Students are instructed to read specific informational pages (pages iv–v and 1–5 of Weather and Climate) and answer comprehension questions about weather vs. climate and meteorologists. In Activity 1 students locate and use external informational sources (AccuWeather, National Weather Service) and watch real forecasts to gather weather data. In Activity 2 students copy vocabulary definitions from the reading into a "Weather Words" booklet, reinforcing extraction of information from the text.

Students read pages 8–15 in Weather and Climate and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., the temperature scale used in the United States; how humidity and wind affect perceived temperature). Students fill in vocabulary definitions from the text (temperature, thermometer, evaporate, heat index, wind chill, water vapor). Students complete activities that ask them to use information about Earth's tilt and the Sun's rays to identify seasons and explain temperature patterns (Model the Seasons questions and the Seasons worksheet).

Students read pages 22-28 of Weather and Climate and answer specific content questions about air movement, pressure systems, and altitude (factual extraction from an informational text). Students use informational charts and resources (Wind Chill Chart, Beaufort Wind Scale, barometric readings, and online weather sites) to record data in a weather journal and to predict weather based on pressure and wind direction. Students follow instructions to interpret maps and front symbols and to explain outcomes of demonstrations (When Warm and Cold Air Meet) using provided answer keys.

Students build and use a wet/dry bulb hygrometer to collect temperature data and record dry-bulb and wet-bulb readings. Students use a provided Relative Humidity chart to look up the relative humidity from their measured temperatures and use a Heat Index chart to determine "feels like" temperatures and associated health risk levels. Students record these data in a weather journal and use air pressure and measured values to make predictions about tonight's or tomorrow's weather.

Students are directed to read pages 35–45 of Weather and Climate and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., what causes clouds; what happens when drops become too heavy). Students fill in definitions from the text and complete a chart identifying water-cycle components with examples from their local environment, using the provided diagram and pages to guide their answers. Students also draw a local water-cycle diagram that they are instructed to base on the diagram and examples in the reading.

Students read specified pages in an informational text (Weather and Climate pages 52-56) and answer text-based questions about cloud formation and composition. Students research cloud types using provided websites and take structured notes in a Cloud Chart (columns for description, altitude, type of weather, and clues). Students use their notes and current observations (cloud ID and air pressure) to make weather predictions and are told to keep research notes for a future typed cloud article.

Students read pages 62–68 of an informational book and answer factual questions about causes of thunderstorms, lightning, tornadoes, and hurricanes. Students complete the "Wild Weather Search" research worksheet that asks for description, causes, results (damage), a famous occurrence (history/date/location), survival tips, and an interesting fact, and are directed to use books, Internet sites, and videos as sources. Students also keep a weather journal entry predicting weather based on observation, which prompts reflection on what they observed and learned.

Students cut out and match climate description boxes to labeled climate zones and paste them onto a map key, using the written descriptions to identify and justify each zone. Students watch linked videos and read web pages about jet streams and ocean currents, then draw jet streams and place air masses and global winds on their map based on those informational resources. Students use the NOAA site and other linked pages to look up recent local weather and climate data and complete the "My Weather and Climate" activity page, identifying which air masses, winds, and ocean currents affect their area and explaining those influences to a parent.

Students read informational material (pages 75–80 of Weather and Climate) and fill definitions in the "Weather Words" booklet, answering content questions about causes of climate change. Students interact with NASA's Climate Time Machine maps, record observations, draw differences between past and present maps, label changes, and write a short sentence predicting future outcomes. Students run and record results from a greenhouse-effect experiment and discuss observations, connecting empirical observations to explanations about trapped heat.

Students are asked to review an author biography website and answer specific factual questions (e.g., birthplace, college study, types of writing), requiring them to pull information from an informational text. Students use an atlas or Google Maps to locate and label the crew's route and docking places, which requires extracting geographic information from informational sources. Students are directed to review the "Parts of a Sailboat" diagram and sailing terminology and to refer to that informational diagram while reading the novel.

Students are asked to read Chapters 8–14 and answer questions in complete sentences, including QUESTION #3 which explicitly directs them to use examples from the book to support their answer about how Cody feels about Sophie. Students are told to use the "Character Timeline" to record words and phrases describing Sophie and Cody, and they complete the "Your Voice" writing prompts by reading lines and identifying which narrator is speaking.

Students are asked to "Research some of the different types of whales and dolphins" and are given web links and media (Getty Images, NOAA, YouTube) to consult. Students must use that research when creating a nautical mobile or origami animals, including directions to "draw the animals to scale" and "color them in a way that reflects what they actually look like." Students also read Chapters 31–35 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires them to refer to the text for factual answers.

Students are asked to "Research either Ireland or England, focusing on what you might see and do if you visited the country," and they are given specific websites (National Geographic, Britannica, Discover Ireland) to locate information. The Parent Plan lists skills including "Exploring a variety of sources" and "restating and summarizing information," which directs students to use informational materials and summarize findings. The research task requires students to locate countries on a map and to use gathered information to design and write a postcard describing activities and sights.

Students are asked to "Provide evidence from the book to support both themes" on the Themes activity pages (Option 2) and on the third page of Option 1 where three boxes are provided for evidence related to each listed theme. The Parent Plan and activity directions prompt students to "provide examples from the book to support the themes listed," and to list ways characters changed "as a result of the voyage," which requires citing story details.

Students are asked to record a character quote with the page number and explain why the quote is meaningful (Character Quote). Students must describe a theme of the book using examples from the story and answer what lessons Cody and Sophie taught (Test questions and rubric). Students create character timelines/changes and select/illustrate the four most important events in chronological order, requiring them to refer back to the text for accurate details.

Students watch informational videos and read pages from The Geography Book (pp. 25–28) to learn about map types and keys. Students examine and interpret five different maps to choose which map best fits specific scenarios and write uses for each map. Students create their own neighborhood map using printed or online maps as references and complete written activities (labeling maps, explaining what each map shows, and answering scenario-based questions).

Students are instructed to read specific pages in The Geography Book and watch linked videos, then complete worksheets that reference those sources (for example, Activity 6: "Use the information from The Geography Book and the video to answer these questions"). Students are directed to use the National Geographic Education website to find real-world examples for geographic terms and to write a sentence about each example (Activity 2). Students read Prisoners of Geography and answer guided questions about the Mississippi River, and they complete erosion and delta activity pages based on readings and demonstrations (Activities 4, 5, and 6).

Students are asked to read an online United Nations article about population and answer specific questions drawing on that reading. Students are directed to use Prisoners of Geography pages to complete the "Humans Interact with their Environments" graphic organizer and to use information from that book to support their argument in the "Comparing Two Environments" activity. In Option 2 of the dot-map activity, students must locate real population data from atlases or the Internet and use those data to create a dot map, demonstrating research and use of informational sources.

Students are instructed in Activity 3 to search online for state resource maps, use map keys, and place resource symbols on a map of their state, which requires locating information in informational texts (maps). The Parent Plan explicitly notes that students practice "locating information from reliable sources" and interpreting resource maps while creating their state resource map. The Things to Review and Wrapping Up sections prompt students to research ways resources are conserved and to reflect on surprising findings from their resource map.

Students read assigned pages from The Geography Book and answer factual questions that require extracting information from an informational text (e.g., identifying the four major oceans, the largest lake, and definitions). Students are directed to use EPA and Nature Conservancy web resources to identify their local watershed, list associated bodies of water, and learn ways individual actions impact the watershed, then complete the 'My Watershed' activity using information found. Students visit their local water system website or EPA pages to determine their household water source and use those findings to complete 'The Water at Home' page, and they collect and analyze household water-use data in the 'Water Use Chart.'

Students read specified pages of the informational book Prisoners of Geography and answer targeted questions (e.g., how geography shaped nations; why Europe is 'blessed by geography'), requiring them to use information from the text. Students label maps using countries, rivers, mountains, and resources identified in the readings (Russia, China, Alps, oil and gas symbols), connecting textual details to a visual product. Students conduct brief independent research for the postcard activity, looking up images and information online to describe a geographical feature.

Students are directed to read specified pages of Prisoners of Geography (pp. 42–59, pp. 60–75) and then answer targeted comprehension questions, requiring them to pull information from those pages. Activity 1 instructs students to use Prisoners of Geography as a reference to locate and label geographic features on their world map, requiring reference to informational text. Activity 2 asks students to look up images and additional information online and then write a 4–6 sentence postcard answering questions about location, importance, and special characteristics, which asks them to use informational sources to support their description and reflection.

Students are asked to consult and review informational materials: they are instructed to "look over the activity pages and the two books" and to "review the 'Unit Review Sheet'" and associated web link to prepare for the unit test. Students are told they may need to "do some research" to find out how people make use of local resources and to explore human activities and impacts for the final project. Students must write answers on tests and complete written project pages (Written Descriptions and Human Activities) that draw on knowledge from those readings and any research they conduct.

Students are directed in Activity 1 to locate definitions in the dictionary, record the definitions on a chart, use context to select the correct meaning, and write sentences using each word, which requires consulting an informational text (a dictionary). Activity 2 tells students to read and/or watch movie reviews online (Scholastic News example and Rotten Tomatoes link) to better understand what to include in their own review. The Parent Plan and Skills sections prompt students to make informed judgments about media and to use oral and written language to influence thinking, implying evaluation of informational resources.

Students read chapters 4–5 and answer directed comprehension questions that require using information from the text (e.g., asking why Lina is afraid of fire and why she has never had certain foods). Students keep a daily "New Environment, New Discoveries" learning log in which they record and categorize discoveries from the readings (oxen, milk from cows, sun, tree bread, etc.). Discussion prompts ask students to describe concerns of town leaders and compare historical uses of oxen, which require students to refer to events and details from the reading.

Students are asked to read Chapters 8–10 and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences that require drawing details from the text (e.g., defining a roamer, explaining trade and environmental effects). In Activity 1 students must compose three debate arguments and explicitly "support each argument with evidence," then identify which statements are facts versus opinions and discuss emotional appeals. The lesson also asks students to revisit prior predictions and add to a learning log, prompting reflection grounded in the reading.

Students are instructed on the "Synonyms in a Thesaurus" page to read each vocabulary word in context, look up synonyms, and "record what specifically in the book's context helped you understand the word's meaning or helped you choose a good synonym," requiring them to cite textual clues. The Student Activity Page provides spaces for students to write synonyms and the "Clues in Context" that supported their choices, with an answer key linking specific sentences and nearby text to word meanings. Several prompts (e.g., "Who do you think is a more effective leader... Why?" and the government comparison/defense tasks) ask students to give reasons and defend their positions, which invites use of text-based reasoning.

Students are asked to locate information from websites and library books and to record sources and notes in a provided Research Organizer that prompts for causes, effects, and how the war/plague ended. The final products require students to use that information: a map of affected regions, a six-event timeline, and a newspaper report that must "effectively include information from the research" and include two related images. Rubrics for the Wars and Plagues project evaluate research, information integration, and inclusion of research-based details in written work.

Students watch the "Rock Cycle" video and read pp. 90-91 of the textbook, then answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., What is the rock cycle? Explain how igneous rocks are formed; how sedimentary rocks can form). Students use information from the video and reading to place sample rocks into igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary categories in Activity 1 and then check and revise their classifications against the kit brochure. In Activity 2 students are instructed to research a chosen rock online (geology.com) to learn where it might be found and then create a poem or drawing and explain why that environment fits the rock.

Students are instructed to read specific pages (pp. 58-65) of an informational text and to answer four content questions that require them to identify the theory of continental drift, name and classify Earth's layers, locate the lithosphere and asthenosphere and explain their interaction, and identify where earthquakes and volcanic activity occur. Students are also directed to use diagrams on p. 41 (and optionally p. 61) as guides when making a model and to show each layer as they complete it, which requires referring to the informational graphics.

Students are assigned specific informational readings (Dirtmeister pages and USGS webpages) and directed to answer factual questions based on those readings (e.g., cooling rate and basalt location). Activity instructions explicitly tell students to "use the information in today's reading" to complete the Igneous Rock Demonstration results and to use resource pages and videos to complete the Igneous Rock Observations chart. In Activity 4 students use the USGS volcano pages to identify a nearby volcano, determine its type and likely eruption style, and check their guesses against the volcano's "Volcano Page."

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pp. 34-39 and 42-43 of Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth) and then answer four content questions about causes of earthquakes, damaging wave types, seismographs and the Richter scale, and tsunamis, which requires extracting information from the text. Activity 3 asks students to use an external informational map (FEMA "Earthquake Shaking Hazards") to determine and report the earthquake hazard level for their state and adjacent states. Discussion prompts (e.g., explain why a magnitude 7 is much worse than a magnitude 6) require students to use factual information to justify explanations.

Students are directed to read specific informational text pages (pp. 66–67, p. 62, and pp. 84–89 of Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth) and then answer targeted questions that require information from those pages (e.g., comparing metamorphic rocks to their parent rocks using pictures on specified pages and explaining modes of metamorphism). Multiple activities instruct students to use the Rock Types chart and today's reading to complete observation pages for metamorphic and sedimentary rocks and to search online for further information, tying hands-on classification and research to informational sources. The cementation experiment includes hypothesis, results, and conclusions prompting students to use prior reading about cementation and lithification to interpret experimental outcomes.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pp. 70-71 and pp. 106-107 of Dirtmeister's Nitty Gritty Planet Earth) and then answer targeted questions about frost wedging, chemical weathering, and soil composition. Students follow book instructions for the 'Sorting Out Soils' demonstration and use the text-guided procedures in the Ice Cold Weathering and Drip, Drip, Drip activities, recording observations and conclusions. The reading-and-question tasks require students to extract factual information from the assigned pages to respond to prompts.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pp. 72-75) and answer factual questions (e.g., identify ways gravity causes erosion, conditions for wind erosion, and define ventifacts), requiring them to draw facts from the text. Students are told to read pp. 114-115 about soil erosion before designing and carrying out their own experiments and to use the Eroding Experiments page to record hypothesis, procedure, results, and conclusions. Students are asked to choose a landform and determine which type(s) of erosion created it (flip book or journal), which requires using information from the text (and provided references) to support their analysis.

Students are instructed to "read the 'Things to Know' and the 'Reading and Questions' sections two or three times," and to "use information from the book as well as the Rock Cycle chart" when planning their presentation. The short-answer test asks students to explain processes (e.g., how one rock type changes into another, the difference between weathering and erosion) that require using learned informational content. Project prompts (slide show, video script, artwork notes, puppet dialogue) require students to answer specific content questions (stages of the rock cycle, how tectonic plates affect environments, how volcanoes and earthquakes change the Earth) using sources such as the book and chart.

Students are directed in Activity 3 to research Mars using provided informational websites (NASA and ESA) and to record facts about Mars in their journals, which requires gathering evidence from informational texts. In Activity 2 and Activity 4, students are asked to provide specific examples and phrases from the short stories as textual evidence for claims about setting and rational vs. non-rational events. The Mars research is explicitly tied to preparation for reading the science fiction story, prompting students to collect factual information to inform their understanding.

In Day 2 Activity 4 students are instructed to "Research the history of Pompeii using books or online sources" and to "record ten important facts" on the Volcano Research page, with links to National Geographic Kids and HISTORY.com provided. Students are also asked to adopt the role of a historian and create a RAFT product (a poem or song) to be presented at a ceremony, which asks them to use what they learned about Pompeii in a reflective product.

Students are asked to "research information about the Catskill Mountains in an encyclopedia" and to "write ten trivia questions about the mountains," which requires locating and extracting facts from an informational source. Students are also directed to "locate pictures and information about these beautiful mountains online" for the painting option, which involves gathering information from informational/online texts. The Revising Run-Ons activity and accompanying guidance present explicit informational explanations and examples that students use to correct sentences.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (A History of US, pp. 162-163 and pp. 9-22) and to use the map and left-hand page statistics to answer guided questions; Question #1 explicitly asks "How do you know?" prompting students to cite map evidence. In Activity 2 students use 1860 census data to plot population dots and then interpret which states/regions had the most large cities, requiring them to draw conclusions from the data. In Activity 3 students are told to "use the information from A History of US... to help you fill in" travel brochures, asking them to extract five descriptive words and write economy/occupation descriptions based on the text and map.

Students read and take notes from multiple informational texts (secondary chapters and primary WPA slave narratives) and are instructed to record important details on KWL charts and topic-based activity pages. Students compare primary and secondary sources (Activity 2) and continue adding textual information to their notes across days. Students must use the information they gathered from those texts to create a quilt or mural (Activity 3) and to write reflective notes in the final column of the KWL chart.

Students are assigned specific informational pages (A History of US: War, Terrible War 1855-1865, pages 41-47 and 54-63) and asked to answer interpretive questions that refer to those pages (for example, Question #1 points explicitly to page 43). Students must review the readings and use them to plan and write arguments for the Debate on the Expansion of Slavery, requiring them to pull reasons and positions from the text. Students are instructed to add events from the readings to a Civil War timeline and to list pros and cons when imagining advice to President Lincoln, both activities that draw on information from the assigned texts.

Students are assigned to read chapters 12–14 of A History of US: War, Terrible War and to answer text-based questions, including Question #1 which explicitly refers to the explanation on page 66. Students are instructed to use the book's glossary to find page numbers for further research on leaders and to create Civil War Leader Cards that require filling in background, roles, notable events, and impressions based on the reading. Students are asked to add dates to a Civil War timeline and are encouraged to use an external primary-source collection (Library of Congress Civil War Photographs) to find images for their cards.

Students are directed to read A History of US: War, Terrible War (chapters 15–16) and answer specific comprehension questions, which requires using the text for responses. In Activity 2 students are told to reread pages 76–85, pay attention to images and details, and then write an imagined diary entry based on those details. Activity 4 asks students to explore an online article about daily camp life and to pay attention to descriptions that will inform later activities and the final project, and the Pack Your Haversack activity requires students to use listed informational items and weights to make decisions.

Students are asked to review Chapters 18–20 of A History of US and answer specific comprehension questions about battles (e.g., causes of Bull Run, McClellan's failures, Antietam's importance). In Activity 2 students are instructed to "Use A History of US: War, Terrible War 1855-1865 to identify key battles" and then mark locations and "decide why you think each battle was significant and write your explanation." In Activity 3 students must "review the battles described in the book," record information about a chosen battle, and may conduct additional research to plan and justify a commemorative monument.

Students are asked to read Chapters 22–24 of A History of US and answer text-dependent questions (one answer even cites page 107), requiring them to extract specific facts from an informational text. Students use historical price data tables and source information to calculate percent increases and hypothetical modern prices, directly drawing numerical evidence from informational sources. Students record events on a Civil War timeline and complete a 'Shortages and Substitutions' activity that asks them to base conservation/substitution ideas on the described wartime conditions, and they are directed to consult an external archive of Confederate money for further investigation.

Students are directed to read chapters 25–27 of Joy Hakim's A History of US and to consider the text-box questions, which requires using the informational text for understanding. Students read the Declaration of Independence, the Emancipation Proclamation, and the Gettysburg Address, highlight important ideas or powerful phrases, and then place those highlighted ideas into a three-way Venn diagram to identify similarities and common ideas. Students also add events and dates from the readings to an ongoing Civil War timeline and complete map entries for battles, using the texts as sources for those entries.

Students read chapters 28-31 of A History of US and a linked web article about freed slaves, the Freedmen's Bureau, and Black Codes and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., challenges former slaves faced). Students read the full texts of the 13th, 14th, and 15th Amendments and are asked to "restate this amendment in your own words" and explain why each was important. Students review their readings to add events to a Civil War timeline and to inform Activity 3, in which they must compare pre- and post-emancipation lives or outline a historically grounded short story using their research.

Students are asked to use previous lessons, timelines, activity pages, and two unit books when studying for the test and planning final projects. Exhibit cards require students to describe items and write 2–3 sentence explanations of their significance, and the documentary option requires planning narration and selecting historical images (with suggested Library of Congress sources). The unit test asks students to list five important details learned and to explain causes and differences, and the parent plan explicitly lists locating and using primary and secondary sources and analyzing information (sequencing, cause-and-effect, drawing inferences).

Students read and analyze primary sources (diaries and prison camp journal) in Activity 4 and are asked to discuss perspectives and identify facts and opinions. In Activity 5 students conduct research using secondary sources and use color-coded note cards and journal entries to record important information for research. Activity 2 requires students to identify and list the main steps for state admission using provided informational web links and to put that information in their own words.

Students are asked in Activity 1 to identify factual information about the Civil War from the picture book and record those facts in a journal, explicitly drawing facts out of the text. In Activity 5 students read and analyze Civil War letters as primary-source informational texts, identify the writer and recipients, determine which side the writers are on, and note the opinions expressed about the enemy. The Wrapping Up and discussion prompts ask students whether reading the Civil War letters changes their perspective and to compare the letters to the book, which asks students to reflect on and explain their thinking based on the texts.

Students read an informational primary source labeled "Constitution Ratification" (dated April 29, 1861) and are instructed to record three factual statements and three opinion statements from that speech, noting at least two statements that could be propaganda. Students examine Civil War posters and pictures on the "Propaganda" page and explain how each picture could have been used to sway Northern attitudes. Students use the "Characters' Homes" activity to locate characters' towns/states (including researching towns when not explicitly given) and place character symbols on a map to track where characters lived or sided.

Students read specified pages and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, requiring them to locate information (for example, Carlotta King's desire to run away and Shem Sugg's concern for horses) from the text. Students are instructed to study Civil War photographs as primary sources and to write a sentence describing how each photograph makes them feel and to give each photograph a title; parents are prompted to have students explain how they arrived at each title. The verb-tense activities ask students to identify verb forms in sentences drawn from the novel, which requires attending to specific textual details.

Students are asked to reread Toby's accounts and "Cite evidence from the book to support your ideas" when describing his feelings before and after Bull Run (Activity 1). The reflective question "How has your perspective of the Civil War changed as a result of reading this book?" and the final wrap-up prompt ask students to consider and explain changes in perspective, which encourages using textual details to support reflection. Several short-answer questions require students to explain character actions and meanings (e.g., Dr. Rye's comment) using information from the text.

Students are explicitly instructed to "use information you learned from the books you read on the Civil War and information you know about the time period" to support their arguments. The rubric includes a criterion for "Use of knowledgeable sources," and the prewriting and outline pages require students to list arguments and multiple supports for each argument. The writing tasks require students to state reasons and provide support, and to refute an opposing argument using supporting reasons.

Students read pages 1–5 of Explore Forces and Motion and the timeline on pages IV–V and then answer specific questions (e.g., "What is a force?"; "What happens when forces are balanced?"), which requires locating facts in the text. Students use the glossary (pages 85–86) to match vocabulary to definitions, and they review scientist cards and the timeline to match scientists with their discoveries or play a matching/memory game. These activities require students to extract information directly from the provided informational texts and reference materials.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 1 (pages 8-13) of Explore Forces and Motion! and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., identify non-contact forces and list forces acting when pulling a book). Students are directed to use pages 9, 11, and 12 to find real-world examples in the Force Scavenger Hunt, recording two examples for each force type. Students are asked to list three general things they have learned from the chapter, which requires drawing information from the text.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 2 (pages 19-25) and then answer specific explanatory questions (e.g., compare mass and weight; explain why you don't feel gravity between small objects; explain the Moon's orbit), requiring them to use text content to support answers. Multiple activities direct students to read particular book sections (e.g., "What Is Happening?" p.17, pp. 28-29 for parachutes, p.25 for weight on other planets, p.31 for the bucket activity) and then answer conclusion questions that ask them to explain results using those readings. Activity pages require students to record hypotheses, experimental results, and written conclusions that reference the book or the linked videos to explain observed phenomena.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 5 (pages 59-67) and then answer comprehension questions asking how Archimedes used water displacement, why humans float, and why objects of the same mass but different shapes behave differently. Students follow steps from the book (pages 68-69) in Activity 1, record mass, water level, volume, and density in a data table, and explain how they calculated densities using the terms displacement, volume, density, and mass.

Students are asked to read Chapter 6 and descriptions on a linked web page and then answer specific comprehension questions (#1–#4) that require retrieving information from those informational texts. Station Hints and parent notes explicitly direct students to relevant book activities and pages (for example, "Ramp It Up!" and "Pebbles Away!"), which students can consult while solving station challenges. The Reading and Questions section and the "Questions to Discuss" prompts ask students to identify how simple machines make work easier and to name the six simple machines, tasks that draw information from the provided texts.

Students are directed to review the "Reading and Questions" pages and the Unit Review Sheet and to study definitions and activity pages as part of test preparation. Students are asked to write "Takeaway" notes on station cards that can mirror the "What Is Happening?" conclusions from the book and to complete short-answer questions that require explaining concepts (e.g., inertia, density) on the unit test. The project rubric includes a Critical Thinking criterion that asks for explaining and analyzing data, which students must meet when designing stations and writing procedures.

Students read an informational biography introduction and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, demonstrating use of text details (e.g., why Einstein thought scientists should work as lighthouse keepers). Students generate three or four questions about Einstein and are instructed to look through the book to find answers, showing an expectation to locate textual evidence. Students research Isaac Newton using online/encyclopedia sources, record 6–10 facts on note cards, and then use those notes to write a bio-poem, directly using gathered informational evidence for a research product. The map activity asks students to identify and mark countries (and dates) where Einstein lived based on the text.

Students read Chapters 1 and 2 and are asked to answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., what made Einstein different, how his interest in science began, views on education). Students complete a timeline by recording important events from the chapters and are instructed to include dates or place events in chronological order. Students identify positive and negative traits from the text and explain consequences or outcomes related to those traits, requiring them to locate descriptive material in the chapters.

Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires using information from the informational text. Students must add two to four important events from the chapters to a timeline, selecting and organizing events drawn from the reading. In the Biography Web activities (Option 1 or 2) students locate and place events from Einstein's life onto the web, requiring them to identify text-based details and categorize them.

Students read Chapters 5 and 6 and answer comprehension questions and add events to a timeline, requiring them to identify factual information from the text. Students fill in a "Biography Web" with four major events from Einstein's miracle year, which asks them to locate and record textual events. Students watch videos and are instructed to take notes on important ideas and then write a video summary using those notes. Students are asked to compare how the book and video accounts are similar and different, prompting them to use information from both sources.

Students are asked to read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences (for example, QUESTION #1 asks how the science world responded to Einstein's four papers). Activity 1 directs students to fill in four major events from the chapters on a Biography Web and to add events to an Einstein timeline, which requires extracting events from the informational text. QUESTION #4 asks students to illustrate the trampoline demonstration described on a specific page, which asks them to interpret and represent a text-based explanation.

Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and answer comprehension and inference questions (e.g., how Einstein felt about war; reasons he was passed over for the Nobel Prize). Students add events to a timeline based on the reading. Students look up an encyclopedia entry and complete a 'Forms of Media' activity in which they compare the encyclopedia entry, the biography, and videos and then explain to a parent how each source contributed to their understanding and the benefits and limitations of each source. The Parent Plan Skills section explicitly lists providing evidence from text to support understanding and synthesizing connections across texts.

Students read Chapters 11 and 12 and answer specific questions in complete sentences and add events to a timeline, requiring them to locate text details (e.g., why Einstein moved to America, what theory he disputed). Students fill a biography web with four major events from "The War," selecting and placing events from the reading. Students watch a biography video and record at least three statements that are facts and at least two statements that are opinions, identifying evidence from an informational source.

Students are asked to answer text-based questions such as "What does the author believe drove Einstein his entire life? How is this evidenced in his life?" and to add events to a timeline after reading the biography. In Option 2 students must "provide one or two examples from the book that demonstrate how the author fulfilled each element" of a biography, explicitly requiring citation of examples from the informational text. Activity 1 asks students to revisit questions they recorded earlier and to continue researching any unanswered questions, and the Skills section explicitly lists "draw conclusions about expository text and provide evidence from text to support understanding."

Students are directed to "use your biography web and timeline to assist you in finding information" and to "be sure to use factual information" when completing the birth certificate, indicating use of informational sources. The Parent Plan skills explicitly tell students to "Conduct research (with assistance) from a variety of sources" and to "Integrate main idea and supporting details from multiple sources to expand understanding of texts." Students are asked to locate photographs and quotes (at least three quotes) and to assemble information in a logical way, which requires gathering information from informational texts and sources.

Students read pages 4-21 of the informational book Where Poppies Grow and answer targeted questions that require analysis (e.g., comparing a 1914 New York Times front page to a modern paper, interpreting the phrase about the archduke as a cause of war, and listing trench hardships and technological effects). Students complete a Technology & WWI activity where they choose a wartime technology, draw it based on images from their reading or research, and describe the technology's impact. In the Life in the Trenches activity students examine historical photographs, describe what they observe, and reflect on whether photos or text give a better sense of trench life; the parent notes also prompt discussion of primary vs. secondary sources.

Students are assigned to read pages 22–33 of the informational book Where Poppies Grow and answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that require using the text to identify examples like propaganda, children's contributions, and the author of a primary-source poem. Students examine primary-source images on pages 28–29 and are asked to compare those objects to modern items and plan a time capsule, which requires interpreting informational/primary sources. The Wrapping Up section prompts students to consider how a secondary-source author knows what she writes and to identify kinds of primary sources historians could use.

Students are assigned specific informational texts (pages 36–46 of Where Poppies Grow and Chapters 1–2 of Hakim) and must answer comprehension and analytic questions about those readings. In the Treaty of Versailles activity, students complete a table comparing Wilson's Fourteen Points to the Treaty and answer two short explanatory questions that require using the assigned readings to explain why Wilson failed and why the U.S. did not join the League. In the Letters and Secrecy activity, students read soldiers' letters and are asked to notice how writers avoided revealing details, which requires drawing details from those primary-source texts.

Students are assigned specific informational chapters (Joy Hakim, pp. 111-128) and are asked to "look back over the readings" to list reasons to go to war or stay out of it. Students must write a "Dear Mr. President" letter that requires them to provide at least two reasons for their position and are encouraged to provide specific examples from the reading to support their argument. Students are also asked to record information about world leaders "based on her reading" on the World Leaders activity pages.

Students read informational texts (pages 129–138 of Hakim and Roosevelt's Dec. 8, 1941 speech) and are instructed to underline or highlight words or phrases they find powerful. Students answer targeted comprehension and analysis questions about the speech (e.g., meaning of "a date which will live in infamy," diplomatic context) that require referring to the speech. Students analyze World War II posters by listing words, images, colors, and explaining what the artist wants viewers to do and which emotions the poster invokes. Students use informational resources (web links provided) and a reading activity to add facts about world leaders to an activity page, integrating information from texts into class activities.

Students are asked to read specified pages (139–152) of an informational history text and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., name new military technologies, which code was unbreakable, why Midway was strategic, how many Nisei served), which requires using information from the text. Activity 2 asks students to read a sidebar about women in the war and to think about and discuss guided reflective questions. The review prompts ask students to explain how the Navajo code worked and why it was hard to break, drawing on the provided Navajo code alphabet and earlier text.

Students are assigned an informational text (A History of US: War, Peace, and All That Jazz, pp.153–162) and are prompted to use those readings to identify and label locations on a World War II map. Students are directed to "look back at the readings" and the book index when completing the "Weapons of War" activity and to describe historical examples and evaluate the impact of technologies. Comprehension questions ask students to explain significance (e.g., Guadalcanal, Operation Torch) which requires drawing on the assigned reading to answer.

Students read assigned pages from the informational text A History of US: War, Peace, and All That Jazz (pages 163–179) and answer content questions (e.g., Question #1–#4) based on that reading. Students are asked to add relevant details about President Truman to a "World Leaders" activity page and to label map locations using the textbook as a reference. Students must consult the text for accuracy when writing a radio script that uses vocabulary and at least two events, and Activity 4 directs students to read page 139 about segregation before creating a Double V logo or public service announcement.

Students are assigned to read A History of US (pages 180–189) and to add information to their "World Leaders" activity, which requires extracting facts from an informational text. In Activity 2 students must take notes (written or recorded) using the day's reading and Internet sources to answer who/what/when/where/why about Hiroshima or Nagasaki, which asks them to draw factual evidence for a report. In Activity 1 the parent guide specifically directs parents to ask students what details from the readings led them to their conclusions, and in Activity 4 students must explain design choices for a monument, drawing on historical perspectives.

Students are instructed to review reading questions, reread the "Things to Know" sections, and look through reading materials from throughout the unit to study for the unit test. Students are directed to create thirty-six question-and-answer cards using their activity pages and "any other research sources" to write trivia questions and answers for the game. The unit test includes short-answer prompts (e.g., describing trench warfare, how Japanese Americans were treated) that require students to write responses based on informational content.

Students are directed to read background paragraphs about World War II and to use the "European Involvement in WWII" chart to color-code a map of Europe by Axis, Allied, German-occupied, or neutral status. Students are asked to read the linked e-book "Denmark for Kids" and then use information from that informational text to create an acrostic poem highlighting important aspects of Denmark. Parents are instructed to check that students correctly identified each country's involvement, indicating students must locate and apply facts from the informational materials.

Students examine historical propaganda posters, identify techniques and messages, and write one-sentence summaries of what each poster is trying to convey (Activity 2). Students analyze a paragraph about soldiers/occupation by underlining proofreading symbols and circling words associated with those symbols, then reflect on why those symbols and words would impact readers (Student Activity Page). Students choose and mark passages from Chapters 3 and 4 to read aloud and discuss why those passages are interesting, powerful, or important, practicing textual selection and reflection.

The lesson's Activity 1 directs students to use the Internet or other resources to find information about the Jewish people and the Jewish religion and to record that information on a menorah graphic organizer, which requires gathering information from informational texts. The Reading and Questions task asks students to write four discussion questions about Chapters 5 and 6 and then go over their answers with a parent, prompting students to explain why they chose those answers. The Problem and Solution activity asks students to describe three problem/solution situations found in the chapters, requiring students to locate and record specific details from the text as support.

Students are directed to read an informational web biography of Barbara Rodbell and to retell her story to a parent, which requires comprehension of an informational text. The Skills section explicitly asks students to "respond to literary or expository texts and provide evidence from the text to demonstrate understanding" and to "paraphrase major ideas and supporting evidence." Students are also asked to answer a journal question about how Barbara's message applied during World War II and today, prompting reflection on the informational content.

Students are asked to read the book's Afterword to identify which parts are historical fact and to use two provided websites (and other trusted sources) for additional research. Students are explicitly told to put information in their own words, to look for memorable quotations to include, to copy quotations exactly with quotation marks, and to indicate where quotations and images came from by including the web link or source information. The rubric and skill list state that students should "guide and inform the reader's understanding of key ideas and evidence" and "write responses ... and provide evidence from the text to demonstrate understanding."

Several Think-Tac-Toe cards ask students to conduct research or produce informational products (e.g., "Researching Alexander Hamilton and writing an essay," "Research the Han Dynasty and develop a scrapbook," and an "Online Holocaust Museum Center" activity). The Parent Plan lists skills including "Paraphrase major ideas and supporting evidence" and "Present findings in a specified format," which imply students will gather and summarize information. The Number the Stars test asks students to explain plans and non-violent resistance methods, requiring students to use details from texts to answer analytical questions.

Students are instructed to read pages 4–11 of an informational book and then answer guided questions that refer to the periodic table (e.g., identifying an element similar to nickel and platinum from the table and explaining how the periodic table helps chemists). In Activity 2, students locate the 12 most common elements on the periodic table and use the "Common Compounds in Nature" table to build clay models of compounds found in the atmosphere, crust, ocean, and body. Students are asked to record observations from the water electrolysis demonstration and to share and explain which models are common in each environment using the charts and text distributions provided.

Students are assigned specific pages in the informational book (Fizz, Bubble, and Flash!) and directed to "read about" various metal families and answer factual questions, which requires using the text to produce answers. Activity 4 tells students to read about a chosen metal in the book and on an interactive periodic table website and then create a collage or an informational poster including the element's name, symbol, atomic number, group, characteristics, uses, and facts. The reading-and-question sets (Day 1 and Day 2) and the Neodymium/Zirconium readings precede demonstrations, requiring students to consult the informational text before completing tasks.

Students are directed to read specific pages in the informational book and then answer four content questions, which requires extracting information from the text to respond. Activity 2 asks students to consult a video and an interactive periodic table to find out more about a chosen metalloid and then produce a poem or mini-book, which engages students in research from informational sources. The putty investigation instructs students to read the "Curious Minds Want to Know" section to explain experimental observations, linking text information to explanation of phenomena.

