Eighth Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: Abigail Adams
Lesson 2
John and Abigail Adams
Students analyze and label the function of individual sentences in given paragraphs (Paragraph Analysis Option 1 and 2) and identify/rewrite sentences that do not fit, which requires short-form written responses. Students make a two-column list of positive and negative attributes for John Adams and write a brief reflective answer about the importance of marital choice, demonstrating short, discipline-specific writing for a specific audience (Reverend and Mrs. Smith). The Skills section asks students to record bibliographic information and to differentiate paraphrasing from plagiarism, which relates to research-oriented writing practices.
Lesson 3
Unrest and War
Students read chapters and primary-source links and then write responses to comprehension questions and short constructed paragraphs (e.g., a well-formed paragraph about Paul Revere's engraving or a first-person eyewitness account of the Boston Tea Party). Students identify and rewrite passive-voice clauses into active voice and explain why an author used passive voice, which requires drafting and editing sentences. The activities ask students to support arguments with 2–3 specific examples and to write descriptively for a chosen point of view (diary or letter).
Lesson 4
Continental Congress
Students answer comprehension questions about Chapters 7 and 8, writing short responses to prompts about John and Abigail Adams. Students complete the Verb Mood activity, identifying moods and correcting verbs in a paragraph, which requires written corrections and labeling. Students complete the Vocabulary Review by writing sentences, definitions, and self-assessing familiarity with vocabulary words.
Lesson 5
Remember the Ladies
Students answer specific reading questions about Chapters 9 and 10, writing short responses to comprehension prompts. Students complete the "Exploring Primary Sources" activity page by summarizing a letter, noting date/to/from, and answering analytical questions comparing the letter to how the biographer used it. Students produce lists and fill charts in Activity 2 (e.g., listing John's jobs, Abigail's jobs, shared responsibilities; interviewing parents and recording household task divisions).
Lesson 6
Separation
Students answer specific reading questions about Chapters 11–12, requiring short written responses that summarize and infer. Students perform paragraph editing, correcting grammar, punctuation, spelling, voice, and mood, and apply proofreading symbols to revise text. Students complete a vocabulary crossword that requires producing and spelling discipline-specific words from a word bank.
Lesson 8
Genre
Students are asked to write short-answer responses to reading comprehension questions (Questions 1–4), demonstrating short-time-frame writing in a single sitting. Students summarize a chosen scene from Chapters 15–16 in one paragraph and then rewrite that scene in a chosen genre (historical fiction, mystery, or science fiction), practicing different disciplinary writing modes and purposes. Students may create a graphic-novel retelling using provided templates, combining writing and artwork to address multimodal composition for an implied audience (publisher or readers).
Lesson 9
The Vice Presidency
Students read at least two original letters between Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson and then write a diary entry from Abigail Adams's point of view, practicing writing in a historical/persona voice (Activity 1). Students also write short book descriptions and reimagine the book in at least two other genres, producing new titles and blurbs that target different audiences and purposes (Activity 2).
Lesson 11
Later Life
Students write sentences in the Verb Forms activity, producing active and passive voice and conditional/subjunctive mood examples. Students answer reading comprehension questions about the Adams family, producing short written responses. Students research descriptions and images of Peacefield and the President's House and then record details and impressions in a Venn diagram or create artwork that includes words or phrases comparing the homes.
Lesson 12
Remembering Abigail Adams
Students are asked to read Chapters 23 and 24 and answer comprehension questions, demonstrating short written responses tied to the text. Students are directed to write a 6–8 sentence eulogy or obituary for Abigail Adams, explicitly using the grammatical concepts covered in the unit. Students may choose an alternative task to design a memorial prototype and are told they will prepare a final project/performance looking back on Abigail Adams' life.
Final Project
A One-Person Play
Students plan and complete a multi-day final project that spans planning (Part 2), scripted writing (Day 2), rehearsal and refinement (Part 5), and presentation (Part 6), showing work across extended time. Students are required to research and quote at least one primary source for a scene (web link to digital Adams archive) and to record dates and summaries on planning pages, demonstrating discipline-specific historical research. Students write short, time-limited scripts for three scenes (each script ~one page and each scene 2–3 minutes), providing shorter-timeframe composing tasks and opportunities to draft text for a specific audience (family/friends and teacher via the rubric).
Unit 2: Animal Farm
Lesson 1
What Is a Theme?
Students write answers to pre-reading questions about the book (e.g., what they heard about the book, what they think it will be about) and complete the "Pre-Reading Animal Farm" student activity page, which requires written responses about cover art, author background, and introductory materials. Students complete the "Topic, Plot, and Theme" activity pages by categorizing phrases and writing their own example in the provided boxes. The parent notes also suggest students may use online research if their edition lacks introductory material, which would require gathering information and recording findings.
Lesson 2
Major's Dream
Students write short constructed answers to reading questions after reading Chapter 1 (e.g., responses about Major's characterization, blame, and the meeting). Students complete Parts of Speech activity pages by labeling words, phrases, and sentence parts, producing written annotations and sentence analyses. Students fill the "Late-Night Meeting" worksheet by choosing an adjective for each character and writing an example from the text to support their choice.
Lesson 3
The Rebellion
Students produce written answers to reading comprehension questions after reading Chapter 2 (short-answer Q&A, including an open-response question about the milk). Students complete focused writing tasks on pronouns by rewriting sentences, underlining pronouns and marking antecedents, and replacing repeated nouns with pronouns. Students record analytical ideas in the "Characters as Leaders" table and write comparative responses on the "Seven Commandments and the Bill of Rights" activity page.
Lesson 4
Work on the Farm
Students are asked to write comparative responses in Activity 1, filling a graphic organizer with specific examples from the text about what work was done, who did it, how it was done, and who benefited. Activity 2 teaches friendly and business letter formats and has students practice by arranging parts of a business letter (Jumbled Business Letter) and finding/correcting errors (Fixing a Business Letter). The parent plan and life-application prompt explicitly ask students to write letters that reflect an opinion, register a complaint, or request information and suggest writing a friendly letter during the week.
