Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 1
Steinbeck
Students are given a targeted list of vocabulary words with definitions and example sentences (covey, incandescence, almsgiver, subjugation, consecrated, clamber, intercession, petulant). Students are instructed to write their own sentences using each word, attend to the word's part of speech, and to review the words daily; the parent plan and skills list explicitly state extending vocabulary knowledge by learning and using new words. The activity also links vocabulary to sentences from the novella and indicates the words may appear on the end-of-unit test.
Lesson 2
The Scorpion
Students are asked to record descriptive words and phrases from The Pearl and to read them aloud, which requires noticing and selecting vocabulary important to expression and comprehension. Students practice labeling noun phrases, verb phrases, adjectives, adverbs, nouns, and pronouns in multiple guided exercises (Option 1 and Option 2). The student pages provide sample words and sentences for students to identify parts of speech and phrase boundaries, and an ask-to-explain item has students give an example of a verb phrase and explain what is included.
Lesson 3
The Pearl
Students are asked to identify and record Steinbeck's strong verbs and vivid adjectives using a Verbs and Adjectives chart and an answer key listing example verbs and adjectives. Students analyze how verbs "show" action and how adjectives add imagery in the "Things to Know" and "Things to Review" sections. Students then use those words and phrases in creative work (drawing or writing a poem) and are prompted to collect examples of strong verbs and adjectives as a life application.
Lesson 4
Related Research
Students are asked to "Review the definitions of the vocabulary words taken from the novel," which explicitly has them look at word meanings. Students gather information from books and websites and take at least 15 note cards for the pearl-diving option, which requires collecting and recording domain-specific information. Students create a travel brochure or write and deliver a one-page presentation, tasks that require choosing language and using vocabulary in speaking and writing.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are asked to "Review the vocabulary words for the story" and to "Read through your log of language devices found in the story," which prompts attention to specific words and literary terms. Students must answer reading questions in complete sentences and write a 5–10 line song that must include stylistic devices (alliteration, simile, metaphor, symbolism, imagery), requiring use of domain-specific terms. Activity 3 directs students to locate and jot down examples of stylistic devices such as symbolism, similes, metaphors, imagery, and irony, which exposes students to domain-specific vocabulary and encourages them to record meaning in a log.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students are given explicit definitions for domain-specific terms such as "symbol" and "appositive phrase" in the "Things to Know" section. Students are asked to determine the figurative meaning of phrases and to list stylistic devices, which requires analyzing words and phrases for meaning. Activities require students to identify, label, and produce appositive and prepositional phrases, using grammatical vocabulary (e.g., appositive, prepositional, adjective/adverb function).
Lesson 8
Escape
The lesson explicitly defines and teaches domain-specific vocabulary for verbal phrases: students read definitions of gerund phrases, infinitive phrases, and participial phrases and see example sentences. Students practice labeling and identifying these terms in Parts I and II of the activity pages and write their own sentences using participial and infinitive phrases in Part III. The "Things to Review" prompt asks students to explain what a verbal phrase is and provide examples of each type, reinforcing use of the grammatical terms.
Lesson 9
Parables
Students practice identifying and labeling grammatical vocabulary in Activity 1 by underlining prepositional, appositive, and verbal phrases and labeling verbal phrases by function. The Grammar Review (Activity 3) provides explicit definitions and examples for phrase types and parts of speech (e.g., gerund, infinitive, participial), which students are directed to review and copy to note cards. The Parent Plan prompts students to explain the definition of vocabulary words or use each one correctly in a sentence and to study vocabulary with note cards as a review strategy.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students are instructed to review vocabulary words repeatedly (e.g., "Continue to review the vocabulary words" and "Remember to review your vocabulary words") as part of test preparation. Students are asked to experiment with figurative language and lively verbs (listed in Skills) and the Parable Rubric specifically evaluates Voice/Word Choice and the use of similes, metaphors, and figurative language. Students use the Editing Symbols page to identify and correct spelling and punctuation errors, supporting accurate word use in their final drafts.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students complete a Part A vocabulary exercise that asks them to fill missing words from a provided vocabulary bank (covey, incandescent, almsgiver, subjugation, consecrated, clamber, intercession, petulant) into context sentences. The lesson repeatedly reminds students to "review the vocabulary words" as part of preparing for the unit test. The parent plan includes an answer key for the vocabulary items showing correct usage in sentences.
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 1
Nhamo
Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and use a journal to record cultural customs, homes, clothing, beliefs, and food from the chapters, which requires use of domain-specific cultural vocabulary. Students label a Southeastern Africa map with country and geographic features (Mozambique, Lake Cabora Bassa, Zambezi River, Mozambique Channel) and shade climate zones, practicing geographic terms. Students create a Mozambique Quilt or compose ten trivia questions across categories such as government, economics, health, and education, which requires selecting and using domain-specific words and phrases.
