Students read biographical material about Robert Frost from provided web sources and are instructed to record ten clues about his life (when and where he lived, his family, schooling, subjects he wrote about, and techniques he used). Students complete a Venn diagram comparing two poems (theme, rhyme, stanza structure, use of metaphor) and analyze Frost poems by answering questions about setting, person, and stanza structure. Students are also asked to place Frost's birth date on a timeline of American history.

Students are asked to explain how Nadia and Noah are similar and different in the Wrapping Up section and to identify relationships the author introduced (e.g., Nadia's strained relationships, Grandpa's new wife and grandson). The guided questions ask students to state how Nadia and Noah are connected and to answer comprehension questions based on specific page references. Students create plot flowcharts for multiple characters (Noah, Nadia, Ethan, Julian), requiring them to sequence events and indicate problems and solutions.

Students are prompted in Prewriting to "focus on the relationships in a turtle's life," with outline sections explicitly labeled Habitat and Food Source (relationship between turtles and their environment), Predators and Dangers (relationship between turtles and other living things), Relationship between the turtle and man, and Relationships Among Turtles (life cycle, parents and their young, how turtles live in relation to one another). The activity pages require students to gather information from multiple sources and record specific details for each outlined relationship (where turtles are found, what they eat and how they find food, predators, defenses). Students are guided to organize those details into an outline, write a draft organized by that outline, and revise using a rubric that asks whether paragraphs focus on an idea and provide adequate details and information.

Students are asked to complete Activity 3 (Relationships) where they draw lines between characters and write a phrase explaining each connection, directly prompting them to identify relationships among individuals from the text. The reading questions (e.g., where Julian's parents worked; what The Souls were training Ginger for; whether Julian should have told or given the dog treats) require students to explain interactions and events involving characters. The script-writing activity asks students to record dialogue and stage directions for a scene, which has students represent and rehearse interactions between characters.

Students are asked to record in a journal five things they learn about the culture where a folktale originated (Activity 2), which requires pulling specific cultural details from the story. The unit asks the question, "What is the relationship between a culture and its stories?" and parents are prompted to ask the child to "explain how the story he selected reflected the culture from which it originated." Activity 3 requires students to place story titles on U.S. region maps, linking each story to its region of origin based on story content.

Students answer comprehension questions about relationships between characters in the folktales (e.g., questions asking why the Star Maiden left, why she became angry with Algon, and how Algon won her), and they respond to a prompt asking them to describe Johnny Appleseed's relationship with others. Students research John Chapman using linked historical/biographical websites and create a Venn diagram comparing the legend Johnny Appleseed to the real man John Chapman. Students also complete character webs that require comparing traits of multiple women characters across texts.

Students read a historical explanation of African-American storytelling in the Parent Plan excerpt that links African mythology to Brer Rabbit tales and explains cultural relationships between storyteller communities and their myths. The Parent Plan skills list asks students to compare and contrast tales from different cultures and to develop theories to account for similar tales, which requires relating ideas across cultural contexts. Day 2 materials identify Brer Rabbit and Brer Fox roles and ask students to describe their relationship, prompting analysis of interactions between characters and ideas about trickster tales.

Students are asked to analyze the theme of man vs. machine (Activity 5), weighing positive and negative societal effects of technological advancement and listing machines with their impacts. A question about John Henry asks students to explain what he meant by, "I've got a man's heart in here. All the machine has is a metal engine," which directs students to explain the relationship between a human worker and technology based on the story. The Mississippi activity text explains how the river formed a pathway for Westward Expansion and students are asked to trace the river and identify the states/regions it runs through, connecting environment and historical events. The lesson prompt "What relationship(s) exists between people and their environment?" explicitly asks students to consider interactions between people and place.

Students answer direct comprehension questions that require explaining interactions between characters (e.g., how Hekeke kept Yayali from eating her, how Hekeke escaped, and how Hiiaka and Pele differ). Students identify cause-and-effect between a character and an event (noting that Pele's anger causes a volcano to erupt) and identify relationships between humans and gods on the "Myth" page by listing and matching gods and humans to descriptions. The storytelling activity asks students to highlight important relationships when they retell a legend and to evaluate whether their retelling made those relationships clear.

