Week 1
Lesson 1
Thinking about our reading
Students will learn to make claims about a nonfiction text, including whether they agree or disagree, if they have connections to the text or between multiple texts, or if they are forming a larger opinion based on what they are reading. This will lay the groundwork for students as they begin to select meaningful evidence to support claims about the text. 
Lesson 2
The Receipts of your thinking
Students will begin to explore the idea of finding evidence to support their opinions, thoughts, or connection to a text. They will learn to annotate and mark a text as they read. They will begin to form arguments, opinions, and statements while referring directly to a text. 
Lesson 3
Discovering a theme
When reading fiction, one of the great joys of finishing a story is uncovering the theme. Students will learn how to identify the themes in a story, from tracking plot changes, to considering how characters develop and change. Students will begin to uncover themes from a series of short texts with powerful messages. 
Lesson 4
Considering problems and resolutions 
Students will consider several short stories and how their problems and resolutions impact the theme of the story.  They will read closely to examine how the author used plot elements to share a theme.