Students are prompted to pre-read and analyze front and back matter: they examine chapter titles and are asked whether the author chose them well and if they relate to the book's theme. Students are asked to evaluate the bibliography and consider whether it reflects thorough research, and to describe how the foreword helps them understand the book's subject. Students generate questions based on their exploration and write short answers to interpretive questions about the text.

Students are asked in Activity 1 Part II to identify two sentences that "don't quite fit," explain why they don't work, and write replacement sentences—requiring them to recognize irrelevant or ill-fitting evidence in a paragraph. Several questions (QUESTION #1–#4) require students to locate the source of quotations using endnotes and to judge whether the sources cited in Chapters 3 and 4 are valid and reliable. The Parent Plan and activities direct students to record bibliographic information, differentiate paraphrasing and plagiarism, and analyze the structure and role of sentences in a paragraph.

Students must view Paul Revere's engraving and "write a well-formed paragraph" stating an argument about what the artist thought and support that argument with 2–3 specific examples. Students must read the John Adams diary excerpt and Abigail Adams: Witness to a Revolution and compose a short, source-based first-person paragraph using those texts as evidence. Students must choose passive-voice clauses from the readings and "explain why the author used the passive voice," which asks them to analyze an author's rhetorical choices in the nonfiction passages.

Students are asked in Activity 1 Option 1 to read full primary letters and compare their own notes with how the biography's author used selections from the letter, including answering questions such as how much of the letter the author quoted and what point the author was attempting to convey. Activity 1 Option 2 guides students through document-analysis categories that include assessing point of view/bias and connecting the source to what they are studying, prompting students to look for specific places in the letter that provide evidence for their answers. The parent discussion prompts explicitly ask students to consider whether an author is using a primary source thoughtfully and to go to the primary source themselves to check how evidence is interpreted or omitted.

Students are asked to read Chapters 11–12 and answer comprehension questions, including Question #2 which asks, "What argument did Abigail Adams make for educating women?," prompting students to identify a specific claim from the text. The Parent Plan lists a skill to "Analyze in detail the structure of a specific paragraph in a text," which prompts students to consider how sentences develop a key concept. Students also perform close reading when answering questions about reactions to the Declaration and the role of letter-writing, requiring reference to details in the nonfiction text.

Students locate a contemporary news article about girls' education and select a 4–6 sentence paragraph to analyze using the provided Paragraph Analysis page. The Paragraph Analysis page asks students to determine each sentence's function (e.g., "States the main point," "Supplies background information," "Gives an example") and to record connections between sentences. The lesson also has students read chapters of Abigail Adams (literary nonfiction) and answer comprehension questions, giving students practice with nonfiction texts.

Students are asked to complete a Paragraph Analysis on the unit test that requires identifying Abigail Adams's stance on education for girls and answering questions about her influence and supporting evidence, including evaluating the role of a quoted sentence. The unit test and answer key explicitly ask students to select supporting evidence for claims and to analyze how a sentence functions in a paragraph. The project and rubric require students to locate and quote at least one primary source and to provide accurate dates and historical information, prompting students to cite evidence from texts.

Students are asked to conduct research on the Russian Revolution using encyclopedias or the provided BBC links and to fill in roles, dates, and connections for figures such as Nicholas II, Marx, Stalin, Trotsky, and Lenin. The Student Activity Pages require students to provide a "Connection to 'Animal Farm'" and "Specific evidence that leads to that connection," prompting students to draw evidence from informational texts to support analytical claims. The answer key repeatedly instructs students to ensure that the evidence they provide supports the connection they assert.

Question #2 asks students to judge how often claims in the chapter are backed with credible evidence and to explain reasons behind possible misinformation; the provided answer key indicates students should recognize that there is seldom actual evidence and that reassurances and intimidation are used instead. The parent discussion prompts ask why Mr. Frederick tricked the animals and how Napoleon maintains power (with misinformation and intimidation), which asks students to consider motives and the use of misleading claims. These items require students to consider the presence or absence of evidence and the role of misinformation in supporting claims.

