Seventh Grade - ELA
1: Semester 1
Unit 1: The Pearl
Lesson 2
The Scorpion
Students are asked to keep a journal recording descriptive phrases from Chapter 1, collecting multiple textual examples of Steinbeck's language. Students read Chapter 1 and answer comprehension and analysis questions in complete sentences about Kino's appearance, the doctor's refusal, and how Kino's life changes, which requires referencing text details. Discussion prompts ask students to read aloud the descriptive words and phrases they recorded and to discuss social class and Kino's perspective, which asks them to use text-based details to support ideas.
Lesson 3
The Pearl
Students are asked to answer comprehension and inference questions (Question #1 and #2) that require referring to details such as Kino's canoe and its value. Question #3 directs students to analyze specific phrases from the text (e.g., "vagueness of a dream," "things of the imagination") and explain their effect. Activity 2 and the Verbs and Adjectives chart require students to record Steinbeck's exact verbs and adjectives from the second paragraph of Chapter 2, and the parent notes prompt students to look for evidence of descriptions in their drawings or poems.
Lesson 5
Songs
Students are asked in Activity 3 to "skim today's chapter and locate at least three examples" of stylistic devices, and to "select phrases and sentence[s] that you feel are meaningful and effective," which requires identifying multiple passages from the text. The parent-plan examples list direct quotations from Chapter 3 for students to consider, and the Reading and Questions section asks students to explain a simile and to answer why Kino became "every man's enemy," tasks that require analysis of explicit statements and inferences from the chapter.
Lesson 6
For Sale
Students read Chapter 4 and answer directed comprehension and inference questions in complete sentences (Questions 1–5), with model answers for Q1–Q3 that summarize explicit details from the text (for example, that the pearl buyers work together and offered low fees). Students are asked to be on the lookout for stylistic devices and list them in a journal, and they complete an activity that requires brainstorming multiple symbolic meanings of the pearl, which asks them to infer broader meanings from textual events. Several activity pages require students to reference specific sentences from the novella when identifying appositive and prepositional phrases.
Lesson 7
The Attack
Students read Chapter 5 and are asked to develop four discussion questions of different types, including "Right There" (answers located in a single place in the text) and "Think and Search" (answers requiring synthesis across sentences or paragraphs). Students must provide answers or possible answers to the questions they develop, which requires locating textual information to support responses. Parent discussion prompts ask students to respond to a specific quoted line ("I am man") and to explain how the author's description of Kino's actions informs understanding of his culture, encouraging reference to text passages when answering.
Lesson 10
Writing a Parable
Students are asked to list the different moral lessons in The Pearl and decide on one to be the heart of their parable (Activity 1). A parent note explicitly tells parents to make sure the child can support her chosen lesson "with evidence from the text." The Story Map and rubric require students to identify themes and show that the theme is portrayed through story elements, which asks students to connect ideas in the novel to their own writing.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to "use evidence from the book to argue the case" in the Kino mock trial and to "use persuasive techniques and evidence from the story" when writing a speech. Part D question 3 explicitly asks students to identify stylistic devices and "Support your answer with evidence from the story." The parent plan lists skills such as "Draw conclusions based on evidence, reasons, or relevant information" and "Identify and trace the development of an author's argument, point of view, or perspective in text."
Unit 2: A Girl Named Disaster
Lesson 3
A Visit with the Muvuki
Students read Chapters 8–10 and take the role of Discussion Director, writing four discussion questions that target big ideas from the text. Students are explicitly instructed to include at least one open-ended question and at least one inference question that requires readers to draw conclusions from information and events in the book. Students also engage with guided comprehension questions (in the Parent Plan) that require recall of explicit details from the chapters.
Lesson 4
Escape
Students are asked to serve as a Literary Luminary by choosing two or three passages from the book, recording page numbers, and reading them aloud to a parent. They must explain their reasons for picking each passage, which requires selecting multiple textual excerpts and giving verbal justification. Discussion questions (e.g., why Ambuya told Nhamo to run away) prompt students to answer questions about events and motivations drawn from the text.
