Fifth Grade - ELA
1: Relationships
Unit 1: Poetry
Lesson 5
Figurative Language and Voice
Students create a two-column chart labeled "Title" and "Point of View" and record each poem's title and its point of view, using headings and a clear formatted layout. Students write and illustrate three metaphors on a page divided into three sections, explicitly using illustrations alongside written content. Students complete personification activity pages with a guided template (e.g., "A _______ is _______") that directs their written phrasing and focus for a short poem.
Lesson 6
Art and Poetry
Students are asked to title their poems with their town and state and write their name on a "by" line on the Student Activity Page, providing a simple formatting structure. Activity 3 directs students to write a poem and accompany it with an illustration, and Activity 2 asks students to decide line breaks when turning a song into poetry and suggests listening to or performing a recording, which uses multimedia. The "Things to Know" and Activity 2 notes explicitly teach capitalization and quotation mark conventions for titles, showing attention to formatting.
Lesson 7
Robert Frost
Students are asked to research Robert Frost and "record ten clues about the man and his life," with prompts that target when he lived, where he lived, family, schooling, subjects he wrote about, popularity, and techniques, which guides collection of topic-related information. The "Who is Robert Frost?" and Frost analysis pages present explicit question prompts (e.g., setting, stanza count, point of view) that require students to identify and place related details on the activity pages. The student pages include headings and illustrations (decorative nature-themed images) that model use of formatting and visuals to aid comprehension.
Lesson 8
You Come Too
Students are asked to cut out pictures, glue them to paper, and write grouped words and phrases to describe each picture, then combine those groups to make short poems (Activity 2). Students are directed to write a shape (concrete) poem with a chosen object as the subject and to copy poems onto the paper with the pictures, which practices formatting and using illustrations (Activity 3 and Activity 1). Parent prompts ask students to explain how words guided their illustrations and to check that picture poems are in the shape of the subject, reinforcing use of illustrations and visual formatting.
Lesson 9
Write About What You Know
Students complete a "Book of Poetry" with alphabetized headings (e.g., "A is for Acrostic," "H is for Haiku") where they record poem titles, words from poems, and notes about poetic types and figurative language. The student pages require students to group discoveries and information under labeled letter-headings, organizing related information by poetry type. Students also write a free-verse poem about a personal subject (a pet), which asks them to focus on a familiar topic when composing.
Lesson 10
Inspired
Students use a graphic organizer on the "Love That Boy" page to record similarities and differences, placing related observations in central and outer boxes to organize information. The Student Activity Page includes illustrations (a silhouette of a jumping dog and a child) that students can refer to while comparing the poems. Activity 2 prompts students to produce an original poem inspired by an existing poem, encouraging them to model structural or content features from a mentor text.
Final Project
Coffee House Poetry Reading
Students are asked to create a program that lists the order of poems and the author, to type the program, and to make copies for guests, which requires formatting and logical ordering. The lesson suggests displaying a picture or shape poem instead of reading it aloud, which encourages use of illustrations. Students are instructed to write a description of the setting, organizing sensory and logistical details about location, lighting, seating, and attire.
Unit 2: The View from Saturday
Lesson 2
Florida
Students are asked to write an informational plaque about loggerhead sea turtles that must include 4–6 important details, a title, and scientific name, demonstrating an informative/explanatory task with an identified audience (zoo visitors). The Student Activity Page for the plaque includes a bordered illustration of a turtle and the instructions reference including facts, which supports use of illustrations and focused content. Students create plot flowcharts for multiple characters, which gives practice in grouping related information logically into problem, events, and solution sections.
Lesson 4
Report Writing
Students are directed to research a chosen turtle species and to "use the outline below to organize your ideas," with explicit outline sections (I. Habitat and Food Source; II. Predators and Dangers; III. Relationships Among Turtles) and specific prompts for each subtopic. The lesson instructs students to "organize the draft according to your outline," and the writing rubric asks students to check organization (e.g., "Does each of my paragraphs focus on an idea?" "Did I follow my outline?" "Do I provide an introduction, details that support, and a conclusion for each paragraph?"). The student activity pages provide spaces for students to group related information and summarize findings for each outlined section.
Lesson 5
Epiphany, New York
Students are asked in Activity 2 to list five state-history questions in their journal and provide the answers, which requires producing informative content. Activity 1 asks students to "Write 3 sentences about the story," prompting students to compose short written statements about a topic. The Student Activity Pages include headings (e.g., "IDIOMS") and illustrations (apple, cow, turtle) that demonstrate formatting and visual supports that can aid comprehension.
Lesson 6
Adventures in Wonderland
Students are asked to write a short paragraph describing a friend that must include a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence, directly targeting clear topic introduction and focus. Students use a bubble map graphic organizer labeled "FRIENDSHIP" to brainstorm and group related words or phrases, which supports organizing related information logically. The activity pages include titles and illustrations (e.g., turtle, images for metaphors) that provide formatting and visual aids to support comprehension while students plan and draft their writing.
Lesson 7
Annie
Students use a graphic organizer in Activity 3 to draw lines between characters and write phrases explaining connections, which requires grouping related information logically. In Activity 2 students format a script by recording lines for each character and placing stage directions in parentheses, demonstrating use of formatting conventions. The Reading and Questions section asks students to "create the storyline for Julian's Story" and parents are asked to encourage the child to explain the storyline, which asks students to organize and present information about the text.