Lesson 2
Sickness
The lesson requires students to create a Vocabulary Picture Dictionary where they place each target word in order, draw a visual symbol, glue the actual definition on the back, and write the sentence from the book. The Skills and Activities explicitly tell students to "understand new vocabulary and use it when reading and writing" and to "determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using context clues." The Investigator task asks students to gather the history and derivation of words or names used in the book, and the activity includes review and self-testing practices (matching definitions, flipping pages to recall).
Lesson 5
Lake Cabora Bassa
Students read explicit definitions of 'prewriting' and 'personal narrative' in the Things to Know section, providing direct exposure to domain-specific terms. Students are asked to describe prewriting strategies (brainstorming, freewriting, idea webs) in the Things to Review and to record which methods they used in their journals, requiring them to use and explain these academic terms. Activities prompt students to select and apply prewriting methods by name (e.g., Idea Web, freewriting, invisible writing), so students practice using these specific vocabulary items in context.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
The Personal Narrative Rubric explicitly requires "vivid words and phrases, including interesting adjectives and strong verbs" and includes a "Word Choice" category that assesses vocabulary use. The rubric also calls for "a variety of figurative language techniques." The Line Locator activity asks students to find lines that "reflect good writing" and to explain why, which can prompt attention to effective word choice.
Lesson 7
Baboons
Students are asked to research baboons and the social dynamics of a baboon troop and then write an 8–10 sentence museum plaque describing how baboons live and interact. Students can create a guidebook by selecting five listed African animals (e.g., mambas, crocodiles, baboon) and writing 1–2 sentences about each, which requires finding and using domain-specific names and facts. The lesson also includes prompts to review and record "Facts about the baboons or other animals" and to "Review the information your child learned about baboons and/or other African animals."
Lesson 8
Survival
Students are presented with explicit definitions of domain-specific words ("calabash" and "drafting") in the Things to Know section and are later asked to explain what drafting is. Students are instructed to use a thesaurus to find synonyms for adjectives and verbs and to choose language that is precise and well suited to topic and audience. Students are asked to include sensory details and figurative language in their personal narrative, which requires selecting expressive vocabulary.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students are asked to revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images and to model language that is precise and well suited to audience (parent plan skills). Students use a revision checklist that explicitly checks for use of figurative language and strong verbs and directs them to focus on improving word choice or transitions. Students act as a "Figurative Language Finder," identifying similes, metaphors, imagery, personification, and other figures of speech from the text and recording them in their journals.
Lesson 10
A Rude Awakening
Students are asked to "Review the vocabulary words from the book," which explicitly directs them to attend to word knowledge. The lesson defines a domain-specific term in "Things to Know": "A storyboard is a group of images that are displayed sequentially...," giving students an explicit definition to use. Writing tasks (postcard, storyboard, and dialogue) require students to describe geography, culture, and survival, which invites use of general academic and domain-specific words in context.
Lesson 11
Out with the Old
The Questions to Discuss section defines the word "imprint" and asks students to explain its meaning, which requires students to learn and use that word. The proofreading activity includes an "Editing Symbols and Abbreviations" student page that presents symbols, meanings, and examples, requiring students to read and apply domain-specific editing vocabulary. The Real-life Connector role asks students to record connections between the text and the world, which could prompt students to select and use words that explain relationships and comprehension.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Students are asked to review all vocabulary words and make sure they know their definitions and can use them effectively in a sentence. Students complete a vocabulary activity (Word Box) that lists grade-appropriate words (belligerently, sated, protruding, profound, riveted, precarious, pariah, constrict) and fill in three sentences using those words. Students can check understanding against the Unit Test Answer Key, which shows correct sentence usage of selected vocabulary words.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students are given an explicit vocabulary list with definitions, parts of speech, synonyms, and antonyms for eight words and create vocabulary cards that record this information. Students perform targeted tasks on a vocabulary cube (recite the definition, name the part of speech, give a synonym/antonym, and use the word correctly in a sentence) and play a game that requires using the cards to check answers. The Skills and Parent Plan sections instruct students to determine word meaning using context clues, clarify meanings through definition/example/restatement/contrast, and to consult a dictionary or thesaurus when needed.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students copy and correct sentences in Activity 1, fixing spelling and word forms (e.g., wizard's, bickering, quarrelling), which requires attention to accurate word usage. Students are asked in Question #5 to write a sentence characterizing Gandalf using descriptive words such as "powerful," "intelligent," "wise," and "magic," giving practice selecting and using vocabulary for expression. Students are prompted to "Review your vocabulary words" and read biographical texts about Tolkien, providing opportunities to encounter general academic and domain-specific words in context.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students are given explicit definitions for domain-specific terms (foreshadowing, flashback, independent clause, compound sentence, coordinating conjunctions) and are asked to review and name the seven coordinating conjunctions. In Activity 1 students combine independent clauses using commas and coordinating conjunctions, practicing accurate use of grammatical vocabulary. In Activity 2 students locate and record examples of foreshadowing and flashbacks from the text, applying those literary terms to passages and citing chapter and page numbers.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students are directed to use a thesaurus to find synonyms and antonyms when completing the "Writing Your Own Riddle" activity and the Skills list explicitly includes "Use a thesaurus to alternate word choices." Students complete charts of associated words and synonyms and then revise their riddle clues, practicing selecting and applying precise words in writing. Students also use the Anglo-Saxon runes chart to translate symbols to Latin letters and are asked to review "Things to Know" and explain definitions from memory, practicing domain-specific vocabulary.
