Unit 1: Using Context Clues Infer the meaning of unfamiliar words by
• analyzing sentences containing words in a series
• analyzing sentences containing words linked by associated meanings or “go-togethers”
• using sentence context to determine appropriate meanings of words with multiple meanings
• analyzing roots and suffixes of unknown words to infer word meaning
• using context to confirm meaning inferred from word analysis
Unit 2: Mood in Reading and Writing Infer the mood in stories by
• inferring the mood implied by direct statements, actions, and dialogue
• locating connotative words suggesting emotions and attitudes
• inferring the character’s mood from clues in the paragraph
• writing sentences that express given moods and feelings
• writing a character description to create a specific mood
• analyzing mood changes in a story
• noting complex mood changes in literature
• using mood clues in writing
Unit 3: Comprehending Comparisons Analyze and explain various types of comparisons and contrasts by
• distinguishing comparisons showing similarities from comparisons showing differences
• differentiating between explained and implied comparisons
• identifying signal words suggesting similarities and differences
• inferring similarities in similes and metaphor
• deconstructing unexplained negative comparisons
• deriving underlying similarities from apparent differences
• differentiating comparisons from non-comparisons
• analyzing similarities and differences of characters in literature
Unit 4: Analyzing Characters Analyze characters in narrative prose by
• differentiating between details suggesting character traits and other details
• identifying traits revealed through action, dialogue, and direct statement
• charting the similarities and differences between two characters
• comparing traits and predicting behavior by charting characters’ responses to a particular situation
• inferring a character’s motivation by charting reasons for specific actions and dialogue
• using character differences, situation-response, and action-reason charts to summarize literature
• comparing two authors’ points of view about the same character
• making inferences about implied characters
Unit 5: Comprehending Complex Information Analyze various types of complex information found in textbooks by
• identifying three basic grammatical structures of sentences: simple, compound, and complex
• recognizing how different sentence structures typically express condensed information about the 5W’s plus How
• identifying sequential information and signal words showing simultaneous events and chronological order
• placing out-of-order events in chronological order
• comparing subjects in terms of several attributes
• writing plot summaries
