The Week at a Glance

Week of May 18 - 22, 2026

This week, we will complete end of the year activities.  This will include some reading trivia. 

Week of May 11 - 15, 2026

This week, we will move into a poetry unit.  Students will learn about poetry terms and parts.  They will also review types of figurative language that are often used in poetry.  Then, we will study various different types of poems. For each type of poem, we will look at examples, and we will write some together as a class.  Then, students will write an individual poem for each type we study. 

Week of May 4 - 8, 2026

This week, we will start our biography/autobiography unit.  We will learn about the characteristics of biographies and autobiographies. We will read a selection titled “When Marian Sang.” As we read this selection, we will draw conclusions and make generalizations about the information presented.  Students will then have an independent assessment over drawing conclusions using a separate passage on Henry “Box” Brown. 

Week of April 27 - May 1, 2026

This week, we will finish up our graphic novel Mighty Jack, and students will work with their literature circle groups to complete the various tasks. We will have mini lessons over settings in graphic novels. Each literature circle group will have time to read the novel, find examples that fit each mini lesson, and answer comprehension questions that relate to the particular section they read.   

Week of April 20 - 24, 2026

This week, we will continue our graphic novel Mighty Jack, and students will work with their literature circle groups to complete the various tasks. We will have mini lessons over various graphic novel concepts that include reading the words and dialogue and settings.  Each literature circle group will have time to read the novel, find examples that fit each mini lesson, and answer comprehension questions that relate to the particular section they read.   

Week of April 13 - 17, 2026

This week, we will continue our graphic novel Mighty Jack, and students will work with their literature circle groups to complete the various tasks. We will have mini lessons over various graphic novel concepts that include graphic novels' use of colors and symbols.  Each literature circle group will have time to read the novel, find examples that fit each mini lesson, and answer comprehension questions that relate to the particular section they read.   

Week of April 6 - 10, 2026

This week, we will begin our graphic novel Mighty Jack. We will also start exploring background information about fairy tales and graphic novels to prepare us for our upcoming literature circle groups with the novel Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke. We will have mini lessons over various graphic novel concepts that include graphic novel language. Each literature circle group will have time to read the novel, find examples that fit each mini lesson, and answer comprehension questions that relate to the particular section they read.

Week of March 30 - April 3, 2026

This week, we will continue our March Madness Book Battle.  Students will write a character interview.  Those that advance to that round will complete the interview in front of the class for voting purposes.  As we get down to the final contestants, additional rounds of trading cards and commercials may be produced in order to determine the winner. 

Week of March 23 - 27, 2026

This week, students will be completing their IAR testing.  We ask that students attend school to ensure success on both the math and ELA tests unless there is an absolute emergency or illness. Please make sure your student eats breakfast, so they can concentrate and focus on the tests especially during the morning testing sessions.  Please encourage them to do their best as we have equipped them with all the necessary skills and tools to perform at their best level. When we are not testing, students will be completing their March Book project during reading class.  The various rounds will be held over the next two weeks, and the winner will earn an awesome prize!

Week of March 16 - 20, 2026

This week, we will finish reading our novel I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters.  We will read the final story “The Henryville Tornado, 2012.”  Once again, we will read it as a class and independently.  Students will check their comprehension of the text with our work packets.  We will also be reinforcing the non-fiction elements of text structure, text features, and main idea with the novel as well.  Students will also take the AR test over the novel.

Week of March 9 - 13, 2026

This week, we will continue reading our nonfiction novel.  We will read about the Molasses Flood and Japanese tsunami.  Once again, we will read it as a class and independently.  Students will check their comprehension of the text with our work packets.  We will also be reinforcing the non-fiction elements of text structure, text features, and main idea with the novel as well. 

Week of March 2 - 6, 2026

This week, we will continue reading our nonfiction novel.  We will read about the Titanic disaster.  Once again, we will read it as a class and independently.  Students will check their comprehension of the text with our work packets.  We will also be reinforcing the non-fiction elements of text structure, text features, and main idea with the novel as well. 

Week of February 23 - 27, 2026

This week, we will continue our nonfiction unit.  Students will learn about citing text evidence using the RACE strategy.  We will explore what each letter of the strategy means and how we apply that information to a passage.  We will then move into reading our class nonfiction novel titled I Survived True Stories: Five Epic Disasters.  We will read it as a class and independently, and students will have comprehension pages to complete as we move throughout the book.