Students are asked in Activity 4 to read about World War II and answer questions about causes, which requires explaining relationships between events and outcomes. Activity 5 directs students to find and write reasons both the Axis and Allied sides were fighting, which asks them to explain interactions and goals of groups. The Venn diagram (Exploring Curaçao, Option 2) has students compare culture and environment between Curaçao and their own community, prompting explanation of similarities and differences. The text also links Curaçao's oil supply to Allied interest and the U.S. stationing men there, providing a specific relationship between a place and wartime actions for students to explain.

Students are asked to read Chapters 1–2 and answer text-based questions such as describing what was happening to the town (identifying the German attack) and explaining how life in Curaçao differed for Phillip's mother. Discussion prompts ask students to describe the diverse citizens on the island and to discuss why it might be hard to adjust to living in a different culture, connecting people and ideas from the text. The Curacao Imports and Exports activity asks students to research and represent economic connections between the island and other places, linking events/ideas about trade to the setting.

Students record sentences describing Phillip's and Timothy's feelings, thoughts, and actions toward one another across chapters using the "Phillip and Timothy" graphic organizer. Students answer discussion questions that require explaining why Phillip reacts to Timothy, why Timothy calls Phillip "Young Boss," and why white people on the island were prejudiced, connecting character interactions to the idea of discrimination. Students translate Timothy's dialect on the "Timothy's Voice" page to interpret his dialogue, supporting analysis of interactions between the two characters.

Students read Chapters 5 and 6 of The Cay and answer comprehension questions that probe relationships and dependence between Phillip and Timothy (e.g., Q2 asks what Phillip meant when he said, "His [Timothy's] eyes were becoming mine"). Students write sentences describing the two main characters on the "Phillip and Timothy" pages and respond to parent discussion prompts asking why Timothy reassures Phillip and why Timothy reacted when Phillip fell off the raft. In the science-related activities, students match shark types to descriptions, complete a "Shark Research" web listing three important facts and two related ideas, and discuss how diversity among ocean organisms aids survival and food-chain relationships.

Students are directed to read Coral Reef Food Chains (a scientific text) and then either illustrate and label living things from the reef or write about diving observations. Students complete a Survival activity in which they illustrate resources from the coral reef and describe how each resource could be used to aid Timothy and Phillip. The Parent Plan asks students to report what they learned about the coral reef, linking their work to the scientific topic.

Students read Chapters 11–12 of The Cay and complete a "Phillip and Timothy" activity page and questions that ask how Timothy and Phillip need or help one another. Activity 3 asks students to make lists in their journals of ways Timothy has helped Phillip and ways Phillip has helped Timothy. The parent plan and several activities prompt students to discuss interdependent relationships among coral reef organisms and to examine a "Coral Reef Food Chains" resource and classify reef animals into vertebrates and invertebrates.

Students read Chapters 13 and 14 and are asked to write sentences that describe the two characters' feelings and actions toward one another on a 'Phillip and Timothy' activity page. Activity 2 directs students to write a journal entry describing Timothy from Phillip's perspective using only information Phillip could know from hearing and actions, and the parent plan and discussion questions prompt students to analyze how Phillip's and Timothy's relationship has changed and to cite supporting evidence. Guided questions (e.g., why Timothy taught Phillip to fish; what Phillip taught Timothy about the island) require students to connect specific events and behaviors to the characters' interactions.

Students read Chapters 15 and 16 and complete a "Phillip and Timothy" activity page that gathers specific textual details. Students are instructed to write a three-paragraph essay explaining how Phillip and Timothy's relationship changed from first meeting to Timothy's death and to identify causes, using organizer pages with topic sentences, supporting details, and concluding sentences. Students complete prompts asking what the novel teaches about discrimination and how the author communicates that idea through events and characters, and they cite specific words and phrases describing the storm and survival.

Students read the final chapter of The Cay and complete a "Phillip and Timothy" activity page after answering comprehension questions about characters and events. Students read or listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and discuss questions about King's ideas and freedom. Students create a monument, inscription, and especially a eulogy that requires them to describe how they and Timothy depended on each other, what they learned, how Timothy changed them, and to include a description of MLK's dream and how their experience helped accomplish that dream; the project rubric explicitly asks for the eulogy's relation to Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. The parent/skills notes instruct students to identify and interpret elements of fiction and nonfiction and to support responses by referencing the text.

