Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 2
The Scorpion
Students are asked to answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires producing grammatically correct, sentence-level writing. Students keep a journal of descriptive phrases from The Pearl and read aloud those words and phrases, practicing word choice and stylistic observation. Students label noun phrases, verb phrases, and parts of speech in sentences, which practices constructing clear sentence-level structure and recognizing elements that affect style.
Lesson 3
The Pearl
Students practice conventions by copying and correcting two sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the Editing Sentences activity. Students identify and record Steinbeck's strong verbs and vivid adjectives in a Verbs and Adjectives chart and discuss how verbs 'show' action and adjectives build imagery. Students produce original writing for audience/readership by choosing to write a poem describing the ocean floor, with the option to borrow Steinbeck's descriptive language.
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students are asked to produce a travel brochure with specified sections (places to see, nature and wildlife, people and culture, map, food) and are told the purpose is to provide information and entice visitors, which directs organization and audience consideration. Students who choose the pearl-diving option must take notes, organize note cards into a logical sequence, and write a one-page script for an oral presentation, practicing delivery and deciding when to use visual aids. Directions explicitly tell students to engage the viewer, avoid simply listing facts, and use voice inflection and eye contact, linking style and audience engagement to their product. The Parent Plan lists skills such as choosing precise, engaging language and organizing information to achieve particular purposes and appeal to audience background.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are asked to edit and correct sentences in Activity 1, which requires them to practice grammar, punctuation, and sentence-level clarity. In Activity 2 students write a 5–10 line song that must reflect Kino's culture, use stylistic devices, and consider beat, tempo, and mood, which requires purposeful stylistic choices for an intended audience. In Activity 3 students compile a stylistic devices log and identify examples of figurative language and imagery, practicing selection and use of language features that shape style.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students are asked to "read Chapter 4... and then answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires producing written responses. Students write original sentences in Parts II of the Prepositional and Appositive Phrases activities that must begin with a prepositional phrase, include an appositive, or function as adjective/adverb phrases. Students brainstorm at least five symbolic meanings of the pearl on a graphic organizer, producing and organizing short ideas in writing.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students read Chapter 5 and write four discussion questions of different types (Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, On My Own) and provide answers, practicing purposeful short-form writing. Students copy and edit given sentences to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, practicing sentence-level clarity and mechanics. Students record sentences and phrases in a stylistic device log and consider how each affects the reader, practicing awareness of style.
Lesson 8
Escape
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and to write two sentences of their own that contain a participial phrase and an infinitive phrase, labeling their functions. Option 2 asks students to "write a few sentences of their own about what happened in the chapter, including three verbal phrases," and students are told to add examples of effective stylistic devices from the final chapter to a log. The activities therefore require students to produce short written responses and to attend to stylistic elements at the sentence and short-paragraph level.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students complete a story map that requires them to outline setting, characters, themes, introduction, rising action, climax, and resolution, and they are instructed to establish context, a standard plot line, and point of view. Students write a 500–700 word first draft, revise using specific proofreading symbols, and type a final copy. The Parable Rubric requires clear Content/Organization (setting described, theme portrayed, plot easy to follow, relatable characters), Voice/Word Choice (third person, hold reader's attention), and Conventions (spelling, punctuation, paragraph breaks). Students are also asked to experiment with figurative language, dialogue, suspense, and other stylistic devices as part of developing voice and style.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write a persuasive speech defending or prosecuting Kino and to 'use persuasive techniques and evidence from the story,' which targets purpose and use of evidence. Students must write and rehearse a script (Scene Memory, Quick Script) that summarizes key events and characters, which requires organizing content for a performance audience. Students create a book cover that includes a summary of the book and author details and complete a compare/contrast Venn diagram, which call for concise informational writing and organized comparison. Part D asks for 2–3 sentence answers about character change, symbolism, and stylistic devices, and Part C has grammar identification tasks that address sentence-level style choices.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and instructed to "use your journal to record what the reader learns about the culture and characters" from the first four chapters, which requires composing written descriptions of customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, food, or other cultural elements. Students are asked to "make up ten trivia questions about Mozambique" and "record the questions and answers on the 'Mozambique Trivia' page," which requires producing written questions and answers for an implied audience. The activities also ask students to provide a brief verbal summary of the chapters and to label and annotate maps, which involve organizing information to communicate geographic and cultural facts.
Lesson 2
Sickness
Students are instructed to "record the information you gather as an Investigator in your journal," which requires them to write and organize four or five bits of background information. Students also create a "Vocabulary Picture Dictionary" in which they write their own sentence for each target word and arrange words in the order they appear in the book, connecting definitions, images, and example sentences.
Lesson 3
A Visit with the Muvuki
Students are asked to write four discussion questions about Chapters 8–10, requiring them to compose purposeful, non‑yes/no questions and to include at least one open‑ended and one inference question. Students complete a 5‑minute freewriting activity about what they like and find challenging about writing, practicing fluent idea generation. The lesson explicitly defines the parts of the writing process (prewriting, drafting, revising, proofreading) and notes that revising involves looking for problems with organization, focus, and support for ideas.