Students are assigned specific pages of an informational book (pages 53, 68-69, 77-78, and 82) and must answer comprehension questions about nonmetals and halogens. In Activity 1 students are instructed to research a gaseous nonmetal using the book and an external interactive periodic table website and then report three things they learned and examples of the element in daily life. In Activity 2 students formulate an experimental question, record materials, procedure, observations, and write conclusions, and are directed to read the explanatory "Curious Minds Want to Know" section to support their conclusions.

Students use the provided "Things to Know" list and the "States of Matter Periodic Table" to classify elements as solids, liquids, or gases and to fill in the "Metals, Metalloids, and Nonmetals" activity page. Students record observations and draw conclusions from their experiments (freeze/melt/evaporate activities) and answer reflection questions about how materials changed. The parent notes and activity instructions encourage students to look up pictures of elements in different states online, linking experiments and observational conclusions to external informational resources.

Students are asked to read informational pieces (the video and the readings "Don't Be Dense" and "A Density Riddle") and answer comprehension questions. Students examine a density periodic table and are prompted to "Examine this periodic table carefully" and to identify patterns in rows and columns. Students use the density periodic table to solve specific puzzles (ordering liquids by density, choosing gases less dense than air, comparing densities of metals/metalloids/nonmetals, and identifying mystery elements by calculated density).

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pages 107, 109, and the "Bird Brains" section on page 110) and answer targeted comprehension questions that require extracting facts from those texts. In Part 2 students read a webpage about levitation and draw the main image and force directions based on that informational source. In Part 3 students examine a "Classifying Elements by Magnetism" periodic table and use it to classify metals, metalloids, and nonmetals, applying information from the chart to complete an activity page.

Students are directed to read an online article and a textbook page about tungsten and yttrium and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., identify which element shines when electricity flows through it). The activities ask students to record observations and draw conclusions (e.g., determine which materials conducted electricity best) and to discuss findings with a parent. The wrapping-up and parent-plan discussion prompts ask students to review definitions and discuss which categories of elements conduct heat and electricity.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages about sodium and calcium and then answer comprehension questions about those readings (e.g., identify elements in hard water and where sodium is found). The lesson includes prompts to discuss "What did you discover about sodium and calcium compounds that dissolve in water?" and to review definitions of solubility and hard water, which require drawing on text content. The reading-and-questions section explicitly links students' responses to the assigned informational texts.

Students are instructed to "analyze findings by comparing test results and observations" and to "compare with gathered information throughout the unit," which requires using unit texts and notes. Part 5 directs students to use external resources (an interactive periodic table) to research elements and refine identifications. The rubric and activity require students to "explain reasoning behind classification and element identifications," asking for justification that can be drawn from informational material.

Students are asked to record sentences or phrases where the author describes the setting (Question #2) and to record a phrase or sentence that 'paints a picture' (Question #4). In Activity 2 Option 1 students must underline at least three or four sentences from the book that will help them illustrate the setting. The discussion prompt asks students to cite 'evidence from the book' to support their theories about what seems strange about Tuck and Mae.

Students read an informational passage titled "Investigating Groundwater" that explains what groundwater is, how it moves, and how recharge and discharge areas work, and then follow a hands-on simulation to observe groundwater behavior. Students are given a web link to a groundwater video and an explicit Life Application prompt to "Do some research to determine if the water in your community comes from a groundwater source." The Wrapping Up question asks students to compare the book's fantasy elements with natural cycles, which could prompt use of information about cycles.

Students are instructed to record words and phrases from the text and to put quotation marks around any words or phrases that come directly from the author when composing juxtaposition paragraphs (Option 1) or recording text-based descriptions (Option 2). Students answer specific comprehension questions that require finding answers in Chapters 9–11 (e.g., reasons the Tucks were excited, Winnie's theories). The juxtaposition activity explicitly asks students to use the author's descriptions to compare the Fosters' and the Tucks' homes, supporting textual analysis and reflection.

Students read an informational paragraph about Ponce de León and are given a weblink to a Wikipedia article about the Fountain of Youth. Students are directed to read two Norse myths and then "write three similarities and three differences" between those stories (including the Ponce de León account and other stories from the weblink) and the novel. The activity requires students to record ideas in their journals, comparing content across texts.

Students are directed to read an interview with the author (a linked informational text) and to "consider how her interactions and experiences have shaped the course of her life." The Meet the Author activity asks students to read the interview and then either write additional interview questions or answer interview questions, and the Parent Plan asks the child to tell what she learned about the author. The Parent Plan skills also state that students should "provide evidence from the text to support understanding."

Students are instructed in Part 1 to record three quotes or actions from the book that describe how characters feel about living forever and to list pros and cons beside each quote, which requires drawing textual evidence to support analysis of the theme. In Parts 3–5, students prepare a two-minute opening argument and short closing statement and then prepare and answer opponent questions, using note cards that synthesize text-based observations into claims and responses. The facilitator sheet and debate questions guide students to use their recorded evidence when defending and refuting positions.

Students are instructed to read pages 4–7 of Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round and watch a video, then answer questions that refer to the painting and the text (Question #1 asks what the artist was trying to convey and references an incident from the reading; Question #3 asks students to list places and activities that were segregated, citing p.6 and the video). Activity 1 asks students to define terms using the "Things to Know" section and classify scenarios as examples of prejudice, discrimination, racism, or segregation, requiring use of provided informational definitions. Activity 2 asks students to identify real-world places they visit that would have been segregated and explain how segregation would have changed those experiences, applying historical information to new contexts.

Students read specific informational text pages (pp. 14-19 of Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round) and answer comprehension questions that require drawing facts from the reading (e.g., why Rosa Parks refused her seat and how the boycott ended). The flyer activity explicitly tells students to "refer to your reading for some ideas" when deciding what meeting details and persuasive points to include. The speech activity prompts students to develop reasons, anticipate responses, and "include details and examples" to support their arguments, and the Research Workshop asks students to list what they know and generate specific research questions for a future project. An optional extension provides links to primary source documents students could use for research (archival arrest records, leaflets, interviews).

Students are directed to read specified informational texts (Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round, pp. 8 and 20-23) and linked primary-source material and background pages. In Activity 1 students must review those texts and web links to prepare a broadcast that states the date, the Court's decision, who was affected, and how schools would change. In Activity 2 students review Elizabeth Eckford's story (pp. 20-22) and write interview questions or a reflective letter that cites details from her experiences. In Activity 3 students are asked to use library catalogs and online sources to identify and gather resources for an independent research project or oral history interview.

Students are assigned specific pages of the informational book Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round and then answer guided questions (e.g., how segregationists responded to sit-ins, what support sit-in participants received, and what Freedom Rides were), which requires them to pull facts and examples from the assigned text. The Nonviolence & Direct Action activity asks students to define terms and list examples and benefits, prompting them to use information from the reading to support their responses. The Research Workshop asks students to develop research questions for a biographical project and the Oral History page models factual, descriptive, and big-picture questions that students will use when gathering information.

Students are assigned to read specific pages of Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round and answer directed questions (QUESTION #1 asks why children were marching and what happened to them), which requires using the informational text for factual answers. Students are prompted to reflect on reasons people sang (QUESTION #2) and to think about the dangers and roles of young people (Activity 2), which asks them to use the reading to inform their reflections. In Activity 3 students must list five ways young people made a difference, a task that asks them to review and draw from the historical accounts in the readings.

Students are instructed to read Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round (pages 40–43) and an online text of King's "I Have a Dream" speech, then answer specific questions asking them to describe the March on Washington, explain King's "dream," and identify other things he fought for. Students are asked to think about what King means in the speech and to consider which sections are most powerful when preparing a dramatic reading or memorization. Students create stamps/coins/bills, protest signs, and Martin Luther King Jr. Day plans and are prompted (in parent notes) to describe the design choices and messages they selected.

Students read specified pages of an informational text (Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round, pp. 44-55) and answer direct questions that require extracting facts from the reading (e.g., how segregationists prevented voting, what happened to Fannie Lou Hamer, who Dave Dennis blamed, and what the freedom schools were). Students conduct an interview about voting and are asked to review their interview notes or audio. Students are then asked to "draw on the words of your interviewee and what you've learned about the importance of voting in the Civil Rights Movement" to create a persuasive magazine advertisement encouraging people to vote.

Students are instructed to identify at least three books and two or more Internet sites and to record bibliographic details on the "Research Sources" pages. In Part 2 students are told to revisit their research questions, read sources to find answers, and write information on question-specific pages while noting the source (e.g., "(Source #5, pages 26-27)"). For the oral-history option, students complete a "Post-Interview Field Notes" page with sections for "Important Topics Covered" and "My Thoughts on the Interview," and they are told they will use the interview or research notes for their final project.

Students read pages 56–58 of Nobody Gonna Turn Me 'Round and then answer a reflective question about whether the Voting Rights Act meant the movement was successful, requiring them to use the passage to form a response. Students are asked to "Name three ways that civil rights activists...are still actively creating change today," explicitly pointing them to examples on page 57. Students may conduct independent research in Activity 2 Option 2, locating news items or other informational sources and using that information to create an educational flyer with proposed actions.

Students are asked to "go back through your readings for this unit to find information that you can incorporate into your script" for a podcast, which requires using informational texts to provide historical background. The book review option directs students to list author, title, publisher, and publication date and to write paragraphs explaining "what you learned about the individual and about the Civil Rights Movement in general from the book." The unit test asks students to define terms, order events chronologically, and "describe a situation" in various categories, which requires drawing on unit readings and timelines to support answers. The rubric criterion "Conveys accurate and important historical information" expects students to present information drawn from their research and readings.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to watch a primary-source video about the Civil Rights Movement and then "record a three- or four-sentence response in your journal that explains what you learned and how watching the video made you feel," using guiding questions. The Parent Plan lists skills that students should "Explore a variety of sources" and "Use critical thinking skills to evaluate print and non-print materials," indicating expectations to work with informational materials. The Recognizing Discrimination graphic organizers direct students to "record examples of discrimination" and note "Who was involved?/What happened?" and "How was this an example of discrimination?", which requires students to locate and record textual evidence for analysis.

Students are asked to research the state of Mississippi using the provided web links and to record findings on a "Mississippi Facts" sheet (natural resources, weather and climate, map, population, and three historical events). Option 2 requires students to create a tri-fold brochure including labeled maps, natural resources, climate description, statistics (population, governor, capital, representatives), and brief historical event descriptions. The Mississippi Facts page also asks students to compare how Mississippi is similar to and different from their state, prompting use of gathered informational details.

Activity 2 provides historical, informational statements about how Southern schools treated black children (e.g., separate schools, lack of buses, worn-out textbooks) and the Parent Plan lists specific injustices as examples. The writing prompt asks students to explain what the county is doing wrong, identify at least two problems, and recommend corrections in a formal letter. The prompt also requires students to include sentence structures (two independent clauses; one dependent + independent clause) within the body of the letter.

Students are told to "keep track of instances of discrimination as you read your chapters each day on the 'Recognizing Discrimination' pages," which requires collecting textual instances. The lesson includes comprehension questions (e.g., Question #2 asks students to justify whether Stacey should have gone to the Wallace store) that prompt students to give reasons based on the text. The lesson provides informational material about mortgages and interest (definitions, formula, and application scenarios) that students use to answer calculation and interpretation questions.

The lesson includes an informational summary of the Jim Crow laws and provides two web videos for students to watch about Jim Crow (Activity 2). The Parent Plan and Skills list ask students to "connect and clarify main ideas by identifying their relationships to other sources and related topics," and the wrapping up/Discussion prompts ask students to review Jim Crow laws in relation to events in the chapter. Students are instructed to watch the video with a parent and discuss it, linking the historical material to Cassie's experiences.

Students read Chapter 6 and answer discussion questions that ask them to explain characters' motives (e.g., why Uncle Hammer bought a car, what Mama means by her quote), requiring use of the chapter to support interpretations. The lesson provides an informational paragraph ("Discrimination in the South") that students read and then use to imagine responses and create a poster promoting positive race relations. The Parent Plan lists the skill 'Write responses to literary or expository texts,' indicating students are prompted to respond to both narrative and informational material.

Students read informational material about boycotts and the Montgomery Bus Boycott, including an "Integrated Bus Suggestions" flyer and a linked video. Students are asked to underline the three suggestions they think were most important on the flyer and explain to a parent why they selected them, which requires using the flyer content. Students are prompted to explain to a parent what they learned about the Montgomery Bus Boycott and to discuss the boycott in the story.

Students read Chapter 9 and an explicit informational passage about sharecropping and watch a linked video about sharecropping, providing factual material about the system. Students answer specific comprehension and inferential questions (e.g., why T.J. hangs around R.W. and Melvin; what happened to Papa), which require using text details. The Editing & Revising directions tell students to "incorporate information from their reading or research," and the final task asks students to explain the system of sharecropping to a sibling or parent using their diagram or picture and quote.

Students are asked to keep track of instances of discrimination on a "Recognizing Discrimination" page, which requires identifying and recording textual examples. Students read Chapter 11 and answer direct comprehension questions that require citing events (for example, explaining how and why T.J. was hurt and who framed him). Students draft and revise a book report and read it aloud, which asks them to use details from the text to support their summary and judgments. Discussion prompts ask students to explain how T.J. is being discriminated against, prompting use of specific story events as supporting evidence.

Students are asked on Slide 2 to "Provide examples of discrimination ... based on what you learned from the story as well as what you learned about the Jim Crow laws and other related video and text presented in the unit," and the project directions require slides that present problems, examples, and suggestions drawing on unit content. The Parent Plan Skills state students should "Support opinions with detailed evidence and with visual or media displays," and the end-of-unit test asks students to explain what the Jim Crow laws and the Civil Rights Movement were, which requires extracting information from unit texts. Students are also directed to use the "PowerPoint Organizer" to plan slides that summarize key points from those sources.

Students are assigned specific pages from Kitchen Chemistry to read and then answer targeted questions (e.g., explain why you can't have an atom of carbon dioxide; what happens if an atom gains or loses electrons; why allotropes of carbon differ). Students complete the "Filling Shells with Electrons" activity to use numeric information from the text (atomic numbers, protons, electrons) and create an atomic model using a periodic table reference. Students are asked to share and explain their model to a parent, which requires them to refer to information from the reading and reference materials.

Students are instructed to read pages 22-28 of an informational book and answer specific questions (Q1–Q3) that ask them to explain whether ocean water is a pure substance and how mixtures and compounds differ. One question directs students to "Look on p. 23 of your book if you aren't sure," prompting them to use the text to support their answers. Students are also asked to "Explain to your parent how a mixture and a compound are different," which requires them to draw on the presented explanations and definitions from the reading.

Students are assigned specific pages in Kitchen Chemistry and told to use those pages to complete Activity 1, which asks them to fill in a table about solids, liquids, and gases using information from the reading. The Parent Plan explicitly states students will "practice finding information in a text and taking notes" and provides page references and an answer key to support locating evidence. Activity 3 directs students to define phase-change terms and draw arrows indicating particle-speed changes, using the text or glossary as a resource.

Students are asked to read specific pages (33-35 and 37-39) of Kitchen Chemistry and watch a video before answering questions, requiring them to use information from an informational text. The Reading and Questions section includes explicit prompts (e.g., identify reactants and products; name factors that make reactions happen faster) that students must answer based on the reading. Multiple activities require students to record observations and write conclusions (Color Shift, It's a Gas, Prepare a Precipitate, Clean Pennies, Rusty Shapes) and to explain results to a parent, linking reading and experiment work.

Students are directed to read pages 40-41 and review the section "What Causes Reactions" (pages 35-37) and then answer specific comprehension questions about group 16, products of acid-base reactions, and the ion involved. Students are asked to review the pH chart on page 41 to predict pH of household items and then test and record actual pH, and to "try to explain the pH results" comparing predictions and observations. Students are also asked to use Valence element cards and provided chemical formulas to model reactions and determine product formulas, which requires using the provided informational formulas and descriptions.

The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill to "Draw inferences, conclusions, or generalizations about text and support them with textual evidence and prior knowledge," and students are asked to read Chapters 1 and 2 and answer specific questions (e.g., why people were afraid when the aircraft flew over) that require citing the text. The Character Timeline activity directs students to record words or phrases describing Jonas after each reading, which asks students to track and justify character changes based on the text. The assignment options ask students to explain and describe why an assignment would fit them, a task that can require using details from the novel to support their reasoning.

Students are asked to summarize chapters and recount main events without offering personal opinions, which requires identifying key text details. Students must record words or phrases that describe Jonas on a timeline and use the listed ceremony descriptions to create a "Timeline of Change," requiring them to extract information from the chapters. In Activity 1, students evaluate community rules by recording possible positive and negative effects and writing a sentence to explain and defend whether each rule should exist, which asks them to use text-based reasoning to support their judgments.

Students read Lois Lowry's Newbery Acceptance Speech pages and are prompted to identify the meaningful memories from her life that inspired The Giver. Students are asked to discuss how Lowry's memories relate to the novel (Parent Plan: stop and discuss the memories and how they relate to The Giver). Option 1 asks students to use Lowry's memories as a model and create a personal storyboard describing three memories that changed them.

Students are assigned specific pages of Prisoners of Geography (pp. 24–33) and answer guided questions that require using those texts to provide factual responses. Students use the book to locate and label features on maps (Activities 1 and 3) and to sequence territorial growth on a timeline (Activity 2), which requires extracting information from the readings. Activity 4 asks students to look up images and additional information online to create a postcard, which asks students to conduct brief research using informational sources.

Students watch informational videos and answer specific comprehension questions that require retrieving facts (e.g., identifying fossil fuels and minerals, timber uses, major crop producers, definitions of renewable/nonrenewable resources). Students complete Activity 1 by listing and matching natural, capital, and human resources for industries (lumber, automobiles, oil), which requires using information from the readings/videos to categorize resources. Students in Activity 2 gather product-origin data from labels and record and analyze those data (tallying, graphing, and answering questions about patterns), using factual information collected from real-world informational sources.

Students watch informational videos about Mexican and Canadian culture and answer specific comprehension questions that require retrieving facts (e.g., religion in Mexico, languages in Canada). Students complete a Venn diagram comparing cultural features of Canada, Mexico, and the United States, which requires them to pull similarities and differences from the presented texts and media. Students are instructed to research an American holiday using library or Internet resources and to record answers about its date, history, celebrations, symbols, and traditions on a research page.

Students are instructed to read pp. 64-69 of Prisoners of Geography and then answer analytical questions (e.g., how isolation impacts culture; why major cities are on coastlines), which requires pulling information from that informational text. Students watch videos about Central America and the Caribbean and answer factual and historical questions from those sources. In Activity 2 students must research a chosen country using provided web resources and complete a fact-based worksheet (capital, language, resources, industry) and in Activity 4 they complete an Island Data Disk by gathering information about climate, resources, industry, and environment from informational sites.

Students are asked to use an external web link ("Types of Governments") and videos to answer structured questions and fill-in-the-blank prompts, which requires locating information in informational texts/media. Option 2 asks students to compare and contrast a multiparty democracy with a one-party state and to explain what it would mean for citizens, which prompts reflective writing based on the informational source. The Activity 2 video response items require students to pause the video and record reasons for Latin American revolutions and details about historical figures, which involves extracting factual evidence from an informational video.

Students are asked to watch an informational video and answer factual questions (e.g., which country mines the most copper, what is Argentina's top export), requiring them to extract information from an informational source. In Activity 1 and Activity 4, students are instructed to use Internet links and other online resources to research natural resources, agriculture, imports/exports, and industry and to fill charts summarizing those findings. In Activity 2 (scavenger hunt) and the collage option, students locate and record the country of origin for products, using provided web resources to identify items that come from South America.

Students watch videos and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., ancestry of Central Americans, majority religion, main language) that require using information from those informational sources. In Activity 2, students identify traditional Central American foods from a provided word bank and record where they are grown and how their family uses them on a Food Card. The lesson asks students to "think about how these cultural aspects compare to those in your own life" and includes discussion prompts that ask students to explain connections between culture, environment, and history.

Students are asked to conduct research using specified informational sources (Prisoners of Geography, library resources, and the Internet) to gather facts for an embassy display or a 40-question trivia game. Activity pages (Embassy Presentation Research and economy/government/culture research pages) direct students to record factual details such as timelines, systems of government, natural resources, exports/imports, and cultural traditions. Rubrics for both the embassy project and the trivia game require accuracy, balanced representation, and "depth of knowledge," and instructions allow consulting Prisoners of Geography to resolve disputed answers.

Students read the informational book What Was the Great Depression (pp. 1–81) and answer specific questions that require them to list causes, explain effects on farmers, and explain Roosevelt's relief/recovery/reform—tasks that require drawing facts from the text to support their answers. Students read multiple first‑hand accounts and are asked to choose two accounts, match and justify images for a photo journal, and indicate sources, which requires using primary informational texts as evidence for their representations. Students are asked to compare the usefulness of photos (primary sources) and the book (secondary source) in understanding the period, prompting them to draw evidence from informational sources to support analysis and reflection.

The lesson includes an informational web link titled "The Phoenix" and instructs students to "pay close attention to what the author tells us about the phoenix," which directs students to extract information from an informational source. Option 1 asks students to "describe how the phoenix might serve as a symbol for Esperanza's circumstances," an analytical task that implies using information about the phoenix to support interpretation. The Parent Plan lists a skill to "provide evidence from the text to support understanding," signaling that students are expected to use text evidence in their analyses.

Option 2 directs students to read two specific informational web pages about the Mexican Revolution and use those sites to fill in two Venn diagrams comparing social/class systems and political systems in Mexico and the USA. The activity explicitly instructs students to identify similarities and differences and to use the websites to help fill the diagrams, requiring students to extract information from informational texts to support their comparisons. The Parent Plan also asks students to read and respond to historically or culturally significant works that enhance the study of history and social science.

Students are directed to read informational pages (pages 82–89 of What Was the Great Depression?) and to record interesting quotes from linked Dust Bowl videos in their journals. Students are asked to use a map with scale to estimate migration distance from Oklahoma City to Los Angeles, and to make a poster titled "The Dust Bowl" that includes printed images and the collected quotes. The Travel Tracer activity asks students to give page locations for scenes and to explain the role of setting in the story, showing practice in locating textual evidence.

Students are asked to read the chapter "Las Cebollas," choose two or three passages, read them aloud, and explain why they selected them, which requires using text details to support their explanations. Students plan and write a problem-solution paragraph about Esperanza (or a personal problem), organizing topic, causes, and solution details—tasks that ask them to use specific story events as support. Students complete a comparison chart describing similarities and differences between life at Rancho de las Rosas and life in California, using details from the chapter to justify their comparisons.

Students are asked to become a Line Locator by finding three to five lines or short passages in the chapter, copying the lines or recording page and paragraph numbers, explaining why those passages are examples of good writing or important to the story, and recording a thinking question that prompts analysis beyond the facts. Students choose a Cesar Chavez quote, write it down, explain its meaning in their own words, and relate it to Esperanza's story, which requires using a selected informational passage to support analysis and reflection. Students are also prompted to describe who Cesar Chavez was and what he did, which asks them to draw on the informational text about Chavez.

Students are instructed in the "On Strike!" activity to "record information from the book that could support the reasons" workers strike and to "summarize the examples found in the text and provide page numbers," which requires locating and citing textual evidence. The lesson provides two primary-source interviews (web links) about FSA camps for students to listen to, giving informational texts they can draw evidence from. Parent/teacher prompts ask students to explain examples from the text that support strike reasons, which prompts students to use textual evidence to justify claims.

The lesson explicitly asks students to compare What Was the Great Depression (an informational text) and Esperanza Rising with prompts such as "How were their approaches similar? Different? How did each text help you better understand the time period?" It also asks students to discuss what they learned about Mexican-American culture from reading the book, and to consider economic and cultural questions in the "Ideas to Think About" section that could prompt use of informational sources.

Students are directed to read pages 4-7 and a section on p.28 of an informational text (The Basics of Cell Life) and to answer specific questions that require extracting facts (e.g., who discovered cells and the term origin; identifying prokaryotic organisms). Students are asked to review definitions of magnification and cell and to read microscope instruction and safety information, which requires consulting informational texts to obtain procedures and definitions.

Students are directed to read pages 8–13 of an informational text (The Basics of Cell Life) and answer content questions about organelles and cell functions. Students are instructed to use information from the reading and linked illustrations to label or draw an animal cell and to make observations of cheek cells and paramecia under a microscope. Students must produce either an oral presentation or a written report that includes at least three facts about cheek cells and three facts about paramecia and at least two similarities and two differences, and they are allowed to use the Internet for additional ideas.

Students read pages 14-15 of an informational text and answer specific questions that require using content from that text (e.g., describing how animal and plant cells differ, identifying organelles in common, and defining photosynthesis). Students are instructed to use illustrations from the reading as guidance when drawing and labeling a plant cell, and to consult the provided diagram when checking labels. In the 3D model planning activity, students complete a chart that asks them to choose materials for each organelle and justify those choices, which can draw on information about organelle size, shape, and function.

Students are assigned specific informational readings (pages 21-25 and 26-27 of The Basics of Cell Life) and must answer direct comprehension questions about those texts (e.g., identify three specialized cell types; name and describe neurons). Students are directed to watch a video and use linked websites as references to sketch the four levels of organization and to write one or two sentences explaining the digestive or cardiovascular system. Several activities ask students to explain or justify ideas (e.g., "Do you think a cell is a good example of a factory? Why or why not?") using observations or information.

Students read informational pages (grasslands; planktonic and benthic habitats) and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., features of grasslands; locations and relationships of planktonic and benthic ecosystems). Students are instructed to use the reading and habitat images as reference when labeling or illustrating organisms, populations, communities, and abiotic factors in Activity 3. Students record hypotheses, day-by-day results, and conclusions for the brine shrimp experiment, and are asked to explain what they discovered and to share findings with a parent.

Students are asked to watch a video and read a Britannica webpage and then answer specific questions (e.g., name the four kingdoms; determine taxonomy level differences), which requires using information from those informational texts. Students are instructed to reread a page of a science text and explore an interactive bacteria model and then answer questions about similarities and differences between prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, drawing on those sources. Students must use Internet or other resources to find scientific names for animals for a collage, which requires gathering factual information from informational texts.

Students are instructed to reread the "Things to Know" and "Reading and Questions" sections and to write definitions and questions on index cards for study, showing use of informational text for review. Students are directed to review the "Four Kingdoms" sheet and the "Kingdoms of Life Rubric," gather their prior sketches, and make notes (with parent help or Internet resources if unsure) to create a comparative poster of the four kingdoms that includes labeled cell illustrations. Students are asked to look up answers using other resources and to have parents quiz them, indicating use of texts and external informational resources to prepare analyses and test responses.

Activity 3 directs students to "find an encyclopedia and read about Charles Darwin and how his discoveries and ideas changed the face of science." Students are then asked to record three questions they would ask Darwin and to list two things they would show or tell him "based on what you learned about him." The activity provides a Charles Darwin activity page where students write those questions and responses after consulting the informational source.

Students are asked to research their chosen prehistoric animal so they "know details about its habitat and how it lived" to prepare an obituary. The lesson provides links to informational videos (BBC "Walking with Dinosaurs" clips and a National Geographic video) for students to watch. Students also are directed to read examples of obituaries in newspapers or online and to perform a fossil excavation, which involves interacting with factual information about prehistoric life.

Students are asked to record an example of alliteration from "The Spider" and to record a line that creates a vivid image and describe the words the author uses, which requires locating and citing lines from texts to support analysis. Students are instructed to use a "Parentheses" page to examine how parentheses are used in some of the poems and to complete a Student Activity Page that asks them to mark where parentheses belong, requiring them to refer back to text examples. The activities require students to quote or record specific lines from the poems and explain how language creates imagery or effect.

Students compare a paragraph about polar bears (Student Activity Part I) to the original text and insert ellipses, which requires them to read and reference an informational passage. Students must explain why poets used ellipses in three selected poems (Student Activity Part II), which asks them to cite poetic lines or excerpts to support their explanations. The lesson questions ask students to identify irony and list attributes from specific poem lines, requiring students to refer back to text excerpts as evidence for their answers.

Students are asked to research an endangered or extinct species (Activity 2) and then write a poem that "should give details about the animal" based on that research. Students are directed to read biographies and other nonfiction about a selected poet (Activity 5) and then use what they learned to create an acrostic representing the poet's life and contributions. The lesson explicitly encourages using library and online nonfiction sources and notes that this is an opportunity to learn how to search for nonfiction in the library.

Students read DKfindout! Maya, Incas and Aztecs (pp. 4-11) and answer guided questions that require them to identify artifacts, note similarities among the three cultures, and explain which society they'd prefer to live in, using information from the text. Students use the book's map (pp. 4-5) to complete a colored map of the American continents, locating Inca, Aztec, and Maya regions based on the informational map. Students place dated timeline cards (e.g., Earliest Human Settlement, Preclassical/Classical/Postclassical era beginnings, agriculture and settlement dates) into a timeline binder, using dates and events drawn from the provided materials.

Students are asked to read pp. 12–21 of an informational text and then answer specific questions about leadership, gender roles, foods, and farming methods, which requires pulling facts from the reading. In Activity 1 students are directed to "use your readings to fill in the information about daily life" when completing the "If I Were a Mesoamerican Child" page. Activity 2 tells students to use the book (pp. 12–13) to label and match descriptions on an Incan society pyramid, requiring them to extract and apply text information.

Students are instructed to read specific informational text pages (pp. 22-25 and pp. 34-35 of DKfindout! Maya, Incas, and Aztecs) and then answer factual and comparative questions (Q1–Q5) based on that reading. Students complete a timeline activity that requires placing dated events (founding dates, rulers, and construction dates) drawn from provided informational cards. Students are asked to compare the three cities (Q5) and to reflect on what life would have been like in those cities in the wrapping-up prompts.

Students are instructed to read specific pages (pp. 38-43 and 46-47 of DKfindout! Maya, Incas, and Aztecs) and then answer content questions (e.g., how the Incas kept records, what writing systems the Maya used). One question asks students to compare and contrast Mesoamerican calendars with the modern calendar, which requires students to use information from the text to make an analytical comparison. In Activity 2 students are told to study images from Mayan and Aztec codices in the book and to use those images as models when creating and explaining their own codex.

Students are assigned to read specific informational pages (pp. 26-31 and 48-51) and then answer factual and comprehension questions (e.g., name three gods and their significance; identify the Incan sign to settle; list natural resources used for crafts). Students complete a 'Ceremonies in the Past and Today' graphic organizer that asks them to describe ancient ceremonies (who is involved, where it occurs, what it looks like) and to compare and contrast with modern events. Parent/teacher prompts ask students to describe religious systems and explain how festivals relate to the natural environment, which requires using information from the readings to support those explanations.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pp. 32–33 and 50–51 of DKfindout! Maya, Incas, and Aztecs) and then answer factual and interpretive questions based on those pages. In Activity 1 students must order weapons/items by importance and explain their reasoning to a parent, which asks them to use the reading to justify a ranking. In Activity 2 (Option 2) students review the same pages and answer questions about what gold meant to the Incas, how objects were used, where gold was found, and what the Spanish did with Incan gold, requiring students to refer to the informational text.

Students read an online informational passage about the Incas and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., identifying social classes and reasons for freeze-drying food). Students complete a writing prompt on the textile activity page that asks them to "Explain the significance of fiber work for the Inca people," and students complete the Quipu practice section where they write numbers represented by quipu knots and explain how their own quipu system works. The parent notes and wrapping-up prompts repeatedly ask students to explain and justify their quipu and mini-poster work to a parent.

Students watch informational videos and pause to paste events onto an "Aztec Children Timeline," requiring them to extract specific events from the video. Students add dated timeline cards (Decline of Mayan Power, Aztecs Arrive, Acamapichtli) to a timeline binder, matching events to dates. Students answer the Mayan Empire activity prompt asking for reasons historians think caused the decline, which asks them to record explanations drawn from the video content.

Students are asked to read assigned pages (pp. 36-37 and pp. 52-53) and answer factual questions about archaeology and the Spanish conquests. Students watch informational videos, take notes, and then write two paragraphs summarizing the fall of the Aztec and Incan Empires (Activity 3), using their notes as source material. In Activity 5 students are directed to identify an Incan artifact from books or online, sketch it, record when and where it was made, note important details, and answer what the object can tell about Incan culture.

Students are directed to review informational materials (the "Things to Know" sections, timelines, maps, and the Unit Review Sheet) and to refer to DKfindout! Maya, Incas, and Aztecs and earlier lessons when completing journal pages. Part 3 and Part 5 explicitly instruct students to incorporate information from DKfindout! and previous lessons into their Time Machine Travel Journal and to review and edit entries for accuracy and detail. The Option 2 unit test asks open-ended questions that require descriptive answers and analysis (e.g., describe discoveries, ceremonies, and the impact of Spanish conquest), and the rubric evaluates accuracy of government, religion, warriors, and festivals information.

Students are directed in Activity 1 to explore Incan culture using specified informational websites and to add what they find to an "Elements of Incan Culture" chart. The Parent Plan skills explicitly state students should "locate and explore the full range of relevant sources addressing a research question and systematically record the gathered information." Student activity pages provide graphic organizers where students record important information (government, technology, family roles, holidays, religious practices) drawn from the web sources.

Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, including a factual question about how the ancient Incans built their temples ("Thousands of men built them from large stones"). Students are asked to identify figurative language in a line from the text (recognizing a simile). Students are also instructed to reread the minstrel's songs and retell the story by writing a lyric poem, which requires using details from the text to organize events into stanzas.

Students are asked to research wildflowers in their state and make a guidebook (Option 1), which requires locating informational sources about plants. Students are asked to locate pictures of the Andes and Peru and to consider cultural elements they researched in a prior lesson when creating a photo collage (Option 2). The Parent Plan notes that the child will research wildflowers and that the collage should include different cultural elements, and the Skills section includes analyzing media for transmission of culture.

Students answer comprehension and interpretive questions that require referencing the text (for example, Question #2 asks for Chuto's characterization of the truck and includes a direct quotation). Students are asked to reread Chuto's description when completing the personification activity and to identify words and phrases that personify animals and objects. The Parent Plan explicitly instructs students to support analysis of figurative language by referencing the text.

Students are asked to answer text-dependent questions (e.g., "Reread page 54. How are the Indians in the high Andes dependent on the llamas?"), requiring them to extract details from the chapters. Activity 2 directs students to use the provided websites as sources and to "give an interesting description of each site and the historical significance," which requires locating and synthesizing information from informational texts. The Parent Plan skills explicitly state that students will "locate and explore the full range of relevant sources" and "synthesize research into a written or an oral presentation."

Students read Chapters 11 and 12 and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences that require them to refer to details in the text (e.g., why Cusi followed Misti, what he found on the carved stone). Students read an informational passage about Incan myths (Pachacuti, sun worship, Temple of the Sun), watch a linked video, and retell the creation myth to their family using two visual aids. Students complete an activity that asks them to underline time- and sequence-related transition words in an Aztec Creation Myth passage, demonstrating close reading of an informational/myth text.

Activity 2 provides multiple web links about the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire and instructs students to "learn more" about the conquest before choosing a writing option. Option 1 asks students to brainstorm what cultural aspects they would preserve after imagining an invasion, and Option 2 asks students to write a poem "focused on the subject of the Spanish conquest of the Inca and how it affected the culture," with a note to "use the websites provided below to review... and to learn more." The parent guidance explicitly asks adults to check that the poem "provides accurate historical information about the conquest."

The lesson asks students to "read about llamas in a reference book or on one of the following websites" and then complete an activity, which requires gathering information from informational texts. Option 2 directs students to make a five‑slide slideshow with topical slides (e.g., "How llamas have been used throughout history" and "Interesting facts about llamas") that requires 2–3 sentences per slide drawn from those sources. The "About the Author" activity gives students a list of factual information to turn into an informative paragraph, prompting students to use informational content to produce a written product.

Students are asked to narrate events from Cusi's life in first person, selecting three important events and putting them in chronological order, which requires using information about Cusi from the unit. The Organizing a Narrative Essay activity directs students to emphasize culture and how geography affects people, and the rubric's Ideas category explicitly asks for geographic impact examples and discussion of cultural identity. Students must describe what Cusi learned and how he changed, connecting events to a central idea, which involves reflecting on information from the source material.

