"Building on the success of the previous editions, Northstar, Third Edition continues to engage and motivate students with new and updated contemporary topics delivered through a seamless integration of print and online components.

What is special about the new edition?

Blended approach with MyEnglishLab.
Online activities offer support and expansion, fully blending the student book with MyEnglishLab for extra practice, ongoing assessment, and instant feedback.

New and updated themes and topics.
Presented in a variety of genres--including literature and lectures--and in authentic reading and listening selections, the content challenges and engages students intellectually.

Explicit skills instruction.
The inclusion of 2-3 explicit language skills in every unit allows students to build their language proficiency.

New and revised assessments tied to learning outcomes.
Online assessments allow teachers to track students' progress mastery of material and skills.

A new design with thought provoking images.
A compelling graphic look makes the content and activities come alive." (Book Cover)

TABLE OF CONTENTS:

Unit 1 THE BRAIN: Neuroscience and Empathy
Reading 1: Do Mirror Neurons Give Us Empathy?
Reading 2: From the Kindness of Strangers: Penniless Across America

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Create timelines to enhance note-taking skills
Summarize information from a text

WRITING:
Organize events using a life map
Understand the elements of a clear narrative (character, technique, and theme)
Use quotes appropriately for interest and authenticity
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write an autobiographical narrative

INFERENCE: Infer and measure an author's degree of certainty

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Recognize and use word forms (nouns, verbs, adjectives, and adverbs)

GRAMMAR: Recognize, form, and use past unreal conditionals

VIDEO: Memory Boost (ABC News)

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoint 1 and 2, Unit 1 Achievement Test

Unit 2 LYING: Lies and Truth
Reading 1: Looking for the Lie
Reading 2: On the River

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Recognize irony in a text

WRITING:
Complete a summary of a text
Organize ideas using a chart
Understand the elements and structure of an effective introduction
Recognize a good thesis statement
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement

INFERENCE: Interpret the author’s words to understand intention

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Identify negative and positive connotations of words

GRAMMAR: Identify and use double comparatives for emphasis and to focus readers’ attention

VIDEO: Why Do Kids Lie? (ABC News)

ASSESSMENT: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 2 Achievement Test

Unit 3 PERSONALITY – The Road to Success
Reading 1: Gotta Dance
Reading 2: Kids Learn Poise Through Dance

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Identify and categorize keywords to aid comprehension
Identify connecting themes between two texts

WRITING:
Identify paragraph structure including a strong topic sentence, illustration, and conclusion
Write a unified paragraph
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write a topic sentence, illustration, and conclusion

INFERENCE: Make inferences to understand someone’s character

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Identify and use synonyms
Identify and create noun and verb collocations
Identify and create hyphenated adjectives

GRAMMAR: Distinguish between and use identifying and nonidentifying adjective clauses

VIDEO: Dale Carnegie Training Institute

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 3 Achievement Test

Unit 4 CROSS-CULTURAL INSIGHTS – What Is Lost In Translation?
Reading 1: Lost in Translation and The Struggle to Be an All-American Girl
Reading 2: From Bayamon to Brooklyn

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Compare, contrast, and categorize information in two readings
Create an outline and take effective notes while reading

WRITING: Complete a summary
Organize information using an outline and various graphic organizers
Identify organizational structures and elements of comparison-and-contrast essays
Combine sentences and ideas to improve clarity and eliminate repetition
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write a comparison-and-contrast essay

INFERENCE: Infer a character’s meaning

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Identify and use synonyms
Recognize suffixes to create related word forms

GRAMMAR: Recognize and use adverb clauses of comparison and contrast

VIDEO: Japanese Gardens

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 4 Achievement Test

Unit 5 BUSINESS – Size matters in Business
Reading 1: Howard Schultz’s Formula for Starbucks©
Reading 2: Swiping of Industry

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Take effective notes that compare positive and negative ideas
Categorize information from texts

WRITING: Organize information into categories
Use transitional sentences to connect ideas within and between paragraphs
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write an essay describing advantages and disadvantages

INFERENCE: Interpret the author’s intention to provide information or express an opinion

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Identify synonyms
Recognize and use idiomatic expressions

GRAMMAR: Distinguish between and use infinitives and gerunds

VIDEO: Giving Back (ABC News)

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 5 Achievement Test

Unit 6 SOCIAL MEDIA – Staying Connected
Reading 1: Privacy Invasion and Social Media
Reading 2: Using Social Networking Sites Wisely

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details, examples, and reasons
Scan a text to locate specific information
Create subheadings for note-taking and summarizing
Summarize problems and solutions using information from two texts

WRITING: Organize ideas using a list
Support a main idea with reasons, facts, examples, and explanations
Identify organizational structures and elements of cause-and-effect essays
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Writ a cause-and-effect essay

INFERENCE: Infer and understand an argument made by analogy

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Categorize vocabulary
Recognize and use idiomatic expressions

GRAMMAR: Recognize and use adverb clauses and discourse connectors to express cause and effect

VIDEO: Making the Grade (ABC News)

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 6 Achievement Test

Unit 7 THE ARTS – The Cellist of Sarajevo
Reading 1: The Cellist of Sarajevo
Reading 2: The Soloist

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Identify and analyze figurative language
Categorize information from two texts

WRITING:
Analyze the various organizational structures for narrative essays
Develop an outline to organize ideas and structure for an essay
Use descriptive language to add depth to writing
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write a descriptive, narrative essay

INFERENCE: Understand characters’ motivations through close reading of descriptions

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Identify connotations of words
Use participles as adjectives

GRAMMAR: Recognize and use the passive voice

VIDEO: Interlochen Arts Academy

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 7 Achievement Test

Unit 8 POVERTY – The End of Poverty
Reading 1: Can Extreme Poverty Be Eliminated?
Reading 2: Making Ends Meet

READING:
Make and confirm predictions
Identify and summarize the main ideas in a reading
Identify different types of supporting details
Scan a text to locate specific information
Summarize problems and solutions using information from two texts

WRITING:
Analyze the structure of an argumentative essay
Create an outline to organize ideas
Develop arguments, counterarguments, and refutations
Compose statements of concession
Edit and revise writing for content, language, and conventions
Task: Write an argumentative essay

INFERENCE: Infer the author’s purpose

VOCABULARY: Infer word meaning from context
Identify synonyms
Identify negative and positive connotations of words

GRAMMAR: Recognize and use noun clauses in apposition

VIDEO: Young Innovators (CBC News)

ASSESSMENTS: Check What You Know, Checkpoints 1 and 2, Unit 8 Achievement Test

Level: Advanced