Lesson 6
Skin-Changer
The lesson directs students to "Review the vocabulary words for the book" and lists "Things to Know," which highlights domain concepts like "skin-changer" and fantasy races that students encounter. Activity 1 has students copy and correct sentences, practicing accurate word forms, spelling, and punctuation with provided corrected versions. Activity 2 requires students to write a descriptive paragraph about a new creature, instructing them to use figurative language techniques and to explain human and animal characteristics and special abilities, which prompts use of descriptive and domain-specific vocabulary.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students are asked to identify and use terms such as dependent clause, subordinating conjunction, complex sentence, and independent clause (e.g., "A dependent clause contains a subject and verb but is not a complete thought"; the Parent Plan lists "Identify, use, and understand the function of subordinating conjunctions"). Students practice applying these terms by combining independent clauses into complex sentences and by selecting appropriate subordinating conjunctions in multiple practice items and paragraph-revision activities.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
The lesson tells students to "Spend some time reviewing vocabulary words" and to "memorize the seven coordinating conjunctions" and give examples of subordinating conjunctions, and to "describe what compound and complex sentences contain." Activity 1 asks students to copy and correct sentences for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, which has students practice accurate word form and usage. The Problems & Solutions and writing tasks require students to write sentences describing events, which gives opportunities to use academic sentence-level vocabulary.
Lesson 10
The Dragon
The lesson explicitly defines the domain-specific term "consumerism" in the "Things to Know" section. Students are asked to copy and correct sentences in Activity 1, practicing word choice and spelling (e.g., distinguishing "lightning" vs. "lightening" and "heavyweight" vs. "heavy weight"). The parent notes further call attention to spelling variants ("pretense" vs. "pretence") and explain the corrections, and the "Things to Review" directs students to review vocabulary words and the "Things to Know" section.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students are taught and asked to use transitional expressions (e.g., moreover, however, in fact) via a presented chart of commonly used transitional expressions and categories (effect, addition, contrast, example, emphasis). Students practice choosing appropriate transitions and punctuating them with semicolons or periods in Part II and in Option 2, where at least one sentence must contain a semicolon and transitional expression. Tasks require students to determine the relationship between clauses (cause, effect, addition, contrast, example, emphasis) and select transitions that express that relationship.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
The Things to Know section lists the six elements of a quest story, giving students domain-specific vocabulary (e.g., "a precious object," "fierce guardians," "supernatural helpers"). The Quest Cube activity requires students to identify, label, and explain how each quest element contributes to theme and mood, prompting use of those terms in speaking and writing. The Editing Sentences exercise asks students to correct spelling and word choice for words such as "elves," "grievous," and "hastening," which provides practice in accurate word form and usage.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students are given a targeted vocabulary list (flummoxed, desolate, recompense, inquisitive, audacious, stratagems, eminent, ominous) and complete Part III where they must use the correct vocabulary word in sentences from the book. The unit directions tell students to spend time studying the vocabulary words and parents are instructed to quiz the child on vocabulary for the unit. The unit test includes vocabulary sentence-completion and explicit answer keys showing correct word usage.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 1
Korea
The lesson lists vocabulary learning skills explicitly (Determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using context clues; Extend vocabulary knowledge by learning and using new words). Activity 1 requires students to read definitions and insert ten target words into a contextual paragraph, and the Parent Plan directs students to use each word in a sentence and review them daily. The Answers section shows students applying each word accurately in context, demonstrating practice with both comprehension and expressive use.
