Third Grade - ELA
1: Environment
Unit 1: Tornado
Lesson 1
Weather on the Farm
Students are repeatedly prompted to answer oral questions from an adult (e.g., describing a tornado, explaining what kind of damage a tornado can cause, and responding to "what he knows about life on a farm"). Students write and elaborate on answers in tasks such as writing three factual sentences about tornadoes, composing a paragraph about working on a farm, completing a Venn diagram comparing farm life to their own, and writing a daily farm schedule. The lesson ends with explicit prompts for students to describe a tornado and why it can be dangerous and to describe what life on a farm might be like, which requires spoken or written elaboration.
Lesson 2
The Storm
Students are asked to read Chapter 1 and then answer guided comprehension questions (e.g., summarize the chapter, identify the problem, name people in the cellar, describe the cellar, explain why Pete begins to tell a story). The lesson asks open-ended questions that require elaboration (e.g., "How would you feel if you saw a tornado? What would you do?" and "Why do you think Pete decides to tell a story while they are all in the cellar?"). During Activity 3 an adult reads a paragraph aloud and asks the child to critique and explain how it could be improved, and Activity 4 asks students to write and read aloud a three- or four-sentence chapter summary using transition words.
Lesson 3
The Tornado
Students are asked to listen to an adult read Chapter 2 aloud and then verbally summarize the chapter, which practices answering questions about spoken information. The lesson provides specific comprehension questions for students to answer (e.g., What does Pete's mom mean when she says, 'I smell a storm.'?; How was the tornado different?), prompting students to respond to a speaker's information. Activities ask students to describe how the author's word choice makes the book more interesting and to produce oral and written summaries, which require students to elaborate with sensory and descriptive details.
Lesson 4
A Card Trick
Students are asked to answer several open-ended comprehension questions (e.g., "Describe what happens in this chapter," and why Tornado dropped the card), which require them to give explanations and reasons. The parent is instructed to speak to the child about cards and ask if she has played cards, creating opportunities for the child to respond to a speaker. The wrapping-up activity has the adult speak sentences aloud and the child identify the correct punctuation, requiring the child to listen and answer about spoken information.
Lesson 5
Turtles
Students are asked to answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapter 4, requiring spoken responses to prompts. Students retell myths and answer follow-up questions (e.g., which myth was favorite, which was most believable, similarities/differences), which requires oral elaboration and detail. Students read their own myth aloud to the family and discuss how well their ideas meet assessment criteria, practicing spoken explanation and justification of their work.
Lesson 6
The Best Pet Award
Students are asked to read Chapter 5 aloud and then discuss comprehension questions (QUESTION #1–#7), so students practice listening to and responding to spoken text. Students answer teacher/parent prompts such as "Ask her what she knows about the relationship between cats and dogs" and are asked to describe ways living things change their environments, which requires oral response. Option 2 and the World's Best Pet Award activities require students to give specific examples from the story when explaining why Tornado is a good pet, promoting elaboration.
Lesson 7
Conflict
The lesson directs the child to read Chapter 6 and then answer a series of spoken questions from the adult (e.g., "Describe the saddest day of Pete's life," "What would you have done if you were Pete?"). Students are asked to explain and label conflicts, dictate sentences describing conflicts, and produce a chapter summary and illustrations, requiring elaboration and detail in their answers. The Wrap-Up and Life Application prompt students to describe types of conflict in other stories, encouraging extended responses.
Lesson 8
The End of the Storm
Students are asked to read Chapter 7 aloud and then respond to specific discussion questions (Q1–Q7), including comprehension and personal-response prompts. The teacher notes remind students to speak in complete sentences and several questions require elaboration (e.g., Q1 asks how Pete felt and 'how do you know'; Q2–Q5 ask for explanations and personal connections). Day 2 and the Wrap-up ask students to describe characters' feelings and to explain word choices orally (Mood and the Environment; telling synonyms and describing how authors portray feelings).
Lesson 9
Plot
Students are prompted to listen as an adult explains the plot diagram and to identify the problem, climax, and resolution from a read-aloud picture book. Students are asked to describe a story plot and to define rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution orally. Students write one-sentence descriptions of events, use transition words to show order, and act out important events, which requires them to answer questions about story information and add some detail.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are prompted to answer oral questions in the Wrapping Up section (e.g., "Ask your child if she enjoyed the book," "Ask her if she would recommend it..." and "Ask her to explain what she learned from the story"). The Think-Tac-Toe directions ask students to discuss whether mini-projects sound interesting and to make sure they understand what each project will involve, which requires verbal exchange. Some mini-projects require oral performance (e.g., "Sing your song aloud for an audience") that gives students occasion to speak and provide details about the story.
Unit 2: Sarah, Plain and Tall
Lesson 1
Getting Started
The lesson repeatedly directs an adult to ask the child questions and to have the child respond (e.g., asking what it might have been like to live on a farm, asking the child to identify and compare Maine and Kansas on the map, and asking which state she would enjoy living in and why). Students are asked to read information with an adult (encyclopedia/Internet) and then discuss differences in environment, list six facts about each state, and write five-senses poems that require elaboration and descriptive detail. The cover-design and adjective activities require the child to explain choices and produce comparative and superlative descriptions aloud or in writing.
Lesson 2
Story Elements
Students read definitions aloud and explain them in their own words, and they share examples of story elements from books they have read. Students answer four specific questions on the activity sheet about characters, setting, theme, and plot, and they write sentences describing a favorite character and setting and the most important lesson learned. Students describe the plot of a favorite story including problem/conflict, important events, and solution, and they create multi-word story pyramids that require elaboration about characters, events, and solutions.
Lesson 3
The News
The parent is instructed to ask the child initial oral questions (e.g., "Do you remember the setting...?" and "Do you think you will enjoy the story? Why or why not?") and to read Chapter 1 aloud then use discussion questions that the child answers orally or in a journal. The guide includes comprehension prompts that require explanation (e.g., "Why do you think he asks the same question repeatedly?" and "Why did Anna's father want help?"), and it tells the parent to remind the child to answer discussion questions in complete sentences. The guide also directs the adult to read classified ads aloud and then ask the child to respond by creating an advertisement.