Students are asked to cite textual evidence and to support their claims in a multi-paragraph letter (rubric and Skills list require "use of appropriate evidence" and "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis"). Students outline and provide examples from Animal Farm (Sample Outline lists specific examples of Napoleon's actions) and are prompted during revision to ask, "Is that main idea well-supported by evidence? Are there other examples I could add that might strengthen my argument?".

Students are asked discussion questions that require comparing explanations and evidence (e.g., "Why were some scientists sure that light was a wave while others were certain it was a particle?" and "What is ether and why were so many scientists trying to find it?"). Students practice annotating and commenting on text in the Highlighting and Explaining option, which asks them to comment on why a section was highlighted and how important it is. The note-taking activities and sample notes require students to identify central claims and supporting facts (for example, statements about radioactivity, the wave/particle nature of light, and experiments such as the double-slit).

Students are asked to evaluate web pages for being current, credible, understandable, and accurate (Activity 2 directions and TIPs). The Parent Plan lists skills that students will practice: gathering relevant information, assessing credibility and accuracy, utilizing elements that demonstrate reliability/validity of sources, and distinguishing among facts, reasoned judgment, and speculation. The activity prompts require students to identify clues to author credibility, note questionable accuracy/credibility, and decide whether a site would be appropriate for a formal research paper.

Students read selected pages of a literary nonfiction chapter about atomic fission and answer text-based questions that ask them to explain significance (Q1), trace a series of events (Q2), and explain scientific claims (Q4). The activity instructions require students to support their cause/effect points with specific details or examples from the book and to include page numbers or direct quotations when appropriate. The Planning and Organization pages prompt students to list 3–4 specific causes/effects and to record supporting descriptions or examples for each point.

Students answer targeted reading questions that require identifying claims and the reasons/evidence in the text (e.g., QUESTION #2 asks why Einstein rejected instant action of gravity and QUESTION #3 asks how scientists proved Einstein's theory). The lesson's Option 2 explicitly asks students to compare or contrast two people or concepts from the book using examples and page numbers, prompting use of textual evidence. The Parent Plan skills list includes determining central ideas or conclusions of a text and providing an accurate summary, which requires students to extract claims from literary nonfiction.

Students read literary nonfiction chapters from The Story of Science and answer specific comprehension questions, showing engagement with a nonfiction text. The Parent Plan and activities require students to determine central ideas and write a summary of Chapter 36, and students practice paraphrasing by choosing and creating accurate paraphrases. The activity pages ask students to distinguish common knowledge from material that requires citation and to distinguish facts, reasoned judgment, and speculation.

The writing task (Activity 1) requires students to explore two possible solutions, list pros and cons for each, and explain which solution is best, which asks students to evaluate competing claims. The Student Activity Planning sheet explicitly guides students to list pros and cons and to evaluate the chosen solution. The sample problem/solution paragraph models comparing competing scientific explanations (ether vs. photons) and cites failed proof of ether and experimental observations as reasons for preferring Einstein's explanation.

Students are asked to analyze a student research paper by underlining the thesis, identifying topic sentences, and listing the problem and solutions, which has them delineate claims. The Skills list explicitly states students will "cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts" and "distinguish among facts, reasoned judgment based on research findings, and speculation in a text." Activities instruct students to gather quotations, paraphrase sources, and record supporting details for use in their own arguments.

The Parent Plan lists as a skill that students will "Analyze the purpose of information presented in diverse media and formats ... and evaluate the motives (e.g., social, commercial, political) behind its presentation," and students are directed to view a Linguistic Profiling video and answer questions about how society forms stereotypes. Students are asked to read nonfiction articles about the growth of slavery and slave codes and to summarize how the slave trade arrived in America and list rules that slaves had to follow. Journal prompts ask students to consider whether Twain's use of dialect promotes stereotypes, prompting evaluative reflection about media and authorial motives.

Students read a model persuasive essay and answer focused questions that require them to identify the essay's thesis, whether reasons are included with the thesis, the three supporting reasons, and for each reason to list one type of evidence the writer provides (examples: statistics, facts, quotations). Students practice persuasive techniques by reading example pages (e.g., "Dogs Are Better Pets Than Cats") and writing sentences that use logic, emotion, explanations, problems/solutions, storytelling, and figurative comparisons. In Option 2 students also brainstorm an opposing persuasive essay, generating a thesis, 2–3 reasons, and listing evidence that might support a chosen reason.