Lesson 4
Food and Pottery
The lesson explicitly teaches grammatical terms such as "case" and the three pronoun cases (subjective, objective, possessive) and has student exercises that require choosing the correct pronoun and explaining "who" vs. "whom." Students are instructed to add new information about ancient Korean culture to an "Elements of Korean Culture" page, and the kimchi and pottery activities expose students to domain-specific words (e.g., kimchi, napa cabbage, fish sauce, clay, kiln, sieve). The Student Activity Pages include practice items and explanations for applying pronoun-case terminology in sentences.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students sequence and write the steps for making pottery using domain-specific terms shown on the activity pages (for example: kiln, glaze, potter's wheel, incise, ash). Students write directions and describe the pottery-making process (Option 1 or 2), which requires selecting and using technical vocabulary to explain each step. Students respond to discussion prompts about how the natural environment shapes pottery and add details to the "Elements of Korean Culture" pages, which invites use of academic vocabulary related to culture and environment.
Lesson 6
Village Life
The lesson explicitly teaches and names grammatical terms related to pronouns and antecedents (e.g., "pronoun," "antecedent," "indefinite pronouns") and explains singular/plural and gender agreement. Students practice applying these terms by correcting sentences on the "Pronoun Agreement" activity page and by deciding when to rewrite sentences to avoid awkward gender agreement. The "Some is Plural... Except When It's Singular" section asks students to recognize singular vs. plural uses and choose appropriate pronouns.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
The lesson provides an explicit definition in "Things to Know" for the target word opportunity and asks parents to ask the child what "opportunity" means. It instructs students to "review the definitions of the vocabulary words your child learned" and to "use each word correctly in a sentence." The Sentence Correcting activity requires students to edit spelling and punctuation (e.g., emissary/emissary's, irritable) and the mini-book activity has students write and explain opportunities, prompting use of vocabulary in writing and speaking.
Lesson 8
Korean Pottery
The "Things to Know" section explicitly defines "celadon" as "a pale, jade-green glaze applied to pottery," giving students a direct domain-specific definition. Activity 2 directs students to visit museum and informational websites (including a Wikipedia page) to read about celadon and view images, prompting students to gather information about the term from texts and visuals. The kimchi pot task asks students to experiment to reproduce the celadon color and to use design elements from examples, which links the vocabulary to a concrete artistic application.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students are given an explicit definition of the word "wisdom" in the "Things to Know" section. Students read five of Crane-man's quotes on the Student Activity Page and are directed to "explain each of Crane-man's quotes" in their own words, which requires interpreting phrase meaning. Students are asked to create their own words of wisdom or translate Korean proverbs and to record wise sayings in a journal for later use.
Lesson 10
The Fox
The lesson defines the domain-specific grammatical term "relative pronoun" and explains restrictive vs. nonrestrictive relative clauses in the "Things to Know" and Activity 1 sections, giving examples (who, whom, whose, which, that) and practice exercises where students identify relative clauses, choose who/that/which, and insert commas. Option 2 asks students to write a paragraph that includes at least two relative pronouns, requiring them to use those grammatical terms in composition and create an answer key. Activity 2 includes a domain-specific cultural word with an in-line definition ("gokkam, or dried persimmons"), exposing students to a content-specific lexical item with its meaning provided.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are asked to select descriptive words from magazines in the "Relationship Words" activity and glue at least three words to describe each relationship, then support their choices with examples from the text. In the "Relationship Web" activity students must write one adjective on each connecting line and provide two sentences with textual support describing each relationship. The lesson also directs students to "spend some time reviewing the unit vocabulary words" and suggests making note cards with a word or clue on one side and the full idea on the other.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are instructed to review vocabulary words for the end-of-unit test and are encouraged to make flashcards via the provided Studying link. Part B of the end-of-unit test requires students to use specific vocabulary words (insolence, connoisseur, skepticism) in sentences related to the novel. The Parent Plan and skills list ask students to revise writing to improve the "precision of the vocabulary," and the rubric checks correct usage in student writing.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
The Argumentative Essay Rubric includes a "Word Choice" category that evaluates use of precise and effective language, so students are expected to select appropriate words when composing their essays. Students will conduct research (steps: develop research questions, find sources, record information) and produce an argumentative essay and presentation, which require using domain-related information and terminology. The Point of View activity asks students to analyze stakeholder perspectives, prompting them to articulate reasons and language specific to different groups.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
The lesson defines key domain-specific terms such as "bias" and "propaganda" in the Things to Know and introductory sections. Students read paired articles and are asked to identify how Sam Hughes is portrayed and to "write down the type of bias and an example" on the Detecting Bias handout. Activity 2 directs students to identify which propaganda techniques the U.S. used in a leaflet article, and the Parent Plan and activities list specific technique names (e.g., assertion, card-stacking, glittering generalities, name calling). Activity 3 requires students to identify propaganda techniques in video ads and in two additional advertisements and to explain effectiveness and intended audience.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students are instructed to get a dictionary and look up and correct the spelling of any circled words and to spell-check the document. Students are directed to fine-tune their essays for voice and word choice and to carefully read for word usage errors (e.g., their/there/they're). Students are guided to insert transitional words and phrases (however, moreover, therefore, furthermore, likewise) to create cohesion and clarity.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 1
Ancient Greece
Students practice Greek, Latin, and Anglo-Saxon roots using the Beyond Roots II card activities (Set 1), where they read root-English pairs (e.g., geo = earth, logy = science) and use that knowledge to infer word meanings such as "geology." Students play matching games (Memory, Root Recall, Go Root!) and then take an online Set 1 quiz to demonstrate knowledge of root meanings. The Parent Plan and skills list explicitly direct students to use knowledge of roots and affixes to understand content-area vocabulary.
