Fifth Grade - ELA
1: Relationships
Unit 1: Poetry
Lesson 1
What Is Poetry?
Students are asked to compose poems and specific stanzas (for example, writing a stanza that follows an aabb rhyming pattern and recording couplets and quatrains). Students keep a thought journal throughout the unit and are told to "save all of the poems you write" for a final project, implying ongoing collection of writing. Students produce short, single-sitting tasks such as identifying syllables, listing weak rhymes, and creating metaphors/similes, and they also prepare a poem to memorize and recite for family.
Lesson 3
Geography and Poetry
Students are asked to write two poems (Activity 2 and Activity 3) including a journal poem using a long list of nouns and an acrostic about their state. Students brainstorm nouns for a seasonal community poem, write in their journal, and read their poems aloud to identify possible improvements. The wrapping-up instructions prompt students to read the poems they wrote and consider improvements, and parent prompts ask students to discuss the nouns and facts they included.
Lesson 4
Haiku and Onomatopoeia
Students write a haiku using the 5-7-5 syllable pattern and are given lines labeled for 5, 7, and 5 syllables, so they practice composing a short, discipline-specific poem. Students are asked to create a quatrain (or add a stanza to an existing quatrain), requiring them to apply rhyme patterns and stanza structure in their own writing. Students complete an onomatopoeia activity that asks them to identify onomatopoetic words and answer reflective questions about repetition and feeling, involving short written responses.
Lesson 5
Figurative Language and Voice
Students write three metaphors and illustrate them (Activity 1), create a two-column chart identifying the point of view for each poem and answer a reflection about second person (Activity 2), and write a short poem using personification and record journal responses about lines that use personification (Activity 3). The Parent Plan and student pages instruct students to use concrete sensory details, select a point of view, and produce original figurative-language poems, which are discipline-specific writing tasks in poetry.
Lesson 6
Art and Poetry
Students are asked to write two couplets about their town (Activity 1), to write a poem and produce an accompanying illustration using a chosen medium (Activity 3), and to write the words of a favorite song and decide line breaks as poetry (Activity 2). Students also write the names of a song and a poem and practice punctuation and capitalization for titles during review and parent check-ins.
Lesson 7
Robert Frost
Students complete short written tasks such as analyzing two Frost poems on the "Frost Poems" page (answering setting, stanza count, favorite line, etc.), record ten clues about Robert Frost after online research on the "Who Is Robert Frost?" page, and may write an original animal poem using action verbs in the "Verbs in Poetry" activity. Students also complete a Venn diagram comparing two poems, which requires written comparison and synthesis.
Lesson 8
You Come Too
Students write short poems by grouping descriptive words and phrases for pictures and then combine them into poems (Activity 2). Students compose shape/picture poems by selecting an object and arranging words to form the object's shape (Activity 3). Students copy poems onto illustrated papers and are asked to read their poems aloud to a parent or the class, indicating writing for a specific audience.
Lesson 9
Write About What You Know
Students are directed to visit the library (or use home books) to find poetry collections and record titles, lines, figurative language, and poem types on their "Book of Poetry" pages, which involves gathering and compiling information over time. Students are asked to write a free verse poem using vivid adjectives, nouns, verbs, and imagery, a task that can be completed in a short sitting or over a longer period. Students are asked to read their free verse poem aloud, discuss word choice and figurative language, and are encouraged to think of ways to improve the poem after reading it a few times, which implies reflection and revision.
Lesson 10
Inspired
Students are asked to write their own poem using a favorite poem as inspiration (Activity 2), which requires composing original discipline-specific writing. Students complete a comparison graphic organizer between Jack's poem and Walter Dean Myers's poem, engaging in text-based analysis and written responses. Students practice and memorize a poem and prepare to recite it, attending to enunciation, tone, speed, and volume as part of oral presentation preparation.
Final Project
Coffee House Poetry Reading
Students are instructed to create and type a program that lists the order of poems and authors and to make copies for guests, which requires composing a written program for an audience. Students are asked to write down a description of the setting for the poetry reading, producing another discipline-specific written product. Students present their poems to guests and then assess the project using a rubric, which ties the written products to a real audience and purpose.
Unit 2: The View from Saturday
Lesson 1
The Academic Bowl
Students are asked to write a 7–8 sentence thank-you note (Activity 3) with at least three sentences containing conjunctions and to use post-it notes to plan ideas before writing, indicating an explicit short writing task with prewriting. Students answer chapter questions in complete sentences across Day 1 and Day 2, and they write sentences for homophone practice and record factual and opinion statements on activity pages, which require composing short, audience-directed sentences.
Lesson 2
Florida
Students are asked to write an informational zoo plaque about loggerhead sea turtles using an encyclopedia or the provided National Geographic link, which requires gathering facts and composing 4–6 important details for visitors. Students answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading chapters, practicing short written responses. Students also produce sentences using vocabulary words in the Vocabulary Cube activity, practicing sentence-level writing for specific word usage.
Lesson 4
Report Writing
Students are directed to research a chosen sea turtle species, complete a prewriting outline, write a first draft, revise and edit (noted as Day 2), and produce a final typed copy, showing work across multiple stages and days. The materials require use of multiple sources, self-assessment with a writing rubric, and a parent conference to review and revise, which involves research, reflection, and revision. The sequence (prewriting, draft, revision/editing, final copy) and the explicit Day 2 for revision provide direct tasks that span extended time frames.
