Idea
Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and are asked to recount what happened and to predict what will happen next. Students answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., where the cows' tracks ended, what Precious's second good idea was, how the men reacted) that require referring to explicit events in the text. Students are asked to infer what the characters learned (Question #6) and to discuss the significance of recorded events, which prompts inferential thinking based on the story.
Lesson 6
African Bush Diorama
Students are asked to summarize the main events (plot) and to describe the main characters and the setting (Book Report Rubric and organizer pages). Paragraph 3 explicitly asks students to explain how Precious's life is similar to and different from the life of a child in the United States, which requires making inferences from the text. Students are encouraged to find descriptions of the book's setting to help design the diorama, prompting them to locate and use textual details.
Lesson 7
Japan
Students are asked to read A Kids Guide to Japan and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., climate, food, traditions) that require using details from the text. Students complete a Venn diagram comparing Japan and America and a map-labeling activity that require locating and organizing information found in the reading. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to explain why Japan and America were at war and to review negative outcomes, which directs students to use facts from the text and facts/definitions provided.
Lesson 9
The Secret is Out
The lesson asks the child to predict Sadako's secret and to explain how he made that prediction, prompting students to use text-based clues to justify their predictions. The listed comprehension questions include explicit-detail items (e.g., What special talent did Sadako have? How did Sadako's parents learn her secret?) that require students to identify events from the text. Other questions (e.g., How was Sadako feeling after she ran? Why do you think she kept it a secret?) require students to draw inferences about characters' feelings and motives from the reading.
Lesson 10
Kenji
The lesson's Skills section instructs students to "identify and discuss similarities and differences ... and support them by referencing the text," directly asking for use of textual evidence. The provided comprehension questions (Questions #1-#6) require students to state explicit information from the chapters, and Question #7 asks students to compare and contrast Kenji and Sadako using text-based details. The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to summarize events and reflect on how Sadako's family must feel, which asks students to draw inferences from the text.
Lesson 11
O Bon
Students are asked to read the chapters "Hundreds of Wishes" and "Last Days" and to answer three questions in their journal while discussing the remaining questions aloud. The lesson includes specific comprehension questions that require citing explicit details (e.g., Q1 on weather, Q2 on what Sadako's mother brought, Q4 on why the doctor was pleased, Q5 what O Bon was, Q6 how the family celebrated) and questions that require inference and justification (Q3 on whether Sadako's mother believes she will get better; Q7 on why the mother made a kimono). Activity 1 directs students to record cultural information on a "Japanese Cultural Elements" chart and Activity 2 requires journal entries and songs that draw on details from the text about O Bon and ancestor remembrance.
Lesson 12
Racing the Wind
Students are asked explicit comprehension questions that require recalling details (e.g., "What did Sadako keep thinking about?"; "What did Sadako's class make for her after she died?"). Several prompts require students to draw inferences and explain reasoning (e.g., "Why do you think she couldn't stop?"; "Why do you think the author ends the story this way?"). The lesson directs students to answer one or two questions in their journal and to discuss remaining questions, which asks them to explain what the text says and to provide inferred explanations.
Lesson 13
Precious and Sadako
Students are asked to record a description from each book, a quotation from each character, a phrase another character uses, and words or phrases describing personality (Activity 1), which requires citing specific text details. The Skills list explicitly directs students to "draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text" and to "identify and discuss similarities and differences ... and support them by referencing the text." In Activity 3 (Option 2) students must write a first-person letter that explains an important event, its circumstances, and how the character felt, which requires using textual details and making inferences about feelings.
Unit 2: Holes
Lesson 1
Texas and Desert Biomes
Students are asked to look at the cover of Holes and 'look for clues in the cover's illustration' to predict what the story might be about, which requires using textual/visual evidence to make an inference. In the Texas and Desert activities, students research maps, pictures, and videos and then label maps, complete Venn diagrams, record names of animals and plants, and write paragraphs describing geographic location, rainfall, and adaptations—tasks that require using details from sources to explain features. The desert question set asks students to answer why few people live in the desert and what makes a desert different from other habitats, prompting students to use gathered details to explain and justify responses.