Lesson 2
The Gods and Goddesses
Students locate each vocabulary word in the reading and match the word to its correct definition and a kinesthetic motion (Activity 3). They create folded vocabulary strips that place the word, its definition, and a motion together and practice the motions while saying the words. The Parent Plan and Activities include explicit practice with Greek and Latin roots (Beyond Roots II games and review) and instruct students to read words in context to clarify meaning.
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students practice and reinforce domain-specific vocabulary through the Go Greek card game where they read descriptions aloud and memorize names and roles of the gods. Students correct and use words in context during the Sentence Editing activity (e.g., spelling and word choice for mischievous, quiver). Students produce written and artistic work (acrostic poem or decorated pot) that requires them to select and use vocabulary and symbols associated with specific gods and to review vocabulary from Lesson 2.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students play Beyond Roots II Set 2 games (Memory, Root Recall, Go Root!) and take the Set 2 A quiz to test their knowledge of roots and meanings. Students are asked to review Set 2 roots and their meanings, providing explicit practice with word roots. Students correct spelling and word form in sentence-editing activities (including discussion of 'shone' vs. 'shined') and read texts containing domain-specific mythology terms (nymphs, satyrs, centaurs, Prometheus, Pandora).
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students are directed to continue working with the Beyond Roots II Set 2 cards by playing games and retaking quizzes, and to review the Beyond Roots Set 2 roots and their meanings. The materials include explicit quizzes (Set 2 A and B) and game instructions, and parents are asked to play the card games or encourage retakes when scores are below 80%. The wrap-up reiterates reviewing the root set and their meanings to reinforce vocabulary learning.
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are directed to "review the vocabulary words, your character cards, and the 'Things to Know' section" and to "review the Beyond Roots Set 3 roots and their meanings." The lesson includes a Beyond Roots II activity where students "play the Memory, Root Recall, and/or Go Root! games" and then take Set 3 A and B quizzes. Students also complete a sentence-editing activity that requires correcting word forms and spelling, and they produce written products (comic cover, movie script, song, wordless book) that can involve using vocabulary in context.
Lesson 7
The Trojan War
Students practice vocabulary through the Beyond Roots II activity: they combine root-card sets, play Go Root!, and take All Sets A and B quizzes that ask them to identify root meanings and words containing multiple roots. Students are asked to review vocabulary words and god/goddess character cards and to retell the Trojan War using their own words or quoted text, which invites them to use domain-specific terms from the unit during oral presentation.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
Students are instructed to study vocabulary words and the meanings of roots (Beyond Roots II cards) and to review god and goddess cards for the unit test. The Unit Test Part II requires students to use three of five vocabulary words correctly in a sentence, and Part III includes explicit root-matching exercises. Students are also directed to retake quizzes, review the "Things to Know" section, and to revise drafts to ensure precise word choice and vivid images.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 1
Medieval Times
Students are asked to identify and record elements of a medieval manor (jobs, clothing, homes, inventions, military defense) on a worksheet, which requires recognition of domain-specific terms such as farmer, knight, lord, serf, vassal, castle, and mill. The Feudalism activity asks students to write 3–4 sentence commentaries from the perspectives of a knight, a lord, and a peasant, prompting use of social‑system vocabulary. The Parent Plan answer key explicitly lists many domain-specific words (e.g., plow, cart, mill, castle, peasants, guards, tunics), providing examples students may use.
Lesson 2
Beetle
Students read a listed set of vocabulary words in context (Activity 2) and are instructed to determine meanings using context clues, with an explicit note that they may consult a dictionary. Students complete a crossword that requires matching those words to definitions, and the Skills section explicitly states "Determine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary words using context clues." The Parent Plan repeatedly instructs students to review and learn the definitions of the vocabulary words.
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
The lesson explicitly tells students to "spend a few minutes reviewing the vocabulary words for the novel" and instructs caregivers to read definitions and ask the student to say the word and provide definitions. The lesson defines a genre term: "A ballad is a narrative set to music," and asks students to think of a memorable event and "Write a song" (a ballad) to memorialize it. Students are asked to review vocabulary aloud and to recall correct definitions during review activities.