Week of February 16 - 20, 2026

This week, we will read a nonfiction text titled “Is This You?” With this article, we will apply all of the nonfiction elements that we have studied thus far.  This includes text structure, text features, and main idea and key details. Students will also read an article titled “Stress-Busters of the Stars,” and they will use the information presented in both articles to write a paragraph that synthesizes the information. They will also take a short quiz over the non-fiction texts as well. 

Week of February 9 - 13, 2026

This week,  we will finish discussing how to determine the main idea of a nonfiction text. We will finish up the task cards, and students will read an individual passage and find the topic, topic sentence, supporting details, and main idea. For the rest of the week, students will also present their book in a bag projects.  

Week of February 2 - 6, 2026

This week,  we will finish up our text features activities.  We will do a text feature scoot along with a text feature digital sort. We will also discuss how to determine the main idea of a nonfiction text.  We will complete several main idea activities as a whole class and in small groups.

Week of January 26 - 30, 2026

This week,  we will continue our lessons over text features.  We will continue to take notes over the remaining text features and their purposes. We will then complete a whole group activity on text features.  Then, students will be placed in small groups to complete a text hunt.

Week of January 19 - 23, 2026

This week,  we will finish up text structure and move into studying various text features that are used in nonfiction texts. Students will take notes over each text feature and understand its purpose.  Then, students will look for an example of each in our science and social studies textbooks. 

Week of January 12 - 16, 2026

This week,  we will continue looking at each individual text structure.  Students will learn the definition of each, its clue words, and the graphic organizers used for each one as well.  Students will also read various passages and identify which text structure is being used based on the clue words being used. Students will then be placed into groups to complete a Text Structure poster.  Students will search through textbooks and magazines to find examples of each text structure, highlight the clue words, and provide the rationale as to why it fits that type of text structure. 

Week of January 5 - 9, 2026

This week, we will complete our winter assessments and move into our nonfiction unit.  Students will take their winter benchmark assessments via AIMSWEB and Reading Plus.  Then, we will begin our nonfiction unit by studying the various text structures that authors can use to present information. 

Week of December 15 - 19, 2025

This week, we will finish reading our novel.  We will read chapters twenty-one through twenty-five.  As we discuss each chapter, we will discuss the vocabulary associated with each one.  Students will answer the comprehension questions for each chapter as well.  They will take the AR test over the book to check their overall understanding.  We will end the week watching the movie and comparing it to the book. 

Week of December 8 - 12, 2025

This week, we will continue reading our class novel.  We will read chapters thirteen through twenty as time allows.  As we discuss each chapter, we will discuss the vocabulary associated with each one.  Students will answer the comprehension questions for each chapter.  They will gain practice with sequencing the events that occur.  

Week of December 1 - 5, 2025

This week,  we will continue reading our class novel.  We will read chapters seven through thirteen as time allows.  As we discuss each chapter, we will discuss the vocabulary associated with each one.  Students will answer the comprehension questions for each chapter.  They will gain practice dealing with problems and solutions that are often presented in the rising action of a story.  We will discuss additional physical and personality traits that we learn about one of the main characters, Max.

Week of November 24 - 28, 2025

This week,  we will continue our class novel, Freak the Mighty.  We will finish up any activities related to chapters five and six.  Then, we will continue reading chapters seven and eight.  As we read, we will discuss the vocabulary words and look for additional examples of figurative language that are present in the story. 

Week of November 17 - 21, 2025

This week,  we will begin reading our class novel, Freak the Mighty. We will look at the front and back cover and make predictions about the book.  We will read chapters one through six, and we will discuss characters, point of view, flashbacks, foreshadowing, and figurative language.  For each chapter, we will answer comprehension questions to check our understanding.  Students will also be completing vocabulary work for each chapter as well.  

Week of November 10 - 14, 2025

This week,  we will finish up our lessons on theme. Students will be placed in groups and given a new mentor text.  They will review summarizing by completing a SWBST graphic organizer for the mentor text.  Then, they will fill out a theme organizer to identify any topics, lessons learned, or character changes that help indicate the theme of the text. Students will complete various online activities to reinforce the concept of theme that we have learned thus far.  

