Fifth Grade - ELA
1: Relationships
Unit 1: Poetry
Lesson 1
What Is Poetry?
Students are asked to memorize a poem and "recite the poem for your family," with instructions to "think about the tone of your voice and the speed at which the poem should be read" and guidance to use punctuation to guide pauses. The parent notes ask parents to listen for tone and speed and provide feedback as the child recites. Students are prompted to "describe, paraphrase, and explain the mood/tone of the poem," and "paraphrase to indicate active listening" appears in the skills list.
Lesson 3
Geography and Poetry
Students read poems about the Southeast and answer comprehension questions about content and famous people mentioned, which engages them with the text. Students label states, cities, and bodies of water from the poems on a map, practicing use of geographic facts. Students write poems (a noun-list style poem and an acrostic about their state) and are asked to read their poems aloud and discuss the nouns and facts they included.
Lesson 8
You Come Too
Students are asked to explain whether they like the novel and to explain why, which requires them to present an opinion aloud. Students are encouraged to read their poems to a parent without showing the picture and to explain their illustration and the words from the poem that helped them draw it, which requires them to use descriptive details when speaking. Students write grouped words and phrases to describe pictures and then form those into poems, practicing use of relevant, descriptive details to convey main images or themes.
Lesson 9
Write About What You Know
Students answer opinion questions about Love That Dog (e.g., whether Jack should write Mr. Myers and whether Mr. Myers will come), requiring them to state a position and give reasons. Students are asked to write a free-verse poem using vivid adjectives, nouns, verbs, and imagery and then read that poem aloud for discussion of word choice and improvement. Students record discoveries about poem types and figurative language in a "Book of Poetry," which they and parents review aloud.
Lesson 10
Inspired
Students practice memorizing and reciting a poem and are instructed to pay attention to enunciation, speed, tone, and volume, which addresses speaking clearly at an understandable pace. Students compare Jack's poem and Walter Dean Myers's poem using a graphic organizer and are encouraged to share similarities and differences, which requires reporting about a text. The Parent Plan repeatedly prompts students to read aloud their inspiration poem and to recite the memorized poem for a final project, indicating oral presentation practice.
Final Project
Coffee House Poetry Reading
Students are asked to create a program that lists the order in which poems will be read, which requires them to decide and sequence the performance. The rubric and Parent Plan explicitly require that words be easy to understand and that students recite poems using clear diction, tempo, volume, and phrasing. The practice section asks students to decide the "feel" of each poem (fast-paced, slow, etc.), and the "Ideas to Think About" prompts students to consider how poets appeal to the senses and engage readers.
Unit 2: The View from Saturday
Lesson 2
Florida
Students are asked to create a zoo plaque that includes 4–6 important details about loggerhead sea turtles and are encouraged to read the plaque aloud. Students create plot flowcharts for Noah's and Nadia's stories, requiring them to sequence events (Problem, Event 1–3, Solution). Students practice oral use of vocabulary by rolling the cube and using the word in a sentence during the vocabulary game.
Lesson 3
Sea Turtles
The lesson's Skills section asks students to "support his own ideas by citing examples in the text and personal experiences" and to "connect, compare, and contrast ideas, themes, and issues across text," which require students to use facts and details to back ideas. The Introducing the Lesson and Parent Plan prompt caregivers to "briefly discuss some differences between Nadia's voice and Noah's voice" and include specific "Questions to Discuss" that ask students to explain meanings and describe relationships orally. The Activity 2 journal prompt asks students to record three interesting things they notice about Nadia, reinforcing identification of relevant, descriptive details from the text.
Lesson 4
Report Writing
Students are instructed to research a turtle species using multiple sources and record facts in a structured outline (I. Habitat and Food Source; II. Predators and Dangers; III. Relationships Among Turtles). Students organize ideas into a rough draft and revise using a Writing Rubric that asks whether paragraphs focus on one idea, follow the outline, include introduction/details/conclusion, and are in logical order. Students are directed to include appropriate facts and descriptive information from research and to produce a final report (type final copy) after editing and revision.
Lesson 5
Epiphany, New York
Students are asked to develop five state-history questions, write answers in a journal, and then ask a family member the questions (Activity 2), which requires oral questioning and answering. The lesson includes a "Questions to Discuss" section that prompts students to discuss story elements (e.g., Did Ethan like Nadia? How would you describe Julian?), which requires speaking about a text. The parent plan repeatedly instructs finding time for the child to ask and discuss questions with a family member, indicating opportunities for oral interaction.