Students are instructed to read pages 6-7 of Ancient Civilizations and then answer specific content questions (e.g., how agriculture helps civilizations, why civilizations form near rivers), which requires using the informational text to respond. Students complete a Social Structure activity by using information (the pyramid image and reading) to place labels and answer questions about social hierarchies. Students create a brainstorming page listing what they know and questions to guide future learning and are asked to review timeline cards and prepare a timeline binder to support later research.

Students are directed to read pages 8–9 of Ancient Civilizations and then answer questions such as "Based on what you read, how would you describe the work of archaeologists?" and "How has modern technology influenced archaeology?", which require drawing information from the informational text. In the online dig option students are asked to explore field notes, maps, and reports and to fill in the Analyzing Artifacts pages, using that documentation to support their analyses. The Analyzing Artifacts conclusion prompt asks students to explain the reasoning behind conclusions they reach from evidence, encouraging use of available informational sources.

Students read specific informational pages and use those texts to complete tasks (e.g., Activity 1 asks students to use maps on pages 10 and 36 to label rivers and cities and then answer questions about why people settled there). Activity 3 has students read translated laws from Hammurabi's Code and write comparisons to modern laws, directly drawing on those primary-text excerpts. Activity 6 requires students to read pages 38-39 and write 2-3 sentence summaries, and Activity 8 instructs students to refer to the book and additional sources when creating a research poster with factual statements and a map.

Students are instructed to pre-read and then read specific pages (pp. 12-13 and 24-25) and to write short summaries of each two-page section, which requires drawing information from the text. Question 4 asks students to report answers they found to questions generated during pre-reading, prompting them to locate text-based answers. The timeline activity requires students to find dates on pages in their binder and place timeline cards accordingly, and the trading-card activity directs students to look up rulers and choose correct information from the text/pages to fill in "known for" details.

Students read assigned informational pages (pp. 14–17) and are directed to pre-read headings, write questions, and write short summaries after each two-page section. Students answer specific text-based questions (e.g., relationship between pharaoh and gods; beliefs about the afterlife) that require extracting facts from the reading. Students use provided web links and the activity page to locate and record details about four Egyptian gods and to sequence mummification steps into a flowchart using p.16 and an external mummification guide. Students read at least two myths from linked sources and organize ideas on an activity page before retelling or creating a picture-book version, demonstrating gathering information from texts.

Students are directed to re-read pages 14–15 and answer specific comprehension questions that require pulling facts (e.g., why the Nile was important; what hieroglyphics are; ordinary Egyptians' houses/food/clothing). In Activity 1 students use a graphic organizer and provided web link to record multiple ways Egyptians used the Nile, requiring them to cite examples from informational texts or the web resource. In Activity 3 students must use pages 14–15, web links, and other resources to fill tables explaining types of work, tools/natural resources used, and status in society, and to state what they might like or dislike about each job, which asks them to use textual evidence to analyze and reflect.

Students are instructed to explore websites and use the "Web-based Review Pages" to record titles, URLs, descriptions, and personal reflections about each site. Students must use the "Share Your Findings!" pages to describe artifacts and explain what each artifact tells about the culture that produced it, and are asked on planning pages to explain how the natural environment was important to Mesopotamia and Egypt. The grading rubrics require that environmental importance and artifact explanations be "clearly and accurately explained," and students are asked to include URLs when using printed images.

Students are asked to read Chapter 1 and watch a video and then answer questions, including Question #3 which explicitly requires using at least one example from the chapter or the video to explain how water properties help support life. The Life Application task asks students to explain effects in a hypothetical scenario "using evidence from what you have learned about the properties of water." The Skills section also lists "Analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions, and develop the relationship between evidence and explanation," and activities prompt students to explain observations from investigations (surface tension, pepper problem) using molecular models.

Students are instructed to "Read Chapter 2 in the book Water: The Story of the Hydrosphere. Then, answer the questions," and they answer content questions (Q1–Q3) drawn from that text. Students are asked to use observations and measurements as evidence (e.g., "Use evidence from your measurements to explain your answer," and record mass, volume, and calculate density to support conclusions). Several activity prompts require students to explain reasoning and connect ideas (e.g., determine whether a chemical reaction occurred, explain where dissolved salt went, and explain why solutions arrange into layers using evidence).

Students are directed to read Chapter 3 of Water: The Story of the Hydrosphere and then answer specific questions (Q1–Q3) that require them to state what thermohaline circulation is, how upwelling supports life, and why currents matter for distant regions. Activity prompts and the Parent Plan instruct students to "construct an explanation based on evidence" and to "analyze evidence to explain observations," and students build models and answer reflection questions connecting observations to explanations. Several activity items ask students to use observations and answers (e.g., food-coloring dispersal, model assembly) as the basis for explanations about temperature, density, and ocean movement.

Students read Chapter 4 of an informational text and answer targeted questions about groundwater (e.g., "What is groundwater?" and "How does an aquifer form?"). Students watch a video and read an article and then use the article and a data chart to answer questions about patterns in water needed to produce foods and how drought-tolerant crops could reduce pressure on freshwater. Students use their model observations to answer explanatory questions (e.g., how gravity and the Sun move water, why groundwater occurs in some places) and are prompted to construct explanations and analyze evidence in the Parent Plan and activity pages.

Students are asked to read Chapter 5 of Water: The Story of the Hydrosphere and answer comprehension questions, requiring them to gather information from an informational text. In Activity 1 students use provided web links and other resources to research real-world aquatic problems and develop an inquiry question, which requires locating information from informational texts. Activity 4 asks students to "Make a claim about what happens in the ecosystem and support it with evidence (from your model)" and Activity 2/3 require students to explain what happened and answer cause-and-effect questions using evidence from the simulation and the chapter example.

Students are asked to read Chapter 7 of an informational book and answer guided questions that draw on that reading (e.g., definitions of erosion and weathering and how they work together). In Activity 2, students analyze a river map and are prompted to "use evidence to figure out where erosion and deposition are happening and why," and the student pages include an "Analyzing the Evidence" section requiring text- and diagram-based explanations. Several prompts ask students to "Explain your answer using evidence from your observations" and to connect observations to real-world landforms.

Students are asked to read Chapter 8 of an informational book and answer comprehension and cause-effect questions about hypoxia and agricultural runoff. In Activity 1 students analyze two graphs and are explicitly instructed to "use evidence from the graph to support your answers." In Activity 2 students watch an informational video, answer guided questions, and then model runoff, recording observations and using those observations as evidence to explain impacts. The mini-design challenge and parent notes repeatedly prompt students to use evidence from the text, graphs, video, and investigation to construct explanations and design solutions.

Students are instructed to "Read Chapter 9 in the book Water: The Story of the Hydrosphere. Then, answer the questions," and three text-based questions (e.g., What is chlorination? Why is wastewater treated?) require answers that come from that informational chapter. The Parent Plan Skills explicitly list that students will "Construct an explanation based on evidence" and "Analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions," and activity pages ask students to "Analyze Your Results" and answer reflective questions drawing conclusions.

Students are instructed to determine whether their chosen water source is freshwater or saltwater by researching its name in Google and checking maps. Students are told to use Google Image Search and other online research to identify common plants, animals, and insects and to build a picture of the ecosystem. Students collect observations from a water sample and answer guided questions about evidence of human impact, contamination, and possible solutions, and must present their findings and explanations to others.

Students are directed in Activity 1 to research the life of John Steinbeck using three linked informational websites and to answer specific questions on the "John Steinbeck" student page. The question set includes factual evidence-gathering prompts (e.g., where he grew up, college, summer job) and an analytical prompt asking how themes in his literature reflect his life experiences. The activity also asks a reflective question that prompts students to compare Steinbeck's life to their own, which requires drawing on information from the biographies.

Students read Chapter 2 and answer comprehension and analysis questions asking about Kino's possessions and the effect of phrases such as "vagueness of a dream," which requires attending to specific textual language. Students complete a "Verbs and Adjectives" chart by recording Steinbeck's strong verbs and vivid adjectives from the second paragraph of Chapter 2. Students then use that recorded evidence to create a drawing or write a poem based on Steinbeck's descriptive language, and parents are instructed to look for evidence of Steinbeck's descriptions in student work.

Students are instructed to locate information from informational texts (websites and at least one book) and record what they learn on a graphic organizer about La Paz or on note cards about pearl diving. Students must take detailed notes (at least 15 note cards for pearl diving) and organize those notes to write a one-page script or create a travel brochure that uses the gathered information. Students use their collected information to prepare and deliver an oral presentation or to design a brochure, and they are asked to think about how the research will help them better understand the novel and characters.

Students are asked to read pages 204–207 of an informational text about Africa and then answer specific questions that require drawing on that reading (e.g., explaining why Africa is described as "a land of contrasts," naming the three great deserts, and describing problems people in Africa face). Students also use the map on page 205 as a reference to label physical features on their assembled map. The unit encourages further inquiry by asking students to visit the library or Internet to learn more about topics they are wondering about.

Students are instructed to use Geography of the World (pages 208-213) to fill in a four-country table about climate, crops, farming influences, and major exports (Option 1). Students must write a short, well-organized paragraph in the brochure option explaining how a country's environment influences its economy and include 1–2 sentences citing environment, resources, and exports (Option 2). For the current events journal, students are required to record the news source, provide a 2–3 sentence summary of the story, and write a personal reflection, with explicit directions to use print, radio/TV, or internet news sources and to note the source name/URL.

Students are instructed to read specific informational pages (Geography of the World, pp. 214–219) and then answer factual and analytic questions about northeastern Africa. Students are asked to use the reading to fill out the "Cultures of Sudan" activity table and to answer why differences contributed to civil war and how it affected lives. Students are also told to "use this lesson's readings" to complete the comparison poem or visual map of ancient and modern Egypt and to add current-events items to a research journal.

Students are instructed to read pages 220–231 of Geography of the World and then answer comprehension questions that require information from that text (e.g., describing north–south climate changes and the role of musical storytelling). Students are directed to use Geography of the World to complete a two-column comparison chart documenting climate, landscape, natural resources, crops, and human-environment interactions for specific West African countries. Students are asked to add 1–2 news stories to a current events journal and to write a letter describing two countries' climates, resources, adaptations, and economies, using the provided readings as sources.

Students are assigned to read pages 232–237 of Geography of the World and answer comprehension questions, requiring them to extract information from an informational text. In Activity 2 students must use Geography of the World and other research sources to record colonial history, natural resources, languages, religions, and list the "Source(s) for information," and then answer comparative questions about similarities and differences. In Activity 4 Option 2 students are asked to read about a chosen country's natural environment, human needs, and conflicts and then write a well-organized paragraph (or report) summarizing the government's challenges, which requires synthesizing evidence from texts.

Students are assigned to read pages 238-245 and answer specific comprehension questions, which requires pulling facts from the informational text (Questions 1–3). Students are told to "refer back to your reading" and to include facts from the readings on the brochure (Activity 2, Page 4 — "Interesting Facts About Central East Africa"). In Activity 4 (Option 1 and Option 2) students are instructed to "read about mountain gorillas in Geography of the World and other sources," to "think about these questions" and to "try to find answers to these questions," then use that information to produce a poster and a 2-minute announcement. The Day 2 current events task directs students to add 1–2 news stories to a journal, requiring them to gather and summarize information from informational texts.

Students are assigned specific pages (Geography of the World, pp. 246-253 and pp. 270-271) to read and answer directed comprehension questions (Questions #1-#3) that cite those pages. In Activity 4 students are instructed to use textbook definitions on pages 270-271 to define forms of government and then place the eight southern African countries into the appropriate categories. In Activity 2 students complete a Venn diagram comparing apartheid in South Africa and segregation in the United States using the reading and suggested resources, and Activity 3 asks students to add 1-2 news stories to a current events journal, which requires finding and using informational sources.

Students are instructed to research each chosen country using the Internet, Geography of the World, or other sources and to record background information on the "Final Project Notes" pages. The directions require students to "use the information in your source articles to begin planning or writing a draft" of news stories or broadcast scripts and to create a citation for each source using the "News Report Citation" activity page. Rubrics for the printed newspaper, broadcast, and lapbook explicitly evaluate accurate reporting of current events and the inclusion of citations.

Students are directed to read Chapter 1 of Air: The Story of the Atmosphere and then answer targeted questions, including Question #2 which explicitly asks them to "Give two pieces of evidence from the chapter to support your answer." Activity 2 asks students to "use what you learned in Activity 1 and in your reading" and to label arrows in a systems diagram with examples from the reading. The Step Outside and Observe reflection and several short-answer prompts require students to explain and justify their reasoning about atmospheric processes using information from the text.

Students are asked to read Chapter 2 of Air: The Story of the Atmosphere and answer comprehension questions that require using the chapter (e.g., Q1–Q3). In Activity 2 (Layer Sorting Challenge) students must sort phenomena into layers and then "choose three of your placements and explain your reasoning using evidence from Chapter 2." The activity pages and parent plan repeatedly instruct students to support answers with facts from the chapter rather than guessing.

Students read Chapter 3 of Air: The Story of the Atmosphere and watch a related video, then answer guided questions that require explanations drawn from those sources (e.g., Explain why air pressure decreases as altitude increases; explain likely weather based on falling pressure). Students analyze a five-day weather data table and are explicitly prompted to "Use evidence from the data" to explain how changing air pressure affects weather and to support a Day 6 prediction. Student worksheets ask them to connect particle-level explanations to observed data and to draw a model showing how pressure differences cause air movement, requiring reference to informational evidence.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 4 of Air: The Story of the Atmosphere and answer comprehension questions, which requires extracting information from an informational text. In the Mapping Energy activity students use online maps (informational sources) to identify surface types and are asked to choose six locations and determine energy absorption based on those sources. Multiple prompts (e.g., "Answer the questions below using evidence from your model," "Use evidence to explain why land and water heat at different rates") explicitly ask students to support explanations with evidence.

Students are instructed to "Read Chapter 5 in Air: The Story of the Atmosphere" and then answer specific questions (e.g., identify the three ways heat energy moves and explain how solar energy can create wind), which requires using information from an informational text. Several tasks tell students to "reread the section in the book" or to "use your observations and what you learned in Chapter 3" when answering experiment questions, prompting students to draw on text content to explain results. Challenge questions and the Sea Breeze/Land Breeze activities ask students to explain processes using terms from the readings (radiation, conduction, convection), directing students to support explanations with text-based ideas.

Students are asked to read Chapter 6 in Air: The Story of the Atmosphere and then answer targeted questions (e.g., "What is the main reason that wind forms?" and "Explain how uneven heating by the Sun helps create global circulation"). Multiple activities prompt students to use information (e.g., "Use what you have learned today to answer the questions," "Questions to Ponder," and map-based tasks) that require applying ideas from the informational text to explain wind patterns and the Coriolis effect. The answer key and parent sections provide factual text-based answers that students are expected to reproduce or apply in their responses.

Students are directed to "use evidence from the map, apply what you learned in the video, and explain your thinking" in the Weather Front Investigation, which requires citing map features to support predictions. Students are told to read the tornado and hurricane case studies and "stop and think like a scientist, using evidence to understand how these storms form," and the Severe Storms Case Study activity asks students to "use evidence to explain how these storms form, how they are predicted, how they compare, and how people prepare." Students analyze real data in the Winter Storms activity by using historic snowfall data and answering questions that require calculations and evidence-based interpretation (e.g., comparing seasons and using data to predict trends).

Students read Chapter 8 and answer text-based questions that ask them to use information from the chapter to describe sources of air pollution and how human activities change the atmosphere. In the Climate Data Analysis activity, students examine graphs of atmospheric CO2 and global temperature and are explicitly asked to identify trends and cite evidence from the graphs (e.g., "What evidence from the graphs suggests that human activities are increasing emissions..."). In Activity 3 and Designing Solutions, students use observations from their agar experiments and information from linked resources to explain, evaluate, and design responses based on collected evidence.

Students are assigned the role of Cultural Commentator and instructed to read the first four chapters and use a journal to record what they learn about culture and characters, which engages them in gathering textual details. Students are asked to peruse two informational websites about Mozambique for about ten minutes to learn more, and to use maps and linked resources when completing the Southeastern Africa map activity. Students must create a Mozambique Quilt or compose Mozambique Trivia questions and answers, with instructions that much of the information for these activities can be gleaned from the novel and the provided links.

Students are assigned the role of Investigator to "dig up some background information" (geography, culture, history, author, etc.) and to record four or five bits of information in a journal, which requires gathering information from informational sources. The lesson gives an explicit factual statement about cholera ("Cholera is spread by eating food or drinking water contaminated with bacteria") and asks students to "consider why survival rates would be lower," which prompts students to use that informational fact in reflection or discussion.

Students are instructed to read the back-of-book section titled "The History and Peoples of Mozambique and Zimbabwe" and then complete multiple activity pages that ask factual questions (e.g., "What country fought the war against the Frelimo in Mozambique?", "What tribe took over the government in Zimbabwe?"). Students color and label flags, draw flags, and answer questions about tribal names, migration of the Portuguese, and Afrikaner origins using information from the informational pages. The parent plan also lists the skill "Respond to informational materials...by monitoring comprehension," indicating students work directly with informational text.

Students are asked to be a "Line Locator" while reading chapters 17–20: they find three to five lines or short passages, copy the lines or record page and paragraph numbers, and explain in their journal why those passages are examples 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 passage, which requires them to use textual details to support analysis and reflection. The journal task explicitly requires students to draw on specific textual evidence when explaining significance.

Students are instructed to research baboons' social dynamics and write an 8–10 sentence museum plaque (Option 1), which requires gathering information from informational sources. Students can choose to create a guidebook and are told to "learn more" about five animals and write 1–2 sentences for each, including printed pictures from the Internet (Option 2), which involves using informational texts. The Parent Plan explicitly states 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," indicating an expectation to use textual evidence.

Students are asked explicitly to "characterize Nhamo using text evidence" (Part IV) and to answer comprehension questions that require citing details from the novel (Part I and IV). The student activity pages prompt students to explain Nhamo's biggest problem and the theme of the book, tasks that ask for support from the text. The unit test preparation directs students to review "Things to Know," journal entries, and story elements, which requires locating and using evidence from the novel.

Students are asked to read pages 254–257 of Geography of the World and answer factual and explanatory questions based on that text. In the "Written and Non-Written Sources" activity students list written and non-written sources and answer questions about what researchers could learn from each kind of source. The Current Events Journal directs students to locate news articles from specified informational sources, summarize the stories, and reflect on them in a "Current Events Report." In Option 1 and Option 2 of "Comparing the Nations" students use Geography of the World to extract data and summarize governments, economies, areas, populations, and to calculate population density.

Students are asked to read specific informational pages (Geography of the World, pp. 258–261) and use those readings to answer factual questions and to determine dates and events for a timeline. Students must conduct research using provided web links, library or news sources for the "Reporter's Notebook on Aboriginal Rights," record three relevant facts and list their sources. Students must consult encyclopedias or online resources to complete a Venn diagram comparing the governments and to research economic exports for a poster or radio advertisement, using facts from informational texts to inform their products.

Students are asked to read pages 12–55 and "be sure to read the factual information about Australia, its plants and wildlife, and its people that follows each story," directing them to use those informational sections. In Activity 1, students research a specific Australian animal using the book's factual information and other sources and record habitat, diet, five facts, and an explanation of adaptations on the activity page. The Current Events Journal prompts students to find a news item about Aboriginal Australians, record the news source, list significant people and regions, write a 2–3 sentence summary, and give a personal reaction. In the Uluru option students are instructed to revisit reading and/or explore park websites and then produce a letter to the editor or persuasive bumper/button design based on what they learn.

Students are assigned to read pages 262-263 of Geography of the World and answer four specific reading questions that require extracting factual information (climate/terrain differences, first settlers, sheep population, electricity source). In Activity 2 students must research Maori art and artifacts using provided websites or other sources and complete a five-question activity page about the object's origin, materials, use, and cultural importance. In Activity 3 students record New Zealand's natural features that support outdoor activities and compare them to their own environment, requiring them to use informational evidence to explain connections and reason about possibilities.

Students are asked to conduct research on a Galápagos animal using library sources or the provided web links and then complete a field guide page or an illustrated diagram with sections for description, habitat, size, food source, and how the animal is adapted to its environment. The Current Events Report requires students to find a news item about Oceania, record the news source, write a 2–3 sentence summary, and provide a personal reaction, which asks them to draw on an informational text and reflect on it. The Tourism and Vacation Planning activities ask students to use information (from the reading and research) to analyze costs and benefits of tourism for island residents and visitors, prompting students to apply informational evidence to support their analysis and decisions.

Students read specified pages (266–269 of Geography of the World) and answer targeted comprehension questions about Arctic and Antarctic peoples, travel, the Antarctic Treaty, and record temperatures. Students complete the "Life in the Arctic" activity by referring to the reading (and optional research) to describe climate, challenges, and natural resources and to draw how animals meet human needs. Students complete mapping tasks using pages 267 and 269 to label natural resources and research stations and complete a Current Events Report that requires identifying a news source and writing a brief summary and personal reaction.

Students are asked to review unit readings (Geography of the World, Stories from the Billabong, activity pages) and then answer written-response test questions that require summarizing the earliest human settlement of Australia and summarizing an Aboriginal story and explaining its relationship to the natural world. Students must complete reflective test questions (What did you learn...) and create a brochure or museum exhibits that list at least three important insights about governments, economies, natural environments, and cultures, indicating what visitors should learn. Planning pages and the rubric require accurate descriptions and explanations in presentations, which require students to use information from unit texts and activities.

Students read Chapter 1 (Parts I and II) and answer text-based questions that require locating information (e.g., defining scientific theory, isostasy, continental drift). One question explicitly asks students to list evidence Wegener used to support continental drift, requiring students to draw specific evidence from the reading. Day 2 questions (for example, why the Earth's crust isn't getting larger) and the sea-floor spreading parent prompts ask students to use the reading and the model to explain processes such as subduction and the relative ages of oceanic rocks.

Students read Chapter 1 - Part III and answer direct questions about what divergent, convergent, and transform boundaries create, drawing their answers from the informational text. Students use the "Plate Boundaries" page or the Mountain Maker interactive to explain in their own words or illustrate what typically happens at each type of plate interaction. Students examine an image of Sichelkamm Mountain and are asked to explain how the mountain was formed and how they can tell, citing observations from the image, and students build clay models and demonstrate plate interactions to a parent while explaining the processes.

Students are asked to read Chapter 2 (Parts I and II) and answer specific content questions (e.g., criteria for minerals, rock types and formation), which requires pulling information from the text. In Activities 3 and 4 students use linked informational websites (rock keys, mineral ID guides) to examine samples and record identification data on the provided activity pages. The student activity pages prompt students to record observations (hardness, luster, grain size, best-guess identification) based on comparisons with the informational charts and web resources.

Students are directed to read Chapter 3 in Earth: The Story of the Lithosphere and to watch a seismograph video, then answer content questions about focus vs. epicenter and P- and S-waves, requiring them to use information from those texts/media. In Option 1, students must conduct research on a chosen earthquake hazard and complete an activity page that asks them to explain what the hazard is, how an earthquake triggers it, what damage it can cause, and to describe a historical example with details. In Option 2, students must plan a seismograph design and describe how it will work and its limitations, drawing on ideas from readings and linked resources.

Students are asked to read Chapter 4 and answer content questions, requiring them to extract facts (e.g., difference between magma and lava). Students must complete the "Find Out!" or "Real‑Life Research" activity using specified web links or news articles to answer guided questions about date, location, causes, damage, and aftermath of an event. On Day 2 students organize and present the information in a slideshow, poster/oral presentation, or written report, using the information they recorded to explain causes, effects, and precautions.

Students are assigned to read Chapter 5 in Earth: The Story of the Lithosphere and answer specific questions (Q1–Q3) that require using information from that text about relative vs. absolute age, complicating factors, and fossil occurrence. In Activity 1 students create a rock-layer model or describe one and then explain what parts are missing and what the remaining parts can tell a scientist, which requires interpreting physical evidence in light of informational material (including an excerpt and web links). The Parent Plan lists skills that ask students to "construct a scientific explanation based on evidence from rock strata" and to "analyze and interpret data on the distribution of fossils and rocks," indicating an expectation that students use evidence to support explanations.

Students read the University of Idaho "The Twelve Soil Orders" page and are instructed to note which soil orders are most common in their state and answer questions (e.g., identify Gelisols in Alaska and name the three most prevalent soil orders). Students locate and read their state's official soil PDF on the State Soils site, take notes, and use those notes to complete a Venn diagram comparison and a written "Difference Statement." Students watch the soil video and answer questions about erosion and prevention, and they record measurements and observations from hands-on soil tests to support conclusions about local soil.

Students are instructed to review the "Reading and Questions" sections and the Unit Review webpage before the test, which directs them to use information presented in previous lessons. Students must create a booklet using the "Final Project" pages by deciding what to say about topics and arranging descriptions and illustrations they completed in earlier lessons. The unit test contains short-answer questions (e.g., clues Wegener used, sea floor spreading, how earthquakes reveal interior structure) that require students to produce answers based on informational content they have studied.

Students are directed to read two informational biographies of J.R.R. Tolkien (two web links) and then choose an activity. In Option 1, students write five interview questions for Tolkien and are asked to "consider why each question would be an important one" and to explain three things they would tell him about the future and their reasoning. In Option 2, students create a collage where "each item on the collage should represent something important about Tolkien's life," and parents are asked to have students explain each image they included.

Students are asked to read Chapter 5 and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., identify the ring, its power, and Gollum's feelings), which requires locating and recording textual details. Students are instructed to "Record any examples of foreshadowing from Chapter 5 on the chart," which asks them to find and cite passages that illustrate foreshadowing. Students also write a brief description of events on the "Events of the Journey" page, summarizing chapter content from the text.

Students are asked to locate examples in informational sources: Option 1 asks students to collect artifacts from the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and the community and to "classify them" and "share your findings." Option 2 directs students to "look to different media outlets" and history books, to "find at least two examples of current events" and "three examples of historical events," and to "record your examples in your journal with two- or three-sentence descriptions" and rank them by impact. The Activities require students to analyze wealth and power using those collected informational sources as the basis for their analysis.

Students are asked to read a couple of early reviews/responses to The Hobbit (Activity 1) and then write a two- or three-sentence journal summary of the critic's response. The prompt asks students to identify whether the response is positive or negative and to explain some of the major points the critic makes. Students are also asked to describe any literary elements that the reviewer alludes to, and a sample primary source (Rayner Unwin's handwritten report) is provided for students to analyze.

Students are instructed to use their reading to complete the comparing-Hinduism-and-Buddhism table, with explicit guidance that they may need to look through several sections of the reading to synthesize information. Students are asked to review the reading and answer specific comprehension and content questions (Day 2 Qs) that require drawing facts from the text. Students must refer to maps and timeline cards in the provided texts to place locations and dates, and Option 2 directs students to apply what they have learned from the short reading to evaluate Buddhism from multiple historical perspectives.

Students read assigned pages (pp. 22–25 and pp. 26–32) and answer specific comprehension questions that require using information from those texts (e.g., questions about Sanskrit, the Vedas, Aryabhata, and ancient legacies). Students rehearse and perform a scripted play that directs them to review information about the caste system from page 15 and present the daily lives of Sudras and outcastes. In Option 1 of Activity 4, students examine an informational website about ancient Indian art/literature and complete a Website Review form that asks them to identify the creator, describe the site, rate its accuracy, and write a short review.

Students read specified pages of Life in Ancient China and answer factual and explanatory questions (e.g., about early settlements, the Mandate of Heaven, and Han contributions), using the book as their source. Students use the map on page 6 as a reference to create a composite map and label rivers, cities, and the Great Wall, drawing directly from the informational map. Students summarize accomplishments for seven dynasties and reflect on whether they would have liked living in each period, and they copy, illustrate, and explain a passage from the Tao Te Ching to show its meaning. Students locate dated timeline cards and attach them to a timeline binder, using the texts to place events in chronological order.

Students are asked to read specified pages (pages 18–23 and 24–31 of Life in Ancient China) and answer guided questions, requiring them to pull facts from the text. One question asks about Confucius and references a direct quotation on page 22, prompting students to use that passage to explain family loyalty and its relation to government. In Activity 1 students must locate timeline cards and match dates to pages in their timeline binder, and in Activity 2 the parent guide directs students to list exports and imports using page 13, which requires extracting information from the informational text.

Students are directed to read Introduction through page 17 of Life in Ancient Japan and to use information from pages 10-17 to answer questions about creation myths, the Jomon, the uji, and Emperor Kotoku. Activity instructions tell students to "list all of the natural resources that you have learned about from your reading," to draw trade arrows and label goods using the reading, and to "include examples" or create a flow chart showing shifts in power with dates and key details drawn from the text. The Power in Ancient Japan activity explicitly requires students to use the book to describe who held power, when, and what they did, which asks students to draw evidence to support their descriptions.

Students are asked to read pages 18-31 of Life in Ancient Japan and answer specific comprehension questions, requiring them to extract facts (e.g., the three main beliefs, kanji, haiku). Activity 2 directs students to complete a table or Venn diagram comparing Shinto, Buddhism, and Confucianism using information from the text, and Activity 3 instructs students to list cultural components from pages 19-25 on a trade map. Activity 4 and Activity 5 require students to use information from pages 26-27 and 28-29 respectively to compose a classified ad for warriors and to illustrate/label the Mongol invasions, explicitly asking students to draw on the book for content and, in some options, to list sources for images used.

Students are directed to review the "Things to Know" portions of each lesson, study maps and the three books from the unit, and look through library folktale sources for their project. Students must write scripts that "elaborate on the points made on each slide, providing additional background information, more details, or relevant examples," and prepare a unit test answer (e.g., explain the Silk Road) that draws on learned content. The project instructions require students to include accurate information about social structure, rulers, trade, cultural exchange, and belief systems drawn from the unit materials.

Students are assigned to read pages 1-6 of Changing Ecosystems and then answer comprehension questions (e.g., difference between ecosystem and biome; which components are necessary and why). Students complete an outdoor survey and use a filled survey table to classify components as abiotic/biotic and as producers, consumers, or decomposers, applying definitions introduced in the reading. The activity and the parent notes direct students to use the booklet illustrations and the reading to inform their diagrams and to consider how energy and matter flow through the ecosystem.

Students are directed to read pages 1–7 of Exploring Ecology and to consult specific informational websites (World Biomes, Missouri Botanical Gardens, UCMP Berkeley) to research biomes. Students use a Survey Table and two ecosystem tables to record biotic/abiotic factors, producers/consumers/decomposers, locations, and characteristics based on their research. Students must write a short paragraph for each ecosystem that mentions the biome, location, notable biotic/abiotic factors, and major characteristics, using the gathered information to present findings.

Students are directed to read specified pages in Exploring Ecology and Changing Ecosystems and to view a Photosynthesis Infographic, then use those readings to answer content questions (e.g., energy loss between trophic levels, role of decomposers). Students extract numerical data from the readings (blade counts, organism weights, population densities) and perform multi-step biomass calculations on the Exploring Biomass activity page. In Activity 2 students measure modelled water transfers and compare their results to the 10% energy-transfer figure, using their observations to evaluate and adjust the model.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pp. 17-19 in Exploring Ecology and pp. 16-17 in Changing Ecosystems, plus food chain pages) and then answer targeted questions about niches, competition, and symbiosis. The lesson prompts students to use the information they collected in Lessons 1 and 2 and to consult online sources as needed when completing the activity. In the activity students must explain whether organisms would survive in a different environment and justify that explanation, which requires using information from the readings or other sources.

Students are assigned to read pages 20–22 (or 22–24 online) and watch a video about ecological succession, providing informational sources for their work. The lesson's Skills list explicitly includes "Analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions, and develop the relationship between evidence and explanation." Students are directed to "consult online sources as needed" when creating a slideshow or portfolio and to write captions/descriptions for images, which requires using source information to explain stages of succession.

Students are assigned to read pages 6–15 of an informational book and are prompted to "pay attention to reasons for change" in ancient and recent times, which requires them to use text information about climate change, disasters, succession, and extinction. Guided questions ask students to explain how CO2 concentration, El Niño, and natural catastrophes affect ecosystems, requiring students to restate and apply information from the reading. In Activity 1 students must write a paragraph explaining how a volcanic island might be repopulated and create a sequence of images representing primary succession, applying ideas drawn from the assigned text and provided examples.

Students are asked to investigate a recent natural disaster by searching the Internet for images and using those images in a slideshow or portfolio, including captions that describe stages of succession. The Skills section explicitly tells students to "Analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions, and develop the relationship between evidence and explanation." Students must explain why changes occurred between post-disaster pictures and contemporary pictures and write a paragraph predicting the ecosystem in 20–30 years.

Students are asked to read specified pages in Exploring Ecology and watch a "Carbon Cycle Song" video and to use those sources for ideas when completing tasks. The lesson includes targeted comprehension questions (e.g., processes that enable carbon cycling, why death is important) that require students to extract information from the text. In the two final products (short story/poem or comic strip), students are instructed to include informational captions and to represent factual components of the carbon cycle drawn from the readings and video.

Students are directed to review specific informational texts (Exploring Ecology pp. 2–7 and Changing Ecosystems pp. 12–17) and to gather information from those texts or the Internet to complete ecosystem comparison activity sheets. Students record facts from those sources on the Ecosystem Characteristics tables and use that recorded information to predict and explain results when abiotic factors change. Students are asked to analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions, and develop the relationship between evidence and explanation (listed explicitly under Skills and reinforced in Option 2 instructions).

Students are instructed to "Review the information in this lesson's introduction and on page 15 in Changing Ecosystems by Alicia Hemphill" and then answer three guided questions, which directs them to consult an informational text before responding. The student activity asks students to make predictions, record observations across days, compare results with their predictions, and answer several "Questions to Ponder," encouraging use of prior information when reflecting on outcomes.

Students are directed to review specific informational pages (Exploring Ecology pp. 8-10, 14-15 and Changing Ecosystems pp. 1-3) before answering guided questions and completing activities. Question #1 and Question #2 explicitly ask students to explain how the carbon cycle and energy transfer relate to the Law of Conservation of Matter and Energy, requiring use of the assigned readings. Activity 2 instructs students to review texts before developing a food web and to represent flows of matter and energy, which requires drawing on informational sources for the diagram.

Students are directed to use the Internet, library books, and other resources to find specific information (images, maps, food chain position, ecosystem details, and reasons for extinction). Students record findings on a "Notes" page and are required to provide reasons for extinction and a written paragraph proposing how the extinction could have been prevented. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill to "Analyze and evaluate information from a scientifically literate viewpoint by reading, hearing, and/or viewing scientific texts and articles."

Students are asked to watch a video and review specific pages (video "The Threat of Invasive Species" and pages 16-17 of Changing Ecosystems) as sources of information. In Activity 1 students must use the provided informational websites to find invasive species, record where they occur, and write a brief description of the plant's impact, using information from those sources. The unit test (Part 6) asks students to explain what will happen when a new organism is introduced, which requires students to use information from readings or research to support their explanation.

Students are directed to read several informational websites about ancient and modern Korea (Activity 3) and to record information from those texts on the "Elements of Korean Culture" charts, sorting facts into "Today" and "Centuries Past." The Parent Plan skills explicitly list "Evaluate information from different sources about the same topic," and students are asked to continue adding evidence from the novel to their charts as they read. Students are also prompted to discuss the recorded information and answer questions about cultural change, which requires using the recorded information.

Students are asked to use information from Chapters 4–6 to identify and sequence the steps for making pottery (Option 1 and Option 2), which requires extracting specific details from the text. Students must write four thoughtful questions about Chapters 5 and 6, including a fact-based question "whose answer can be taken straight from the book," and provide answers or possible answers. Students are prompted to add details to an "Elements of Korean Culture" page and to explain how the pottery-making process depends on the natural environment, tasks that require using textual information to support their responses.

Students are instructed to research Linda Sue Park by reading biographies and watching interviews, take notes, and answer specific factual and interpretive questions on the "Linda Sue Park" page. Students must write a short paragraph that explicitly connects information about the author's experiences and relationships to how those influenced her writing. Several worksheet questions (e.g., items 6–10) require students to analyze and reflect on the author's purpose and attitude, drawing on the informational texts they read and viewed.