Lesson 5
Epiphany, New York
Students are asked to write three sentences about the story and underline the predicates (Activity 1), and to write five state-history questions and answers in their journal (Activity 2). Students are also asked to write down two other idioms they have heard and interpret each idiom (Activity 3). The State History activity requires students to ask a family member the questions, which provides an explicit audience for their written work.
Lesson 6
Adventures in Wonderland
Students are asked to "write your storyline for 'Ethan's Story'" after finishing the reading, which requires composing a longer narrative piece. Students write targeted short pieces: they identify and write sentences using linking and action verbs, create three metaphors or similes and two similes/metaphors per character, and complete a short paragraph describing a friend that must include a topic sentence, supporting details, a concluding sentence, and at least one simile or metaphor. Multiple activities require students to produce original written work for different purposes (grammar practice, figurative language practice, and personal descriptive writing).
Lesson 7
Annie
Students are asked to create the storyline for Julian's Story and to write a script in their journal for a selected scene, recording lines and stage directions and then gathering family to act it out, which is a discipline-specific writing task. Students answer comprehension questions in writing and complete a relationships graphic organizer by writing phrases that explain character connections. Students also identify helping verbs in sentences and write short responses tied to the reading.
Lesson 9
Kindness
Students write in journals to describe each character's journey (Activity 2) and to plan and justify prizes with illustrated pages for each team member (Activity 3). Students perform same-day reflective writing about random acts of kindness at the end of the day (Activity 4). Students complete focused written tasks and worksheets (Active vs. Passive Verbs and Correlative Conjunctions) that are single-session discipline-specific writing exercises.
Final Project
An Afternoon Tea
Students make a guest list and design invitations (with explicit directions to use strong verbs, an idiom, and a simile or metaphor) and review an "Afternoon Tea Rubric" for evaluation. Students create a shopping list for food and tea, write three sentences to present special tokens to each guest, and complete planning tasks across Day 1–Day 3. Students answer reflective questions and evaluate the project using the rubric after hosting the tea.
Unit 3: American Tall Tales and Legends
Lesson 1
Story Genres
Students are asked to write the title of a story beneath each definition on the "Types of Stories" page, providing a short written response matching genres. Students are instructed to "record in your journal five things you learn about the culture" as they read a folktale, producing a brief reflective list. Students complete map boxes that include lines for written responses and glue story titles into regional boxes, which requires labeling and short written entries.
Lesson 3
Tales and Legends of the South
Students complete a Paragraph Organization activity where they cut, reorder, and glue sentences to form a coherent paragraph, practicing sentence- and paragraph-level writing in a single sitting. Students translate figures of speech and write examples in context (Option 2), producing short written explanations and sentences applying figurative language. Students create and describe an original trickster character on a dedicated sheet and record three questions about a read-aloud in their journal, producing short creative and reflective writing products.
Lesson 4
Tales and Legends of the Midwest
Students are asked to write journal entries (Activity 4: list three sentences that bring John Henry to life) and to record similarities and differences after researching another version of John Henry (Activity 6), which requires consulting online sources. Students complete short written tasks such as making a list of wagon supplies (Activity 3), weighing positives and negatives of technology and listing machines (Activity 5, Option 2), and editing a paragraph to remove unnecessary sentences (Activity 2).
Lesson 5
Tales and Legends of the Southwest
Students write a summary of a story using at least five transitional words and phrases (Activity 2). Students create a compare/contrast organizer or produce a written comparison of two trickster tales (Activity 1). Students outline a new trickster tale setting and characters in a planning page and list ten geographic details in a journal entry (Activities 3 and 4). Students may write or select song lyrics for a folktale and record explanations for song choices (Activity 6).
Lesson 6
Tales and Legends of the West
Students are asked to write a short summary on the back cover as part of the "Story Book Jacket" activity, and to write the message of the myth and list gods and humans on the "Myth" page. The activities require students to produce written responses to comprehension questions after reading "Hekeke," "Hiiaka," and "Paul Bunyan." The Ordering Paragraphs activity has students manipulate and then check written paragraphs from the story, which practices sequencing written text.
Final Project
Your Own Tall Tale or Legend
Students engage in prewriting (brainstorming main character, setting, and plot diagram), then write a rough draft ("Today your child will write the rough draft") and complete editing/revision on Day 2 using a rubric and conferencing. Students produce a final typed copy and share the story with family, and the materials explicitly list composing a folktale to entertain and creating multiple-paragraph compositions. The rubric and step-by-step process require students to revise, edit, and publish, indicating work across at least two sessions.
2: Diversity and Interdependence
Unit 1: The Cay
Lesson 1
Story Context
Students research Curaçao and write a paragraph for a travel brochure (Option 1), including a drawing, which requires composing for a specific audience and purpose. Students research and record responses in a journal to questions about World War II (Activity 4) and complete a Venn diagram and journal entries comparing Curaçao to their community (Option 2). Students write three goals or missions for the Axis and Allied powers on the "Axis and Allies" page and list observations and techniques about a chosen Caribbean painting (Activity 3), producing discipline-specific written responses.