Lesson 5
Lake Cabora Bassa
The lesson explicitly defines prewriting and presents multiple prewriting strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, invisible writing, idea webs) that students are instructed to use to generate and organize ideas. The lesson describes features of a personal narrative (story elements, figurative language, engaging plot, unique voice) and asks students to begin a personal narrative by selecting a meaningful event and recording prewriting in their journal. Students are asked to describe settings in detail and explain the role of setting in conflict, which practices descriptive development relevant to narrative writing.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
Students complete a 5 W's chart to generate and select relevant details for a personal narrative, practicing development of content. Students fill a Personal Narrative Story Elements organizer to plan introduction, rising action, climax, and resolution, practicing organization of ideas. Students review a detailed Personal Narrative Rubric that requires an engaging introduction, effective transitions, consistent first-person point of view, unique voice, vivid word choice, sentence variety, and a strong conclusion, practicing aspects of style and coherence. Students also identify lines of "good writing" in the text and explain why, practicing recognition of stylistic techniques.
Lesson 7
Baboons
Students are asked to write an 8–10 sentence museum plaque describing baboon social dynamics for zoo patrons (Option 1), which targets a specific purpose and audience. Students can alternatively create a guidebook and write 1–2 sentences about five animals aimed at teaching younger children (Option 2), which also requires audience-aware writing. The Parent Plan explicitly lists skills: creating products for different purposes/audiences and using different organizational patterns as guides for summarizing expository text.
Lesson 8
Survival
Students are asked to write the first draft of a personal narrative (400–500 words) and are given concrete drafting strategies (e.g., focus on expressing ideas, skip lines, begin in the middle, record thoughts). The lesson provides explicit style and organization guidance: begin with a strong hook, use dialogue, sensory details, figurative language, and create an engaging voice appropriate to the audience. The parent guidance reiterates organizing ideas and producing an engaging, coherent narrative and notes that drafting can be spread over several days.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students continue drafting a personal narrative and are asked to revise drafts to ensure precise word choice, vivid images, consistent point of view, sentence variety, internal and external coherence, and effective transitions (Skills; Activity 1 & 2). Students create or use a revision checklist and rubric that explicitly addresses Organization (introduction, logical plot, conclusion), Content (dialogue, characters' choices, problem description), and Style (engaging introduction, transitional words, sentence variation, figurative language). Students practice revision strategies (setting drafts aside, reading aloud, focusing on introductions/word choice) and complete proofreading exercises that show how punctuation and grammar affect meaning.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
Students are asked to write a 4–6 sentence postcard from Nhamo to her grandmother, including a greeting, note, and closing, which requires choosing an audience and organizing a brief message. The storyboard task has students select six important scenes, draw each, and write a sentence describing the action, requiring focus, scene selection, and organization of events. The Dialogue Designer activity requires students to recreate character interactions in 6–10 lines using correct quotation marks, practicing stylistic choice for dialogue. The Parent Plan explicitly lists skills to "select a focus, organizational structure, and point of view" and to "organize an interpretive response around several clear ideas."
Lesson 11
Out with the Old
Students are instructed to finish a revision checklist and to read through their entire paper to see how the whole story flows and connects, which targets organization and coherence. Students type or neatly recopy their narrative, use a spelling checker, and apply proofreading symbols to find and correct grammar, punctuation, and capitalization errors. The Parent Plan lists skill goals that include creating a coherent organizing structure appropriate to purpose, audience, and context and writing a personal narrative with a clearly defined focus.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students prepare and practice reading their personal narrative aloud, using voice, dialogue, gestures, and visual aids to convey meaning and engage an audience. The Parent Plan skills list and checklist direct students to select a focus, organizational structure, and point of view for a presentation and to create a coherent organizing structure that orients the listener to scene, people, and events. The Student Activity Page (Part III) has students identify the four parts of the writing process and explain the difference between revising and proofreading.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students are asked to read Chapter 1 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, requiring them to produce written responses. Students must record a short sentence describing what happened at Bilbo's home on the "Events of the Journey" page and trace locations on the setting map, which requires concise summary writing tied to specific chapters. Students have opportunities to "use [vocabulary] correctly in a sentence" during the vocabulary cube game and to "summarize the reason for the mission" in their own words, engaging them in sentence- and paragraph-level explanatory writing.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences and to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation in two provided sentences, which gives practice with sentence-level clarity and conventions. Students choose Option 1 to write five interview questions for J.R.R. Tolkien and explain the reasoning for each question, and to record three things they would tell him about the future with explanations, which requires composing purposeful, audience-aware responses. Option 2 asks students to create a collage and explain each image's relation to Tolkien's life, prompting short explanatory writing tied to a task and audience.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and to record descriptions on the "Events of the Journey" page, which requires organizing information about chapters. Students practice sentence-level clarity by identifying independent clauses and by combining two independent clauses using a comma and a coordinating conjunction to form compound sentences. Students also record examples of foreshadowing and flashbacks on a chart, which requires selecting and organizing textual evidence with chapter and page references.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students are directed to write their own riddle using step-by-step planning: choosing a topic, personifying the object, listing associated words, finding synonyms with a thesaurus, composing five "I" clue statements, revising wording, and testing the riddle on family members (audience). Students are asked to write a brief description of what happens in the chapter on the "Events of the Journey" page and to answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences. Students also write a note to a parent or sibling using runes, supplying the chart so the intended reader can decode it (an explicit audience-focused writing task).