Students read Chapters 7 and 8 and answer comprehension questions that ask them to explain characters' actions and outcomes (e.g., why Min laughs, what happens to Min's pieces). Students create a mini-book in which they write an opportunity on each flap and "record at least one way the opportunity benefited Tree-ear, or how he used the opportunity to make his life or someone else's life better." Parents are prompted to "encourage your child to provide evidence from the text to support his conclusions."

Students are directed to visit multiple informational websites (Metropolitan Museum of Art, Asia Society Museum, Wikipedia, and a Korean celadon site) to view images and read explanations about ancient Korean celadon pottery. The instructions ask students to "consider how the artwork reflects the Korean culture and geography of the region," and discussion questions prompt students to explain how pottery reflected environment and culture. Students use observations from those sources to design and decorate a kimchi pot that reflects traditional Korean pottery styles.

Students are asked to justify interpretations "with examples and textual evidence" in the Parent Plan skills section and to support descriptions with examples from the text on the Relationship Web and Relationship Words activity pages. The Student Activity Page instructions require students to include examples from the text, specifically citing characters' thoughts, words, and actions to support their descriptions. Reading questions and discussion prompts require students to refer back to chapters and provide text-based answers in complete sentences.

Students are assigned to read pages 132-143 of Geography of the World and to answer specific content questions (e.g., where first cities were established and why; why the Ural Mountains are a significant boundary; which industries use the taiga), which requires extracting information from the text. The activity directions explicitly tell students to "use the information found in today's reading to help you complete" Option 1 (natural resources and the Siberian economy) and Option 2 (daily life in eastern Siberia), asking them to identify traditional vs. resource-driven economic activities and to compare how basic needs are met. The Option 2 extension asks students to write a short story incorporating at least three basic needs, and Option 1 asks students to explore connections between environment and economy, both of which require using textual details for analysis and reflection.

Students are instructed to read specific informational pages (Geography of the World, pp.144-145) and to extract facts from the Fact Boxes to complete a data chart listing each country's form of government, major industries/exports, adult literacy rate, and life expectancy. Students use those extracted data to create bar graphs and to plot literacy rate vs. life expectancy on a graph, and then answer targeted questions (e.g., which country has the highest/lowest literacy or life expectancy, and which countries are similar to the U.S.). The chart includes a Notes column and prompts students to refer back to the source pages for further details, directing them to gather and record evidence from the informational text.

Students are directed to read pages 146-159 of an informational geography text and to find and attach news articles about the Middle East as sources for a 3-4 day current events journal. Students must record the news source, list countries and significant people mentioned, write a 2-3 sentence summary, and answer analytical questions about government, economy, culture, and environment for each article. The journal requires students to attach or cite the article and includes prompts for personal reflection on each news story.

Students are assigned to read pages 160-165 of Geography of the World and answer comprehension questions (Q1-Q3) based on that reading, which requires using information from the text. Activity 3 directs students to "revisit today's readings and notice what the book says" about specific environmental issues and to choose one issue as the basis for a poster or radio/TV advertisement. The poster/ad tasks ask students to explain "what is happening," "why this is a problem," and "what people should do," which requires using the informational text to inform their explanations. The current events journal also asks students to complete report pages that can draw on informational sources about the region.

Students are directed to read specific pages of Geography of the World (pages 166–173 and additional monsoon pages 166, 169, 188, 196, 202) and to answer factual questions (Question #1–#3) based on that reading. Students are asked to "synthesize what he has learned from the readings about monsoons" during a parent-led discussion and to complete reflection prompts on the Monsoons activity pages about soil, flooding, and cultural responses. Students are also asked to complete current-events report pages for a Middle East journal and to write postcards describing natural environments or cultures of chosen countries, tasks that require using information about the region.

Students are directed to read pages 174–187 of Geography of the World as a primary informational source. Students use the book and linked websites to create an illustrated flow chart or a poem that explains rice production "as described in Geography of the World" or from other sources. Students are asked to research and record specific details about government, economy, and culture for ancient and modern China (and optionally Japan), filling in comparison charts and answering a question about similarities and differences.

Students are instructed to read pages 188–195 of Geography of the World and then answer specific comprehension questions, requiring them to pull facts (e.g., Thailand not colonized; Myanmar crop substitution; Cambodia hardships) from the text. Students complete Activity 2 by comparing and contrasting river valleys and uplands using the book and recording labeled sketches, which asks them to use textual information to support analysis. In Activity 3 (Options 1 and 2) students must choose three countries, identify natural-resource-based and other economic activities using the book (or additional research if needed), and organize that evidence in a chart or flapbook for analysis and an investor-style research task.

Students are instructed to read pages 196–201 of Geography of the World and answer specific questions (e.g., which areas are at risk from typhoons; Wallace's Line; East Timor independence), requiring them to pull facts from the text. The "Cultures of Indonesia and the Philippines" activity explicitly tells students to record what they have learned "using 'Geography of the World' as a reference," filling a two-column chart with history, languages, religions, ethnic identities, and connections between culture and environment. The "Measuring Indonesia" activity asks students to use the book's stated length of Indonesia (p. 198) and other reference sources to calculate and mark scaled distances, demonstrating use of informational data from texts and maps.

Students are assigned to read pages 202-203 of Geography of the World and answer content questions that reference page 202 (e.g., explain how coral islands are formed). Activity 2 explicitly tells students to "use Geography of the World and the 'Environmental Threats in the Indian Ocean' activity page to record the threats" posed by pollution, monsoon rains, and tourism. The Make Your Own Atoll activity directs students to "Refer to page 202 of Geography of the World for details on coral atoll formation," and the map activity points students to page 203 for relevant map details.

Students are directed to "go back through Geography of the World and your activity pages from lessons 1-9 to take notes" and to use those notes to choose countries and explain "how does it fit the theme?" on the Final Project Planning Page. The unit test includes written-response prompts asking students to "explain how the natural environments influence the cultures" of chosen regions, requiring students to refer to informational content. Project pages instruct students to provide "In the News" summaries, "A Note About History," population and economic facts, and to evaluate whether they can find information in encyclopedias, country books, or the internet, indicating use of informational sources for research.

Students watch an informational video about the Sun and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., source of the Sun's energy; forms of energy; the Sun's future), requiring them to extract factual information. Students record mass measurements and write observations in the 'Defining Matter' activity and respond to reflective 'Questions to Consider' (e.g., Is matter created/destroyed? What role did energy play?), which asks them to use data and conceptual descriptions to support explanations.

Students are directed to read pp. 8-10 of Exploring Ecology and to "pay attention to how energy is transferred through an ecosystem," and they answer comprehension and explanatory questions (e.g., why the energy pyramid is a pyramid and limitations of pyramid diagrams). The activity tells students to "draw a diagram... using what you have read" that represents energy flow and to include terms (energy, producers, consumers, decomposers), so students must use information from the informational text to build and justify their model. The Student Activity Page and image text provide explicit informational statements (photosynthesis, cellular respiration, energy loss) that students can draw evidence from for their answers and diagram.

The Parent Plan lists the skill "Analyze evidence to explain observations, make inferences and predictions, and develop the relationship between evidence and explanation," and students are asked to review pp. 8–11 of Exploring Ecology and watch a video while paying attention to energy flow. Questions following the reading ask students to reason about energy and matter transfers (e.g., why only ~10% of energy passes to the next trophic level), and the activities require students to use those ideas to create diagrams or organize manipulatives showing flow of matter and energy.

Students are instructed to review specified pages in Exploring Ecology (pp. 8-10 and p.14–15) and to keep interactions between matter and energy in mind while reading. Five guided questions (Questions #1–#5) require students to explain concepts (e.g., why plants are primary producers, cycling of carbon) based on that reading. The Parent Plan and activity directions ask students to "take the evidence and make an explanation" and to record explanations and predictions on the Potassium Iodide Test student page.

Students are directed to "Read pp. 12-16 in Exploring Ecology" and to "pay attention to information about the cycling of water, nitrogen, and carbon in the environment" and to "look carefully at the diagrams," which requires extracting information from an informational text. Activity 1 explicitly asks students to use information and illustrations from the readings to create a Venn diagram comparing the three cycles, prompting students to select and record characteristics from the text and diagrams. The set questions (e.g., why the water cycle is like a circulatory system; role of the Sun; role of bacteria) require students to produce answers based on the reading.

Students are directed to review pages 8-10 of an informational booklet and to "refer back to the readings" when answering the Questions to Consider and the Scenario Response. The activities require students to use the photosynthesis and cellular respiration equations and the text-based descriptions (Photosynthesis Description) to answer analytical questions about interdependence, energy flow, and consequences if autotrophs stop producing oxygen. Option 2 has students organize drawings based on a provided descriptive passage and then answer text-based questions that require using that passage.

Students are instructed to review specified pages in Exploring Ecology (p. 9 and pp. 14-15/10 and 15-16 online) and then answer content questions (e.g., explain why decomposers are important for carbon cycling). Students write predictions and results for the Observing Decomposition experiment and compose a brief paragraph explaining their answers or a response to a hypothetical scenario, tasks that draw on information from the readings. The Activity 2 survey asks students to record observations and, if unsure about an organism, to perform an image search later to identify it, linking text-based information to research.

Students are directed to read pp. 12-13 (or pp.13-14 online) in Exploring Ecology and to use that information to answer content questions (e.g., explain ways water is released to the atmosphere; describe storage of water). Students complete the "Questions to Consider" activity after the solar-still experiment, answering prompts that require them to explain processes (evaporation, condensation) and to relate the model to the water cycle. The Questions and Activities require students to use information from the assigned informational text and their observations to respond in complete sentences.

Students read the assigned "Nitrogen Cycle" section and are instructed to consider the role of nitrogen, balance, and organism interactions while answering questions. Students follow an interactive web link and track the journey of a nitrogen atom, filling in and labeling stages and molecular forms on an activity page. Students use provided web links or their own research to complete the Plant Food activity and to answer open-ended questions (e.g., recommend a fertilizer, explain eutrophication), which require using information from informational texts.

Students are asked to research two or more sustainable farming techniques using the Internet or library sources and to seek reputable sources (e.g., .edu and research organizations). Students must write labels and explanations showing how chosen techniques incorporate the carbon, water, and nitrogen cycles, and create diagrams that explain how their farm incorporates those cycles. The lesson includes explicit prompts to do additional research for the display and gives an example label that links a farming practice to soil and nutrient outcomes.

Students are asked to "Find sources of information to answer your research questions" and to "Record information to answer your research questions," which requires gathering and extracting information from informational texts. In Activity 2 students read the CNN article about the Dakota Access Pipeline and complete a Point of View chart to list how different stakeholders view the issue, directly drawing information from that text. The Independent Study Rubric and Parent Plan require using multiple types of resources (at least four kinds, 6–10 total) and a note-taking method, and students must use those sources to write an argumentative essay and develop a presentation.

Students read two contrasting informational articles about Sir Sam Hughes and complete a Detecting Bias handout that asks them to describe how Hughes is portrayed in each piece and to identify types of bias with examples from the texts. Students read the "U.S. Steps Up Leaflets to Sway Afghans" article and answer journal questions that require them to cite techniques used and the purpose of the leaflets. In Activity 3, students watch advertisement videos and find additional ads, then record the intended audience, the idea or product promoted, and explain effectiveness using evidence from the ads on the Propaganda in Advertisements handout.

Students are guided to generate a research plan and gather relevant information (Parent Plan Skills: "Generate a research plan for gathering relevant information" and "Include evidence compiled through the formal research process"). Students complete a KWM chart to record what they know and what they want to know, prompting targeted information gathering from print, Internet, interview, and video sources. The lesson tells students to clarify research questions and to evaluate and synthesize collected information, which implies using gathered material in their research.

Students are instructed to gather and record information using a gathering grid or note cards, with sample entries showing information taken from specific sources. Students must use at least four different types of resources and evaluate websites for purpose, authority, currency, and objectivity. Students must find at least three opinions from different stakeholders and record three supporting details for each, and they must document sources on a Works Cited page. Students are asked to develop research questions and reflect on how their position evolves after reviewing other points of view.

Students are prompted to locate and insert facts, statistics, research, expert opinions, examples, and quotes in each body paragraph (Activity 1: "Evidence, evidence, and more evidence"). The parent-plan and skills list instruct students to support main ideas with facts and details from multiple authoritative sources and to synthesize research into a written presentation with quotations and documentation. The example outline models drawing specific informational evidence (e.g., "The U.S. consumes 20.8 million barrels of oil a day…"), and Activity 4 asks students to connect research to claims and revise using transitions that show those connections.

The Parent Plan section explicitly tells parents that students will "write research reports that ... support the main idea with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources" and that students should "synthesize research into a written or an oral presentation ... and uses evidence to support conclusions." Student activities require students to create informational and persuasive products (e.g., brochure, poster, PowerPoint) that "inform" or "persuade" and to "explain the multiple points of view on your topic," which implies using supporting information. The lesson asks students to base their presentation outline on their completed argumentative essay, connecting the presentation product to prior researched writing.

Students read specified informational pages (pages 22-23) and answer direct questions that require drawing facts from the text (e.g., identifying the Minoans, their accomplishments, Mycenaean rule, and craft items). Students use the informational map on p. 22 to label places (Crete, Knossos, Mycenae, Troy) when creating their map, showing they extract geographic evidence from the text/map. Students are directed to use the reading and an external webpage about Mycenaean art to create a merchant sign listing exported goods and to add timeline cards from the unit to a world history timeline, which requires selecting factual information from informational sources.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (Ancient Civilizations pp. 42-43 and pp. 38-39) and then answer guided questions that require factual information drawn from those texts. Activity 2 asks students to use the readings and additional online resources to complete a Venn diagram with at least three details for Athens, Sparta, and shared features, which requires comparing and synthesizing information from informational texts. Activity 5 requires students to note dates on timeline cards and "find the page that includes that date in your binder," explicitly directing students to locate textual evidence for chronology.

Students are directed to read pages 44-45 and linked web pages about Greek family life and gods, and questions reference information on those sources (e.g., BBC website images for education and women). Activity 2 explicitly tells students to "refer back to your readings to help you determine a detail for each part of the day" when creating a historically accurate daily schedule. Activity 3 requires students to read summaries of 5-6 famous Greeks and to skim encyclopedia/Wikipedia articles before completing activity pages about who the person was and why they mattered.

Students are directed to read pages 46-47 of the textbook and answer specific comprehension questions about Alexander, which requires using the informational text for factual support. In Activity 1 students must design a monument and (per the parent notes) be able to explain why they incorporated each element using information on pages 46-47. In Activity 3 students locate the pages that include specific dates to add timeline cards, which requires finding and using text evidence to place events.

Students are directed to read specified pages and linked informational web articles before answering factual questions, which requires extracting information from texts. In Activity 1, students must compare and contrast two written/video accounts of Rome's founding and judge how likely each theory is, using archaeological and textual evidence. In Activity 2, students are asked to build a pros-and-cons list about Brutus or write a 3–5 minute persuasive speech that includes background information and specific reasons, and they are encouraged to use the provided readings, video, and websites for support.

Students read specified pages and web sections (Ancient Civilizations pages 51-52, Ancient History Encyclopedia sections on expansion and Augustus, and PBS/other emperor pages) and answer targeted factual questions (QUESTIONS #1-5) based on those texts. In Activity 2 students must write a diary entry from Augustus' point of view or compare two emperors after reading about at least three emperors, requiring them to use information from the informational texts. In Activity 3 students trace trade and transport routes from a provided article and must be able to tell a parent what goods Rome imported, drawing on the source material.

Students are instructed to read page 53 and the linked "Education in Ancient Rome," to underline or star important ideas and mark surprises or questions as they read. Students are told to "review today's reading and use the web links provided and optionally your own research" to learn more and to "use your reading as a guide" when writing letters, scripts, or creating illustrations. Students complete the "Religion in Rome" chart by filling in information "use the information you learned in the material about the religions" and complete a "Famous Ancient Roman" research page using web sources. The activities repeatedly require students to extract facts from informational texts to describe daily life, explain religious practices, and record biographical details of historical figures.

Students are instructed to read Khan Academy and a second article ('External Causes,' 'Internal Causes,' and 'Conclusion') and then answer analytical questions about Christianity's role in Rome's decline and whether barbarian attacks caused the fall. Students sort listed factors into 'Internal' and 'External' categories (Activity 2), which requires using reading content to classify causes. In Option 2 of Activity 3, students read three New Testament passages and analyze the authors' messages about persecution, explicitly drawing conclusions from those informational texts.

The Main Course option 3 asks students to "Research and explain how ancient Greek and Roman governments influenced the 21st century in a short essay," requiring students to gather information to support an explanation. The rubric requires the Main Course to "present accurate information" and to be "well-written," which implies students must use factual evidence in their writing. The Parent Plan and activity directions repeatedly instruct students to plan, draft, and polish a written Main Course, which supports conducting research and producing an evidence-based product.

Students are instructed to "Read pages 5-11 in the book Why Things Move" and told to "Use the reading to help you answer the following questions," which directs them to draw on an informational text. Multiple question prompts require students to apply text-based concepts (e.g., "Use Newton's first law to explain why the coin behaved the way it did" and "Use all three of Newton's laws to explain why your balloon rocket accelerates"), and the mini-book activity asks students to match law descriptions and definitions from provided text. The activities also include guided explanation spaces (Observation, Explanation, Comparison) where students must use ideas from the reading to explain experimental results.

Students are assigned to read pages 20–24 of an informational book and watch two short videos, then answer explanatory questions (e.g., about gravity, air resistance, and centripetal vs. centrifugal force). In Activity 1 students are instructed to "read about how accelerometers work and relate it to Newton's first two laws" and to record an explanation linking the reading to their observations. In Activity 2 students must describe forces from two perspectives (rock in the bucket vs. outside observer), using the vocabulary and explanations provided in the reading and answer keys.

Students are instructed to read specific informational pages (pages 25-28 and 29-33 of Why Things Move) and answer targeted questions about definitions (e.g., kinetic vs. potential energy, what joules measure). The activities prompt students to recall and apply concepts from the reading (for example, noting that weight is a force and using the definitions of newtons and joules when measuring force and calculating work). Several prompts connect reading knowledge to analysis of experimental results (e.g., asking what the results mean and whether the force required changes with distance, and reminding students to use read concepts when interpreting mechanical advantage).

Students are asked to review an informational web page and video on Kepler's laws and then answer specific analytic questions (Activity 2), which requires using information from that source to explain planetary motion. The Analyzing the Data and Kepler's Laws activity pages prompt students to apply what they learned from readings and experiments to explain phenomena (e.g., why inner planets orbit faster, how velocity affects orbit). The Parent Plan lists the skill of constructing and presenting arguments using evidence to support claims about gravitational interactions, indicating an expectation that students use evidence to support analysis.

Students are directed to read pages 9-15 of D'Aulaires' Book of Greek Myths, which present the Greek creation story. Students are asked to "Summarize the Greek creation story in two sentences," a task that requires extracting key information from the assigned text. Students are also asked to compare that story with creation stories from other cultures ("Have you heard creation stories from other cultures or religions that are similar to or different from the Greek one? Explain."), and the Wrapping Up section asks students to identify recurring themes (power and revenge) drawn from the reading.

Students are directed to read specified pages (e.g., pgs. 16-27, 38-41, 56-62, 22-23) and answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about how myths explain phenomena. Students are asked to write descriptions of gods using information on given pages (Option 2 instructs them to explain what each god rules over using pages 22-23). Students locate vocabulary words in the text and read them in context before matching definitions and motions, and students place gods on a family tree based on the readings.

The Parent Plan lists the skill to "provide evidence from the text to support their understanding." Students are asked to "explain his decisions with examples" when choosing a favorite god or goddess. Activity 2 prompts students to "consider what people in the past were trying to convey" and to "analyze these age-old stories," and the pot activity asks students to "think about the gods' story and the symbols" and to look at artifacts on the provided websites.

Students are directed to read specific pages (70–107) and to "be on the lookout" for how greed and the desire for power lead to consequences, asking them to consider and provide examples (e.g., Prometheus, Pandora, Deucalion). Students answer analytic questions that require using story details (Do you think Prometheus should have given fire? Why or why not?; How are flood stories similar/different?), and they must select a myth and transform its events into an 18–25 line play, which requires recalling and using textual details. The prompt to "provide an example of this from the myths you read" explicitly asks students to draw on the reading to support their response.

The lesson directs students to read pages 114-122 about Perseus and answer specific comprehension questions, requiring students to use details from the text (e.g., why Acrisius locked his daughter, why the king sent Perseus after Medusa). The Parent Plan Skills explicitly states 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." The Conventions of a Myth activity asks students to identify elements (hero, gods, monster, problem) using the story of Perseus, which requires locating details in the text.

The Parent Plan Skills explicitly tell students to "support those findings with textual evidence" and to "explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence on the topic, text, or issue" for discussions. Multiple student tasks require text-based analysis: students answer comprehension and analysis questions in complete sentences after reading the myths and complete Activity 3's chart comparing the traditional Daedalus and Icarus myth to Brian Greene's contemporary retelling. Activity 4 asks students to take notes while watching a filmed version and to discuss specific details, prompting use of textual/film evidence to back observations.

The Parent Plan Skills explicitly state that students will "analyze, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the author's purpose... and provide evidence from the text to support their understanding," and 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." Prewriting and the "Conventions of a Myth" activity ask students to identify conventions and themes of an original myth, implying students must cite elements from the original text to justify their choices. The rubric requires organization and that students "follow the conventions of a myth," which students must demonstrate using details from texts they have read.

Students are assigned to read pages 1–14 of Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself and answer comprehension and analytic questions (Questions #1-4) that ask them to explain periodization and link violence and institutional power to the rise of feudalism. Students are instructed to use the map on page 5 as a guide when labeling regions and to draw arrows from places of origin to settlement locations, tying map work to the informational text. Students are told to review Chapter 1 and the "Things to Know" section before writing diary entries or letters in Option 2, and the timeline, map, and feudalism activities require students to base placements, labels, and explanations on the assigned reading.

Students are asked to read pages 15–23 of an informational chapter about medieval monarchs and answer specific comprehension questions that require information from that text. In Option 1, students complete a two-column activity comparing the king's powers before and after the Magna Carta using information found on page 19. In Option 2, students copy the full text of the Magna Carta and other political documents to create word clouds and then answer analytical questions comparing those documents.

Students are asked to read specified pages (24–48) of an informational text and answer content questions (Questions 1–4) that require factual explanations drawn from that reading. In Option 2 (The Training of a Knight) students must write a diary entry that explicitly should "reflect the details on pages 24-28 of the reading." In Activity 2 (Planning a Siege) students are told to "Review the descriptions" on pages 28–30 and 42–45 and then write a well-organized paragraph explaining attack details and predicted defenses.

Students are assigned to read pages 49-64 of an informational book about medieval castles and feasts and then answer four specific questions (e.g., how geography influenced castle placement, differences in sleeping arrangements, kitchen placement, and feast etiquette). In Activity 1, Option 1 directs students to design a castle "using the descriptions in today's reading as a guide," and Option 2 asks students to create a tapestry image that "reflects some aspect of medieval culture," which presumes use of the informational text. The Life Application directs students to use recipes from the reading to prepare period foods, requiring them to extract procedural information from the text.

Students are assigned an informational reading (pages 65–90) and asked to answer four directed questions (Questions #1–#4) that require pulling facts about women's roles, the church, town vs. village life, and plague transmission from the text. Activity 2 (both options) asks students to use information from the reading (page 69 and plague descriptions) to compare medieval and modern hygiene or to analyze plague impacts using a data-simulation sheet and follow-up questions. Activity 3 and Activity 4 require students to use what they learned in the readings (e.g., page 77 for cottages, page 85 for shop/guild details) to produce a model/drawing and write help-wanted ads that describe work and community roles.

Students are instructed to read specified informational pages (pages 91-104 of the textbook and an NCpedia article) and then answer guided questions that require using that reading (e.g., the Dissent and the Church activity directs students to use pages 91-94; the Medieval Pilgrimage activity directs students to review pages 96-99). The Reconquista activity requires students to read an external article and then summarize, create a timeline, list motivations, and explain differences in religious tolerance based on that source. The Crusades and Joan of Arc activities ask students to reflect and compare perspectives using assigned readings (prompts ask students to write imagined reactions or compare Joan's life to expected roles using specific page references).

Students are assigned to read pages 105-114 and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., describing the Divine Office, the role of monasteries, and Gothic architecture), which requires pulling facts from the text. The diary activity directs students to "use the descriptions in the reading to help you imagine" daily life, asking them to base their creative writing on textual details. The life-application and parent-discussion prompts ask students to reflect on experiences (silence, preservation of texts) using information drawn from the reading.

Students are assigned to read pages 115-116 of Great Medieval Projects You Can Build Yourself, an informational text about the end of the Middle Ages, and answer comprehension questions (e.g., defining "Renaissance" and explaining why that name was used). Students complete the "The Middle Ages & Today" activity in which they list items (books, movies, toys/games, other) and are asked to explain what influence the Middle Ages had on each item. In the "Naming Our Own Era" activity students collect and analyze people's responses and then write descriptive adjectives and a name for the era, which requires reflection and analysis of gathered information.

Students are asked to consult readings and earlier activity pages when planning their medieval fair scripts or when creating a map/model ("Consult your reading from earlier lessons as needed"). Students must include specific historical content in their presentations and maps (e.g., feudalism, the Crusades, the role of the church) and use planning pages to turn those ideas into 2–3 paragraph scripts or map walk-through notes. The unit test contains short-answer questions that require students to define feudalism and explain processes (e.g., becoming a master craftsman or a monk), asking students to draw on what they have learned.

Students are instructed to read the "Light" section and pages from Light and the Eye and then answer explicit comprehension questions (e.g., "What is light?", "How does reflection occur?", "How fast does light travel?"), which requires extracting information from informational texts. Students are also asked to discuss findings with a parent and respond to follow-up questions about angle of reflection, linking reading and hands-on observations. The Reading And Questions portion and the follow-up discussion prompt engagement with source texts to obtain factual answers.

Students are instructed to read the informational sections "Opaque, Transparent, and Translucent Objects" and "Shadows" and then answer specific comprehension questions, using the text to define terms and explain differences. On Day 2 students read an archived Liverpool Museum page about sundials and answer questions about the gnomon and what affects shadow length. The lesson also provides an optional sundial web link for further information that students can consult.

Students are assigned specific informational readings (pages in Light and the Eye and the 'Lenses' section) and then answer directed questions about definitions and differences (e.g., what is refraction, difference between reflection and refraction, convex vs. concave). Students complete the 'Shhh! Here's How It's Done' sheet asking them to write or diagram what really happened and explain why the magic trick worked, and they are prompted to 'explain to [family] how the trick works.' Students are asked to 'Review the definitions' and 'Explain why each one directs light rays differently' when showing concave and convex objects to family.

Students read multiple informational texts (Light and the Eye pages and a KidsHealth article) and answer directed comprehension questions about pupil adjustment, the retina, rods, and cones. Students watch explanatory videos (eye structure and camera obscura) and label or draw diagrams with terms such as lens, optic nerve, cornea, iris, pupil, retina, rods and cones. Students assemble a model and explain orally which parts are visible/hidden and what each part does to allow vision. Students are asked to "Explain how the retina works and why your brain has to flip images right side up," which asks for a reasoned explanation based on the readings and video.

Students are instructed to read an informational article about animal eyesight (linked) and then answer content questions about cats' and birds of prey vision, which requires using information from the text. In Option 2 students are directed to read pages 5-12 of a museum booklet about animal eyes and then develop categories and sort animals based on what they learned from that text. Activity 2 asks students to list animals and categorize them (using web searches for images if needed), prompting them to use informational sources to justify categorization.

Students are directed to use the Periscope student activity page (Option 1) or online instructions (Option 2) to write down materials and procedures, and web links for microscope and kaleidoscope projects are provided. The project rubric and activity pages require students to "Explain the science that makes the tool work," list materials and procedures, and record observations and adjustments on the "Tools for the Human Eye" pages. The review activity asks students to read the "Things to Know" and "Reading and Questions" sections multiple times in preparation for the unit test.

Students are asked to examine the map in Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! and "record what you observe on the page, 'A Medieval Manor,'" identifying jobs, clothing, homes, inventions, and military defenses. Students are asked to "look at the map in the book again" and identify peasants, knights, or lords and where they lived. Students must write 3–4 sentence commentaries from the perspectives of a knight, a lord, and a peasant, considering relationships, advantages and disadvantages of feudalism, and then read those commentaries aloud.

Students are assigned the role of Researcher and told to "dig up related information on a topic related to the book" (geography, culture, history) and to print and read that information to "better understand the context of the story." Students read the poem "A Dialogue on Poverty" and answer four analytic questions that ask them to describe the narrator's outlook, compare the narrator's situation to Brat's, identify what the narrator lacks physically and emotionally, and explain how first-person point of view affects the poem versus third-person point of view. The activities require students to read multiple texts (the novel and the poem) and respond to prompts that compare and connect evidence across texts.

Students are asked to select and use medieval recipes and background paragraphs (e.g., the Medieval Dishes section and linked recipe pages) and to "consider how the recipes are similar to and different from the meals your family usually makes," which requires using information from those sources. The lesson provides web links to informational texts about medieval recipes and a CDC policy brief for life-application discussion. Discussion prompts reference specific text quotations from Chapter 12, asking students to respond to and reflect on the text.

Students are assigned the role of Literary Luminary, in which they locate and record page and paragraph numbers of passages they deem interesting, important, or powerful and read them aloud to a parent. Students are directed to read specific monologues in Good Masters! Sweet Ladies!! (pages cited) that "highlight the important role domesticated animals" and then choose activities that require them to write about how animals influenced peasants' economics. Students are asked to rewrite two sentences and then "look up the original sentence in the book to see what details the author included," which requires consulting the text for comparison.

Students are asked to write short essays that require factual summaries (e.g., a 3-4 sentence overview of feudalism and a 3-4 sentence description of peasant life) and to "discuss what a midwife's apprentice learned... with examples from the book," which asks for text-based examples. Students are asked to summarize "three important changes" in European Transformations and to write a book review discussing historical accuracy, both tasks that invite use of informational content. Students complete graphic-organizer pages (Jobs/Responsibilities, Shelter, Struggle for Survival, Village Life) that require organizing factual details about medieval life.

Students are assigned pages 4–13 of an informational book and then must answer specific questions (e.g., why historians change interpretations, how religion inspired exploration, why monarchs were interested, Prince Henry's preparations) that require using the reading to explain causes and motivations. Students are instructed to use the maps in the reading to add voyages and cities to their assembled Atlantic map, directly drawing geographic evidence from the text. In Activity 2 students must produce written rationales, a spoken speech from indexed notes, or a graphic organizer linking motivations—each option asks students to base their explanations and connections on the book's ideas.

Students read pages 14-19 of an informational text and answer comprehension questions that require recalling facts (e.g., causes of Cahokia's decline, spread of corn, effects of lacking horses). Students add timeline cards and map locations using information from the assigned pages. In Option 1, students are directed to use the day's readings (and prior unit readings if available) to fill out comparison charts or Venn diagrams contrasting European kingdoms and American empires.

Students are directed to read pages 20-35 and answer content questions that require information from those pages (Reading and Questions). Activity 4 asks students to "read over pages 26-29 and look for clues" and to record factors that explain the Spanish conquest, then mark which factors they judge significant, which requires using text evidence to support analysis. Activity 2 (journal or skit) and Activity 6 (fill-in explorer trading cards "based on your reading") ask students to use specific pages to develop interpretations or fill factual details from the informational text.

Students read pages 36–51 of an informational history text and answer comprehension questions that require them to cite examples (e.g., foods brought to Europe, disease transmission, population estimate disagreements, and economic effects of American gold and silver). Students use the "Connected World" activity to identify and label specific items (diseases, foods, animals, wealth, beliefs) that moved between continents based on informational material. In preparing for the Columbus Day debate, students are explicitly asked to list three arguments for each side and, "when possible, provide facts to support your arguments," and then to write opening and closing statements that summarize and defend those evidence-based positions. In Option 1 of Activity 4, students use numerical estimates from informational sources to calculate death totals, directly drawing quantitative evidence to support demographic analysis.

Students are instructed to read Newton at the Center (specific pages and chapters) and answer text-based questions, including one that directs them to see page 19 for support. Activity instructions tell students to "use this lesson's reading as your source of information" when preparing a first-person introduction of Copernicus or creating a scrapbook explaining important events. Activity 4 asks students to draw models of the medieval and Copernican systems using descriptions on pages 11 and 37-39, and Activity 2 directs students to review the blue box and readings to compare medieval and modern thinking.

Students read Chapters 5–7 of an informational text and answer specific content questions about Galileo's findings (e.g., inertia, falling bodies, parabolic motion). Students choose between two research activities: Option 1 asks students to do Internet- or library-based research on a modern scientific controversy, talk to at least three people, and then write a 200-word letter presenting at least two strong arguments; Option 2 requires students to read translated primary-source documents from Galileo's trial and answer directed questions about those texts. Several activities ask students to cite details from the readings (e.g., identifying relevant scriptural references and explaining Kepler's and Galileo's positions).

Students read specific informational chapters from Newton at the Center (Chapters 13-14, 17, and 22) and answer directed questions (e.g., identifying Descartes' idea and listing Newton's work in 1666). Students respond to an open-ended question asking which of Newton's achievements they'd like to learn more about and why, and they answer how Enlightenment thinkers connected scientific ideas to human activity (analytic reflection). Students read short nonfiction sections about inventions and complete activity pages that ask them to explain why devices are important and what they can observe, and they complete a final project requiring selection and study of a voyage and a scientific idea or invention.

Students are asked to use books, activity pages, and other sources for an open-book essay (Option 2) and are told to write specific examples as evidence to support main points. The final project requires students to research an explorer and a scientist, fill out biography planning pages, show a map of the voyage, and explain the historical significance of each using evidence. The rubric explicitly assesses "Evidence of careful planning and research" and requires explanation of significance and clarity of demonstration, which directs students to support analysis with sourced information.

Students are assigned to read specific pages (pp. 9–11 and 56) of an informational text and answer three content questions, including an interpretive question about Copernicus. Students complete a Planetary Categories Sort that directs them to review pp. 10–11 and sort 13 planets by named characteristics (terrestrial, gas giant, dwarf). In the harder option, students define category characteristics and use six planet descriptions to categorize planets, which requires using textual descriptions to determine category membership.

Students read informational text (pages 14–15 of 13 Planets) and are directed to use a provided table of average sunspots per year (1950–2023) to plot data on a graph, label maxima and minima, and connect points. Students complete a calculation table to find the lengths of time between maximum years and compute an average interval. Students use the graph and their calculations to answer interpretive questions (e.g., explain what a sunspot cycle is, whether intervals are regular, and discuss data reliability) and are offered web links for further informational reading.

Students read specified informational texts (pages 20–21 and 56 of 13 Planets and the Windows to the Universe article) and answer directed questions about content (e.g., water on Earth, axial tilt, sunlight at the poles). Students record factual attributes about Earth on a "Planetary Passport" or make question-and-answer cards, filling in diameter, orbital period, rotational period, moons, etc., from the readings. Students review images from the article and create a slideshow, animation, or physical model that must show the Earth's tilt, rotation, orbit, and seasonal positions, using what they learned in the texts.

Students read specific informational texts (e.g., NASA's "What Is a Satellite?" and pages about optical telescopes) and answer targeted questions about satellite uses, geostationary vs. polar orbits, and telescope types. Students examine the Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter topographic map and identify that colors represent elevation. Students create a topographic map and add spectral analysis based on what they learned from the readings, and they are asked to explain how satellites make topographic maps to their family.

Students are instructed to read informational texts (pages 23-24 in 13 Planets and an article at a web link about tides) and then answer specific comprehension questions about meteors, meteorites, the Moon's origin, and tidal causes. Students use information from those readings to complete tasks: answering questions about high tides and the tidal bulge and incorporating tidal explanations into a slideshow, animation, or physical model. Students are directed to compare their observations with an external Moon Phase Calendar and to use those observations when answering follow-up questions.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pages 17–19 and 27 of 13 Planets) and then answer content questions that require facts from those pages (e.g., reasons Mercury is both hot and cold; whether Venus is truly Earth's "twin"). Students fill in the Planetary Passport table and the board-game cards with measured data (diameter, density, distance, orbital and rotational periods, temperatures, moons, unique features), which requires extracting facts from the text. Discussion prompts ask students to compare and contrast the terrestrial planets with Earth and to justify whether "twin" fits Venus, which requires using textual evidence to support analysis.