Lesson 5
The Battle of the Cowshed
Students are asked to write a short (2-minute) speech that explains an individual's role in the battle, highlights admirable qualities, proposes an honor, and gives a lesson for the audience. Students are also asked to reread Chapter 4 and create a detailed battle map based on textual evidence, planning character positions and movements. Students complete Pronoun Reference and Agreement exercises that require rewriting sentences and explaining the problem, which involve composing corrected sentences and brief explanations.
Lesson 6
Comrade Napoleon
Students are asked to conduct historical research and complete the "Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution" activity pages, including filling in birth/death dates, roles, connections to the novel, and specific evidence, and to create a short timeline linking history to the book. Students complete the "Pronoun Case" page by circling correct pronouns and writing brief explanations, and answer short written questions about possessive pronouns and interrogatives. The Skills section also lists composing a letter that reflects an opinion, complaint, or request, indicating a discipline-specific writing purpose.
Lesson 8
The End of the Rebellion
Students are asked to produce sustained persuasive writing by composing a memoir from Napoleon's perspective in the "How to Run a Farm" activity, where they must give advice and use persuasive techniques and examples. Students review and identify differences between business and friendly letters in Activity 2 and then write an actual friendly letter, choosing recipient, purpose, tone, and correct formatting. The Parent Plan explicitly states students will "write a letter that reflects an opinion, registers a complaint, or requests information in a business or friendly context," showing practice with discipline-specific letter genres and purposes.
Lesson 9
The Battle of the Windmill
Students are asked to compose a formal one-paragraph business letter from Mr. Frederick to Mr. Pilkington using a full business-letter format (sender/recipient addresses, date, salutation, body, closing, and enclosure line) in Activity 2 and the Student Activity Page. Students are given two writing options in the personification activity: a brief written caption (2–3 sentences) paired with art or a two-paragraph written re-imagining describing the original scene and the changes, which require audience-aware choices. Instructions emphasize tone, concision, and correct pronoun/parts-of-speech usage, so students practice discipline-specific conventions for business and literary writing.
Lesson 10
Boxer's Fate
Students are asked to write brief responses and summaries, for example writing 1–2 sentences that state the main theme under their plot diagram and answering short reading questions about Chapter 9. Students must fill in scaffolded graphic organizers (a plot diagram and a theme bubble map) and list at least two specific incidents from the novel to support each theme. The lesson also instructs students to add to and revise their plot diagram in a later lesson (Lesson 11), indicating continuation of the work over time.
Lesson 11
The Farmers Pay a Visit
Students complete and revise a Plot Diagram from an earlier lesson, explicitly being asked to "revise or add to his ideas about theme as needed," which requires reflection and revision. Students answer focused reading questions and fill in a chart documenting changes to the Seven Commandments, producing several short written responses. Students write a paragraph that could appear in the body of a friendly letter applying a theme to a historical or modern situation; the Option 1 description notes that this may require some research and asks for specific examples and connections.
Final Project
Animal Farm Letter
Students plan, draft, and complete a typed multi-paragraph letter across multiple days (Step Four outline, STEP FIVE: Write a draft; Day 2 editing & revising; Day 3 complete your letter), with explicit instructions to draft some paragraphs in one sitting and finish remaining paragraphs the next day. Students choose among several audiences and purposes (a letter to the author, a letter from one character to another, or to a homeschooling parent/teacher) and must decide whether a friendly or business format and tone is appropriate. Students follow a rubric that requires audience, purpose, structure, organization, and mechanics, and they are prompted to reflect on purpose and revise for clarity and format during the editing stage.
Unit 3: Einstein Adds a New Dimension
Lesson 1
Expository Writing
Students are asked to complete multiple writing-related tasks: they sketch a graphic representing five modes of expository writing (Activity 2) and answer scenario-based choices about which expository type fits each purpose. The skills section and activity prompts ask students to write informative/explanatory texts and analyze text organization, and the lesson repeatedly notes that students will complete "several writing assignments during this unit." Students also practice short tasks such as identifying front/back matter and distinguishing narrative vs. expository features through written responses on activity pages.
Lesson 2
Descriptive Writing
Students complete short descriptive-writing tasks: they underline effective phrases from a model paragraph and fill out a "Descriptive Phrases" activity that targets use of the five senses. Students choose a picture from the text and write a short paragraph describing it, using spatial transitions and sensory detail. Students are instructed to keep their writing for future lessons, indicating continued use of these pieces within the unit.
Lesson 3
The Curies' Discoveries
Students write definitions, synonyms, and example sentences for domain-specific vocabulary words in the "Three Questions Vocabulary" activities. Students take notes on Chapters 11-12 using either traditional note-taking (short phrases, page numbers, marking definitions) or by highlighting and annotating text directly. Students produce annotations and margin notes, and a sample set of notes is provided to model summarizing scientific ideas (e.g., radioactivity, pitchblende, photon concepts).
Lesson 4
Process Writing
Students plan, organize, and write a short process or sequence piece using provided "Planning and Organization" activity pages and a 1-2 paragraph drafting task. Students choose between a how-to (Option 1) or a discipline-specific summary of a scientific sequence from the book (Option 2), and are asked to keep their writing for possible later use and to let a friend or sibling read it to test clarity. The lesson includes guidance on using transitions, materials lists, step-by-step instructions, and summarizing people/dates for scientific sequences.
Lesson 5
Envisioning Fission
Students are asked to take notes on Chapters 22 and 24 and to record one to two events per year on a Chapter 23 timeline as they read, which requires written note-taking and organization during reading. Students complete an Internet Research activity that directs them to visit three web pages and answer guided questions about credibility, accuracy, and usefulness, requiring written responses that use evidence from sources. The Parent Plan and activities direct students to gather relevant information from print and digital sources and to document events and source evaluations on activity pages.