Activity 2 explicitly links the 1870 war between Germany and France, heavy taxation, poverty, and persecution to why people left Germany for America, and asks students to list five things important for German immigrants to know based on what they learned. The Student Activity Page includes a section labeled "Relationship with America," prompting students to find and record facts about connections between Germany and America. Activity 1 has students locate and record facts in categories including "History" and "People," which can surface cause-effect relationships (for example, historical events leading to migration).

Students answer comprehension questions that require linking events and motivations (for example, explaining why Dina's mother did not send Dina to America and why the soldier suspected Dina was a French spy). The Parent Plan asks students to discuss waves of immigrants, reasons for leaving their countries, and to hypothesize how differences and similarities produced diverse American cultures. The Skills list explicitly includes recognizing cause-and-effect relationships and using text structure (cause/effect or chronology) to locate and recall information.

Students complete a Cause and Effect Relationships activity that asks them to connect specific causes from Chapters 3–6 with their effects (e.g., "Dina forgot to wash the lanterns" linked to "The lanterns were smoky"). The activity directs students to write two personal examples of cause and effect and to record at least one effect caused by actions and events in the story. Activity 3 asks students to record information they learn about New York City and immigrants in 1870 from specific chapter ranges.

Students answer text-based comprehension questions about characters and motivations (e.g., why Uncle wanted Dina to sew; why Dina did not want to sew). The "Things to Think About" prompts ask students to compare life in the States with life in immigrants' native countries and to contrast the dream versus the reality of immigration. Students are directed to "record a few things you learned about the people and the city" on a page titled "The City and the People of New York in 1870," which focuses attention on historical details in the text.

Students read Chapters 10–12 and the historical page "The City and the People of New York in 1870" and are asked to record things they learned about the people and the city. Students answer direct comprehension questions such as "In what ways was Dina dependent on her family in America?" and "What does Dina tell her Uncle she wants?," which require explaining interactions between characters. Students create bubble maps and picture-frame comparisons that instruct them to think back on each character's actions and words, list character traits, and record ways the two families are alike and different, and the parent plan explicitly lists "analyze characters and events and cite supporting evidence."

Students answer comprehension questions that require explaining interactions between characters (e.g., Question 1 asks how Barbara responded when Dina told her what happened at Mrs. Koch's home; Question 3 asks what bargain Uncle and Dina struck). Students complete Activity 1 by sorting expectations versus realities of immigration, which asks them to compare and relate ideas about immigrant life. Discussion prompts ask students to describe Barbara and to explain Dina's mixing of German and English, prompting explanation of interactions and ideas based on the chapters.

Students answer comprehension questions about character interactions (e.g., Question #4 asks how Barbara and Maria tricked the men in the medical wagon), and discussion prompts ask students to explain why the men did not take Maria and to consider immigrants' fear of disease. The smallpox activity asks students to research how the disease is spread and when and who discovered the vaccine, linking a scientific concept (smallpox/vaccine) to the historical context of immigrants. The parent/discussion prompts also require students to relate Dina's feelings and actions to events in the text.

Students read Chapters 19–21 about Dina's first Christmas and are asked specific comprehension questions (e.g., what Katharina told Dina; what happened when Dina was on the roof) that require extracting information from the historical fiction text. Activities prompt students to analyze characters' motivations and to list reasons for Dina to stay in New York or return home (Should I Stay or Go?), and the skills list explicitly includes "Draw conclusions and support them with text evidence" and "Analyze characters' motivations." Students are also asked to record things they learned about the people and the city in New York in 1870.

Students answer specific comprehension questions that require explaining relationships between events and people (e.g., Question 1 asks what caused the fire; Question 2 asks what Dina did to save her family; Questions 5–6 ask why Aunt Ida and Uncle acted as they did). Students are asked to record things they learned on the pages titled "The City and the People of New York in 1870," connecting the text to historical information. The wrapping-up prompts ask students to review how hardships affected immigrants and to identify obstacles and resulting successes, linking events/conditions to outcomes.

Students answer targeted comprehension questions that ask how Mrs. Koch helped Uncle's family, why Dina found it hard to talk to Johann about leaving, how Uncle's mood changed after Dina decided to make the dresses, why Dina decided to stay, and how Uncle responded when she announced her decision. Students complete "if...then" statements imagining how story events affect Dina's future, requiring them to link events to later outcomes. Students are asked to identify main events, their causes, and the influence of each event on future actions (skills list) and to record information from the final chapters on a page about the city and people of New York in 1870.