Lesson 2
Camp Green Lake
Students read Chapters 1–4 and answer specific comprehension questions that require recalling explicit details (e.g., "What did Stanley's father do for a job?","How does the author describe Camp Green Lake?","Why did Stanley have to go to Camp Green Lake?"). Question #8 asks students to give an opinion and reasoning about whether digging holes will reform a boy, which asks them to draw on the text to support an inference. The "Happy Campers" graphic organizer directs students to record things they learn about each boy as they read, encouraging students to gather details from the text.
Lesson 3
Digging
Students are asked to read Chapters 5–7 and answer specific comprehension questions that require explicit recall (e.g., "What was the one rule at Camp Green Lake?", "What did Stanley tell the boys he had done?"). The lesson includes inferential questions that require students to draw conclusions (e.g., "Why do you think all the boys had nicknames?", "Why do you think someone dropped the shoes?", "How did Stanley feel after he dug his first hole?"). The listed skill explicitly includes "Make inferences and draw conclusions about characters," and students are directed to write answers in a journal and discuss responses.
Lesson 4
Caveman
Students read Chapters 8–12 and answer targeted comprehension questions that ask for explicit facts from the text (e.g., "What is a yellow spotted lizard?" and "What did Stanley find when he was digging his second hole?"). Some questions prompt inferential thinking (e.g., "Why do you think the other boys let X-Ray be their leader?" and "How were the boys at Camp Green Lake similar to and different from other boys?"). Option 1 explicitly asks students to "record the author's description" of the yellow-spotted lizard and to illustrate it, requiring students to extract and use details from the text.
Lesson 5
KB
Students are asked to read Chapters 13–16 and answer comprehension questions that require explicit recall (e.g., "What did Stanley find when he was digging his hole?"). Several questions require students to draw inferences from events (e.g., "What do you think the Warden is looking for?" and "What does this tell us about Zero?"). Activity 2 (Irony) asks students to identify and explain ironic statements from the book and to produce an example related to the text, which requires using examples from the story.
Lesson 6
Sunflower Seeds
Students are asked to summarize chapters and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., what the Warden did to Armpit; where Magnet got the sunflower seeds), which requires recalling explicit details from the text. Several questions ask for reasons or meanings (e.g., why the Warden poked Armpit, why Stanley lied, and the meaning of the phrase about Stanley's hardened heart), prompting students to draw inferences. The wrap-up asks students to describe how Camp Green Lake is changing Stanley and to discuss irony, which requires using text events and examples to support interpretive responses.
Lesson 7
Zero
Students read Chapters 21-24 and answer journal questions that ask them to explain events (e.g., What did Stanley discover Zero had done for him?; Where did Stanley realize he had seen the gold tube before?). Several questions prompt inference (e.g., Why do you think he did this?; How do you think Zero knew that Stanley did not steal the sneakers?), requiring students to draw conclusions about characters and motives. Activity 3 asks students to locate the author's description of Green Lake and then draw the past and present settings based on that description, requiring use of textual details to create representations.
Lesson 8
Sam the Onion Man
Students answer specific text-based comprehension questions (e.g., "Who was Sam?" "What did the town do to Sam?") that require referring to events and details in Chapters 25–28. Students respond to inference questions (e.g., "How did Sam and Kate feel about each other? Why might this be a problem?" and "How did the experience change Kate?") that require drawing conclusions from the text. The Skills section explicitly tells students to "draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text," and Activity 1 asks students to write a speech or poem in response to the town's treatment, which requires using textual events and examples. The Wrapping Up task asks students to summarize the story and discuss the book's two plots, reinforcing use of details to explain and infer.
Lesson 9
Driving a Truck
Students read Chapters 29–32 and are asked to answer four journal questions and discuss others orally, including explicit comprehension items (e.g., "What was the thumb of God?" with a text-based answer). Several questions require inference and justification (e.g., "Do you think Stanley should have let Zero dig part of his hole? Why or why not?" and "Do you think Stanley should have gone out after Zero? Why or why not?"). Activities ask students to record information about the boys and complete a Character Comparisons organizer, which requires noting similarities and differences drawn from the text, and the wrap-up asks students to summarize what happened in the chapters.
Lesson 10
The Mary Lou
Students are asked to read Chapters 33–36 and to answer three chapter questions in a journal, requiring them to explain events from the text. The provided question set includes explicit-detail questions (e.g., "What object did Stanley find…?" and "What name was on the boat?") and inferential questions (e.g., "How do you think it got there?" and "Why do you think Zero would rather die…?"). The Wrapping Up prompt asks students to describe what happens to Stanley and to think of similes or metaphors the author could have used, which asks students to explain textual events and interpret language choices.