Lesson 6
Adventures in Wonderland
Students are asked to "summarize the first half of his story" for a parent, which requires orally recounting events. Parents are prompted to have the child "share her similes and metaphors" and "explain her friendship bubble map," which elicits spoken explanations. Students must write a short paragraph describing a friend that includes a topic sentence, supporting details, and a concluding sentence, demonstrating practice in sequencing ideas and using descriptive details.
Lesson 7
Annie
Students are asked to "create the storyline for Julian's Story" after reading Chapter 4 and related narration, which requires them to organize events from the text. The Parent Plan repeatedly directs caregivers to have the child "explain the storyline of 'Julian's Story'" and to "discuss" theatre vocabulary, prompting spoken summary and discussion. Activity 2 asks students to "write a script" for a scene, "record the lines for each character and put stage directions in parentheses," and then "gather family members to act it out," requiring oral performance of sequenced dialogue.
Lesson 8
The Souls
Students are asked to write an acrostic poem about The Souls and are encouraged (Parent Plan) to share that poem, which creates an opportunity to present ideas about the team. Students complete a 'Round and Flat Characters' page where they list characters and write three things they know about each, which asks them to use facts and descriptive details from the text. The Parent Plan includes discussion questions (e.g., "How did Mrs. Olinski choose her team?"), prompting students to present opinions and discuss the team aloud.
Lesson 9
Kindness
Students are asked to describe the journey of each member of The Souls in a journal (Activity 2) and to explain what each character found, which requires organizing events and citing text evidence. Parent notes and the Skills section instruct students to support their ideas by citing examples from the text and personal experiences and to interpret ideas through discussion and reenactment, which requires stating opinions and reasons. Activity 3 asks students to choose and justify awards for each character, prompting students to present opinions supported by character evidence.
Final Project
An Afternoon Tea
The Skills section explicitly asks students to "use oral and written language to present information and ideas in a clear, concise manner" and to "make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience." Students are instructed to write three sentences to say to each guest when presenting special tokens and to practice them so they do not have to read them aloud. Students also plan and carry out the tea party (Day 3), during which they present tokens and host guests, providing an opportunity for oral presentation.
Unit 3: American Tall Tales and Legends
Lesson 1
Story Genres
Students are asked to record in a journal five things they learn about the culture from a folktale, which requires identifying relevant facts and details from a text. The 'Types of Stories' activity asks students to categorize stories by genre and write titles that fit definitions, which has students organize examples logically. Parent prompts ask students to explain what examples they came up with and to explain how a selected story reflected its culture, providing opportunities for oral explanation and discussion.
Lesson 2
Tales and Legends of the Northeast
Students research John Chapman and write a John Chapman bio-poem that requires them to gather and organize factual details about his life. Students create a Venn diagram comparing Johnny Appleseed (legend) and John Chapman (real man), and record descriptive words/phrases on character webs for the main women characters. Students are prompted to read their bio-poem aloud, retell the Johnny Appleseed tale when serving pie or dedicating a tree, and explain why they selected words and hyperboles.
Lesson 3
Tales and Legends of the South
Students are asked to read a story aloud to a parent and to think of three questions to ask the parent, and parents are prompted to have the child share what he knows about the South and to discuss stories (Questions to Discuss Day 1 & Day 2). The lesson includes prompts for oral discussion (e.g., asking why Susanna's father acted as he did, describing relationships) and asks parents to ask the child to describe the trickster character they invented. The Paragraph Organization activity has students arrange sentences into a logical sequence, and the Figures of Speech activities require students to translate and explain expressions orally or in writing.
Lesson 4
Tales and Legends of the Midwest
Students are prompted to state and explain opinions in discussion questions (e.g., "Do you think John Henry should have challenged the machine? Why or why not?"). Students weigh positive and negative effects of technology in the "Man vs. Machine" activity and are asked to discuss their evaluations with a parent, including Option 2's requirement to list machines and decide whether positives or negatives outweigh. Students are asked to identify sentences that bring a character to life and the parent plan asks the child to read those sentences aloud.
Lesson 5
Tales and Legends of the Southwest
Students are asked to write a summary of a story using at least five transitional words and phrases, which requires them to organize ideas in sequence. Students are asked to compare the two trickster tales (via a graphic organizer or other method) and to state which story they liked better and why, prompting them to present an opinion with reasons. Students are invited to create a song for a folktale and "sing it aloud for your parent," which requires oral presentation of original material.
Lesson 6
Tales and Legends of the West
Students are instructed to select a legend to retell aloud, practice their retelling, use inflections and transition words, and record and play back their performance (Activity 5). The lesson asks students to ensure the sequence of events is correct, to highlight important relationships, and to use interesting language, and it includes an Ordering Paragraphs activity that has students physically reorder story paragraphs. Students also create a short summary for a Story Book Jacket and complete a Myth page that asks them to identify characters and the message of the myth.