Lesson 4
The Letters
The adult is instructed to read Chapter 2 aloud and then ask the child to summarize the chapter verbally, which requires listening to a speaker and reporting information. After the summary, the child is directed to answer a set of comprehension questions and to discuss some of those questions orally with the adult. The wrap-up asks the child to predict whether Sarah will enjoy Kansas and to support that opinion, prompting verbal elaboration based on what was heard.
Lesson 5
The Arrival
The lesson directs the child to read Chapter 3 and then answer a set of discussion questions aloud or in a journal, with an explicit reminder to "speak in complete sentences" when answering discussion questions. The Introduction and Wrapping Up prompt the child to respond to oral prompts (e.g., how Sarah might feel; predict whether Sarah will enjoy Kansas), and Activity 3 instructs the child to discuss selecting a welcome token and to explain why it is special. Several places require the child to give oral responses or participate in a discussion, demonstrating practice answering spoken questions and giving brief explanations.
Lesson 6
Life on the Prairie
Students are prompted to discuss aloud with an adult (e.g., describing what it feels like to move to a new place) and to answer questions after reading Chapter 4, with some questions designated for discussion. The parent/teacher is instructed to teach the song "Home on the Range" and to discuss its lyrics with the child, during which the child is asked questions such as "Why do people sing?" and "How does music make people feel?" These prompts require students to listen to an adult speaker (the teacher/parent teaching the song) and to answer and discuss information heard.
Lesson 8
Work and Play
Students read Chapter 6 and then answer specific comprehension questions in their journal or discuss answers aloud with an adult (Questions #1–#3). Students read aloud the winter description and then describe their own environment and preferences, answering spoken prompts from the adult. Students act out winter activities while the adult guesses, and students discuss similarities and differences between past and present activities, which involves speaking about heard or performed information.
Lesson 9
Writing
Students are asked orally to identify the problem of the story and to describe what characters have been worried about, which requires answering questions about information presented. Students listen as the teacher reads two persuasive examples aloud and are asked which example is most convincing and why, prompting them to answer and elaborate on their reasoning. Students discuss support and reasons for persuasive claims, explaining specific examples from the text to back up their answers.
Lesson 10
Neighbors
Students are asked to read Chapter 7 aloud and then answer a series of specific comprehension questions about why characters visit, what chores they do, and how characters feel. Students are prompted to discuss and explain their answers (for example, to explain why Sarah's eyes fill with tears and whether she would be happier in Maine) and to use details from the text when drawing the setting. Students are also asked to discuss ways to welcome a new neighbor, which requires offering elaboration and examples in spoken or written form.
Lesson 11
Squall
The lesson prompts an adult to "Discuss that the weather is an important ingredient of the environment" and to "Ask your child what she has learned about the weather in Kansas from reading this story," which requires the child to answer orally. It instructs: "Ask your child to read Chapter 8. Then she can answer the following questions about the chapter," providing several why/how questions that students must respond to. The wrapping up section asks the child to "explain how you know whether to use a comma before the word and," prompting an oral explanation.
Unit 3: Who Was Helen Keller?
Lesson 1
Helen's Early Years
Students are asked to answer chapter questions orally and in writing, with instructions to answer in complete sentences for verbal answers. Students are prompted to discuss experiences (blindfold/earmuffs activities) and explain how tasks felt and what strategies could help, requiring spoken explanation and detail. Students are encouraged to generate their own questions about the book to discuss with the adult speaker, and chapter questions are meant to be used as discussion prompts between student and adult.
Lesson 2
Helen's Childhood
The lesson asks the child to read Chapter 2 and then answer a series of oral comprehension questions, and it explicitly encourages the child to think of his own questions. The vocabulary clue game requires an adult to read definitions, syllable counts, or sentences aloud while the child listens and verbally guesses the word. The wrapping-up prompts ask the child to describe how deaf people communicate and to explain how Helen's life might differ if she were deaf but not blind, asking for reasons and comparisons.
Lesson 3
Helen's Challenges
Students are asked to describe orally why Helen's environment could be frustrating and sometimes dangerous, providing a spoken response to an adult prompt. Students read their descriptive paragraphs aloud without naming the object and have the listener (parent) guess the object, which requires them to present information verbally and respond to listener reactions. Students read Chapter 3 and answer explicit comprehension questions, producing oral or written answers about Helen's life and experiences.
Lesson 5
Annie
Students read Chapter 5 and answer specific and open-ended comprehension questions (Questions #1-#5), including responses that require explanation or opinion. Students verbally generate adjectives when the adult holds up items and write and speak sentences comparing Helen before and after Annie, practicing descriptive elaboration. Students describe the Braille activity and how challenging it was to read blindfolded and are asked to describe the Annie–Helen relationship and predict future events, which requires spoken answers with some detail.
Lesson 6
Helen Leaves Home
The lesson directs the child to read Chapter 6 aloud and then answer a set of comprehension questions (e.g., Q1–Q6), including open-ended prompts such as why Helen loved the ocean and whether Helen was telling the truth. The Introduction prompts an adult to ask the child to recall what happened in Chapter 5 and to predict how Helen will respond to new situations, requiring the child to answer and explain predictions. The Wrapping Up and Activity 3 sections ask the child to discuss how events changed Helen and to reflect on how those events influenced the child, prompting spoken responses and discussion.
Lesson 7
More Learning
Students are prompted to discuss Helen Keller ("Ask your child what helped Helen to be successful and to enjoy life") and to answer comprehension questions after reading Chapters 7 and 8 (five explicit questions with answers). Students are asked to name important events in Helen's life and to explain why those events were important, and to share what they know about places she visited. The activities require students to speak about content (discuss, answer questions, share) and to provide explanations and comparisons (How are you similar/different?).