Lesson 8
The Souls
Students are asked to complete a titled Student Activity Page called "Round and Flat Characters," where they list round characters and write three things they know about each, and list flat characters and describe their relationships; this requires grouping related information (round vs. flat) and filling structured sections. The activity pages provide explicit formatting (titles, labeled sections, and layout directions) that students use to organize their responses. Students also write sentences about cooking that describe actions using adverbs, which requires them to produce explanatory sentences about a process.
Lesson 9
Kindness
Students are asked to write journal entries describing the journey of each member of The Souls (Activity 2) and to plan a Victory Celebration by dedicating a page in their journal to each person and explaining their prize selection (Activity 3). The Victory Celebration task explicitly asks students to illustrate the prize, which supports inclusion of illustrations. The Skills section asks students to support ideas with examples from the text and personal experience, which guides how they provide information in writing.
Final Project
An Afternoon Tea
Students are asked to make a guest list and design invitations (Part 1) which requires choosing language (strong verbs, idiom, simile/metaphor) and reviewing a rubric that is organized into clear sections (Invitation; Afternoon Tea Activities; Food and Tea; Special Tokens; Afternoon Tea). Students create concrete, organized artifacts such as a shopping list for food and tea (Part 3) and a checklist of tasks for the day of the party (Part 5), and they write three sentences to present tokens (Part 4). The lesson text is organized with headings (Getting Started; Part 1–Part 5; Wrapping Up) and a Student Activity Page that groups related planning information under labeled sections.
Unit 3: American Tall Tales and Legends
Lesson 1
Story Genres
Students sort story titles under defined categories on the "Types of Stories" page, matching examples to genre definitions. Students record in a journal five cultural elements (homes, food, transportation, arts, government, jobs, environment, traditions) they learn from a folktale, which requires organizing information into cultural categories. On the "American Regions and Folktales" map, students glue story titles into regional boxes and draw small illustrations to accompany each title; activity pages include headings for guidance.
Lesson 2
Tales and Legends of the Northeast
Students are instructed to research the life of John Chapman and then write a bio-poem about him, which requires gathering and presenting factual details about a topic. Students create a Venn diagram comparing Johnny Appleseed (the legend) and John Chapman (the real man), which asks them to organize related information logically. Students complete character webs and activity pages that ask them to record and group descriptive words and phrases for main characters, and the lesson provides web links and a sample diagram image as resources.
Lesson 3
Tales and Legends of the South
Students reorder scrambled sentences in Activity 1 (Paragraph Organization) to create a coherent paragraph, practicing logical sequencing and recognizing a clear opening/general observation (answer key begins "Some people don't listen to others…"). Students complete Activity 4 (A Trickster Character) by naming an animal, explaining why it fits the role, listing a nemesis, setting, descriptive words, and a plot idea, which requires grouping related information under prompts. Several student pages include illustrations (steamboat, figures-of-speech images) and the unit provides web links to Anansi stories and Brer Rabbit texts, giving multimedia reading/listening options.
Lesson 4
Tales and Legends of the Midwest
Students practice focusing a paragraph in the "Unnecessary Sentences" activity by deciding the paragraph's focus and marking unrelated sentences to remove. In the "Man vs. Machine" activity students record positive and negative effects on a two-column balance graphic, organizing information into categories. In the "Wagon Ride" and Mississippi mapping activities students list and draw supplies and trace the river on a map, using illustrations and spatial organization to convey information.
Lesson 5
Tales and Legends of the Southwest
Students are asked to write a summary of a story and to use at least five transitional words or phrases (Activity 2), which practices organizing and connecting information in an explanatory paragraph. Students complete a graphic organizer to compare "Brer Rabbit and the Tar Baby" and "Sister Fox and Brother Coyote" (Activity 1), which requires grouping related information logically and includes illustrations on the organizer. Students outline a new trickster tale by describing the setting, protagonist, antagonist, and how the trick occurs (Activity 3), and are given space to draw characters; Activity 6 asks students to choose or create songs for a folktale, which introduces multimedia elements.
Lesson 6
Tales and Legends of the West
Students reorder paragraphs from "Hekeke" by cutting and gluing them into the correct sequence, practicing logical organization of text. Students list and match gods and humans on the "Myth" page, grouping related information into categories. Students create a "Story Book Jacket," writing a short summary and adding illustrations and title/author placement on the spine.
Final Project
Your Own Tall Tale or Legend
The lesson requires students to use a Story Plot Diagram to map the problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, and directs them to refer to that diagram to stay on topic. The Organization rubric asks students whether each paragraph focuses on an idea and whether they provided an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion for each paragraph. The Rough Draft directions tell students to use transition words effectively and to think about the order in which action should occur so the story makes sense.
2: Diversity and Interdependence
Unit 1: The Cay
Lesson 1
Story Context
Students are asked in Option 1 to research Curaçao and "write a paragraph for a travel brochure that highlights the natural beauty" and to draw a picture to include, which asks them to produce an informative paragraph and an illustration. Option 2 directs students to "create a Venn diagram to compare" Curaçao to their community, which requires grouping related cultural and environmental information logically. The student pages include titled activity pages, map labeling, and web links for research, providing opportunities to use illustrations and multimedia alongside their writing.