Lesson 11
The Thumb of God
Students are asked targeted comprehension questions that require stating explicit events (e.g., "What did Stanley find beneath his feet... What did this mean?" and "Where did the onions come from?"), which requires explaining what the text says. Students are also asked inferential questions (e.g., "Why do you think it took Zero so long to tell Stanley the truth?" and "Why do you think he decided to tell him?"), which requires drawing conclusions beyond explicit statements. The Venn diagram activity asks students to list similarities and differences between two storylines, prompting them to use story details to support comparisons.
Lesson 12
Treasure and Lizards
Students read Chapters 42–45 and answer comprehension questions in a journal and orally, including prompts that ask "Why do you think..." and "How had Stanley's feelings about himself changed?" which require explanation and inference. In the Conflict in Holes activity, students choose three types of conflict from the novel, describe each conflict from the book, and illustrate it on the Student Activity Page. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to describe what happened to Stanley and Zero and to explain which conflict is most interesting and why, encouraging students to use events from the story in their responses.
Lesson 13
Innocent
Students read Chapters 46–50 and are asked to answer specific comprehension questions orally or in a journal, including causal 'Why' questions (for example, Why do you think the Warden decided not to shoot Stanley and Zero?). Students are prompted to predict the ending and identify irony in the last chapters, and Activity 3 asks students to sequence events and identify the problem, climax, and solution for two intertwined plots, which requires using events from the text. Activity 2 asks students to compare the movie and the book and discuss similarities and differences, prompting reference to events and character development from the text.
Unit 3: Stories from Europe
Lesson 2
Fiona's Luck
Students are asked, "How would you describe Fiona? What evidence from the story supports your opinion of Fiona?" which requires using text details to support an inference about character. The Fact and Fantasy activity asks students to record three factual details from the story and three fantasy elements, requiring them to identify examples from the text. Day 2 includes informational reading about Ireland with direct factual questions (e.g., which group invaded Ireland in 1170; what happened in 1948) that require students to refer to explicit details in an informational text. The Story Elements activity asks students to record setting, characters, plot, conflict, and resolution based on details in the story.
Lesson 3
The Sea King's Daughter
Students are asked specific comprehension and inference questions after reading (e.g., Q1 asks what Sadko's job was, Q2 asks how he felt about the city and explicitly follows with "How do you know he felt this way?"; Q3 asks why the Sea King wanted to keep Sadko). The Fact and Fantasy activity requires students to record three story elements that are factual and three that are fantasy, forcing students to identify details and examples from the text. The Story Elements graphic organizer and the final verbal summary prompt students to describe characters, setting, theme, conflict, and resolution using information from the story.
Lesson 4
The Snow Queen
Students answer explicit comprehension questions about Denmark (e.g., Ice Age effects, number of islands, transportation) and about The Snow Queen (e.g., what the goblin's mirror does; what gets in Kay's eye and heart). Students fill a Story Elements organizer asking for setting, characters, theme, conflict, and resolution, and they complete compare/contrast work (Frozen vs. The Snow Queen) that requires citing similarities and differences. The lesson also prompts students to refer to the Hans Christian Andersen text during discussion and asks inferential questions (e.g., why Andersen wrote tales as told aloud; why screenwriters changed the story).
Lesson 5
Comparing and Contrasting Stories
Students are asked to briefly summarize each of three stories and are told they can review activity pages and flip through the books to jog their memory, prompting use of text details. Students are instructed to refer to the "Story Elements" pages when completing the "Comparing Story Elements" sheet, where they list similarities and differences and explain which stories are most similar or different. Students must retell selected events from a story in first person and then explain what difference the new point of view makes, which requires using events from the text.
4: Exploration and Survival
Unit 1: Abel's Island
Lesson 1
Survival
Students are directed to read Abel's Island and "look for the names of river plants and animals found in the story" (Activity 2), which asks them to identify explicit details. Students are asked to note "ways the main character uses river resources" and add these examples to the "Natural River Resources" chart (Activity 3). Students are prompted to compare a personal list of things they would miss to "the things that Abel … says he misses most," which requires referring to text details (Activity 4).
