Grade 5 ELA

In this unit, students will read and write personal narratives while learning how writers use language and point of view to share meaningful experiences. Students will use the “Think as You Read” strategy to deepen their understanding of texts and begin applying literary devices such as personification, similes, and metaphors in their own writing. In writing, students will plan, draft, revise, edit, and publish a personal narrative.

In this unit, students will learn about the Maya, Aztec, and Inca civilizations while strengthening reading, vocabulary, grammar, and writing skills. Students will compare and contrast these early American civilizations, paraphrase information from texts, and use evidence to support their ideas. Students will also build key vocabulary and develop grammar skills related to action verbs, linking verbs, compare-and-contrast language, run-on sentences, subjects, and predicates. In writing, students will create an informative or explanatory piece using evidence from a text.

In this unit, students will read, analyze, and write poetry while deepening their understanding of how poets use language to create meaning. Students will identify and use poetic devices such as tone, anaphora, figurative language, rhyme, and metaphor. Students will also explore different poetic forms, including villanelles and list poems, and compare and contrast poems using graphic organizers. In writing, students will apply their poetry knowledge to create original poems and grow in their craft as writers.

In this unit, students will read and discuss Don Quixote while strengthening reading, vocabulary, grammar, and opinion writing skills. Students will distinguish between fact and opinion, build key vocabulary, and support claims with textual evidence. Students will also practice pronoun-verb agreement and using commas in a series. In writing, students will craft and share a four-paragraph opinion essay.

In this unit, students will learn about ocean ecosystems while strengthening reading, research, vocabulary, and writing skills. Students will examine images, participate in discussions, and use quotations and paraphrased details from informational texts to identify characteristics of ocean ecosystems. Students will analyze paired texts with graphic organizers, record main ideas and details about marine animals and ecosystems, and use evidence to develop organized writing. In writing, students will draft single- and multiple-paragraph descriptions with an introduction, body, conclusion, and relevant vocabulary, then revise and edit their work using peer and teacher feedback.

In this unit, students will learn about Native American cultures and histories while strengthening reading, vocabulary, grammar, and opinion writing skills. Students will read, analyze, and explain ideas in texts, make inferences, cite evidence from informational texts, and compare and contrast themes in narrative texts. Students will also analyze how illustrations contribute to meaning and tone, study coordinating conjunctions, perfect verb tenses, root words, prefixes, and suffixes. In writing, students will use graphic organizers to study the structure of an opinion essay and collect relevant information to support their own opinion writing.

In this unit, students will participate in a novel study while strengthening reading, vocabulary, literary analysis, and narrative writing skills. Students will make inferences about characters, perspectives, and relationships using evidence from the text and analyze how characters and relationships change over time. Students will also examine novel structure, narrator’s point of view, figurative language, key vocabulary, and character experiences. In writing, students will summarize texts, expand sentences, and write, revise, edit, and publish a narrative using rubrics, checklists, and peer feedback.

In this unit, students will explore literature, history, arts, and culture while strengthening reading, vocabulary, grammar, research, and writing skills. Students will read for different purposes, including identifying the gist, explaining ideas, finding details, and making inferences. Students will also review note-taking strategies, study prepositional phrases and correlative conjunctions, examine prefixes and root words, and review past-tense verbs. In writing, students will craft an informational paragraph and create a biography about a famous Renaissance artist using at least two sources.

In this unit, students will learn about global architecture while strengthening reading, vocabulary, grammar, research, writing, and presentation skills. Students will compare and contrast works of architecture, make text-based inferences, and determine key ideas by evaluating details in texts. Students will also build key vocabulary, use root words to determine word meanings, and practice identifying and using prepositions correctly. In writing and research, students will generate a research question, gather and cite information from sources, develop an informational text, and provide rubric-based feedback to peers on writing, visual components, and oral presentations.