Lesson 6
Abandoned Farm
The Line Locator activity directs students to find three to five lines or short passages that reflect good writing or are key to the story and to copy the lines or record the page and paragraph numbers. Students must write in their journal why they believe each passage is an example of good writing or important to the story. Students must also record at least one "thinking question" that prompts the reader to think beyond the facts of a specific passage or line, encouraging inference.
Lesson 7
Baboons
The Parent Plan explicitly tells students to "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts… and support those findings with textual evidence," which directs students to use evidence from readings. Students read chapters 21–23 and respond to discussion prompts (e.g., describe the baboon, assess Nhamo's chance to survive) that require referring to story details. The activities require students to write 8–10 sentences on baboon social dynamics for a museum plaque or 1–2 sentences per animal in a guidebook, which ask students to record information drawn from text or research.
Lesson 9
The Leopard
Students are asked to read Chapters 28-30 and serve as a "Figurative Language Finder," identifying at least three examples of figurative language and recording the examples in their journal, which requires locating and citing specific text excerpts. The lesson includes comprehension discussion questions that ask students to answer explicit factual questions (e.g., what dead animal did Nhamo discover?) and an inferential question about how Nhamo has changed, prompting students to base responses on the chapters they read. Students are directed to read their recorded examples aloud to a parent, providing an opportunity to point to exact wording from the text.
Lesson 12
A New Beginning
Part IV of the Student Activity Page asks students to characterize Nhamo using text evidence and explicitly instructs: "Use evidence from the text to support your answer." The Part I and Part IV short-answer questions require students to answer comprehension questions that can be supported with textual details (e.g., why Nhamo left, where the novel is set). The skills list also tells students to "Clarify and support spoken ideas with evidence and examples" and to "Support opinions in verbal presentations with detailed evidence," which directs students to use evidence when presenting.
Unit 3: The Hobbit
Lesson 1
Bilbo Baggins
Students read Chapter 1 of The Hobbit and answer directed comprehension and analysis questions such as how Tolkien characterizes Bilbo and what Gandalf means by his remark, which asks students to infer character traits. Students record events on an "Events of the Journey" page and are instructed to note the chapter number where each event occurred on the setting map. The question prompts and the event-mapping activity require students to locate information in the text and to write analytic responses in complete sentences.
Lesson 2
Trolls
Students are asked to answer comprehension questions about Chapter 2 (e.g., how Bilbo feels when he wakes up, what he discovers at the fire, who saves the group), which requires them to refer to the text for explicit information. The Parent Plan lists skills that students will practice, including summarizing information and drawing inferences and conclusions from read material. Introducing the lesson prompts students to explain whether their opinions of Bilbo change after reading and to give reasons, engaging them in analysis and inference.
Lesson 3
The Elves
Students are asked to answer specific comprehension questions about Chapters 3 and 4 (e.g., what Elrond discovers on the map; how Gandalf is separated), which requires them to locate explicit information in the text. Students are also asked to find at least one example of foreshadowing from the reading, read it aloud to a parent, and record the chapter and page number on a Foreshadowing and Flashbacks chart. The Student Activity Page for foreshadowing includes columns for chapter/page and text examples, prompting students to record textual locations.
Lesson 4
Gollum
Students read Chapter 5 and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences about explicit details (e.g., what Bilbo found, the ring's magic, how Gollum feels). Students are asked to "Record any examples of foreshadowing from Chapter 5 on the chart," which directs them to identify textual instances that imply future events. Parent-discussion prompts ask students to explain how the ring changes characters, prompting inferential thinking grounded in the text.
Lesson 5
Wolves, Goblins, and Eagles
Students read Chapter 6 and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences about how the wolves and goblins act, what Gandalf does, and how the eagles help, which requires them to locate explicit details in the text. Students are asked to draw the path from the Goblin Gate to the Eyrie and to write a brief description of events, which requires referencing setting and event details. Students are explicitly directed to "Record any examples you found of foreshadowing from this chapter," which asks them to identify textual evidence supporting an inferred element of the story.