Lesson 2
Curacao
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 1 and 2, requiring short-session written responses. Students write vocabulary definitions in a journal and then look up dictionary meanings, which involves using sources to refine their writing and knowledge. Students record the book's first sentence, analyze the simile, and compose first-sentence "hooks" for two books and two movies; Activity 3 asks students to research and illustrate Curacao imports and exports.
Lesson 3
Overboard
Students are asked to write a sentence or two about Phillip and Timothy each day as they read (Activity 1 and Parent Plan), which creates repeated writing across the span of the novel. Students write in a journal either by rewriting a provided paragraph to vary sentence lengths (Option 1) or by composing an original paragraph about Phillip in one sitting (Option 2), which practices shorter-timeframe writing and revision. Activity 3 has students translate Timothy's dialect into standard English, and the Parent Plan asks students to reflect on characters' feelings and actions, supporting analytic and reflective writing.
Lesson 4
Land
Students write sentences describing the two main characters after reading Chapters 5 and 6 of The Cay and answer reading-response questions. Students complete subject/verb agreement exercises (Parts A and B) that require composing or selecting verbs to complete sentences. Students perform a shark research task in which they find information in books or on websites, list three important facts and two related ideas on a web organizer, and draw the shark in its habitat.
Lesson 5
Stranded
Students write in a journal when they 'pretend you have recently been diving and write in your journal about what you have seen and experienced.' Students write descriptive explanations on the SURVIVAL page about resources and how they would be used. Students produce short written work for grammar practice by brainstorming prepositions, writing five prepositional phrases, and composing three novel-related sentences that include prepositional phrases.
Lesson 6
Work
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and write short answers to comprehension questions and a sentence or two describing characters' attitudes and actions. Students edit dialogue for comma usage and write example sentences from the book that use yes/no responses and direct address. Students record responses to three discrimination scenarios and list or illustrate island resources to meet survival needs, producing short written reflections and informational lists.
Lesson 7
Different Cultures
Students are asked to write sentences and a paragraph using varied sentence beginnings (Activity 1), which supports shorter, single‑sitting writing practice. Activity 2 Option 2 tells students to research coral reef classifications ("You may have to research this information" and "refer to books or websites"), providing an opportunity for research. Activity 3 asks students to journal lists of how Timothy and Phillip help one another, which prompts reflection. The Parent Plan notes using planning strategies to generate topics and making written presentations using visual aids, indicating practice with discipline‑specific written tasks.
Lesson 8
Fishing
Students are asked to "Write a sentence or two" describing characters' feelings and actions after reading Chapters 13 and 14. Students write two journal entries in Activity 2 — one describing the island using only non-visual senses and one describing Timothy from Phillip's perspective. In Activity 3 students list or illustrate five items for a "Hurricane Survival Kit" and "describe why" they would include each item; the parent notes ask adults to check writing for descriptive adjectives and strong verbs.
Lesson 9
The Storm
Students are asked to review and explain the steps of the writing process (organization/pre-writing, rough draft, revising/editing, final copy). Students complete organizing pages to plan three paragraphs about Phillip and Timothy and then write a rough draft using a rubric that guides sentence structure, word choice, and mechanics. Parent/teacher guidance is built in for feedback on planning pages and rubric-based evaluation.
Lesson 10
Survival
Students are prompted to finish an essay they began on a previous day, indicating work over more than one class period. Students are instructed to revise and edit a rough draft using a rubric and reference guides (Handy Guide to Writing, dictionary), then produce a final copy. Students also write five questions about the chapters they read today, a task that can be completed in a single sitting.
Final Project
For Timothy
Students plan and complete a multi-part final project across days that includes designing and building a monument and composing a formal eulogy, showing extended-time work. Students read/listen to Martin Luther King Jr.'s speech and use it as source material, and they write a concise monument inscription (under 20 words) as a shorter, discipline-specific writing task. Students practice reading the eulogy aloud, review the rubric before beginning, and assess their work with rubric-driven feedback, which supports reflection and revision.
Unit 2: A House of Tailors
Lesson 1
German Immigrants
Students are asked to locate information about Germany and "describe in sentences" or illustrate and label facts for Geography, Traditions, People, History, and Relationship with America (Activity 1). Students write a journal list of five things they would tell German immigrants in 1870, writing in role and reflecting on historical differences (Activity 2). Students interview family members as available and write a short journal entry about what they learn about their own family immigration history (Activity 3), and the parent plan explicitly suggests using library/online resources and interviews to gather information.
Lesson 3
Journey to New York
Students are asked to write short responses to reading comprehension questions (Reading And Questions) and to record two personal examples of cause-and-effect (Activity 1), which are tasks completed in a single sitting. Activity 2 requires students to write four explanatory sentences about items they would pack and to share or explain those choices with family, showing a purpose and an audience for the writing. Activity 3 instructs students to record details about New York in 1870 across chapter ranges and the parent notes state, "Each day, encourage him to add a couple of sentences to the pages," indicating writing over multiple days.
Lesson 5
Dina's Job
Students answer focused comprehension questions about Chapters 10–12, producing short written responses (e.g., What does Dina tell her Uncle she wants?). Students complete the "More Commas" worksheet that asks them to insert commas and to write three sentences about A House of Tailors that follow each comma rule. Students produce written comparisons on the Picture Frames or Bubble Map activities (labeling people, listing ways families are different/alike, and noting character traits) and write a list of materials for their hat design before sharing it with family.