Students are asked to make a Venn diagram comparing Dina and her uncle (Square 5) and to "write three sentences that describe how Dina's life in America was different from life in Germany," which require comparing two individuals/contexts based on the text. Students are instructed to "reread some of the author's descriptions" and "record three reasons Dina stayed in New York," which directs them to locate specific information in the book. The New York project asks students to research how immigrants of the 1800s shaped the culture and to "reflect on life in New York today and yesterday," and the poem rubric explicitly lists "inclusion of fact-based information" and "ideas on how immigration has shaped the city."

Students are prompted to research the Catskill Mountains using linked informational websites and to look for pictures of geography and seasonal changes, which engages them with scientific text about an ecosystem. The Parent Plan explicitly lists that students should "observe, examine, and record data about ecosystems including living and nonliving things that interact," directing student actions toward noticing interactions. Students are also asked to think about how people and other organisms are affected by seasons and to analyze how a character interacts with nature in survival stories, which focuses student attention on relationships between people and the natural environment.

Students read the technical "Building a Campfire" page and are asked to summarize major points and create a poster that highlights fire-safety rules. The reading explains cause-and-effect ideas (some fires occur naturally; others are started by people who do not practice safety; fires can destroy forest and harm animals and people), and students are prompted to answer and discuss "Why is fire safety so important in the forest?". A reading question asks how Sam knew about living in the forest, linking his reading and conversations with people to his skills.

Students are asked to read pages 21–40 and answer Q1, which requires them to explain what Sam means by, "I knew how to make fire, and that was my weapon," linking the idea of fire to survival needs. In Activity 1 (Wilderness Survival) students explain how each listed item would help Sam, explicitly relating objects/ideas to Sam's survival in the text. The Forced Analogy activity has students compare forest nouns to surviving in the wilderness, prompting them to state relationships between concepts.

The lesson asks students to read pages 58–85 and answer questions about Sam and Bando (Question #4 asks what Sam thought about Bando and who Bando was; Question #5 asks whether Sam enjoyed spending time with Bando and how the student knows). Activity 2 directs students to read about Henry David Thoreau, place Thoreau on a timeline if used, and think about why Bando called Sam "Thoreau." The wrap-up and discussion questions explicitly prompt students to explain why Bando stayed with Sam and how Sam and Thoreau are similar.

Students are asked in the RAFT activity to "research information about falcons and discover how they interact with other organisms in their environment" and to prepare a presentation that "describes the relationships between the falcon and other organisms in its habitat." The lesson's "Ideas to Think About" prompts students to consider interdependent relationships among organisms and the role of diversity in ecosystems. The Skills list includes supporting judgments through references to both the text and prior knowledge, and the reading question types prompt students to analyze and synthesize information from text.

Students read pages 107–131 and answer comprehension questions about characters and events (who Sam met, why he went to town, who visited at Christmas). Students plan and write a newspaper article using the 5 Ws and 1 H, with explicit prompts to explain how Sam survived and how/why events happened. Paragraph organizers and parent discussion questions prompt students to explain relationships or motivations (for example, why Bando returned or why Sam's father left him).

Students are asked to analyze Sam's relationships (Activity 5: "A Special Friendship") by discussing friendships with animals and people and describing their significance. They are asked to diagram ecological interactions (Activity 7: "Food Web") and to "Describe examples of interdependence observed in nature" with details of interactions (Activity 9). Reading questions also prompt students to explain interactions between Sam and the environment (how he predicts weather) and between diet and health (what Sam learned about vitamins), requiring use of information from the text.

Students read the first two chapters of The Witch of Blackbird Pond and answer comprehension questions that require connecting events (for example, Q4 asks why everyone was shocked when Kit jumped in the water, linking Kit's action to others' reactions). Discussion prompts ask students to explain motivations and cultural attitudes (e.g., whether Kit would have jumped if she'd known how others would respond; why Nat's family is proud of the smell of horses), which asks for explanation of relationships between characters and ideas. Students also add Kit's arrival date to a timeline, linking the event to historical context.