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students answer comprehension questions that require recalling explicit details (e.g., questions about what Abel and his wife were doing, the weather, the shelter, and how the wind carried Abel). Students use a "Using Natural Resources" organizer to record the natural resources Abel uses and describe how he uses them, which requires referencing events from the chapters. Students complete "Predictions and Inferences" activities that ask them to infer character traits from provided sentences and to write predictions about what will happen next; the Skills list also states students should "support interpretations or conclusions with examples drawn from text."
Lesson 3
Where Am I?
Students are asked to answer specific comprehension questions (Questions 1–7) that require locating explicit details from Chapters 3 and 4, such as where the tree was, what Abel ate, and how he adapted. Question 8 explicitly instructs students to "Support interpretations or conclusions with examples drawn from text," requiring students to draw inferences and cite textual support. Activities ask students to fill a "Using Natural Resources" chart from the chapters and to describe and label parts of Abel's boats using story details, which requires locating and using textual information for specific purposes.
Lesson 4
Who Is Abel?
Students are asked to provide evidence from the story to support character traits (Activity 2) and to record words/phrases with corresponding textual evidence in the "Who Is Abel?" activity page. The skills list explicitly includes "Draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text" and "Make inferences and draw conclusions about characters and events." Reading questions require students to explain explicit events (e.g., how Abel knew which foods to eat) and to offer answers that "will vary," prompting inference supported by text.
Lesson 5
Perseverance
Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q7) that require recalling what happened (e.g., the river-crossing plan, how Abel made fire). Students are asked to fill in a chart ("Using Natural Resources") by taking information from those chapters, which requires extracting details and examples from the text. Students are prompted to discuss why Abel had certain thoughts (Option 2), an activity that asks them to draw inferences from the author's language about the character.
Lesson 6
Surprises
The Skills statement explicitly tells students to "draw conclusions, make generalizations, and gather support by referencing the text." Comprehension questions require students to refer to text details for explicit meanings (e.g., Q1, Q2, Q5, Q7) and to make inferences from the text (e.g., Q4 asks how objects got there; Q6 asks how Abel knew to dive). Activity 1 directs students to fill a chart "taking information from Chapters 9 and 10," and Activity 2 asks students to order Abel's routines and explain how they decided—both requiring use of textual details and examples.
Lesson 7
Threats
Students answer targeted comprehension and inference questions (Questions #1–#5) that ask them to explain Abel's feelings, actions, and environmental changes using information from Chapters 11–12 (e.g., why he felt uneasy, how he used a spear, how he adapted to snow). Students fill a "Using Natural Resources" chart by taking information directly from Chapters 11 and 12, requiring extraction of details and examples from the text. Students record the sentence that uses each vocabulary word on vocabulary cards and use chapter pages to locate those sentences, practicing consultation of textual examples.
Lesson 8
The Dead of Winter
Students are asked to read Chapters 13 and 14 and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., why Abel went out, how he adapted) that require using details from the text. The skills section instructs students to "support [discussions] by referencing the text," and Activity 1 asks students to fill a chart "taking information from Chapters 13 and 14." The wrap-up directs students to "find information in the chapters that explains Abel's hibernation/torpor (p. 74-75)," and several questions (e.g., meaning of "memory... become shadowy") require drawing inferences from the text.
Lesson 9
The Newcomer
Students answer literal and inferential comprehension questions about Chapters 15 and 16 (e.g., What did Gower do for a job? Why did Gower leave the island? Do you think Gower will organize a rescue crew? Why or why not?). Students are asked to fill in a chart "Using Natural Resources" taking information from Chapters 15 and 16 and to create a Venn diagram comparing Abel and Gower by physical attributes, attitudes, and personalities. Students are asked to reread pages 93–96, discuss the action and dialogue, and prepare a script that uses lines and stage directions from the text.
Lesson 10
Escape
Students write three big and three little questions about Chapters 17–18 as they read, distinguishing factual (little) questions from inferential (big) ones. Students are asked whether Abel will ever get home and to explain why or why not, prompting them to draw inferences from the text. Students describe Abel before and after the island and explain what caused his change, requiring them to base explanations on the story events. The skills list also instructs students to use text and personal experience to verify facts, concepts, and ideas.
Lesson 11
Home at Last
Students answer specific recall questions (Questions 1–4) that require them to refer to details in Chapters 19 and 20. Students fill in the "Using Natural Resources" chart by taking information directly from the chapters, extracting examples from the text. Students identify a story's theme and are asked to cite textual evidence on the Theme Bubble Map (Option 2), and the skills list directs students to support interpretations with examples drawn from the text.