Lesson 6
A New Hat
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 13–15, showing short-form response writing. Students write a short journal entry about a time they were embarrassed, practicing narrative personal writing in a single sitting. Students create vocabulary cubes by writing definitions, sentences, synonyms/antonyms, root/prefix/suffix information, and repeatedly use the cubes in review activities, demonstrating discipline-specific language tasks and repeated practice.
Lesson 7
Sickness
Students answer comprehension questions in writing after reading Chapters 16-18 and record facts on the page "The City and the People of New York in 1870." Students research smallpox using online or print resources and fill in the "Smallpox" activity page, including adding the vaccine discovery date to a timeline. Students write short, focused descriptive responses on the "Finding the Right Words" page and compose a short journal entry reflecting on a time they felt fear.
Lesson 8
Christmas
Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences after reading Chapters 19–21, practicing short-response writing. Students complete a Quotation Marks activity and an option to write a conversation between characters, practicing composition and punctuation in a single sitting. Students plan, share, and record the response to a Talent activity and complete a "Should I Stay or Go?" worksheet where they list reasons and write a conclusion, which involves planning and reflective decision writing.
Lesson 9
A Letter
Students are guided to organize ideas (pre-writing), write a first draft, revise with feedback, edit/proofread, and produce a final draft, with a Day 2 activity explicitly for revising and editing. Students write a friendly letter from Dina to Katharina that asks them to describe differences between life in New York and Germany and to explain a decision, establishing a clear purpose and audience. The rubric and organizer require paragraph planning (topic sentence, three details, concluding sentence) and use of the writing process steps across sessions.
Lesson 10
Fire!
Students answer comprehension questions for Chapters 22–24 and complete short written responses on the Student Activity Page (analyzing writing questions 1–4). Students practice sentence-level writing conventions in the "Adding Punctuation" activity and correct eight sentences using rules from the Handy Guide to Writing. In Activity 3 students draw and write explanations to their family about five important items they would save in a fire, and the Analyzing Writing task asks students to reflect on the author's techniques.
Lesson 11
Living the American Dream
Students are asked to research family history by interviewing relatives and then write a short synopsis and title and create a book jacket (Activity 1), which requires synthesizing information for a reader. Students complete reflective "if...then" statements about a character and their own life and then write a short poem or song based on those statements (Activity 3, Option 2). Students also write answers to comprehension questions and record information learned on the pages "The City and the People of New York in 1870," and are asked to share products with a parent (audience).
Final Project
Today and Yesterday or Story Quilt
Students locate information in books and online and take notes as part of research (Part 1: Taking Notes; Parent Plan directions). Students write poems about New York in the late 1800s and today and prepare to share them aloud with an audience (Day 1/Day 2 poetry tasks and Poetry Reading). Students design and revise a story quilt, including sketching, making changes to improve design, assembling final pieces, and evaluating their work with a rubric (Part 3: Final Quilt Design; Wrapping Up).
Unit 3: My Side of the Mountain
Lesson 1
Preparing for the Adventure
Students are instructed to research Jean Craighead George using a provided web link and complete an "About the Author" activity page, which requires gathering information and recording it. Students plan and outline a narrative by completing the "My Survival Story" plot diagram, identifying setting, characters, problem, events, climax, and resolution. Students write short, discipline-connected pieces such as seasonal descriptions or tourist-activity journal entries for the "Seasons in the Catskill Mountains" pages and are encouraged to "take some time each day" to write about their passions.
Lesson 2
Learning to Survive
Students are asked to read pages 1–20 and answer comprehension questions using complete sentences, which requires written responses. Students must summarize the major points of Smokey the Bear's fire safety rules and create a poster with graphics and concise text, requiring them to compose and organize written content. The Parent Plan lists skills including using oral and written language to discuss ideas and quoting or paraphrasing information sources, indicating written paraphrase practice.
Lesson 3
Making a Home
Students answer reading comprehension questions in complete sentences (short writing tasks) and explain how survival items would help Sam on the Wilderness Survival activity page. Students write sentences using words derived from root words on the Natural Root Words page, and they create forced-analogy comparisons between forest nouns and wilderness survival. Students also prioritize items by numbering them and fill a table explaining how each item would help Sam.
Lesson 5
A Stranger
Students are asked to write a short summary of the section they read today using words that contain each listed suffix, and the activity provides lined space for that composition. Students are prompted to summarize what happened in the part of the book they read yesterday and to summarize the book about Thoreau's life, which require composing written responses.
Lesson 6
Autumn
Students are asked to take on the role of an ornithologist and "research information about falcons" and prepare a presentation that includes a short speech plus a poster, models, or PowerPoint for a specified audience (second grade students) and present it to family. Students also complete shorter written tasks such as writing word meanings in Part B and answering different types of reading questions (In the Text, Think and Search, Reader and Author, On My Own). These activities require students to produce discipline-specific content, plan a product for a particular audience, and write short, focused responses.
