ThinkCERCA provides a thematic alignment to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Collections for English Language Arts, one of the most commonly used ELA curricula in the United States. The ThinkCERCA aligned differentiated writing lessons (including Direct Instruction, Applied Reading and Writing, and Additional Reading Practice) support the content that students will be focusing on in the HMH Collections anchor texts, standards, and performance tasks. Additional Direct Instruction resources are provided as an extra support for skills critical for success with the Collection topics and themes.

• Collection 1: Facing Fear
• Collection 2: Animal Intelligence
• Collection 3: Dealing with Disaster
• Collection 4: Making Your Voice Heard
• Collection 5: Decisions That Matter
• Collection 6: What Tales Tell

Collection 1: Facing Fear

Differentiated Writing Lessons

• Risk-taking - How do you know when a risk is worth taking?
• Character and Risk - When are tempting rewards worth the risk?

Direct Instruction

• Story Structure
• Plot
• Poetic Structure
• Arguments about Characters
• Explicit vs. Inferred Information
• Informational and Explanatory Writing
• Central Ideas
• Citing and Documenting Sources

Collection 2: Animal Intelligence

Differentiated Writing Lessons

• Endangered Animals - What role should people play in saving endangered animals?
• Nature - How do poets see themselves and their humanity reflected in the natural world?

Direct Instruction

• Evaluating Sound Arguments
• Central Ideas
• Author's Purpose

Collection 3: Dealing with Disaster

Differentiated Writing Lessons

• Perseverance - How do we overcome challenges in our country, our communities, and our lives?

Direct Instruction

• Elements of Language
• Tone

Collection 4: Making Your Voice Heard

Differentiated Writing Lessons

• Image and Impact - How can a powerful image create change?
• Nonverbal Communication - What are the benefits and drawbacks of nonverbal communications?

Direct Instruction

• Elements of Language
• Arguments about Characters
• Theme
• Tone
• Author's Bias
• Evaluating Sound Arguments
• Multiple Perspectives 

Collection 5: Decisions That Matter

Differentiated Writing Lessons

• Paul Revere and the Revolutionary War - What does the story of Paul Revere's ride reveal about the way history is remembered?
• Growing Up - How do authors convey themes about important moments of change in their lives to their readers?

Direct Instruction

• Poetic Structure
• Writing Personal Narratives
• Reading Primary Source Documents

Collection 6: What Tales Tell

Differentiated Writing Lessons

• The Art and Architecture of Ancient Greece
• Comparing Traditional Tales

Direct Instruction

• Theme
• Structure
• Citing and Documenting Sources