Lesson 6
Cause and Effect Writing
Students are asked to read specific pages and then complete a short cause/effect mini-essay as a rough draft using the provided Planning and Organization pages. Students are guided to write a clear thesis naming topic and two causes/effects, to develop two points with supporting details and page-number citations from the book, and to use transition phrases shown in the Cause/Effect Writing Transition chart. Students are also instructed to keep their writing for later in the unit, and the Parent Plan asks caregivers to confirm a clear thesis and the use of transitions.
Lesson 7
Relativity
Students look up and write definitions and examples or draw pictures for domain-specific vocabulary terms (Activity 1), and they answer comprehension questions after reading chapters. Students design a technical poster for a younger audience that requires choosing domain-specific terms, defining unfamiliar terms, combining text and graphics, and considering audience knowledge (Activity 2). The poster task asks students to determine what the audience already knows and to use at least three domain-specific words, which addresses discipline-specific purposes and audiences.
Lesson 8
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are asked to write a short comparison/contrast piece using Planning and Organization pages, including brainstorming, listing 3–4 specific points, and outlining an introduction, topic sentences, and conclusion. Students are instructed to produce a rough draft and to use transition words and specific examples to support points. The assignment offers two options (personal topics or book-based topics) and requires students who use the book to cite page numbers for any brief quotations.
Lesson 9
Avoiding Plagiarism
Students read assigned chapters and answer focused questions, producing short written responses about redshift, Cepheid stars, and related content. Students complete classification and short-writing activities on the "Understanding Plagiarism" page and choose or create paraphrases on the "Paraphrasing and Summarizing" page. Students are asked to write a one- or two-sentence chapter summary (starting "Chapter 36 is about ...") and the materials state these activities will be useful for a final project in which students will write a research paper.
Lesson 10
Problem and Solution Writing
Students are asked to produce a short problem/solution writing piece that includes a statement of the problem, two possible solutions with pros and cons, and a concluded chosen solution. The materials provide a Problem/Solution Planning graphic organizer for students to brainstorm and organize ideas and include a sample paragraph and mini-paragraph versions that students can model. The assignment offers several discipline-specific topic choices (historical/Manhattan Project, hypothetical/NASA funding, or a personal/community problem) so students practice expository problem/solution writing in different contexts.
Lesson 11
Citing Sources
Students are assigned a final research paper for the unit, which requires gathering information and using MLA citations, indicating a multi-step research and writing task. Students are asked to revisit and improve a previous writing assignment by creating an accompanying graphic, which requires revision and integration of visual information. The unit materials note that students have practiced five distinct forms of expository writing (process, cause/effect, comparison/contrast, problem/solution and others), showing a range of discipline-specific writing tasks and purposes.
Final Project
Research Paper
Students plan and produce a multi-day expository research paper over four days, using KWS charts, research notes or notecards, an essay organizer, and a research rubric that guides drafting, revision, and a Works Cited page. Students are required to use at least three sources (one being the textbook), record citations, integrate quotations and paraphrases, and create an accompanying graphic, showing discipline-specific research and presentation practices. Students also complete a unit test with short-answer and multiple-choice writing tasks that are completed in a single sitting.
Unit 4: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Lesson 1
Introduction to Mark Twain and the Novel
Students are asked to keep a journal "throughout the unit" to collect information, quotes, and to analyze the story, characters, plot, and theme, and they repeatedly "answer the following questions in your journal" after web research and readings. Students write short responses after reading Chapters 1–2, summarize websites about slavery, and respond to questions about dialect and Mark Twain, demonstrating both shorter (answering chapter questions) and ongoing (journal kept across the unit) writing tasks. Students also complete written activities such as vocabulary exercises and map annotations that require written labeling and explanations.
Lesson 3
What is Narrative Writing I
Students are asked to produce written work in journal form: Option 1 directs students to write 3-4 sentences showing a character's emotion, and Option 2 directs students to record a narrative about half a page that includes dialogue and description. Students analyze and explain quotes in the "And You Can Quote Me on That" activity, which requires writing explanations of what quotes reveal about characters. The Wrapping Up prompts ask students to reflect on the decisions they made in their narrative and to give examples of showing versus telling.
Lesson 4
What is Narrative Writing II
Students read and analyze dialogue passages and answer text-based questions, demonstrating comprehension and analysis of narrative techniques. Students plan and draft a one-page narrative (Option 1 or Option 2) that requires them to use dialogue, show-not-tell, and descriptive details. Students complete graphic organizers (character-feelings chart) and discuss two examples of using dialogue and showing vs. telling, which supports reflection on their writing choices.
Lesson 6
The Power of Persuasion
Students are asked to decide a position, create a thesis, brainstorm reasons, and plan three body paragraphs (Activity 1), which requires planning and organization of a persuasive piece. Students read and analyze a model persuasive essay and answer guided questions about thesis, reasons, and evidence (Option 1/Part I), and in Option 2 they spend about 10 minutes brainstorming an opposing essay. In Activity 2 students write multiple persuasive sentences using specific techniques (reason, emotion, beliefs, problem/solution, storytelling, similes) and then share their examples with a parent.
Lesson 7
Persuasive Writing
Students are asked to write a persuasive paragraph stating a position on whether the novel should be changed, explicitly requiring a thesis, two reasons, and evidence. Students are directed to read a linked article to gather evidence and to use an online Persuasion Map to plan their paragraph. Students also complete vocabulary sentence writing, which requires composing sentences that use words correctly in context.
Lesson 8
Hiding the Money
Students are asked to conduct short research projects to answer questions about types of writing (Parent Plan Skills) and to review a "Types of Writing" slideshow. Students create three collage posters that require them to print, copy, or write parts of sample texts and to write titles with correct punctuation. Students also answer reading comprehension questions about Chapters 26-28, which requires short written responses.
Lesson 10
Figures of Speech
Students complete multiple short written tasks: they fill in activity pages with their own examples of puns, hyperbole, oxymorons, similes, and idioms and complete the "Figurative Language in the Novel" table. Students write responses to comprehension questions about Huck and Tom and write short answers or phrases on the simile and idiom pages (e.g., finish similes, provide an idiom from a novel). Students are asked to make ongoing notes in a journal of other examples of figurative language as they continue reading.