Lesson 5
Wolves, Goblins, and Eagles
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences and to write a brief description of chapter events on the "Events of the Journey" page, requiring them to produce short written responses. Students receive explicit instruction on identifying and correcting run-on sentences, including examples (fused sentences and comma splices) and step-by-step strategies for fixing them. Students complete a paragraph-editing activity where they mark independent clauses, use editing symbols, and revise a paragraph to correct run-ons and improve sentence-level clarity.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
Students are asked to write a descriptive paragraph about an invented Middle-earth race, explaining human and animal characteristics, special abilities, and moral alignment. Students are instructed to use figurative language techniques in that paragraph and to experiment with speech patterns. Students practice conventions by copying and correcting sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the Editing Sentences activity.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students practice combining independent clauses into complex sentences in Option 1 by converting paired sentences into dependent/independent clause structures and applying comma rules. In Option 2, students revise a paragraph to make it flow more smoothly by creating compound and complex sentences, varying sentence openings with dependent clauses. Students answer reading questions in complete sentences and write a short sentence about the chapter's events on the "Events of the Journey" page, practicing concise sentence-level expression.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
Students are instructed to construct essays/presentations that respond to a given problem by proposing a solution with relevant details (Parent Plan Skills). In Activity 2 students write a 2–3 sentence problem statement, brainstorm three solution options with pluses and minuses, and write a final explanation of the best solution, which requires organized development of ideas. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and write short summary sentences for the Setting Map/Events chart, practicing sentence-level clarity. Sentence-editing practice and review of coordinating/subordinating conjunctions and compound/complex sentences give students explicit practice with sentence style and mechanics.
Lesson 9
Men of the Lake
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 10 and 11, which requires producing grammatically complete and clear sentences. Students write a short description of the events on the "Events of the Journey" page, recording chapter numbers and noting flashback or foreshadowing. Students identify and correct sentence fragments in Activity 1 or create sentence items for a quiz in Option 2, practicing sentence-level clarity and correctness.
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and to briefly summarize chapters on an "Events of the Journey" page, requiring them to produce organized short responses. Students copy and correct sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, practicing conventions that support clear writing. Students record two- to three-sentence descriptions of examples in a journal, classify and rank findings, and share results, which requires concise analytic writing tied to a task and purpose.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students are explicitly taught how to join independent clauses using semicolons and semicolons plus transitional expressions (explanations, chart of transitions, and examples). Students complete sentence-combining activities (Part I and Part II, Option 1 and Option 2) that require inserting semicolons, adding transitional words, making complex sentences, and choosing methods to fix run-ons. The wrap-up and review prompt students to rehearse different ways to combine sentences and to use transitions for sentence-to-sentence coherence.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences (e.g., Questions section instructs "Then answer the questions below in complete sentences"). Students correct and edit provided sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation in the "Editing Sentences" activity. Students must explain to a parent how each quest-cube face contributes to theme and mood, which requires composing an explanation for an audience.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students are asked to write a 2–3 sentence journal summary of early literary reviews, identify whether the response is positive or negative, and explain major points and literary elements, which requires concise organized summarizing. Students answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences, practicing clear sentence-level expression. The Student Activity Page asks students to write examples of compound and complex sentences and correct punctuation, reinforcing sentence-level clarity and coherence.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students are guided to plan and organize a personal literary response using a prewriting web and a detailed Literary Response Outline that specifies an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Students are instructed to use present tense, avoid assuming the reader has read the book, and to minimize "I" statements, which addresses voice and audience. Students draft a rough copy, apply editing symbols, revise for quality, and produce a typed final copy. The rubric explicitly assesses writing style, clarity, organization, development, and grammar/mechanics.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 1
Korea
Students are asked to record information on the "Elements of Korean Culture" pages, writing observations in the "Today" and "Centuries Past" columns and comparing categories such as Housing, Religion, Clothing, and Food. Students label and color a map of Asia, which requires them to write place names and create a map key. Students complete a vocabulary-in-context paragraph by inserting words and are encouraged (in the parent notes) to use each vocabulary word in a sentence.