Students are directed to read a journalistic article about the debate over editing Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and to answer "What persuaded you in that direction?", requiring them to use the article as a source. Students are asked to write a persuasive paragraph that includes a thesis, two reasons, and evidence to back up each reason, and to use a Persuasion Map to record facts or examples. The materials note that gathering evidence, remaining objective, and analyzing the "other side" and its arguments can make writing stronger, prompting students to consider counterarguments.

Students read paired passages by George Fitzhugh and Frederick Douglass and answer questions that ask them to contrast the two views and state whether Douglass's account is persuasive. Students circle vivid adjectives, underline repeated verbs (noting the repetition of "whip/whipped"), and explain which voice they find more authentic. Students are prompted to explain why they agree or disagree with Fitzhugh and to note features (strong verbs, repetition, personal examples) that make Douglass persuasive. Students are also asked to look for methods of persuasion in everyday media and describe which methods are effective.

Students read multiple nonfiction articles about cloning and take focused notes on arguments for and against cloning (Activity 1, Steps 1–7), recording specific claims on source- and note-cards. Students identify persuasive strategies, highlight thesis statements, and label arguments, counterarguments, and rebuttals in sample paragraphs (Activity 3). The persuasive essay rubric and Activities 5–6 require students to select three strongest arguments from their research and include at least one counterargument and rebuttal in their own writing.

Students read a persuasive essay ("Human Cloning") and are instructed to identify and underline specific rhetorical and logical fallacies (loaded terms, caricatures, leading questions, false assumptions, incorrect premises). The lesson provides definitions and examples of each fallacy and a teacher/parent answer key that maps specific claims in the essay to particular fallacies. The Parent Plan Skills statement also explicitly mentions analyzing the evidence authors present and analyzing use of rhetorical and logical fallacies in persuasive texts.

Students read two argumentative essays about human cloning and use the "Arguing the Issue" activity page to record each author's main arguments and to identify logical and rhetorical fallacies. Students answer reflective prompts about the most compelling part of each author's argument and what would have strengthened the argument. The parent plan explicitly instructs students to compare and contrast persuasive texts and to analyze the evidence each author presents, and students practice creating and recognizing fallacies in a paired game.

Students read explicit instruction defining irrelevant evidence and examples distinguishing it from legitimate emotional appeals. In Activity 2, students read persuasive passages and are asked to identify and highlight parts that use irrelevant evidence, and to write a 5–6 sentence persuasive paragraph that deliberately uses irrelevant evidence. The Skills section also lists 'Delineate and evaluate the argument and specific claims...' as a target skill.

Students are asked to study the structure of a persuasive essay and recommended persuasive techniques and to review logical and rhetorical fallacies as part of test preparation. Students read an informational Student Activity Page about El Día de los Muertos, which presents claims and cultural explanations in a nonfiction format. The activity includes a critical-thinking prompt asking students to consider how the holiday might appear in future storytelling.

Students practice identifying logical and rhetorical fallacies through multiple Student Activity Pages that list fallacy types (including "irrelevant evidence") and ask students to label example statements and provide examples. Students complete an "Evaluating My Essay" page that asks them to reflect on whether they used rhetorical or logical fallacies and to consider counterarguments and persuasive techniques (ethos, kairos, pathos). The unit test and questions require students to explain persuasive essay structure and to write and evaluate their own arguments about cloning.

Students analyze Nazi propaganda posters in Part A by choosing three posters and identifying the target group, the goal of the poster, and what makes the poster effective. The Propaganda activity asks students to record examples of propaganda from the book and to note how events (speeches, parades, bonfires) were used to influence citizens. The Skills and Parent Plan sections state that students will analyze the purpose of information in diverse media and evaluate the motives and effects of visual image makers.

Students read excerpts from the Nuremberg Laws and the Hitler Youth law and then answer targeted questions about eligibility for citizenship, the rights denied to non-citizens, and what rights Jews retained. Students are asked to apply those legal texts to book scenarios (e.g., whether Hans would be guaranteed citizenship) and to identify examples of the Hitler Youth in The Book Thief, linking the informational text to the literary text. The activity asks students to explain why the Hitler Youth program was emphasized, prompting them to consider the motives behind the law.