Students read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer specific questions asking how Kit was welcomed by the Wood family and why Mr. Wood reacted to Kit's gifts, which requires explaining interactions between individuals based on the chapter text. Students complete a Barbados vs. Connecticut comparison chart and are asked to think about cultural and geographic differences and how those differences will make it challenging for Kit, which requires explaining relationships between ideas (culture, geography) and a character's experience. Parent discussion prompts ask students to explain whether Kit will fit in and how her life will change, referencing details from the readings and activities.

Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer Question #2 that asks how Reverend Bulkeley and Matthew Wood argued about loyalty to the king versus standing up for a free government, directly addressing the interaction of two individuals and competing political ideas. Students answer Question #1 and read Kit's personal narrative, describing how Kit feels stared at and whispered about, which requires explaining the interaction between an individual and a community. Discussion prompts ask students to "Describe the political argument between Matthew Wood and Reverend Bulkeley" and to "Review the political reasons for the tensions between the colonists," prompting students to explain relationships between ideas and events based on the text.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to list three reasons a colonist might have chosen to be a Royalist and three reasons a colonist might have wanted a free government, which prompts comparison of two political ideas. The Parent Plan directs students to summarize chapters and describe differences between Mercy and Judith, and skills explicitly include analyzing characters and their conflicts. The Reading text highlights an argument between Matthew Wood and Reverend Bulkeley about how to respond to the King, giving students an instance of interacting individuals with opposing ideas to consider.

Students are asked to compare Mercy's and Kit's teaching styles (Question #1), which requires explaining differences between two individuals based on the chapter. Students answer why Kit ran away (Question #3), which asks them to explain an interaction between an event and a character's response. The wrap-up and discussion questions (e.g., why the Bible was the only book readily available to the Puritans; whether town leaders were justified in being upset) prompt consideration of historical context and reactions based on the text.

Students read a passage about the Quaker faith and complete a Venn diagram comparing Quaker and Puritan beliefs, and are then asked to "think about how these differences could have led to disagreements between the two groups of people," which requires explaining interactions between ideas. In reading and question tasks, students identify that "The Widow Tupper encouraged [Kit] to go," linking an individual's influence to Kit's actions, and they record discoveries about the community, the Woods family, and herself, prompting analysis of relationships and change. The parent/teacher prompts ask students to discuss how discoveries have changed Kit and how Hannah Tupper's experience made her stronger, encouraging explanation of interactions between individuals and events.

Students are asked to read the short story "An Island Bird" and identify a metaphor comparing Kit to a tropical Jamaican bird, then explicitly list three ways Kit's time in Wethersfield parallels the bird's experience. Students are also prompted to evaluate whether the comparison is effective and to justify their opinion. Discussion prompts ask students to think about how Nat and Kit's relationship is changing and to interpret Nat's statement about loyalty, which requires explaining relationships between people and ideas in the text.

Students answer comprehension questions that require explaining change (e.g., why Nat was upset with Kit; how William's position about the government changed). Activity 2 asks students to make a journal list of the colonists' complaints about the new governor and the Wrapping Up directs students to review the reasons the men of Connecticut were so upset with the English government and to discuss how those struggles foreshadowed the revolution. The introductory prompts (e.g., "How do discoveries cause change?") and discussion questions ask students to consider cause-and-effect relationships between events and ideas.

Students read Chapter 16 about Halloween in Colonial Connecticut and answer comprehension questions that connect events and people (e.g., Question 3 links Nat's mischief to his punishment; Question 4 asks how Prudence changed after meetings with Hannah and Kit). The lesson includes a guiding prompt, "How do human relationships change as people discover more about one another?" and parent discussion questions that ask students to explain feelings and motives (e.g., how Kit feels seeing Nat in the stocks, and what Hannah means about love and escape). These elements require students to describe interactions among individuals and the effects of events on characters.

Students answer targeted comprehension questions about Chapters 17 and 18 that ask about interactions among characters (e.g., why Matthew Wood would not ask Reverend Bulkeley for help, how Kit rescues Hannah). Activity 1 directs students to brainstorm colonists' reasons for accusing someone of witchcraft, review a list of historical explanations (religion, fungus, land disputes, social repression), and select and explain three likely causes. Discussion prompts ask students to consider why townspeople blamed Hannah and whether a witch hunt could happen today, which encourages linking community beliefs/events to outcomes.