Lesson 3
Hard Work
Students are asked to write a one-page summary of chapters and are given explicit steps for organization (look for main ideas, put them in logical order, follow same sequence as events). The lesson provides strategies for development (one sentence per 1–2 pages, skim topic sentences, combine main ideas, avoid too many details) and style guidance (do not include personal opinions, use own words). Students practice sentence-level correctness through sentence-correcting activities and are prompted to read summaries aloud to attend to tone and audience.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students are asked to write four thoughtful questions about Chapters 5 and 6 and provide answers, which requires composing purposeful text (prediction, fact, opinion, personal response). The Things to Know and Activity 1 explicitly instruct students to use clear, simple language, present steps in a logical sequence, and number steps when writing step-by-step directions. Option 1 asks students to write directions for something they have made, and Option 2 asks students to list/process steps from the text, requiring organization and sequencing of procedural writing. The Sentence Correcting activity has students edit grammar, spelling, and punctuation, which practices producing clearer, more coherent sentences.
Lesson 6
Village Life
Students research Linda Sue Park, take notes from interviews and bios, answer targeted comprehension and analysis questions about the author, and are asked to "write a short paragraph" explaining how the author's experiences and relationships influenced her writing. The materials also include sentence-rewriting activities where students correct pronoun agreement and rewrite sentences, demonstrating sentence-level writing and revision practice.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students are asked to answer reading questions in complete sentences, which requires sentence-level clarity and correctness. Students complete a sentence-correcting activity that has them edit grammar, spelling, and punctuation, practicing conventions of written English. Students create a mini-book that requires organizing content into panels and recording an opportunity with at least one way it benefited Tree-ear beneath each flap, which practices organizing ideas and providing supporting details. Students are asked to share the mini-book with a parent and to review vocabulary for use in a later writing project, providing a simple audience and purpose for their writing.
Lesson 8
Korean Pottery
Students practice making pronoun antecedents clear through the "Pronoun Reference" activity where they rewrite sentences to fix unclear or missing antecedents and revise vague references like "this" or "which." The lesson's "Things to Know" and the Skills list explicitly state that antecedents must be clear and that students should use a variety of sentence types with properly placed modifiers, parallel structures, and consistent tenses. The provided student activity page and answer key require students to produce corrected sentences, demonstrating sentence-level revision for clarity and correctness.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students are asked to "answer the questions below in complete sentences," which requires writing clear sentence-level responses to literature. Students must "explain each of Crane-man's quotes in your own words," which asks them to interpret and write explanatory prose. One activity asks students to "make up your own words of wisdom... Write down your words of wisdom and share them with a younger child," which directs students to write for a specified audience and to explain how the idea applied in their life. The Parent Plan lists skills such as organizing interpretations around several clear ideas and developing interpretations through sustained use of examples.
Lesson 10
The Fox
Students are asked to type a short folktale about a fox (about 1/2 page) and to focus on telling the story, sticking to action, limiting characters, and teaching a lesson. The Skills section explicitly instructs students to write narratives by developing a standard plot line (beginning, conflict, rising action, climax, denouement) and to develop an identifiable voice. Parent prompts ask students to read their story aloud and explain the purpose and lesson, which reinforces thinking about purpose and audience.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires composing clear written responses. The Sentence Correcting activity requires students to revise grammar, spelling, and punctuation to produce more standard, coherent sentences. The Relationship Web/Relationship Words tasks require students to write at least two sentences describing each relationship and to support those descriptions with textual examples, and the Parent Plan lists skills to organize interpretations and justify them with textual evidence.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are guided through prewriting, brainstorming, and use a four‑square organizer and two essay organizer options to plan an introduction, a similarities paragraph, a differences paragraph, and a conclusion. Students write a rough draft, use an editing symbols chart to revise mechanics and clarity, and produce a typed final draft. A rubric explicitly assesses organization and structure (following the outline, topic overview, comparison and contrast paragraphs), ideas and support, and mechanics. Parent plan skills direct students to revise writing to improve organization and word choice and to use organizational patterns for expository text.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students are asked to write an argumentative essay (Steps to Independent Study step 6) and to learn about different forms of argumentative writing (step 1), which directs them to produce grade-appropriate argumentative work. The lesson includes an Argumentative Essay Rubric with explicit categories for Organization, Voice, Word Choice, Ideas, and Conventions, which students use to evaluate and improve development, organization, and style. Students also plan research questions, record information, and refer to rubrics as they draft and revise, connecting task/purpose (argumentative essay) with criteria for clear, coherent writing.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students generate 4–5 research questions and 2–3 opposing questions to guide an argumentative essay (Day 3). Students organize information using a gathering grid or note cards and complete a Stakeholders Chart to collect multiple viewpoints and supporting details. Students evaluate websites for purpose, authority, currency, and objectivity and create a Works Cited page in MLA format to document sources.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students plan and produce an argumentative essay using a clear outline that specifies an introduction (hook, background, position), organized body paragraphs (topic sentence, reasoning, multiple pieces of evidence, concluding sentence), a counterarguments paragraph, and a conclusion. Students write a rough draft, use an Argumentative Essay Rubric to self-evaluate, and revise focusing on Ideas and Organization, adding transitional words (however, moreover, therefore, etc.) to improve cohesion. Students edit for voice, word choice, and conventions, format a final copy (title, margins, spacing), and are prompted to make their hook and arguments relevant to the audience and to address readers' concerns.