Lesson 6
The Inn
Students are explicitly instructed to "Review the vocabulary for the novel." Students encounter and may use domain-specific words and phrases in context (e.g., "sandalwood," "peasants," "feudal system," "midwife's apprentice," and names of medieval recipes) when preparing dishes, discussing chapters, and answering questions.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Activity 1 (Sentence Elaboration) gives explicit instruction and examples for adding adjectives, adverbs, prepositional phrases, and descriptive clauses, and asks students to rewrite two sentences using those elements. Students are asked to compare their rewrites to the author's original sentences, which requires them to select and use precise descriptive words and phrases. Activity 2 and the background text present domain-specific content about medieval livestock (plowing, manure, Heriot) and ask students to draw and write how animals influenced medieval economics, exposing students to content-specific vocabulary in context.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students practice word usage in a focused homophones activity where they find and correct seven incorrect homophone usages in a paragraph and write sentences using specific homophone groups (its/it's, your/you're, there/their/they're). The lesson provides tips on spotting apostrophe errors and avoiding contractions in formal writing, and the wrap-up directs students to review the homophone pairs and "your vocabulary words."
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students are given explicit definitions of domain-specific terms (first-person, second-person, third-person, limited, omniscient, objective/subjective, perspective) in the Things to Know and Activity 2 text. Students are asked to find two books in first person and two in third person, determine whether third-person narrators are limited or omniscient, judge where narrators fall on the objective–subjective spectrum, and share findings with a parent. Parent-plan prompts require students to describe how they determined narrator type and explain their placement on the omniscient/limited and objective/subjective distinctions.
Lesson 11
Village Life
Students choose three homophone pairs, look up or write definitions, note parts of speech, and compose sentences for each pair on the "More Homophones" page, explicitly directing them to use a dictionary if needed. Students read and correct homophone errors on the "Spotting Errors" page, crossing out incorrect words and writing correct forms, which practices accurate word choice and spelling. The lesson also has students read content (medieval festival paragraph and pages from Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!) that contains domain-specific words (e.g., jousting, minstrels, blacksmith) and asks them to fill a "Cast of Characters" chart, exposing them to domain vocabulary in context.
Lesson 12
Glassblowers, Tanners, and Snigglers
Students are asked to expand simple sentences into more descriptive ones using prompts for How, When, and Where, and to "paint" predicates and subjects on the Painting Sentences worksheet. The activity includes a "Pick a word to paint" box where students select a word and produce a "painted word," and steps that tell students to "work with words or phrases," "refine wording," and check spelling and punctuation. Students also circle and choose descriptors for the subject (Which? What kind of? How many/much? Whose?), which requires selecting more precise modifying words.
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to "review the vocabulary words" before the unit test and Part I of the Unit Test lists ten vocabulary words for students to use to complete sentences. The Story Cube activity directs students to "create a story cube using six Middle Ages-related vocabulary words" and then use it to generate a creative story. The Unit Test and its answer key require students to supply vocabulary words in context, showing assessment of accurate word use.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 1
Introduction to The Little Prince
The lesson explicitly defines the academic word "prestigious" in the "Things to Know" section and asks students to answer why the biographer used "prestigious" repeatedly (Question #1). Students are given named domain-specific vocabulary for persuasion (glittering generalities, flattery, dares, promises), match definitions to terms, collect real-world examples, and write/role-play their own persuasive copy using those terms. The Parent Plan and wrap-up ask students to review definitions and apply the persuasion vocabulary by analyzing TV and magazine ads.
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
The lesson explicitly defines two vocabulary items in the "Things to Know" section by giving definitions for apparition and edification. The lesson instructs students to "Review the definitions of apparition and edification" and the Parent Plan reiterates that the child should review those definitions. The activities and questions reference comprehension of the text where those words could support understanding of meaning.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
The lesson explicitly defines 'ellipses' and 'acclamations' in the Things to Know section and lists recognizing and using ellipses as a skill. In Activity 1 (Options 1 and 2) students cut, omit, and replace text with ellipses, reconstruct paragraphs, find author-used ellipses in Chapters I–XII, and write explanations of their effects. In Activity 2 students select and use persuasion terms (flattery, dares, promises, glittering generalities) when scripting or performing a 30-second message and then identify which technique they used.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
The lesson explicitly defines the word "ephemeral" and instructs students to "Review the definition of ephemeral," giving direct vocabulary focus. Students correct sentences that include academic words (e.g., geographer, scholar, consequence) in the Sentence Editing activity, practicing accurate spelling and usage. The Planet Problem and letter-writing activities prompt students to name the inhabitant, describe the planet, and write persuasive letters, requiring them to use domain-related words in context.