Lesson 11
Mark Twain's Influence
Students write a 3–4 sentence journal entry interpreting Hemingway's quote (Activity 1) and answer chapter questions after reading Chapters 37–40. Students listen to two slave-narrative videos and take comparative notes on life, dialect, and figurative language (Activity 2). Students complete prewriting on a provided Story Map and produce a one-page narrative draft that must include specified figurative devices (Activity 3).
Final Project
Cultural Biography
Students plan and complete a multi-day project: they are instructed to "complete the first 5 pieces today and the remaining ones on Day 2," and the story-blocks option similarly splits work across two days (text one day, decorate/assemble the next). Students write a variety of discipline-specific pieces: a bio poem, similes, idioms, vocabulary sentences, an expository sentence about slavery or dialect, and copy from a previously developed persuasive paragraph; the story blocks require narrative, persuasive, and expository representations plus point-of-view writing. Students prepare for and take a unit test that asks them to write hyperboles, similes, vocabulary-in-sentences, and sentences in first/second/third person, and they share their finished project with family while being assessed by a parent rubric.
Unit 5: Elijah of Buxton
Lesson 1
Introduction to the Novel
Students are asked to write a short poem or song or a 6–8 sentence journal entry from the perspective of a slave after completing an online exploration of the Underground Railroad. Students are instructed to write a 6–8 sentence persuasive speech encouraging a newly freed person to live in Buxton and to read it aloud to a parent. Students complete written activity pages answering questions about the author, vocabulary illustrations, and analysis questions about flashback, all requiring short written responses and reflection.
Lesson 2
The Preacher
Students are asked to perform multiple written tasks: they correct and rewrite sentences in a Sentence Editing activity, write a 4–5 sentence descriptive paragraph in the "Showing Emotion" activity, and answer analytical questions comparing Fitzhugh and Douglass with space for extended written responses. Students also compose brief explanatory descriptions and a 3–4 sentence welcome note for a "Welcome to Buxton" basket or prepare a short welcome speech and explanations of chosen items for an oral presentation.
Lesson 3
Creating a Character
Students answer written comprehension questions about Chapters 5 and 6 and complete a sentence-editing exercise, which requires short-form written responses and revision of sentences. Students fill multiple character-analysis graphic organizers (physical appearance, thoughts, quotes, others' actions) and then create a multi-page booklet about an invented character, which involves composing descriptive and narrative text. Optional tasks ask students to compose a short monologue (write and rehearse notes) and design t-shirts that represent the character, providing opportunities to produce writing and creative artifacts for a parent or audience.
Lesson 4
Tone and Mood
Students are asked to write short discipline-specific pieces such as sentence edits, chart responses identifying tone and mood, and sentences that experiment with different tones. The lesson offers an optional longer creative writing task (write a poem from the perspective of a slave) and directs students to external primary-source excerpts and images to inform their responses. Several activities require students to reflect on text events and articulate reader mood and author tone in writing.
Lesson 5
Colorful Language
Students are asked to write a 6-8 sentence narrative describing a personal event that uses precise words, sensory language, and descriptive details. Students can create a visual display or design a carnival advertisement that requires use of the six figures of speech and aims to persuade visitors (an audience/purpose-driven task). Students complete a sentence-editing activity that has them copy and correct sentences, practicing sentence-level revision and editing.
Lesson 6
Symbolism
Students write brief, discipline-related responses such as answering reading comprehension questions for Chapters 11 and 12 and correcting and rewriting sentences in the Sentence Editing activity. Students produce short descriptive pieces: 2–3 sentence descriptions of two household items, a 2–3 sentence passage describing a feeling using a simile or metaphor, and 2–3 sentences explaining a personal sculpture symbol. Students share or perform work to an audience (read descriptions to a parent or friend, perform a revised song) and are directed to use reference tools (thesaurus) to choose precise words.
Lesson 7
The Importance of Education
Students write vocabulary definitions on the Student Activity Page after interpreting words in context and categorize vocabulary items, and they answer comprehension questions in writing about Chapters 13–14. In Option 2, students read an external website about a secret slave school (a short research step) and then write the remainder of a play scene, composing for a discipline-specific genre and potential audience. In Option 1, students plan answers to interview questions (and may be filmed), which requires preparing responses about illiteracy and its effects.
Lesson 9
Transitions and Humor
Students write a 5-7 sentence humorous news paragraph (Option 1) using at least three humor techniques, and they create and rehearse a one- to two-minute mock newscast (Option 2). Students complete sentence-editing tasks to correct grammar and punctuation and practice using a variety of transition words in the "Transitions Part 2" activity by producing follow-up sentences that use specified transition types. Students are asked to perform the newscast for family or friends, indicating attention to purpose and audience in an oral/performative task.
Lesson 10
Allusions and Authors
Students are asked to correct and rewrite sentences in the Sentence Editing activity, practicing revision of short texts. Students are asked to write 2–3 sentences explaining an allusion's origin and connection to the book on the Allusions Student Activity Page, engaging in brief discipline-specific literary analysis. In the Becoming an Author activity, students write five interview questions and draft two imagined answers or write a descriptive paragraph/book cover for a historical fiction idea, producing short, purposeful pieces for different modest audiences.
Lesson 11
Story Reflections
Students are asked to write a paragraph that explains their personal connection to Elijah of Buxton (Activity 2), which requires using specific examples and explaining impact. Students complete written plot diagrams and a theme web, recording main conflict, rising action events, climax, falling action, resolution, and examples supporting the theme of freedom. Students answer comprehension questions in writing about plot events and character decisions.