Students read specified informational pages (pages 32-37 and 40-43) and answer direct comprehension questions about Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune. Students are instructed to "include information from the book" when creating a vacation poster or writing a short story about a moon, requiring them to pull details from the text. The Planetary Passport and board-game cards ask students to record diameters, distances, orbital and rotational periods, temperatures, rings, and to circle shared features, prompting students to extract and compare data from the text.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pages 31 and 45-51) about dwarf planets and answer content questions (e.g., which dwarf planets were once classified as major planets). Students complete data-gathering tasks by filling out the Planetary Passport table (recording diameter, distance from the Sun, discovery, rotation/orbital periods, moons, temperature, color) and by creating and answering fact-based question cards for each dwarf planet. The activity prompt also asks students to "research any of the listed dwarf planets and to compare their characteristics," which requires using information from texts or other sources.

Students read informational webpages and watch a video about space exploration and spin-off technologies and then answer specific text-based questions (e.g., What happened on July 20, 1969?; name 3 medical technologies from space research). Students consult a NASA model webpage and record materials, procedures, and whether the craft succeeded, then create and document a model. In Day 2 students use the Space Technology Hall of Fame and NIH webpages to complete guided reports (Option 1) or independently research a chosen inducted technology and answer questions about year inducted, innovators, technologies/skills gained from the space program, improvements over previous technologies, and number of people helped (Option 2).

Students are instructed to read the "Things to Know" and the "Reading and Questions" sections two or three times and to make notecards, which requires extracting information from informational text. Students follow directions on page 59 of the book 13 Planets to construct the grocery-bag model and record scaled distances on index cards, using the book as a source of factual data. Students are also asked to review "Planetary Passport" pages and shaded comparisons and then use that information when preparing for the test and when planning a new museum model.

Students are asked to read the author's biography (either in the book or via the provided biography.com link) and answer specific questions about it. Questions require students to extract facts (e.g., what else the author did; what happened at the end of his life) and to interpret word choice (why the writer used "prestigious" repeatedly), which directs them to use information from the informational text. The unit also directs students to keep and use the persuasion techniques sheet for later lessons, indicating some ongoing use of collected information.

Students read Chapters XIII-XX and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences, using details from the text (e.g., which inhabitant could be a friend and why). Students use the "Planet Problem" page to describe a planet, list what is on it, identify problems faced by the inhabitant, and brainstorm solutions, and they are told to use the book's illustrations and "what the little prince says" to create a clay model and take notes. Students write persuasive letters proposing solutions from a child's and an adult's viewpoint, and the parent notes suggest the adult viewpoint include facts and figures.

Students read an informational article ("Early Modern English: Reading Shakespeare") and answer comprehension questions about strategies for understanding confusing lines and meanings of words like 'thou'/'thy'. Students read a Character List page and group characters into categories (actors, humans, fairies), using the informational character list to organize their ideas. Students complete activities that use modern translations and dictionary lookups to insert clarifying brackets into original Shakespearean lines and are asked to look up "[sic]" online as a brief research task.

Students are directed in Activity 1 (Quotable) to write three interview questions and to "find quotes from the text that answer your questions," and to include those quotes with correct quotation marks and ellipses. The Student Activity Page provides dedicated lines for "Quote to Include in Answer" and for transcribing the interview, indicating students must extract and record textual evidence. The reading comprehension questions require students to answer using complete sentences based on the play's text.

Students are prompted to take notes on their chosen couple using the "Play Cupid" and "Strongest of All" pages, which explicitly include fields for "Evidence to their love" and "Important quotes." The OUTLINING page directs students to "use the evidence you found to support each reason" and gives examples showing quotations and observations as acceptable evidence. Activity 3 requires students to "Include quotes from your couple" and to "Provide persuasive evidence of their love," and the rubric's Ideas and Support section evaluates strength and evidence of ideas.

Students are assigned targeted informational reading (Introduction and Chapter 1, focus on pages 1-2 and 8-13) and answer comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that require them to use details from those pages. In Activity 2 students must compare Catholic Church practices to Martin Luther's objections and write responses using pages 10–11 as a guide. Activity 4 directs students to consult the assigned reading and additional sources to research Martin Luther and then produce a biographical poem that synthesizes that evidence. Activity 3 asks students to reflect on daily-life consequences of the Reformation using historical information from the readings.

Students are assigned an informational reading (Chapter 2, pages 15-16 and 18-20) and answer specific comprehension questions about Elizabeth's education and the Renaissance that require extracting facts from the text. In Activity 3 students use maps and their timeline of world history to place and label events (e.g., Silk Road, Gutenberg, Marco Polo), drawing on information from prior units and the reading. In Activity 4 (Digital Art Field Trip) students record the title, artist, year, and website for works of Renaissance art and write why they included each piece, which requires using informational web sources.

Students are assigned specific pages of Elizabeth I: The People's Queen and directed to answer four comprehension questions (Questions #1-#4) that require information from those readings. Students are asked to reread the passages describing the coronation procession and to plan a symbolic gift using information about Elizabethan symbolism found in the reading, then write about its meaning on the "Symbolic Gift" page. Students are also instructed to refer to the day's reading for models when designing blackwork patterns and to review their answers to the questions about the lesson's readings.

Students read specified sections of Elizabeth I, The People's Queen and answer four guided questions (Q1–Q4) whose answers require drawing information from those texts (e.g., reasons for worry about Catholic takeover, meaning of the Act of Uniformity, Puritan beliefs, and the papal bull). Students review pages 12–130 to determine and color the religious affiliations of European countries in Activity 2, using the text as the source for map decisions. Students add timeline cards for Reformation figures in Activity 1, locating and recording key factual details from the readings.

Students are assigned to read Chapter 6 and parts of Chapter 7 and then answer four specific comprehension questions that require facts from the readings. Activity 2 directs students to create diary entries, lists, or monologues based on specific pages (e.g., pages 80, 82-83) and events from the text. Activity 3 and the Triangular Trade activity require students to trace voyages and place traded goods on a map using details from pages 90-93 and the reading about Hawkins. Activity 4 asks students to reread a section and write a proposal that must include what Spain and Portugal were finding in the Americas, which requires drawing on the informational text.

Students read Chapter 8 of an informational book about the Spanish Armada and answer factual questions (e.g., how people were alerted, how the Armada was defeated), which require using details from the text. Students reread Queen Elizabeth's speech and reflect on its most powerful lines and perform a dramatic reading, drawing on the speech text. In the simulation activity students analyze how tactics and weather changed the battle outcome and are prompted to "think about this simulation" and explain what changed and why.

Students read Chapter 9 of an informational text about Elizabeth I and answer focused comprehension questions (e.g., describing economic problems of the 1590s, who became monarch after Elizabeth's death), which requires drawing facts from the text. In Option 1, students choose three significant accomplishments and write short summaries, requiring them to select evidence-based facts about her life. In Option 2, students identify four adjectives describing Elizabeth and explicitly provide one concrete example from her life for each adjective and must be prepared to defend how each example illustrates the trait.

Students are asked to review specific informational readings (e.g., The Story of Science: Newton at the Center chapters 1–2, The World Made New pages 7–13 and 44–50, Elizabeth I: The People's Queen page 20) to complete activities. In Activity 1 students use a Medieval vs. Modern chart to compare topics (science & learning, culture, religion, geography) by brainstorming or by sorting idea boxes that summarize informational claims. In Activity 2 students record and write connections between historical themes (Reformation, Renaissance, Age of Discovery, Scientific Revolution) and Elizabeth I, drawing lines and annotating connections based on their readings.

Students are asked to use the index and unit readings (and optional library/online sources) to fill pages of the Family Album mini-book and to write 2–3 details for each person. In the Historical Events mini-book, students must write 1–2 sentence summaries of events (Age of Discovery, Protestant Reformation, Renaissance, Scientific Revolution) and a sentence about how each event was important in Elizabeth I's life. The Timeline mini-book and Triangular Trade mini-book require students to review unit readings, select important dates or describe trade flows, and write brief explanatory text that draws on what they learned.

Students read explicit definitions of artifacts, hardware, methodology, technique, systems of production, and social-technical systems and then use those definitions in Activity 1 to sort a list of items into four categories. The Parent Plan instructs caregivers to ask students to give a rationale when items are placed in unexpected categories, prompting students to reference the definitions. The Wrapping Up section asks students to consider how their understanding changed, encouraging reflection on categorization decisions drawn from the text.

Students read assigned pages from an informational text (Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions) and answer directed comprehension questions about historical context, patronage, and limitations of da Vinci's designs. Students complete Activity 1 by using a provided chart of inventions across centuries to categorize technologies and then respond to analytic questions about trends, differences over time, and impacts on tasks. The parent notes prompt students to explain their rationale when categorizing items and to consider why differences occurred, which asks students to use information from the readings and chart to support their responses.

Students are asked in Activity 1 Part 1 to write a paragraph about the object's inventor and when it was invented, which requires locating informational sources. In Part 3 students may write a paragraph about the device's rationale, tests and trials, or patents—tasks that ask them to gather and use information from texts. The lesson provides web links and an answer key with factual details and prompts students to explain whether inventions were beneficial or harmful, which asks for reasoned responses based on information.

Students are directed to use trusted informational sources (Britannica Kids, National Geographic Kids, History.com, Smithsonian, government sites) to research two technologies and are given search prompts (e.g., "What is the microprocessor?", "Why was penicillin invented?"). Students must choose items from 20th- and 21st-century charts, answer questions about whether the design solved societal problems, why it became important, and explain why it is a necessity or a luxury. The parent notes explicitly instruct that students should "back up her claim with evidence," and students are asked to compare their answers to a previous lesson (reflection).

Students are assigned specific informational pages (pp. 12-22, 27-31, 92-96) from Amazing Leonardo da Vinci Inventions You Can Build Yourself and told to familiarize themselves with the innovations and how they solved particular problems. Students are instructed to use the book as a resource while choosing and completing tasks (making paint, creating perspective instructions, or building an anemometer) and to follow or adapt the procedures described in the text. Students are asked to take Leonardo's innovations and apply them to solve a presented problem, implying use of information from the text to inform their designs and actions.

Students are assigned an informational text (pp. 77–91) about da Vinci's parachute, ornithopter, and helical air screw and are told to use information in the book to evaluate each design. The activities require students to rate scientific principles, risks, benefits, constraints, and testing protocols and to fill in an explicit "Evidence" column on student activity pages for each category. The instructions state "Evidence used to support your evaluation is important" and encourage use of the text (and other resources if needed). Activity 2 asks students to rebuild a design, review their evaluations, and explain why they changed any ratings, prompting reflection based on evidence.

Students are instructed to consult specific informational websites and complete evaluation activity pages that include an "Evidence" column for hand-held vacuum cleaners, televisions, and computers. Activity 1 directs students to use the suggested websites and to "complete the evaluation" considering similarities and differences, which requires using textual information to justify ratings. Activity 2 Step 2 explicitly tells students to "research the need or problem using the Internet, library, interviews, etc." and to "google 'egg drop experiments'" to examine current solutions and jot down findings.

Students are asked to research the need or problem using specific websites (Step 2) and to "jot down possible solutions" and use information from those sites to fill out an evaluation chart in the Engineering Protocol. Students are directed to read pages 52-55 of a text about Leonardo da Vinci and to evaluate the camera obscura on criteria (scientific principles, risks, benefits, constraints/limitations, testing protocols), with a table that asks for ratings and evidence. Students must include the history of websites visited and a rationale in their engineering presentation, using those informational sources to support their choices and evaluations.

Students read specified pages (ix–xii) and answer two comprehension questions in complete sentences about why Newton did not call himself a scientist and what Francis Bacon thought science should be based on, which requires locating and using text information. Students use highlighters to mark main ideas and then highlight and define nonfiction features (table of contents, index, headings, graphics, captions, sidebars, bold words), which requires identifying and extracting information from the informational text. Students are instructed to practice using the table of contents and index and to explain the function of graphical components, which involves finding and using text features to support understanding.

Students are instructed to take notes including page numbers on information they think is important and unfamiliar words as they read pages of The Story of Science, and to use those notes to answer specific comprehension questions. Students identify nonfiction text features (headings, graphics, italicized words), describe what a graphic shows, and write or give a 2-minute oral summary of a page that includes the main idea and what the graph conveys. Students summarize procedural text (steps to draw an ellipse) and have a parent follow their written or oral directions, which requires extracting and conveying textual evidence in sequence.

Students are asked to read pages 164–171 and are told to highlight or take notes including page numbers on important information and unfamiliar words. Students must answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., explain what was revolutionary about Newton's experiments and how spectroscopy identifies elements). Students are instructed to use today's reading as inspiration for sentences for a sentence-diagramming presentation, connecting content from the text to an activity.

Students are asked to read specified pages and to "highlight in the book or take notes including page numbers" on important information and unfamiliar words. Students must answer factual questions in complete sentences (e.g., who convinced Newton to publish, what jobs he held) and respond to an evaluative question asking which accomplishment is most important and why. In the activities, students must "describe the event as it is described in the book," take notes on what each person thought about the event, and write headlines or act out opposing viewpoints based on the book.

Students are instructed to read chapter 18 and the sidebar and to "highlight in the book or take notes including page numbers" on information they think may be important, which requires locating and recording textual details. The Parent Plan lists skills such as "Summarize and determine the importance of information" and "Monitor comprehension," which direct students to extract and judge information from the informational text. Students answer specific reading questions in complete sentences, demonstrating comprehension of details from the text.

Students are asked to read Chapter 21 and to take notes including page numbers on information they think is important or unfamiliar, which requires drawing evidence from the text. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences (e.g., explaining why a roof blows off and comparing Bernoulli and Newton), using information from the reading. Students re-read a specific article and a NASA webpage, use diagrams/captions/text to create a numbered procedure for demonstrations, and then summarize how an airplane wing works based on those materials.

Students are instructed to take notes (including page numbers) and to highlight important information as they read Chapters 23, 26-27, 29, and 31, which directs them to gather textual evidence. Students complete a K-W-L chart where they record "What I've Learned" using linked informational websites about artists, indicating they must extract information from texts. Students synthesize their research by giving an oral summary and writing a 1-2 paragraph sidebar about an artist, using the notes and web sources they consulted. The Parent Plan explicitly lists skills such as "Research more on a topic and give an oral summary" and "Summarize and determine the importance of information."

Students are asked to use highlighted passages and notes from the book to summarize key points and to compare their summaries to the "Things to Know" and "Readings and Questions" sections (Activity 1). The brainstorming and planning steps instruct students to look back at highlighted passages and notes to answer directed questions about Newton and to identify which of his contributions relate to town industries (Activity 2). The Outlining Newton pages explicitly tell students to gather observations, examples, quotations, and 2–3 supporting details for each area and to transfer those items into a formal outline; the parent plan also states students should "accurately synthesize ideas from several sources."

Students are assigned to read pages 78-81 of Geography of the World and to use that text as a guide for labeling and coloring their European map. In Option 1 students complete a scavenger-hunt worksheet that directs them to use the book's index and the country fact boxes to find specific facts (e.g., which countries use the euro, how many EU members, the EU's administrative center). In Option 2 students are directed to read an EU booklet online and play a knowledge quiz that requires locating information in the supplied materials.

Students are asked to read pages 82–86 of an informational text and then fill out the "Quick Guide to Europe" pages using information from that reading (population, language, government, geography, climate, economy, and culture). The Quick Guide prompts students to determine how geography and natural resources influence the economy and to identify examples of material and non-material culture and cultural changes, explicitly asking them to decide whether changes resulted from diffusion, invention, or innovation. Activity 2 directs students to connect geographic features named in the reading (e.g., fjords, forests, lakes) to specific industries using an organizer and supporting notes/answers.

Students are directed to read pages 87-90 of an informational geography text and to use those readings to complete "Quick Guide to Europe" pages for the U.K. and Ireland. Student activity pages ask learners to research and fill in factual information (population, language, government, geography) and to analyze how geography and resources influence the economy. Students are instructed to read or view Parliament materials (PDF or video) and take notes or answer specific questions about MPs, the parts of Parliament, and how a bill becomes law, using those sources as the basis for responses.

Students are directed to read pages 91–99 of an informational geography text and to fill out 'Quick Guide' pages for the Netherlands, Germany, and France, including prompts such as population, geography, and how geography and natural resources influence the economy. The student activity pages ask students to identify a cultural change and to state whether that change resulted from diffusion or invention/innovation, requiring evidence from the readings. In Option 2 students must locate three news articles about European environmental issues, provide a source for each, and write 2–3 sentence summaries; in Option 1 students consult agency webpages or videos and must state at least one reason why a suggested sustainable action is a good idea on their poster.

Students are assigned to read pages 100–105 of an informational text and to fill out "Quick Guide" pages for Portugal and Italy, which ask for factual details such as population, official language(s), form of government, and geography/climate. The Portugal and Italy activity pages prompt students to explain how geography and natural resources influence the economy, give examples of material and non-material culture, identify cultural groups, and describe a cultural change and whether it resulted from diffusion or invention/innovation. The activity instructions explicitly say to complete the Quick Guide pages "today" based on the reading and to indicate cultural changes "if identified in readings."

Students are asked to read pages 106–108 of an informational geography text and to fill out the "Quick Guide" pages for Switzerland and Austria, using information from those pages. Student prompts ask students to explain how geography and natural resources influence the economy, to give examples of material and non-material culture, and to identify cultural change as diffusion or invention—tasks that require extracting information from the assigned reading. The Alps activity requires students to explain how people addressed specific problems (farming, communication, transportation, lack of resources) in writing, using provided answer-key ideas rooted in the background text. Option 2 asks students to research international organizations using provided websites and to record one current, research-based example for each organization, explicitly requiring use of informational sources.

Students are instructed to read specified pages in Geography of the World and to use the book's index to find all references to the USSR, then answer three analytic questions about Soviet history and record information about five former Soviet republics (Activity 2). Students must locate three current-news articles about the region, provide a source citation and write 2–3 sentence summaries for each story when creating a newspaper (Activity 3). In Activity 6 students research Belarus, Norway, and a third country using provided links or other sources and complete structured government comparison pages or a Venn diagram, recording factual details about executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Students are assigned to read pages 114–119 of an informational text and then fill out "Quick Guide to Europe" pages for Poland, the Czech Republic, and Hungary. The Poland, Czech Republic, and Hungary activity pages ask students to explain how geography and natural resources influence the economy, give examples of material and non-material culture, identify cultural groups, and describe cultural change (diffusion vs. innovation). The lesson's discussion questions and review tasks direct students to use information from the reading (for example, the reading's point about flat land and invasions) to explain historical and cultural patterns.

Students are assigned to read pp. 120-123 of an informational geography text and to "fill out 'Quick Guide to Europe' pages" for Ukraine and another country, which requires extracting facts (population, language, government). Activity 2 directs students to "review the reading looking for information about the climate, natural resources, and geographical features" and to "complete an activity page showing the connections between those things and various economic activities," requiring them to use text evidence to support analysis. The student activity pages prompt students to answer specific analytic questions (e.g., how geography and resources influence the economy; describe cultural change), which requires citing information from the assigned reading to justify responses.

Students are asked to read pages 124-131 of an informational geography text and to complete Quick Guide pages for Romania and Greece, requiring them to extract factual information such as population, language, government, and geography. In the Current News activity students must locate three news stories, skim them, choose one for in-depth reporting, and either write a 2-3 sentence summary with a cited source/URL or prepare a 2-3 minute newscast that reports key facts (what, when, where, who). The Romania/Greece activity pages explicitly ask students to identify a cultural change and, if possible, indicate whether it resulted from diffusion or invention/innovation, which requires using the readings to support that identification.

Students are asked to read pages 1-3 of an informational book and watch a video, then answer direct content questions (e.g., listing natural things that store energy and defining an energy carrier). Students use the book and linked web pages to match vocabulary terms with definitions and to sort items into energy source vs. form categories. In Activity 3 students record phenomena, identify forms of energy, and note the evidence they observed (motion, heat, sound, light) in a table and are prompted to analyze each situation.

Students are directed to read Chapter 1 of an informational book and follow two linked informational resources, then answer content questions about laws and energy forms. Students are asked observational explanation questions (e.g., "How do you know that kinetic energy has been transferred to the third bead?") and to trace and label the path of energy on a diagram after watching videos and reading. The activities require students to use information from the book, links, and videos to complete answers and to label energy transformations.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 2 (pages 17-25) of an informational book and then answer specific comprehension questions about electricity (e.g., what particle moves, differences between static and current electricity, AC vs DC). The power-plant activity directs students to refer to pages 24-25 of the book to complete an "Inside a Power Plant" diagram and trace energy transformations using words from a word bank. The lesson also includes discussion prompts that ask students to reflect on what they learned and what surprised them.

Students are directed to read Chapter 10 and watch a video and then answer specific content questions (e.g., how the Sun makes energy; how sunlight becomes electricity), which requires them to use information from an informational text and media. Students explore linked informational web resources and a simulation of the electromagnetic spectrum and then complete a cut-and-paste activity arranging boxes that organizes facts from the texts. Students also perform an experiment (solar-powered motor) that asks them to predict and test whether other light sources will power the cell, which asks them to compare observed results with prior explanations about visible light.

Students are assigned specific informational text pages on wind, hydropower, and geothermal energy and asked to view a diagram and video. Students answer factual and explanatory questions (e.g., best locations for wind farms, how a dam creates electricity, where geothermal heat comes from) that require pulling information from those texts and media. Students build and demonstrate models (pinwheel and water wheel) and explain what is happening, using content from the readings and parent discussion prompts about drawbacks and differences in how turbines are turned.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 7 (pages 57-62) and review a chart, then answer specific questions that require using those texts (for example, Question #3: "Based on the chart you read, what benefits might fusion reactors have over current fission reactors?"). The life-application asks students to find out more about a nearby nuclear power plant, including its history, advantages and disadvantages, which requires gathering and using informational sources. The optional activity provides links (a video and an informational page) for students to explore fusion and use that information.

Students are instructed to read specific pages from chapters about petroleum, natural gas, coal, and biomass and to answer guided comprehension questions about what fossil fuels are and how they differ from biomass. Students are asked to research one chosen fuel further using provided web links or other resources and to complete an extended product (demonstration, poster, or creative presentation) that explains how the fuel is formed, extracted, used, and its pros and cons. Students must share or explain their experiment or presentation to a parent/family, which requires using information from the readings and resources to justify observations and conclusions.

Students are directed to re-read specified informational chapters and to answer content questions (Q1 and Q2) that require using text-based reasons (e.g., climate change and resource limits). Students research state-level electricity data (using EIA or local utility websites) to create a pie chart and to compare and contrast five energy sources, using specified book pages for advantages and disadvantages. In the optional international research, students examine Our World in Data charts and text to answer questions about access to electricity and sources, and in the field-trip option students record answers and include information they learned when reporting.

Students are asked to examine and use informational sources such as recent utility bills and past billing charts to analyze household gas and electricity use. They complete an online home energy audit and use the Energy Use Calculator website to gather data about device energy consumption. When writing a letter, students are explicitly encouraged to find and include a study or article (for example, a study showing cost savings of electric vehicles) and to explore company websites for information about energy practices. Students must present their findings, including the utility bills, calculator results, and audit results, to their family.

Students read the introduction (pages 5-15) of an informational text about modern British poetry and answer three written questions in complete sentences that ask for causes and differences across historical periods (questions about societal influences during Queen Victoria's reign, artistic changes between the world wars, and expected differences in poems between eras). Students also discuss time-period characteristics in parent-guided questions and reflect on how modernism and historical context affected poetic form. These tasks require students to refer to the assigned informational pages to formulate their answers.

Students read Chapter 1 and Chapter 2 about Elizabeth Barrett Browning and Robert Browning and answer specific reading-and-questions prompts in complete sentences (e.g., identify the rhyme scheme, explain why it was unusual for Browning to write a sonnet). Students respond to an inferential question about how "My Last Duchess" might differ if it included both sides of a conversation, which requires using details from the text to support an interpretation. In the wrapping-up activity students explain aloud how their poem reflects their time period rather than the Brownings', prompting reflection tied to the informational readings.

Students are instructed to read Chapter 3 about Alfred, Lord Tennyson and answer specific comprehension questions in complete sentences, which requires using details from the informational chapter. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill: "Understand, make inferences, and draw conclusions about the structure and elements of poetry and provide evidence from text to support understanding." Activity 2 directs students to read an external nonfiction biography of Prince Albert and choose a prose statement from that site that expresses the same idea as a line of poetry, requiring students to draw evidence from the biography to compare with the poem.

Students read Chapter 4 (Matthew Arnold) and Chapter 5 (Christina Rossetti) and answer directed comprehension questions in complete sentences that ask them to identify the natural phenomenon Arnold uses to represent change, to list similes from "Dover Beach," and to identify what is personified in Rossetti's poem. The Reading and Questions sections require students to locate and report specific lines or elements from the poems (e.g., similes and examples of personification). The Commas activity presents passages with historical context that students must read and edit, requiring attention to written informational passages.

Students are directed to read local news articles (Time for Kids or a local paper) and fill out a News Watch/Today's News Hunt page that asks for article title, topic, location, and three interesting facts or vivid details for each story. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences about informational chapters on Yeats, Sitwell, and Owen, and Today's News Hunt asks students to explain how an issue might affect the community and whether it will affect them personally. The Parent Plan explicitly lists "provide evidence from text to support understanding" as a targeted skill.

Students read Chapter 9 about Stevie Smith (an informational text) and answer specific comprehension questions that require pulling facts from that chapter (e.g., why she was called Stevie; what inspired "Not Waving But Drowning"). Students compare Smith's poem with Browning's "My Last Duchess," noting differences in speaker, rhyme, and meter, which requires referencing text details. Parent discussion prompts ask students to consider how the original article about the drowning event differs from Smith's poem, encouraging reflection using the informational article referenced in the lesson.

Students read Chapter 10 and Chapter 11 about W.H. Auden and Dylan Thomas and answer comprehension and analytical questions (e.g., why Auden married Erika Mann, whether "The Unknown Citizen" is about a real person, how the speaker changes in "Fern Hill"). Students choose and memorize a poem and then recite it and explain why they selected it. The Parent Plan and discussion questions prompt students to identify common themes in the poets' work and to consider what the poems communicate about their era.

Students are asked in Activity 6 to review the book's informational sections ("Summary and Explication" and "Techniques and Devices") for Sitwell and Tennyson and use that information to write a two-paragraph analysis of one of their own poems. In Activity 1 students use the Timeline pages (an informational text) to place poets' names, birth/death years, and to note each poet's key genre or technique. The project rubric and Activity 6 require a two-paragraph poem analysis and a one-paragraph autobiography that refer to material in the book, indicating students must use those informational materials when composing their analyses.

Students read Chapter 1 of Great Colonial Projects You Can Build Yourself! and answer specific comprehension questions about colonists' motives, settlement origins, and the Triangle Trade, demonstrating extraction of information from an informational text. Students use the book's timeline and maps to locate and record founding dates and territorial control while completing the Mapping the 13 Colonies activity, drawing factual data directly from the text. Students watch the episode of America: The Story of Us while taking notes and then discuss guided analytical questions with a parent, practicing reflective use of information gained from the video and associated texts.

Students read specific informational texts (We Were There, Too! sections on Pocahontas, Tom Savage, Eliza Lucas, and Olaudah Equiano) and answer text-based questions that require using details from those readings (e.g., why Pocahontas withheld Matoaka, how Equiano came to America). Students read the 1584 Barlowe account and then write a 2–3 paragraph mock diary or letter from a Native American point of view, explicitly reinterpreting the same events using evidence from the primary account. Students also read National Park Service articles on tobacco, silk, and flax and complete a pros/cons chart and a Venn diagram comparing voyages, tasks that require extracting and citing information from those informational sources to support their analyses and decisions.

Students read assigned informational texts (Great Colonial Projects and We Were There, Too!) and answer specific comprehension questions that require extracting facts (e.g., views of American Indians, disease impacts, how Separatists paid for passage). Students analyze the Mayflower Compact by creating a word cloud and answering prediction, observation, interpretation, and analysis questions about prominent words and themes. Students evaluate multiple explanatory accounts of the Salem Witch Trials by filling in a table of merits and doubts for each explanation and are given primary-source links for further investigation. Students use a provided table about the founding of the 13 colonies to complete a Venn diagram comparing reasons (profit vs. religion) and draw comparisons from the informational table.

Students are asked to read Chapters 3 and 4 of Great Colonial Projects You Can Build Yourself! and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Describe a typical colonial house; How did aristocrats show off their wealth?), which requires locating information in an informational text. The "Colonial Goods" activity directs students to use page 73's list of trades and fill a table identifying goods and their sources, prompting them to extract and apply information from the book. The final project options (costume or props) and the wrapping-up reflection questions ask students to consider challenges and appealing aspects of colonial life, linking their reflections to details presented in the text.

Students are directed to read Chapters 5 and 6 and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., how colonists used milk, how food was stored, why tradesmen used pictorial signs), which requires extracting information from the text. In Option 1 students are asked to "review the sections of Chapter 5" and produce a detailed list of soil preparation, labor, planting/harvesting steps, problems, and benefits—tasks that require using the informational text as the source for procedure and factual details. In Option 2 students must fill a chart describing occupations and provide ranked reasons for their importance, which asks students to use the reading to support their evaluations.

Students watch the America: The Story of Us episode and answer guided questions that require extracting factual details (e.g., Joseph Plumb Martin's background, Von Steuben's influence, the French navy's role). In Activity 2 students are directed to use NCpedia's Timeline of Resistance and complete a two-column table that asks them to record 'What It Did and Why the British Might Have Enacted It' and 'Why Colonists Might Have Objected to It,' requiring them to draw information from an informational text. The lesson includes an answer key that models the factual evidence students are expected to record.

Students read multiple informational texts (assigned chapters and articles) and answer specific reading-and-questions items that require using text details (e.g., why girls in Providence spun homespun cloth; Jefferson's background). In Activity 1 Option 1 students read Library of Congress pages about the First Great Awakening and discuss how those texts connect religious ideas to support for independence. In Activity 2 students view Jefferson's rough draft and the edited Declaration, choose 3–5 significantly revised sections, propose edits, and complete an activity page explaining the reasons for those changes based on the textual differences.

Students read multiple informational texts (for example, the assigned chapters on Sybil Ludington, spies, Joseph Forten, and Deborah Sampson) and answer specific comprehension questions that require details from those texts. Students are asked to "draw on their experiences, which you read about," to write a letter home that explains reasons for enlistment, daily life, and a specific battle scene, connecting claims to the readings. Students complete a "Revolutionary National Parks" brochure by visiting specified web pages and answering cause-and-effect and impact questions (e.g., factors at Saratoga, the role of French forces at Yorktown) that require use of those informational sources. Students also choose incidents from readings to illustrate and must explain how the chosen incident conveys understanding of a soldier's life.

Students are asked to conduct independent research using the Internet, reference books, or a library to learn more about 3–5 Revolutionary figures and record key facts on index cards (Activity 1). Students are directed to use what they learned from unit readings and the America: Story of Us miniseries to brainstorm the hopes of different social groups and to create slogans that reflect those perspectives (Activity 2). These tasks require students to gather information from informational texts or media and to use that information to produce written products (index cards and slogans).

Students are asked to use their unit readings, timeline, and the 'Things to Know' sections when they study for the unit test and to use the library or Internet to conduct additional research for the living history project. In both presentation options students must give specific, evidence-based content: for example, they must mention at least three specific reasons for colonial discontent with Great Britain and describe specific events or battles in the Revolution. The unit test and project include short-answer and essay prompts (e.g., describe three British acts and explain why each was objectionable; explain how what you learned changed your thinking) that require students to draw on factual information from informational texts and research.

Students are asked to read specific pages (Eyewitness Chemistry, pp. 16 and 18) and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., John Dalton's atomic theory, definition of element). The lesson provides an informational image ("Liquid and Gas Particles") and a set of guided questions and a wrap-up prompt that asks students to consider what evidence they collected about mass before and after heating. Vocabulary activities require students to cite and recite definitions drawn from the provided informational text.

Students answer specific factual questions after watching the linked informational video (Reading And Questions), requiring them to extract details such as the location of the nucleus, particle charges, and electron locations. In Activity 3 Option 2, students are instructed to use the provided web links to research each scientist, take notes, write brief summaries of discoveries, and place those summaries on a dated timeline. The lesson also directs students to use links for further information and to cite findings when completing the timeline cards.

Students are instructed to "Read pp. 22-26 in Eyewitness Chemistry" and then answer four specific text-based questions (e.g., who created the periodic table; characteristics of metals and nonmetals). The Conductivity activity directs students to "Read the paragraph above the 'Conductivity' table... then predict," and the Student Activity Page requires students to record predictions, observations, and comparisons drawn from the readings, video, and hands-on tests. The question/answer section and the activity worksheets require students to use information from the provided informational text and accompanying materials to complete tasks.

Students are asked to watch an informational video (first 2 minutes and 30 seconds) and answer specific content questions about causes of state changes, sublimation/deposition, and boiling/condensation. Option 2 directs students to use their book (pp.16-21) and other resources to list characteristics of gases, liquids, and solids and to complete a chart and diagram. Follow-up and discussion questions ask students to compare and contrast states of matter, which requires using information from the provided sources and models.

Students watch an assigned informational video ('Draw My Science: Mass, Volume, and Density') and answer directed reading questions that require them to state the difference between mass and weight, define volume, and give the density formula. Students also receive written informational material (definitions, procedures, and answer keys) that they use to complete data tables and vocabulary matching, so they extract factual information from those texts to perform calculations and record observations.

Students are instructed to read the linked Britannica 'Periodic Table' webpage and review periodic table images, then answer explicit questions (e.g., name of periods and groups, locations of metals/nonmetals). Students use information from the reading and provided periodic table images to complete activity tables (atomic number, atomic mass, electrons per shell) and to identify inert gases and outer-shell trends. In Activities 3 and 4 students use the tables and periodic table to classify elements as metals or nonmetals and to create a visual aid showing recurring trends, linking those claims to electron configurations they derived from the texts and images.

Students are directed to read specific pages in Eyewitness Chemistry and then answer explicit questions (Q1–Q3) that require extracting definitions, examples, and procedures from that informational text. Students use the provided "Sample Compounds" table and the chemical formulas in Activity 1 to fill a structured table identifying elements and subscripts, directly using the informational table as evidence. Students compare their experimental observations in Activity 2 with the provided chemical equation for sucrose and the answer key to decide whether heating produced a chemical change, drawing on textual explanations to support their conclusions.

Students are asked to research materials in their home using notes, activity pages, books, and reliable Internet sites and to record findings in survey and detail tables. Students use informational resources (including a provided periodic table link) to identify which elements make up materials and to fill in element-specific data on the "Getting Specific with an Element" and "Atomic Cards" pages. Students use research findings to state properties and reasons for material choices (e.g., why stainless steel resists corrosion) and to complete study-guide and test preparation tasks.

Students read Chapters 1 and 2 of a nonfiction biography and answer specific comprehension questions about Abigail Adams's life and relationships. Students complete "Exploring the Book" activity pages that ask them to analyze the table of contents, foreword, bibliography, chronology, and cover to form impressions and generate three questions about the subject. Students are asked to identify five key events with dates and to evaluate how extensive the bibliography is, which requires consulting the book's front/back matter and internal reference material.

Students are asked in Question 1 to use the reference notes at the back of the book to determine the source for quotations in a paragraph, and in Question 3 to use the bibliography to provide a full bibliographic entry for a cited work. Questions 2 and 4 ask students to identify what information endnotes provide and to evaluate whether sources seem valid and reliable. Activities and the parent plan require students to record bibliographic information, distinguish paraphrasing from plagiarism, and list positive/negative attributes of John Adams using the reading as evidence.

Students read Chapters 5 and 6 of Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and answer comprehension questions that require details from the text (for example, Question #2 cites taxed goods and colonists' boycott and Question #3 asks how the British responded to the Boston Tea Party). In Activity 2 Option 1, students must analyze a Paul Revere engraving and "support that argument with 2-3 specific examples," drawing evidence from a primary source. In Activity 2 Option 2, students must use John Adams's diary entry together with the Abigail Adams reading to compose a first-person account, explicitly asking students to base their paragraph on those sources.