Lesson 6
Presentation
Students are asked to prepare an outline for their presentation and to plan the steps and timeline for creating a visual aid, which requires organizing ideas and sequencing content. The Parent Plan explicitly lists writing skills such as writing persuasive compositions, research reports, and organizing and presenting ideas according to purpose and audience. Activities require students to create audience-focused products (brochure, PowerPoint, poster) that involve composing text to inform or persuade.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 1
Ancient Greece
Students are asked to "Summarize the Greek creation story in two sentences," which requires them to produce a concise, coherent summary of text. Additional short-answer questions (Why do you think...?, Have you heard creation stories...?) require students to write explanations and comparisons. The decoding activity also asks students to "write the message below in the Greek alphabet," giving a focused written production task.
Lesson 2
The Gods and Goddesses
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences (multiple QUESTION items ask for answers in complete sentences). Students write short descriptive texts on character cards in Option 2, explaining what each god or goddess rules over and important details (instructions: "write a short description... explain what the god or goddess is ruler of"). Students perform sentence editing by copying and correcting a provided sentence for grammar, spelling, and punctuation (Activity 1).
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students practice writing conventions by copying and correcting sentences in Activity 1, addressing grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students draft and produce an acrostic poem in Activity 2, using the letters of a god or goddess's name as the first letters of lines, with guidance to use verbs and to produce a final copy on art paper. Students are prompted to revise (draft and final copy) and to use a sample poem as a model, and they are encouraged to add artistic and stylistic flair that reflects ancient artifacts.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students brainstorm uses for fire on the "Fire Web" page and then write a descriptive paragraph titled "Life Without Fire," which asks them to explain and develop an idea for a specific purpose. Students complete a play-writing task that requires them to follow proper script-writing rules (linked formatting document), to organize a short script (18–25 lines), to reveal story through dialogue and stage notes, and to consider audience when reading aloud. Students also do sentence-editing practice that requires correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation to improve clarity and coherence.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students are asked to prepare a final project in which they will "write your own myth that follows these conventions," and the student activity page prompts students to identify and use myth elements (hero, gods, monster, problem, helpers). Students read the Perseus myth, answer comprehension questions, and complete the "Conventions of a Myth: Perseus" organizer, which requires them to identify specific story components that they could use in their own writing. The wrapping-up text reminds students to "apply these conventions when you work on the final project."
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are asked to write a 60–90 second script for a movie trailer and to read it aloud to their family, which requires crafting language for a specific purpose and audience. Students design a comic-book cover and create comparative Venn diagrams and charts, which ask them to organize and present information coherently. Students complete a sentence-editing activity to correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation, practicing conventions of clear writing.
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students are asked to summarize/retell the story of the Trojan War using cut-out characters and props, and to "pick out the most important events" for their retelling. The instructions ask students to decide on a narrative perspective (play dialogue or third-person narration) and to "use language that will keep [the] audience engaged," which addresses audience and style. The materials state students "can write out [their] entire summary, take notes, or make a diagram to remember what happens next," and the Parent Plan lists skills including "Write responses to literature" and "Organize literary interpretations around several clear ideas."
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students are asked to plan and organize their retelling using prewriting prompts and the "Conventions of a Myth" pages, identifying conventions, theme, and a clear beginning, middle, and end. Students must produce a 400–500 word draft, include dialogue, develop characters and setting, and follow a rubric that explicitly assesses organization, sequence, and varied sentence length. Students revise for precise word choice, consistent point of view, internal and external coherence, transitions, and edit for grammar/mechanics before producing a final typed copy and publishing for an appropriate audience.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students record organized observations in the 'A Medieval Manor' activity by filling six labeled sections (Jobs, Clothing, Homes, Inventions & Technological Advancements, Military Defense, Comparisons to Neighborhoods Today), which requires producing focused, category-based written responses. Students write 3–4 sentence commentaries on feudalism from three distinct perspectives (knight, lord, peasant) on the Feudalism page, practicing voice and perspective. Students are instructed to read their commentaries aloud to a parent and use an appropriate tone for each character, prompting audience-aware stylistic choices.