Lesson 2
Curacao
Students are asked to write first sentences that 'hook' readers in Activity 2, which prompts them to craft introductory lines for books and movies. In Activity 3 students research and complete a 'Curacao Imports and Exports' graphic organizer, drawing and labeling items under the Export and Import headings. The activity pages include labeled sections and instruct students to use illustrations to represent information.
Lesson 3
Overboard
Students are asked to record a sentence or two about Phillip and Timothy in chapter-labeled columns, which requires them to group character information by chapter and by character. The student activity pages provide labeled headings (e.g., Chapters 1-2, Phillip, Timothy) and structured graphic organizers that students use to organize their notes. Option 2 asks students to write a paragraph describing what happened when the boat was torpedoed, which gives students practice composing a focused paragraph about a single topic.
Lesson 4
Land
Students are asked to use mapping and webbing to organize ideas (listed in Skills and reinforced by the Shark Research web organizer). Students complete a Shark Research web that requires them to name a shark in a central oval and list three important facts with two related details for each, and to draw an illustration of the shark in its habitat. Student materials include titled activity pages and illustrations (e.g., Types of Sharks matching with pictures), providing formatting and visual supports for organizing information.
Lesson 7
Different Cultures
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Option 2) to design a chart that separates vertebrates from invertebrates and shows the classes to which reef animals belong, then glue the creatures into the correct positions, which requires organizing related information and using a formatted chart. Students also label, color, and classify organisms in Activity 2 (Option 1), practicing grouping items under headings (Vertebrates/Invertebrates) and using illustrations. In Activity 1 students write a paragraph about being stranded on a deserted island and produce sentences with varied beginnings, practicing composing connected sentences into a single paragraph.
Lesson 8
Fishing
Students are asked to write two journal entries from Phillip's perspective that describe the island and Timothy using non-visual senses, which requires composing focused descriptive/explanatory prose. Students complete a "Hurricane Survival Kit" page where they list five items and explain reasons for each, using a titled activity page with labeled Item 1–5 spaces that scaffold organization. The activities explicitly prompt students to include drawings/illustrations and to use descriptive adjectives and strong verbs, supporting the use of illustrations and descriptive detail to aid comprehension.
Lesson 9
The Storm
Students are asked to outline three paragraphs using 'Organizing My Ideas' pages that prompt a Main Idea, Topic Sentence, Supporting Details, and Concluding Sentence for each paragraph. The directions tell students to "Decide on the main idea of each paragraph based on the writing assignment" and to write a rough draft after recording their ideas. The rubric asks students to include a hook in the first paragraph and to focus on sentence structure, which guides how students introduce and shape their opening.
Lesson 10
Survival
Students are asked to finish an essay that highlights how Timothy and Phillip's relationship changed, which gives them a clear topical focus to write about. Students revise by varying sentence length, combining sentences, varying sentence beginnings, selecting more interesting words, and reorganizing sentences so ideas make sense, which practices grouping related information and improving organization. The directions require paragraph indentation and instruct students to write or type a final copy, and Activity 3 asks students to illustrate three items and describe what each represents, providing use of illustrations to aid comprehension.
Final Project
For Timothy
Students are asked to write a eulogy that describes how they and Timothy depended on each other, what they learned, and how Timothy changed their life, and to explicitly include a description of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream and its connection to their experience. Students must create a concise inscription (usually fewer than 20 words) and write it neatly on a plaque, and the project rubric assesses clarity, thoughtfulness, and insight in the inscription and eulogy. Students also use multimedia by reading or listening to MLK's "I Have a Dream" speech and create a monument model and inscription, which provides opportunities for illustrations and visual presentation.
Unit 2: A House of Tailors
Lesson 1
German Immigrants
Students are asked to locate information about Germany and "fill in facts" on a Student Activity Page that is divided into five labeled sections (Geography, Traditions, People, History, Relationship with America), which directs them to describe in sentences or illustrate and label three facts for each area. Students are given web links and are prompted to use books or online resources to gather information, providing multimedia sources to aid comprehension. Students write journal entries in Activity 2 (listing five things to tell German immigrants in 1870) and Activity 3 (a short journal entry about family ancestry), practicing organized written responses.
Lesson 3
Journey to New York
Students record information about New York City and the lives of immigrants in a graphic organizer that is divided by chapter ranges (Chapters 4-6, 7-9, etc.), and the organizer allows words and pictures. Students write sentences explaining why they would pack certain items when emigrating, and they are asked to share and explain those choices to family. The activity pages use labeled sections (chapter headings) and prompt use of illustrations.
Lesson 4
Welcome to New York
Students are asked to record descriptive words and phrases in a five-sense graphic organizer and then "use your descriptions to write a paragraph describing the street," which requires them to collect and organize related information. Students must write a paragraph on a separate sheet and include at least two sentences made up of independent clauses combined with a conjunction, and they are asked to read the paragraph aloud and identify sensory words used. The parent notes prompt students to discuss why information that is not related to the topic might not need to be included.
Lesson 5
Dina's Job
Students create picture frames and bubble maps that require drawing illustrations, labeling people, and recording ways the families are different and alike, which asks them to group related information about family members. The bubble map activity directs students to list character traits for each family member and to write two ways the families are alike and two ways they are different, which practices organizing related details. The hat-design activity asks students to sketch the hat and make a list of materials, which combines an illustration with a grouped materials list.