Final Project
Personal Narrative
Students plan a personal narrative by creating a plot diagram, draft a story, read and revise their draft (adding transitions, symbol, flashback, figures of speech), and produce a final draft, showing cycles of drafting and revision. Students also complete shorter written tasks in a single sitting, including unit test identification items, vocabulary definitions, 1-2 sentence story-structure responses, and figures-of-speech fill-ins. The rubric and parent notes require students to revise and edit for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and to produce a carefully revised final draft.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: The House of the Scorpion
Lesson 1
Cloning
Students research cloning across multiple days (Activity 1 with six web sources) and take organized source cards and note cards, showing extended-time work on research. Students plan and outline their position using a Persuasion Map (Activity 5) and are given two days to produce a rough draft of a five-paragraph persuasive essay (Activity 6–7), indicating extended writing time. Students also complete shorter, single-session tasks such as identifying persuasive strategies (Activity 3) and applying persuasive strategies to a sample prompt (Activity 4). The lesson requires discipline-specific tasks: researching with MLA citations, composing a thesis-driven persuasive essay, and preparing a Works Cited page.
Lesson 2
Revising and Editing
Students are asked to "revise and edit your persuasive essay," which directs them to read their essay, reconsider the structure of their argument, and apply editing symbols to mark changes. The Parent Plan includes the explicit skill: "With some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on how well purpose and audience have been addressed." The activities require students to perform both higher-order revision (organization, topic sentences, support) and mechanical editing (punctuation, grammar, spelling).
Lesson 3
Cast of Characters
Students are instructed to "create a final draft" after they have "written, revised, and edited" a persuasive essay and to type and format that final draft using technology, run spell-check, and produce a Works Cited page. The skills list and activities ask students to produce final drafts/presentations, use technology to produce and publish writing, and deliver persuasive presentations that include a well-defined thesis and supporting evidence.
Lesson 4
Rhetorical and Logical Fallacies
Students answer specific reading-comprehension questions about Chapters 10-12 of The House of the Scorpion, producing short written responses. Students read a short argumentative essay on human cloning and mark/annotate examples of rhetorical and logical fallacies, demonstrating analytical writing/annotation. Students plan and create a print advertisement or a 30-second commercial that requires composing persuasive language and presenting it to a parent or audience.
Lesson 6
Societal Comparisons
Students are asked to read Chapters 16–18 and answer specific comprehension questions, which requires written responses. Students complete a "Comparing Societies" graphic organizer to record similarities and differences between Opium and the United States. In Option 2, students are instructed to "Write a descriptive paragraph of your society" to accompany a visual representation.
Lesson 7
One-Act Play
Students are asked to choose a scene from the novel and turn it into a one-act play, writing dialogue, stage directions, and cues. The task specifies discipline-specific constraints (limit to 4 characters and 20–30 total lines) and asks students to consider mood, protagonist/antagonist, setting, and conflict. Students are also prompted to practice the piece a few times and perform it for friends or family, which involves preparing the written script for an audience.
Lesson 8
Family Crest
Students write answers to comprehension questions about Chapters 22–24, producing short written responses that summarize plot and character actions. Students create an "El Patrón Family Crest," including a ribbon banner and motto, and are instructed to share and discuss their crest with a parent. Students make vocabulary index cards by consulting dictionaries to record each word, its part of speech, a definition, and either an original sentence or an illustration, which requires looking up and recording information from reference materials.
Lesson 9
Science Fiction
Students are asked to write in a journal about what makes a piece of literature "science fiction" and to decide whether The House of the Scorpion fits that genre, which requires short, reflective writing. Students fill in a Student Activity Page table by providing textual evidence from the book for specific science-fiction characteristics, an organized discipline-specific analytical task. Students write a 5-6 sentence persuasive paragraph to convince parents to get a pet and then read that paragraph to parents, which addresses audience and purpose in a short-time-frame writing task.
Lesson 12
El Día de los Muertos
Students are asked to answer specific reading questions about Chapters 34–36, which requires composing short written responses. Activity 1 asks students to create their own test based on studied material, a task that requires students to write discipline-specific questions and answers. The lesson references a PowerPoint on the structure of a persuasive essay and recommended persuasive techniques, which implies instruction tied to persuasive writing.
Lesson 13
Unit Test and Essay Reflections
Students complete a unit test with short-answer questions that require complete sentences, indicating practice writing in a shorter time frame. Students are asked to reflect on and evaluate a prior persuasive essay about cloning using the "Evaluating My Essay" pages, including identifying rhetorical fallacies and considering whether they would approach the essay differently. The materials include prompts and space for written responses about essay structure, counterarguments, and changes in opinion after reading the novel.
Unit 2: Watership Down
Lesson 2
Foreshadowing
Students are instructed to read Chapters 1-8 and to "use the character cards provided to record information about each character" and to "add new information to the cards" each day, indicating an ongoing, novel-long writing task. Students complete a Rabbit Research page using a provided web link to gather scientific information and record it on a graphic organizer, showing time for research. Students read passages on the Foreshadowing and Symbolism page and write descriptions of what is being foreshadowed and which symbols are used; one option asks students to "in your journal, make a list of the clues" and brainstorm additional ideas, showing short-form analytical writing and reflection.
Lesson 3
An Epic Journey
Students are asked to "add information to the character cards you began in the previous lesson," which requires them to continue a written product across lessons. Students must "write several sentences OR a short poem" using at least 10 borrowed or Lapine words, an explicit short-term writing task. Students complete a graphic organizer recording examples of fantasy and epic characteristics, which requires written analysis of literature.
Lesson 5
Quotes and Creatures
Students are instructed to read Chapters 18–21 and to continually add to character cards, recording descriptions, traits, quotes, and reactions as they read, which involves ongoing written work across multiple reading sessions. In Activity 1, students research the quoted works and write a couple of sentences explaining the work's context, themes, and how the quote connects to the chapter, which requires short research-based literary writing and reflection. In Activity 2, students research plants and animals, record whether each is a producer or consumer and its diet, and then create a food web poster or a digital diagram, producing a discipline-specific science product from their research.
Lesson 6
Dramatic Irony
Students are asked to develop a list of 3–5 discussion questions in the Questioner role, which requires them to write analytic questions about Chapters 22–23. Students complete a Latin Roots and Affixes worksheet in which they hypothesize word meanings and then look up and record dictionary definitions, an activity that involves short research and written responses. In the dramatic irony activities students write explanations of "what the reader knows," "what the characters believe," and the "effect on the reader," and Option 1 asks students to write a brief postcard to a character, addressing a specific audience and purpose.