Lesson 3
Summer
Students are asked to write four discussion questions (and answers) as a Discussion Director, with at least one open-ended question and questions focused on relationships and survival, which asks them to shape writing for a conversational audience and purpose. Students must write a paragraph about The Midwife's Apprentice in Part II that includes at least one compound, one complex, and one compound-complex sentence, and they practice varying sentence lengths to improve flow. The worksheet requires students to identify and mark independent and dependent clauses and to classify sentences by structure, reinforcing sentence-level control.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students practice sentence-level craft through the Sentence Combining activity, creating compound and complex sentences to improve sentence variety, modifiers, and tense consistency. Students identify three to five lines or short passages as a Line Locator, record their locations, and write explanations of why those passages exemplify good writing or are key to the story. Students produce original narrative or comparative writing in Activity 2 by composing a ballad about a personal event to share with family or by using a Venn diagram to organize similarities and differences between their event and Alyce's, which requires selecting and organizing relevant details.
Lesson 5
A Baby
Students are asked to write an imagined conversation between two or three characters that centers on events from chapters 9–11, choose a conversational purpose (entertaining, persuasive, or informative), and record it with quotation marks and speaker tags. The lesson explicitly instructs students to vary sentence length and to prefer active voice to strengthen clarity and style, and provides guided practice converting passive sentences to active ones.
Lesson 6
The Inn
Students are asked to combine sets of sentences into a compound sentence and then into a complex sentence, which practices sentence-level variety and clarity. The Parent Plan explicitly instructs students to use a variety of complete sentences (simple, compound, complex). The "Things to Review" section directs students to review differences among sentence types and how to recognize passive voice and change it to active voice, addressing sentence-level style and clarity.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students practice sentence-level craft in Activity 1 by rewriting two sentences to add adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and descriptive clauses. Students produce short written products in Activity 2 by writing three sentences about peasants' relationships with animals or by explaining how each animal influenced medieval economics. Students are prompted to compare their elaborated sentences with the author's original language and to review various ways of elaborating sentences.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students are asked to take on the role of a 'Connector' and "Record your connections in your journal," which requires them to write about connections between the book, their life, and the outside world. The Relationships activity asks students to "describe the relationship Alyce has at the beginning of the book and then at the end of the book" and to "Provide details from the book to support your answers," prompting written explanations with supporting evidence. Part II of the homophones activity requires students to write sentences using correct homophone groups, practicing sentence-level writing and word choice.
Lesson 9
Cast of Characters
Students practice sentence-level clarity by completing Activity 1 on parallelism and exercises that target consistent verb tense and active voice. Students complete writing tasks on the Cast of Characters charts that require them to write 1–2 sentence summaries or longer 7–15 sentence character summaries, identifying descriptive language and relationships. The parent plan and answer keys explicitly focus on correcting non-parallel structures and tense/voice shifts and show student corrections and online practice items.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students write a short descriptive piece in Activity 1 by composing 3–5 sentences about an outdoor object, then examine details and revise by elaborating and combining sentences to add variety. Students fill out a chart for each monologue they read, distinguishing elements of each character's voice and perspective. Students read their descriptions to a parent without naming the object, practicing audience-aware phrasing to make the description effective.
Lesson 12
Glassblowers, Tanners, and Snigglers
Students practice expanding simple sentences into detailed, descriptive sentences using prompts for how, when, and where, and by enhancing the subject (e.g., Painting Sentences worksheet turning "Alyce walked" into a richly detailed sentence). Students are guided to rearrange sentence parts for improved flow, pick words to enrich, and to check spelling and punctuation. The Parent Plan notes students will use a variety of sentences and avoid fragments and run‑ons, and the wrap‑up encourages applying painted sentences within larger essays.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to produce multiple written products: a short story as a medieval queen or squire, monologues to write and perform, a book review, descriptive writing assignments, and 3–4 sentence essay responses on feudalism and daily life. The unit includes templates (monologue page, lined writing pages, story-cube organizer) and grammar tasks that require students to write complex and compound sentences, active/passive voice conversions, and homophone usage. The unit test asks students to write short essays and identify narrative perspectives, connecting writing tasks to point of view and sentence-level craft.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
Students are asked to write two sentences that use parentheses, including at least one sentence that is a complete sentence inside parentheses, which requires sentence-level punctuation and clarity. Students complete a persuasion activity in which they write their own examples and, in Option 2, write persuasive copy (short advertisements) and role-play as the creator. Students also fill in persuasion grids and provide real-world examples, which requires composing brief pieces of writing targeted to specific persuasive techniques and audiences.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
Students are asked to "Answer the following questions using complete sentences," which requires sentence-level clarity and coherence. Activity 1 directs students to write in a journal about why the author uses parentheses, prompting attention to authorial style and word-level choices. Activity 2 has students create a Venn diagram and write phrases/questions for child and adult audiences, which asks them to organize information and consider audience perspective. The Parent Plan lists the skill to "Organize an interpretation around several clear ideas, premises, or images," indicating attention to organization.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students are asked in Activity 2 to choose a persuasion technique and script or ad-lib a 30-second message from the flower to the little prince, targeting a specific audience and purpose. In the ellipses activities (Option 1 and Option 2) students reconstruct paragraphs, omit words while keeping passages logical, and locate/interpret existing ellipses, requiring them to produce revised text that remains clear. The student activity pages require students to write modified passages and to explain how ellipses affect meaning and pacing.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students are asked to brainstorm problems and solutions on the "Planet Problem" page and then write letters to an inhabitant proposing a solution, which requires choosing a task and audience. The lesson provides two writing options (a child viewpoint and a child+adult "Two Views" option) with letter templates that structure greeting, statement of the problem, proposed solution, and closing. The parent notes and discussion prompts tell students to use different persuasion techniques and to include facts and figures for the adult viewpoint, which directs students to vary style for audience. The lesson also reminds students how to write a letter, including an introduction and a signature, and includes a sentence-editing activity for grammar and punctuation.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions using complete sentences and to paraphrase major ideas and supporting evidence (Parent Plan Skills), which practices clarity and development of ideas. The wrapping-up prompt asks students to explain to a parent why the fox says friendship prevents monotony and to give two examples, which prompts students to organize an explanation for a specific audience and purpose. Part III of the activity requires students to write two sentences using italics for emphasis, which practices stylistic choices to affect meaning.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students practice sentence-level conventions in the Sentence Editing activity, correcting grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, requiring clear sentence-level expression. In the Persuading the Fox activity, students produce a poem or a drawing plus an artist's description intended to reassure and persuade the fox, and they share a letter with a parent, which requires writing for a specific purpose and audience.