Lesson 6
A New Hat
Students sort statements into two labeled categories, EXPECTATIONS and REALITIES, on the "Expectations vs. Reality of Immigration" activity, which requires them to group related information logically and use the headings provided. Students add two original ideas to each list and create illustrations for those ideas, demonstrating use of illustrations and simple formatting to aid comprehension. Students also fill in information on the pages titled "The City and the People of New York in 1870," which asks them to organize learned details about a topic.
Lesson 7
Sickness
Students read chapters and are instructed to "write down information you learned" on the page titled "The City and the People of New York in 1870," prompting them to record topical information. The Smallpox activity directs students to research and answer labeled questions (symptoms, spread, who discovered the vaccine, when, what the vaccine is, how it was discovered), which organizes facts into distinct categories. The timeline prompt asks students to add the date the smallpox vaccine was discovered, using a dated format to place information chronologically.
Lesson 8
Christmas
Students are asked to "Describe your talent, devise a plan for sharing your talent, and describe the response" on the Talent activity page, which prompts them to name a topic (their talent) and provide related information in labeled sections. The "Should I Stay or Go?" page directs students to list "Reasons to Go" and "Reasons to Stay" and then write a concluding decision, which scaffolds grouping related information and drawing a focused conclusion. The student activity pages include clear headings (e.g., "Talent," "Directions," "Quotation Marks") and contain illustrations (an example hat and decorative images) that students can use with their responses.
Lesson 9
A Letter
Students are prompted to write a topic sentence, at least three supporting details, and a concluding sentence for each of three paragraphs using the provided graphic organizer, which requires them to introduce and focus each paragraph. Students use a rubric that asks whether each paragraph has an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion and whether paragraphs are easy to follow and in logical order. Students are taught parts and formatting of a friendly letter (header/date, greeting, body, closing, signature) and are instructed to indent all three paragraphs.
Lesson 10
Fire!
Activity 3 asks students to illustrate the five things in their home that are most important and then explain to their family why they selected each item, which requires them to convey information and use illustrations. The Student Activity Page (bookshelf organizer) prompts students to answer focused questions about the author's techniques, giving a visual organizer where students can write responses. The Adding Punctuation activity gives students practice with sentence-level conventions that support clear explanatory writing.
Lesson 11
Living the American Dream
Students are asked to think of a short synopsis and title and then create a book jacket, which requires them to introduce the book/topic and summarize its focus. The Student Activity Page directs students to put information in labeled sections ("characters and location," "beginning of the story," "date, events, illustrations," "development of the characters"), prompting them to group related information logically. Students are instructed to add illustrations on the book jacket and to write down information on the page "The City and the People of New York in 1870," reinforcing organized informative writing and use of formatting.
Final Project
Today and Yesterday or Story Quilt
Students are instructed to locate information about New York today and in the late 1800s and to record important information and vivid words and phrases on the "New York Today and Yesterday" chart. Students create quilt squares with explicit prompts (e.g., Title and Author box, three sentences comparing Dina's life, Venn diagram, reasons Dina stayed) and add illustrations and visual details to organize content. Rubrics require fact-based information, adequate notes from research, and use of vivid language, and the project includes a presentation component where students share their work aloud.
Unit 3: My Side of the Mountain
Lesson 1
Preparing for the Adventure
Students are asked to "describe the setting and list the main characters" at the top of the "My Survival Story" plot diagram, which prompts them to introduce a topic and establish focus. The plot diagram requires students to organize problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, which has them group related information logically. Student pages and activities include titles/headings, drawing pages for illustrations (Option 1), and web links/videos about the Catskills (Activity 3), providing explicit opportunities to use formatting, illustrations, and multimedia to aid comprehension.
Lesson 2
Learning to Survive
Students are asked to read the "Building a Campfire" page and "summarize the major points on a poster with attractive illustrations," which directs them to condense and present information clearly. The student page content is organized under explicit headings (How to Pick Your Spot; Preparing Your Campfire Pit; Maintaining Your Campfire; Extinguishing Your Campfire; Don't Burn Dangerous Things; Pack It In, Pack It Out), providing modeled grouping of related information. The directions require students to "use graphics and color" and to "highlight the most important parts," which prompts inclusion of illustrations and selective formatting to aid comprehension.
Lesson 4
A Baby Falcon
In Activity 1 students are asked to select a wild animal, write its name and ecosystem, draw the animal, describe its personality, and explain the type of relationship they would have with it. The Student Activity Page uses labeled sections (Animal, Ecosystem, Personality, Your relationship with the animal) which prompts students to organize information into distinct parts. The page includes a drawing area and small decorative sketches, providing an opportunity to include an illustration to aid comprehension.
Lesson 6
Autumn
Students are asked to research falcons and prepare a short informative presentation (a speech) about how falcons interact with other organisms, which requires conveying ideas and information about a topic. The RAFT activity explicitly tells students to focus on relationships within the habitat and to present that information to an audience of second graders. Students must produce one of these formats: a poster, clay models, or a PowerPoint, which provides opportunities to include illustrations and multimedia.