Final Project
Your Own Tall Tale or Legend
Students are asked to give detailed, oral descriptions of their main character and setting (Parent Plan sections) and to share their plot diagram with others. The lesson requires students to organize story elements using a plot diagram and to use transition words and logical order when writing the rough draft. The rubric asks students to include geographical and cultural details and to make sentences/paragraphs easy to follow and in logical order, which supports use of appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details.
2: Diversity and Interdependence
Unit 1: The Cay
Lesson 1
Story Context
Students are asked to research Curaçao and write a paragraph for a travel brochure that highlights natural beauty and activities, which requires using facts and descriptive details. Students are prompted to fill a Venn diagram comparing Curaçao to their community and then to record journal entries about living there, which requires organizing comparative information. Parents are repeatedly asked to have students share, explain, or discuss their brochure, Venn diagram, art analysis, and answers about World War II, creating opportunities for oral explanation.
Lesson 4
Land
Students complete a "Shark Research" web in which they list three important facts and two related ideas about a chosen shark, organizing information visually. Students write sentences describing the two main characters from the chapters, using text evidence. Parent-plan discussion prompts and wrap-up questions ask students to talk about chapter events and what they learned about sharks, creating opportunities for spoken response.
Lesson 5
Stranded
Students are prompted to discuss and share their work with others (parent notes: "encourage him to share his work" and prompts to ask what he enjoyed). Students answer and discuss evaluative questions about characters (e.g., "Do you think Timothy has been honest? Why or why not?"), and students write descriptive journal entries or survival descriptions that require using facts and relevant details (Coral Reef Food Chains reading, Survival activity asking students to describe how resources could be used). Students complete activities that require organizing descriptive sentences (Part B and C of Prepositional Phrases asks for written sentences and sentence-start sequencing).
Lesson 6
Work
Students read Chapters 9 and 10 and write one- or two-sentence descriptions of characters' attitudes and actions, answering comprehension questions about plot and character behavior. Students record written responses to three discrimination scenarios and are prompted to discuss each scenario with a parent, which asks them to describe how they would respond. Students list or illustrate island resources to meet needs, and the skills list explicitly includes using oral and written language to solve problems and make decisions.
Lesson 7
Different Cultures
Students are prompted to discuss what they know about the coral reef and the organisms that live there with a parent, and to answer comprehension questions about The Cay, which invites verbal sharing. Students make lists in their journals of ways Timothy has helped Phillip and vice versa and are asked to discuss cultural differences with a parent. The skills section asks students to make written presentations using visual aids and to design a classification chart that requires organizing and sequencing information about reef animals.
Lesson 8
Fishing
Students are asked to read Chapters 13 and 14 and write short descriptions of the characters' feelings and actions, which they can then discuss. Activity 2 asks students to write journal entries in Phillip's voice using sensory details and to read those entries aloud. Activity 3 and the student activity page require students to list five survival items and explain the reasons for each, and parent prompts ask families to discuss those choices aloud.
Lesson 10
Survival
Students are asked to finish an essay that highlights how Timothy and Phillip's relationship changed, revise and edit that draft using a rubric, and produce a final typed or written copy, which requires organizing ideas and supporting them with details. Students create five questions about Chapters 17–18 (including comprehension and opinion questions) and are prompted in the parent plan to read those questions aloud and answer them orally. Students are asked to explain the theme of the book and support their idea with evidence from the text, and to describe and illustrate three items that represent Timothy with written explanations.
Final Project
For Timothy
Students are asked to write and deliver a eulogy that describes how they and Timothy depended on each other, what they learned, and how Timothy changed their life, and to include a description of Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream. The rubric and skills list require students to use details, examples, anecdotes, and personal writing to explain information and to emphasize ideas so listeners can follow important concepts. The parent notes and rubric prompt students to rehearse and practice reading aloud, attend to clarity, rehearsal sound, emphasis on important words and phrases, and to use volume, pitch, phrasing, pace, modulation, and gestures to enhance meaning.
Unit 2: A House of Tailors
Lesson 1
German Immigrants
Students locate and record facts about Germany in labeled categories (Geography, Traditions, People, History, Relationship with America) using provided websites and resources. Students write a journal listing five things German immigrants should know about America in 1870, requiring them to select relevant facts and descriptive details. Students are instructed to share what they learned about Germany and their ancestry with a parent or sibling, providing an opportunity for an oral report.
Lesson 2
Dina in Germany
Parents are instructed to have the child discuss why immigrants arriving from 1820–1920 are important and to let the child explain her picture map vocabulary aloud when finished. The Parent Plan also lists a skill to "Discuss the waves of immigrants from Europe between 1789 and 1850," and includes discussion questions that ask the child to give opinions about Dina's views of America. The reading assignment asks students to answer comprehension questions in complete sentences, encouraging organized, sentence-level responses.