Lesson 7
Spiders
Students are prompted to answer specific reading comprehension questions (Questions #1-#4) in complete sentences about events in Chapter 8, which requires locating explicit information in the text. Students are asked to draw a path and "record an example of foreshadowing" on their chart, which asks them to identify textual evidence that supports an inference. Discussion prompts ask students to cite situations from the book that support themes (for example, situations showing Bilbo's bravery), encouraging use of events as support.
Lesson 8
Elvenking
Students are asked to read Chapter 9 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, including questions that require explanation of character motivation (e.g., why Thorin doesn't tell the Elvenking) and descriptions of events (how Bilbo freed the dwarves). Students are prompted to explain how Bilbo has changed from the beginning of the story up to this point, which asks them to make inferences about character development. Students are also asked to record events, note examples of flashback or foreshadowing, and fill in a Problems & Solutions chart linking events to solutions and problem-solvers.
Lesson 9
Men of the Lake
Students answer comprehension and inferential questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 10 and 11, requiring them to refer to the text for answers. Students trace the journey on a map and record chapter numbers, which has them identify where events occur in the text. Students are asked to write short descriptions of events and to record examples of flashback or foreshadowing found in the chapters, prompting them to locate textual moments that support their observations.
Lesson 10
The Dragon
Students are asked to read Chapters 12 and 13 and answer specific comprehension and inferential questions in complete sentences, which requires referring to the text (e.g., questions about why the dragon wakes and how Bilbo becomes the leader). The lesson includes quoted lines about the dragon knowing his gold "to an ounce" and Smaug's rage, which students can use as textual support when analyzing greed. Students are also instructed to "Record any examples of flashback or foreshadowing" from the chapters, prompting them to locate and note specific passages from the text.
Lesson 11
Bard
Students read Chapters 14 and 15 and answer direct comprehension questions in complete sentences about Smaug's attack, the townspeople's feelings, Bard's identity and actions, and the townspeople's plans, which requires referring to the text. Students are asked to "Record examples of foreshadowing or flashback you found in these chapters on your 'Foreshadowing and Flashbacks' chart," prompting them to locate and note specific textual instances. The activities repeatedly direct students to refer back to the text (e.g., choosing parts of sentences from the chapters to combine), which involves locating textual details.
Lesson 12
The Arkenstone
Students are asked to read Chapters 16 and 17 and answer specific comprehension and analysis questions in complete sentences (e.g., why Bilbo sneaked out, whether he should have admitted giving away the Arkenstone, what kept the dwarves from battling the elves and men). Students are prompted to discuss and describe major themes and character changes (Bilbo's change, Thorin's obsession) and to explain how quest elements contribute to theme and mood when they create and annotate the Quest Cube. Students must explain character motives and plot outcomes, which requires drawing on events and implications from the text to support their answers.
Lesson 13
The Battle
Students answer guided comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., who helped in the battle; what treasure Bilbo takes), which asks them to identify explicit details from the text. Students summarize early literary reviews and identify whether responses are positive or negative, describing major points and any literary elements the reviewer mentions. Students engage with inferential discussion prompts (e.g., why Bilbo cares more about peace than treasure; what Bilbo gained), which ask them to reason beyond explicit facts.
Final Project
Responding to Literature
Students are instructed to support their opinions with examples from the text, including direct quotes, figurative language, and events (Part 1). The rubric explicitly includes a "Textual Evidence" column that assesses use of direct quotes and reference to the text. Students are prompted to record evidence in the Prewriting Web and to add support lines in the Literary Response Outline, and the unit test asks for examples (e.g., foreshadowing, flashback) that require citing parts of the text.