Lesson 7
Newspaper Reporter
Students take notes on the 5 Ws and 1 H using the "Newspaper Article Planning" page and examine real newspapers to model organization. Students use three paragraph-organizer pages to draft a multi-paragraph article (attention-grabbing lead, focused middle paragraphs on how/why, and a memorable closing). Students perform editing and revision on Day 2 using a rubric and then produce a final newspaper-layout version to share with family.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are instructed to finish the novel and begin a final project by selecting three mini-projects from a Think-Tac-Toe board, with an explicit direction to 'select one activity for today and two to complete tomorrow,' which schedules work across a short time frame. The Skills section lists writing goals such as 'Write to inform... explain, describe, report, and narrate' and 'Write to express, discover, record, develop, and reflect on ideas.' Several activities require written products (e.g., document how you would survive a year in the wilderness, describe a friendship, classify plants/animals with attributes, and describe interdependence) and students are asked to share their products with family, indicating an audience.
3: Discovery and Survival
Unit 1: The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Lesson 1
Barbados to Connecticut
Students are asked to take notes in a journal while researching Barbados using provided web links, which requires written information gathering. Students must write sentences using chapter vocabulary and answer comprehension questions about the text. Students identify sentence fragments and rewrite them into complete sentences, and they add an entry (1687) to a Timeline of American History.
Lesson 2
The Woods
Students read Chapters 3 and 4 and answer specific written comprehension questions, producing short written responses. Students are instructed to take notes in a journal as they read about the Connecticut Colony, which requires them to record information in writing. Students complete a Barbados vs. Connecticut comparison chart, filling in columns with written descriptors to compare and contrast the two places.
Lesson 3
Meeting House
The lesson's Activity 2 asks students to write a short personal narrative in their journal (Option 1 or Option 2) and to read it aloud, which engages students in a single-session writing task. The Parent Plan and Skills list instruct students to select a focus, organizational structure, and point of view and to use concrete sensory details, which directs students to practice key elements of composing. The parent guidance to read aloud and discuss word choices asks students to reflect briefly on their writing choices.
Lesson 5
The Meadow
Students rewrite brief sentences in the "Show, Don't Tell" activity to practice elaboration, sensory detail, dialogue, and action verbs. Students compose short pieces in Option 2 by writing rhymes for five children and drawing illustrations, and they write sentences with descriptive (dependent) clauses and decide comma usage in the Descriptive Clauses activity. The Parent Plan lists student actions such as evaluating their own writing and editing for word choice, which indicates practice in revising and refining short written work.
Lesson 6
The Widow
Students record discoveries in a three-column chart (Activity 1), which requires short written responses about the community, family, and self. Students complete a Venn diagram comparing Quakers and Puritans (Activity 2), a brief written/comparative task that can be done in a single sitting. Students create a Vocabulary Picture Dictionary (Activity 3), adding words as they encounter them and reviewing the book every day until the unit is finished, which indicates ongoing writing practice over an extended period.
Lesson 7
A Bird
Students are asked to write dialogue in their journals (Activity 1), which is a short, focused writing task using quotation punctuation. Students are asked to brainstorm descriptive phrases about a painting and to "save your ideas as you will use them in Lesson 9," which indicates carrying written work forward to a later lesson. The parent plan lists "Write to reflect," and students answer written comprehension and analysis questions (Activity 2) that require discipline-specific literary responses.
Lesson 8
New England in the Fall
Students write three descriptive sentences about a painted scene in Activity 1, create a journal list of colonists' complaints in Activity 2, and compose a narrative paragraph about a weather-related memory in Activity 3. Students are asked to read their paragraph aloud and to "read over your narrative writing" to think about showing rather than telling, which asks them to reflect on their writing choices.
Lesson 9
Halloween in the Colonies
Students are asked to write a short story about a picture, integrating brainstormed ideas from a prior lesson and producing text of about a page and a half, which shows a short-format writing task. Students complete run-on sentence activities that require composing corrected sentences and identifying errors, providing additional brief writing practice. Students are prompted to review the story they wrote and to think about effectiveness and descriptive language, which supports immediate reflection on their writing.
Lesson 10
A Witch Hunt
Students are asked to record brainstormed ideas in a journal before reading the list of possible explanations, which requires short written reflection. Students must choose three reasons from an activity sheet and explain their selections in the "Most Likely Reasons" columns, producing short explanatory writing. The Editing activity requires students to rewrite a paragraph correcting run-on sentences and fragments, practicing revision. The Parent Plan skills list explicitly includes "Edit and revise selected drafts to improve coherence and progression," indicating instruction in revision.
Final Project
Narrative Essay
Students plan, draft, and complete a five-paragraph narrative across multiple days: they brainstorm event options, complete pre-writing organizers, write an introductory paragraph in a single sitting, develop body paragraphs on Day 2, and produce a rough draft for a Day 3 conference. Students meet with a parent to discuss their writing, then use a Narrative Essay Rubric to edit and revise before producing a final copy. The lesson requires reflection in the concluding paragraph and explicit revision steps (editing with rubric and a final copy).
Unit 2: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Lesson 1
Train Station in Paris
Students are asked to research Paris "online or in books" and then produce either an acrostic poem or a three-day travel itinerary, indicating research followed by a written product. Students write a short story based on a picture panel, producing quick creative writing without concern for grammar, spelling, or organization. Students complete discipline-specific written tasks: a poem (creative), an informational itinerary (expository/planning), and a narrative sketch (story-writing).
Lesson 2
Magic Tricks
Students are asked to write three first-person statements describing Hugo's life before and after his father's death (Activity 2), which requires reflective written response. Students are instructed to write in their journal the text that a selected picture conveys, using tone, voice, action details, and dialogue (Activity 3). Students are also asked to read their writing aloud to family and discuss tone and engagement, which addresses writing for an audience.