Lesson 7
Newspaper Reporter
Students are prompted to record the 5 Ws and 1 H on the Newspaper Article Planning page and to put basic who/what/when/where information in the first paragraph using the Paragraph 1 organizer. Paragraph 2 and Paragraph 3 organizers direct students to focus on specific aspects (how and why, survival, forest friends) so related information is grouped by paragraph. The rubric explicitly checks that the first paragraph provides basic information, that paragraphs 2 and 3 are each focused on a specific topic, and that the article has an effective title. Activity 4 and the instructions ask students to create a headline, lay out the story in newspaper format, and include an illustration or photograph (with optional online templates).
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to write to inform (Parent Plan: "Write to inform such as to explain, describe, report, and narrate") and to produce organized products such as a chart of prefixes/roots/suffixes, a plot diagram for a different setting, and a classification chart with sketches. Students are instructed to document a year-long survival plan and to describe examples of interdependence, which require organizing related information and providing details. Several activities explicitly ask for illustrations (draw corresponding sketches, illustrate relationships in a food web).
3: Discovery and Survival
Unit 1: The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Lesson 2
The Woods
Students sort descriptive statements into a two-column "Barbados vs. Connecticut" chart, which requires them to group related information logically and use column headings. Students are instructed to take notes in a journal while reading about the Connecticut Colony, practicing gathering and organizing information. The lesson provides illustrations, a painting activity, and several web links, giving students multimedia and visual resources to aid comprehension.
Lesson 3
Meeting House
The Parent Plan explicitly instructs students to 'Select a focus, organizational structure, and point of view' and to 'Provide a context to enable the reader to imagine the world of the event or experience,' which asks students to choose focus and organize writing. Activity 2 directs students to write a personal narrative, 'set up a context,' and use descriptive language and action to engage the reader. The Map activity asks students to record three ideas in a journal and compare maps, which prompts students to collect and note related information about geography and its effects.
Lesson 4
William
Students are asked to make lists in Activity 1 (journal list of colonists' daily activities), which requires them to identify and group related chores. Activity 2 directs students to list three reasons for being a Royalist and three reasons for supporting a free government, using a Student Activity Page with two labeled columns ("Royalist" and "Free Government"), which prompts students to organize information under headings. The Wrapping Up step asks students to review the reasons listed, reinforcing the logical grouping of related information.
Lesson 6
The Widow
Students record three discoveries in a three-column chart labeled The Community, The Woods Family, and Herself, which requires them to group related information logically. Students complete a Venn diagram comparing Quaker and Puritan beliefs, using an illustrated graphic to organize similarities and differences. Students create a vocabulary picture dictionary with each page titled by the word and definition and a picture to aid comprehension, showing use of formatting and illustration.
Lesson 10
A Witch Hunt
Students brainstorm and record reasons for the Salem witch accusations and then use an activity sheet to select three reasons and explain their choices, practicing explanation and selection. Students complete a two-column organizer labeled "Reason" and "Why You Chose It," which requires grouping selected ideas and providing supporting explanation. Students rewrite a paragraph to correct run-ons and fragments, practicing editing for coherence and sentence combining; the activity pages include a title, column formatting, and an accompanying illustration.
Lesson 11
The Trial
Students are asked to produce three separate arguments defending Kit and to provide supporting information for each, which requires organizing claims and evidence into distinct sections. The Student Activity Page is laid out with labeled spaces (Argument 1, 2, 3 and Support) and includes an illustration, modeling formatted sections for students to complete. In Option 2, students make and order a list from most to least important, practicing logical grouping and sequencing of related information.
Final Project
Narrative Essay
Students are instructed to write an introductory paragraph with a clear topic sentence and three supporting sentences (example and explicit prompt). Students use pre-writing organizers (Topical Organizer and Flow Chart) to group related information logically and choose either a three-element focus or a chronological structure. The rubric and parent skills explicitly require focus of each paragraph, provision of introduction/supporting details/conclusion, logical sentences/paragraphs, and correct indentation (formatting).
Unit 2: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Lesson 1
Train Station in Paris
Students are asked to research Paris and then complete a travel itinerary in which they 'list three places to see each day' and 'describe what you will find there and why it is an important place,' which requires grouping related information by day and providing explanatory descriptions. Students may also create pencil drawings of Parisian sites and are given a sketching video link, providing opportunities to include illustrations and multimedia to support comprehension. The itinerary option and drawing activity together connect research, organization of content, and use of visual elements.
Lesson 2
Magic Tricks
Activity 2 asks students to write three paired "Before" and "After" statements from Hugo's perspective, requiring them to group related information about his life before and after his father's death. Activity 3 directs students to select an illustration and write the text that the picture is showing, asking for details about action, thoughts, and dialogue and to preserve the author's tone and voice. The student activity pages include labeled sections (e.g., "Before & After," "Disappearing Coin," "Number Magic") and illustrations that students use as part of their writing tasks.
Lesson 4
The Key
Students are asked to describe their automaton on a note card and display it beside a model, which asks them to produce an explanatory description and include an illustration. Students write three predictions in a journal about how a drawing will change Hugo's life, practicing short written responses that convey ideas. The skills list explicitly states students will "Use traditional structures for conveying information," and Activity 3 asks students to jot down important parts of a story, indicating some planning and grouping of ideas for oral presentation.