Lesson 7
Introduction to Shakespeare
Students are asked to answer reading questions using complete sentences, which asks them to produce short, clear written responses. Students practice inserting brackets and brief clarifications into quoted text, writing definitions or comments directly in sentences from A Midsummer Night's Dream. Students write short responses about the meaning and usage of "sic" and perform brief online research to support those answers.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions using complete sentences, which requires them to produce short, coherent written responses. In Activity 2 (Cast the Character) students complete a structured Character Information and Analysis page with prompts that require descriptive and explanatory writing about a character's traits, problems, and persuasive goals. The wrapping-up direction asks students to explain their casting description or collage to a parent, prompting them to organize and communicate their ideas in writing or orally.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students are asked to write a poem or short story using at least four Shakespearean phrases (Activity 1). Students are instructed to read their poem or short story to a parent so the work is produced for an audience. The parent plan identifies 'Write responses to literature' as a skill, linking the activity to literary writing practice.
Lesson 10
Dreams
Students answer comprehension questions using complete sentences (Questions 1–4), which gives them practice producing organized sentence-level responses. Students are instructed to copy, rehearse, and perform a scene and then write a short paragraph about the scene's theme (Option 1) or about how the passage deals with persuasion (Option 2), requiring summary and brief analysis in writing. Students are asked to summarize events and explain what the passage says about love, friendship, or persuasion, which involves selecting relevant details and expressing ideas in writing.
Lesson 11
Watching the Play
Students are asked to "Answer the following questions using complete sentences," which requires composing written responses about the play. Students are directed to read the modern translation and compare it to the original, and to watch an animated version and discuss which scenes should be included, prompting them to organize ideas for discussion. The lesson asks students to summarize opinions about whether the play is a comedy or tragedy, which involves stating a purpose and supporting a judgment in writing.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students write an interview (Activity 1) by composing three questions, selecting quotes from the text, and writing answers that use correct quotation marks and ellipses. Students compose a persuasive message (Activity 2) from Romeo or Juliet to their parents, choosing and applying persuasive techniques (glittering generalities, flattery, dares, or promises) and 2–3 unit vocabulary words. Students share the message and explain which persuasive type they used and why they chose specific vocabulary, which makes audience and purpose explicit.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students are asked to state a thesis, explain the couple's problem and solution, include quotes, and provide persuasive evidence (Activity 3), which teaches development of ideas and purpose. Students complete note-taking pages ("Play Cupid" or "Strongest of All") and an OUTLINING page that directs them to place a thesis, supporting reasons, and evidence into a structured Roman-numeral outline, which teaches organization. Students use a "Classics Rubric" that evaluates Mechanics, Ideas and Support, and Organization and Structure, and are prompted to consider audience by framing the thesis as something to "persuade your audience to agree with," which addresses appropriateness to task and audience.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students are asked to write ordered, numbered procedural steps for drawing an ellipse and to have a parent follow those written directions, which requires organizing information for a real audience and purpose. They take notes on nonfiction features, identify topic sentences and main ideas on the "Graphics and Summaries" page, and produce a 2-minute oral summary of a page that must include the main idea and what the graph shows. Students answer reading questions in complete sentences and are prompted to decide which information to emphasize in oral or written summaries, which practices development and audience awareness.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires clear sentence-level writing. In the "Extra! Extra! Write All About It!" activity, students must describe an event in a large writing box and then write a headline or topic sentence for two different perspectives, requiring them to summarize and tailor wording for different audiences. Activity choices (acting out perspectives or writing opposing viewpoints/headlines) ask students to produce written perspective pieces and to organize content into event description plus two perspective columns.