Unit 4: A Single Shard
Lesson 2
Tree-Ear
Students are asked to read the first two chapters and answer comprehension questions that require inference (e.g., QUESTION #1 and QUESTION #4 ask "Why" and invite students to explain their thinking). Students are prompted to give an oral summary of the chapters and to "add details" about cultural elements, which requires referencing the text. One question explicitly cites a page (QUESTION #2 references p.6) and asks students to report what Crane-man says, directing students to locate explicit textual information.
Lesson 5
The Royal Emissary
Students are asked to write four thoughtful questions about Chapters 5 and 6, including a fact-based question whose answer can be taken straight from the book and to provide answers or possible answers. In Options 1 and 2 for the pottery activity, students must use information from Chapters 4–6 to list or sequence the steps of pottery-making, drawing directly from textual details. The parent/teacher prompts ask students to explain how the pottery-making process depends on the environment and to add details to an "Elements of Korean Culture" page based on their reading, which requires using text-based information and making inferences.
Lesson 7
Opportunity
Students are prompted to provide evidence from the text to support their conclusions in the Parent Plan guidance. Students answer reading questions that require recalling explicit details (for example, what Crane-man saw, what happened to Min's pieces) and respond to inferential prompts (for example, why Min laughs). Students record how each opportunity benefited Tree-ear beneath mini-book flaps and are asked to defend those interpretations with logical explanations.
Lesson 9
Words of Wisdom
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences that require recall and inference (e.g., why Tree-ear goes on the journey and what he learns from the fox). Students interpret Crane-man's quotes on the "Quotes" activity page by explaining the meaning of five specific quotations in their own words and may illustrate or rephrase a proverb for a younger child. The Parent Plan notes that students should "develop and justify the interpretation of literature through sustained use of examples," which implies using textual examples to support responses.
Lesson 11
Relationships
Students are directed in the Relationship Web activity to support their descriptions with examples from the text, explicitly including characters' thoughts, words, and actions and to write at least two sentences for each relationship. The Relationship Words option likewise requires students to select descriptive words and 'make sure that you can support the words you select with examples from the text, including the characters' thoughts, words, and actions.' The Parent Plan skills state that students should 'justify interpretations of literature through sustained use of examples and textual evidence,' and parents are prompted to have students explain and defend predictions after reading.
Final Project
Comparison and Contrast Writing
Students are prompted in the Brainstorming activity to list details about Tree-ear's relationships and to "consider how the relationships affect Tree-ear's decisions and emotions," which asks them to draw inferences. The Option 1 Essay Organizer explicitly instructs students to "provide support from the text for each similarity and difference described," with multiple spaces for similarity/difference and supporting details. The Comparison and Contrast Essay Rubric evaluates "Ideas and Support," rewarding papers that provide specific examples, and the end-of-unit test asks students to describe setting, process, and opportunities from the novel, requiring text-based details.
Unit 5: Independent Study
Lesson 1
Independent Study Introduction
Students are asked to read a specific article about the Dakota Access Pipeline and to use a "Point of View" handout to list how various stakeholders would view the pipeline, which requires extracting information from the text. The steps to independent study direct students to "Find sources of information" and "Record information to answer your research questions," and the parent plan skill statement refers to summarizing the author's purpose and drawing inferences. Students are also required to write an argumentative essay and refer to rubrics that evaluate the research process and essay quality, implying use of gathered textual information.
Lesson 2
Bias and Propaganda
Students read two contrasting news articles about Sir Sam Hughes and are asked to "record your findings on the 'Detecting Bias' handout," which requires comparing portrayals. The Detecting Bias student page explicitly asks students to identify "Which types of bias techniques are used in each article? Write down the type of bias and write down an example of it from the article," prompting students to locate examples in the text. In the propaganda activities, students read the "U.S. Steps Up Leaflets to Sway Afghans" article and are asked to answer questions about the techniques used and the government's purpose, requiring use of article details to support answers; students also identify techniques in advertisements and explain effectiveness using evidence from the ads.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students are instructed to find at least three opinions from different stakeholders and to find at least three supporting details for each opinion (Activity 5), which requires collecting multiple pieces of evidence tied to claims. Students are directed to record researched information using a gathering grid or note cards and to add their sources to a Works Cited page (Activities 1, 3, 6), and they practice writing formatted Works Cited entries for specific sources. The lesson includes a rubric for evaluating websites (purpose, authority, currency, objectivity), which guides students in selecting credible evidence from multiple source types.
