Second Grade - ELA
1: Community
Unit 1: Communities Around the World
Lesson 1
Exploring a Community
Students hear the story "The City Mouse and the Country Mouse" read aloud (read through at least two times) and are asked explicit comprehension questions such as "How were the City Mouse and the Country Mouse different?", "Why did the City Mouse invite the Country Mouse to his house?", and "What happened to the Country Mouse when he was in the city?". The Getting Started and map activities also prompt questions and answers (e.g., "Ask your child what a community is" and "Ask your child why people use maps"), giving students practice responding to who/what/why/how style prompts.
Lesson 2
Roles of People in Communities
The lesson's "Questions to Explore" uses question words (e.g., How do communities provide..., How do people...?, What roles...?, What are the responsibilities...?). Option 2 asks students to write a sentence about each community worker that tells something about what the worker does, which requires answering 'what' (and implicitly 'how') from images. Activity 3 directs students to look through books or the Internet for jobs in pictures and discuss differences, prompting students to extract details from texts/pictures. The Wrapping Up section instructs asking the child to name jobs and describe how each worker helps the community.
Lesson 3
Goods and Services
Students label items as goods or services and describe a time they or their family have used or purchased them (Activity 1 and Student Activity Page). Students answer where a person would go to buy each good or service by drawing or writing the place and by naming where goods in their house might have been bought (Activity 1 and Wrapping Up). Students read If You Give a Pig a Pancake and decide for each situation whether the pig is asking for a good or a service, recording examples in a two-column chart (Activity 3).
Lesson 4
Wants and Needs
Students are prompted to answer explicit "what" questions in the Getting Started and Activity 1 prompts (e.g., "What do communities provide...?" and listing wants vs. needs). In Activity 3 Options 1 and 2 students sort pictures and fill bubble maps to show where Jessie can find water, food, clothing, and shelter, which requires answering "where" questions. Activity 4 and the Wrapping Up ask students to explain "why" needs are more important and discuss reasons people help others, asking for causal explanations.
Lesson 5
Money
The lesson includes explicit question prompts for students such as "What are the responsibilities of community members?" and "What are the needs of people in communities?" The introduction and wrapping up direct students to answer questions like "how do people get money?", "what do people do with the money they have?", and "why they need money." Several activities ask students to tell or write values (e.g., fill in coin values on the grid) and to explain equivalencies, which involve answering "how" combinations make the same amount.
Lesson 6
Uses of Money
The lesson includes multiple teacher prompts that require students to answer question types: Getting Started asks "What do the communities provide...?"; Activity 2 asks the child "where he would like to go on his vacation" and to choose items (where/what); Activity 3 presents written scenarios and asks the child "What do you do?" and Activity 4 asks the child "where he wants to give his money and why." The Wrapping Up section directs the adult to ask the child to explain wants and needs and to answer how people can use money (how/what).
Lesson 7
Work and Money
Students read short scenarios on the "Making a Choice" page and write what they would do and why, directly answering a WHY question about a text. In "Limited Resources," students make spending decisions and are asked to explain their reasoning as they select items, which elicits answers about choices in response to the activity text. In "Working Together," students read job descriptions, record predictions and times, and complete sentences about working "with" or "without" someone's help, showing they extract and record information from brief written prompts.
Lesson 8
Customs and Holidays
Students are prompted to write the name and date of holidays and complete the prompt "We celebrate this holiday because...", which requires them to answer when and why. Activity 4 asks students to locate countries on a world map and write the holiday and date, which practices where and when. Activity 1 asks students to draw a symbol and write a sentence about what their family does on each holiday, addressing what/how. The introduction and wrapping-up ask students to name holidays and explain why they are celebrated, prompting oral answers to key-detail questions.
Lesson 9
Different Communities
Students are asked to read about a selected country in books or on the Internet and record information on a "Country Research" graphic organizer divided into Food, Goods, Homes, Clothing, and Holidays. The skills list explicitly includes "Read and comprehend fiction and non-fiction" and "Answer high-level questions about a text." Students are prompted in Wrapping Up to describe what they learned about the country and in Life Application to write five questions they would ask someone from that country. Activities (Venn diagram and Similarities and Differences) require students to identify and compare key factual details between communities.
Lesson 10
Communities Change
Activity 1 provides explicit question prompts for students to answer such as "What happened in the story?," "Did the little house like living in the city or the country? Why?," and "How did the land change over years?," which require students to use what, why, where, and how. The Skills list explicitly includes "Listen and respond to stories read aloud," "Respond to open-ended question about a text," "Retell the order of events in a story," and "Summarize events in a story," which direct students to answer key-detail questions and demonstrate comprehension.
Lesson 11
Government and the People
Students are prompted to answer questions such as "What roles do community members play?," "What do the communities provide?," and "What are the responsibilities of community members?" which require who/what/why style responses. Students are asked to name their town and state and to locate country, state, and city on maps and to write the leaders' titles and names, addressing who and where. Students read short scenario problems on the "Adding Votes" pages and answer questions (e.g., how many voted, who won the vote) and explain why it is important to allow everyone to vote.
Lesson 12
Rules and Laws
Students are prompted with explicit 'Questions to Explore' that use 'what' (e.g., "What roles do community members play?" and "What are the responsibilities of community members?"). Students read short written scenarios on the 'Consequences' page aloud and are asked to discuss and write consequences, which requires answering questions about what happened and why. Activity 2 asks students reflective 'what' and 'why' questions after playing a rule-free game (e.g., "What was different about the game this time?" and "Why do you think games have rules?").
Final Project
Community Brochure
Students are asked to look over examples of brochures and "talk about the artwork/pictures and the information that is presented in the text," which has them examine informational text. Students are instructed to include the community name, location, and mayor on the cover (addressing who and where). Students must list celebrations with dates and reasons and describe goods and services and how they meet wants and needs (addressing when, why, what, and how). The organizer also requires students to describe jobs in the community and types/values of money (addressing who and what).
Unit 2: Citizenship
Lesson 1
A Good Citizen
Students answer explicit comprehension questions after reading The Boy Who Cried Wolf (e.g., "Why did the boy lie?" and "What happened to the boy because he lied?"). Students describe beginning/middle/end events and explain changes and actions in the wordless book Home (e.g., "Describe the neighborhood at the beginning... What are the people doing to help the community?"). Scene by Scene and Communities Change activities require students to sequence events (when) and write or say descriptions of key events, and other activities ask students to identify who in the book is a good citizen.
Lesson 2
Decisions and Consequences
Students are asked direct comprehension questions after reading Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse, including "What did Lilly do at the beginning of the story?", "Why did Lilly feel bad during the story?", and "What actions did Lilly take to make the situation better?" Activity pages require students to read examples of Lilly's actions and write the consequences, which has students identify what happened and why. The wrap-up asks students to respond to prompts about actions and possible consequences, reinforcing answering questions about key details.
Lesson 3
Diversity in the Community
Activity 4 instructs students to think of five questions that begin with who, what, when, where, why, or how, practice writing question marks, and record those questions on the "An Interview" page. Students are asked to read about a country on the Internet or in books before the interview, conduct or observe an interview while notes or a recording are taken, and then write short answers for each question based on what the person said. The Skills list includes "Use text to locate important information (LA)," and earlier activities have students look at maps and videos to find information about continents and people.
Lesson 4
Living in America
Students are asked to answer questions using question words: the Getting Started section prompts "How do citizens influence or change the community?" and "How are the members of a community similar and different?" Activity 1 asks students where they have seen the American flag (a "where" question) and has them complete sentences explaining why there are 13 stripes and 50 stars ("why/what" details drawn from text). Activity 3 has students read the Pledge of Allegiance and answer several "why" questions (e.g., "Why do you think we have a pledge?" and "Why is it important that America is a republic?").