Lesson 7
Rabbit Societies
Students are asked to record two selected passages and reasons in a journal and add to character cards, which requires written reflection and notes. Students complete vocabulary activity pages by writing definitions from context and copying two dictionary meanings, practicing short written responses. Students create a campaign sign with a short slogan or design flags and then describe their choices to a parent, producing discipline-specific persuasive and symbolic writing/representation for an audience.
Lesson 8
Folktales and Fantasy
Students are assigned the literary role of Summarizer and asked to write a summary of Chapter 31, which requires composing a focused piece of writing about the text. Students are directed to update character cards as they read, recording descriptions, traits, actions, and quotes over time. Students are asked to research an animal using an "Animal Research" page, consult at least three sources, record notes and sources, and then plan and write a fantasy story about that animal in subsequent lessons.
Lesson 9
Characters
The Skills section explicitly asks students to "Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events," and the Character Planning activity asks students to record each character's name, draw the character, describe personality (strengths and weaknesses), and record quotes—tasks that require students to write descriptions and dialogue. The reading role asks students to create an illustration and then "prepare to share your illustration with a parent," which requires students to produce and present work to an audience. The lesson references that the characters will be included in a subsequent fantasy story, linking the planning activity to a larger writing product.
Lesson 10
Setting
Students write a list of 3–5 higher-level discussion questions as the Questioner role, producing short written responses based on their reading. Students create a Venn diagram or artwork comparing Efafra and Watership Down and then write a 2–4 sentence reflection explaining how setting details inform the story. Students draw and label a map for their fantasy story setting and are asked to consider connections between setting, characters, and plot, and to add to character cards as they read, indicating ongoing written planning.
Lesson 11
Conflict and Escape
Students are asked to write narratives (skills: "Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences...") and to plan a plot diagram that outlines conflict, rising action, climax, and falling action, showing engagement in prewriting. Students are given a writing option to "Write a poem or a song" to express an environmental concern, which requires composing discipline-specific text. The skills list also tells students to "develop and strengthen writing... by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach," indicating instruction in revision strategies.
Lesson 12
Dramatic Enactment
Students are asked to write a 3–5 minute script for a chosen scene and to include notes for music, lighting, or other effects, then practice and perform the scene for family or friends, which shows writing for a specific audience and a short time frame. Students are instructed to continue updating character cards as they read Chapters 41–45, adding physical descriptions, traits, important actions, memorable quotes, and reactions of other characters, which involves repeated writing across the reading of multiple chapters. Students are directed to consider what to add or omit to bring the scene to life, indicating attention to craft and purpose in a discipline-specific task (dramatic scriptwriting).
Lesson 13
A Fantasy Story
Students are scheduled to write their fantasy short story across three days: beginning the story on Day 1 (at least 45 minutes), continuing on Day 2 (at least one hour), and concluding on Day 3 (at least one hour). Students use planning sheets, consult a rubric and a sample story before writing, discuss the novel's ending (reflection), and are instructed to read over their story and make small revisions when finished. The lesson also asks students to reflect on Watership Down's meaning and on what they enjoyed or found difficult about writing their fantasy story.
Unit 3: The Book Thief
Lesson 1
The Author and Narrator
Students research World War II using linked sources and record findings on the "World War II Detective" page, showing an informational research task. Students plan and produce a poster or a 90-second radio promotion about the author, requiring them to write for a specific audience and purpose. Students write detailed personification descriptions or short imaginative lines (Option 1) and compose three reflective sentences explaining color choices for a collage, demonstrating short-form and creative writing tasks.
Lesson 2
Similes and Metaphors
Students are asked to write definitions in their own words and copy the words and definitions into a mini picture dictionary, requiring them to produce written entries and a physical product. Students use a dictionary to look up meanings (brief research), create symbols, and answer written comprehension questions. Students analyze examples of similes and metaphors and are asked to write their own simile or metaphor and to explain why chosen quotes are effective, which involves composing short written responses.
Lesson 3
Burning Books
Students research historical references using provided web links and complete the Historical References activity page, answering specific research questions about terms like "Aryan," anti-Semitism, and the Yellow Star. Students analyze three Nazi propaganda posters and write targeted audience, goal, and effectiveness responses in Part A of the Propaganda activity. Students record examples of propaganda from daily readings on a chart and are instructed to continue adding entries after each day's reading, and to share selected posters with a parent.
Lesson 4
The Value of Books
Students record sensory examples from the Part Three reading and annotate passages that appeal to sight, sound, touch, taste, and smell. Students complete a "Special Books" activity by listing five books and writing a sentence or two explaining why each is valuable. Students follow a detailed "Five Senses Writing" sequence (holding, unwrapping, examining, sucking, biting, finishing) and then write a short paragraph describing the candy experience, with a suggestion to use a thesaurus to strengthen word choice.
Lesson 5
The Accordion Player
Students are instructed to record examples of propaganda on the "Propaganda" page from Lesson 3 and to leave room to add examples from Lesson 6, which shows an ongoing collection across lessons. Students complete the "Be Specific" activity pages in which they improve sentences, add sensory/detail, and rewrite underlined portions, which requires short-term writing and revision. The activities ask students to read excerpts of the Nuremberg Laws and answer questions, and the Optional Extension provides research links for further investigation.
Lesson 6
The Standover Man
Students are instructed to write and illustrate a short story of about 10–15 pages, to jot down ideas and write a short rough draft, and to use storyboard pages to plan text and images. The activity directs students to learn charcoal techniques (via a linked video), set up a workspace, create illustrations, add text, and bind the finished pages. The instructions note the activity "will take your child some time to complete," indicating a multi-step creative project.
Lesson 7
The Seven-Sided Die
Students write their own comprehension questions and answers in the Reading and Questions section (four question types: Right There, Think and Search, Author and You, Opinion). Students produce written persuasive lines using logical fallacies in Activity 1 Part II by composing ad lines for a candidate. Students analyze written propaganda in Activity 2 by identifying logical fallacies, naming emotional appeals, and explaining why arguments may have been effective, recording those analyses on the provided activity pages.