Lesson 3
Journey to New York
Students are asked in Activity 2 (Option 2) to "Explain to your family what you packed and the significance of each item," which asks them to speak about a choice and provide supporting reasons. In Activity 3 students record details they learn about New York City and the lives of immigrants in 1870, gathering facts and descriptive details related to a topic. The Cause and Effect activities require students to connect events and outcomes, practicing logical sequencing of actions and consequences.
Lesson 4
Welcome to New York
Students identify and list descriptive adjectives and strong verbs from the text and sort words/phrases by the five senses, and they use those details to write a paragraph describing a street in their town. Students are directed to compose sentences that combine two independent clauses with coordinating conjunctions, practicing sentence-level cohesion. The Parent Plan asks students to read their paragraph aloud and to point out the sensory words they used, and students record things they learned about the city and people from the assigned pages.
Lesson 5
Dina's Job
Students are asked to share their drawing or bubble map with family and discuss how life might be different, and the wrapping up directs students to "share your hat design with family members," which requires oral presentation. The bubble map and picture-frame activities require students to organize character information, list ways families are alike/different, and record character traits, which supports organizing ideas about the text. Reading questions ask students to answer comprehension and inferential questions about Dina, which prompts students to report information from the text.
Lesson 6
A New Hat
Students are asked orally to recount what happened at the end of the last chapter and to discuss why characters acted as they did (parent prompts: "Ask your child what happened…"; discussion questions about Barbara and Dina). Students participate in a verbal vocabulary game where a family member rolls a cube and the student must say the word or use it in a sentence, requiring spoken responses. Parent discussion prompts invite students to compare text events with personal or other readers' experiences, creating opportunities for brief spoken opinion and explanation.
Lesson 7
Sickness
The lesson asks students to research smallpox and record facts on the Smallpox page and timeline, which requires gathering appropriate facts and relevant details. The skills list explicitly includes "Demonstrate effective communication skills when sharing information orally" and "Provide a context that enables the listener to imagine the circumstances," indicating attention to descriptive details for listeners. Activities 2 and 3 have students craft concise, vivid descriptions and write a short journal entry about fear, and the parent plan invites the child to read the journal aloud or describe events verbally.
Lesson 8
Christmas
Students read Chapters 19-21 and answer comprehension questions, which asks them to report facts from the text. Students make lists of reasons for Dina to stay or go and are asked to decide and explain their choice to a parent. Students choose a talent, plan how to share it, share that talent with others, and record the response, providing opportunities to present an opinion or report on a personal topic.
Lesson 9
A Letter
Students are directed to organize ideas using a graphic organizer that requires a topic sentence, at least three supporting details, and a concluding sentence for each paragraph, which supports sequencing ideas logically and including relevant details. The letter rubric asks whether each paragraph focuses on an idea, provides an introduction, supporting details, and a conclusion, and whether sentences/paragraphs are in a logical order. Activities have students revise and edit their drafts using the rubric and share writing for feedback, encouraging use of concrete sensory details and appropriate facts in support of main ideas.
Lesson 10
Fire!
Students are asked in Activity 3 to illustrate five important items and then explain to their family why they selected each item, which requires them to present a choice and give reasons orally. The Reading and Questions section asks students to "record a few things you learned about the people and the city," which has students report information from the text. The Wrapping Up and Parent Plan discussion prompts ask students to discuss whether Dina should have gone back, why, and to name obstacles and successes, providing opportunities for spoken opinion and explanation.
Lesson 11
Living the American Dream
Students are asked to select a chapter to read aloud to a parent and then answer comprehension questions, providing opportunities for oral sharing. Students create a book jacket with labeled sections such as "beginning of the story," "development of the characters," and "date, events," which requires them to summarize and organize story elements. In Activity 3 and the "Where Will She Be?" page, students complete "if...then" statements from Dina's point of view and may write a poem or song, requiring them to connect events to outcomes and include relevant details.
Final Project
Today and Yesterday or Story Quilt
Students gather factual information about New York today and in the late 1800s and take notes on important information and vivid words/phrases (Part 1: Taking Notes). Students write poems that must include fact-based information and vivid language and then practice and share those poems aloud with an audience; the rubric specifically assesses inclusion of fact-based information, vivid language, and presentation criteria such as appropriate tone/voice and clarity. Students create a story quilt that requires them to record story elements (titles, comparisons, reasons, reactions) and produce clear, accurate content for quilt squares, with a rubric assessing content clarity and understanding of the story.