Students are directed to read Chapters 7 and 8 of Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and then answer four comprehension questions that ask for explanation and analysis (e.g., why John Adams wanted Abigail to save their correspondence; what challenges Abigail faced). The question prompts require students to use information from the informational text to respond (answers will vary, but answers reference events and actions from the chapters). The lesson also asks students to complete related activities (vocabulary review and verb-mood exercises) tied to the reading.

Students read assigned chapters and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., effects of dysentery, women's legal status, shifts in Abigail's language from "your" to "our") that require drawing from the informational text. In Activity 1 (Exploring Primary Sources) students read complete letters, summarize main topics, and answer guided questions about how the biographer used those letters, including identifying which parts of a letter were quoted and what points the author sought to convey. In Activity 1 Option 2 and the document-analysis instructions, students are explicitly told to look for "specific places in the letter that will provide the evidence you need" and to answer analysis questions about author, context, content, and point of view. Activity 2 asks students to list John and Abigail's duties based on Chapters 4–10 and reflect on how shifts in duties influenced Abigail, prompting students to use textual details to support their responses.

Students read informational chapters and answer guided questions that require recalling and interpreting text details (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks how people reacted when the Declaration was read and the answer quotes the crowd and cites p. 78). Several comprehension questions (Q2–Q4) ask students to identify Abigail Adams's arguments and infer her feelings, requiring them to base responses on the chapters they read. The provided answer key models using specific textual details and a direct quote for at least one question.

Students read Chapters 13 and 14 of Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and answer specific text-based questions (e.g., what advice John Adams gave Nabby; why John Adams left America), requiring them to use information from the informational text. Students are instructed to find a contemporary news article about girls' education, read it, and select a paragraph to analyze. Students complete a Paragraph Analysis page that asks them to determine the role of each sentence and the connections between sentences in a chosen paragraph.

Students read Chapters 15 and 16 of a nonfiction biography and answer specific text-based questions (e.g., why Nabby broke off an engagement, Abigail's impression of Paris), requiring them to use details from the chapters. Activity 2 directs students to write a paragraph that summarizes a chosen scene "based solely on known facts" from the biography, explicitly asking them to base their summary on the informational text. The comprehension questions and the summarizing task together require students to locate and use evidence from the informational text to explain events and character actions.

Students read Chapters 17 and 18 of a nonfiction biography and answer specific comprehension questions that require retrieving information from the text (e.g., how George III greeted Jefferson; why John Adams feared he might not be elected). Students are asked to read at least two original letters between Abigail Adams and Thomas Jefferson and to think about what the correspondents write about, impressions of each writer, and how they may have influenced each other. Students then write a diary entry from Abigail Adams's point of view based on their reading, using prompts about the letter topics, descriptions of Jefferson, and the role his friendship plays in her life.

Students read Chapters 19 and 20 of Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and answer comprehension questions that require locating information from the text (e.g., what John and Abigail thought about the French Revolution, John Quincy Adams's appointment). Students review the first three pages of Chapter 19 and refer to the rest of the reading as needed to complete a compare-and-contrast chart about Federalists and Republicans, which asks them to identify party leaders, views of government, and reactions to the French Revolution. The grammatical scavenger hunt directs students to find specific grammatical forms and sentences in the chapters, requiring them to locate and extract textual examples.

Students read Chapters 21 and 22 of a biography and answer specific text-based questions (e.g., the Sedition Act, John Adams's family troubles, Louisa Adams's reaction, Abigail's shifting views), requiring them to draw facts from the informational text. In Activity 2 students look up descriptions in the book index and view linked web resources, then use those textual and visual sources to create artwork or complete a Venn diagram comparing Peacefield and the President's House. The lesson also prompts discussion and reflection questions (Ideas to Think About; Questions to Discuss) that ask students to consider how lives interact with events and to reflect on important life events, encouraging use of textual evidence in discussion.

Students read Chapters 23 and 24 of Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and answer specific comprehension questions that require extracting factual information (e.g., personal tragedies in 1811–1813, Abigail's renewed correspondence with Jefferson, financial actions, and her late-life commentary on women's roles). Activity 1 asks students to create a written memorial or design a memorial "drawing on important themes in her life," which requires using information from the biography. The final project directs students to "look back on the life of Abigail Adams and present a performance" that captures how she was influenced by and influenced others, prompting synthesis of information from the text.

Students are required to quote directly from at least one primary source for one of their play scenes and to list "Relevant primary sources cited" on planning pages. The rubric and planning pages require students to provide accurate dates and historical information and to include three critical events with supporting primary-source reading. The unit test includes a paragraph-analysis section asking students to identify supporting evidence from a passage, and planning instructions tell students to explain events and dates for audience understanding.

Students read and extract passages from primary informational texts (Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact) and physically sort or highlight phrases into categories of limits, rights, and responsibilities (Activity 1). Students must explain why they highlighted passages and identify whose powers or rights are affected, and they are prompted to record locations of passages for later reference. In Activity 2, students read the Articles of Confederation online, answer purposeful questions, summarize sections in their own words, and respond to prompts about power distribution or problems, using a note-taking template tied to specific parts of the document.

Students are directed to read the archival article "A More Perfect Union: The Creation of the U.S. Constitution" and then answer specific reading questions that require information from that text. In Activity 1 students read the Library of Congress essay "Identifying Defects in the Constitution" and complete a three-column analysis comparing modern problems to limitations under the Articles of Confederation. In Activity 2 students conduct research using the Internet, encyclopedias, or a library to complete "Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists" pages, and in Activity 3 they use The Federalist Papers (video and optional text of Federalist No. 10) to brainstorm factions and policies. Activity 4 asks students to produce a 30-second Anti-Federalist speech including a specific example of constitutional problems, which requires drawing on Anti-Federalist arguments in informational/primary texts.

Students read the Constitution section-by-section and are instructed to take at least two key points per section (Activity 1), showing they extract information from the primary text. Page 4 asks students to list what voters should remember and pose questions about each section, which asks students to reflect on evidence they collected. Option 2 directs students to take notes from the Library of Congress interactive and asks comparative questions about sources and origins, requiring students to draw information from informational texts. Option 1 asks students to match real-world scenarios to specific amendments, an application that requires using textual understanding of the Bill of Rights.

Students read informational texts (George Washington's Inaugural and Farewell Addresses) and answer interpretive questions that require using the texts (e.g., explaining the quoted passage and Washington's reasons for not seeking a third term). Students review Article II and several amendments and then answer targeted constitutional questions in a mini-book (eligibility, oath, term length, pardons, succession). In Option 1, students use White House websites to research cabinet roles and current cabinet members; in Option 2, students examine actual presidential schedules and record observations and a sample presidential schedule.

Students are instructed to review Article I of the Constitution and an overview of the legislative process on the White House website and then answer specific comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) based on those readings. In Activity 2, students are directed to find a bill sponsored by their own representative, read the bill text (or summaries) and complete an activity page that asks them to summarize the bill, name sponsors, note committee action, and report what happened to the bill. Activity 1 asks students to read explanatory webpages about how a bill becomes a law and then create a flow chart or song that shows all steps in the legislative process, demonstrating use of informational sources to inform their product.

Students are directed to read Article III of the Constitution and a White House webpage about the judicial branch as sources for their work. Activity 2 tells students to choose a landmark Supreme Court case, "use your research to answer the questions," and complete a structured activity page that asks for the case basis, the court's decision, the legal precedent, and why the precedent matters today. Activity 1 and Activity 3 require students to use informational web resources and to map processes and checks and balances based on those texts.

Students are asked to use online or library research to complete a multi-page booklet and are given a direct web link to state government websites. Student prompts require finding factual information (state capital, population, governor name/biography, legislature structure, number of justices, and representatives). The Wrapping Up and Life Application sections ask students to think about how state government affects their lives and to look up and compare homeschooling laws across states, which requires gathering information from informational texts.

Students are instructed to use local government websites, libraries, phone books, and other local sources to gather facts for a Z-fold brochure that lists county/municipal offices, web addresses, phone numbers, and services. In Option 1, students must use their local government website to identify which office to call for ten specific community scenarios and record office names and phone numbers. In Option 2, students are asked to research a past or present citizen effort, summarize the issue, identify organizations/individuals involved, list strategies used, and state which side they would take and why.

Students are directed to read informational webpages (e.g., USCIS, party platforms, NPR, CNN, Google News) and then summarize what they find (e.g., provide specific examples of rights and responsibilities, summarize each party's position on selected issues, list four facts in an Issue Analysis). Students must use the parties' websites to identify and summarize 2–3 points for each issue and then choose which position they agree with. Students are asked to research an issue across federal, state, and local sources and to summarize the president's and their representatives' positions in written Action Plan pages.

Students assemble mini-books (informational summaries) into a lapbook and are instructed to use the lapbook as a study guide. Students must prepare to explain the contents of each mini-book and answer questions accurately and thoughtfully during the final presentation (Activity 4 and the rubric). The unit test includes open-ended prompts (e.g., explain weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation; describe checks Congress has on other branches; explain local government organization) that require students to draw on informational content from prior lessons.

Students are instructed to "Read pages 34-37 in Eyewitness Chemistry. Then answer the following questions," and three content questions (definitions and causes of chemical reactions, forms of energy) require students to use the reading to respond. The Student Activity Page asks students to make predictions and record observations that connect to concepts described in the text (e.g., distinguishing physical versus chemical change). The Wrapping Up and "Things to Review" sections ask students to consider examples and review concepts drawn from the informational material.

Students are assigned to read specific pages in an informational text (pp. 30-31 and 40-41 of Eyewitness Chemistry) and then answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., What is combustion? What is oxidation?). The Student Activity Page and parent discussion prompts ask students to explain whether the vinegar + baking soda reaction is endothermic or exothermic and to justify observations about flame behavior, which requires using information from the reading and experiment to support answers. The activity questions require students to record data and explain temperature changes, connecting text concepts (endothermic/exothermic, fire triangle) to observed results.

Students are directed to "Read pp. 42-45 in Eyewitness Chemistry and then answer these questions," which asks them to report what acids and bases do and what the pH scale and a universal indicator are. The Student Activity Page and the provided answer key require students to record observations, estimate pH ranges, and compare their results to expected pH values. The Parent Plan suggests that students (or parents) perform a web search "pH of ___________" to find pH values for additional substances, which directs students to consult informational sources for data.

Students are asked to use the provided table in Activity 1 to determine whether listed processes are physical or chemical changes, relying on definitions and example entries. In Activity 2 students read reaction descriptions, state hints, and chemical equations and then use that information to decide and justify the states of matter for reaction products. Activity 6 directs students to read an informational excerpt about water's specific heat and then answer explanatory questions about how specific heat affects climate and organisms, using details from the text.

Students are asked to "Read pp. 46-47 in Eyewitness Chemistry and then answer these questions," with specific comprehension questions (e.g., who produced the first battery, what is electrolysis, why pure water conducts poorly) that require pulling answers from the text. Students are instructed to consult a periodic table and classify elements (metal, metalloid, nonmetal), which requires using an informational source to support their classifications. The electrical conductivity excerpt is presented and students are later asked explanatory questions (e.g., why copper wire is used), prompting them to use information from that excerpt to justify answers.

Students are asked to re-read an informational passage ("Making a Precipitate" and pp. 44–45 in Eyewitness Chemistry) and answer comprehension questions. In Activity 1 students must use a periodic table and a provided pH chart to record element symbols, material type, group numbers, and pH values, then look for patterns and decide whether each reaction made a salt. In Activity 2 students conduct an experiment and then answer 'Questions to Consider' that ask them to cite evidence (e.g., gas production, precipitate) that a chemical reaction occurred.

Students are given a series of written statements in Activity 1 and asked to categorize each as a claim, evidence, or justification, directly practicing identification of evidence within informational text. In Activity 2 students record observations and are prompted to write justifications that use those observations as evidence to support or refute their claims. The lesson text defines evidence and describes factual data (e.g., CO2 concentrations, experimental results) that students must use when composing justifications.

Students are assigned to read pp. 52–54 (and optionally 55–57) in an informational text and answer content questions. In Activity 1 students review definitions and categorize everyday items as natural or synthetic, applying text-based definitions. In Activity 2 students are directed to specific web links to investigate six substances and must explain risks, benefits, and whether each is a good or bad value. The lesson also tells students they will "conduct research on a chemical substance commonly used in your geographic area."

Students are asked to research a chosen medicine using the "What Does It Do?" activity page, filling prompts for chemical name/formula, benefits, harms, side effects, mechanisms, natural occurrence, and availability. Part 3 directs students to "Collect evidence to support what you find" and to create a presentation with slides labeled Claim, Evidence, and Justification. The parent/example sections model an evidence-based justification that students can emulate in their final executive decision and presentation.

Students are asked to read the book's surrounding informational material (front/back cover, author biography, preface/foreword, and table of contents) and to answer questions such as "What did you learn about the author?" and "What did you learn from the preface, introduction, and/or foreword for the book?". Activity 1 directs students to use those introductory materials to make predictions (e.g., "Based on the back cover, what do you think this book will be about?"). The Pre-Reading activity and its student page require students to review and record information from those informational texts.

Students are asked in Activity 2 to choose an adjective for each character and "provide an example of something that happened in the book or a description offered by the author that led you to choose your adjective," which requires citing passages from Chapter 1. The Reading and Questions section asks students to answer specific, text-based questions about Chapter 1 (e.g., how Major characterizes life on the farm, where he places blame), which requires drawing details from the text. Activity 1 asks students to label parts of speech within sentences taken from the novel, requiring close attention to wording and sentence-level evidence.

Students are asked to support claims with text-based examples in the Characters as Leaders activity, which directs them to "list specific examples to support your assertions about each leader's strengths and weaknesses." In Option 2 students are instructed to "Review the Bill of Rights and the Seven Commandments" and answer comparative questions that require using those texts as evidence (the Parent Plan notes students should "provide evidence to support his claims"). The reading questions require students to cite details from Chapter 2 (for example, describing how the rebellion occurred).

Students are asked in Activity 1 to "write out your thoughts... using specific examples from the text to support your points," directing them to cite examples from Chapter 3 of Animal Farm when comparing work on Manor Farm and Animal Farm. The reading comprehension questions require students to locate and state specifics from the chapter (for example, describing the farm's flag, explaining Boxer's motto, and summarizing how the pigs justified taking milk and apples). The Parent Plan also lists skills such as determining a theme and providing an objective summary, which require students to draw on the text to support analysis.

Students are directed to "create a map of the physical location of the battle based on specific evidence in the book," requiring them to reread and base spatial claims on chapter details. Students are asked to "write a short (2 minute) speech" that must "explain the role that the individual played in the battle" and provide a lesson, which requires using the chapter as evidence to support analysis and reflection. The pronoun activity asks students to look about two pages into Chapter IV and analyze a specific sentence, drawing direct textual evidence to explain why a pronoun is a problem.

Students are asked to conduct historical research in an encyclopedia, the library, or online and to complete the "Animal Farm and the Russian Revolution" activity pages. For each historical figure students must list role, connection to Animal Farm, and "specific evidence that leads to that connection." The directions and answer key explicitly prompt students to provide supporting evidence and to include events on a timeline that connect their research to the novel.

Students read Chapter 8 and answer Question #2, which asks how often claims (numbers, stories about Frederick, Snowball's role) are backed up with credible evidence and asks them to judge the reason behind possible misinformation. The answer guidance tells students they should recognize that there is seldom any actual evidence presented and instead there are reassurances and dogs encouraging belief. Activity 2 allows students to propose enclosures (for example, a chart or receipt) that could serve as supporting documents for a business proposal.

Students are asked to "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis" in the Parent Plan skills, and they complete activities that require noting specific changes to the Seven Commandments using evidence from the book. Activity 2 (Option 1) explicitly allows students to "do some research to determine specific historical facts" to support connections between the novel and a historical event. The answer key and activity pages direct students to identify concrete examples from the text (e.g., pigs wearing clothes, sleeping in beds, executions) to support analysis of changes over time.

The Skills section explicitly asks students to "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text." Activity 4's editing checklist asks students whether each paragraph is "well-supported by evidence" and whether they could add other examples to strengthen their argument. The Student Activity sample outline and Business Letter sample show students selecting and using specific events from Animal Farm (e.g., Napoleon's actions, lies, and treatment of Boxer) as supporting examples for claims about theme.

Students read the Preface from A History of Us: Liberty for All? 1820-1860 and answer specific text-based questions (e.g., origin of 'antebellum,' population change 1800–1840, why Andrew Jackson opposed the Bank). Students watch Episode 3 of America: The Story of Us and discuss reasons people headed west, which requires recalling and discussing information from the video. Students create a map of Antebellum America using labeled historical territories, reinforcing information about boundaries and claims drawn from the provided materials.

Students read primary and informational texts and then summarize or identify paragraph-level main ideas (Activity 3 Option 1 and Option 2 ask students to select or write summaries for each paragraph of Jefferson's First Inaugural Address). Students compare two speeches and record words used by each author, evaluate persuasiveness, and answer comparative questions (Activity 4 comparison worksheet). Students perform directed online research using White House biographies to extract dates and facts for a timeline and fill activity pages about the first six presidents (Activity 1 and Timeline activity). Students take structured notes on party supporters, issues, and policies and use those notes to develop slogans and visual artifacts (Activity 5).

Students are directed to "visit the web resources provided above and then answer the following questions," and answer specific factual and causal questions (e.g., Q1–Q5 ask for the ordinance title/date, population thresholds, resulting states, what the ordinance allowed/prohibited, and how American Indians responded). Students use an American Indian map to complete a crossword, requiring them to extract geographic information from an informational map. In Option 2 students read Daniel Boone's account and answer reflective questions about dangers, character traits, and events, then create a movie poster that must "reflect what [they] learned about Daniel Boone from reading the historical document."

Students are directed to read Chapter 1 of a history text and sections of an online article and then answer specific comprehension questions that require facts from those texts. Students must create a timeline or a top-10 list that includes dates, descriptions, and reasons for significance, explicitly using information from interactive and archival resources. Students compare two tribes using a graphic organizer and add those locations to their map, and an optional journal task asks students to base an imaginative entry on historical information from an interactive journey log.

Students read four short essays (American, British, Canadian, Native Nations) and complete either a comparative chart or a perspective-based movie review that asks them to assess representation, outcomes, and bias. Students read and summarize bolded passages of the Monroe Doctrine in their own words, using the primary text as the basis for their summaries. Students view an informational documentary and are asked reflective questions about its content and perspectives.

Students read multiple informational and primary-source texts (the PBS article on Indian Removal, Jackson's message, General Scott's ultimatum, Chief John Ross's letter, Emerson's letter, personal narratives, and John Burnett's account). Students record at least four justifications and four objections in their own words on the "Support and Opposition for Indian Removal" activity page, directly extracting reasons from the documents. Students summarize a chosen personal narrative and explain in a sentence or two what that account helped them understand about the Trail of Tears and respond to scenarios with reasons for supporting or opposing removal.

Students read informational chapters (Chapters 8–11 of Joy Hakim's A History of Us) and a firsthand account (Enrique Esparza: Inside the Alamo). Students are asked to record one direct quote from Esparza's account and write a summary sentence and an explanatory sentence about what his memories convey, which requires extracting and using textual evidence. In the Manifest Destiny activity, students must answer 'How can you tell?' about artists' intentions, prompting them to point to specific features of source materials as support.

Students are asked to read Chapters 12-14 of A History of Us and first-person accounts from the Library of Congress and then answer specific comprehension questions that require drawing on those texts. Activity 1 directs students to use information from two personal-narrative readings to prepare a 3–5 minute monologue explaining why a historical person headed west, including reasons, challenges, and outcomes. Activity 2 instructs students to read primary-source accounts and then write a letter or poem that must include details about panning for gold, mining-camp conditions, and an assessment of whether coming to California was a good idea.

Students are assigned to read Chapters 4-7 of the informational text A History of Us: Liberty for All? and answer specific content questions (e.g., whether U.S. control changed New Mexico; challenges on the Oregon Trail; reasons some opposed the Mormons), which requires using the reading to respond. Students add events to a timeline (cards #51-52), which asks them to place historical information in chronological context. Students also complete an Image Analysis activity that asks them to observe and interpret historical photographs, connecting visual primary sources to historical understanding.

Students are asked to identify and record the URLs for images they use in the Art Gallery and to write gallery cards describing each image and its significance, and the Art Gallery rubric explicitly requires a citation for each image and 1–2 sentences describing significance. In the Storyboard option, students must "draw on accurate historical information," place their character in historical context, and include at least two federal government actions that affected the character, with planning pages prompting students to connect personal narrative to unit content. The unit test and short-answer prompts require students to use what they learned from informational unit materials to answer questions about events, technologies, and policies.

Students read Sections 1 and 2 of What Is Energy? and answer content questions (e.g., How does the Sun produce light? How does a solar panel work?), which requires using information from an informational text. Activity 1 asks students to watch two videos and then discuss limitations and improvements, prompting them to draw on media-based informational sources for analysis. Activity 2 directs students to collect temperature data and then "justify" or "refute" their hypothesis explicitly by including the evidence they collected as part of their justification.

Students are directed to "Read Sections 3 and 4 in What Is Energy?" and to "pay specific attention" to conservation and energy terms, and then answer five text-based questions (Q1–Q5) that require extracting definitions and explanations from the reading. Student activity pages ask students to make predictions, record observations, and answer explanatory prompts such as "Which set-up heated faster? Why?" and "What do both Parts I and II of this activity illustrate about conduction?" which ask for reasons grounded in the content they read and observed.

Students are asked to re-read pages 6–8 of an informational text and to "pay careful attention to the role of matter" and how types of matter are used to produce energy. Questions #1–3 require students to list sources of chemical energy and to use that list to briefly explain how each source enables work, and to explain how chemical energy is released. In Activity 2 (Option 2) students must write brief atomic-level descriptions for a sequence of images using a hint that ties the images to the battery and combustion described in the reading.

Students are asked to re-read pages 8-10 (8-11 online) of What Is Energy? and watch two short videos and then answer specific comprehension questions about sound, electromagnetic waves, and nuclear radiation. Students are directed to use their developing understanding and the information provided to complete the "Comparing Sound Waves" page and to refer back to the reading and videos when answering wave-related questions. Students are also prompted to answer "Questions to Ponder" and "Questions to Discuss," which ask them to explain observations (e.g., differences in absorption) using concepts introduced in the readings and parent notes.

Students are directed to read informational webpages (e.g., Forbes pros/cons and Project Sunroof) and complete a pros-and-cons chart, selecting the three most important advantages and disadvantages of solar power. Students gather quantitative evidence by recording usable sunlight hours, roof area, recommended kW from Project Sunroof, and result from a solar power calculator, then compute potential savings and net long-term savings. Students must summarize their findings, explain whether they recommend solar panels for their home, and share and discuss their recommendations with a parent.

Students read provided informational webpages about turbines, coal plants, hydroelectric power, and wind energy and are instructed to summarize their understanding in their own words or diagrams (Part 2). Students use multiple provided web links to research wind turbines, evaluate practicality for their area, estimate costs, weigh advantages and disadvantages, and prepare a presentation that must state a conclusion and explain how they came to that conclusion (Part 6). Students are prompted to reflect on their decision and are reminded to use facts to make arguments based on evidence as part of wrapping up the project.

Students locate publication information and page-numbering differences by examining the front matter and copyright page. They use the table of contents and index to find topics (e.g., choosing search terms for "weak nuclear forces" and evaluating which index entries work best). Students skim pages and underline/circle cover and jacket phrases, then explain whether the book is narrative, expository, or both, citing sidebars, graphics, and text features as evidence.

Students are assigned specific informational pages from The Story of Science and answer targeted comprehension questions (Q1–Q6) that require locating facts and details from the text. In Activity 1 students underline words or phrases in an italicized paragraph and explain what makes them effective, using those textual details to support analysis of descriptive technique. The Student Activity Page asks students to produce sensory-based descriptions grounded in given nouns, reinforcing use of textual examples to guide descriptive choices.

Students read specified chapters and answer directed comprehension questions about details (e.g., why Marie went to college; which elements were discovered), which requires locating information in the text. Students complete vocabulary activities that ask them to write definitions in their own words and provide examples based on page-referenced sidebar definitions. Students practice two structured methods of extracting text information: taking notes in their own words (with an explicit suggestion to include page numbers) or highlighting and annotating passages directly, with a provided sample of annotated text.

Students read specific chapters (16, 17, 19, and 20) and answer direct questions about quantum mechanics, Bohr's behavior, differing ideas about light, Compton's experiments, and the Cockcroft-Walton accelerator, requiring them to locate facts in the text. In Option 2, students are prompted to choose a sequence from the book, refer to the book to confirm names and dates, and use graphic organizers to record "people involved," "important dates," and "terms or concepts that need explanation." The student activity pages guide students to plan and organize information (introduction, events, conclusion), which requires pulling details from the informational text to summarize a process.

Students are asked to read Chapters 22–24, take notes on key concepts (for example, what E=mc² means and what a nuclear chain reaction is), and record one to two scientific and world events from each year 1932–1939 on a Chapter 23 timeline, which requires extracting factual information from the text. In Activity 2 students must visit three specified web pages and answer guided questions asking for clues that authors are credible, whether the text is understandable, and whether each site would be appropriate for a formal research paper, requiring them to cite reasons from the pages. The Parent Plan lists skills explicitly: gather relevant information from multiple print/digital sources, assess credibility and accuracy, and distinguish facts from speculation, which students practice through note-taking, timeline construction, and source evaluation.

Students are instructed to refer to the assigned pages of the book and to use examples from the book in their body paragraphs, with sample planning explicitly showing page-numbered citations (e.g., parenthetical page numbers in the sample). The assignment tells students to put quotation marks around any exact language copied from the book and to include a page number, and the planning worksheets prompt students to list specific supporting details or examples from the text. The comprehension questions require students to draw answers from the reading (e.g., explaining Szilard's actions and the significance of uranium), which practices using textual information to support claims.

Students are asked to read Chapters 28, 29, 31, and 32 and answer specific comprehension questions that require citing facts from the text (e.g., Galileo's principle of relativity, Einstein's view on the center of the universe). Students complete a Domain-Specific Vocabulary activity by looking up terms in the book and writing definitions and examples in their own words. Students design a poster that can be based on topics from the book, requiring them to select and convey information from the text and to use at least three domain-specific terms.

Students are asked to read Chapters 33–35 and answer factual questions that cite page ranges (e.g., the twin paradox answer references pp. 297–299), so students practice extracting information from an informational text. Option 2 explicitly tells students they may use examples from the book and instructs them to include page numbers and put quoted phrases in quotation marks. The planning and organization pages and writing directions require students to use "specific details and examples" to support each comparison/contrast point and to record exact descriptions or examples for use in their writing.

Students read specified chapters of The Story of Science and answer text-dependent questions (e.g., defining redshift, Hubble's realization, use of Cepheid stars), requiring them to draw facts directly from the informational text. Students complete the "Paraphrasing and Summarizing" page where they choose the best paraphrase of a passage, rewrite a caption in their own words, and write a chapter summary that begins "Chapter 36 is about ...," which requires extracting central ideas and restating them. Students use the "Understanding Plagiarism" activity to classify statements as common knowledge, quoted, or paraphrased (CK, GCQ, GC) and must explain their classifications using the book as the source, with instructions to record page numbers for quotations and paraphrases.

Students are assigned specific informational readings (pages and chapters from The Story of Science) and answer comprehension questions about causes of supernovas, black hole event horizons, and Type 1a supernovas, which require locating facts in the text. The assignment allows students to "use examples you find there" when writing a problem/solution piece (for instance, on the Manhattan Project) and provides a planning sheet that prompts students to list pros and cons and evaluate solutions based on information they gather.

Students read informational chapters and answer specific content questions (Questions #1-#4), showing practice extracting information from texts. The Parent Plan and Activities require students to learn and apply MLA parenthetical citations and create a Works Cited entry, and the Student Activity Page asks students to identify correct/incorrect parenthetical citations and build citation entries. Activity 2 asks students to revisit prior writing and create a graphic that integrates text information visually, and the Parent Plan explicitly lists 'Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts.'

Students are instructed to use The Story of Science as a required source and to use at least three sources (Activity 5). They record page numbers/URLs, use notecards or research notes, and are told to put direct quotations in quotation marks (Activities 4 and 5). The lesson gives explicit guidance on integrating quotations and paraphrases to support claims and directs students to create a Works Cited page and use a citation builder (Activity 9 and Activity 10). The research rubric and the skills list explicitly require citing specific textual evidence and effective use of outside sources.

Students are instructed to view Episode 4 and to pause periodically to answer specific guided questions (e.g., risks/benefits of the Erie Canal, how the cotton gin changed production), requiring them to pull information from the film. Students are directed to fill in a Venn diagram graphic organizer (Activity 1) with items unique to the North, unique to the South, and shared features while they watch, which requires extracting facts and details from the informational video. The Reading and Questions section gives explicit prompts that students must answer based on the content they observe and hear.

Students are instructed to read the preface and pages 9-12 of Joy Hakim's A History of US and the Miller Center and Avalon texts about Jackson's veto, then answer specific questions about the Industrial Revolution and Jackson's objections to the Bank. In Activity 2 students must highlight and copy Jackson's veto message (Option 1) to create a word cloud and interpret the most prominent words, and (Option 2) analyze the Miller Center essay and the primary text to compare supporters and opponents of the bank. The student activity pages require sorting statements based on the essay and answering analytic questions, which directs students to use information drawn from the assigned informational texts.

Students are asked to read Chapter 18 and short first-person accounts and then answer targeted reading questions that require using the text (e.g., questions about inventions, hotels, newspapers, and city problems). Option 1 for the urbanization activity explicitly directs students to "draw on the descriptions in the chapter you read today and in Schermerhorn's account" when writing a letter, and the textile diary option instructs students to base their entry on the readings and provide historically accurate details. Activity 3 asks students to recall the Erie Canal video and locate the canal on a map before creating an advertisement that explains why the canal matters and what work entails, which asks students to use prior informational sources to support their claims.

Students are assigned Chapter 19 of an informational history text and directed to read biographical selections about Underground Railroad figures, providing them with informational source material. In Option 2, students use the 1850 U.S. census table listing countries of birth and immigrant totals to create a color-coded map and draw proportional lines for numbers of immigrants, requiring them to extract and represent data from an informational source. Activity 2 asks students to reread the biographical accounts, jot down important events, and plan a first-person oral retelling, which requires using details from the texts to reconstruct a narrative.

Students read Chapters 21–24 of a nonfiction history text and answer specific comprehension and analysis questions (e.g., explaining Sojourner Truth's repeated question and describing the Seneca Falls Declaration). Students are instructed to review the reading to gather background before choosing a reformer for further study. In the Reformers and Pioneers activity, students must conduct online or library-based research and use those sources to answer at least three of their interview questions about a historical figure.

Students are directed to read Chapters 29–31 (and Chapters 27–28 for Activity 1) of A History of US: Liberty for All? and answer specific questions that require using information from the text (e.g., interpreting Melville's quote and explaining what made Audubon's drawings unique). Option 1 of Activity 1 asks students to give three examples from the poems they read that illustrate Transcendentalist values, requiring students to point to passages or instances in the texts. The reading-and-questions section includes explicit comprehension and short-analysis prompts based on the informational chapters.

Students are directed to use specific informational sources to complete tasks: Activity 1 asks students to read a PBS article and explain how the cotton gin changed life for different groups, Activity 2 gives students a data table and asks them to graph populations and draw conclusions, Activity 3 requires students to read two Library of Congress slave narratives and list details, and Activity 5 asks students to read Hammond and Douglass and prepare a speech refuting Hammond using his arguments. Multiple activities instruct students to use the provided websites, chapters, and tables as sources for analysis, comparison, and evidence-based responses.

Students are assigned to read Chapters 33-35 and Chapter 38 of Joy Hakim's A History of US and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., explain the Republican Party's opposition to expansion of slavery; describe the Dred Scott decision). In Activity 2, students must summarize the arguments for and against allowing slavery in new territories on the "Should Slavery Expand?" page and identify who might have held each position. Students then synthesize those summaries into a rally sign or flyer advocating one side, which requires using information from the readings/arguments to support a chosen position.

Students are instructed to "draw on the work you have done throughout the unit and the readings from the books you have used" when creating their poster, explicitly requiring use of unit readings. The rubric requires inclusion of at least one map, graph, or table "showing data to support main points," and multiple rubric items require "accurate, well-chosen information" about economic, political, and cultural differences. Option 2 directs students to pull 2–3 quotations from speeches and note the speaker and region, and the unit test short-answer questions ask students to describe impacts and who benefited or was harmed, prompting use of textual or factual evidence.

Students are instructed in Activity 2 to "conduct an internet search" and to use information from that search and the provided excerpt to record at least three characteristics for graphite and diamond, requiring use of informational texts as evidence. In Activity 1 students look over the excerpt illustration and add characteristics about carbon mentioned in the excerpt, drawing facts directly from the text. In Activity 4 students read about the carbon cycle and then create a flow chart that traces the path of a carbon atom, describing what is happening at each step based on the reading. Activity 5 directs students to use the USDA Food Data Central site to look up calorie information for their food journal and later analyze the collected data for the final project.

Students read multiple informational sections that define biomolecules, their building blocks, functions, and where they are found (carbohydrates, lipids, nucleic acids, proteins). Students use that information to complete the "Biomolecules" activity pages by matching descriptions to biomolecules and categorizing everyday substances (apple juice, olive oil, steak, etc.) by the primary biomolecule they contain. Students also answer reflective questions (e.g., why foods have starches and fats) and record observations from tests that are compared with explanatory text and answer keys.

Students are asked to conduct web-based research on two inorganic substances using the provided links and to record each substance's chemical symbol/formula, functions in the human body, and how the body obtains it. Students are instructed to read Nutrition Facts labels and ingredient lists to determine grams of fat/carbohydrate/protein, sodium content, and percent vitamins/minerals, and to record those observations on a Diet Survey page. Students must use those informational texts to categorize foods (carbohydrate, lipid, protein) and to note inorganic compounds present, and they are prompted to reflect on cravings in light of their findings.

Students are directed to "Read the information at the following weblink" and then answer three questions based on what they have read, requiring them to use the text to support answers about water and thirst. Multiple activities instruct students to "use the information above" (e.g., osmosis explanations and hormone descriptions) to complete tables and explain scenarios such as why certain hormones are elevated or how cells respond to solutions. Activity 3 teaches scientific argumentation (Claim, Evidence, Justification) and asks students to fill the Evidence and Justification sections based on their experiment and observations.

Students are directed to read a linked CDC article and answer explicit comprehension questions, requiring them to extract facts from an informational text. In Activity 2 students are instructed to use Internet sources to look up each chemical agent, record the 'Type of Agent' and 'Dose for Toxicity', and reflect on amounts necessary for toxicity, populating a research table. In Activity 3 students use the chart and Internet evidence to narrow options, diagnose case files, and investigate treatments based on symptoms.

Students are instructed in Activity 4 to use an encyclopedia or Internet research to learn about Edward Jenner, Louis Pasteur, Robert Koch, and Ilya Mechnikov and to answer specific questions about their discoveries. After watching the videos in Activity 1 and 2, students answer guided questions (e.g., most important part of a virus, how a virus is duplicated, how the body combats a virus) that require them to refer to the informational content. In Activities 2, 3, and 5 students analyze data tables and graphs about pathogen growth and white blood cell response and use those data to calculate and explain how the immune system overcomes infection.

Students are directed to "Use information from the video and vocabulary from the lesson to answer the following questions," which requires extracting facts from an informational video and glossary (Activity 1). In Activity 2 students read camper interviews and mark data in tables, then are asked to identify the cause of the illness and explain methods for identifying patterns, requiring analysis of the provided informational interview texts and data. Activity 3 asks students to "Read the following excerpts" about allergies, chronic urticaria, and HIV/AIDS and to discuss specific questions that ask them to explain differences and causes using those excerpts.

Students are instructed in Activity 1 to use the day's reading and external informational resources (NIH Office of Dietary Supplements) to fill a Nutrient Amounts table with intake amounts, natural sources, deficiency effects, and excess effects. In Activity 2 Option 1 students are directed to read CDC and PBS fact sheets and then answer specific questions about immediate and long-term health risks, groups who should not drink, and factors that explain differences in blood alcohol levels. In Activity 2 Option 2 students analyze alcohol advertisements and record observations, requiring them to draw information from media sources to support their analysis.