Students are asked targeted questions (Questions 1–3) that require them to explain motivations and interactions between characters (e.g., why William Ashby does not come to Kit's trial; whether Kit should have tried to fit in), which asks for explanations of relationships in the text. In the "On Trial" activity students must make three arguments defending Kit and provide support for each argument, prompting them to use specific information from the text to explain interactions and events. The lesson's skills statement explicitly requires students to cite textual evidence to support analysis, and the "Things to Review" asks students to recount what happened to main characters as the story progressed, connecting characters and events.

Students read Kit's personal narrative aloud and analyze its organization, including sections titled The People, Survival and Work, and Hannah. Students use pre-writing organizers (Topical and Flow Chart) that separate interactions and events (e.g., Hannah's kindness, chores/work, community attitudes) and then write body paragraphs that describe those people and events and end with reflections. The rubric asks students to provide adequate details and to "show rather than tell," prompting them to base descriptions on specifics from the story.

Students read Chapters 4–6 and answer specific questions identifying the automaton, what it was designed to do, where it came from, and how Hugo's father died. In Activity 2, students write three first-person statements describing Hugo's life before and after his father's death and the discovery of the automaton. Wrapping Up and discussion prompts ask students to explain how the death and the automaton discovery changed Hugo's life and judgment, and to predict how the automaton will affect him.

Students read a historical account of Hans Christian Andersen that includes specific details (birth in 1805, his father's death in a fire, struggles at school, and how these experiences influenced his stories). Students are asked directly to compare Andersen and Hugo with prompts such as "How was Hans Christian Andersen similar to Hugo?" and to "review the details of Andersen's life and discuss parallels between his story and Hugo's." Students complete a "Two Versions" comparison organizer that asks them to analyze characters, events, and message, supporting analysis of relationships among characters and events.

Students answer text-based questions that require explaining interactions and motives (for example, they state that Hugo took Isabelle's key because he needed it for his automaton). Students compare characters directly when asked in discussion (they identify ways Hugo and Isabelle are alike). Students discuss the relationship between two concepts when prompted (they consider how horology and magic are related).

Students answer Question #2 asking why Mama Jeanne felt she needed to protect her husband, requiring them to explain a cause–effect relationship based on the text. In Question #5 students identify that Etienne helped Hugo find a book, describing an interaction between two individuals. Activity 2 directs students to research Georges Méliès, take factual note cards with dates, and put those facts in chronological order, and the Wrapping Up prompt asks students to compare information in the story with information they found about Méliès.

Students compare Hugo and the mythic figure Prometheus in Activity 6, answering specific questions about reasons for stealing, consequences, and similarities. Students retell the Prometheus myth in Activity 4 and consider the role of fire in human life in Activity 5, connecting ideas across texts. Reading questions and discussion prompts ask students to explain changing relationships between Hugo and Isabelle using events from the chapters.

Students are asked to "investigate and explain how automatons operate and their reaction with human use," which requires explaining interactions between a technical device and humans. Students are directed to "collect cards for individuals involved in early cinema, detailing their roles using books and the internet," and to "create an informative card about an actor's early career," which has students gather information about historical individuals. Students are instructed to "analyze differences and similarities between an old and modern movie" and to locate books and websites and record important information on note cards, indicating use of texts as sources for their work.

Students read chapters of a historical fiction set during the California Gold Rush and read an Author's Note with authentic historical details. Students research the Gold Rush using provided web links and answer questions such as who went to California, when gold was discovered, and whether prospectors were successful. Discussion prompts and the journal activity ask students to explain reasons (e.g., why California wanted to go back to Massachusetts; why families moved west) and to describe pioneer experiences and impacts of the Gold Rush.

Students answer comprehension questions that ask them to explain motivations and causes (e.g., explaining why Pa didn't let Lucy keep the woodpecker and why Lucy dislikes California). In Activity 2, students map the route from Massachusetts to California and record geographical features or wildlife they would have seen, marking those that could have posed threats to pioneers, which connects events/conditions to pioneer survival. In Activity 3, students list five changes in Lucy's life and five changes in their own lives, relating events and ideas about change.