Lesson 5
Citizens Share and Help
The lesson's "Questions to Explore" explicitly prompts "What are the roles of citizens?" and "How do members of a community work together?", which requires students to ask/answer 'what' and 'how' questions. Activity 2 asks students to circle where they will help (where), record who will help (who), and describe what each person will do (what/how), engaging students in answering WH- questions. Activity 1 asks students to think of times they have seen sharing and to explain their drawings and how sharing improves the community, prompting students to answer 'why/how' in discussion.
Lesson 6
Leaders in the Community
After reading the biography, students are asked explicit comprehension questions such as "What was the person's name and where did he or she live while growing up?" (who, where), "What was something that happened to the person or something he or she did as a young person?" (what), and "How did he or she help the community?" (how). Activity pages and prompts ask students to fill in biographical details (e.g., "___ was born in ___," "When ___ was younger he/she ___," and "The greatest thing ___ ever did was ___"), and Activity 4 includes sentence stems with "because" that prompt explanatory responses. Several activities require students to write sentences or paragraphs that restate key details from the text and connect characteristics to examples from the biography.
Lesson 7
Inventors
Students read a short biography of an inventor and are asked direct comprehension questions such as "How would you describe the inventor?" and "What was the inventor's most famous invention? What did it do?" (Activity 3). Students write sentences about how inventions helped communities (Activity 1) and complete frames like "We use the ______ to ______" and "The invention helps people ______" (Activity 2), prompting them to answer what/how-type questions about details. The skills list also identifies familiarity with biographies, tying the activities to reading informational texts.
Final Project
Community Citizens Mobile
Students write the name and characteristics of a community leader and describe what the person does and how the person helped the community, addressing who, what, and how. Students record where a flag can be found and what the flag means, addressing where and a why/meaning question. Students identify an inventor, name the invention, and explain how the invention helped or changed the community, and they record where they live and how they have helped or changed their community.
Unit 3: Plants and Animals
Lesson 1
Living and Nonliving
Students are prompted to predict the book Sylvester and the Magic Pebble and to look through pictures to identify living and nonliving things, which asks them to generate and respond to questions about the text. Students are asked explicit comprehension questions after reading such as "Is Sylvester the donkey living? How do you know?", "Is Sylvester the stone living? How do you know?", "What did Sylvester learn in the end?", and "Why would you wish for those things?", requiring answers that demonstrate understanding of key details. The Skills list also directs students to "Ask and answer questions about organisms," reinforcing question-and-answer practice tied to content.
Lesson 2
Animal Structure
Students are prompted in the Skills list to "Ask and answer questions about organisms," and the Questions to Explore include explicit wh- prompts such as "How do living things survive..." and "What do communities provide...". Activities ask students to explain how specific body parts help animals live (e.g., claws, wings, gills) and to answer graph interpretation questions (e.g., "Which body covering had the highest number of animals?", "How many more did __ have than __?"). The wrapping up prompts ask students to describe how a bear would be different without claws or how a bird would be different without wings, requiring students to answer how/why details about organisms.
Lesson 3
Classifying Animals
The lesson asks students to read or research about animals (Activity 3: use the Internet or a book; Activity 6: peruse different books; Activity 7: read about mammals) and then decide classifications and traits from those sources. It explicitly prompts students to ask and answer questions about organisms in the Skills list and gives question prompts (Activity 10: "Are you warm or cold-blooded? … What is one of your body parts? How do you use it?") and to explain reasons (Ask your child why it would be helpful to classify animals). Students are asked to describe body coverings, body parts, and whether animals are warm- or cold-blooded based on text or pictures, demonstrating extraction of key details.
Lesson 4
Animal and Plant Communities
Students are prompted to ask and answer questions about organisms (listed under Skills) and are asked to name and label habitats and animals (e.g., "Ask your child if she can think of any examples of habitats"). Students count and answer questions about data from the Rainforest picture and graph (e.g., "Which type of animal had the most members? Which had the fewest?"). Students are asked to identify missing animals in the woods activity, name animals they observe at a zoo, and classify those animals, which requires answering factual questions about organisms and habitats.
Lesson 5
Animal Needs
Activity 2 asks students to select an animal, locate information about it, draw it in its habitat, and write the animal's name, habitat, and how its food, water, and shelter needs are met, which has students answer what/where/how details. Activity 4 provides guided fill-in-the-blank prompts (name, habitat, physical characteristics, diet, shelter, classification) so students record specific details about an animal. The introduction, Activity 1, and the Wrapping Up prompt adults to ask the child to list and explain what animals need and how habitats meet those needs, leading students to answer explanatory questions.
Lesson 6
Extinct and Endangered Species
Students are prompted by the "Questions to Explore" to answer how living things survive and how animals and plants depend on one another, providing explicit opportunities to answer "how" questions. Students are asked at the end to say what it means for an animal to be endangered or extinct and to give reasons why some animals cannot live and grow in their habitats, prompting "what" and "why" responses. Students read theories about why dinosaurs disappeared and are asked to make puppet-show scripts and discuss those theories, which gives them material to answer text-based "why" questions. The skills list also indicates that students will answer high-level questions about a text, implying practice in responding to comprehension questions.
Lesson 7
Plants
Students read the story "Jack and the Beanstalk" and are asked explicit comprehension questions such as "Who were the characters?", "Where did the story happen?", "What happened in the story?", "Did Jack make a good decision... Why or why not?", and "What did Jack take from the giant?". Students read the informational page "A Plant," label parts of a plant, and discuss functions (roots absorb water, leaves make food), which prompts answers to what/how/why about plant details. The Skills list also directs students to "demonstrate comprehension of text by answering questions and summarizing information."
Lesson 8
The Role of Plants
Students are prompted to identify the author and title and to make predictions before and during a read-aloud of The Giving Tree. After reading, students answer explicit questions such as "Who are the two characters?", "What did the tree give the boy?", and "Do you think the boy/man was nice to the tree? Why or why not?" Students are also asked to explain why people and animals need trees and to write sentences about how plant products are used in their community.
Lesson 10
Life Cycles
The lesson includes explicit question prompts such as "How do living things survive in their communities?" and "How do animals' designs help them to live in their communities?" The introduction instructs an adult to ask the child how she was different six or seven years ago and how she is different from parents, prompting responses about when and how changes occurred. Students are asked to find pictures in books or on the Internet and "discuss each stage," to order life-cycle pictures, to read clues on the "Life Cycle Logic" page and decide answers, and to describe the life cycle of a butterfly, frog, and human.
Lesson 11
Community Members Depend on One Another
The lesson opens with explicit Questions to Explore that include "How do members of a community help...", "How do members of a community work together?", and "How do animals and plants depend on one another?", prompting students to answer 'how' questions. The Introduction and Wrap-up direct adults to ask the child specific questions (e.g., whether the child eats vegetables and what kinds, and to give an example of a food chain and explain how animals depend on plants/other animals). Activity 1 tells students to consult an encyclopedia or the Internet if unsure about an animal's diet, requiring students to read informational text to determine key details.
Final Project
Nature Guide or Habitat in a Box
Students are asked in the Skills section to "Ask and answer questions about organisms (S)." Student activity pages require students to fill in fields such as Name, Size, Habitat, Food, and "Why it is threatened," and to describe and illustrate a life cycle and create two food chains. The introduction prompts students to explain how they would show important characteristics of living things, which asks them to generate and answer explanatory questions.
2: Matter and Movement
Unit 1: States of Matter
Lesson 1
What Is the World Made Of?