Lesson 8
The Thief Strikes Again
Students are asked to continue an ongoing 'Propaganda' page from Lesson 3 by recording examples in the Part Five section, which indicates continued work across readings. Students are also prompted to take notes on two short Hitler clips and to write short imaginative descriptions in the "Describing the Ordinary" activity, producing written descriptions and sketches for six items.
Lesson 9
Close Calls
Students are instructed in Activity 1 to record examples of personification, simile, metaphor, and onomatopoeia as they read, which requires them to write observations during the reading. In Activity 2 students expand basic sentences through multiple, guided steps (paint predicate, paint subject, pick a word to paint) and are directed to "put on the finishing touches," "refine wording," and "check spelling and punctuation," which explicitly involves revision. The Student Activity Pages provide spaces for students to write multiple examples and final revised sentences, showing practice in composing and editing.
Lesson 10
The Trilogy of Happiness
Students write answers to the War Journalism page questions after reading primary/secondary sources, providing short written responses about reporting methods, news formats, and propaganda. Students create a Relationship Web and are prompted to "research and write about the types of relationships and their significance" between characters. Students are asked to record examples of propaganda on the Propaganda page from a prior lesson, linking written observations to ongoing reading.
Lesson 11
The Word Shaker
Students record examples and short written responses on activity pages: they write examples of propaganda on the "Propaganda" page and complete the "Descriptive Examples" page by identifying adverbs, adjectives, and verbs and explaining why they are effective. Students also write comparative responses in Option 2 by listing advantages/disadvantages of primary sources versus historical fiction and providing three specific text-based examples. These tasks require students to produce written responses in a single sitting or over the course of the unit's reading activities.
Lesson 12
The Teddy Bear
Students answer specific reading questions (Q1–Q4), producing short written responses after reading a passage. The lesson instructs students to "jot down" instances of figurative language to use later for a final project, and the Journey Interview option requires students to conduct an interview, record or take notes, and write answers on the Student Activity Page. The Journey Diagram option asks students to take notes, brainstorm, and create a detailed map or diagram that explains significant stops and changes, and to present ideas to a parent before beginning the project.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students complete a three-day Think-Tac-Toe final project that includes writing a descriptive paragraph on Day 1, completing two additional mini-projects (top and bottom rows) on Day 2, and revising and proofreading on Day 3. Tasks require discipline-specific writing: creating a lesson plan to teach figurative language to younger students, composing an argumentative piece about wartime censorship, producing a war-correspondent radio report, and analyzing propaganda posters. The lesson provides web links and directions to find and use source materials (propaganda posters, essays by Kronkite/Cronkite, optional war reporting) to support research and task development.
Unit 4: To Kill a Mockingbird
Lesson 1
Historical Context
Students watch a historical video and create a mind map, which requires them to gather information and organize ideas visually and in writing. Students write a journal response to the prompt "Would you have wanted to live in Alabama in the 1930s? Why or why not?" which asks for reflection in written form. Students answer several written comprehension questions about the first two chapters and complete written grammar practice (underlining clauses/phrases and diagramming), showing multiple short written tasks for different purposes.
Lesson 2
Home and School
Students are asked to write a 6–8 sentence literature response reflecting on chapters 3–4 that uses specific examples from the book (Question #1). Students record three events/people/circumstances from their own lives in a journal and explain how each could inspire a novel (Activity 2), which requires planning and explanatory writing. The Student Activity Page asks students to write their own definitions and then record dictionary definitions for vocabulary words, and the Parent Plan lists "Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience" as a targeted skill.
Lesson 3
The Mystery of Boo
Students complete the Student Activity Page by listing five items under "Hearsay and Gossip" and five under "Personal Experience and Reliable Sources" and writing a hypothesis about Boo Radley, which requires composing organized written responses. Students answer directed comprehension questions (Questions #1–#4) about chapters 5–7, which requires composing short written answers. The activities ask students to compare and contrast columns and to develop a hypothesis, which involves written explanation and reasoning.
Lesson 4
Snow and Fire
Students are asked to "complete a literature response" after reading Chapters 8–9 and to include at least one quotation and an explanation of its meaning and importance, which requires composing a discipline-specific written response. Students also record information on the Character Line-Up chart as they read, producing written character descriptions and quotes. The Run-Ons and Fragments activity requires students to rewrite a paragraph and correct sentence errors, giving students practice producing and revising short written passages.
Lesson 7
A Moral Dilemma
Students are asked to write sentences using vocabulary words on the Student Activity Pages, providing spaces for them to compose original sentences for ten words. Students answer specific comprehension questions about chapters 14–15, which requires written responses summarizing events and character reactions. Students are prompted to choose a moral-dilemma scenario, come up with two possible solutions, and decide which solution is better (including role-playing), which can involve composing and evaluating options.
Lesson 10
Equal Rights?
Students are asked to "write a summary of these chapters" in 7–9 sentences after reading chapters 21–23, which requires producing a focused written response. Students are directed to create a "Found Poem" using words from the Jim Crow laws text, which asks them to compose original poetry from historical source material. Students complete a "Diagramming Compound Constructions" activity that requires written diagramming and labeling of sentence structures.
Lesson 12
Wise Words
Students are asked to choose five quotes and explain each in their own words, producing multiple short written explanations. Students must select one quote to memorize and create an artistic display to share, addressing audience and purpose. Students also write a 6–8 sentence diary entry in character or create a Venn diagram comparing character perspectives, practicing perspective writing and comparative analysis in written form.
Lesson 13
Text and Film
Students are asked to keep a running two-column list of similarities and differences as they watch the film, which requires them to write observations during viewing. Students must answer guided comparison questions on the Student Activity Page, recording their thoughts about setting, casting, and directorial choices. Students choose between two written products: designing a poster that includes a summary sentence for an audience, or writing a short 2–3 minute movie script with stage directions and (optionally) rehearsing and performing it.