Lesson 5
A Box
Students are instructed to research Georges Méliès using online or other reference materials and to take notes on note cards, with each card containing a fact and, if possible, dates. Students are told to make around 20 note cards and then reread them and put them in chronological order, which asks them to group related information logically. The Skills section also lists producing research projects and reports in effective formats and organizing knowledge about a topic in a variety of ways.
Lesson 6
Prometheus
Students are asked to write about a purpose for Hugo, Isabelle, and Papa Georges on the 'Purpose' page, which provides three labeled sections with illustrations (clock, globe, key) for organizing responses. The 'Two Thieves?' activity directs students to answer a series of focused questions about Hugo and Prometheus, prompting explanatory responses about reasons for stealing and similarities. The lesson includes multimedia (a link to the film "A Trip to the Moon") and an activity asking students to draw a dream and explain whether it would make a good movie, connecting illustration and explanation.
Lesson 7
Six Months Later
Students complete a Story Organizer that prompts them to plan setting, characters, problem, events, and resolution, which guides grouping related information logically. Students fill a Book Award page with labeled lines for Title, Author, Illustrator, and Synopsis and list three reasons, practicing focused summaries and organized supporting details. Students design a movie poster (including illustrations and formatting) and then compare their synopsis/poster to an actual movie trailer, using multimedia to aid comprehension. Students complete a Discoveries graphic organizer that links each character's discovery to the resulting change, reinforcing logical grouping of related information.
Final Project
Hugo Mini-Projects
Students are asked to create a chart that lists each prefix/suffix, their meaning, and examples, which requires organizing related information and using a formatted display. Students collect and write informative cards for early cinema individuals and are instructed to record source names at the top of each card, which practices grouping and labeling information. Students design storyboards or comic-like sequences and are encouraged to find movie clips, which involves using illustrations and multimedia to convey information.
Unit 3: The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
Lesson 1
From Massachusetts to California
Students are asked to locate information about the California Gold Rush and answer specific research questions on the 'What's the Rush in California?' page, which requires researching who went, when gold was discovered, and whether prospectors were successful. Students are prompted to create their own question and find an answer, and the Skills section lists 'conduct research,' 'take notes from relevant sources,' and 'frame questions to direct research.' The student activity pages include titles, lines for written responses, and illustrations that can support comprehension.
Lesson 7
Loss
The "A Raccoon Craft" activity asks students to list materials and "write and illustrate the directions," and the Student Activity Page provides labeled sections for Materials, Directions, an ILLUSTRATION box, and a numbered list. Students are instructed to construct the raccoon before writing directions, which requires them to sequence steps and test the procedure. The Parent Plan suggests having someone follow the directions to check clarity, indicating students will practice organizing procedural information and using illustrations to aid comprehension.
Lesson 8
Fire!
Students are asked to "Write a summary of Chapter 16," which requires them to identify and condense main ideas. Students create a Venn diagram or draw and write three comparative sentences (Picture Me) to organize related information visually. Students are taught the parts of a personal letter (greeting, body, closing, signature) and shown an envelope diagram, demonstrating formatting conventions and use of illustration.
Lesson 9
The Sandwich Islands
Students organize related information using the provided graphic organizer (the Survival & Seasons wheel) by recording two or three threats in each season, grouping details by season. Students complete character analysis pages that are titled and sectioned (character name headings with drawing boxes and lines) and write three words/phrases or physical/personality traits, a quote, and interactions for each character. Students include illustrations (drawing boxes) and use headings on activity pages, and they write explanations when they explain which character they are most similar to or answer Questions for Lucy.
Lesson 10
A Library
Students complete a "Lucy Changes" graphic organizer that asks them to describe Lucy at the beginning, explain how she changes, describe her at the end, and state what caused the change, which prompts grouping related information into labeled sections. Students create a four-flap cause-and-effect book that has them record causes on the flaps and effects beneath, practicing organized presentation of related details. Students also fill book spine illustrations with 20 chosen titles on the "The Library" page, using a formatted visual layout to present information.
Final Project
Persuasive Essay
Students are guided to write an introductory paragraph that describes the issue, states a position, and lists three supporting reasons (Introductory Paragraph and Activity 3). The Essay Structure and the paragraph graphic organizers (Paragraph #1: Introduction; Paragraphs #2-#4; Paragraph #5: Conclusion) require students to group related information into an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. The sample "Recycling" essay includes labeled sections (Introduction, Position and Reasons, Explanation, Current Issues, Call to Action) and images (recycling bin and recyclable items), and the Persuasive Essay Rubric asks students to check organization, topic sentences, and logical order.
4: Systems
Unit 1: A Wrinkle in Time
Lesson 1
A Unique Family
Students complete an "Elements of Science Fiction" graphic organizer in which they record evidence from A Wrinkle in Time under labeled categories (e.g., "Aliens/strange beings," "Advanced technology"), which requires them to group related information logically. Students also complete a "Hooking the Reader" activity in which they create opening sentences for novels, practicing how to craft an introduction (an engaging opening) for a piece of writing. The student pages include labeled ovals and directions, providing a formatted organizer that students use to present information.
Lesson 2
Calvin
Students are asked to use a graphic organizer in the "Characterizing Meg" activity to record traits and supporting evidence, which asks them to group related information logically. The Skills section explicitly lists using graphic organizers and prewriting strategies (brainstorming, notes, logs) to generate ideas and plans for writing. The "Discoveries" page asks students to describe what is happening in an illustration, brainstorm multiple ideas (fluency/flexibility), select the most original idea, and elaborate on it, which practices planning and developing explanatory content.