Students are instructed in Part 9 to research the biochemical importance, acceptable consumption rates, signs of overconsumption, impacts of improper diet, and to compare those findings to their own fat intake, using provided web links (Heart Association, ChooseMyPlate, WebMD). Students are told to "use the worksheets called 'Impact of a Proper Diet' to document your research findings" and to include this information in their final report. The rubric explicitly assesses "Use of Data and Research," and Part 10 requires students to present a report and recommendations that compare their diet to healthy guidelines supported by research.

Students are directed to visit multiple informational websites (author biography, maps of free and slave states, USHistory articles on the growth of slavery and slave codes, and PBS on dialect) and to record summaries and answers in a journal. Students complete map activities using an online historical map and trace Huck and Jim's route, using the map as evidence of free and slave states. Students watch an investigative video on linguistic profiling and answer reflective questions about how society forms judgments based on speech. The Parent Plan and activity prompts explicitly ask students to summarize historical information and list rules that slaves had to follow based on the informational texts.

Students read Chapters 8–11 and answer text-based comprehension questions that require referring to the chapters. In the "And You Can Quote Me on That" activity, students examine specific quotes from the novel and record what each quote reveals about character feelings and point of view. In the Show/Don't Tell tasks, students select words from an emotions list and write sentences or a short narrative that show characters' feelings using evidence from the text (dialogue, actions, word choice).

Students are instructed to read the web article "Propelling Action through Dialogue" to explore how dialogue can propel action, providing an explicit informational source about narrative technique. Students examine several quoted dialogue passages from the novel (the "Miss Watson" passage, the "Speaking French" scenes, and other excerpts) and answer guided questions about what the dialogue reveals, how it propels action, and how it keeps readers interested. The Parent Plan directs students to scan the novel and identify examples and offers suggested responses that connect the informational article's ideas to the novel passages.

Students read a linked student persuasive essay and answer specific questions that ask them to identify the thesis, the three supporting reasons, and one type of evidence the writer provides for each reason. Students read the "Dogs Are Better Pets Than Cats" page and analyze examples of persuasive techniques and evidence (logic, emotion, anecdotes, analogies). Students brainstorm evidence in Option 2 Part II by choosing reasons and listing evidence that might help support one reason.

Students are directed to read an external informational article (the CBS News link "Editing the Novel") as part of the Word Choice Debate and are asked, "What persuaded you in that direction?" which prompts use of that article's evidence. Students are instructed to use a Persuasion Map to record "Facts or Examples" and to use a "combination of types of evidence" when writing their persuasive paragraph. In the reading questions students are explicitly asked to "Support your answer with a quote," requiring them to draw textual evidence from Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Students collect and examine informational sources (newspapers, magazines, online articles, encyclopedias, instructional manuals) and sort examples into expository, narrative, and persuasive categories. Students create three collages that must include at least four examples each and are asked (in the Parent Plan) to explain why specific pieces of writing fit into a particular category. The Skills section explicitly states that students will "conduct short research projects to answer a question about the type of writing examined" and "research styles of writing and identify their purpose and type."

Students are instructed in Activity 2 to listen to two slave narratives (informational primary-source audio) and take notes on conclusions about the life of the slave, comparing and contrasting those conclusions with the character of Jim. The prompt explicitly asks students to make notes about dialect and any figurative language they hear, which requires attending to and recording details from the informational texts. The parent plan repeats that students will make connections between the slave narratives and Jim's life and dialect, reinforcing that students use the narratives as sources for comparison.

Students are assigned to read an informational text (Fields of Fury, pp. 1–13) and answer comprehension questions that rely on facts from that reading. In Activity 1 Option 1 students must research one historical figure using provided resource pages/links and then write a letter summarizing that figure's position and justifying their own stance. In Activity 4 students read excerpts from Lincoln's and Douglas's speeches and complete a chart comparing their perspectives, and in Activity 3 students create a map based on compromises/acts (Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850, Kansas-Nebraska Act, Dred Scott) and discuss how those texts and the map affect tensions over slavery.

Students are asked to reread a specific section of James McPherson's Fields of Fury and answer text-dependent questions that require citing details (questions about why southerners opposed Lincoln, Lincoln's view of secession, etc.). Students read primary/secondary sources about Webster and Calhoun (Senate summary and a PBS biography) and summarize each man's view, directly drawing from those texts to complete the Webster vs. Calhoun activity. Students use data from an NPS article to complete a chart comparing North and South and answer analytical questions about how those differences would affect war outcomes. In Activity 4 students list reasons on both sides (Slavery vs. States' Rights) and evaluate which argument is more convincing using the evidence they collected.

Students read informational texts (pp. 14-17 of McPherson) and answer specific comprehension questions about Lincoln, Davis, and Fort Sumter, requiring them to locate and report facts from the text. In Activity 1 students read Jefferson Davis's inaugural address and are directed to summarize each paragraph in their own words and record the source title and page/paragraph information. In Activity 2 students read excerpts of Lincoln's first inaugural and write brief explanations justifying which president would appeal to different historical actors, requiring use of speech content to support their choices. In Activity 3 students create an illustrated timeline of Fort Sumter events, write one-sentence summaries for each event based on their readings, and are instructed to record URLs for any images used as source citations.

Students read specific informational texts (pages 18–29 of Fields of Fury and selected narratives from We Were There, Too!) and answer directed comprehension questions (Q1–Q4) that require drawing answers from the readings. Students complete Civil War battle cards where they must evaluate each side's gains or losses and are told to "try to think critically" and (in the Parent Plan) to explain their numerical answers. In Option 1, students must base a dramatization on the young people's narratives, retell at least one vivid event, and give positive and negative aspects of service, explicitly using details from the readings.

Students read pages 30–43 of an informational text and answer specific comprehension and analysis questions (e.g., the goal of the Peninsular Campaign; why Antietam was a Union victory). Students are asked to "use the information from today's readings" to add content to Civil War battle cards, answering prompts about important people, outcomes, significance, and advantages gained. Discussion prompts ask students to consider qualities of leaders and whether it is clear who will win, which requires reflection based on the reading.

Students are asked to read pages 44–53 of McPherson and answer a direct question (What changes did the Emancipation Proclamation create?), requiring them to extract facts from the informational text. In Activity 1 students must use "information from today's readings" to complete Civil War battle cards (identify important people, outcomes, and significance). In Activity 2 Option 1 students are told to consult the highlighted book box and two Massachusetts Historical Society web resources and then, based on those readings and online resources, write a letter explaining reasons, hopes, and fears for joining the 54th Massachusetts.

Students read pages 53–73 of Fields of Fury and answer specific content questions (e.g., roles of women, why Minie balls were dangerous) that require extracting information from the text. Students watch the Civil War episode and are prompted to remain active viewers and discuss pointed questions (e.g., effects of the telegraph, effects of the Emancipation Proclamation) using details from the film and readings. Students complete Civil War battle cards and timeline entries that ask for important people, outcomes, and significance drawn from the assigned readings and film.

Students are directed to read pages 74–89 in Fields of Fury and answer specific content questions (e.g., Sherman's estimate of $100 million in damages), which requires extracting factual evidence from an informational text. Students are told to use information from the readings to complete Civil War battle cards, answering prompts such as important people, outcomes, and why a battle was important. In the Reconstruction activity, students must identify whether different individuals would favor punitive or lenient plans and write 1–2 sentences explaining how and why, which asks them to use textual knowledge to support an analysis. Additional activities (poster or sampler) ask students to base creative work on assigned first-person accounts, requiring them to draw on informational/primary-source descriptions.

Students are instructed to read pages 4-5 and 18-21 of What Is Cell Theory and then answer specific comprehension questions, which requires locating information in an informational text. In Activity 2 students must mark objects as cellular or non-cellular and write an explanation in the "Supporting Evidence" column, explicitly asking for evidence to support their classification. The parent/teacher notes direct students to use p.19 of What Is Cell Theory to check their labeled diagram, indicating use of the informational text to verify answers.

Students are assigned to read pages 22–25 of an informational text and answer four content questions that require pulling facts (e.g., differences between plant and animal cells, vacuole function, chloroplast and mitochondria roles). Students color, cut, and label cell components and place organelles into plant or animal cells, using the reading and provided diagrams to identify which structures belong where. In the chromatography activity, students collect observations of separated pigments and answer questions about pigment importance, linking experimental results to informational explanations about chloroplast function.

Students are asked to view three informational videos and "pay attention to specific details" and then answer directed questions (Q1–Q5) about organelle functions, which requires extracting facts from those texts. Students read an excerpt about saltwater organisms and apply osmosis concepts to determine water movement in the "Which Way Will Water Move?" activity and answer related questions, using the excerpt as supporting information. Discussion prompts ask students to "use specific parts of the cell in your answer," prompting them to refer to textual details when explaining how cell components ensure proper function.

Students are instructed to "read the three articles" and to "use the information from all three articles to answer the following questions," requiring them to draw facts from informational texts. The Reading and Questions section contains specific content questions that students must answer using the assigned web texts (e.g., characteristics of protozoa, differences among algae and fungi-like protists). Activity 2 asks students to compare diagrams and complete a chart using information from a coloring book and readings, which requires pulling details from informational sources to support their comparisons.

Students are directed to read multiple informational resources (video and several articles) and to "look for distinctions" about prokaryotes as they read. The question set (Q1–Q5) asks students to supply specific factual answers that must come from those texts. Activity 1 explicitly instructs students to "use the information you collected" to write a paragraph describing similarities and differences between eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells, and Activity 2 asks students to "Draw Conclusions" and state whether their hypothesis is supported "Based on the evidence."

Students are directed to read specified web resources ("Viral Attack," "Inside Viruses," and videos) and to "use the information found in them to answer the following questions," requiring them to base answers on the texts. Activity 2 explicitly asks students to "use Internet research from well-respected sources" to decide whether viruses are living and to "give the reasoning behind your choice," prompting students to gather and apply textual evidence. The Student Activity Page and parent notes instruct students to support their conclusion with evidence and logic, and the Reading and Questions section requires fact-based answers drawn from the informational texts.

Students read assigned informational pages (pp. 20–25 and 38–45) and answer content questions that require explaining why cells have different sizes and shapes and the functions of various cell types. Students are instructed to do Internet research on a chosen specialized cell (with a Human Cell Atlas link provided) and record functions and unique properties on the "Specialized Cell" activity page. Students respond to reflective "Questions to Ponder" about muscle cells and build a model that links observed structure and function, requiring them to apply information from texts and sources.

Students are instructed to watch a video and read pages 30–31 of What Is Cell Theory? to learn about mitosis and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., difference between mitosis and cytokinesis; the four phases). Students are told to use pages 30–31 to check their labeling of the stages on the coloring sheet and to refer to those pages as needed when building clay models. The optional extension asks students to create a presentation and "use text to explain each step" of mitosis, which directs them to incorporate information from informational sources into their presentation.

Students are asked in the Antimicrobial Properties conclusion to "cite evidence for their conclusions" after evaluating hypotheses about substances that hinder or increase bacterial growth. In the Patient Diagnosis activity students read a scenario and a table of illnesses (symptoms, cause, treatment) and answer questions such as "Based on your analysis of the evidence, what do you think the patient has?" and "What evidence helped you realize that the patient did not have the flu or issues with allergies?" The Doctor, Doctor matching and the vocabulary sections provide informational text that students must use to match definitions and images.

Students are assigned to read specific pages of the informational book What Is Cell Theory? and answer comprehension questions (Questions #1 and #3) that require recalling facts from those pages. Students cut out, read, and use the text on historical cards in Activity 1 to recall facts and place events in chronological order. Students are asked in Activity 2 to complete a Conclusion and "give a rationale for your answer using the evidence you have collected," showing practice in drawing evidence to support a conclusion (from their observations).

Students are asked to use provided data and texts to make a diagnosis (Day 1: "Use the symptoms and the table to help you determine what the likely cause is"). Activity 2 directs students to research specific infections online to complete a comparison table and form a preliminary diagnosis. The unit explicitly asks students to "be prepared to explain, using evidence, why a virus is or is not considered a living thing," and Activity 5 directs students to consult WHO/Mayo Clinic/Cleveland Clinic sources and then write prevention strategies based on that research.

Students are directed to read informational web pages about the Underground Railroad (Activity 1) and then use that information to write a poem, song, or a 6–8 sentence journal entry from the perspective of a slave. Students are asked to read a biography and watch an author video (Activity 3) and then answer specific factual and inferential questions about Christopher Paul Curtis's prior job, feelings about it, and influences. Students must locate North Buxton on a map and read the author's note (Activity 4) and then write a 6–8 sentence persuasive speech giving reasons a freed person should move to Buxton, which requires using historical details as support.

Students read paired informational excerpts (George Fitzhugh and Frederick Douglass) and answer guided questions that require contrasting the two views. Students are instructed to re-read Douglass's passage and circle vivid adjectives and underline the verb repeated most often, using those markings to explain why his account is persuasive. The parent notes and activity prompts explicitly ask students to identify Douglass's use of strong verbs, adjectives, repetition, and personal experience as evidence for his persuasive power.

Students are asked to identify specific words or sentences that create tone and to name words or images that created their mood responses (Activity 1 student pages ask for examples from the text). In Activity 2, students read quoted excerpts from Mr. Leroy and Elijah's father and view linked primary-source materials (slave narratives, photographs, engravings) and are asked to write what they learned about the experience of being a slave from each item. The optional poem/art task asks students to incorporate information learned from Elijah of Buxton and the supplementary readings and artwork into their own reflective work.

Students read an informational passage in Activity 2 about the legal limits on slave education and the power of literacy (including the Frederick Douglass example) and are prompted to discuss the importance of education. Option 2 directs students to read a linked informational web page about Matilda Taylor's secret school and then write the remainder of a play scene in which characters explain why they risked punishment to learn, which requires using the information from that source.

Students read Chapters 15–17 of Elijah of Buxton and answer targeted questions that require them to describe events and reactions (e.g., what Mrs. Holton paid, what happened to Theodore Highgate, how Mr. Leroy reacted). Students are explicitly asked to "note the evidence of the Preacher's past faults" when evaluating Mr. Leroy's decision, and to assign two words to each main character based on actions in the text. Students complete a character-comparison graphic organizer that directs them to record similarities and differences grounded in the text.

Students are asked to write 2–3 sentences explaining an allusion's origin and connection to Elijah of Buxton on the Student Activity Page, using provided biblical passages (e.g., Mark 6:33–44, Joshua 6, Luke 3) as reference. The lesson directs students to use the "Allusions" pages to examine allusions in the novel and suggests they look up unfamiliar references online to understand their meaning. Students read the Q&A with Christopher Paul Curtis and discuss what surprised them, drawing on that informational interview to reflect on the author's experience.

Students are asked to identify and list seven events leading to the climax and three events in the falling action on a Plot Diagram, which requires selecting evidence from the text to show how the conflict develops. The Theme Web directs students to record "instances from different parts of the story" that support the theme of freedom, prompting use of textual examples to support analysis. Activity 2 asks students to "Use specific examples from the book and explain the impact of these incidences," requiring students to draw evidence from the novel to support personal reflection.

Students are directed to read specific informational web pages (NPS physiographic province pages, National Geographic on biomes, NASA biome pages) and to use those texts to identify their state's geologic province and major biomes. The Activity 1 worksheet asks students to summarize "Based on the introduction (first paragraph or two) of the Geologic Province web page, what are some interesting features and facts" and to "Describe how at least one major feature of this geologic region was formed," requiring students to draw from the informational text. Activity 2 and Activity 3 require students to determine provinces/biomes from the linked sources and record features on a map, and the field/visual journal prompts ask students to reflect on observations in relation to what they read.

Students are instructed to use field guides, library research, or online sources to fill at least six journal pages and to "be sure to jot down the sources you use" and to print the URL beneath any online image. Students complete guided prompts that ask for scientific names, descriptions, locations, and explanatory responses such as "Why is it a problem?" for invasive species or "Why is this animal endangered or threatened?" that require explanation. The activity requires students to research specific factual information (where found, what it eats, life cycle) and to assemble that information into a research journal.

Students are directed in Activity 1 to use the public library or the Internet and specific web links to research at least one indigenous group and to complete 'Research on Native Populations' activity pages. The student pages include targeted prompts asking where the people lived, how their communities were organized, housing, clothing, food traditions, and a reflection question about what the student found most interesting. Activity 3 asks students to create a model or artwork that reflects details from their research, requiring students to apply information they gathered.

Students are directed to research four historical topics using books and reputable websites, take organized notes (index cards), and record the URL on the back of each card. Students must include for each topic 3–4 well-crafted sentences explaining the events and their significance and either an image or a website link on their poster/timeline. The lesson instructs students to save or print images and to write source URLs under printed images, and it gives guidance on choosing reputable .gov/.edu sources.

Students are instructed to look up information about a chosen state leader online or at the library and complete activity pages that ask for the leader's career path, notable achievements, and the person's impact on the state and beyond. Students must write three questions about the leader, circle one, and write how they think the leader might answer that question "based on your research," explicitly linking interpretation to gathered information. Students are required to list their sources with specific URLs or exact titles and authors and then use their research to write a 6–10 sentence dedication speech that presents information and claims about the leader.

Students are directed to locate and use informational tables (the Wikipedia historical population tables and the U.S. Census QuickFacts page) to plot population points and complete the State Population Growth graph (Activity 1) and the Quick Facts worksheet (Activity 2). Students look up county population data for ten counties and use those figures to create a map key and color a map based on population categories (Activity 3). Students consult the NASBO Fiscal Survey and state budget tables to record revenues/expenditures and write a comparative paragraph about two other states (Activity 4).

Students are prompted to conduct Internet research using specific informational websites (50states.com, Fact Monster, and a Wikipedia GDP table) to fill in a mini-book about natural resources, top industries, gross state product, and major employers. Students must use the Wikipedia table to find their state's GSP, calculate the percentage of national GDP, and report GSP per capita rank, which requires extracting numeric evidence from an informational text. Students are asked to describe each top employer using company websites and to "notice any trends" among employers, which asks them to draw on their gathered information to identify patterns.

Students use specified informational websites (50states.com, Infoplease, museum and NEA links) to locate artists, musicians, writers, songs, and poems from their state. Students print images and write the URL beneath each image and complete art cards that record title, connection to the state, artist, date, medium, and what they like. Students are instructed to find recordings or sheet music for a state song or to identify a poem and either memorize it or copy and illustrate it. Students are directed to visit their state's arts council website to identify upcoming arts events.

Students are asked to use their research from earlier lessons as the basis for a final mural or video project, prompting them to gather and reuse information. Students are instructed to use websites and materials studied in the unit to write a 10-question quiz and an answer key, which requires locating factual information in informational sources. Students are directed to review prior work and incorporate images, historical points, and factual details (geography, ecosystems, leaders, industries, arts, places to visit) into their projects.

Students are asked to read specified informational pages (pages 2-4, 32-36, and 44-50 of Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA) and then answer targeted content questions (Questions #1-#5) that require using facts from those readings. Students perform a strawberry DNA extraction and then respond to prompts such as "What evidence, other than the DNA from the extraction, do you have that DNA is present in the cells of the strawberries?" and are directed to "look back at Step 4," which requires using procedural text as evidence. The student activity page and family-trait survey ask students to collect and compare observable traits, connecting observations to genetic explanations drawn from the reading.

Students are asked to read pages 6–11 of an informational book and answer specific questions about Gregor Mendel and his conclusions, which requires using information from the text to respond. In Activity 1 students use information collected earlier and compare parent and sibling trait charts to form hypotheses about dominant or recessive traits, using the background definitions provided. In Activity 2 students read explicit definitions of allele, homozygous, heterozygous, dominance and recessiveness and then apply those definitions to a coin-flip exercise and record combinations and percentages.

Students analyze pedigree diagrams and answer specific questions about relationships and trait inheritance, using shaded/unshaded symbols as evidence. Students complete tally sheets from coin-flip activities and use those percentages to answer questions about likelihood of dominant, recessive, homozygous, and heterozygous outcomes. Students fill and interpret Punnett squares and use the resulting genotype/phenotype ratios to justify conclusions about offspring traits.

Students read assigned informational texts (pp. 58–63 of Genetics: Breaking the Code of Your DNA) and view linked videos/pages (Genes vs. DNA vs. Chromosomes; What Is Mutation?). As they read, they are prompted to "pay attention to the role that meiosis plays" and to consider why meiosis leads to genetic diversity, and then answer specific comprehension and explanation questions (e.g., define haploid/diploid, compare mitosis and meiosis, explain crossing over and its importance). Students also complete activities that require using the content from those readings to explain processes (e.g., simulate crossing over and describe resulting gamete combinations).

Students are instructed to read a specified informational webpage (Ten Human Genetic Traits) and use that information to complete an "Investigating Genealogy Chart," identifying trait descriptions and whether each trait is dominant or recessive. Students then use that chart in Activity 2 to record trait presence across family members (or a sample family) on a Family Survey page. Students answer analysis questions (e.g., how do you know traits are passed; explain dominance/recessiveness; infer parental genotypes) based on the information they gathered.

Students are instructed to "refer back to the examples to help you complete the table" and to "use definitions to support their choices" when sorting characteristics as variation or adaptation (Activity 1). The Activity 2 Student Activity Pages require students to record amounts eaten, multiply by given nutrient values, total nutrition points, and decide whether a bird "survived," which uses information from the informational text and activity sheets to support conclusions. The Parent Plan prompts caregivers to ask students to explain how they knew to classify each description, encouraging students to point to text-based definitions and examples as support.

Students read pages 88–93 of an informational chapter and answer specific comprehension questions about genetic mutations, including causes and effects. In Activity 1 students use provided websites and the Mayo Clinic to research four diseases and record descriptions and physical exam findings on a chart. In Activity 2 students use the information they collected to ask targeted medical-history questions and determine a diagnosis for a patient. In Activity 3 students use multiple web sources to identify possible environmental causes for illnesses and then discuss questions that require them to weigh environmental versus genetic evidence.

Students are assigned to read pages 98-107 of an informational book about genetics and cloning and to answer specific comprehension questions (Q1-Q3) based on that reading. Activity 2 asks students to create a brochure and explicitly tells them to refer to the reading and interactive exploration from Activity 1 when explaining how the cloning process works. Activity 3 asks students to make a list of pros and cons and to discuss and justify whether cloning should be legal, which asks them to use information from earlier readings to form conclusions.

Students are directed to use the tables in Part 2 (the shaded cells noted as "beneficial traits") and fill the "A New Environment" chart to identify which traits are advantageous in each environment. Students are required to perform crosses and complete Punnett squares in Part 7 and then determine which offspring survive in the new environment by referring back to the informational tables. The wrap-up and Part 8 disease scenario ask students to re-evaluate survival outcomes using the data they recorded, and an optional external article is provided for further reading.

Students read multiple informational articles about cloning and create numbered source cards and individual note cards tied to each source. Students record paraphrases or direct quotations on note cards, label them with source numbers, and use those notes to identify their three strongest arguments and to develop body paragraphs for a five-paragraph persuasive essay. Students are taught parenthetical citation and how to compile a Works Cited page and are explicitly instructed to use their research note cards as the evidence for their rough draft.

Students answer specific text-based questions about Chapters 7–9 that require locating details (e.g., Matt's origins, the nature of eejits, secret passages). Students create a family tree by compiling information they have "gleaned about the Alacrán family" and write brief descriptions of each character. The lesson asks students to prepare a Works Cited page and provides an MLA link, and the Parent Plan explicitly lists supporting claims with relevant evidence from accurate, credible sources as a stated skill.

Students read a persuasive informational essay titled "Human Cloning" and are instructed to locate and underline examples of rhetorical and logical fallacies using a color-coded scheme, which requires them to find specific textual phrases that serve as evidence. The answer key in the Parent Plan maps specific quoted phrases from the essay to categories (loaded terms, false assumptions, leading question, caricature, incorrect premises), so students must identify and match exact textual evidence to analytic labels. Students are also asked discussion prompts about how the cloning portrayal influenced their thinking, which asks them to reflect on the text's content.

Students read two informational essays about cloning and use the 'Arguing the Issue' activity page to record each author's main arguments and list logical and rhetorical fallacies. The activity prompts students to answer reflective questions: 'What do you think was the most compelling part of the author's argument? What would have strengthened the argument?' Students also compare how the two authors reached different conclusions about the same issue.

The Parent Plan lists a skill to consult general and specialized reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses) to find pronunciation or clarify meaning, and to verify inferred meanings by checking a dictionary. The Vocabulary activity explicitly directs students to use a dictionary to find each word and its part of speech and to use sentences from the book to determine the correct definition. The Family Crest activity includes a web link labeled "Family Crests," which students can consult for examples and information about crest symbols and meanings.

The Parent Plan skills explicitly tell students to "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis..." and to "delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims...recognize when irrelevant evidence is introduced." The Science Fiction activity asks students to fill a table with "Evidence From The House of the Scorpion" for each listed characteristic, requiring students to locate and cite examples from the text. The Irrelevant Evidence activity has students read persuasive passages, highlight instances of irrelevant evidence, and then write a persuasive paragraph that uses (and is later analyzed for) irrelevant evidence.

Students read the informational account "Charles Denby: Bound North" and answer comprehension questions about Denby's reasons for moving and differences in educational opportunities, requiring use of text details. Students examine primary-source migrant letters from the Library of Congress and are asked to write a two-paragraph letter that explains reasons for moving and how experiences matched expectations, drawing on those letters. Students also use the provided "Growth of American Cities" data table to create graphs and answer analysis questions about population trends, requiring them to draw evidence from informational data.

Students are instructed to take organized notes while watching the Heartland documentary and to pause and write down important information from each section. Day 2 asks students to read specific informational texts (Teddy Blue Abbott; Chuka) and answer comprehension and analysis questions based on those readings. Activity 2 directs students to use the provided web links and the film to research and design an accurate, evidence-based sign about Wounded Knee, and Activity 3 has students read Captain Pratt and compare historical photographs, recording observations and answering analytic questions.

Students read an informational excerpt (Jackie Cooper) and answer text-based comprehension questions that require specific details from the reading. In the "Changing Technologies" activity, students compare 1850 and 1920 technologies by writing descriptions and listing advantages and disadvantages based on historical information. In the Inventors options, students read biographies and online resources (Edison, Bell, Wright Brothers), then use those sources to create an advertisement, deliver a first-person speech, or select artifacts and justify their choices using information from the sites.

Students read informational first-person accounts ("Rose Cohen: First Day in a Sweatshop" and "Joseph Miliuaskas: Breaker Boy") and answer specific comprehension/analysis questions about treatment, motivations, and workplace punishments. Students watch an informational documentary episode ("Cities") and take notes, then generate 4–6 follow-up questions about topics they want explored further. Students complete an activity page evaluating Andrew Carnegie by listing at least three positive and three negative impacts and deciding whether to label him a "robber baron," and students role-play as sweatshop workers reflecting on pros and cons of such jobs.

Students are directed to read the short article (with special attention to the section labeled "A Wave Becomes a Flood") and to read primary-source letters from Polish immigrants, with explicit instructions to "write down the evidence of push and pull factors" on the activity page. In Option 1 the Student Activity Page requires students to list the letter writer, recipient, and the specific evidence supporting push and pull factors. In Option 2 students are asked to watch a video and "record 8-10 facts and statistics" about Ellis Island. Activity 2 asks students to read informational pages about nativism and the Klan and then complete a "Reasons for Joining the Ku Klux Klan" activity focusing on why someone might choose to join, requiring use of text information.

Students are directed to read specific informational texts (Jennie Curtis, Kid Blink, Edna Purtell in We Were There, Too!) and answer detailed comprehension questions about events like the Pullman strike and the newsies strike. In Activity 1 students analyze primary-source photographs by Jacob Riis or Lewis Hine using structured prompts that ask them to describe details, setting, people, mood, and the photographer's intentions. Activity 2 asks students to read a biography of Samuel Gompers and then write a one- or two-paragraph response imagining a worker, organizer, or owner perspective, drawing on what they have learned. Activity 3 requires students to research a Progressive-era reformer online and create a poster explaining why an issue is a problem, what the leader proposes, and what voters should do, which requires using information from informational sources.

The Populism activity provides a full listing of the Populist Party platform and asks students to write a sentence explaining why each listed group might or might not support the party, which requires using the platform details to justify their responses. The Grangerism activity supplies specific informational and numerical content (input costs, yields, prices) and asks students to calculate profits and discuss how increased shipping/storage costs affect profitability, requiring students to use those facts to support their analysis. The wrapping up and discussion questions ask students to name important planks and to explain why farmers would want regulation, prompting students to draw on the informational statements in the lesson.

Students are directed to read and analyze primary and secondary informational texts about the Lusitania (PBS, National Archives, Library of Congress articles) and to record the article title, date, and newspaper. Students must summarize the article in 3–4 sentences and write reflective responses imagining how an American and a German citizen would react. Students evaluate reasons for U.S. entry into WWI using a State Department Milestones page and are asked to rank and justify those reasons. Students analyze multiple propaganda posters and identify specific appeals used, and they are invited to include a printed primary source in a final project.

Students are asked to review unit "Things to Know" sections and add cards #100-116 to a timeline, requiring them to use unit informational materials to place events and dates. Students answer short-answer and matching questions on a unit test (e.g., explain "push" and "pull" factors, match inventors to inventions) that require recalling and applying information from informational texts. Students plan a historical character using a "Character Planning" worksheet and are directed to refer back to earlier collections of historical images and unit materials when creating a scrapbook or dramatic presentation. Students must produce a scrapbook labeled as "based on historical facts" and be prepared to discuss and answer questions, and the rubrics require historical plausibility and accurate information.

Students are asked to read pages 4-7 in Life Processes and answer specific comprehension questions, which requires pulling facts from an informational text. In Activity 2 students are instructed to research a plant leaf and an animal limb using several provided web links and to document their research on activity pages. In the Local Survey and follow-up activities students must use collected and researched information to list differences between plants and animals and to explain the functions and consequences of missing structures.

Students are directed to read specific informational pages (pages 4-5 and 32-33 of Behavior in Living Things) and to read two articles (Plant Adaptations -- Tropical Savannah and Mangrove Adaptations) and watch a video, then answer guided questions that require using those sources (e.g., "According to the video…" and Stability and Change questions 1–6). Students are instructed to use the provided websites to describe each tree part and its function on the Parts of a Tree activity page and to label diagrams based on those descriptions. The activities require students to use information from those texts and resources to analyze adaptations, explain causes and functions of behaviors, and support answers about how trees survive changing conditions.

Students are directed to read pages 32–35 in an informational book (Life Processes) and answer content questions about sexual and asexual reproduction. Students are given web links and a labeled flower diagram to use as reference when they create a model or a mostly visual presentation explaining fertilization. Students also complete observation and dissection activities that require them to record and compare factual information from diagrams and readings.

Students read a short informational selection about life in the rainforest and complete an Abiotic and Biotic Factors chart by identifying three abiotic and three biotic factors and describing the impact of each. Students answer targeted questions asking which abiotic and biotic factors will have the most or least impact and how abiotic and biotic factors work together. The activity page and answer key list specific factors from the reading that students are expected to use in their responses.

Students read assigned informational pages (Life Processes, pp. 24-27) and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., how amoebas intake food; how fungi digest food), requiring them to use the text to respond. In Activity 2 students are asked to research an animal's digestive system using search engines, consult more than one source, take notes, and then produce either a brochure or a written report summarizing their findings. The Parent Plan explicitly tells students to take notes, paraphrase information into their own words, and avoid copying verbatim, which guides use of information from multiple texts.

Students read pages 12–15 of an informational text (Life Processes) and answer direct comprehension questions asking how fish intake oxygen, how plants intake oxygen, and what anaerobic respiration is. Students complete a student activity page that includes the chemical equations for fermentation and respiration and answer explanatory questions such as "Explain what happened" and "What caused the balloon to inflate?", which require connecting observations to factual knowledge. Students arrange or create diagrams comparing photosynthesis and respiration using labeled images and an answer key that states the inputs and outputs of each process.

Students are assigned to read pages 16–19 of an informational book and then answer questions that ask for examples and explanations drawn from that reading (e.g., describing a sense from the book and giving an example of reflex responses). In the Perceptive Animals option students view a slideshow, research an animal perception online, and are asked to explain and present what they found, which requires using informational sources for their research. Day 2 asks students to watch a tropisms video and take a quiz, and the parent skills list explicitly includes comparing information from experiments or multimedia with information from a text.

Students are assigned specific pages of an informational text and answer targeted questions (QUESTION #1-#4) that require pulling explanations from those readings. Students complete a research activity (Animal Communication) that directs them to use web sources, take notes on an 'Animal Communication Notes' page, and then write a 1-2 paragraph summary or create a poster based on their research. The summary option explicitly instructs students to put information in their own words and, if quoting, to copy exactly, use quotation marks, and note the source. A Part II question asks students to explain differences 'referencing page 12 of a book,' which directs students to draw specific evidence from an informational text.

Students are directed to read the Galapagos Journal (Activity 1) and either color-code/underline examples of parasitism, mutualism, commensalism, competition, and predation or create a chart listing each relationship, the example from the text, and who benefits. The lesson also asks students to watch an informational video about organism interactions and prompts 'Ideas to Think About' and discussion questions that require reflection on how differences and structures influence interactions.

Students read informational descriptions of animals on the Student Activity Pages and make lists of traits for each animal. They complete a table marking which organisms possess specific traits (e.g., vertebra, hair/fur, opposable thumb, complex language) and then use that table to construct cladograms. Students are instructed to use the Animal Diversity Web and other internet resources to confirm traits and to explain the reasons for their groupings.

Students are instructed to choose an organism and conduct research, taking notes and filling booklet pages or slides for specific categories (overview, description, nutrition, ecological relationships, abiotic/biotic factors, reproduction, communication/behavior). The lesson directs students to use vocabulary cards and a linked "Review Sheet" to prepare for the unit test and tells students to take notes before creating slides or booklet pages. The project requires students to write information in their own words and to credit internet sources for graphics.

Students are directed to complete Activity 1: Rabbit Research by reading the linked Animal Diversity informational article about the European Rabbit and filling out a 'Rabbit Research' graphic organizer with scientific name, physical description, behavior, communication, reproduction, and life span. The Parent Plan reiterates that students will 'complete some research about the European Rabbit using a provided website' and 'use a graphic organizer to record her research.' The lesson's Skills list also explicitly includes 'Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis,' indicating an expectation to use evidence from texts.

Students are asked to use the Lapine Glossary at the back of Watership Down and a provided list of English words borrowed from other languages to write several sentences or a short poem using at least 10 such words, which requires consulting those informational resources. Students complete a graphic organizer that directs them to "record an example of the use of each characteristic in Watership Down," which prompts them to locate and note text-based examples from the book. The travel-tracker task requires students to record settings from Chapters 9–13, drawing on details in the chapters to create picture postcards.

The Skills section explicitly tells students to "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text." The Connection Commander role asks students to make connections between the book and themselves/the world and then "write several sentences explaining the connections" which requires using text-based support. The Strange Rabbits Option 2 asks students to "Using information from the text, list some characteristics" for each group and place shared traits in a Venn diagram, which requires locating and recording evidence from the reading.

In Activity 1 students are instructed to "briefly research the works cited in each quote," record the cultural/time period and themes of those works, and "explain how the quote relates to the events and theme of the chapter," requiring students to draw information from informational sources to support interpretive analysis. In Activity 2 students are directed to "do some brief research" on plants and animals, record whether each is a producer or consumer and its diet, and then use that researched information to create a food web (visual representation) of the ecosystem. The student activity pages and parent notes explicitly ask students to collect factual information about organisms and the cited literary works and to incorporate that evidence into written explanations and a visual research product.

Students use the "Latin Roots and Affixes" page and a dictionary to hypothesize and then record actual definitions of words (Activity 1), which requires drawing information from an informational source to support their meaning analysis. The activity directions explicitly ask students to use the meanings of roots/prefixes/suffixes and dictionary definitions to determine word meanings, showing students consult and draw evidence from reference texts.