Week of November 3 - 7, 2025

This week,  we will continue our lessons on theme.  We will look at how to determine the theme of a story based on the lessons the characters learn and how the characters change. We will read several mentor texts that have a clear theme, and students will gain practice identifying the theme of each one. 

Week of October 27 - 31, 2025

This week,  we will continue learning about the different types of conflict.  We will finish up our interactive lesson where students will read short passages, identify the conflict, and then select which type best fits it.  Students will also gain additional practice identifying conflict through an activity that incorporates popular Disney movies.  Once again, students will identify the type of conflict displayed in the movie scenes and explain it in a one sentence summary. Students will then be given a set of conflict task cards to complete for an independent assessment grade. We will then move into studying the theme of fictional stories.  Students will learn what theme is and what theme is not.  

Week of October 20 - 24, 2025

This week, we will continue practicing the SWBST strategy.  Students will work with their group members to summarize a mentor text.  Then, they will read a fictional story independently, complete the SWBST organizer, and then write the summary.  We will then move into identifying the theme of fictional stories.  Students will learn what theme is and what theme is not.  

Week of October 13 - 17, 2025

This week, we will move into summarizing fictional stories.  Students will be taught the SWBST strategy in order to summarize the key parts of a fictional story.  This is a great strategy for students to learn because oftentimes when we ask students to summarize, they often end up retelling the whole story.  Students will learn that summarizing does not mean to retell every single detail. We will practice this strategy with familiar fairy tales as well as mentor texts.  We will also practice using this strategy as a class, in small groups, and individually. 

Week of October 6 - 10, 2025

This week, we will continue focusing on characters, character traits, and types of characterization.  Students will complete a fun improvisation activity that allows them to take on a character trait through their use of actions, thoughts, words, and feelings.  Their classmates will try to identify the character trait based on their acting.  We will then read the story “The Reason I will Love John MacFarlane Jr. Until the Day I Die.” We will read it together and discuss the characters.  As we do this, we will complete an anchor chart identifying the physical and personality traits of each character and what we learn about them through both direct and indirect characterization. 

Week of September 29 - October 3, 2025

This week, we will focus on the story element of characters.  Students will learn that characters can be identified or described by both their physical traits as well as their personality traits.  We will also study the difference between direct and indirect characterization which authors use to tell readers information about their characters. We will apply this newly learned information to short passages as well as mentor texts.  

Week of September 22 - 26, 2025

This week, we will continue our study of story elements and fictional reading strategies.  We will focus on the strategy of visualizing.  Students will get to participate in a variety of activities that ask them to visualize a concept based on the chosen words and sentences from mentor texts or short fictional passages. We will also apply what we have learned so far to an excerpt from Old Yeller.  We will discuss its plot elements, how the setting impacts the story, and what students can visualize based off of the author’s words.  

Week of September 15 - 19, 2025

This week, we will finish up our study of plot.  We will review the elements again and apply them to fictional stories.  Students will have an independent assessment where they apply the plot elements to a fictional passage. We will then move into studying the concept of setting.  We will have a mini-lesson over setting and discuss how setting can change throughout a story.    

Week of September 8 - 12, 2025

This week,  we will begin studying plot elements through a series of lessons.  We will talk about each plot element, and we will use various fairy tales that students are familiar with to help us identify each of them.  Then, groups of students will be given a mentor text, and they will work with their group members to complete the plot diagram. Students will also be assessed individually with a plot exit ticket to check their understanding.   

Week of September 1- 5, 2025

This week,  we will finish studying author’s purpose.  Students will complete some task cards and an independent assessment.  Students will also complete their Reading Plus Benchmark assessment, and we will discuss how the Reading Plus program will work.  

Week of August 25 - 29, 2025

This week, we will study author’s purpose.  Students will learn the five different types of author’s purpose using the acronym PIEED.  Students will gain practice reading passages and identifying the author’s purpose in each one.  We will do this as a class, in small groups, and individually.  

Week of August 18 - 22, 2025

This week, we will discuss the habits of good readers.  This includes finding books that fit each student’s reading level and interests.  Students will also begin completing some of their reading benchmark testing.  

Week of August 11 - 15, 2025

This week, we will learn information about each other and began creating a community of learners and readers.  Students will complete a Would You Rather ELA Edition to discover the various preferences of their reading and writing styles.  We also will go over the classroom rules and expectations, consequences, and procedures.