Students are prompted to listen to and read a nonfiction text and to stop and discuss ideas as the book is read aloud. The lesson lists specific comprehension questions for students to answer (e.g., "What is the world made of?," "What are the three states of matter?," "What is the difference between a solid and a liquid?," "How can matter change?," and "What are some examples of matter in our house?"). Students write sentences describing observations (Activity 3) and sort and label examples from the text (Activities 2 and 5), which requires them to identify key details from the text.
Lesson 2
Solids
Students are instructed to reread pages 9-10 of What Is the World Made Of? and then identify the state of matter of the rock and explain why a pencil will not go through the rock (what and why). Students are asked to identify the state of matter of objects in Activity 1 and Activity 6 and to "explain how she knows," prompting how-type answers tied to observed details. Students draw and label containers and their contents as solid, liquid, or gas, demonstrating comprehension of key details about matter from the reading and discussion.
Lesson 3
Liquids
Students are asked to read pages 12-13 of an informational book and then describe what a liquid is (a direct "what" question about a text). Students are asked to look at a world map, identify bodies of water, and answer "what" they are and "how" people use them (questions about information on a map/text). In the recipe activity, students read ingredients and decide whether each is a solid or a liquid, demonstrating comprehension of details from a written recipe.
Lesson 4
Bartholomew and the Oobleck
Students are asked explicit who/what/why/how comprehension questions after the story (e.g., "How would you describe the king?" "What did the king want at the beginning of the story? Why?" "How did Bartholomew stop the oobleck?"). Students complete a Story Quilt organizer that requires naming characters and setting and listing three important events, the problem, and the solution. Students also do True or False activities where they decide whether statements about the text are true and revise false statements to make them true.
Lesson 7
Exploring Solids and Liquids
Students read What's the Matter in Mr. Whiskers' Room and write three sentences describing three things that happened in the book, directly practicing recall of key details. Follow-up questions ask students what they found interesting, which part was their favorite and why, and what new information they learned, prompting answers to what and why questions about the text. The Skills section explicitly directs students to "Respond and elaborate in answering what, when, where, and how questions (LA)," and Activity 2 asks students to identify objects from the story that are found in nature and classify them as solids, liquids, or gases.
Lesson 8
Our Bodies and Our World
Students read a short story about Jason and are prompted to answer explicit comprehension questions such as who was the main character, what problem he had, how he solved it, and whether they would have enjoyed the party (and why). Students also complete related tasks that require extracting details from text, such as circling solids, liquids, and gases in the story, filling in blanks with appropriate states of matter, and answering scenario-based questions that check understanding of key information.
Final Project
States of Matter
Students are asked explicit "what" and "how" questions in the Questions to Explore (e.g., "What are the properties of solids and liquids?" and "How can we compare states of matter?"), prompting them to answer key-detail questions. Students complete a States of Matter Test that requires them to fill in the three states, select properties in multiple-choice items, and identify pictures as solid, liquid, or gas, which has them answer informational questions about details. Students create collages and write sentences describing uses of liquids and adjectives/labels for solids, practicing explanatory responses about attributes and functions.
Unit 2: Earth
Lesson 1
Our Planet Earth
Students read You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and are prompted to point to examples of living things and to locate solids, liquids, and gases in the book. Students answer specific map-based questions (e.g., Which ocean is west of North America?) and label continents and oceans on a world map. Students are asked to write three sentences telling what the book is about, to answer follow-up questions (e.g., Why does the author call Earth a 'spaceship'? How is water recycled?), and to explain what they learned and name continents and oceans.
Lesson 2
Matter on the Planet
Students read pages 17–19 of You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and are asked whether the air we breathe is a solid, liquid, or gas and where oxygen comes from. Students are prompted to name examples of solids, liquids, and gases (in review and in the sorting activity) and to describe what the air they breathe looks like and how they know it is there (putting hand in front of mouth, bag demonstration). Students answer questions tied to the text and perform demonstrations that connect their answers to observable evidence.
Lesson 3
Digging Into Dirt
Students are asked to listen to or read pages 20–32 of You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and to participate in a read-aloud story "Who Did It?" after which they examine soil samples and choose where Jake lost the coin. Students are asked to explain how they solved the mystery and to write two or three sentences describing their reasoning. Other activities ask students to compare soil samples (how they are similar and different), name ingredients in dirt, and draw/label places where different soils are found (connecting observations to locations).
Lesson 4
From the Earth
Students are prompted to read informational pages about natural resources and to record where each resource is found and how they are used, which requires answering 'where' and 'how' questions. Students circle materials their family uses and write sentences about how those materials are used, which requires answering 'what' and 'how' about items in the pictures. Students label pictures with resources used to make items (e.g., socks, house, ice cream) and decide which natural resources are involved, reflecting extraction of key details from text and images.
Lesson 5
Rocks
During Activity 6 students identify the title, author, and illustrator and answer text-based questions such as "What was this story about?", "What does the author tell you to say if someone asks you what is so special about your rock?", and "Which rules do you think are most important... Why?" Activity 7 has students cut out, reorder, and (optionally) write sentences that summarize the ten rules from the book, requiring them to extract and restate key details. The introduction and wrapping-up prompts ask students where rocks can be found and what they are used for, which elicits answering factual questions aligned with who/what/where/why question types.
Lesson 6
Water, Water Everywhere
Students are asked to reread pages 12-15 of You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and to write sentences about the different uses of water, connecting text content to written responses. In Activity 8 students are prompted to write a short paragraph describing where a newly imagined ocean creature is found and what it eats, explicitly answering where and what questions. In the Fresh Water activities students write sentences describing how freshwater bodies differ from the ocean and circle/classify animals based on information from the page.
Lesson 7
Taking Care of the Earth
Students are asked explicit question prompts such as the Questions to Explore (e.g., "How do living things depend on the Earth?" and "What can affect the Earth in negative ways?"). Students answer direct questions like "What is paper made of?" and predict/record outcomes for the oil-and-water experiment, and they identify and circle examples of pollution on the Pollution activity page. Students read the Air Pollution list and circle actions they or their family could do, and they write sentences explaining why recycling is important.
Final Project
Earth Exhibit
Students are asked to reread You're Aboard Spaceship Earth and to review materials and states of matter from the text. Students complete planning pages that require them to write "Where it is found" and "What it is used for" for solids, liquids, and a gas, and to answer "How will museum patrons experience" each type of matter. Students are also prompted to describe why Earth materials are important to living things and to write descriptions and directions for visitors on exhibit cards.
Unit 3: Balance and Motion
Lesson 1
What Is Balance?
Students are asked explicit comprehension questions after reading (Activity 1) such as "How are a seesaw and a balance scale alike?," "How can you tell which side of a balance is heavier?," and "What happens when two amounts on a balance are equal?" The guidance tells students to reread the book if they cannot answer and then write two or three sentences describing the main idea, which asks them to demonstrate understanding of key details. In Activity 9 students write step-by-step directions (using words like first, next, then), read them aloud, and have someone follow them, practicing answering how-to questions.
Lesson 2
What Can Be Balanced?
Students are prompted by the "Questions to Explore" to consider "How can a state of balance be found?" and "When and why do we balance matter?", which require answering how and when/why questions. Students are asked to read examples about balance (including internet sources) and write a paragraph about one example they read, which has them read informational text and produce a response. Students are asked direct WH-style prompts (e.g., "what it means to eat healthily," "what he learned about using a balance") and to explain prior experiences, which requires answering questions about key details.