Unit 3: My Side of the Mountain
Lesson 1
Preparing for the Adventure
Students are asked to research Jean Craighead George and complete an "About the Author" activity page and then share the information they learn. Students create a "My Survival Story" plot diagram that requires listing setting, characters, problem, rising action, climax, falling action, and resolution, practicing logical sequencing of events. Students describe seasonal plants/animals or tourist activities and write a journal entry explaining which season they would enjoy, and parents are directed to have the child share or discuss these entries aloud.
Lesson 2
Learning to Survive
Students read the "Building a Campfire" information and are directed to "summarize the major points on a poster" using graphics and highlighting the most important parts, which requires selecting and paraphrasing appropriate facts. The Parent Plan prompts a parent to "read over the information on your child's fire safety poster" and to ask how the child selected the information, encouraging an oral explanation. The lesson's skills list explicitly includes "Use oral and written language to discuss ideas" and "Quote or paraphrase information sources."
Lesson 3
Making a Home
Students are asked to summarize what happened in their reading pages and to share ideas with a parent, which requires reporting on a text. Students answer comprehension questions in complete sentences and justify survival choices on the Wilderness Survival activity, explaining how each item would help Sam. Students sequence ideas by numbering survival items from most to least important and create analogies that connect forest nouns to wilderness survival, using relevant descriptive details.
Lesson 4
A Baby Falcon
Students are asked to select an animal, draw it, describe its personality, and explain the relationship they would have with it (Activity 1), which requires them to present an opinion and provide descriptive details. Parent prompts ask students to explain how they made their choice and to answer discussion questions about Sam and friendships with wild animals, giving opportunities for oral explanation. Students also answer comprehension questions about the text (Reading And Questions), which has them report facts from the reading.
Lesson 5
A Stranger
Students are prompted to "summarize what happened" in the book and to "summarize the book he read about Thoreau's life," which creates opportunities for oral retelling. The Parent Plan includes "Discuss Thoreau's life with your child" and a list of "Questions to Discuss," which asks students to respond verbally about characters and themes. The activity to place Thoreau's card on a timeline asks students to sequence historical information, and the summary task (written) asks students to organize events from the reading.
Lesson 6
Autumn
Students are asked to pretend to be an ornithologist and give a short presentation about falcons to a group of second-grade students, requiring them to research falcon interactions with other organisms. The RAFT activity explicitly requires preparing a short speech and allows use of a poster, clay models, or a PowerPoint to illustrate relationships. The Parent Plan lists as a skill that students should "make oral and written presentations using visual aids with an awareness of purpose and audience" and instructs students to present their discoveries to family.
Lesson 7
Newspaper Reporter
Students plan and write a newspaper article using the 5 Ws and 1 H, prompting them to identify who, what, when, where, why, and how for their report. Students use paragraph organizers that require an attention-grabbing opening and a first paragraph that provides basic information (who, what, when, where), which supports logical sequencing of ideas. Students are prompted to include direct quotes, descriptive details, and facts, and they use a rubric that evaluates structure, use of quotations, descriptive details, and organization.
Final Project
Think-Tac-Toe
Students are asked to share their products with family and "explain what Sam's story meant to you," which requires reporting an opinion or interpretation aloud. Several mini-project choices (e.g., Food Web, Classification of Plants and Animals, Interdependence, and Different Setting with a plot diagram) require students to collect and present facts, relevant details, and to sequence story events. The Skills section also lists writing to inform and report, which supports students producing organized explanatory material to present.
3: Discovery and Survival
Unit 1: The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Lesson 1
Barbados to Connecticut
Students are asked orally to explain prior knowledge ("Ask your child what he knows about colonial America") and to discuss what they learned about Barbados with a parent, which requires speaking about a topic. The parent prompts include open-ended discussion questions (e.g., "Do you think Kit would have jumped in the water... Why or why not?") that require students to present an opinion and give reasons. Students are also asked to show a painting of Barbados and to take notes in a journal while researching the island, activities that can accompany an oral explanation or presentation.
Lesson 2
The Woods
Students are prompted to discuss open-ended questions (e.g., "Do you think Kit will ever fit in with the Puritans? Why or why not?") that require stating an opinion and giving reasons. Students are asked to describe similarities and differences between Barbados and Connecticut and to show a painting, which requires organizing and explaining observations. Students take notes in a journal while reading about the Connecticut Colony and complete a two-column compare/contrast chart that organizes factual details about each place.
Lesson 3
Meeting House
Students are asked to write a personal narrative that uses descriptive language and to read that narrative aloud (Options 1 and 2 and Parent Plan directions). Students are prompted to describe differences between Colonial and modern Connecticut and to explain three ways climate, geography, and location affected colonists (Map activity and Parent Plan prompts). The Skills list explicitly includes selecting an organizational structure and relating ideas or recollections, and the Wrapping Up/Questions to Discuss ask students to describe the political argument between characters.