Lesson 8
All Grown Up
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer five comprehension questions about Helen Keller, including an open-ended question that requires a written explanation. Students read Helen's quotations aloud and then answer follow-up discussion questions such as "Do you want to keep reading? Why?" and "What words or phrases create images in your mind?", requiring spoken responses and explanation. Students read model pieces aloud in the Writing With Voice activity and answer comparative questions about differences, favorite phrasing, and what makes writing interesting, which asks for elaboration on spoken/read information.
Final Project
Scrapbook or Interview
Students create five interview questions and write answers on the "Interview with Helen Keller" pages. Students practice the interview with a parent or sibling as the interviewer and are scored on "Questions," "Answers," "Helen's Voice," and "Presentation" in the Interview Grading Rubric. The activity requires students to draft and revise questions and answers and to present the interview aloud.
2: Change
Unit 1: Morning Girl
Lesson 1
Background Information
Students are prompted to answer oral questions about Christopher Columbus and the Bahamas (e.g., initial Q&A: "Have you ever heard of Christopher Columbus?" and later prompts: "Ask your child what he would enjoy most about visiting the Bahamas"). Students discuss map locations and environmental details after an adult locates Europe, the East Indies, and the Bahamas and sing and recall the "Columbus sailed the ocean blue" song. Students summarize researched information by creating a short report, record facts in a journal about the Taino, and write sentences identifying materials and uses of artifacts.
Lesson 2
Point of View
Students are asked to read texts aloud (Voices in the Park) and then answer specific and open-ended questions in discussion or writing (Who is telling the story? Whose story is most believable?). The Skills section explicitly directs students to "Answer relevant questions about text in writing and discussion," and Activity 1 requires students to record three thoughts/feelings and two important events from each narrator (providing elaboration and detail). Activity 4 and the Comparing Accounts Venn diagram require students to compare multiple spoken accounts and record similarities and differences, and Activity 5 has students orally share their own accounts and discuss differences and similarities.
Lesson 3
The News
Students are prompted to answer questions aloud and record answers from Chapter 3 (Reading And Questions), which gives practice responding to spoken prompts. The Skills section lists "Retell a spoken message by summarizing or clarifying," and activities ask students to describe similarities/differences and record phrases that elaborate on character feelings and family changes. Wrapping Up and Activity 3 ask students to discuss and write detailed descriptions about characters and family members, supporting elaboration in responses.
Lesson 5
Let's Write
Students read the prompt aloud, write two first-person paragraphs in Morning Girl's and Star Boy's voices, and are encouraged to share their writing with family. Students are asked to describe differences between Morning Girl and Star Boy and to answer adult prompts about how each voice sounds and acts. Students are prompted to explain the steps of their writing process and how they gave their writing an obvious voice, requiring them to provide elaboration and detail in oral responses.
Lesson 6
The Storm
Students answer seven specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q7) in writing or in discussion with an adult, practicing complete-sentence responses. Students discuss and explain story elements such as setting, character name significance, and storm effects, and are prompted to elaborate by listing positive/negative effects and explaining name choices. Students engage in oral discussion with an adult where the adult asks questions (e.g., "Ask your child what the setting of a story means") and students compare speaking versus writing answers.
Lesson 7
Visitors
The lesson asks the child to read Chapters 8 and 9 and then answer specific comprehension questions verbally in discussion and in writing, with instructions to answer in complete sentences. The Introduction and Activities prompt oral discussion (e.g., "How do you think the island's people will react...?") and ask the child to read the epilogue aloud and discuss differences between explorers and natives. Activity 3 requires the child to speak about and write journal entries describing Morning Girl's and an explorer's feelings, ideas, and opinions, which asks for elaboration about those perspectives.
Final Project
Poetry Night
Students are asked to listen as an adult reads Encounter aloud and then answer a series of discussion questions (Questions #1–#7) about information in the spoken story, including factual (why the boy is worried) and comparative (how encounters are similar/different) questions. Students are instructed to use details from Encounter and the "European Explorers and Native Americans" activity page to create a mini-fold book categorizing positive, negative, and mixed effects, which requires summarizing and citing information heard or read. Students prepare and read their before-and-after poems aloud, record their reading, play it back, and discuss how their voice conveys information and how to improve delivery for listeners.
Unit 2: Communities and Culture
Lesson 1
Getting Started
Students are asked orally to compare the two book covers and explain how the cultures and time periods look different. Students are prompted to record questions they want to learn about the time periods and to add answers as they learn new information. Students are asked to share examples from illustrations and to name the two historical time periods and three proper nouns related to each period. Students respond to prompts such as which home they would most like to live in and discuss differences between homes and clothing.
Lesson 2
Where Are We?
Students are prompted to answer a series of comprehension questions aloud and in writing (e.g., explain why the Binkerton twins are bored, describe the environment of Egypt, and explain how the Nile affected daily life). The lesson repeatedly instructs adults to ask the child questions and to have the child respond in complete sentences and discuss reasons (e.g., ask if Egypt would have been fun to live in and ask why rivers are important). Activities require students to describe and explain how natural resources met needs and to discuss whether changes over time are positive or negative, which asks for elaboration and detail in spoken responses.
Lesson 3
The King
Students are asked oral comprehension questions after reading pp. 16–27 (e.g., where Emma goes, why Egyptians built pyramids), requiring them to listen and give answers. In Activity 2, students hear an explanation comparing monarchy and presidency, complete a Venn diagram, and write a paragraph explaining their preference, which requires elaboration and detail in their response. Wrapping Up asks students to tell what they learned and to predict how characters will act, prompting spoken answers with supporting details.
Lesson 4
Back Home
Students are prompted to answer specific comprehension questions after reading (e.g., How do Emma and Libby rescue Josh?; What happened in the mortuary temple?), which requires recalling facts and details. The introduction asks students to predict the ending and compare their prediction to the actual ending, and the wrapping-up prompts students to describe what they enjoyed and explain recommendations. Activities (Plot Pyramid) require students to recount and sequence events leading to the climax and resolution, encouraging elaborated responses about the story's events.