Students are asked to identify logical fallacies in advertisements (Link A and Link B) and in quoted passages from The German National Catechism, and to label fallacy types (Slippery Slope, Bandwagon, Genetic, Hasty Generalization, Post Hoc, Appeal to Improper Authority). Students must identify three persuasive arguments in Option 2 and analyze quoted propaganda in Option 1, explaining what emotions the argument appeals to and why the argument may have been effective. The Parent Plan and answer key explicitly instruct students to analyze arguments, note unsupported claims (e.g., "There is no real evidence presented"), and evaluate credibility, which indicate student tasks of delineating claims and judging reasoning.

The Parent Plan explicitly lists the skill to "delineate a speaker's argument and specific claims, evaluating the soundness of the reasoning and relevance and sufficiency of the evidence." Students are instructed to watch two short clips of Hitler speaking and to "take notes on what might people may have found compelling about the way Hitler spoke." Students are also asked to record examples of propaganda from the reading and discuss aspects of the rallies that may have appealed to the crowd.

Students read and analyze literary nonfiction sources (the PBS article and an Ernie Pyle column) and view a WWII newsreel as part of the "War Journalism" activity. Students answer questions that ask them to distinguish informational content from propaganda, describe how correspondents created vivid accounts, and evaluate motives and presentation in diverse media. The Parent Plan also lists skills to "analyze the purpose of information" and "evaluate the motives" behind media presentations.

Students read literary nonfiction primary-source excerpts (Anne Frank and Warsaw Ghetto writings) and are asked to reflect on their impact. Students complete the "Primary Sources vs. Historical Fiction" activity in which they brainstorm advantages and disadvantages (including accuracy and historical value) and then provide three specific examples from the day's primary-source reading or The Book Thief. Students are prompted to compare emotional effect, accuracy, and memorability, and to support their points with examples from texts.

Students read a Walter Kronkite essay about censorship and are asked to take a side, write reasons with examples to support two reasons, and anticipate and refute an opponent's argument. Students analyze U.S. World War II propaganda posters using prompts that ask "How it is propaganda?" and "What logical fallacies do you notice?" The Parent Plan and skills list direct students to explore and evaluate argumentative works, recognize bias and emotional factors, and compare argument and counter-argument.

Students are directed to read an informational article titled "About the Author" about Harper Lee to learn how biographical details connect to the novel, which requires reading literary nonfiction. The Skills section explicitly asks students to "cite the textual evidence that most strongly supports an analysis," which requires students to locate and use evidence from texts. Students are prompted to refer to specific examples in their written responses, which practices connecting evidence to analysis.

Students are directed to use chapters 1 and 5 to list five things based on hearsay/gossip and five things based on personal experience or reliable sources, then compare the columns. The student activity asks students to examine the two columns for overlap 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 read chapters 18–20 of To Kill a Mockingbird and answer questions that require them to identify details from Mayella's testimony and Tom Robinson's account, which orients them to the evidence presented in the trial. Students complete the 'Order in the Court' activity that explains roles of prosecution, defense, witnesses, and how evidence and testimony are presented and cross-examined. Students complete tasks that sequence trial events (cut-and-paste flowchart) and fill-in-the-blank items on who presented evidence, who cross-examined, and when the jury deliberates. Discussion prompts ask students whether the jury will believe Atticus's version and why, prompting consideration of credibility and outcomes based on evidence.

Students read Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem "Paul Revere's Ride" and a first-person historical account titled "Paul Revere's Ride in His Own Words," and they complete a Venn diagram comparing the two texts, noting similarities and differences in content, literary language, and details. The provided answer key directs students to identify elements unique to Revere's account (first-person testimony, focus on factual reporting) and elements unique to Longfellow's poem (dramatic, rhyming, use of figurative language). An optional extension directs students to an article about Longfellow's inaccuracies and asks whether knowing the poem is factually wrong affects their reading or appreciation.

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?", requiring them to state Poe's claim. Students are asked to "record at least one line from two different poems by Poe that, in your opinion, demonstrates that focus," which requires selecting textual evidence from Poe's poems to support the identified claim. Students also read background material about Poe (Poetry Foundation link), providing a literary nonfiction source to draw from.