Lesson 4
The Key
Students are asked to write three predictions in a journal before beginning Part 2 and later compare those predictions to the book's outcome, which requires writing at one point and revisiting it after further reading. Students write a brief description on a note card of the specific task their designed automaton would perform and display it beside their model, providing a short, discipline-related writing product. The skills list includes making oral and written presentations and providing context, and parents are prompted to have students share predictions and models with family, indicating writing for an audience.
Lesson 5
A Box
Students answer short written comprehension questions after reading Chapters 1-4 (Questions #1-#5), which requires writing in a single sitting or short time frame. Students complete vocabulary activity pages by recording sentences from the book and writing guessed and dictionary definitions, practicing brief discipline-specific writing. Students conduct research on Georges Méliès, take about 20 note cards with facts and dates, and organize those notes chronologically, which involves extended research and sustained note-taking over time. The Parent Plan lists skills including using multiple sources and producing research projects and reports, indicating an expectation of research-based writing.
Lesson 6
Prometheus
Students are asked to write on the "Purpose" page about the purposes of Hugo, Isabelle, Papa Georges, and family members. Students respond in writing to the "Two Thieves?" questions that ask them to explain Hugo's reasons for stealing and compare him to Prometheus. Students are prompted to retell the Prometheus myth in their own words and to brainstorm in a journal about uses of fire or how life would differ without fire.
Lesson 7
Six Months Later
Students create a movie poster and write an accompanying synopsis, providing a concise, audience-focused piece that could be completed in a short time frame. Students evaluate a favorite picture book, name an award, list three reasons it deserves the award, and draw a cover, practicing a discipline-specific evaluative task. Students complete a "Story Organizer" graphic organizer and then write a short creative story that integrates factual details, and are prompted to compose a draft that conveys major ideas and maintains focus.
Unit 3: The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
Lesson 1
From Massachusetts to California
Students write a 6–8 sentence journal entry imagining themselves as pioneers (Activity 3), which provides a short, reflective writing task completed in a single sitting. Students locate information about the California Gold Rush, answer specific research questions, and create their own question with space to write an answer (Activity 2), supported by provided web links and an answer key. The Parent Plan and Skills list explicitly name conducting research, taking notes, and framing questions, indicating students will engage in discipline-specific informational writing and note-taking.
Lesson 2
Change
Students write five sentences describing a picture that require composing and identifying prepositional phrases (Activity 1). Students record ideas about geographic features and calculate distance using a map or online tools, which asks them to gather information and write about it (Activity 2). Students list five changes in Lucy's life and five changes in their own life, engaging in personal reflection and written response (Activity 3) and they answer comprehension questions after reading chapters.
Lesson 3
An Entrepeneur
Students answer reading comprehension questions after reading Chapters 5 and 6, which requires short written responses. Students complete a Synonyms activity page by writing original words and their synonyms in provided boxes. Students brainstorm in a journal, select an entrepreneurial idea, list steps to carry it out, and are asked to "do it," which involves planning and putting a written plan into action.
Lesson 5
A New Friend
Students rewrite a paragraph on the "Sentence Beginnings" page, explicitly practicing revision by changing sentence starts and using prepositional, transitional, and participial phrases. Students write three math word problems in a journal for Butte and create a separate answer key, producing discipline-specific written work for a defined audience and purpose. Students research or visit a gardening store to identify local wildflowers and then draw, name, and record them on provided pages, incorporating an element of information-gathering that supports writing/artifact production.
Lesson 6
Clyde Claymore
Students are asked to write one of each type of comprehension question and provide answers for Chapters 11–12, which requires composing short, text-based responses. Students create vocabulary cube faces that require them to write definitions, a sentence with a blank for the word, and synonyms, and then play a game using those written elements. Students collect five items for a character and are asked to share and explain their choices with a parent, which involves composing or orally organizing explanatory responses. The wrap-up asks students to review the vocabulary and the four types of questions they developed, reinforcing the short-form writing tasks.
Lesson 7
Loss
Students are asked to summarize previously read chapters and answer comprehension questions, which requires short, single-sitting writing or oral summarization. Students construct a raccoon craft and then write and illustrate step-by-step directions, including testing the directions with a sibling, which requires planning and revision of procedural writing. Students choose to write a song or poem in memory of Butte and share it with family, which provides a purpose, audience, and a creative, reflective writing task.
Lesson 8
Fire!
Students are asked to write a summary of Chapter 16, practicing sentence length and sentence variety (Activity 2). Students are asked to write a personal letter to a relative that recounts events and reflects on feelings, and to address and mail an envelope (Activity 3). Students also create a Venn diagram or draw themselves and write three sentences comparing life today with life in 1849 (Activity 1), providing multiple, discipline-specific writing tasks and an identified audience for the letter.
Lesson 10
A Library
Students finish the novel and respond to comprehension and opinion questions (Which character did you enjoy most? Do you think Lucy made the right decision?), showing short-session written responses. Students create a Cause and Effect flap book by identifying four cause/effect relationships and recording causes and effects beneath flaps, which requires written analysis. Students list titles for 20 books on the "The Library" page and complete the "Lucy Changes" graphic organizer describing Lucy at the beginning, how she changed, and at the end, which are planning and reflective writing tasks.