Lesson 4
William
Students are asked to summarize the chapters they read and to describe differences between characters (Mercy and Judith), which requires organizing ideas about a text. Students make written lists in a journal of colonists' daily activities and fill an activity sheet listing three reasons a colonist might be a Royalist and three reasons for a free government, using text content. The Parent Plan skills explicitly state students should support judgments about the text using references to the text and prior knowledge. The Wrapping Up and Parent Plan sections prompt students to tell and review their reasons, providing opportunities to present opinions aloud.
Lesson 5
The Meadow
The Act Out a Scene or Teach a Lesson activity asks students to read a story, assign parts, discuss how the story should be acted, and practice a performance, which gives students an opportunity to present orally. The Teach a Lesson option has students write rhymes for children and implies presenting those rhymes to others. The "Show, Don't Tell" and Descriptive Clauses activities have students practice using descriptive details and clauses to elaborate ideas and make presentations more vivid.
Lesson 6
The Widow
The lesson prompts students to state and defend an opinion when it asks the child whether Kit should continue to see Hannah Tupper and to explain why. The Parent Plan asks students to review discoveries they listed and to identify which are most important and why, prompting explanation and use of supporting details. Activity 2 has students compare Quaker and Puritan beliefs in a Venn diagram, requiring them to collect and organize factual differences and similarities about a topic.
Lesson 7
A Bird
Students are prompted to describe what Kit learned at the end of the previous chapter, requiring them to report on text content. Students discuss and answer opinion questions (e.g., "Do you think this is a fair or right way to think? Why or why not?"), prompting them to present an opinion and justify it. Students brainstorm descriptive phrases about a painting and list three ways Kit parallels a Jamaican bird, practicing use of descriptive details and supporting ideas.
Lesson 8
New England in the Fall
Students are asked to read their descriptive sentences and paragraphs aloud (Parent Plan prompts), which gives them practice speaking about their work. Students make a journal list of the colonists' complaints and are asked to review the reasons the men of Connecticut were upset, which provides content they can report on. Students are prompted to discuss whether the colonists had a right to be upset, which asks them to present an opinion about the historical situation.
Lesson 10
A Witch Hunt
Students are asked to brainstorm colonists' reasons for accusing someone of witchcraft, record ideas in a journal, and then review a list of explanations. On the student activity page they must select three reasons they believe are most likely and explain their selection, which requires giving reasons and supporting details. The Parent Plan includes discussion prompts (e.g., "Do you think a witch hunt could ever happen in today's culture?") that ask students to state and discuss their opinions orally.
Lesson 11
The Trial
Students are asked to make up three arguments defending Kit and write supporting details on the 'On Trial' activity page, practicing claim-and-support organization. The Parent Plan prompts students to give arguments as if in court and discusses how to sound convincing to persuade listeners, encouraging oral presentation and persuasive delivery. In Option 2 students order a preparedness list from most to least important and act out the five top items for family to guess, practicing logical sequencing and oral performance.
Final Project
Narrative Essay
The materials require students to plan and sequence a narrative using a Flow Chart Organizer (beginning, middle, end) or a Topical Organizer (three elements), and ask students to write an introduction, three body paragraphs with topic sentences, and a conclusion. The Narrative Essay Rubric explicitly asks students to provide focused paragraphs, logical sequencing, adequate details, and descriptive language (strong verbs, sensory words) to support ideas. Students are asked to read Kit's essay aloud, conference with a parent about their rough draft, and read their final essay aloud to family, providing opportunities to practice oral delivery.
Unit 2: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Lesson 1
Train Station in Paris
Students research Paris and create a three-day travel itinerary that requires them to sequence three places to see each day and describe what they will find and why each place is important, which requires organizing information chronologically and using descriptive details. Students answer comprehension questions about Chapters 1–3, identifying facts from the text (e.g., what Hugo was stealing, where he lives), which practices using text-based details to support answers. Parent-directed discussion prompts ask students to state opinions (e.g., whether Hugo is a thief) and explain reasons, encouraging verbal expression of viewpoints.
Lesson 2
Magic Tricks
Students are asked to perform three magic tricks for their family and are instructed to "speak clearly and engage your audience," and the parent plan lists "Read aloud... use effective rate, volume, pitch, and tone." Students write three first-person "Before and After" statements about Hugo and are asked to read those statements aloud to a parent. Students also write descriptive text to replace an illustration, producing details about action, character thoughts, and dialogue to communicate the picture's message.