Lesson 5
Writing the Essay
Students are instructed to include multiple types of evidence in each body paragraph ("Evidence, evidence, and more evidence... Include facts, statistics, research, expert opinions, examples, quotes, text details"). Students use an essay outline with labeled slots for Evidence A and B under each supporting reason, prompting them to list specific pieces of support. Parent-plan skills tell students to "support the main idea or ideas of a paper with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources" and to "use quotations to support ideas" and document sources.
2: Semester 2
Unit 1: Greek Myths
Lesson 3
The Stories
Students are asked to explain which god or goddess they found most interesting and to "explain his decisions with examples," prompting them to support opinions with evidence. Students are instructed in the Parent Plan skills to analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions and to provide evidence from the text to support their understanding. Students are asked to analyze myths and consider what questions the stories answered, which requires making inferences from the text.
Lesson 4
Minor Gods, Nymphs, Satyrs, and Centaurs
Students read assigned pages about Greek myths and answer interpretive questions such as "Do you think Prometheus should have given fire to the people? Why or why not?" and "Provide an example of this [greed and desire for power] from the myths you read in this lesson." Students also compare flood stories and explain causes and consequences, which asks them to use information from the texts to support their responses.
Lesson 5
Mortal Descendants of Zeus
Students read Perseus (pages 114–122) and answer comprehension questions (#1–#4) that require recalling explicit details (e.g., why Acrisius locked his daughter, what the king asked Perseus to do). Students complete an activity identifying myth conventions (hero, gods, monster, problem) using textual details from the story. The Parent Plan skills state that students will "synthesize and make logical connections between ideas within a text and across two or three texts... and support those findings with textual evidence."
Lesson 6
Vainglorious Kings
Students are asked to answer text-dependent questions in complete sentences after reading each myth (e.g., questions about Heracles, Theseus, Oedipus, and Jason), which requires using the readings to support responses. The skills list explicitly tells students to "support those findings with textual evidence" when synthesizing ideas across two or three texts and to "explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence" during discussions. The Icarus comparison chart and activities asking students to compare traditional and contemporary retellings require students to use details from both texts to explain similarities and differences.
Final Project
A New Twist on an Ancient Myth
The Parent Plan Skills explicitly tell students to "analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author's purpose... and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding," and to "synthesize and make logical connections... and support those findings with textual evidence." Prewriting and comparison activities direct students to identify conventions and themes of original myths and to compare mythologies across cultures, tasks that involve analyzing text and referring back to story details.
Unit 2: Tales from the Middle Ages
Lesson 4
Special Delivery
Students are assigned the role of a Line Locator and told to find three to five lines or short passages that reflect good writing or are key to the story, and to record the page and paragraph numbers for each selection. Students must then explain in their journals why they believe each passage is an example of good writing or important to the story. The lesson also includes discussion questions that prompt students to explain reasons for character actions and village beliefs, which require inferential thinking about the text.
Lesson 5
A Baby
The Part I activities (Option 1 and Option 2) require students to locate specific sentences in the book (three provided with page numbers) and explain why the author used passive voice, including suggested active rewrites. Students are asked to record or orally explain their reasoning and to compare their versions with model answers, citing quoted sentences such as "The boys were too startled by her outburst to move." (p. 55). The Dialogue Designer task asks students to create a conversation centered around one or more events from Chapters 9–11, which requires referencing explicit events from the text.
Lesson 7
An Angel or a Saint
Students are asked to be a "Literary Luminary," locating specific passages and recording page and paragraph numbers to read aloud and discuss, which requires finding text-based examples. Students read assigned monologues (Mogg, Alice, Edgar) and then choose an activity in which they draw animals and write explanations of how each animal influenced medieval economics, using details from the texts. Discussion questions prompt students to make inferences about characters' motives and relationships that can be supported by the text.