Final Project
Oral Book Presentation
Students plan and record key points on a graphic organizer and transfer keywords to index cards as they prepare a multi-day oral presentation with accompanying slides. Student activity pages require written responses for Historical Context, Character analysis, Plot, Themes, and Personal Reactions, and the unit test asks students to paraphrase, summarize, and answer written literary and historical questions in a single sitting. The rubric and parent notes ask students to write responses to literature and to produce text for slides and study-guide answers, showing both preparatory and evaluative writing tasks.
Unit 5: Great American Poets
Lesson 1
Poetry Basics
Students are asked to produce original poetic lines in Activity 1 by transforming prose sentences into imagery-rich lines and by composing short phrases using alliteration or onomatopoeia. The materials direct students to save completed activities and note that these pieces will be used in a final scrapbook-type booklet, implying a collected product over the course of the unit. Several student activity pages require written responses (annotating, answering questions about line breaks, rhyme scheme, and identifying examples) that are completed in short time frames.
Lesson 2
Early American Poetry
Students list synonyms and write chosen words in the Word Choice Activity (they use a thesaurus, place words into title blanks, and justify whether the alternatives improve the poem). Students complete short written responses to guided questions about poems (identifying striking phrases and explaining effects) and fill in the Commas activity by matching sentences to comma rules. Students complete the Comparing Texts activity by recording similarities and differences in a Venn diagram and writing observations comparing Longfellow's poem to Revere's account.
Lesson 3
Figurative Language
Students compose short poetic lines (Part II) and a two-paragraph descriptive passage after a five-minute observation, demonstrating writing in a single sitting. Students draft and revise a concrete (shape) poem by writing a separate draft, adjusting size/shape, and neatly copying a final version. Students research and record biographical and bibliographical information for multiple poets on Poet Cards using the book and online sources, showing use of research for a discipline-specific task.
Lesson 4
Poetic Forms
Students are asked to write multiple poems (two haiku and a limerick) and to draft then rewrite lines to meet form requirements (e.g., "first just get some ideas down and then rewrite lines to fit the 5-7-5 syllable rule"). Students are instructed to save their poems for a final project and to copy a neat final version after revision, indicating work that continues beyond a single draft. The Parent Plan explicitly notes that students will, "with some guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach."
Lesson 5
Edgar Allan Poe
Students are asked to write a poem about loss or death (Activity 3), with guidance to aim for a stanza of about 6–8 lines and to use Poe's poems as a structural guide. Students also write short answers to reading comprehension questions (e.g., identifying irony and mood in poems) and complete Student Activity Pages that require written responses: citing lines that demonstrate Poe's poetic focus and explaining comma usage in sentences from poems.
Lesson 6
Meaning in Poetry
Students are asked to write a free verse poem (Activity 2) and to "save your work for use in the final project," indicating a task that may extend beyond a single class. Students answer focused written questions about poems (QUESTION #1–#4) and complete Student Activity Pages that require written literal/symbolic summaries and explanations. The Using Commas Part 3 page asks students to write line numbers, identify comma instances, and explain their reasoning, producing short, discipline-specific written analyses.
Lesson 7
Poetry Analysis
Students are asked to write an original narrative poem (Activity 2) with guidance to plan lines, play with rhymes, and aim for at least 3–4 stanzas. The directions explicitly tell students not to do everything at once, to put the poem down and come back to it, and that they can finish it tomorrow and save it for a final project, indicating writing across more than one day. Students also complete a Poem Analysis activity that requires reading a poem several times and answering focused analytic questions, a task that can be completed in a single sitting.
Lesson 8
Robert Frost
Students are asked to write a nature-inspired poem after spending time observing a scene and jotting sensory notes, including using at least one simile or metaphor and copying the poem into an activity page. Students choose between creating artwork to represent a poem or writing an ekphrastic poem about a piece of art (Option 1 and Option 2), and they complete written reading-analysis questions about sonnets, imagery, symbolism, and rhyme scheme. Students also complete an activity page analyzing hyphens and dashes in poetry, producing written responses about punctuation effects.
Lesson 9
Memorizing Poetry
Students create a headline poem by collecting at least 25 words from newspapers/magazines, experimenting with word order, and gluing the final arrangement for a saved project. Students complete the Student Activity Page by writing answers to four analytic questions about elegies and villanelles. Students are also instructed to fill in poet cards for Carl Sandburg and William Carlos Williams, which requires written responses about those poets.
Lesson 11
Editing Your Work
Students are asked to edit a poem they previously wrote, save the original and revised versions, share the poem with a parent for feedback, and rewrite the poem neatly (Activity 2). Students compose new short poems (Option 1 and Option 2) and create a tech-based presentation of a poem using word-processing or presentation software, then print and save their work (Activity 1). Students are prompted to reflect (jotting down emotions/images before designing the tech poem), prepare work for a final project, and rehearse a memorized poem for a next-day family recitation, indicating both short-term and extended work on writing tasks.
Lesson 12
Reciting Poetry
Students plan and write a final poem using the Five Senses Web and a drawing as prewriting, then save that poem for the final project (Activity 1). Students conduct online research about a chosen poet and complete a Poet Research sheet or create a Poet Card after reading additional poems (Activity 2). Students memorize and recite a poem over several days and present it aloud to family, naming author and explaining their choice (Activity 3).
Final Project
Poetry Journal
Students are instructed to assemble a poetry journal over three days (Day 1: gather and begin recopying/typing; Day 2: do the bulk of the work; Day 3: finish and add finishing touches), showing work across shorter, day-to-day time frames. Students must include poems they "have written for this unit" (concrete, haiku, limerick, elegy/poem about loss, free verse, narrative, nature, headline poem, tech poem, punctuation poem, etc.), indicating writing produced across the unit (an extended timeframe) and across a range of discipline-specific poetic forms. Students are required to include an "edited poem -- include both the original and edited versions," which explicitly requires revision, and the instructions allow typing/publishing and use of technology to produce the journal.