Lesson 3
Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which
Students are asked to record and describe two complex ideas in Activity 1 and to illustrate each one, providing space labeled "Idea/theory" and a large "Illustration" area on the activity page. In Activity 3 students are guided to write three science-fiction plot ideas with explicit labeled sections for Beginning, Middle, and End, which requires grouping related information logically. Multiple student pages include headings and designated illustration spaces, and instructions prompt students to share explanations with others to aid comprehension.
Lesson 4
Tesser
Students complete a Story Map with labeled boxes (Theme, Problem, Solution, Protagonists, Antagonists, Setting) that requires them to group related information logically. Students use Protagonist pages to write about a main character, state the protagonist's mission, and list obstacles, which focuses their topic choice and supporting details. Students create descriptive paragraphs and illustrations (describe a fantastical creature and draw it) and work with pages that include headings and examples, showing use of formatting and illustrations.
Lesson 5
The Thing
Students are asked to explain the five dimensions in a journal and to describe how the theory relates to the title, which requires writing an explanatory response. Students are instructed to explain the five dimensions to a sibling or parent and to draw pictures or use objects to help understanding, which explicitly includes illustrations as aids. In the Fighting Powers activity students fill labeled shapes (and in Option 2 labeled historical periods) and must add names and explain why, which asks them to organize information into provided formatted sections.
Lesson 6
Camazotz
The Skills section tells students to generate ideas and plans for writing using prewriting strategies such as graphic organizers, and Activity 3 directs students to record antagonist information on a Story Map and to use a graphic organizer with labeled sections (Looks, Behavior, Thoughts, Statements). The antagonist activity also asks students to draw a picture and glue content cards onto the Story Map, which has titled pages and visual spaces, demonstrating use of formatting and illustrations. Activity pages are titled (e.g., "The Antagonist," "Elaboration"), showing formatted prompts that students use when composing and organizing content.
Lesson 7
Man with the Red Eyes
Students practice summarizing Chapter 7 and are reminded that a summary contains the main idea and significant details (Activity 2). Students identify and circle transitional words and phrases in a provided summary and then edit a paragraph to add transitions and correct verb forms (Activity 2 and Activity 3). Students sort brainstormed words about "water" into categories, practicing grouping related information logically (Activity 1). The student pages include titles/headings and an illustration that students interact with while editing and rewriting.
Lesson 8
Father
Students are asked to write the time and place of their science fiction story on the story map and to describe the setting's geography, life forms, and way of life, which requires stating a topic (time/place) and adding descriptive details. The Science Fiction Setting page includes explicit sections for Time, Place, Details, and a large illustration area, and students are told to illustrate the setting. The unit also directs students to add to an "Elements of Science Fiction" page, which prompts collecting related information about genre elements.
Lesson 9
The Beasts
Students are asked to record a theme on a story map and to use graphic organizers (Theme Cards and Theme: A Wrinkle in Time organizer) to gather characters' actions, author's descriptions, and story events, which requires grouping related information logically. The Skills section explicitly tells students to represent text information in different ways such as an outline, timeline, or graphic organizer. The Parent Plan prompts students to explain the theme and to describe how they will provide evidence to support the theme, which directs students to identify a central focus for their work.
Lesson 10
Love
Students organize related elements (protagonist, antagonist, setting, theme, and problem/solution) on a story map and are asked to "jot down your problem and solution," which demonstrates practice grouping related information logically. Student activity pages carry clear titles and small illustrations, and students write detailed responses to prompts on the "The Problem" page, showing use of formatting and visuals while describing a topic. Students also review their organized idea pages before beginning the writing task, reinforcing organization of information.
Final Project
Science Fiction Short Story
Students plan and organize story content by completing a plot diagram that lists the problem, major events, the climax, and the solution, which requires grouping related information logically. Students are instructed to introduce the problem early and to engage the reader from the beginning, which guides how they open their piece. Students practice paragraph organization by marking main-idea shifts and are told to start a new paragraph for each new speaker in dialogue, reinforcing logical grouping and paragraphing.
Unit 2: Lincoln
Lesson 2
Childhood
Students analyze the elements of a biography by completing a graphic organizer that asks them to identify how the author performs elements such as describing the life story, relating the person's life to people/events of the time, and basing information on facts. Students collect at least eight examples of expository writing and explain how each example is informational, which requires recognizing features and forms of informational texts. The participle-phrase and biography activities ask students to discuss organization and the way a story is told, prompting attention to how information is presented.
Lesson 3
A Lawyer and Politician
Students are asked in Activity 1 to identify state offices and use a Venn diagram to compare state and federal government, which requires grouping related information logically. The Student Activity Pages and activities include headings and titles (for example, "Combining Sentences with Participle Phrases," "Lincoln Paper Art," and "Getting Started"), and visuals (images of a cookie and milk, broken dishware, and Lincoln paper art stencils) are provided for use. The wrapping up step asks students to review the information recorded on the Venn diagram, reinforcing organizational work.