Lesson 5
A Day in Egypt
The instructions tell an adult to ‘‘Ask your child what the ancient Egyptian people did…'' which requires the student to answer oral questions from a speaker. The student is directed to ‘‘see if the questions she posed at the beginning were answered in the story,'' indicating students generate questions and check answers. Students are also asked to ‘‘read [their paragraph] aloud'' and to include detailed descriptions in their schedules, which supports elaborated responses.
Lesson 6
Middle Ages
The lesson directs a parent to use discussion questions and to have the child answer some questions verbally, asking the child to answer in complete sentences for verbal answers. Activity 2 asks the child to read a list of nouns aloud to a parent, creating a speaker/listener exchange. Activity 5 and the wrapping-up ask the child to reread aloud and to discuss topics (e.g., why our government is better), and Activity 6 asks the child to reflect and discuss the peasant experience at the end of the day.
Lesson 7
Off to the Castle
The lesson directs an adult to ask the child oral questions (e.g., "Ask your child why the life of a person living in a castle might be better…"), requiring the child to answer aloud. Multiple wrap-up and life-application prompts ask the child to speak about similarities/differences and to discuss games and materials, prompting verbal responses. The reading-and-questions section includes open-ended prompts (e.g., "Have you ever been to a carnival? What did you see?") that invite the child to elaborate on personal experience.
Lesson 8
Return Home
The lesson includes multiple spoken-question prompts (QUESTION #1–#6) that require the child to answer orally about chivalry, castle defenses, plot events, and opinions, with some answers requiring explanation. Activity 3 asks the child to explain how text and illustrations support adjectives for characters, prompting oral explanation and elaboration. Activity 4 and Activity 6 direct the child to discuss differences between cultures and artifacts and to write or speak about similarities and reasons, requiring detailed responses.
Final Project
Elements of Change
Students are prompted to describe reasons for the changes they include in their book and to explain how life would be different if culture never changed, which requires them to give elaborated spoken explanations. The directions invite students to "share the book with his family and explain how cultures and communities have changed over the ages," which involves speaking to others and responding to questions from family. The "Wrapping Up" prompts instruct caregivers to ask the child what he enjoyed and what was challenging, producing opportunities for students to answer questions about their work.
Unit 3: American Heroes
Lesson 2
Early American Heroes
Students are prompted to answer teacher/parent‑asked questions after reading each biographical section (Franklin, Jefferson, Washington), with instructions to use some questions for discussion and others for journal responses. Open‑ended prompts (e.g., "What do you admire most about Franklin?", "What do you believe to be the greatest thing Jefferson did to change the world?") require students to provide elaboration and detail in their answers. Activities ask students to describe family Fourth‑of‑July practices and to create epitaphs and hero cards, which involve explaining and expanding on information orally or in writing.
Lesson 3
Heroes of Freedom
Students are prompted to read chapters on Abraham Lincoln and Harriet Tubman and then answer a series of comprehension questions aloud or in writing (e.g., "How would you describe Abraham Lincoln?" and "How did Harriet help to change the world?"). The materials encourage students to elaborate (e.g., "Encourage your child to describe Lincoln using more than just the seven adjectives" and many answers are noted as "Answers will vary"). Students also read and recite Lincoln's poem aloud and discuss its meaning, and they explain and create secret signs and maps for the Underground Railroad activity to guide others.
Lesson 5
Recent Heroes
The Life Application directs students to find a local hero to meet and talk with and to think of a few questions they could ask the hero, which has students prepare and ask questions of a speaker. The Wrapping Up prompts ask the child to describe what makes modern-day heroes, requiring oral answers to posed questions. The reading question sections require students to answer open-ended questions aloud or in writing about biographical information, which practices forming answers to questions about presented information.
Lesson 7
Female Heroes
Students answer specific questions after reading the chapters on Susan B. Anthony and Sandra Day O'Connor (e.g., Why was Susan B. Anthony arrested? What was Sandra Day O'Connor the first to do?), and students are prompted to discuss questions to explore and to talk with a parent about equality. Students write two interrogative sentences about what they learned and questions they still have, and they are asked to respond to open prompts such as "Have you ever been the first to do something?"
Lesson 8
Heroes of Science and Invention
Students are prompted to answer oral comprehension questions after reading chapters on Einstein, Edison, and the Wright brothers (e.g., responding to questions such as how the inventions changed lives and how Einstein felt about weapons). Adults are instructed to ask the child about personal experiences with perseverance and to discuss attitudes toward challenging tasks, and the Perseverance activity asks students to list three reasons that motivated them and to back up observations with supporting details. The Wrapping Up prompts direct the student to describe verbally why science and inventions are important and to explain ways the heroes had to persevere.
Lesson 9
Book of Heroes
The Getting Started prompt asks the child to describe heroes and what they have done to change the world, and Activity 3 asks the child to explain why a chosen person is a favorite, what can be learned from them, and ways the child is similar to them. The Wrapping Up section instructs an adult to read hero names and ask the child what he remembers, encouraging explanation of character traits and how each hero changed the world. The skills list includes recalling main idea, facts, and details and discussing similarities and differences, which supports verbal recall and explanation.
3: Cycles
Unit 1: Poppy
Lesson 1
Preparing for Poppy
Students are asked to listen to Avi explain how he came up with the idea of Poppy (video) and then summarize Avi's idea, which requires them to answer questions about information heard from a speaker. Students are prompted to explain whether they would enjoy being an author and to give reasons, which asks for elaboration when responding to an adult speaker. Students are also asked comprehension questions (e.g., predicting the book, identifying genre elements) and to tell short stories aloud, providing opportunities to respond verbally with detail.
Lesson 2
Mr. Ocax
Students are prompted to answer a series of comprehension and discussion questions about Chapters 1–2 of Poppy verbally and in writing, and are told to answer in complete sentences. Students are asked to write a paragraph giving three ways they are similar to a character and to support that opinion with evidence from the story and their own lives, which requires elaboration and detail. Students can use puppets to reenact events and discuss author descriptions, providing opportunities to speak about and explain events and character information aloud.