Final Project
Persuasive Essay
Students are asked to use research (from the novel and additional reading about the California Gold Rush) to plan and write a five-paragraph persuasive essay, showing time for research. Students complete a multi-day sequence: brainstorming and organizer work, writing an introductory paragraph, writing three body paragraphs, drafting a conclusion, conferencing with a parent (Activity 6), revising with a rubric (Activity 7), and producing a typed final copy (Activity 8). Students are given a clear audience/purpose scenario (persuade eastern emigrants) and a discipline-specific task (a persuasive essay) and use organizers and a rubric to guide revision.
4: Systems
Unit 1: A Wrinkle in Time
Lesson 1
A Unique Family
Students write original opening sentences for three novels and record them in a journal (Activity 1), and they complete vocabulary entries by guessing meanings and then recording actual definitions after looking them up. Students are instructed to record elements of science fiction "as you read" and to fill in an elements chart for A Wrinkle in Time, which requires ongoing entries tied to their reading. The Parent Plan prompts students to share their hooks and elements with a parent, indicating writing intended to be presented to an audience.
Lesson 2
Calvin
Students write sentences practicing possessive plurals in Activity 1, correcting and producing examples that demonstrate apostrophe placement. Students complete a graphic organizer in Activity 2 to write three character traits for Meg and provide three pieces of textual evidence for each trait. Students perform a creative writing task in Activity 3 where they brainstorm multiple ideas, select the most original one, and elaborate on it in writing, and the Skills section explicitly lists using brainstorming and graphic organizers as prewriting strategies.
Lesson 3
Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which
Students respond in writing to reflective short-answer questions (Question #1), producing a personal explanation in a single sitting. Students record and describe two complex ideas and create accompanying illustrations, then share those explanations with someone else (Activity 1), which asks them to explain and reflect for an audience. Students generate three plot ideas for science-fiction short stories (Activity 3) and are instructed to save these ideas for a later lesson, indicating an ongoing writing task beyond a single session.
Lesson 4
Tesser
Students rewrite sentences using transitional words and phrases in Activity 1, which is a short, focused writing/revision task done in a single sitting. Students create and keep a Story Map and Protagonist pages and are told to add to them "as you progress in the unit" and to hold onto the page for later use in a final science-fiction short story project, implying ongoing development. The Skills list and Parent Plan direct students to evaluate their own writing, analyze published examples, and discuss revisions with a parent, which supports reflection and revision over time.
Lesson 5
The Thing
Students are told they will be writing a science-fiction short story in this unit, indicating a longer writing product will be produced. Students are asked to answer a question in their journal about how the dimension theory relates to the title and to explain the five dimensions in their own words to a sibling or parent. Students complete Activity 3 by adding five names and explaining why they chose each, which requires written explanation on the provided activity pages.
Lesson 6
Camazotz
The Parent Plan lists generating ideas and plans for writing using prewriting strategies and 'Write to entertain,' which asks students to develop a protagonist/antagonist and add details to a story map. The Elaboration activity has students rewrite simple sentences to be more descriptive, practicing revision and sentence-level improvement. The Antagonist activity asks students to record information, draw, and describe three ways the antagonist will act, and the Wrap Up tells students to 'continue to add details about your protagonist and antagonist as you think of them,' implying ongoing development.
Lesson 7
Man with the Red Eyes
Students complete a timed brainstorming task (Activity 1) that has them generate as many words as possible in three minutes, practicing brief, focused writing. Students read and summarize Chapter 7 (Activity 2) and identify transitional words in a provided summary, practicing summary writing and use of transitions. Students edit and rewrite a paragraph (Activity 3), making grammatical corrections and adding transitions, which requires revision and producing a corrected draft.
Lesson 8
Father
Students answer written comprehension questions after reading Chapters 8 and 9, producing short written responses. Students write the time and place and describe geography, life forms, and way of life on a "Science Fiction Setting" story map, producing descriptive writing and an illustrated scene. Students label diagrams of the brain and are instructed to "read about the parts of the brain online or in another reference source," which requires researching and then writing labels and brief functional descriptions.
Lesson 9
The Beasts
Students are asked to write descriptive journal entries in Activity 1 that require producing nonvisual descriptions of items (a short, focused writing task). Students complete the Perfect Tenses pages, including writing full sentences using present/past/future perfect forms (short composition practice). Students brainstorm, record a theme on a story map, and are instructed to continue brainstorming and refining ideas for a science fiction short story (planning and developing a longer narrative).
Lesson 10
Love
Students engage in short-span writing when they brainstorm alternate uses (spending six minutes per object) and when they write sentences in specified verb tenses on the Verb Tense sheets. Students also plan a multi-part narrative by developing protagonist/antagonist/setting/theme and by recording a problem and solution, then are told to review idea pages today and begin writing the science fiction short story tomorrow, indicating a multi-day writing task.
Final Project
Science Fiction Short Story
Students are directed to produce a rough draft (Activity 4), to revise and edit their work over a subsequent day (Activity 5), and to create a final copy (Activity 6), showing a multi-day writing process. Students use a rubric to guide revision, conference with a parent for feedback, and are prompted to share the finished story with family, indicating attention to audience and purpose (to entertain). The Parent Plan asks students to review steps of the writing process and to continue working on the story across days, providing explicit steps for drafting, revision, and proofreading.