Lesson 4
Slavery
The Student Activity Page requires students to "state your position on the idea" and the rubric specifically asks, "Did I state my position clearly at the beginning?", which directs students to introduce a topic and focus. The instructions require students to provide three supporting reasons and to "support each point with statistics, experiences, or quotations," and to "conclude by restating your position and linking reasons," which guides logical grouping of related information. The activity includes an illustration of a person speaking behind a podium, providing a visual aid to comprehension.
Lesson 5
Emancipation
Students are asked to create note cards recording important events from a biography of Frederick Douglass, which requires selecting and organizing relevant information. Students produce a biopoem using a structured template that organizes biographical facts into labeled lines. Students make a Venn diagram comparing Lincoln and Douglass and complete a stovepipe-hat foldable with labeled flaps and supporting sentences, which require grouping related details and using a visual format. The Emancipation Proclamation activity asks students to identify and copy key sentences and explain their significance, prompting selection of main ideas.
Lesson 6
Civil War
The "To Fight or Not to Fight" activity page directs students to list "Reasons For" and "Reasons Against," which asks students to group related information into organized columns. The interview activities (brainstorming ten questions, conducting an interview, and writing an Interview Summary) require students to formulate focused questions, record responses, and rewrite each question with a summarized answer, practicing organization of information. The "Letter from a Slave" prompt asks students to write a short letter explaining why Lincoln should continue to end slavery, which requires students to introduce a topic and provide supporting reasons.
Lesson 7
Assassination
Students complete a 5 W's chart before writing a newspaper report, which directs them to collect and organize who, what, when, where, and why information. Students use a newspaper template that requires a headline and date (a heading/formatting) and are asked to select an image from the book to accompany their report. Students are explicitly asked to use appositive phrases in their writing and practice combining sentences with appositives to improve clarity and cohesion.
Lesson 8
Words and Memories
Students select a historic Lincoln site, locate a website, and create a half-sheet flyer that highlights what visitors will find and includes a picture, which practices using formatting and illustrations to aid comprehension. Students choose six important events in Lincoln's life, write dates and descriptions on train-car pieces, and assemble a timeline, which practices grouping related information logically and sequencing. Students copy a quote and answer focused questions (what they like, phrases they appreciate, why it is meaningful, what it reveals about Lincoln), which engages them in focused analysis of a topic-related text.
Final Project
Lincoln Showcase
Students are instructed to include a title on at least one side of the display, which prompts them to introduce the topic. Students gather and place related artifacts (speech, timeline, newspaper article, biopoem, images) and are directed to arrange them on a tri-fold board, with guidance to tape pages on colored paper and use illustrations from the Internet or drawings. The rubric explicitly checks for inclusion of required products and pictures and evaluates display arrangement, neatness, and product presentation.
Unit 3: Independent Study
Lesson 1
What Is Independent Study?
Students are asked to select a topic, develop questions, locate sources, take notes, and write a five-paragraph essay, which gives them practice planning and producing an organized report. The Student Activity Pages include an Interest Survey and a checklist of six research steps that guide topic selection and topic-focused work. The Independent Study Rubric explicitly evaluates Organization, including outline adherence and the inclusion of clear paragraphs, which directs students to structure their information.
Lesson 2
Select a Topic
Students generate and narrow topic ideas by brainstorming at least five possibilities and selecting top choices using guided questions about interest, available information, and audience. Students complete a "Narrowing Down the Topic" page that has a clear title, sample focused subtopics, and spaces to list two subtopics for each broad subject, with illustrations. Students fill a "My Topic" graphic organizer with prompts (e.g., "My topic is," "I want to discover," "I chose this as my topic because") and use a KWL chart to record what they know, want to learn, and later learned, which structures related information.
Lesson 3
Developing Questions
Students are prompted to write a Topic at the top of the "3 Big Questions and Details" page and to write three focused "big questions" that narrow that topic. Students list three supporting details under each big question and copy a big question at the top of the Research Chart, organizing subtopics into separate columns. The graphic organizers are labeled with headings such as "BIG QUESTIONS" and "DETAILS," and students are instructed to record bibliography entries and related information in organized columns.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students identify and select multiple source types in Activity 1 and are directed to gather at least four sources (print, website, and a non-print source). Students practice grouping related information by adding important details to a topic-specific chart in Activity 4 (the "What Is the Ideal Environment for a Lemur?" organizer) and are told to add information for each question and subtopic in Activity 5 using their Research Chart pages. Students also compile and format citations in Activity 7 using a Sample Bibliography and a Bibliography template that show proper citation structure and indentation.
Lesson 5
Writing Your Report
Students are guided to write a clear introduction with attention-getting opening sentences and a thesis placed at the end of the introduction and restated in the conclusion. Students create a structured outline using Roman numerals for five paragraphs and lettered subpoints beneath each numeral to group related information logically. The Student Activity Pages provide a TITLE section and a labeled outline template, and an illustration of a lemur is included on the activity page. Students are instructed to indent paragraphs and follow the outline when composing the body paragraphs and conclusion.
Lesson 6
Developing a Product
Students choose from a list of product options that include formats with illustrations and multimedia (brochure, PowerPoint, video, computer cartoon/movie, diorama), showing explicit opportunities to use formatting and multimedia. Students answer guided questions about how their chosen product will help deliver information and help someone better understand the topic, prompting consideration of focus and purpose. Students list the factual information to include and create a numbered checklist of steps for completing the product, which supports organizing and sequencing related information.