Students are prompted to consider historical context with the question "How were African Americans struggling to survive before the Civil War?" and parent notes instruct students to explain that African Americans were still slaves and to discuss prejudice. Students answer comprehension questions identifying Joe as an escaped slave and explain why the name "Bernard Freeman" is special, linking Bernard to Lucy's father and Freeman to Joe's freedom. Discussion prompts ask students to consider Joe's life story and how he is struggling to survive.

Students are asked to analyze characters' traits and points of view and to examine reasons for characters' actions (Skills list). Students are asked to consider how characters "relate to other characters" and to collect five items that represent a character, then explain why each item was chosen (Packing for a Character). Students must read Chapters 11–12 and develop Think-and-Search and Reader-and-Author questions that require combining text information and their own thinking. The Wrap-Up asks students to explain how the town has changed since Lucy arrived, prompting explanation of events and changes in the text.

Students are asked to answer comprehension questions that probe relationships and effects in the text (e.g., Question #2 asks what Butte worried about before he died and Question #3 asks why Lucy felt lonely despite her mother's presence). A question asks how Lizzie was different from Lucy, prompting students to compare two individuals. Activity 3 asks students to create a poem, song, or artwork that "reflect[s] something special about Butte based on the information the author has shared about him," which requires using specific information about a character and his impact on others.

Students answer direct questions that contrast two characters' plans (Question #1 and #2 ask what Lucy's mother and Lucy plan to do). Activity 1 and several activity pages prompt students to record character traits, quotes, and interactions and to explain which character they are most similar to. Activity 3 asks students to record two or three threats associated with each season, linking events/conditions (seasons) to dangers that occur in the story. The Parent Plan lists skills such as examining reasons for characters' actions and drawing conclusions about characters.

Students identify and record four cause-and-effect relationships from the novel in the "Cause and Effect Flaps" activity, writing causes on flaps and the effects beneath them. Students describe how Lucy changes by comparing her beginning and end states and explain what caused those changes in the "Lucy Changes" graphic organizer. The wrap-up and discussion prompts ask students to think about events that caused change and explain effects on characters.

Students are asked to "use what you learned from the novel and your research on the California Gold Rush" to write a persuasive essay, and the Essay Structure directs students to "use evidence and examples to support your reasons." The "Ideas to Think About" prompts include questions about relationships (e.g., "How do new experiences and discoveries change people?" and "What threatened the survival of the pioneers?"). The Parent Plan lists using traditional structures such as cause and effect and using details, examples, anecdotes, or experiences to explain information.

Students answer questions that require explaining character relationships and causes (e.g., identifying why Meg is upset and how Meg and her mother differ). Students complete an Elements of Science Fiction chart and are instructed to "fill in evidence from the book" that supports each science-fiction element. Students discuss how parts of a system work together and answer wrap-up prompts about how Meg's family fits or does not fit a traditional family system.

Students are asked to reread the section where Mrs. Whatsit describes the five dimensions and to explain how that theory relates to the title and to describe the five dimensions in their own words, which asks them to explain relationships among scientific ideas (dimensions, tessering, time). Students answer a question connecting tessering to math (how tessering is similar to taking shortcuts in time/space), which asks them to relate two concepts. Students are asked to compare Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which and to add historical figures who have "fought the Dark Thing," explaining why they belong on the list, which asks them to relate individuals and historical concepts to the book's idea of the Dark Thing.

Students are asked to explain how the planet of Camazotz functions as a system and to describe the system IT has put in place (Question #5 and the Getting Started prompt). The Brain activity asks students to identify the difference between human brains and the controlling brain on Camazotz and to label brain parts with descriptions of their functions. Reading Chapters 8 and 9 and answering questions about characters and events (e.g., what happens when someone gets sick on Camazotz, where Meg's father is found) requires students to use specific information from the text to describe interactions and consequences.

Students are asked a direct comprehension question (Question #3) that requires them to explain how Frederick Douglass's feelings about Lincoln changed over time, showing attention to a relationship between two individuals based on the text. The timeline activity asks students to record and sequence important events and dates from Lincoln's life, which requires locating specific information about events in the text. The KWL chart asks students to record what they learn, encouraging them to refer back to textual information when noting new understandings.