Lesson 3
The Emergency Meeting
Students are asked to answer teacher/parent discussion questions aloud and in writing after reading Chapters 3 and 4, including eight guided comprehension questions and a short written summary. Students are asked to explain observations during the owl pellet dissection and to use a bone chart and drawings to elaborate on food chains. Students listen to an adult read the "Paragraphs" passage aloud and then compare their own oral reading to the adult's, which requires attending to and responding to spoken information.
Lesson 4
Standing Before Mr. Ocax
The lesson asks the child to think of three or four questions for discussion as she reads Chapters 5 and 6 and then to ask her questions and discuss them with others. The lesson instructs the child to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences. The lesson asks the child to write and then present a speech to an audience, with guidance that the speech should explain an idea and be supported with evidence, examples, or reasons.
Lesson 6
Dimwood Forest
Students are asked to answer oral and written comprehension questions (e.g., prediction prompt "what she thinks will happen," the four listed Q&A items, and the journal prompt to describe a decision and its effects). Students are prompted to define concepts aloud and discuss character roles (e.g., "Ask her to define good and evil" and "Ask her which characters in the book represent good and evil"). Students are asked to point out words and phrases when rereading the author's description, which requires them to respond to spoken or read-aloud text with supporting details.
Lesson 7
Ereth
The Skills list explicitly includes "Ask and answer relevant questions." The Reading and Questions section provides seven specific discussion questions and instructs students to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences. Multiple activities prompt oral discussion (e.g., Activity 3 asks the child if porcupines are part of the food chain and how Poppy's knowledge might break the cycle of power) and written elaboration (e.g., Activity 1 journal entries and Activity 4 circle map).
Lesson 8
On the Way to New House
Students are asked to explain what was happening in the story and to write a summary of Chapters 13 and 14, which requires answering questions about spoken or read information. The materials provide a set of discussion questions to be used in oral or journal responses and remind students to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences. Activity 3 has students copy dialogue and give characters voices, which gives practice speaking, listening, and responding to other characters' lines. The wrapping up step asks students to use vocabulary words in their own sentences orally, providing additional spoken response practice.
Lesson 9
The Truth at Last
Students are prompted to answer verbal and written comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., 'Remind your child to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences' and the set of discussion questions about Chapters 15–16). Students are asked to discuss and recap the cycle of power and to record two examples of Mr. Ocax losing power and two examples of Poppy gaining power in a journal, which requires them to provide elaboration and textual support. The Life Application and wrap-up sections prompt oral interaction (e.g., ask your child to explain the difference between a suffix and a prefix; play a prefix/suffix game) that requires speaking and responding.
Lesson 10
The Battle
Students are prompted to answer verbal and written discussion questions about Chapters 17 and 18 and are reminded to answer in complete sentences. Students are asked to predict outcomes and to explain the meaning of symbols when they create and present a victory flag for Poppy. Students are asked to write a personal journal about bravery and then read that journal aloud to an adult.
Lesson 11
Writing Project
The lesson instructs an adult to "Ask your child to explain" three specific items (the cycle of power, how Poppy broke the cycle, and how life will be different), which requires the child to answer spoken questions. The lesson also directs the child to "read his three paragraphs to his family," providing an opportunity for oral presentation of information. The skills section mentions revising with "guided discussion," implying some oral exchange where students may elaborate on ideas.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
The lesson repeatedly prompts an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what she thinks Poppy will do...", "Ask your child to explain why Poppy and Ereth are able to be such close friends...") and reminds the child to "answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences." Students are asked to explain themes and character relationships, and to write a short speech after planting a tree, which invites them to produce organized spoken content and elaboration.
Unit 2: Charlotte's Web
Lesson 1
Getting Started
The introduction directs the adult to ask the child what he knows about farm life and whether he would enjoy living on a farm, prompting the child to respond orally. Activity 3 instructs the adult to read two or three picture books aloud and to "encourage your child to discuss the characters and their relationships," which requires the child to answer questions and talk about information heard. The Reading and Questions section tells the child to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences and offers discussion questions to be used during read-alouds.
Lesson 2
Charlotte
Students are prompted to answer oral and journal discussion questions about character statements and events (e.g., questions about Charlotte, Templeton, and Wilbur's feelings). The lesson asks students to reread Charlotte's descriptions to Wilbur and to discuss her eating habits, which requires interpreting information delivered by a character. Several questions require elaboration (for example, "Do you think real pigs feel this way? Why or why not?") and activities ask students to produce extended responses (a spider research page and a poem from Wilbur's point of view).
Lesson 3
Bad News
Students are asked to read Chapters 7–9 and then use a set of discussion and journal questions (Questions #1–#7) to respond verbally or in writing. The text repeatedly directs an adult to "discuss" prompts with the child and to "ask your child why," prompting students to explain reasons (e.g., why Wilbur loves the barn, why a farmer might kill a pig). Activities ask students to record sensory descriptions and to predict what Charlotte will do, requiring students to answer and elaborate on ideas from the story.
Lesson 4
Some Pig
Students are prompted to answer guided discussion/journal questions about Chapters 10–12 (e.g., Why does Charlotte say that people are not as smart as bugs?; How did Charlotte avoid being captured?), and parents are instructed to ask the child open-ended questions about characters and themes. Students are asked to explain ideas aloud (e.g., explain what an adverb is and use one in a sentence) and to discuss friendship by describing Wilbur and Charlotte and answering scenario prompts in a journal. The activities require students to provide reasons and explanations (e.g., why people thought Wilbur was out of the ordinary, whether Charlotte's plan will work).
Lesson 5
Progress
Students are asked to read Chapters 13–15 and answer specific comprehension questions in a discussion or journal, which requires them to respond orally or in writing to prompts. Activity 2 asks students to discuss Charlotte's word choices and to explain why they selected descriptive words for family members, prompting verbal explanation and detail. The Wrapping Up section instructs an adult to ask the child what he has learned, providing an opportunity for students to answer questions and elaborate on their understanding.