Lesson 8
Newborn Hope
Students are asked to "describe the relationship Alyce has at the beginning of the book and then at the end of the book" and to "Provide details from the book to support your answers," which requires using text-based details. The Connector role asks students to "find connections between the book, your life, and the outside world" and to "record your connections in your journal," which prompts students to reference events across the text and relate them to broader contexts. The parent answer key shows multiple textual details students could use when explaining relationship changes (e.g., examples for Jane, Will, Edward, villagers).
Lesson 9
Cast of Characters
Students are asked to read the first 23 pages and fill out a chart that requires summarizing each character's monologue in 1–2 sentences. Students must provide one example of effective descriptive language for each character and describe one relationship or encounter the character has with another character. The chart task also asks students to try to find connections between characters among different monologues, which requires using textual details to support inferred relationships.
Lesson 10
Point of View
Students are asked to "Use examples from the book to support your answer" when comparing Edgar and Simon, which directs them to draw on the text. The reading task asks students to read specific pages and fill out a chart for each monologue, requiring reference to passages. The parent prompts ask students to describe how they determined whether a third-person narrator is limited or omniscient, which requires pointing to textual features (e.g., whose thoughts are revealed).
Final Project
Life in the Middle Ages Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked in Part V (Essay) question 4 to discuss what Alyce learned "with examples from the book," which requires referencing the text. The Think-Tac-Toe "Book" option asks students to write a review discussing themes and historical accuracy, which encourages students to use text-based details to support claims. Part III of the unit test asks students to identify narrative perspectives for given passages, requiring students to refer to textual features and content to justify their identifications.
Unit 3: The Prince and the Bard
Lesson 2
Meeting the Little Prince
Students read Chapters I–VI and answer specific comprehension and inferential questions (e.g., Why does the little prince want his sheep to eat baobabs?; Why does he want a drawing of a planet taken over by baobabs?), which requires using text-based reasoning. Students are asked to look back at the reading to analyze why the author uses parentheses in two sentences, prompting them to locate and interpret textual details. Students create a Venn diagram using what the narrator says about what adults and children want to know about a friend, pulling phrases or ideas directly from the text.
Lesson 3
The Flower and Other Planets
Students are asked to read Chapters VII–XII and answer comprehension questions in full sentences, linking answers to the text. Option 2, Part II explicitly requires students to find two instances in The Little Prince where ellipses are used, note chapter and page numbers, write the sentence, and explain the effect of the ellipses. Option 1 has students reconstruct a paragraph from text fragments and replace omitted material with ellipses, which requires locating and manipulating specific textual passages.
Lesson 4
Earth and Other Planets
Students read Chapters XIII–XX of The Little Prince and answer comprehension questions that ask for reasons (e.g., which inhabitant the little prince thinks could be a friend and why), requiring them to refer to the text for support. In Activity 2 students are instructed to use illustrations and "what the little prince says is on that planet" to describe the planet and take notes on the inhabitant's problem, connecting their model and solutions to textual details. The Parent Plan lists as a skill that students will "write responses to literature, developing an interpretation exhibiting careful reading, understanding, and insight," which frames interpretation of text-based evidence.
Lesson 6
Saying Goodbye
Students read Chapter XXVI to the end and answer explicit comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., How does the little prince give the narrator a gift of the stars? How does the little prince intend to get home?). Students complete a Student Activity Page that asks them to list two ways the narrator says he knows the little prince made it home and to explain characters' feelings and perspectives. Students must create a persuasive poem or drawing with an artist's description to reassure the fox that the little prince returned, which asks them to offer reasons from the text.