Lesson 3
Memories
Students are asked to summarize what has happened in the story to a parent, which asks them to report on text orally. Students listen to a parent read an original Hans Christian Andersen tale and then compare it to another version or movie, identifying similarities and differences. Students complete a "Two Versions" graphic organizer that prompts them to record characters, setting, events, message/moral, and mood/tone — organizing facts and descriptive details for comparison.
Lesson 4
The Key
The Skills list asks students to make oral and written presentations, use simple and compound sentences in speaking, provide a context that enables the listener to imagine the event, and recite brief pieces using clear diction, tempo, volume, and phrasing. Activity 3 has students make up a story about a mysterious key, stand up, and practice telling the story aloud using appropriate voice, tone, and body language. Activity 1 and its parent prompts ask students to describe the special task of a constructed automaton on a note card and share the model or drawing with others.
Lesson 5
A Box
Students are directed to read about Georges Méliès, take around 20 note cards with facts and dates, and then reread and put the cards in chronological order, which requires locating facts and sequencing them. The Parent Plan prompts parents to ask the child to share his research note cards with them, implying an oral sharing of findings. The Wrapping Up section asks students to compare information from the story with their research, which prompts spoken discussion of similarities and differences.
Lesson 6
Prometheus
Students are asked to "retell the story in your own words" after listening to the myth (Activity 4), which requires an oral summary of events. Question #1 asks students to state an opinion and explain why they think Isabelle and Hugo should or should not have told Mama Jeanne and Papa Georges, prompting students to present and support an opinion. The "Two Thieves?" activity asks students to write about Hugo's reasons for stealing and to compare Hugo to Prometheus, which asks for explanation and supporting details about main ideas and themes.
Lesson 7
Six Months Later
Students are asked to write a movie synopsis and create a poster (Activity 1), which requires them to summarize the text and organize ideas for an audience. Students are directed to present an award for a favorite picture book, record three reasons it deserves the award, and include criteria from the Caldecott list (Activity 2), which asks them to support an opinion with relevant details. The Story Organizer and the Discoveries graphic organizer ask students to sequence events and describe changes, and parent prompts encourage students to read their synopsis or award reasons aloud and discuss their choices.
Final Project
Hugo Mini-Projects
Students select and read a Greek myth and "explain its lesson or moral," which requires reporting on a text. Students design storyboards or a sequence of comic-like images for a book scene, which requires sequencing ideas logically. Students gather research by collecting cards about early cinema, creating informative cards about actors, and recording source information on note cards, which requires using appropriate facts and details to support main ideas.
Unit 3: The Ballad of Lucy Whipple
Lesson 1
From Massachusetts to California
Students read Chapters 1–2 and answer comprehension questions about characters and events, demonstrating recall of facts (e.g., what happened to California's dad; why she changed her name). Students research the California Gold Rush using provided web links and complete the "What's the Rush in California?" page, answering factual questions (who went, when gold was discovered, whether prospectors got rich). Students write a 6–8 sentence pioneer journal entry describing observations and feelings and are asked to share that journal entry with a parent or sibling. Students play a partner vocabulary game that requires communicating guesses and timing responses.
Lesson 2
Change
Students are prompted to share ideas and discuss orally (e.g., "Ask your child to share her ideas for what Lucy and her family might have seen" and the parent prompts to "Discuss the concept of change" and "Questions to Discuss"). The activities ask students to record and explain five changes in Lucy's life and in their own life, which requires organizing ideas in writing that could be discussed. The map activity asks students to list geographical features and mark threats, prompting them to cite relevant details from the text and geography.
Lesson 4
A Ballad
Students are instructed to write a ballad of at least three stanzas that tells a story about a chosen Old West character, which requires sequencing events in narrative form and choosing descriptive language and rhyme/syllable patterns. Students are encouraged to read their ballad aloud or sing it, providing an opportunity to speak about their work. Students are prompted to discuss personal opinions (e.g., whether they are similar to Lucy and why) in wrap-up and parent-plan discussion questions.
Lesson 6
Clyde Claymore
Students are asked to "share the items with a parent and explain why you chose each item for the character" in the Packing for a Character activity, which requires giving reasons and descriptive details tied to the text. In the Vocabulary Cubes game, students must "use the word in a sentence or give the definition" and speak aloud when guessing words and reading cube faces. The wrapping up and parent plan sections prompt students to "review the four types of reading comprehension questions you developed" and discuss character-related prompts, which may involve oral explanation of ideas.
Lesson 7
Loss
Students are asked to create a raccoon craft and "teach someone else how to make the raccoon," then list materials and write numbered directions, which requires sequencing steps and giving precise instructions. Students are asked to write a song or poem "in memory of Butte" that "should reflect something special about Butte based on the information the author has shared," and parents are prompted to have the child read or perform it and "explain why it honors Butte," which requires using text-based information to support a main idea. Parents are instructed to test the child's directions by having a sibling follow them, which requires students to communicate steps clearly and logically.