Lesson 3
Symmetry
The lesson asks students to explain what symmetry means and to name different lines of symmetry, which has students answer "what" and "how" type questions (e.g., "Explain the difference between vertical and horizontal"). The introductory Questions to Explore include "How can a state of balance be found?" and "When and why do we balance matter?", inviting students to consider how/when/why ideas. The Life Application "I Spy a Symmetrical Figure" has students ask and answer yes/no questions (e.g., "Is it small? Is it green?") to identify details. Several activities require students to draw, fold, and then write three sentences about a symmetrical picture, prompting them to produce answers about observed details.
Lesson 4
Force and Motion
Students are prompted to answer explicit comprehension questions after reading Move It! (e.g., "What is the difference between a push and pull?", "What does motion mean?", "Do you think it's easier to push or pull? Why?"). The lesson directs students to "encourage him to answer the questions asked in the text," circle and label pushing vs. pulling actions, and write sentences about pictures, which requires answering text-based questions and describing key details. Activities ask students to record observed actions on a walk and then classify them, and to write a short paragraph or story that describes what is happening in their drawn picture.
Lesson 5
Gravity
Students are prompted to answer factual questions such as "why she could not stay in the air" during the introduction and to explain what is stopping an object from falling in the Gravity Demonstration. Students read or listen to the informational book Forces Make Things Move and complete a True/False activity that requires them to decide whether statements about forces (e.g., "Force makes things move and makes things stop") are correct. The skills list includes listening responsively to text and discussing unfamiliar vocabulary after listening, and students write a short paragraph about life without gravity, demonstrating comprehension in written form.
Lesson 6
Friction
The lesson opens with explicit Questions to Explore (e.g., "In what ways does matter move?" and "Why does matter stop moving?") and directs an adult to ask the child why a toy car stopped after being pushed. Students are instructed to read specific pages in informational books (Move It; Forces Make Things Move) and to carry out investigations that require them to explain which surfaces create more or less friction. The wrap-up asks the child to explain what friction is and give examples of surfaces with more or less friction.
3: Culture
Unit 1: Geography
Lesson 1
Using Maps and Globes
Activity 1 directs students to read The Armadillo from Amarillo and then answer specific comprehension questions such as "Where was Armadillo at the beginning of the story?", "What state did Armadillo live in?", "Where did the eagle take Armadillo?", and "What did Armadillo learn on his journey?". The lesson's Skills section explicitly lists "Answer questions about text read aloud (LA)" and the introductory/prompts include questions to explore such as "How do we describe the location of a place?" and "Why is it important to know where places are located?" which guide student questioning about key details.
Lesson 2
Cardinal Directions
Students answer explicit map-based questions on the Student Activity Page (e.g., "What is north of Death Valley?", "What is south of Savage Hill?", "What is east of Great Palmetto?"). Students follow and give directional instructions (e.g., take three steps north, two steps east) and explain why cardinal directions work better on maps than forward/back/left/right. Students explain why sailors use cardinal directions and identify north, south, east, and west on a compass rose.
Lesson 3
Landforms and Bodies of Water
Students are asked to name bodies of water and to answer questions such as what it would be like to live near water and which body of water they would most like to live near and why (Activity 2, Option 1/2). Students match pictures to definitions of landforms and bodies of water, demonstrating understanding of what each feature is (Activity 1). Students write a paragraph advising someone which body of water to move near and write sentences about how people are affected by landforms or bodies of water (Activities 2 and 4), and they describe drawings of places they would live (Activity 5).
Lesson 4
Natural Resources
Students are asked where each natural item is found in the Introduction and to show where resources occur by placing materials on a U.S. map in Activity 2. The Researching Resources sheet prompts students to answer specific questions such as "Where is it found in the U.S.?" "How is it made?" "Describe a job related to the resource," and "How is the resource used by people?" Activities have students match resources to products (identifying what products come from which resources) and explain why resources are important in the Wrapping Up section.
Lesson 5
Habitats and Geography
Students are prompted to read pages 14–21 of The Usborne Children's Picture Atlas and then answer direct questions such as "In which habitat would you most enjoy living? Why?", "What would be different about living at the North Pole than living in the tropical rainforest?", and "Which habitat is your environment most similar to? In what ways are they similar?". Activity 2 asks students to read information about animals (e.g., the camel) and answer how people use animals, then write a sentence describing how an animal or plant is used by people who live in the same area. Multiple student activity pages require labeling habitats (where), identifying or drawing animals/plants (what), and writing sentences explaining why a habitat or living resource is important (why/how).
Lesson 6
Geography, Weather and Natural Disasters
The Skills section lists "Ask questions about events (S)." In Activity 3 students are instructed to write a question for each natural disaster, read about each disaster, and find the answers to their questions. Activity 1 prompts students to listen to descriptions and answer "Where are you?" and Activity 5 has students read a weather forecast and write sentences describing the weather and related activities.
Lesson 7
The Seven Continents
After reading, students are asked specific who/what/where questions about details in the text (e.g., Which continent has the Sahara Desert and Mount Kilimanjaro? Which continent is the smallest?). Students point to continents and match animals to continents (Activity 2) and label the equator and color climate bands (Activity 4), using map text and pictures to find information. The opening prompts ask students to name their continent and respond to exploratory questions such as How are geographical locations similar and different? and Why is it important to know where places are located?
Final Project
Geography of a Continent
Students are directed to reread Discover the Seven Continents and to look in other books and online sources to find facts about a chosen continent. The student research page asks students to record specific details drawn from the text such as bordering oceans, a major landform, a major body of water, how people use the water, natural disasters and how they affect people, and a natural resource and related job. The Questions to Explore and Wrapping Up prompts include explicit how and why questions (e.g., "How do we describe the location of a place?" and "Why is it important to know where places are located?") and ask students to tell what they learned and why.
Unit 2: People Around the World
Lesson 1
Exploring Culture
Students read an informational passage about culture (pp. 10-13) and are asked direct comprehension questions such as "What are some things that people do in different cultures?", "How do people share ideas?", and "What are different ways people get from place to place?", which prompt them to answer key-detail questions from the text. Students conduct an interview using prompts like "What is an important holiday in your culture? How and why is it celebrated?" and fill in answers on an activity sheet, practicing answering who/what/how/why-style questions about cultural details. The skills list also asks students to "Listen critically to, interpret, and evaluate," indicating students will respond to informational content and questions.
Lesson 2
Traditions
After reading texts about holidays and cultures, students are asked specific comprehension questions such as "How is Christmas celebrated differently…?", "Which country was most similar…? Why?", and "Which country would you enjoy celebrating Christmas in? Why?" (Activity 5). Student tasks require them to draw each holiday symbol and "write a sentence about the importance of each holiday," and to match symbols, holidays, and cultures (Activity 1/Holidays page). Students locate countries on a world map (identifying where) and discuss the significance of foods and traditions (explaining why), for example on the Chinese New Year Dish and Kwanzaa activities.
Lesson 3
Different Religions
Students read informational paragraphs about Ramadan, Easter, Hanukkah, and Christmas and are asked to discuss each holiday and match holidays to their religion and symbol (Activity 1). Students create a bar graph from data about religions in a community and answer specific comprehension questions such as which religion was most or least common and numerical comparisons (Activity 2). Students are prompted to name examples of religious holidays and explain why they are celebrated (Wrapping Up) and to write questions they would ask a friend of a different religion (Life Application).
Lesson 4
Homes and Culture
The lesson provides several explicit WH prompts: the 'Questions to Explore' lists what and how questions about homes and culture. In Activity 1 students write a paragraph describing a tradition, including when it occurs and why it is important. Activity 2 has students match homes to environments (addressing where), and Activity 4 asks students to describe the purpose of rooms and roles of family members (addressing what/why/who/how).