Lesson 8
Beginning A Midsummer Night's Dream
Students read Act 1, Scene 1 through Act 2, Scene 1 in a modern translation and answer directed comprehension questions. Several questions require students to identify explicit details from the text (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks what choices Theseus gives Hermia; QUESTION #3 asks students to list examples of Robin Goodfellow's mischief). Other questions require students to draw simple inferences from the text (e.g., QUESTION #2 asks which characters love someone who does not love them; QUESTION #4 asks students to judge whether the actors make their living as actors). Character activities ask students to describe character traits, problems, and what characters try to persuade others to do, which requires referencing actions and relationships presented in the scenes.
Lesson 9
Puck's Pranks
Students read the modern translation of Act 2, Scene 2 to Act 3, Scene 2 and answer specific comprehension questions about events and motivations (e.g., what Oberon does to Titania, why he does it, what mistake Puck makes). Students answer questions that require them to state explicit actions from the text and to make simple inferences about character feelings and plans (e.g., whether Puck is upset and how Oberon plans to fix the problem). Students also discuss enduring phrases and create a poem or story using Shakespearean expressions, practicing interpretation and use of textual language.
Lesson 12
Tragic Love
Students are instructed in Activity 1 to write three interview questions and to "find quotes from the text that answer your questions," then include those quotes in their written interview using correct quotation marks and ellipses. The Student Activity Page provides two lines labeled "Quote to Include in Answer" and space in the "Interview" section for transcribing quotes, prompting students to extract and record textual evidence. The reading comprehension questions ask students to answer explicit and inferential questions (for example, why Romeo kills Tybalt and what would have happened if Romeo had received the letter) using complete sentences, which invites use of the text to support responses.
Final Project
Love Letters
Students are prompted to record "important quotes" and "evidence of their love" on the Play Cupid and Strongest of All note pages. Students are instructed in Outlining to "use the evidence you found to support each reason" and to aim for "2-3 good points of evidence for each reason." In Activity 3 students must "include quotes from your couple" and "provide persuasive evidence of their love," and the Classics Rubric evaluates "Ideas and Support" and strength/evidence of ideas.
Unit 4: Newton at the Center
Lesson 2
Newton and Math
Students are asked to take notes including page numbers as they read and to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which encourages locating textual information. The 'Graphics and Summaries' activity asks students to identify the topic sentence, main idea, and details and to explain what the graphic shows, and then to give a 2-minute oral summary including the main idea and what the graph shows. The skills list includes 'Summarize and determine the importance of information' and 'Deliver oral summaries ... include the main ideas ... and the most significant details.'
Lesson 3
Newton and Light
Students are instructed to read pages 164-171 and are told to "ask your parent if you should highlight in the book or take notes including page numbers" on information they think may be important. Students must answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences about the reading (e.g., what was revolutionary about how Newton studied rainbows; how does spectroscopy use light), which directs them to use text content. The Parent Plan lists monitoring comprehension and summarizing/determining importance as target skills, supporting students' attention to textual details.
Lesson 4
Newton and Motion
Students are asked to read specific pages and "take notes including page numbers" on information they think is important, which prompts locating text-based details. The reading questions require students to answer factual prompts about who convinced Newton to publish and what jobs he held, which asks students to refer to the text. The "Extra! Extra! Write All About It!" activity asks students to "describe the event as it is described in the book" and to take notes on what each person thought, which directs students to extract and record text-based information and perspectives.
Lesson 6
Math and Science Take Flight
Students are instructed to read Chapter 21 and to take notes including page numbers on information they think may be important and unfamiliar words, which prompts them to locate and record textual details. Students complete a Conclusions/Inferences section on the Student Activity Page and are asked to summarize for a parent how an airplane wing works, which asks them to draw inferences from text and demonstrations. The Parent Plan lists skills such as monitoring comprehension and delivering an oral summary with inferences and conclusions, which supports practicing use of text-based information when explaining ideas.