Unit 2: Pedro's Journal
Lesson 1
Exploring with Columbus
Students are asked to record questions about Columbus and then read Pedro's Journal to see whether those questions are answered, prompting them to refer back to the text. The "Historical Fiction" bubble map asks students to list two factual descriptions of characters, two examples of fiction, two examples of historical events, and two authentic setting descriptions, requiring students to cite details and examples from the story. Activity pages and organizers ("Columbus, The Man," "Reasons for Exploration," and the route map) require students to record dates, important events, positives/negatives, and characteristics based on their reading and research.
Lesson 2
August
Students read Pedro's journal entries and answer specific comprehension questions that ask for explicit facts (e.g., Why was Pedro hired?) and inferential explanations (e.g., Why would Pedro turn away from his mother?). Students complete a month-by-month chart ('The Journey') that requires them to record geographic location, important events, and the attitudes of Columbus, Pedro, and the crew—information they must extract from the text. Students discuss crew members' feelings about the ocean and choose writing prompts that ask them to use factual information and personal reflection tied to the reading.
Lesson 3
September
Students are asked to read Pedro's journal entries and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Q1, Q2, Q5) that require recalling explicit details such as Pedro's job, the consequence of not finding a port, and signs of land. Questions such as Q3 and Q4 ask students to explain why the men do not trust Columbus and how sailors interpreted the meteor differently than Columbus, prompting students to draw inferences from the text. Students are also prompted to summarize what happened in September and to discuss why meteor sightings may have been fearful, which ask them to explain and infer based on reading and background information.
Lesson 4
October
Students answer nine reading comprehension questions that ask for explicit details (e.g., "What did the sailors notice when they landed on the island?" and "Where did Columbus think they had landed?") and for inferences (e.g., "Why would the men think Columbus is crazy?" and "Why would Columbus want to take some natives back to Spain?"). Students complete a two-bubble graphic organizer recording words or phrases the crew and the natives might use to describe one another, requiring them to draw conclusions from the text. In the wrap-up students are asked to describe how the book portrays the native people and explain why Pedro is uncomfortable, prompting students to use text-based reasoning.
Lesson 5
Journal Writing
Students are asked to identify three events Pedro writes about and three places where Pedro records his feelings, which requires locating and referring to specific details and examples in the text. Students are prompted to note that Pedro's journal includes actual events and his feelings and thoughts, and to use the Pre-Writing organizer to list ten facts and three feelings about an event, which involves selecting and recording textual details. Students are encouraged to read their journal entry and determine if they communicated the importance of the event and their observations, which invites checking understanding of explicit meaning.
Lesson 6
November
Students read Pedro's journal entries for November and answer guided questions that require using the text (e.g., Question #1 asks why Columbus wanted to take natives back to Spain, an explicit detail; Question #5 asks what past experience Pedro relates to Columbus's actions, requiring students to connect details). The skills list explicitly includes 'Draw conclusions from information gathered' and 'Analyze characters, including their traits, feelings, relationships, and changes,' and activities (Surviving Life at Sea/Surviving Life on Land) ask students to list disadvantages from Pedro's perspective based on the reading. Wrapping up prompts ask students to explain what Pedro is learning about the natives and Columbus, which asks for explanations grounded in the text.
Lesson 7
December
Students read the December journal entries and answer specific comprehension questions in their journals (for example, QUESTION #1 asks them to describe the sailors' encounter with the natives and QUESTION #2 asks whether the crew believed they were in Asia). Several questions require students to draw inferences (QUESTION #3 asks why the king's instruction might be a mistake; QUESTION #5 asks whether Pedro was at fault for sinking the Santa Maria). In Activity 2 students read pages 52–53, list and label expected versus actual treasures, compare the two lists, and answer whether the soldiers are right to complain, drawing on details from the text.
Lesson 8
The Island of the Skog
The lesson's Skills list explicitly requires students to "support [similarities and differences] by referencing the text" and to "use text ... to verify facts, concepts, and ideas." The Reading and Questions section asks students to answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., why the mice set off) and inferential questions (e.g., in what ways the captain is similar to Columbus; how the community changed). Activity 1 asks students to write similarities and differences between two texts on a graphic organizer, and Activity 2 asks students to write three ways the mice showed prejudice and three ways Columbus was prejudiced, requiring text-based examples.