Lesson 5
Transportation in Culture
Students are asked to read about methods of transportation (pages 12-13) and to describe types of transportation and where they can be found during the wrap-up. Activity 1 requires students to write about a time they took a form of transportation (prompting 'where' and 'when' details). Activity 3 has students talk about transportation jobs and their locations and write a 'My Day as a ___' narrative, and Activity 4 asks students to identify places on maps related to trade.
Lesson 6
American Culture
Students are asked exploratory questions such as "How does a person's culture affect his or her life?" and "What do the traditions, jobs, foods, and transportation of a culture tell us?" which prompt how and what questions. In Activity 1 students locate the Liberty Bell and Statue of Liberty on a map (where) and describe what personal symbols mean (what). In Activity 2 students read leader cards, match each leader to a contribution (who and what) and answer which contributions were most important and why (why). Activity 3 and the discussion of music styles changing over time give students opportunities to consider when/how culture elements change, and Activity 5 has students discuss life in cultural neighborhoods and write a letter explaining important cultures and tips (how/why).
Lesson 7
History of America
Activity 3 has the child read Three Young Pilgrims and answer explicit questions that ask who, what, how, and why (e.g., Who helped the Pilgrims? How did the Pilgrims get to America? Why did the Pilgrims leave England?). Activity 1 directs the child to locate "sailed from" and "landed in" on maps and to refer to a timeline of explorations, which addresses where and when details. The Skills list includes "Discuss and explain how, why, and what if questions in sharing narrative and expository texts," and Activity 8 asks the child to compare lives (Venn diagram) and write about changes, reinforcing comprehension of key details.
Lesson 8
Asian Culture
The Skills list explicitly includes "Respond and elaborate in answering what, when, and how questions (LA)." Activity 1 directs students to read Explore Asia and answer specific questions (e.g., What types of habitats? What animals? What resources? What kinds of clothes are they wearing? Why?), and Activity 8 asks students to write a paragraph and answer questions such as "Do you think it is hard... Why or why not? How is America different from Asian countries?" Activity 3 (Chinese Zodiac) has students write family birth years (when) and read descriptions tied to those years.
Lesson 9
African Culture
Students are asked specific comprehension questions after reading (e.g., "What types of clothing... Why do you think... Can you describe some of the activities... What does the land look like? How are the children's lives... similar/different?"). Students identify nations discussed on their "Map of Africa" sheet and locate countries, addressing where details occur in the text. Students use text details to fill a guidebook, record foods from the book and tally family taste-test votes, and complete a Venn diagram comparing a child from the book to themselves, all requiring answers grounded in key details.
Lesson 10
South American Culture
After reading Explore South America, students are asked direct who/what/where/why/how questions (e.g., name the Andes Mountains, the Amazon River, what animals live there, what they would be excited to see) and told to use the book to help answer them. Activity 2 asks students to answer questions about life in South America (jobs, food, activities, homes) using text support. Activity 3 and the cut-and-order "An Amazon Journey" sheet and Activity 6 animal worksheet require students to sequence events and fill in where an animal lives, what it eats, dangers it faces, and day/night behavior, demonstrating comprehension of key details from the text.
Unit 3: Stories Around the World
Lesson 1
Fiction or Nonfiction
Students read two fiction storybooks and are prompted on the "Fiction Stories" page to write "What was the story about?" and to answer "Did you like or dislike the story? Why?". Activity 2 teaches students about characters (who), events/plot (what), and setting (when/where) and asks them to connect what they liked or disliked to characters, events, plot, or setting. Activity 1 and 3 have students examine book titles and covers (e.g., "Volcanoes," "Africa") to decide whether books are fiction or nonfiction, exposing students to informational titles.
Lesson 2
Character
Students identify who characters are by naming favorite characters and writing the character's name in the center of the graphic organizer. Students answer what characters are like and do by listing descriptive words (adjectives), writing actions the character might take, and recording examples of what the character says, thinks, and does. Students practice how a character would respond through role-play scenarios (e.g., What would the character do if a kid at school were mean? What would the character say?), and students explain why characters are important when asked to describe what can be learned from them.
Lesson 3
Story Setting
Students are asked to identify and describe the settings of multiple books (Activity 1) and to answer follow-up questions such as which setting had the most or least books and comparisons between categories. Students are asked to provide specific examples from text and illustrations about how culture is reflected in a story and to respond to targeted questions (geographical features, foods, clues that the story takes place outside the U.S.). Students listen for descriptive words about setting, draw and label settings from a read-aloud, and explain how their drawing fits the story (Activity 4).
Lesson 4
Plot
Students are asked to identify the problem, three or more events, and how the problem was solved in Activity 1 and Activity 3. Students sequence events from "Jack and the Beanstalk" and fill a "Writing Events in a Story" chart that prompts for Problem, Event #1-#3, and Solution. The Getting Started questions include a how-question about how characters, setting, plot, and theme are important, and Activity 5 asks students to create a main character and describe what happens to that character (who/what).
Lesson 5
Folktales and Fairy Tales
The Skills list explicitly states students will "Respond and elaborate by answering what, when, where, why, and how questions (LA)" and "Self-monitor comprehension by using questioning, retelling, or summarizing (LA)." Activity 1 directs students to answer specific who/what/where/why questions (e.g., "Who were the characters?", "What is the setting?", "What was the problem?", "What natural event does this story explain?"). The Yeh-Shen activity sheet asks students to answer who and how questions (e.g., "Who were the characters?", "How did an animal help a person?") and Activities 2 and 3 have students sequence events and retell details to demonstrate comprehension.
Lesson 6
Cinderella Stories Around the World
The lesson asks students to retell Yeh-Shen and answer explicit comprehension questions such as "Who is the main character?", "Describe her at the beginning of the story.", and "How is Rhodopis different from the other girls?". For The Irish Cinderlad students answer questions including "How do Cinderlad's sisters treat him?", "What magical creature helps Cinderlad?", "What does the bull give to Cinderlad?", and "Who does Cinderlad have to rescue? How does he do it?". Students also locate Egypt on a map (addressing where), complete a Cinderella Elements chart identifying characters, magical help, and proof of identity, and use a Venn diagram to compare key details across texts.
Lesson 7
Theme
Students are asked to describe main characters, major events, and the theme after reading a story (Activity 1). In Activity 2 students answer specific questions about fables that include who the characters were, how the lion and mouse helped each other, the setting, and what happened. Activity 3 and the student activity page ask students to use details (times and clues) to determine order and answer which animal was fastest, slowest, and in the middle, demonstrating use of key textual details.
Lesson 8
Myths and Legends
Students read the myth "How Rabbit Brought Fire to the People" and are prompted to answer specific who/what/why/how questions such as "What did the people want?," "Why do you think the people wanted fire?," "Who had fire at the beginning of the story?," and "Who stole the fire?". Students answer comprehension questions about Paul Bunyan (e.g., in what ways he differs from a real person, what was most interesting or unbelievable) and complete map activities that require locating Alaska and charting Paul Bunyan's journey, which addresses where-related comprehension. The wrap-up asks students to describe what myths and legends are and to explain their preferences, prompting students to answer questions about key details, theme, characters, setting, or plot.
Lesson 9
Poetry
Students are asked specific comprehension questions (e.g., "What are the rhyming words in the 'February' poem?"; "Which picture in the story reminds you most of your own life?"; "In which picture did the children seem to be having the most fun?") that require answering key-detail questions. Students fill in a "Life in America" chart using examples from the text and pictures, citing who/what/where details from selected month poems. After nursery rhymes and poems, students are asked questions about culture and meaning (e.g., "What could someone who lives in a different country learn…?") and to explain why a poem is a favorite, which prompts how/why responses.