Lesson 7
Using Newton's Work
Students are asked to take notes including page numbers as they read and to record the original sentence (or the page and paragraph number) when they rewrite sentences from the chapter. Students must answer explicit comprehension questions in complete sentences about specific details from the text (e.g., formulas, discoveries, events). Students use a K-W-L chart to list "What I've Learned" from research and create a 1-2 paragraph sidebar summarizing information they found about an artist, which involves returning to source material.
Final Project
Lobby for Newton
Students are asked to review highlighted passages and notes (Activity 1) and to use those highlights to summarize key points and refresh their memory. The Outlining Newton page directs students to gather 2–3 supporting details per area, explicitly including observations, examples, and quotations. The Ideas and Support rubric requires students to list 2–3 relevant areas of Newton's study and to explain their relation to current industries, prompting students to use evidence to support their analysis.
Unit 5: British Poetry
Lesson 1
Rhythm and Meter
Students are instructed to read the introduction (pages 5–15) and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about societal influences in the Victorian era, artistic changes between the wars, and expected differences in poems—tasks that require drawing explicit meanings and inferences from the text. Students also mark stressed and unstressed syllables in poem excerpts and work with vocabulary, which requires careful, text-based reading of lines and words.
Lesson 3
Graphic Elements
Students are asked in Activity 1 to identify and record two lines from Tennyson's "Dedication" that illustrate each of three graphic elements, so they locate and write multiple textual examples. In Activity 2 students choose a favorite line from the poem and select a prose statement from an external biography that expresses the same idea, writing both on the activity page to compare poetic and prose expressions. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill of providing evidence from text to support understanding and making inferences about structure and elements of poetry.
Lesson 4
Figurative Language
Students are asked to identify and quote explicit language from the texts (for example, Question #2 asks students to list similes from "Dover Beach," and the provided answers include exact lines). Students also identify explicit elements used by the authors (Question #1 asks what natural phenomenon Arnold uses to represent passage of time) and make inferences about tone and personification (Day 2 Question #2 asks for the tone of "Sappho"; Question #3 asks what is personified in "Winter: My Secret"). The parent discussion prompts require students to compare themes and similarities/differences between poems, which involves drawing on text details.
Lesson 5
Allusions
Students read Chapters 6–8 about Yeats, Sitwell, and Owen and answer directed comprehension questions in complete sentences that ask for explicit references (e.g., what mythological and biblical images Yeats alludes to) and inferences (e.g., what the repeated line in Sitwell's poem is meant to represent). The Parent Plan skills list explicitly states that students should "provide evidence from text to support understanding." In the News Watch/Today's News Hunt activities, students identify 3 interesting facts or vivid details for each article, which asks them to locate and record textual details.
Lesson 6
Tone
Students read Chapter 9 about Stevie Smith and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences, which ask for explicit details (e.g., why she was called Stevie; what inspired the poem). Students compare "Not Waving But Drowning" to Browning's "My Last Duchess," discussing differences in speakers, rhyme, and meter, which requires drawing inferences about form and voice. Parent discussion prompts ask students to compare the original article to Smith's poem and to distinguish tone from themes, prompting inferential analysis of what the text implies versus what it states.
Lesson 7
Themes
Students read chapters on W.H. Auden and Dylan Thomas and answer directed questions that require extracting explicit information and making inferences (e.g., why Auden married Erika Mann, whether "The Unknown Citizen" is about a real person and its message, how the speaker changes in "Fern Hill"). Students analyze poetry excerpts for punctuation use, which requires close reading of quoted lines (examples from "The Unknown Citizen" and "Dover Beach"). Students choose and memorize a poem and explain why they chose it, prompting consideration of theme and textual content.
Final Project
Autobiography of a Poet
The Parent Plan skills statement explicitly tells students to "provide evidence from text to support understanding," linking analysis to textual evidence. Activity 6 asks students to write a two-paragraph analysis of one of their own poems with each paragraph including a topic sentence and at least two supporting sentences about images/events and structure/techniques. The rubric and supporting materials require a 1-paragraph autobiography and a 2-paragraph poem analysis as part of the final project, indicating students must produce written analyses tied to the poems they read and wrote.