Lesson 5
Making Friends on Earth
The lesson explicitly defines the academic word "monotonous" in the "Things to Know" section. Activity 1 provides domain-specific instruction about the term "italics/underlining," listing common uses (titles of works, emphasis, character thoughts, stage directions). The Student Activity asks students to identify (Part I), reflect on (Part II), and produce sentences using (Part III) italicized text, which requires applying the vocabulary about italics in context.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students are given an explicit definition of the literary term "foreshadowing" in the "Things to Know" section and are asked to review what foreshadowing means. In Activity 1 students correct sentences that contain words such as "extraordinary/extraordary" and "monotonous/monatanous," which requires attention to correct word form and spelling. The persuasive writing/drawing task and paraphrase expectations require students to describe the little prince's departure "in their own words," promoting use of vocabulary for expression.
Lesson 7
Introduction to Shakespeare
Students are instructed to restate confusing Shakespearean lines in today's English to focus on overall meaning, which practices gathering vocabulary knowledge for comprehension. Students answer a direct vocabulary question about what "thou" and "thy" mean in Early Modern English. In the Brackets activities, students are asked to look up unfamiliar words in a dictionary, insert clarifications in brackets for underlined archaic words, and research the notation "[sic]" online, and they are asked to show marked-up sections to a parent as evidence of their work.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students read the modern translation (and may compare original text) of A Midsummer Night's Dream, which exposes them to Shakespearean expressions. Students are directed to read the "Try Your Hand at Shakespeare" PDF that highlights phrases still used today and then write a poem or short story using at least four of those phrases. Students are asked to read their poem or story aloud and have a parent identify the Shakespearean phrases, reinforcing use and recognition. The lesson also includes a prompt to review what an expression is.
Lesson 11
Watching the Play
Students are given domain-specific definitions in the "Things to Know" section that define 'tragedies' and 'comedies.' Students are instructed to read the modern translation and are invited to "look at how your favorite phrases were written in the original," prompting comparison of original and modern phrasing. The Wrap Up asks students to "review the differences between a comedy and a tragedy," reinforcing the specific vocabulary.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
The lesson provides a labeled vocabulary list with definitions (prestigious, apparition, edification, acclamations, ephemeral, monotonous, pestilence, presage) and highlights meanings of pestilence and presage. In Activity 2, students must choose 2–3 vocabulary words and create a persuasive message that uses them. Students must share the message and explain which persuasive technique they used and why they chose those vocabulary words, and the Parent Plan reiterates that students should use the vocabulary in their writing.
Final Project
Love Letters
The unit includes a vocabulary section (Part B) that asks students to use the words presage, acclamation, and ephemeral in sentences tied to The Little Prince, A Midsummer Night's Dream, and Romeo and Juliet. The answer key refers students to a "master vocabulary list" for definitions and instructs teachers/parents to check that each word is used correctly. Vocabulary use is integrated into the summative test, requiring students to produce context-linked sentences using domain-specific words.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 1
Features of Non-Fiction
Students identify and highlight names of non-fiction features (headings, table of contents, index, sidebars, captions, bold words) and then fill in definitions for each feature on the activity page. The student and parent plans list specific domain terms (spreads, margins, captions, sidebars, highlights, bold words) and provide model definitions that students are expected to record. Students are directed to notice bold words and highlights as indicators of vocabulary and main ideas.
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
The lesson provides explicit word meanings in the "Things to Know" list (definitions for eccentric, obstinate, hokum, feign, and annus mirabilis). Students are instructed multiple times to note unfamiliar words as they read (e.g., "take notes including page numbers...unfamiliar words you come across"). The lesson also tells students they may use a dictionary and to "review the definitions" of specific vocabulary items at the end of the unit.
Lesson 3
Newton and Light
Students are instructed to highlight or take notes on unfamiliar words and record page numbers as they read pages 164–171, which requires them to gather vocabulary knowledge. The lesson explicitly asks students to review the definition of "corpuscules" and to discuss it with a parent. Students must "make sure your terminology [is] accurate" when preparing a sentence-diagramming presentation and be prepared to explain grammar terms to a parent, which requires using academic grammatical vocabulary in speech. The activity asks students to create sentences inspired by the reading, providing an opportunity to apply reading vocabulary in written or spoken sentences.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students are given explicit definitions in the "Things to Know" section for domain-specific words (inertia, force) and a general academic word (nemesis), and Newton's three laws are stated. Students are instructed to "highlight in the book or take notes including page numbers... on information you think may be important and unfamiliar words you come across," and the "Things to Review" reminds students to review the definitions of force, inertia, and nemesis. The parent plan and reading directions prompt students to monitor comprehension and note unfamiliar vocabulary as they read.