Final Project
A New Cinderella
Students are prompted to read and answer specific questions on the "Organizing My Story" page such as "Who is your hero or heroine?", "What does he/she do?", and "What is the setting of your story?", and they are instructed to answer each question in a sentence. Several activity pages require students to complete prompts that ask who (main character, villain), what (difficulty, lost item), where (setting), and how (how the magical character helps; how the character will prove who he/she is). Students are also asked to read an example Cinderella story and compare and contrast it with their own version.
4: Relationships
Unit 1: Living Things and Their Environment
Lesson 2
Heredity Lab
The Skills section explicitly tells students to "Ask questions about organisms, objects, and events during observations and investigations." The Getting Started section provides two explicit "Questions to Explore" (e.g., "How are offspring related to their parents?"), modeling question asking. Multiple activities ask students to "discuss the traits" and to answer "how" investigations explain what they learned, prompting students to respond to questions about observed details.
Lesson 3
Sun, Moon, and Stars
Students are asked and answer explicit comprehension questions after reading (e.g., "Where is the Sun in the sky at noon?", "Why is it night on the other side of the Earth when it is day here?", "When do the stars shine?", "Why does the shape of the Moon change?"). Students explain day and night using a ball-and-flashlight simulation and describe moon phases by labeling and creating New, Crescent, Quarter, and Full Moon illustrations. Students complete activities that require them to describe when and why (e.g., shading the world map for temperature, listing animals in hot vs. cold habitats) which reinforce answering cause-and-effect and temporal questions from the texts.
Lesson 4
Seasons and Living Things
Students are prompted to answer explicit text-based questions after reading Sunshine Makes the Seasons (e.g., Are winter days shorter or longer than summer days? How long does it take the Earth to rotate? Is the axis of the Earth straight up and down? When the North Pole is tilted toward the light, is it summer or winter?). Students discuss cause-and-effect questions about seasons and living things (e.g., why birds fly south) and sequence events from the Bear Snores On activity. Students also respond to prompts asking how they have noticed plants change with the seasons and label seasons on a diagram, demonstrating comprehension of key details.
Lesson 5
Rivers
Students listen to the book Life Cycles: River and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks "What is the difference between ponds and rivers?" and other open-ended questions). Students use the book's Contents page to locate where animals live for the Animal Sort activity, demonstrating locating and answering "where" information. Students write simple sentences in their own words describing the four stages of a chosen life cycle and create a river food chain while discussing how energy is passed from producers to consumers, which practices answering key-detail and "how" questions from the text.
Unit 2: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane
Lesson 1
Relationships
Students are asked explicit comprehension questions after reading Chapters 1–2, including "How did Abilene feel about Edward? How do you know?", "How did Edward feel about himself?", "What incidents happened to Edward in Chapter 2?", and "What emotion did Edward experience at the end of Chapter 2?". Activity 2 prompts students with text-linked and reflective questions such as "Why is the stuffed animal important to you?" and asks them to describe relationships and character personality. The introduction directs reading aloud and discussing chapters while analyzing characters and themes, which guides students to ask and answer questions about key details.
Lesson 2
Point of View
Students read Chapters 3 and 4 aloud and answer explicit questions such as "What was the name of the ship they were going to sail on?" and "Why do you think Pellegrina wanted Edward to listen to the story?", which ask what and why. Students are asked to retell Pellegrina's story and to explain a figurative comparison, practices that require identifying key details and meaning. The Wrap-Up asks students in their own words to retell the tale and state what Edward could learn, further prompting answers to who/what and why questions.
Lesson 3
The Queen Mary
Students read Chapters 5 and 6 of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane and answer teacher-provided WH questions (e.g., Why did Abilene act that way? What did the boys do to Edward? Did Edward drown? Why or why not?). Students complete a Queen Mary Research sheet that asks explicit informational WH questions (When did the Queen Mary first sail? Where did she sail from? How was she transformed during the war?). The Skills section instructs students to recall information from provided sources and to use text features to locate key facts efficiently.
Lesson 4
Pronouns
Students read Chapters 7–9 and answer explicit comprehension questions that ask what Edward thought (what), whom he felt had thrown him overboard and why (who and why), and who found Edward and how (who and how). Students are asked to use illustrations and words to demonstrate understanding of characters, setting, or plot and to point out significant visual details. Students compare relationships and discuss how and why Edward has changed, practicing explanatory (how/why) responses.
Lesson 5
Emotions
Students read Chapters 10–12 aloud and then answer targeted comprehension questions. The provided questions explicitly ask about what and who (e.g., opinions about Lolly; what two words Edward's heart said) and ask how and why (Q3: "How and why is he different?" Q4: "Why did Edward disappoint Pellegrina?" Q5: "How did Edward feel..."). Activity 2 asks students to infer Edward's feelings and changes from quoted passages and to write a goodbye note that shows those emotions.
Lesson 6
Irregular Verbs
Students read Chapters 13–14 and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that ask who Edward liked, what Bull called Edward and dressed him in, what the hobos whispered, and what happened on the freight car. Students are asked "How do you know?" for Q1, prompting them to provide evidence from the text. Students also discuss higher-level questions (Getting Started and Wrapping Up) that ask why and how (e.g., why relationships end; why stars might be an important symbol).
Lesson 7
Figurative Language
Students are asked specific who/what/why/how questions: after reading Chapters 15–16 they answer "What did the old lady use Edward for? What did she call him?" and "Do you think Bryce should have taken Edward down? Why or why not?". Students are prompted to discuss who their favorite character is and why, and to think about how Edward must feel at this point in the story. Students also interpret figurative language by answering "What does this really mean?" about quoted lines, which practices answering questions about key details and meanings.
Lesson 8
The Falling Star
Students read Chapters 17–18 and are asked direct comprehension questions such as "Who is Sarah Ruth?" and "What is wrong with her?" which require identification of key details. They answer a how question: "What did Bryce make Edward do for Sarah? How did he do it?" and an inferential wish question that prompts reasoning about character desire. The introduction also prompts students to discuss why Bryce took Edward, asking them to justify whether it was right or wrong, which elicits a why response about characters' actions.
Lesson 9
Apostrophes
Students are asked to read Chapters 19–21 and answer explicit comprehension questions that include Where does Bryce take Edward? (where), Who did Edward think he saw? (who), and What did Neal do to Edward in the diner? Why? (what and why). The lesson also prompts students to discuss what changed Edward and includes Questions to Explore that ask why and how relationships change, asking students to explain their thinking. The activities require students to respond in sentences, demonstrating understanding of key details from the text.
Lesson 10
Illustrations
Students are asked explicit text-dependent questions after reading Chapters 22–24, including What (What vision did Edward have?), Where (Where was Edward when he woke up?), and Why (Why did Bryce leave Edward?). The "Explain an Illustration" activity directs students to identify Who, What, When, and Where for a chosen illustration and to record the accompanying quote. Retelling the story using illustrations and the closing prompt to describe environments in chronological order prompt students to answer key-detail questions and sequence events. The lesson's opening Questions to Explore include a direct "how" question about relationships, prompting discussion of causes and processes.
Lesson 11
Building Sentences
Students read Chapters 25–27 and the Coda and then answer explicit comprehension questions that ask who (QUESTION #4), what (QUESTION #1 and #2), how (QUESTION #3), and why (QUESTION #3) about key details in the text. In Activity 2 students answer why the author placed a poem at the book's start and how it applies to Edward's journey. In Activity 4 students describe and sequence Edward's relationships in simple sentences, demonstrating understanding of key events and interactions.