Unit 2: Lincoln
Lesson 1
Who Was He?
Students complete a KWL chart, recording what they know, want to know, and learn as they read, indicating ongoing note-taking across the chapters. Students add events and dates to a multi-page timeline as they read the book, requiring them to record information over the course of the text. Students write sentences for participle practice and copy sentences and definitions for vocabulary words, producing short written responses tied to specific language tasks.
Lesson 2
Childhood
Students are asked to write participle phrases and three full sentences using those phrases (Activity 2), including underlining and circling participles and producing original sentences. Students complete a graphic organizer listing how the author follows elements of a biography, writing one example per element (Activity 1). Students gather at least eight examples of expository writing, explain how each is expository, and share their collection with a parent (Activity 3).
Lesson 4
Slavery
Students are asked to write a short 2–3 minute speech that states a position, provides three supporting reasons, and includes supporting details, which demonstrates writing for a specific purpose and audience. Students practice revising by reading the speech aloud, making changes to improve content and delivery, and using a rubric to edit their work. Students gather materials to support their position (parent plan) and deliver the speech to family members, receiving feedback on delivery and content.
Lesson 5
Emancipation
Students read the Emancipation Proclamation, underline three key sentences, copy them into a journal, and explain their significance (short-term writing and reflection). Students create note cards from two texts about Frederick Douglass (research over time) and then use those notes to write a Frederick Douglass biopoem, which is saved for a final project (extended, discipline-specific writing). Students also produce shorter written products such as a Venn diagram comparing Lincoln and Douglass, sentences using appositives, and written captions/quotations under flaps on the stovepipe hat activity.
Lesson 6
Civil War
Students write short answers to chapter questions and complete the "To Fight or Not to Fight" sheet where they list reasons for and against the Civil War. Students write a short persuasive letter to Lincoln (Activity 3) and complete interview prep, conduct an interview (Activity 5–6), and then read notes and rewrite each question with a summary of the answers (Activity 7). These tasks require students to gather information from text and oral sources, select and record responses, and produce written summaries for a real audience.
Lesson 7
Assassination
Students are asked to read a couple of newspaper articles before beginning and to fill out a 5 W's chart to gather facts, then write a short newspaper report with a headline and date, which represents a discipline-specific task (news reporting). Students complete focused sentence-level writing practice: combining sentences using appositive phrases, writing two sentences with appositive phrases, and a separate task to write sentences with participle phrases. The wrap-up instructs students to reread the newspaper article they wrote.
Lesson 8
Words and Memories
Students copy a Lincoln quote and answer four reflective questions about it (what they like, phrases they appreciate, why it is meaningful, and what it reveals about Lincoln), which requires short, reflective writing. Students locate a website for a Lincoln historic site and create a half-sheet flyer with a picture intended to encourage visitors, which involves researching and writing for a specific audience and purpose. Students select six important events in Lincoln's life and write dates and descriptions on train-car pages, practicing discipline-specific sequencing and informational writing.
Final Project
Lincoln Showcase
Students gather and assemble writing products they created throughout the unit, indicating work completed over an extended time frame. The activity list includes multiple discipline-specific writing tasks (speech, Lincoln assassination newspaper article, interview Q&As, letter from a slave, Frederick Douglass biopoem, flyer, train timeline) showing a range of purposes and audiences. The instructions allow students to type pieces if handwriting is not neat and ask them to review a rubric for ideas, display arrangement, product presentation, and effort, and suggest displaying the showcase at a museum or library to reach an external audience.
Unit 3: Independent Study
Lesson 1
What Is Independent Study?
Students complete short written responses on the Interest Survey and a journal entry listing five discoveries, providing opportunities for writing in a single sitting. Students take notes, develop research questions, locate sources (including library research over the course of the unit), and write a five-paragraph report, indicating an extended-time research and writing task. Students also create a product (presentation or brochure) to share findings and use an Independent Study Rubric that explicitly lists editing, organization, bibliography, and mechanics as evaluation criteria.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students are scheduled to begin and complete the research activities over four days, with Day 2–4 devoted to taking notes and documenting a bibliography, showing work across an extended time frame. Students practice writing tasks such as circling relevant sources, taking notes from a short article and encyclopedia sections, populating research charts, and creating a formal bibliography with specified citation formats. Students must collect at least four sources (including print, web, and a non-print source) and record bibliographic entries, which requires repeated written recording and organization of research information.
Lesson 5
Writing Your Report
Students are instructed to work over 2–3 days and to spend the next 1–2 days outlining, writing a rough draft, editing and revising, and composing a final draft, showing extended-time writing practice. Students draft an outline, write an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion, and then read their paper three times focusing separately on organization, mechanics, and ideas, which provides structured time for revision and reflection. Students use a rubric to guide and evaluate their rough draft and final copy, indicating opportunities for research, reflection, and revision.
Lesson 6
Developing a Product
Students complete a research report and then plan and produce a product over multiple days (Activities 2–5), indicating work across an extended time frame. Students make a materials list, create a numbered checklist of steps, and check off progress, which requires planning and staged work toward a finished product. Students identify an audience, practice presenting, and use the Independent Study Rubric to prepare and present for a purpose and audience.