Lesson 6
The Fair
Students are prompted to discuss Chapters 16–18 using specific comprehension questions in a spoken discussion or journal, including open-ended items (Questions 4–6) that require explanation. The introduction asks the adult to ask the child about a fair and discuss what she saw, tasted, and did, creating a live question-and-answer exchange. Activities 5 and the booth extension invite the child to describe and present a fair booth to family members, which could involve answering visitors' questions.
Lesson 7
The End
Students are prompted to answer specific comprehension and discussion questions about Chapters 19-22 (e.g., how Charlotte tells Wilbur she will die, what happened to Wilbur on stage). Multiple activities ask students to discuss and explain ideas aloud (e.g., discuss life cycles, explain cycles found in the book, identify similarities and differences in created webs, and explain what happened to Charlotte's babies). Students are also asked to prepare and give an oral report using the 'Spiders Around the World' organizer and to discuss book vs. movie similarities using a Venn diagram.
Unit 3: The Family Under the Bridge
Lesson 1
Pre-Reading
The text repeatedly directs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what he knows about economics," "Ask your child to explain how the cycle would be disrupted," and "Ask your child what he learned today about Paris"), which requires the child to answer orally and explain reasoning. Students are prompted to discuss themes and list ways to care for others and to write a paragraph about Paris, which requires them to provide elaboration and detail in their responses or writing.
Lesson 2
The French Man
Students are prompted to answer a set of discussion questions about Chapter 1, with instructions that questions "can be used in a discussion or in journal writing" and to "answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences." Students are asked to pretend to be Armand and explain what she enjoys about not having a job, which requires orally elaborating on a character's perspective. In the Wrapping Up section students are asked to describe the community and explain why Armand is unusual, which requires making oral explanations and providing detail in response to prompts.
Lesson 3
A Discovery
Students are prompted to answer verbal and written comprehension questions about Chapter 2 (Reading And Questions) and are reminded to answer verbal questions in complete sentences. The introduction and wrapping-up prompts ask the child aloud what Armand discovered and to tell about the children, which requires oral responses. In Activity 3 students write questions that Armand or the children might ask, producing interrogative sentences and exclamations that simulate speaker-to-speaker exchanges.
Lesson 4
A Day in the City
Students are prompted to answer verbal and written comprehension questions about Chapter 3 and to discuss those answers (e.g., the five guided questions with answers and the instruction to "answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences"). Students are asked to discuss cultural similarities and differences using a Venn diagram and to discuss ways they could give their time, which requires spoken responses. The wrap-up asks the child to answer what she would tell Santa and to explain whether the gift meets a need or a want, prompting explanatory spoken answers.
Lesson 6
The Shoe
Students are prompted to read aloud the description of the Gypsies (pages 60-61) and to answer a set of seven comprehension and discussion questions (Questions #1-#7) both verbally and in writing. Instructions explicitly remind students to answer verbal questions in complete sentences and include follow-up prompts that ask students to explain reasons (e.g., "ask her why she thinks the author used a dash," "ask your child how the Gypsies are different...and how they are similar"). Several activities involve oral discussion with the parent/teacher, such as comparing cultures and discussing Paris landmarks.
Lesson 7
Among Friends
Students are prompted to participate in conversations and discussions (Skills) and are encouraged to read Chapter 6 aloud with expression, engaging speaking and listening. Students answer guided discussion and journaling questions (Questions #1–#7) about information in the chapter. Students explain reasons for items in the 'Pack a Bag' activity, naming which character benefits and how the items meet wants and needs, demonstrating elaboration on spoken/read content.
Lesson 8
Christmas Eve
The lesson repeatedly prompts oral discussion: the Introduction tells the adult to ask the child about her enjoyment and which character is like her, and the Reading And Questions section provides eight questions that can be used in discussion or answered in a journal. The lesson instructs to "remind your child to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences" and Activity 2 directs the child to discuss community help and describe experiences with places of worship.
Lesson 9
Saying Goodbye
The plan instructs the child to answer verbal and written questions in complete sentences and to use the provided discussion questions as verbal/journal prompts. Several provided discussion questions require reasons and explanation (e.g., "Do you think she should have been upset? Why or why not?" and "Why would they act this way?"), prompting elaborated answers. The activities ask the child to discuss and describe cultural details from the story, which requires speaking and providing descriptive information in response to prompts.
Final Project
Reader's Theater
Students listen as an adult rereads pages 60–64 and reads the "Meeting the Gypsies" script aloud while they follow along, and family members rehearse and perform the script, reading lines aloud several times. The material prompts adults to ask the child reflective questions after the project (for example, "what he enjoyed most" and "anything he would change"), and students practice verbalizing feedback about their performance.
4: Relationships
Unit 1: One Day in the Tropical Rain Forest
Lesson 1
The Rain Forests
The lesson repeatedly instructs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., "Ask your child what he knows about rain forest habitats," "Ask your child if he can describe some relationships," and "Ask your child why rainfall is such an important aspect of a rain forest"). It directs the child to describe and explain relationships and differences (e.g., "Let him describe the relationship that exists between the two living things" and "Ask your child to tell you what he learned…explain the difference between temperate rain forests and tropical rain forests"). The activities require verbal explanation and elaboration as the child describes illustrations, explains dependence on rainfall, and reports learning after activities.
Lesson 2
Morning in the Rain Forest
The Skills list includes "Retell a spoken message by summarizing or clarifying" and "Discuss similarities and differences...", signaling practice with spoken information. The introduction and directions prompt an adult to ask the child to name animals on the cover and to use some provided questions as discussion questions while the child reads, so the child orally answers questions such as "How would you describe Tepui?" and "What does the author mean...?." The Daily Activities section instructs the adult to ask the child multiple oral questions (e.g., "What is your role in the relationship?" and "Which events... involved a relationship...") that require explanation and comparison.