Lesson 9
January
Students read Pedro's journal entry for January and answer comprehension questions that ask for explicit details (for example, why some men stayed behind, where Pedro went, and how the author describes the manatees). The lesson includes an inferential question (Question #4: "Why do you think the natives became less and less friendly?") that asks students to draw conclusions beyond explicit statements. Activity 1 asks students to fill in a "The Journey" page, reinforcing recall of textual details.
Lesson 10
February
Students are asked to finish the book and answer journal questions that require referring to events (for example, questions about stormy sea conditions, the fate of the Pinta, and how long the voyage took). Several questions require inference about characters and motives (for example, Was Pedro enjoying the voyage? and Why do you think Pedro never went back to sea again?), and Activity 3 asks students to write a firsthand report "from Pedro's perspective" and to look back at information recorded on "The Journey" pages to remind them of what they have learned. The question set includes specific factual prompts and open-ended prompts that prompt students to use details from the text to explain explicit events and to draw conclusions.
Final Project
Story Blocks
Students are asked to record three sentences with quotes from the text on the Quotes Cube and to write sentences describing those quotes, which requires locating and using explicit textual details. On the Survival Cube and Historical Fiction Cube students record threats to sailors, survival strategies, and three historical facts from the story, which directs them to extract explicit information. The Characters, Setting, Vocabulary, and Similes cubes require students to identify character names and descriptions, illustrate aspects of setting, use vocabulary from the story in sentences, and copy similes from the text, all of which involve referring to specific details or examples in the text.
Unit 3: Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH
Lesson 1
Sickness
Students are asked to answer specific comprehension questions that require details from the chapters (e.g., Describe Mrs. Frisby and her family; What surprise did Mrs. Frisby find in the garden; Who is Mr. Ages?). The Skills section and the Plot Flowchart activity require students to reference the text to determine plot and sequence of events by recording a major event for each chapter. Vocabulary activities present sentences from the book and ask students to use those examples to determine word meanings and analyze word parts, tying definitions to textual examples.
Lesson 2
Spring is Coming
Students read specified chapters and record events on a Plot Flowchart, requiring them to locate explicit events in the text. Question #1 asks students to base an illustration on the author's description of the cat, directing them to use textual details. Question #2 asks what happens in the garden and how that threatens the mice, and Question #3 asks for the meaning of a quoted line, both prompting students to draw inferences from the chapters. Activity 2 asks students to describe the setting and explain how it threatens survival, which asks for explanation grounded in the story.
Lesson 3
A Visit to an Owl
Students read the chapters and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q5) that require recalling explicit details (e.g., what Jeremy told Mrs. Frisby, how the owl's home is described, why Mrs. Frisby was afraid). Students complete a Plot Flowchart by selecting an event from the chapters, which requires identifying events from the text. A final prompt asks students to describe what happened in the reading and to give an opinion (Q6), which asks them to draw a conclusion about Mrs. Frisby's choice.
Lesson 4
Rats in the Rosebush
Students read the chapters "Go to the Rats" and "In the Rosebush" and answer assigned journal questions that ask for explicit facts (Questions #1-#4) such as the owl's advice and Timothy's response. Students respond to open-ended questions (Questions #5 and #6) that ask them to explain motives and predict outcomes, requiring them to draw inferences from the text. Students complete a plot flowchart and a bubble map that ask them to list specific ways Mrs. Frisby showed bravery and to describe threats to Timothy, which asks for examples from the chapters.
Lesson 5
Meeting the Rats
Students are asked to answer reading comprehension questions in a journal (e.g., describe Brutus and Nicodemus, how the rats responded to Mrs. Frisby), which requires recalling details from the chapters. The Plot Flowchart activity asks students to describe an important event from both chapters, and the Beyond Needs activity asks students to list examples of how the rats functioned beyond normal rats and to identify machines and inventions from the text. The prompt to predict what the rats will be like and the question about Mrs. Frisby's husband encourage students to draw inferences from the story.
Lesson 6
A Plan for Mrs. Frisby
Students read the chapters "Isabella" and "A Powder for Dragon" and answer specific comprehension questions in a journal (e.g., identify who Isabella is, where the rats want to move Mrs. Frisby's home, and how Mrs. Frisby's husband died). Question #5 asks students to decide whether the rats' plan will work and to explain why, prompting students to form an inference and justify it. Activities ask students to describe important events on a plot flowchart and to describe the rats' plan in a wrap-up, which require referring to details from the text.