Final Project
Chalkboard Presentation
Students are asked to identify a favorite part of the story, choose an image to represent it, give the part a title, and dictate a sentence explaining why they like that part (addressing what and why). Students are asked to think about which relationship Edward had that is their favorite, select an image for the person (addressing who), and dictate a sentence describing the relationship and why it is their favorite. Students also select a favorite paragraph and practice reading it aloud, which engages them with key text details in preparation for presentation.
Unit 3: Connecting with the Past
Lesson 2
Colonization and the Revolution
Students read texts (Your Life as a Settler in Colonial America; O, Say Can You See?) and answer explicit WH questions in the Reading And Questions section (e.g., "When boys went to elementary school, what did most girls do?", "How were meals in the colonies different?", "What job did most boys end up doing?"). Students locate places on a map and shade regional colonies (where) and add dates and labels to a timeline (when). Students are asked who the first president was and to explain quotes from the Declaration of Independence (who/what/why) and to list two things we enjoy today because of the colonists (why/so what).
Lesson 3
Slavery and the Civil War
Students identify and explain character traits from Henry's Freedom Box, writing each trait and citing evidence from the read-aloud. Students locate and add dates, pictures, and descriptions for Harriet Tubman and Abraham Lincoln on a timeline, and complete fill-in-the-blank pages about their actions. Students use a map to identify the southern states (where), complete a sentence about consequences of the Civil War (why), and describe how escapes and rescues occurred (how) through videos and text.
Lesson 4
Immigration
Students answer explicit comprehension questions including who ('Who was Annie Moore?'), what ('What did the immigrants see when they entered New York Harbor?'), how ('How does the book describe the living conditions on the passenger ships?'), and why ('Why did the doctors check the immigrants?'). Students listen to and retell oral histories and investigate photographs by answering where someone might be from, what the person is doing, and what they may be thinking or feeling. Students add dates and items to a timeline (identifying when events occurred) and complete activities that require describing key details from the text and related primary sources.
Lesson 5
Civil Rights
Students read The Story of Ruby Bridges and answer explicit comprehension questions such as describing Ruby's family (who) and why white people protested (why). Students watch videos and complete pages about Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr., answering what those people did and how they fought for equal rights. Students place dates and descriptions on a timeline, which requires them to identify when events occurred, and they are prompted to explain the Civil Rights Movement in their own words using who/why/what questions.
Final Project
Preparing Projects
The lesson includes explicit "Questions to Explore" that ask "How do historical events impact the present?" and "How and why do we honor historical people, events and places today?" Part 4 instructs students to practice presenting their "Connecting with the Past" poster and to explain how past events still impact life today. The lesson also has students assemble and order a "Famous Americans" book and a timeline and invite family to read the book and look over the timeline, which creates opportunities for students to demonstrate understanding aloud.
6: Reading
Unit 1: Semester 1
Lesson 1
Word Families and Long Vowel Review
Students read aloud and respond to teacher prompts during Shared Reading, answering questions such as identifying vowel sounds, rhyming words, and why certain words begin with a capital letter. During Reader #1 (Fun and Then Cake) students answer explicit WH questions: what Jade did while Cash rode bikes, what color the cake was, and what Jade wanted to do after baking the cake. Students also answer a comprehension prompt asking which activity they would prefer, which requires them to refer to details in the text. The activities require students to point to words as they read and to use the text to support their answers.
Lesson 3
Complex Consonants Review
After reading A Wild Day in the City, students answer explicit comprehension questions such as "Who are the children in the story?" and several "What" questions (e.g., what is wrong with the restaurant? what is unusual about the pool? what strange figures do the kids chase?). Activity 5.1 has students listen to a short passage and write the missing words, then read the story back, demonstrating attention to key details. Several activities require students to point to words and explain differences (e.g., distinguishing digraphs vs. blends), which involves answering teacher-posed how/what-type questions about text features.
Lesson 4
R-Controlled Vowels Review
Students read The Big Race independently and then answer specific comprehension questions provided by the teacher, including who/when questions: "At first, who did you think would win the race?", "When the girl in red is winning, what place is the girl in green in?", and "Who wins the race?". Activity instructions ask students to point to words while reading and to read the story aloud, supporting answering those text-based questions. Shared reading also prompts the student to respond to a final question about the bossy r letter after reading.
Lesson 5
More R-Controlled Vowels
Students read the informational text All About Storms independently and aloud (Activity 5.1). After reading, students answer explicit comprehension questions such as "Why does it rain?," "What is hail?," and "What might you see or hear during a thunderstorm?" The activity prompts students to point to words as they read, supporting demonstration of understanding of key details in the text.
Lesson 7
More Long Vowel Spellings
After reading Reader #7 — A Snake in the Field, students are asked specific who/what/how questions: "How many kids are in the Stripes family? (eight)," "What scares Ned when he is out for a walk? (a snake in the grass)," "How had Ned helped the owl in the past?," and "What does the owl do with the snake?". The materials also prompt a follow-up personal question: "Have you ever seen a snake? What do you think of snakes?," which asks students to respond orally about their experience or opinion.
Lesson 9
Complex Consonants: dge vs. ge
Students read the reader Moose on the Loose and are asked explicit comprehension questions (Day 4 Activity 4.2: "How did the moose escape the cage?" "Why do you think it is a problem that a moose is on the loose?" "What do you think will happen in the story?"). On Day 5 (Activity 5.1) students finish the story and answer additional who/what/why/how questions such as "How does Sam help the moose?," "What does Dr. Ward give the mom and baby when he sees them?," and "Why do the people cheer Sam?". The lesson also asks students to make predictions from the title and cover (asking "what he thinks the story will be about" and "who he thinks the man in the picture is"), prompting students to respond to key-detail questions.
Lesson 10
Complex Consonants: tch vs. ch, ck vs. k
Students read The Egg at the Lake and are asked specific comprehension questions (Activity 5.1) such as What snacks do Rick and Claire have?, What kind of egg does Rick think they've found?, and What comes out of the egg?, which require answering who/what/where-type details. In Activity 4.3 students preview the book and answer predictive questions (What do you think will happen? What words do you think you'll find?) that engage them in thinking about key details before reading. The activities instruct students to read pages aloud and point to words, then respond to targeted questions to demonstrate understanding of those details.
Lesson 11
Final e: ce, ve, ze, se
Students read Aesop's fables and answer comprehension questions: they are asked to identify the moral of "The Crow and the Vase" and explain its meaning. During Day 5 students answer specific who/what/why/how-type questions such as "How did the dog lose his bone?" and "Why do you think Hare took a nap?" The prereading activity asks students to make predictions by answering "What do you think will happen in this book?" and "What words do you think you'll find in this book?"
Lesson 12
Homophones
Students answer direct comprehension questions after reading the reader (for example, they answer "Why do you think the people needed their king?" and "What food do you like as much as the king likes these pies?"). Students explain the meanings of word pairs and answer "What do they mean?" as they sort and pair homophones. Students explain differences between rhyming words and homophones, demonstrating they can use answers to show understanding of specific details about word meaning and sound.
Lesson 13
Making Plurals
Students read Shared Reading and Reader #13 aloud and respond to direct comprehension prompts such as "What do you think will happen in this book?" and "What kinds of things do the witches enjoy doing?" On Day 5 students answer explicit who/what/why-style questions about the story (e.g., What happens when the witches get to the beach? Why don't the witches like the beach?). During pre-reading and shared reading students are also asked to make predictions and to explain differences between words (e.g., which is best: one dime, three dimes, or eight dimes?), prompting them to answer questions about key details.