Lesson 3
The Tree
Students are asked to answer specific comprehension and discussion questions about Chapter 2 (e.g., How do the plants in the rain forest depend on water? Describe the army ants; List plants and animals dependent on the canopy; Do you think Tepui noticed every living thing?). Students discuss and explain the theme of relationships and the interconnectedness of organisms and are asked to explain how a local tree differs from Tepui's favorite tree, prompting elaboration. Students analyze author word choice by matching nouns and adjectives and explain how adjectives influence understanding, which requires them to give detailed explanations and examples.
Lesson 4
Butterfly Search
Students are prompted to select questions for journal writing and to use the remaining questions in a discussion, which requires them to answer and discuss information verbally. The skills list explicitly includes "Ask and answer questions about organisms, objects, and events." The Life Application asks students to schedule an appointment with a scientist and prepare four or five interview questions to use with that speaker.
Lesson 5
Rain Forest Relationships
Students read Chapters 4 and 5 and answer explicit comprehension questions (QUESTION #1–#6) about details from the text. Students discuss and describe relationships on the 'Relationships' activity page, writing three-line descriptions of how pairs help or harm one another, and participate in oral discussion prompts (e.g., "Why do you think the author switches the action..."). The Skills list explicitly includes "Ask and answer questions about organisms, objects, and events" and "Increase oral ... by listening, discussing," indicating opportunities for spoken response and discussion.
Lesson 6
Law of the Jungle
The Skills section explicitly includes "Develop vocabulary by listening to and discussing both familiar and conceptually challenging selections read aloud," and the lesson instructs the child to "reread page 40 aloud." The Reading and Questions section provides seven discussion/journal questions (e.g., "Why are the army ants so dangerous?" and "Why did Tepui believe that his people would get sick and die if the rain forest was destroyed?"), including "why" prompts that require explanation. Activity 3 asks the child to "illustrate or describe three examples" of a concept and then write a free-verse poem, which asks for descriptive elaboration about ideas heard or read aloud.
Lesson 7
Helping a Friend
The lesson provides a set of comprehension prompts labeled as discussion questions ("These questions can be used as a combination of discussion questions and journal questions"), so students answer spoken questions about Chapter 7. The prompt "Discuss friendship… Ask your child to describe the relationship that Tepui has with Dr. Rivero" asks students to respond orally about information a speaker (parent/teacher) elicits. The dramatizing activity has students rehearse and perform dialogue, identify which character would say supplied lines, and speak stage directions aloud with a partner, which requires oral answering and elaboration through role play.
Lesson 9
A Close Call
The lesson provides discussion prompts and explicit question-and-answer items (QUESTION #1–#6) that require students to respond to spoken or teacher-led questions about the story. Directions such as "Ask your child what two unrelated things the author is comparing" and "Ask your child what he enjoyed most about the book" require students to answer aloud and explain their thinking. Activity 4 instructs students to "Discuss the climax" and to identify relationships and how events affected one another, prompting oral explanation and elaboration.
Unit 2: The Whipping Boy
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
The lesson repeatedly directs an adult to ask the child questions (e.g., ask what he thinks the setting is from the cover, ask him to list disadvantages of a monarchy and compare/contrast using a Venn diagram, ask why each relationship is important, ask how life in a castle would be different). The activities require the child to answer orally and in writing (listing, explaining, and comparing) and to act out scenes and then describe whether events were positive or negative and what that reveals about relationships. Students are prompted to provide explanations and details in responses (writing sentences about relationships, explaining why they would or would not enjoy castle life, and elaborating on similarities/differences between kings and presidents).
Lesson 2
Jemmy and Prince Brat
Students are prompted to answer a set of chapter questions orally or in a journal after reading Chapters 1–3, with the teacher/parent directed to "use other questions in a discussion." The Skills list includes "Discuss similarities and differences..." and "Connect experiences and ideas with those of others," which implies guided oral discussion. The Wrap-Up and Life Application sections instruct the adult to "Ask your child to describe the relationship..." and to discuss what she likes or does not like about each character.
Lesson 3
The Plot Thickens
Students are prompted to answer comprehension questions after reading Chapters 4–6 (e.g., why Jemmy changed his mind, where he planned to hide, what happened in the foggy woods). Students are asked to describe differences between Jemmy and Prince Brat and to explain how the characters' personalities affect their relationship when creating crests. Students are asked to give two examples of idioms and to translate and use idioms in new sentences, which requires elaboration and detail in spoken or written responses.
Lesson 4
A Note to the King
Students are instructed to read Chapters 7-9 aloud and then "answer some of the questions below in her journal and others in discussion," which requires responding to information presented orally. The lesson includes a set of comprehension questions (Questions #1-#7) that ask students to explain reasons (e.g., why characters acted or felt a certain way), prompting spoken or written answers with explanation. The lesson repeatedly prompts oral interaction: parents are told to "ask your child to describe the predicament," "let your child answer the questions about the chart," and "ask your child to explain the relationships," indicating students speak about information they heard or read aloud.
Lesson 5
Disagreements
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions both in a journal and in a discussion with an adult ("When he finishes, he can answer some of the questions below in his journal and others in a discussion with you"). The wrapping-up prompts instruct the adult to ask the child what he learned and why the characters have a poor relationship, which elicits spoken answers and elaboration. Several questions are open-ended (e.g., "Who seems to be smarter... Why?" and "Why did the prince offer Jemmy his protection?" with "Answers will vary"), encouraging students to provide detailed responses.
Lesson 6
In the Woods
The lesson provides a list of specific comprehension questions for the child to answer in a journal or discuss orally (e.g., "How did Jemmy get away from Cutwater?", "How did Jemmy and the prince plan to make money..."). Multiple prompts ask the child to explain reasons and provide evidence (e.g., "How do you know?", "Why or why not?", "Answers will vary"), which requires elaboration and detail in responses. Discussion prompts (e.g., "Discuss what the habitat looks like," "Ask your child if Jemmy and Prince Brat are friends and to explain why") ask the child to speak and expand on ideas aloud.