Lesson 7
The Capture
The lesson's Skills list explicitly instructs students to "gather support by referencing the text" and to "draw conclusions." Multiple reading questions (Questions #1–#6) ask students to state explicit details from the chapters (e.g., tools needed, where the rats lived, how they were caught). Question #7 explicitly asks students to determine whether scientists mistreated the rats and to "Use evidence from the book to support your answer," and the summary and Plot Flowchart activities require students to identify important events and summarize them using text-based details.
Lesson 8
Life at NIMH
Students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., "What did Justin try to do?" and "What was Justin's plan for getting out of his cage?") that require recalling details from the chapters. Several prompts ask students to draw inferences (e.g., "How did the scientists respond… Why do you think they responded in this way?", "What do you think the scientists could learn…?", and "Why do scientists do research on animals?") and record responses in a journal or discussion. Activities such as the Plot Flowchart and the Wrapping Up prompt ask students to describe life at NIMH and justify whether the scientists' actions were good or bad, encouraging explanation based on events and reasoning.
Lesson 9
The Escape
Students answer specific comprehension questions (Questions #1–#7) that require locating and explaining explicit details from the chapters (e.g., why the rats delayed escape, what tools they used, what they discovered). The Plot Flowchart and the wrap-up prompt students to record important events and describe how the mice escaped, tasks that require referring to text details. Activity 2 and the student worksheet ask students to explain motivations and compare Nicodemus before and after NIMH, which requires drawing inferences and using examples from the text. The Skills section explicitly lists locating information in text and making inferences as student activities.
Lesson 10
Amazing Rats
Students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., questions asking what the plan was, what Mrs. Frisby saw, and what the Toy Tinker was), requiring them to refer to details in the chapters. Students record an important event from each chapter on a Plot Flowchart, which requires identifying explicit text events. Students write how the Rats of NIMH use listed tools and brainstorm how the mice could have obtained electricity, which asks them to draw inferences from the text and related information. Activity 4 asks students to list things the rats learned and write a supported paragraph describing how their opinion changed, using linking phrases such as "for example" to connect reasons to their conclusions.
Lesson 11
The Plan
When students finish the chapters Thorn Valley and Captured, they are asked to answer journal questions that require recall of explicit details (for example, Q1–Q5 ask what the rats discovered, how they got power, and why they lived near the farmhouse). Several questions require students to draw inferences (for example, Q6 asks why a character never told another about his experience; Q8 asks why rats planned to destroy everything and whether that was a good idea). Activity 1 asks students to record an important event from each chapter on a Plot Flowchart, which requires identifying and using specific events from the text.
Lesson 12
Working in the Night
Students answer specific comprehension questions that require referring to text details (e.g., Q1 asks what happened to Jenner and the rats; Q4 asks who rescued Mrs. Frisby and how). One question directly asks students to infer motives and justify their thinking (Q3: Do you think the people coming to investigate the rats are from NIMH? Why or why not?). The wrapping-up prompt and Activity 2 explicitly ask students to use examples from the text (draw the rats moving the house from the author's description; discuss ways the rats were inventive using examples).
Lesson 13
A New Home
Students are asked to record specific examples from the book in the Elements of Fantasy activity, which requires pulling details from the text for Setting, Characterization, Plot, Theme, and Style/Tone. The Plot Flowchart and Plot Diagram activities require students to list problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and solution by referring to events in the chapters. The Reading and Questions section includes targeted comprehension questions (e.g., why Nicodemus wanted Mrs. Frisby at the meeting, how the rats escaped, who carried Brutus) and opinion/inference prompts (e.g., Do you think it is important... Why?/Which rat... Why?) that ask students to explain and support answers using text events.
Final Project
The Next Chapter or Book Float
Students are instructed to look at the chapter "Thorn Valley" to find the author's description when they write a description of Thorn Valley for their new chapter. The rubric and planning prompts ask students to make sure the setting reflects the book, that characters act and speak in ways appropriate for their personalities, and that events match what the rats wanted from their move. Students must discuss how the rats hoped to live in Thorn Valley and describe how the characters are surviving and interacting with their environment when they write the chapter and outline events. The dialogue task requires students to reproduce conversations that are realistic and represent the way characters spoke in the book.