Students are asked to act as a "Passage Practitioner" by locating two quotations from Chapters 24–27, recording the page number and the reason they chose each passage, and discussing those passages with a parent. In the "Rabbit Societies" activity students cut out descriptive boxes and glue them into a chart to record positive and negative traits of each rabbit group and of their leaders, requiring them to extract and organize textual details about societies and leadership. The parent plan repeatedly instructs students to review vocabulary and to explain choices for slogans, symbols, or flags using what they learned from the text.

Activity 2 directs students to research a chosen animal using at least three sources and to record notes and sources on the "Animal Research" page. The Parent Plan lists skills including "Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis" and "Conduct short research projects to answer a question... drawing on several sources." Activity 1 and the Student Activity Page ask students to read summaries of folktales and "record your thoughts" about their importance, which asks students to base observations on provided text summaries.

Students are asked to refer back to the text when creating artwork and when comparing Efafra and Watership Down, and to write 2–4 sentence reflections explaining how textual details give clues about each place. Students are assigned the role of Questioner and must develop 3–5 big-picture questions based on their reading of Chapters 35–37, which requires drawing on the text for ideas. Students are prompted to use prior research about an animal to help plan a setting and to label a map, connecting evidence about habitat and survival to story decisions.

Students are directed to read short informational biographies and multimedia on the Kennedy Center "Faces of the Harlem Renaissance" site and to "note the connections" between people and places, which requires extracting facts from those texts. Students create a network chart linking five individuals, adding intersections and a title that reflects what they learned, demonstrating synthesis of information they gathered. Students also read assigned pages from World War II for Kids and answer comprehension questions that require drawing facts (e.g., Treaty of Versailles effects, definition of isolationism) from the text.

Students read designated informational texts on Day 2 (World War II for Kids and We Were There, Too!) and answer specific comprehension questions that require facts from those readings. Students take structured notes while watching the documentary episode and use those notes to record social impacts, costs/benefits, and leading people/events. In Activity 2 (Option 2), students conduct independent research in the Library of Congress photo collection, select photos that fit a theme, and record each photo's title, photographer, date, URL, and relevant details to support their exhibit.

Students are assigned specific informational sections of World War II for Kids and answer guided reading questions (for example, questions about how the Nazis defied the Treaty of Versailles and what led the U.S. to enter the war). Students add cards #124-126 to a timeline, and discussion prompts ask students to explain causes (e.g., why the conflict expanded) and reflect on experiences (e.g., what it would be like to live in London during bombings). The reading questions require students to locate and report factual information from the text.

Students read specified selections from informational texts (Chapter 2 of World War II for Kids and a nonfiction piece about Calvin Graham). Students answer targeted comprehension questions about the significance of the Battles of Coral Sea and Midway, Hitler's goals in the Soviet Union, and Allied goals for 1943, requiring them to extract facts from the readings. In Activity 1, students must react to at least one specific thing a soldier wrote in his letter and write a 10–15 sentence imagined reply, which requires using details from the primary-source letters to support their reflection.

Students are assigned specific informational readings (selections from World War II for Kids and We Were There, Too!) and asked to answer four guided reading questions that require explanations drawn from those texts (e.g., why items were rationed, how women supported the war effort, why families were interned). Students are directed to read the "Kids Help the War Effort" and "A Grade School in 1943" sections and then use that information to brainstorm eight ways a child could contribute on the "Making a Difference" activity page. Students follow instructions from the textbook to complete a rationing exercise using family grocery receipts, applying information from the informational text to analyze how shopping/habits would change under rationing.

Students are assigned specific sections of an informational text (Chapter 4 of World War II for Kids) and answer four targeted questions whose answers come directly from those readings. Students are instructed to consult the book's map, online sources, or an atlas to locate timeline events and add them to a world map. Discussion prompts and 'Ideas to Think About' ask students to consider causes and effects (e.g., why Stalin wanted an invasion; Nimitz's strategy), which invite use of the assigned informational text to support responses.

Students read specified selections from an informational history text (pages and sections from World War II for Kids) and answer direct comprehension questions (e.g., Why was June 5 or 6 chosen as the date for D-Day?). Students watch an informational video and use a structured note-taking page, pausing to record what they learn for titled sections (Pearl Harbor, The Jeep, Women in the War Effort, etc.). Students complete an analysis chart titled "The Impact of the War," filling in what life was like before the war, roles people played, and how the war affected individuals and their families.

Students are asked to read Chapter 6 and use guided note-taking pages to write down important details and their thoughts, with prompts to define terms (e.g., anti-Semitic), list ways Jews escaped, and record facts about ghettos and concentration camps. The student activity pages include specific factual sentence-completion and short-answer prompts (e.g., Schindler's actions, the Sonderkommando, Terezin) that require students to extract information from the informational chapter. In the virtual museum and art options, students must explore museum resources or artworks and complete field-trip and art-analysis pages asking which exhibits/resources are useful, what they learned, and what the images show about the Holocaust, which requires synthesizing information from those informational sources.

Students read specified selections from an informational text (World War II for Kids, assigned pages) and answer targeted reading questions (Q1–Q4) that require use of factual details about Allied goals, Okinawa casualties, invasion concerns, and Truman's intentions. Students complete the "Atomic Bomb" chart by listing "Facts and Advice/Estimates Available" and evaluating whether those facts support dropping the bomb, explicitly tying evidence to an analytic judgment. Students write a response on the activity page justifying a decision between a prolonged invasion and use of nuclear weapons, using the documented facts and consequences as support.

Students are instructed to use information from unit readings and external websites and to "use the information from these resources, additional research online as needed, and your readings from earlier in the unit" when creating their exhibits. Each poster must include at least one brief primary source and students are told to include citations for any images printed from websites. Students must write short analytical paragraphs (for example, a paragraph about a relevant WW II event in each During section and 2–4 sentence summaries for Politics/Economics/Society & Culture) and the rubrics specifically evaluate the use of primary sources and analytical responses.

Students read specified chapters in an informational geology text and answer factual questions (e.g., naming Earth layers and explaining relative vs. radiometric dating). In the Radiometric Dating activity, students use the provided half-life table and a diagram of igneous intrusions to calculate ages and create age ranges for sedimentary zones. In the Relative Dating activity and The Sands of Time lab, students sort fossils and construct layered models to infer which layers and fossils are older or younger based on text-based principles (superposition, lateral continuity, cross-cutting relationships).

Students are assigned to read Chapter 2 of The Field Guide to Geology and then answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., Q1 about oldest ocean floors, Q2 about ocean trenches, Q3 listing five clues to continental drift, Q4 on mountain-building) that require extracting facts from the text. In the Deep Time and Plate Tectonic Timeline activities, students must place dated events on a timeline using dates provided (e.g., 4.57 bya, 3.8 bya, Cambrian 540 mya) and add timeline cards drawn from the textbook and the National Geographic video. The Steno discussion question asks students to explain how fossil shark teeth could be found on mountaintops, requiring them to use geological and fossilization information to support an explanation.

Students are instructed to read pages 180–185 of an informational text and answer specific reading questions (Q1–Q5), including Q3 which asks 'When did life first appear on Earth? What was it like? How do we know?' so students must use textual/fossil evidence to answer. The lesson requires students to place dated "Timeline Cards of Life" (with specific dates and descriptions such as 3.5 BYA, 2.4 BYA, 1.5 BYA) onto a timeline, which asks students to extract and organize factual information from the materials. Several questions (e.g., Q1 about why no Hadean rocks exist and Q5 about oxygen enabling larger organisms) prompt students to cite explanations drawn from the reading.

Students are instructed to read specific informational text pages (The Field Guide to Geology, pp.186-201 and pp.202-215) and then answer factual and explanatory questions that require extracting information from those readings. Students create a detailed Geologic Column timeline and add Paleozoic, Mesozoic, and Cenozoic timeline cards drawn from informational descriptions, sequencing events and organisms based on textual content. Activities ask students to explain how life changed in each period and to order time-period cards, which requires pulling facts from the texts and activity materials.

Students read pages 7–11 of an informational text about evolution and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., why fossils of extinct animals were shocking; what changes appear in deeper rock layers). In Activity 1 students label geologic eras and fossil groups and answer 'How do paleontologists use this progression to support the theory of evolution?', requiring them to use fossil-layer evidence to support an explanation. In Activity 2 students uncover beads from their own geologic column and record which were placed first/last and explain their reasoning using the principle of superposition.

Students read pages 12–17 of an informational book and answer targeted questions asking what Darwin's theory was, what a species is, and to describe natural selection, requiring them to draw answers directly from the text. Students use the "Generations" activity page to calculate numbers of generations from the provided table and answer comparative questions (for example, whether mosquitoes or humans would evolve more rapidly), which requires using tabular data as evidence for analysis. Students also watch the PBS documentary "What Darwin Never Knew," providing an additional informational source they can draw evidence from.

Students are directed to read pages 18–25 of an informational book and then answer specific comprehension questions about DNA, mutation, and speciation, requiring them to use the text to respond. The Parent Plan explicitly asks students to "summarize the use of evidence drawn from geology, fossils, and comparative anatomy" to explain evolution, which prompts students to draw on informational evidence. The activity questions and answer key ask students to record observations and explain how selective pressures changed populations, linking experimental observations with concepts from the reading.

Students are assigned to read pages 26–35 of Evolution: How We and All Living Things Came to Be and answer questions that require explanation and examples. Activity 1 directs students to research a convergent evolution example using online or library resources and complete a Convergent Evolution Research page with habitat/challenge and similarities/differences for multiple species. Option 1 asks students to write a paragraph describing the environmental challenge and anatomical similarities/differences based on their research, and Option 2 asks students to create a poster with images and brief descriptions drawn from their research.

The Evolution and Religion option directs students to use books, the Internet, and in-depth interviews for research and tells them to "note the evidence that is used by each side" and to "document these side-by-side so that you can compare them later." The Evolution and Religion Student Activity Page has explicit "Evidence" columns (Religious / Scientific) for students to record sources and supporting points. The rubric for this project requires that "differences in viewpoint must be clearly communicated" and that "the student's conclusions need to be well-thought-out and follow from the research presented," prompting students to base analysis on gathered evidence.

Students are asked to use specified informational webpages (Encyclopaedia Britannica and CNN) to complete the "World War II Detective" grid, collecting dates, locations, sides involved, leaders, causes, and outcomes. Students are directed to read author biographies and an interview with Markus Zusak and then use those facts to design a poster or create a 90-second radio spot promoting an author event. Activity 3 directs students to read an author interview item about the choice of Death as narrator, and Activity 1/2 parent notes explicitly state that students will research basic facts online to inform their products.

Students are directed to complete a "Historical References" activity using the provided web links and an infographic to answer specific research questions about Communists, the meaning of "Aryan," goals in Mein Kampf, anti-Semitism, and the yellow stars. In the "Propaganda" activity, students select three Nazi posters from a linked archive and identify the target group, the poster's goal, and what makes each poster effective, using the posters as informational texts. Students also record examples of propaganda from the day's reading on an activity chart, linking information from external sources to their analysis of the novel.

Students read primary-source excerpts from the Nuremberg Laws and the Law concerning the Hitler Youth on the "Laws Passed by the Nazis" activity pages and answer targeted questions about citizenship, rights, and eligibility. Students apply those informational texts to specific cases (e.g., whether a man with Jewish grandparents would be eligible for citizenship and whether Hans would be guaranteed citizenship) and explain how the laws affected people in the novel. An optional extension provides links to reputable informational resources about Kristallnacht that students can consult for further factual background.

Students are asked to record examples of propaganda from the assigned pages on the 'Propaganda' page from Lesson 3, including noting instances such as Mein Kampf. The reading questions require students to cite textual details (e.g., similarities between Liesel and Max, why Hans and Rosa let Max upstairs) that prompt use of evidence from the reading. Discussion prompts ask students to analyze character motives and changes (e.g., Rosa's change, Max calling himself 'selfish'), which students must support with events from the text.

Students read and analyze specific informational texts (excerpts from The German National Catechism and Part Five of the book) and are asked to identify logical fallacies, emotions appealed to, and explain why arguments may have been effective. Student Activity pages (Option 1 and Option 2) require students to analyze quoted propaganda, identify fallacies, and explain effectiveness. Students are also asked to record examples of propaganda from the assigned reading and to analyze print and video ads for fallacies in Activity 1.

Students are asked to record examples of propaganda on the "Propaganda" page from Lesson 3 after reading Part Five, which requires locating and noting textual examples. Students are instructed to watch two short clips of Hitler speaking and to take notes on what might have made his speaking and rallies compelling, which asks them to extract evidence from audiovisual informational sources. The Parent Plan lists skills that include delineating a speaker's argument, evaluating reasoning and evidence, and evaluating credibility, which aligns with analyzing informational texts and sources.

Students read specific informational texts (the PBS article on communication and censorship, an Ernie Pyle column) and view historical newsreel footage as part of Activity 2. Students answer targeted questions that ask them to identify how correspondents conveyed vivid descriptions, list the three main news sources, distinguish informational content from propaganda in the newsreel, and give examples from the Ernie Pyle selection. Students are also asked to record examples of propaganda from the reading and to explain how Pyle's columns differ from regular news articles, requiring students to draw examples from the texts they read or viewed.

Students read informational primary-source excerpts (an Anne Frank diary entry and Warsaw Ghetto reflections) and are asked to record examples of propaganda on the Part Eight "Propaganda" page. Students complete the "Primary Sources vs. Historical Fiction" activity in which they must brainstorm advantages/disadvantages and then choose three ideas and provide specific examples from the day's primary-source readings or from The Book Thief. Students also answer reflection questions and choose an option that requires them to explain or illustrate why primary sources or historical fiction have different impacts, using evidence from the texts.

Students are directed to read an essay by Walter Cronkite about wartime censorship and then take a side, write reasons, provide examples to back two reasons, and anticipate and refute an opponent's argument. Students are also asked to find three U.S. World War II propaganda posters, copy/print them, and complete an analysis form asking how each poster is propaganda, what emotions it targets, logical fallacies, and how design features add to the message. Web links to informational resources about war correspondents and censorship are provided for student use in these analytic and research tasks.

Students are directed to view 45 historical photographs and read captions on The Atlantic site, then answer questions asking them to describe a photo and explain what it helped them understand. Students review charts listing pre-war population, war-related deaths, and GDP for five countries, fill in material-damage descriptions using linked images, calculate deaths as a percentage of pre-war population, and graph GDP changes. Students select historical and modern advertisements and complete analysis questions comparing images, language, target audience, and effectiveness.

Students read short informational articles from the U.S. State Department about the early Cold War, the Truman Doctrine, and the Marshall Plan and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., summarizing the Truman Doctrine and the Marshall Plan). Students read primary-source material (excerpts of Truman's speech and Henry Wallace's letter), view Cold War political cartoons, and are asked to decide a position about U.S. aid to vulnerable countries. Students take notes while watching an informational video using provided note-taking pages and respond to guided worksheet questions about postwar America and the Cold War.

Students read informational texts (Office of the Historian pages and JFK Library transcripts) and answer directed questions (Q1–Q4) that require drawing facts from those texts. In Option 2, students must "List 3 facts that JFK provided" and answer analysis questions about how Kennedy used the past to justify decisions, which requires citing or extracting evidence from the speech. In Option 1, students are instructed to "use the provided materials to research the events, evaluate the various factors... then analyze the decisions based on your findings," and the Decision Making activity asks students to list questions, weigh advantages/disadvantages, and explain their rationale. The Red Scare activity asks students to read an article and write journal entries imagining support or opposition, using the reading to inform their reflections.

Students are assigned multiple informational texts (articles on Claudette Colvin and Elizabeth Eckford; sections from Free at Last) and guided comprehension questions that require answers drawn from those readings. Students use a graphic organizer to take notes and describe how Claudette Colvin and Rosa Parks demonstrated courage, filling in specific categories with full-sentence responses. Students read biographical sketches and then produce a memorial poem or a two-paragraph newspaper article that asks them to explain how a person died and describe that person's life and activism, and they add events to a timeline of U.S. history.

Students read assigned informational texts ("Carolyn McKinstry: On the Firing Line" and Section 3 of Free At Last) and answer specific text-based questions about details of those readings. Students are directed to read and listen to Dr. King's "I Have a Dream" speech and to highlight or underline phrases and ideas that seem powerful. In Option 2, students use a graphic organizer to compare "I Have a Dream" with another King speech, identifying similarities and differences (dates, audiences, key ideas, themes, occasions, or goals). Students also add cards #147-151 to a historical timeline, using informational cards to place events in context.

Students are asked to read Part 4 of Free at Last and answer four specific factual questions about voting-rights events, which requires pulling information from that informational text. In Activity 2 students prepare historically accurate reasons and counter-arguments and role-play a conversation about joining Freedom Summer, which asks them to base their arguments on historical facts. The parent plan repeatedly directs review of students' answers to the reading questions, reinforcing that students' responses should be based on the text they read.

Students are assigned to read Section 5 of Free at Last and the Jessica Govea selection and then answer specific comprehension questions that require using information from those texts (e.g., causes of tensions, role of Stokely Carmichael, working conditions). Students read primary/informational sources about the SCLC and the Black Panther Party and complete a Venn diagram comparing goals, principles, strategies, and membership, which requires using textual evidence to support comparisons. In the Cesar Chavez activity, students must choose 2–3 quotations for a collage or write a 2–3 minute speech that includes at least one Chavez quotation, information about worker treatment, and at least two reasons to support a boycott, requiring selection and use of textual evidence in a persuasive product.

Students read a webpage about the Korean War and answer specific comprehension questions (e.g., what event started the war, why it was a proxy war). Students watch veteran interviews and documentary clips and are instructed to "write down notes on any memories that seem particularly powerful," drawing directly from those audiovisual informational sources. Students must produce a proposal or a letter that asks them to explain what they have learned about the war, its goals, and veterans' experiences, using an activity page to answer guided questions and provide specific details.

Students read assigned informational webpages from the U.S. Department of State about the Gulf of Tonkin, the Tet Offensive, and ending the Vietnam War and answer specific reading questions (e.g., what the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution authorized, what Tet is, impact of the Tet Offensive). Students read the John Tinker excerpt and write a one-page letter expressing opinions about the protest and their own reasons for supporting or opposing the war, and students review 2–3 Library of Congress veteran interviews and discuss what they learn from those primary-source accounts.

Students examine primary-source protest leaflets in Activity 1 by viewing actual fliers from the University of Washington archives. In Activity 2 (Option 2) students listen to at least two protest songs and complete an activity page asking for the song's message, lyrics that struck them, descriptions of the music, comparisons, and which song was most effective and why. In Activity 2 (Option 1) students watch a 1960s television episode and complete a review page with prompts including "What can you learn about the 1960s from this program?" and other analytical questions.

Students are asked to locate and include historic documents and images found through online searches and to add them to a seven-item time capsule. For each artifact students complete description slips that ask "What is this artifact/document?" and "What will it help future archaeologists understand about this time period?" The project requires students to create written pieces (e.g., a fake soldier's letter, a speech, or a political platform) and to pair those with documentary items. The unit test and activity pages include short-answer prompts that require students to use informational knowledge to explain outcomes and causes (e.g., questions about the Tet Offensive, Voting Rights Act, and choices behind Rosa Parks).

Students read specified informational pages (pp. 14-17) and are instructed to take notes on what each body system does and which systems interact, then draw arrows and write how systems benefit one another (Activity 1). In Activity 2, students are told to look up each decision on the KidsHealth website and describe another body system affected, which requires consulting an external informational text to support their descriptions. The student activity pages ask students to describe functions and effects in writing and to discuss answers with a parent, prompting analysis and reflection based on the texts they read.

Students are directed to read specific pages in The Concise Human Body Book (pp. 24–29 and 36–37) and then answer factual and reflective questions about cells, tissues, organs, and systems. Students view an external informational PDF (Earthworm Visual Dissection Guide) and label internal and external anatomy, checking answers against the source. The activity prompts (e.g., explaining what would happen if an organ stopped functioning, and asking which organs serve multiple systems) require students to use information from the readings and diagrams to respond.

Students are assigned to read specific pages in The Concise Human Body Book (pp. 40-55, 64-67, 70-73) and to answer content questions based on that reading. Activity 1 directs students to use the diagrams in the book (or online sources) to identify which bones and muscles produced particular movements and to record observations. Activity 3 asks students to use images on pp. 40-41 and 64-67 as guides to place and label skeletal and muscular parts on a diagram.

Students are directed to use The Concise Human Body Book (pp. 162-163) as a guide when labeling and placing parts for the respiratory diagram. Students are instructed to use an online informational page (kidshealth.org) to build a respiration flowchart in the correct order. Students use given factual information (percentages of O2 and CO2) to calculate amounts of gases inhaled/exhaled and to answer related analysis questions, and they interpret experimental results about exhaled air acidity.

Students are directed to read pages 210-231 of The Concise Human Body Book and then answer specific questions about functions and organs, which requires consulting an informational text to respond. Students are instructed to color, cut out, paste, and label organs using the image on pp. 212-213 as a guide, which has them use the text as a source of factual information to support their diagram. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill 'Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems,' indicating an expectation that students will support claims with evidence.

Students are instructed to read pages 240-247 in The Concise Human Body Book and then answer specific factual questions about kidney blood flow, hormones regulating urine, nephrons, and blood volume processed per minute. Activity 2 directs students to color and label the urinary system diagram using the image on pp. 242-243 as a guide. The Parent Plan Skills list explicitly includes "Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems," indicating an expectation to use evidence from texts.

Students are instructed to read pages 130–137 of The Concise Human Body Book and then answer specific content questions, requiring them to draw information from that informational text. Activity 1 directs students to match each hormone with its function and gland using information on pages 132–135 and a chart on the Johns Hopkins website, explicitly requiring use of informational sources. Activity 2 asks students to use the book's images as a guide to locate and label glands on a diagram, further prompting students to extract factual evidence from the text.

Students are asked to read informational texts (pp. 260-265 of The Concise Human Body Book and linked KidsHealth pages) and to research the functions of reproductive organs. Students complete a Reproductive System Research Worksheet in which they provide information in their own words about each organ and either write a paragraph or prepare a two-minute oral presentation. In the pregnancy activity students use factual details (such as embryo/fetus length and developmental milestones) from the activity pages to order cards from conception to childbirth.

Students are directed to read specific pages of The Concise Human Body Book (e.g., pages 76-83, 98-99, 106-109, 84-85, 86-93) and then answer comprehension questions, which requires locating information in informational text. Activity instructions ask students to use book diagrams and online interactives to build and label neurons and brain regions and to sequence the steps of a nerve impulse (cut-and-paste or fill-in options), which draws directly from the assigned readings. The Parent Plan Skills list explicitly includes "Gather and synthesize information" and "Use argument supported by evidence for how the body is a system of interacting subsystems," indicating an intended focus on evidence use.

Students are instructed to read pages 21–23 in The Concise Human Body Book and to use information from two provided web links to complete the "Homeostasis" activity page. The Homeostasis activity asks students to identify which organ system each listed organ belongs to using those readings. The Hands-On Homeostasis activity asks students to record data, create a line graph, and answer questions that require explaining how the body restores homeostasis, linking observations to physiological processes.

Students are directed to read pages 280-285 in The Concise Human Body Book and then answer specific content questions, requiring them to extract information from an informational text. In Activity 2 students are asked to read the UC Davis environmental health page (and optional WHO pages) and to label boxes with environmental issues, describe possible negative consequences, and link those to body parts—tasks that require using information from those texts. The Parent Plan and Skills list explicitly state students should "construct a scientific explanation based on evidence" and that they may use Internet research to assist their answers.

Students are asked to create a multi-slide or poster presentation that explains each system's function and lists at least two ways each system is interdependent with others, and they are instructed to use their system diagrams, The Concise Human Body Book, and the provided Review Sheet link as resources. The directions tell students to scan or upload images and to supplement images with text explaining functions and interdependencies, and they are told to avoid copying sentences directly from the unit or book and to put information in their own words.

Students watch an informational video titled "Alabama in the 1930s" and create a mind map that records and organizes facts and connections from that source. Students answer a reflective journal prompt (Would you have wanted to live in Alabama in the 1930s? Why or why not?) that requires using information from the video/mind map to support their response. A discussion question explicitly asks students to identify "What evidence of the historical period did you observe in the first two chapters?", prompting students to cite specific historical details they noticed.

Students are directed to read an informational article titled "About the Author" (Activity 2) to learn how Harper Lee's life connects to her novel. The Skills section instructs students to "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis," and students are asked to write journal entries reflecting on personal experiences as potential novel material, after reading the author background.

Students read chapters 5–7 (and earlier chapters 1 and 5) and complete an activity that asks them to list five things about Boo Radley based on hearsay and five based on personal experience or reliable sources. Students are directed to compare and contrast those two columns and then develop and record a hypothesis about who Boo really is. The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill: "Cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text."

Students are explicitly told they may support ideas by quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing and must credit the author. Students are directed to read an informational article from Purdue OWL on quoting/paraphrasing/summarizing and then complete practice items that require identifying and producing quotations, paraphrases, and summaries (Activity 1). Students examine historical images about segregation and write two to three sentences connecting an informational image to the novel (Activity 2).

Students read an informational activity page titled "Order in the Court" that explains trial roles, evidence, witnesses, and jury procedure. They then complete a worksheet "The Trial" that asks them to apply court terminology to the Tom Robinson case from chapters 18–20 and reorder steps of a trial in a flowchart. Discussion questions prompt students to consider whether the jury will believe Atticus and why, asking them to reflect on the evidence and testimony presented in the courtroom.

Students read multiple primary-source examples of Jim Crow laws from different states, exposing them to informational text about segregation. Students are asked to consider and discuss whether the law guaranteed justice and to reflect on the trial verdict and community reactions. Students create a "Found Poem" using words and phrases taken directly from the Jim Crow law excerpts, engaging with the language of the informational texts.

Students are asked to watch an informational documentary and answer guided comprehension and reflection questions while pausing the video, recording answers on activity pages. Students are instructed to conduct research for a final project, including using primary sources and citing research sources properly. The National History Day rubric and project instructions require students to identify research sources and include primary and secondary sources in their project plan. The brainstorming and 'Choosing a Topic' pages require students to record what they learned from the video and list websites for further research.

Students use census data in Activity 1 and Activity 2 to plot populations, calculate each city's percent of the U.S. population for 1950 and 2010, and color maps based on those calculated percentages, directly drawing quantitative evidence to analyze demographic change. Students read the NPR piece on the 1965 Immigration Act and a CFR backgrounder in Activity 3 and Activity 4, take notes on differing viewpoints, and respond by writing a short letter to the editor that draws on those informational texts. Students answer text-based comprehension questions about Arn Chorn and use that reading as part of the unit's evidence base for discussing immigration experiences.

Students are directed to read U.S. State Department history articles about Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, and the Berlin Wall and then answer specific questions that require using those readings (e.g., identifying Nixon's China policy and SALT I; explaining how Carter differed from Nixon). Students complete Activity 1 by using the provided readings to summarize each president's foreign policy decisions on a structured activity page. For the final project (Option 1) students must do research, include cited sources, and are given a citation-builder link to document where they found information and images.

Students read the informational text "Kory Johnson: An Environmentalist for Life" and answer targeted comprehension questions about cause, organization founded, and activist skills, requiring them to use details from the text. Students skim or watch presidential speeches and complete an analysis table that asks them to record a particularly powerful sentence or idea, explain its meaning, and agree or disagree with points, which requires extracting and using evidence from speech texts/videos. Students read summaries and primary-source speeches about Watergate and Iran-Contra and answer specific questions about accusations and how presidents addressed them, and students read linked Supreme Court case summaries and complete a case-analysis page asking for a summary, the court's decision, supporters/opponents, and significance. Students conduct independent online research on environmental issues, familiarize themselves with differing positions, and then take a position to create a persuasive design, which involves gathering and using evidence from informational sources.

Students read an informational article ("Bill Gates: Another Revolution") and answer comprehension questions. Students are asked to research technologies using provided informational web links (NASA, Wikipedia) and to write explanatory paragraphs about when technologies were developed, why they were created, and how they affect daily life. Students create an annotated bibliography identifying three primary and five secondary sources, describe what each source covers and how it will help their research, and are instructed to record correct MLA citations using a citation builder. Students also watch primary-source video (Apollo 11) and write a 2–3 paragraph reaction reflecting on the event and its technological context.

Students are instructed to read the History.com "9/11 Attacks" webpage and answer specific comprehension questions (identifying Al-Qaeda, targets hit, what stopped Flight 93, and Operation Enduring Freedom). Students are directed to view artifact records and supporting documents from the Smithsonian, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and National Geographic, then create a poster with a paragraph for each artifact explaining what it symbolizes and how it helped them understand September 11. The activities require students to use information from those informational texts/web records to support their answers and artifact interpretations.

Students read an informational chapter ('Judi Warren and the Warsaw Tigers') and answer specific comprehension questions that require extracting facts from the text. In Activity 1 students use NCES enrollment data to create a graph and answer questions that ask them to interpret the data and reflect on causes for the changes. In Activity 3 (Illustrated Essay) students are instructed to research topics, include explanations of developments and impacts, and to cite their sources in both text and images.

Students are instructed to include appropriate citations for each paragraph of their illustrated essay, which requires them to reference informational sources when explaining the importance and impact of three technologies. The process paper prompts students to describe how they chose their topic and to outline a plan for research, guiding students to use and organize information for research. The unit test short-answer question asks students to write about an important technology and its impact and explicitly directs parents to use the unit readings and activities to check accuracy, which encourages students to draw on informational texts to support their responses.

Students are assigned specific informational readings (pages 70–78 in Boy's Guide or pages 72–79 and 82 in Girl's Guide) and are asked content questions (e.g., reasons moods change, healthy ways to handle anger and stress, signs of depression). The reading questions require students to identify causes, strategies, and indicators based on the assigned texts. The activity pages ask students to read scenarios and identify causes of stress and evaluate responses, prompting text-based analysis and reflection.

Students are instructed in Activity 1 to go to a store or online, write down five health/beauty products, and record the claims printed on packaging or made in commercials, underlining plausible claims and highlighting outlandish ones. The Student Activity Page for advertising asks students to list Product Name, Claims, and Other Similar Products That Cost Less, which requires students to collect and compare information from product labels and ads. In Activity 2, students are directed to read specific pages about tattoos and piercings and then make a list of three fads and evaluate money, positives, and negatives, drawing on the reading and their observations.

Students are directed to "Read the information in the articles at the following web links and then answer these questions," asking them to extract content about infectious vs non-communicable diseases. Activity 2 asks students to "Research one of the five most common chronic diseases" and make a public awareness poster listing at least four prevention strategies, which requires gathering information from texts. Activity 4 asks students to select a teen health issue and create a PSA, which draws on information presented in the unit and linked resources.

Students are assigned informational readings (pages from Boy's Guide/Girl's Guide and a linked conflict-resolution webpage) and instructed to "summarize what you have read by creating a list, in your own words, of steps for resolving conflict," which requires extracting key information from the texts. Students are asked to compare their past conflict behavior to the list they created and write a 2–3 sentence reflection about what worked and what they would change, using the steps as a basis for their analysis. Students also use criteria listed in the readings to rate their three closest friends and to evaluate their own behaviors against the text-derived criteria.

Students are directed to read specified pages and multiple informational web articles and videos (e.g., KidsHealth, NIDA, DrugFreeWorld) and to take notes on each drug using a structured chart, which requires extracting facts and effects from the texts. Students are asked to summarize short- and long-term effects, record surprising facts, and use those notes to create products (poster, PSA, email, contract) that present and explain dangers based on the readings. Activities explicitly instruct students to base their poster and list of reasons on what they saw and read, tying their analysis and persuasive work to the informational sources.

Students read Chapter 2 of informational guides and the provided "Food Labels" and "Food Journal" pages and then answer specific questions that require using those texts (e.g., calculating calories for servings, identifying % Daily Value, interpreting serving size). Students use the MyPlate online planner and CDC BMI charts (linked) to determine recommended portions and BMI percentiles and then compare those recommendations to their recorded food journal and family BMI data. Students analyze their three-day food journals in Activity 7 and create a 10–12 minute lesson (Activity 8) explaining the food pyramid, BMI calculation, and how to interpret food labels using information drawn from the texts and charts.

Students are directed to look up unfamiliar words or references and record short definitions in the margins (Activity 2), and Active Poetry Reading pages require circling unknown words and writing their definitions. The Poetry Vocabulary page asks students to identify rhyme scheme, line breaks, refrains, assonance, and to provide words or lines as examples (e.g., list words containing a repeated vowel sound). Students annotate poems and mark examples of figurative language and sound devices to support their interpretations.

Students read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's narrative poem "Paul Revere's Ride" and a first-person informational account titled "Paul Revere's Ride in His Own Words," and they are instructed to reread and mark any phrases or sections they find significant. Students complete a Venn-diagram "Comparing Texts" page to note similarities and differences in content, use of literary language, and details between the poem and the historical account. The lesson includes guidance and an answer key that identifies details unique to the informational account (e.g., first-person testimony, factual reporting, capture by British officers) and to the poem (e.g., rhyme, figurative language), and it offers an optional article about Longfellow's historical inaccuracies for further consideration.

Students are asked to look up poems in 101 Great American Poems and answer questions that require citing specific lines and examples (e.g., identify metaphors, imagery, and personification in named stanzas). The Poet Cards activity directs students to use information in the book and information available online to record poets' birth/death dates and 2–3 interesting facts. The student activity asks students to provide brief examples from poems they have read and to point to specific textual details (e.g., lines from Bradstreet, Longfellow, Poe) when explaining figurative language.

Students are asked to reread definitions and descriptions of poetic forms (lyric, sonnet, ballad, blank verse, iambic pentameter, haiku, limerick) on the Student Activity Page and use those descriptions to answer questions. Question prompts require students to mark patterns of unstressed and stressed syllables, determine whether a poem uses iambic pentameter, and conclude whether a poem is a sonnet, which asks them to refer to textual features. Students are also directed to read informational 'Things to Know' sections and web-linked examples before writing analyses and responses.

Students read an excerpt from Poe's essay "The Poetic Principle" on the Student Activity Page and answer the question, "According to Poe, what should poetry focus on?" Students are asked to record at least one line from two different Poe poems that demonstrate that focus, and they are directed to read an informational web page about Edgar Allan Poe (PoetryFoundation) before choosing an activity.

Students are asked to reread poems and answer questions that require citing textual details (e.g., explaining why "Old Ironsides" inspired people by noting imagery, exclamation points, and emotional language; identifying mood in Melville's poem and pointing to specific words like "horror," "crashing," and "torrents"). The Literal and Symbolic Meanings activity directs students to summarize stanza-by-stanza and to identify figurative language, allusions, and connotations as evidence for symbolic interpretations. The free-verse and comma activities ask students to reread poems, identify patterns or punctuation choices, and explain the poet's effects using specific lines and examples from the texts.

Students read specified pages and answer text-based analysis questions (e.g., identify the form of "Acquainted with the Night" and explain how it differs from typical sonnets; identify images in "After Apple-Picking"; explain the symbolic meaning in "The Road Not Taken"; determine the rhyme scheme in "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening"). Activity 3 asks students to analyze the effect of hyphens and dashes in poems and to "look back at the Emily Dickinson poem" to explain overall effect, requiring citation of textual instances. Activity 2 directs students to view Cubist artwork online and then reread "Susie Asado" to compare poem and art, prompting use of evidence from both the poem and an informational art site.

Students read specific poems and answer directed analysis questions (e.g., QUESTION #1 asks them to note E.E. Cummings's capitalization choices and infer the effect, and QUESTION #3 asks them to identify techniques in Countee Cullen's "Incident"). QUESTION #2 explicitly tells students to look up the meaning of "deferred" (an informational lookup) and then reread and interpret the poem's last line. Activity 1 asks students to double-check capitalization, punctuation, and line breaks against the book text, and Activity 3 Option 2 requires students to describe why they used each punctuation mark on a separate sheet (explaining grammatical/poetic function).

Students are asked in Activity 2 (Option 1) to "do research online about the poet's life and work and fill in the 'Poet Research' sheet," which prompts them to collect factual information (birthplace, influences, struggles, types of poetry, awards, etc.). The lesson provides informational web links (Poetry Foundation, Academy of American Poets) as sources and requires students to read at least one more poem by the author. Option 2 also asks students to find at least two additional poems and create a poet card, which requires locating and using background information about the poet.