Lesson 5
Newton's Contemporaries
Students are asked to "highlight in the book or take notes including page numbers... on information you think may be important and unfamiliar words you come across," which directs them to gather vocabulary knowledge. The Skills list includes "Monitor comprehension" and "Summarize and determine the importance of information," which supports students in identifying words important to comprehension. Instructional items require identification and use of grammatical terms (prepositions, prepositional phrases, indefinite pronouns), so students practice some academic vocabulary about language.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are asked to highlight or take notes on unfamiliar words as they read Chapter 21, explicitly directing them to gather vocabulary knowledge (page numbers and words). The lesson gives explicit definitions for domain-specific and academic terms: Bernoulli's principle is stated and 'ingenious' is defined as "inventive and clever." The Student Activity Page asks students to define "lift" and to use diagrams and demonstrations to create numbered instructions and conclusions, which requires use of domain-specific vocabulary about aerodynamics.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students are asked to note unfamiliar words and page numbers as they read and to ask a parent about highlighting or taking notes on important vocabulary. The Simple Machines activity directs students to use Simple Machines Vocabulary cards and discussion questions to test understanding of domain-specific terms. The Things to Review section explicitly tells students to review definitions of domain-specific words such as "element" and "prescient," and students must use subject vocabulary when giving an oral summary and when writing a 1–2 paragraph sidebar about an artist.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students are prompted to include at least two vocabulary words from the unit in their essay (Activity 4). The unit test (Part B) requires students to choose three vocabulary words (eccentric, ingenious, nemesis, feign, obstinate, hohum) and use them in a single sentence about Newton. Parent guidance and the test answer key direct students to consult the master vocabulary list to ensure they use each word correctly.
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students are given an explicit vocabulary list (munificence, mete, azure, turbid, cloying, façade, armistice, juxtapose) and instructed to mark syllables and stress patterns for these words. Students are directed to use Merriam-Webster to hear pronunciations and check unfamiliar words. Students are offered a choice to write two or three lines using selected vocabulary words and to mark the syllables in those lines, applying the words in original context.
Lesson 2
Voice and Rhyme
Students are given explicit domain-specific vocabulary and definitions (e.g., "Sonnets have fourteen lines written in iambic pentameter," and "Munificence is a synonym for generosity"). Students are asked to review the definition of munificence and the structure and purpose of a sonnet in the "Things to Review" section. Students are prompted to develop a personal poetic style that may include "unusual vocabulary words" and to brainstorm rhyming words for use in their poems.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
The lesson explicitly provides definitions in the "Things to Know" section for mete, azure, and blank verse and instructs students to "Review the definitions of mete and azure, and discuss the characteristics of blank verse." Students also read and compare poetic and prose expressions (Activity 2), which requires understanding those domain-specific terms when analyzing lines about Prince Albert.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific and expressive words in the "Things to Know" section (e.g., turbid, cloying, metaphor, simile, personification, onomatopoeia, connotation). Students are asked to consider connotation while composing their poems and to "review the definitions" of key terms in "Things to Review." The Parent Plan skills list requires students to identify idioms, analogies, metaphors, and similes and to write a poem using those terms, which requires using those vocabulary items in context.
Lesson 5
Allusions
The lesson explicitly defines the words facade and armistice and explains what allusions are in the "Things to Know" section. Students are asked to "review the definitions of facade and armistice, and what it means to allude to something" in the "Things to Review" section. Reading questions ask students to identify mythological and biblical images Yeats alludes to in "The Second Coming," requiring students to recognize and interpret an allusion in text.
Lesson 6
Tone
The Things to Know section defines the domain-specific term free verse ("Free verse uses short lines of poetry with no set rhyme or meter"), giving students an explicit meaning to use. Reading and Questions ask students to compare rhyme and meter in two poems, prompting them to recognize and use those domain-specific terms. The activities and Skills list ask students to analyze and consider graphic elements (e.g., capital letters, line length, word position) and to revise line positioning, which requires using domain-specific vocabulary related to poetic form.
Lesson 7
Themes
The lesson explicitly defines domain-specific words in the "Things to Know" section (juxtapose, villanelle, elegy). The "Things to Review" and parent-plan reminders instruct students to review those definitions, indicating students will encounter and be prompted to recall these vocabulary items. The wrap-up requires students to recite a poem and explain their choice, which could prompt use of literary vocabulary in oral expression.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
The unit test Part B requires students to write 3–4 lines of poetry using at least three given vocabulary words (munificence, mete, azure, turbid, cloying, façade, armistice, juxtapose), so students must deploy domain-specific and academic words in context. The rubric and mechanics section assesses correct spelling and punctuation, and the activities ask students to proofread and integrate a colon or dash, which encourages accurate usage in their own writing.