Students read Chapter 2, "A Backwoods Boy," and answer questions about specific events and people in Lincoln's life (e.g., the 100-mile move, his stepmother, the New Orleans voyage, moving to New Salem). In Activity 1, students complete an "Elements of a Biography" organizer that explicitly asks them to identify how the author tells the person's life in relation to other people and events of the time and to develop an understanding of the people, places, times, and events in which the person lived. Parent/teacher prompts ask students to share examples of how the author followed those biography elements.

Students read Chapter 3 and answer questions that ask them to identify relationships and differences (for example, Question 2 asks how the Whigs and Democrats differed). Activity 1 directs students to identify offices in state government and use a Venn diagram to compare the state government system to the federal government system, explicitly asking them to analyze similarities and differences. Discussion prompts ask students to compare Lincoln and Mary and to consider how Lincoln's work as a lawyer related to his role in government, encouraging explanation of interactions between people, events, and ideas.

Students read Chapter 4, "Half Slave and Half Free," and answer comprehension questions that require explaining relationships, for example explaining why Lincoln feared efforts to force abolition (cause-effect) and how Stephen A. Douglas's views on slavery differed from Lincoln's (comparing two individuals' ideas). Discussion prompts ask students to explain what the North and South debated about western territories and why South Carolina seceded, which requires linking regional positions and economic/social ideas. The parent plan and rubric prompt students to support judgments with references to the text and to use details, examples, or quotations to explain information.

Students are asked to read two historical texts about Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass (Activity 4) and to record important events on note cards from those texts. Students are directed to use the information from those note cards and the two texts to write a biopoem about Frederick Douglass (Activity 5). Students are explicitly asked to make a Venn diagram comparing the lives of Lincoln and Douglass (Activity 6) and to discuss how they were similar in the parent discussion prompts.

Students read Chapter 6 and answer Question #1 asking why many Northern Democrats were upset when Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation, requiring them to explain a group's reaction to a specific event in the text. Activity 1 asks students to state reasons for and against the Civil War using ideas found in the text to understand Lincoln's struggle, prompting comparison and explanation of competing ideas. Questions about Frederick Douglass's impression of Lincoln and how Lincoln treated Confederate soldiers require students to explain relationships between individuals and Lincoln's actions as described in the text. The Interview Summary activity requires students to rewrite questions with summaries of answers, reinforcing students' explanation of historical causes, perspectives, and interactions based on information gathered.

Students read the final chapter about Lincoln's assassination and answer factual questions about who was present, where Lincoln was buried, and what happened during the train ride. Students complete a 5 W's chart (Who, What, When, Where, Why) and write a newspaper report that asks them to gather facts and include reasons or motivations. Students discuss Lincoln's feelings toward the South and the irony of his dream, which asks them to consider his attitude after the war.

Students read and copy specific quotes from Lincoln in Activity 1 and answer interpretive questions including "Why is the quote effective or meaningful?" and "What insights does it give you about the man, Abraham Lincoln?" Students select six important events in Lincoln's life, write dates and describe each event on the Train of Events sheets, practicing sequencing of historical events. Parent/wrapping-up prompts ask students to discuss how Lincoln's experiences shaped him as a leader and how his ideals affected his leadership and politics, prompting explanation of relationships between experiences/ideas and outcomes.

Students evaluate and categorize example questions as "big" (thought-provoking) or not, including comparative and causal examples such as "How do left-brained people differ from right-brained people?" and "What are some reasons the South fought the Civil War?" Students write three big research questions for a narrowed topic and list three supporting details/subtopics under each question. Students prepare research charts that require them to copy big questions, list details, and record bibliography entries and information related to those details.

Students read a short informational article about lemurs andUnderline information related to a guiding question and subtopics, then add that information to a chart (Activity 4). The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Analyze and integrate information from one or more sources to expand understanding of text," and students use research charts to record and combine notes from multiple print and nonprint sources (Activities 4 and 5). Students are asked to locate specific parts of books (table of contents, glossary, index) and to find and record specific facts (geographical location, diet, habitat) on the organizer.

Students read and model body paragraphs that state cause-effect and interactions (e.g., humans clearing habitat and illegal hunting lead to lemur endangerment; CITES, parks, and zoos reduce threats). The outline and activity pages require students to fill sections titled "Natural Enemies," "Humans' Role," and "Protecting the Lemurs," prompting them to organize facts about interacting factors. Instructions direct students to draw from their Research Chart and include facts and details from multiple sources when composing the body paragraphs.