Lesson 8
Friends
Students are prompted to answer specific comprehension questions about Chapters 19-20 both in a journal and in a discussion, including questions that require explanation (e.g., Why did Jemmy decide that he did trust the prince?). The wrap-up directs an adult to ask the child whether she enjoyed the story and whether she would recommend it, prompting oral responses. Students also write reflective journal entries and a poem about changes in the characters and their relationship, which requires elaboration and supporting details.
Unit 3: Iggie's House
Lesson 1
The Move
Students are prompted to discuss the book cover and answer guided discussion questions (e.g., "Ask your child what the story might be about" and "Ask your child what it means to be a friend"). Students answer comprehension questions in a journal and discuss remaining questions aloud ("Select some of the questions below for your child to answer in her journal. The remaining questions can be used in a discussion"). Students are asked to list five characteristics of a good friend and write a sentence for each explaining why it is important, and to give examples of how they have demonstrated those characteristics.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Neighbors
Students read Chapter 2 aloud and answer comprehension questions in their journals, with guidance to "select a few of the questions for him to answer in his journal and those that you will use in a discussion." Students participate in oral discussion prompts (for example, being asked why Winnie acted rudely and predicting how meetings will go) and read scenarios aloud then decide how they would respond. Students also complete activities that require written and spoken responses, such as the "Racial Relationships" scenarios and the Fact or Opinion exercises.
Lesson 3
The Softball Game
Students are prompted to discuss and answer specific comprehension and discussion questions about Chapter 3 (e.g., Why do you think Winnie lied..., Is Winnie being a good friend?). Multiple prompts tell the adult to "Ask your child" to describe actions (e.g., describe how verbs change, describe the softball game) and to give examples, requiring students to respond orally or in writing. Activities (Reactions Chart, Softball Logic, subject/verb discussion, irregular verbs review) require students to answer questions and explain their reasoning to an adult.
Lesson 4
A New Dog
Students are directed to answer two or three comprehension questions in their journal and to discuss the remaining questions orally with an adult, including open-ended prompts such as why Winnie tears up her letters. Students are asked to discuss the Garbers' new pet, describe what owners must do to take care of pets, and explain the nature of pet-owner relationships, which requires spoken elaboration. Students are prompted at the end to summarize Chapter 4 aloud and to produce sentences in past, present, and future tense as part of the wrap-up.
Lesson 5
A Visit from Germs
Students are prompted to answer multiple discussion and journal questions (Questions #1–#7) about what characters said and did, requiring them to provide reasons and explanations (e.g., why the Garbers were glum, why Winnie pretended, what Herbie wanted to do and whether it was right). Students are asked to discuss proper responses to hurtful opinions and to describe what Winnie did to be a good friend during Wrapping Up, prompting verbal explanation. Activity 3 asks students to pretend they are inviting a new friend and to list three points of interest they would show, which requires students to speak about and describe information to a hypothetical listener.
Lesson 6
A New Petition
The lesson directs the child to summarize events orally and to answer assigned questions in a journal and in discussion, which requires answering questions about presented information. The parent/teacher prompts (for example, asking which character's personality is most similar and to explain why) require the child to provide elaboration and supporting detail. The vocabulary game and character circle map activities require the child to respond verbally, use words in sentences, and explain choices with evidence from the text.
Lesson 7
The Swim Club
The lesson asks the child to read Chapter 7 aloud and includes parent prompts such as "Ask your child why Winnie was so upset" and "Ask her to describe the petition," which require oral answers. The lesson provides a set of journal and discussion questions (Q1–Q5), including open-ended items like "Why do you think Winnie showed Mrs. Landon her petition?" that prompt spoken or written elaboration. Activities such as the Reactions Chart and the Friendship House instruct the child to discuss character responses and friendships, encouraging spoken discussion about information from the text.
Lesson 8
Moving
The lesson prompts oral discussion (e.g., "Ask your child to describe what happened to Winnie at the pool yesterday") and provides a set of discussion/journal questions for Chapter 8 that students are expected to answer (e.g., Why did Winnie feel...?, What could she have done instead?). Several items invite explanation (answers will vary) and ask students to discuss character motivations and responses, which requires offering elaboration and detail. Activities instruct students to discuss similarities/differences and to fill reaction charts, supporting spoken explanation of ideas.
Lesson 9
A Letter
The lesson prompts oral discussion: adults are instructed to "Discuss the relationship that Iggie and Winnie had" and to "Ask your child why she thinks Winnie keeps doing this," which requires students to answer questions about story information. The lesson also asks students to "read her letter aloud and discuss which parts of her letter you enjoyed most," giving students an opportunity to speak about and respond to a peer/own presentation.
Lesson 10
I Have a Dream
Students read an excerpt of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" aloud and then respond to specific comprehension questions such as "What was Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream?" and "What does 'all men are created equal' mean?" After reading Chapter 9, students are prompted to answer written questions in their journal and participate in discussion questions about the text. The lesson also prompts students to discuss their own dreams and how they could help King's dream come true, which requires them to explain and reflect on the speaker's ideas.
Lesson 11
The End
The lesson includes multiple parent-child discussion prompts (e.g., "Ask your child what she has enjoyed…," "Ask her to name and describe the main characters…") and a list of journal/discussion questions students are expected to answer after reading. Activities require students to speak and explain choices aloud (Book in a Bag: the child pulls out each item and describes why she selected it) and to discuss friendships and write and talk about what they would do with a character (Character Friendship). The Reactions Chart asks the child to read through events and recall how characters responded, supporting spoken answers with detail.
Final Project
Character Interviews
Students write interview questions for specific characters and are instructed to ask at least one relationship question for each character. Students create answers from the characters' perspectives, using events from the story and a Reactions Chart to include details. Students practice and perform live or recorded interviews (acting as speaker and reporter), and the rubric specifically asks whether students used story events in questions/answers and whether answers were easy to understand.