Lesson 14
Uncommon Plurals
Students are asked and prompted to answer explicit comprehension questions during read-aloud activities (e.g., "What do the children want to do at the barn?" and "Why did the women and children need to bring the animals to the barn?"). Students make predictions and provide reasons when asked "What do you think will happen in this book?" and "Do you think they should do this? Why or why not?". During shared reading, students answer questions about key details (e.g., "What are the rules you've already learned about for making plurals?") that require them to retrieve and explain information from the text.
Lesson 15
Words Ending with ed and ing
Students read The Red-Eyed Tree Frog and are asked direct comprehension questions such as "How does the tree frog scare away the snake?" and "Why does the frog lay her eggs on a leaf that is hanging over water?", which require answering how and why based on story details. Students are prompted to make predictions before reading (e.g., "What do you think will happen in this book?") and to read pages aloud to locate details. Several activities require students to point to words and read passages, then respond to teacher-posed questions about what they read.
Lesson 16
Words Ending with er and est
Students stop during Shared Reading to discuss questions posed in the text and are asked to answer riddles and predictive questions (e.g., "What do you think will happen in this book?"). In pre- and post-reading activities (Day 2 and Day 5) students answer text-based questions such as "Which spider should win an award for being the messiest?" and "Why aren't the worms hungry?" which require retrieving and explaining details from the reader. The Shared Reading and Bug Game Day activities explicitly prompt students to read, point to words, and respond to who/what/why-style questions about the text.
Unit 2: Semester 2
Lesson 1
Compound Words
Students read the book A Color of His Own and answer four teacher-posed comprehension questions (e.g., "How is the chameleon different from the other animals?"; "At the beginning of the story what did the chameleon do…?"). Students locate words in the text (Finding Words in the Text) and respond to factual and inferential prompts, including a why question about the chameleon feeling better with a friend. Students are also prompted to show the book cover and identify the animal, and to discuss their favorite color as a text-connected response.
Lesson 2
The Six Syllable Types
Students reread A Color of His Own and answer a set of comprehension questions (e.g., "What color is the pig?", "What color is the elephant?", and a reflective why question about changing color). Students complete a "Finding Words in the Text" activity where they search the book for listed words and answer which three seasons are named in the story. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Ask and answer questions about key details in a text," indicating students are expected to use question-and-answer tasks tied to the text.
Lesson 3
Open and Closed Syllables
Students read pages of Mouse Soup and answer five explicit comprehension questions (e.g., "How do you know this story is fiction?", "Why did the weasel catch the mouse?", "What problem did the mouse have?", "How did the mouse get the bees off his head?"). Students locate specific words and references in the text with the "Finding Words in the Text" activity, identifying page locations for vocabulary (e.g., under, whiskers, knee). Students also act out scenes from the story (Become a Character) and respond to prompts that require recalling and explaining plot details.
Lesson 4
Syllables with R-Controlled Vowels
Students read two short stories from Mouse Soup and then answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., "What animal did the stones send out first…," "Why did the bird and the mouse see different things…," and "What was keeping the mouse awake…") that require who/what/why responses. Students complete a plot diagram by identifying the problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and solution for "The Crickets," demonstrating identification of key story details and sequence. The lesson also asks a reflective how-question ("Have you ever been kept awake by something? How did it make you feel?") that prompts students to respond about feelings and cause/effect related to the text.
Lesson 5
Two-Syllable Words Ending in y
Students answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., Q1–Q4) about The Thorn Bush asking why the woman was crying, what the thornbush needed, and what the weasel discovered. Students locate and record story details and ingredients from multiple stories (Activity 4.1) and find specified words and four two-syllable words ending in -y in the text (Activity 4.2). Students discuss character feelings (Activity 3.1) and complete sentence completions that require choosing words that fit story contexts (Activity 4.3).
Lesson 6
Possessives
Students are asked to read Chapters 1 and 2 and then answer explicit comprehension questions such as "What did Penny find in Mrs. Goodwin's front yard?" and several why questions about Penny's actions and thoughts. Students are prompted to look at the book cover and answer what they think the story will be about, practicing making and answering prediction questions. Students complete text-based tasks like the "Finding Words in the Text" activity and match sentences to images, which require locating and answering questions about key details in the text.
Lesson 7
Contractions
Students finish reading Penny and Her Marble and answer five explicit comprehension questions that ask why Penny's stomach was hurting, why she did not tell her parents, what she dreamed about, where she took the marble, and what Mrs. Goodwin did when she saw Penny with the marble. Students discuss and write about how Penny felt and acted before and after returning the marble in the "Before and After" activity, describing changes in character based on events. Students locate and write contractions in text passages and are prompted to read scenarios and record responses on the "Theme" page, which requires comprehension of key story details.
Lesson 8
Two-Syllable Words with Silent e
Students are asked and prompted to answer explicit WH questions about Frog and Toad All Year (e.g., "What season was it in the story? How did you know?" and "Why did Toad hit a tree?"). Activities ask students to explain character feelings ("Ask your child to explain how Frog felt about the winter" and compare to Toad) and to give an oral summary of the story after rereading. Students also locate specific words and details in the text (Finding Words in the Text) to support comprehension.
Lesson 9
Vowel Teams
Students read Frog and Toad stories and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Q1 asks what Frog's dad meant, Q2 asks what Frog found, Q3 asks what Toad bought, Q4 asks what happened to Toad, Q5 asks how and why the animals felt afraid). Students are asked to summarize the story "Ice Cream," identifying the main things that happen to the characters. Students record upcoming events in "Just Around the Corner," which prompts them to think about when things will happen.
Lesson 10
Consonant Teams
Students read two Frog and Toad stories and answer explicit comprehension questions that ask what happened (Q2, Q5), when/which season it took place (Q1), and why events occurred (Q3, Q4). Activities prompt students to explain their reasoning (e.g., Activity 4.1 asks what clues they used to determine the season; Q1 asks 'How do you know?'). The lesson also directs students to describe how characters respond to events (Activity 3.1) and to use illustrations and details to support descriptions.
Lesson 11
Consonant + le Syllables
Students read Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse and answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., Why was Alexander always being screamed at? What did Alexander find in Annie's room? How did Willy describe how everyone felt about him? What did Alexander hear was in the garden?). Students complete a "Making an Inference" activity that asks them to draw conclusions from specific story details and record their inferences. Students use the "Finding Words in the Text" page to locate words on particular pages and the Venn diagram to compare characters using textual details.
Lesson 12
Suffixes
Students answer explicit who/what/where/why/how questions about Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse (e.g., What color pebbles did Alexander find? Where did Alexander find the purple pebble? Why do you think Annie put Willy in the box?). Students identify and place story elements—characters, setting, problem, solution, beginning/middle/end—showing understanding of who, where, and sequence. Students explain why Alexander changed his mind about his wish and respond to prompts asking how the pebble might have gotten into the box, providing practice with why and how questions.
Lesson 13
Prefixes
Students read poems (pages 2–14) and are prompted to answer three discussion questions: Which poem was your favorite? Had you ever heard any of the poems or nursery rhymes you read today? How are poems different from stories? In the "Finding Words in the Text" activity, students search the text to locate specific words (two, four, seven, eight, remember, evening) and identify words that begin with given prefixes in particular poems, requiring them to refer back to key details in the text.
Final Project
Write Your Own Story
The Story Idea activity asks students to identify Characters and Setting and to jot ideas for the Beginning, Middle, and End, which requires students to name who is in a story, where events occur, and the sequence of events. Activity 1.3 prompts students to consider types of stories (a day in the life, a problem and solution, a sports event), which guides thinking about key story details. The Student Activity Page explicitly provides sections for characters, setting, beginning, middle, and end for students to complete.