Lesson 5
Newton's Contemporaries
Students are asked to answer reading-comprehension questions in complete sentences and to summarize and determine important information (Skills section). The activities require students to choose correct verbs, diagram sentences, and monitor comprehension, which supports sentence-level clarity and grammatical correctness. The Parent Plan notes that the student practiced summarizing and confirming subject-verb agreement, both writing-related skills.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are asked to answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires producing coherent sentence-level responses. Students must create a numbered list of instructions for a demonstration, organizing procedural steps in sequence. Students are asked to summarize for a parent how an airplane wing works and to deliver an oral summary with inferences and conclusions, which requires synthesis and presentation of ideas.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students are asked to write a 1–2 paragraph sidebar about an artist (Activity 6) including a title, a captioned image, a drawn portrait, and a short descriptive write-up of the artist's life and work, which requires composing organized paragraphs. Students answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences across multiple days, practicing sentence-level writing and clarity. Students also revise for correctness by checking their sidebar for grammar errors, diagram two sentences from their sidebar, and (in Option 2) rewrite sentences from the chapter in different tenses, which practices sentence construction and editing.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students brainstorm answers about Newton tied to a specific purpose (a plaque for a town sculpture) and identify 2–3 relevant fields to support their topic. They create a thesis and a traditional outline using Roman numerals and list 2–3 supporting details per area, guided by the Outlining Newton pages. Students draft, revise, and edit an essay, using a Technical Writing Rubric that requires clear introductions and conclusions, logical organization, transitions, relevant evidence, and correct mechanics; they are also prompted to use unit vocabulary and to apply editing symbols and grammar review.
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students are asked to "Answer the following questions in complete sentences," which requires composing short, coherent written responses. In the "Syllables to Stanzas" activity students are instructed to "write a line about each" of two or three vocabulary words and to mark the syllables in two of the lines, and the Parent Plan lists the skill "Write a poem using poetic techniques such as rhyme scheme or meter." Students also rehearse by reading their stanza or poem fragment aloud.
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students choose a theme and write an original love poem using a sonnet rhyme scheme, brainstorming rhyming words and placing lines into the provided rhyme-scheme template. Students are asked to develop a personal style (e.g., choices about rhyme, vocabulary, tone) and to produce a final copy to publish on the 'Sonnets and Rhymes' page. Students read their poem aloud to a parent and explain how their poem reflects their time period, and they practice capitalization and conventions through the 'Capital Ideas' activity.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
Students identify and record lines from Tennyson's "Dedication" that illustrate graphic elements (capitalization, punctuation mid-line, varying line length) in Activity 1. Students compare a poetic line with a prose statement about the same event in Activity 2, writing each on the provided page to explore differences in expression. In Wrapping Up, students are asked to revisit their own poem from Lesson 2 and change graphic elements to highlight ideas while keeping the sonnet structure or rhyme scheme.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students are asked to write an original nature poem using personification and either metaphor or simile, using photographs they took on a nature walk as inspiration. Students are prompted to consider connotation and word choice while composing the poem and to add the poem to the Figurative Language page for a final project. Students answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences about modeled poems, and they read their poem aloud and discuss the figurative devices used with a parent.
Lesson 5
Allusions
Students are asked to compose a poem using a chosen phrase from contemporary news and to include that phrase at least three times (Repetition Poem activity). Students complete structured activity pages that prompt them to summarize articles, record vivid details, and write phrases, and they answer reading questions in complete sentences. The lesson asks students to use figurative or poetic language and to stage artwork that matches the feeling of their poem, which guides stylistic choices.
Lesson 6
Tone
Students are instructed in Activity 1 to choose a topic and write a conversational poem between two speakers, drafting and saving a first draft. Students are asked to consider how Stevie Smith separated speakers and to change line position or other graphic elements so readers know who is speaking. The Parent Plan and Things to Review point out free verse and graphical elements (e.g., line length, word position) and include a skill to "write a poem using graphic elements," which guides students in organizing and styling their poem.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students are asked to read chapters and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, practicing clarity at the sentence level. Students cut out and sort descriptions of hyphen, dash, and colon usage and apply punctuation rules, practicing conventions that affect coherence and style. Students choose, memorize, and recite a poem and explain why they chose it, practicing selection of content and explaining purpose to an audience.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
Students are instructed to write a one-paragraph autobiography that includes specific content (name, birth info, three current events) and to explain why they chose those events as poetic subjects, requiring development of ideas. Students are guided to write a two-paragraph poem analysis with a required topic sentence and at least two supporting sentences in each paragraph, which teaches basic organization and development. A rubric and checklist require correct mechanics (capitalization, punctuation, use of a dash or colon) and score the autobiography and analysis for clear expression of purpose and inspiration. Students compile their work into a poetry book and read it aloud to family, prompting attention to personal style and the tone of their writing for an audience.