Lesson 8
Fire!
The Parent Plan prompts students to speak about their favorite character and explain why, encouraging them to talk about likes and dislikes. Multiple parent prompts ask students to review and discuss their Venn diagram or Picture Me drawing and to explain how they would be different if raised in 1849. The Wrapping Up section includes discussion questions that ask students to give opinions and reasons (e.g., "Do you think Lucy's personality... Why or why not?").
Lesson 9
The Sandwich Islands
Students are asked to write three questions for Lucy and to write answers for each (Activity 2), and parents are instructed to have the child pretend to be Lucy and be interviewed, which requires speaking aloud. The Parent Plan includes discussion prompts that ask students to give opinions and reasons (e.g., "Do you think Lucy should go with her family? Why or why not?"). Character activities ask students to write three words or phrases that describe characters and to record seasonal threats, which requires citing details from the text.
Lesson 10
A Library
Students are asked to discuss the novel with a parent (e.g., recommend it to a friend and explain what they enjoyed) and respond to guided discussion questions in the Parent Plan sections. Students complete written organizers that require sequencing events and causes and effects (the 'Lucy Changes' graphic organizer and the Cause and Effect Flaps) and answer evaluative questions about characters and decisions. The Parent Plan and 'Questions to Discuss' ask students to explain selections and reasoning, which prompts them to present opinions and supporting details aloud to an adult.
Final Project
Persuasive Essay
Students plan and sequence a persuasive presentation by using the Persuasive Essay Organizer and the five-paragraph structure (intro, three body paragraphs, conclusion), which requires stating a position and providing three reasons with supporting evidence. Students write body paragraphs that use evidence and examples to support reasons (Activities 4 and the Recycling model). Students are asked to read their essay aloud to family and to conference with a parent about their writing (Day 3 Conference, Wrapping Up: "Read your essay aloud to your family").
4: Systems
Unit 1: A Wrinkle in Time
Lesson 1
A Unique Family
Students are asked to share examples of story beginnings and describe what makes each one an excellent "hook," which prompts them to speak about texts. Activity 2 directs students to fill an elements chart for A Wrinkle in Time and to "record elements of science fiction from the story," requiring them to collect and state evidence from the book. Parent prompts ask students to describe elements they recorded for a movie or book and to discuss family similarities, which provides opportunities for oral explanation and discussion.
Lesson 2
Calvin
Students are asked to complete the "Characterizing Meg" graphic organizer by writing three character traits and providing three examples or pieces of evidence for each trait. The Parent Plan instructs students to explain the traits they gave to Meg and the evidence they found in the book, which requires oral explanation of text-based support. The creativity activity asks students to describe a picture, brainstorm ideas, select the most original idea, and elaborate on it, which requires organizing and expanding ideas in a descriptive way.
Lesson 3
Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which
Students are asked to record two complex ideas (Activity 1), describe each one in words, create illustrations, and "share your descriptions and illustrations with someone else," which requires an oral explanation. Activity 3 directs students to create three science fiction plot ideas with a beginning, middle, and end, asking for three or four sentences for each idea and thereby practicing logical sequencing. The parent plan prompts students to share their explanations and the three story ideas aloud and to discuss the words and phrases used, prompting spoken presentation and explanation.
Lesson 4
Tesser
Students are asked to discuss their opinions about the novel and defend favorites ("Ask her what she thinks about the novel and which character is her favorite and why") and to answer discussion questions aloud (e.g., "What elements of science fiction were revealed...?"). Students practice sequencing and logical organization by using transitional words and phrases activities and by completing a Story Map and Protagonist pages to organize plot elements. Students practice using descriptive, supporting details by underlining imagery in the descriptive language activity, illustrating the creature, and writing detailed descriptions in the fantastical creature activity (including reading a description aloud to a family member).
Lesson 5
The Thing
Students are asked to explain the five dimensions in their own words to a sibling or parent (Activity 2) and to record simple descriptions and drawings, which requires them to report on ideas from the text. Students tell an improvised story aloud to a parent and adjust it when given new constraints (Activity 1), practicing spoken presentation and adapting content. Students add names of people who 'fought the Dark Thing' and explain why they chose each (Activity 3), which asks them to provide reasons and supporting details for their selections.
Lesson 6
Camazotz
Students read Chapter 6 and answer specific comprehension questions about characters and plot, which requires reporting information from the text. Students practice elaboration by rewriting simple sentences to add descriptive language and details. Students are prompted to read aloud elaborated sentences and to use vocabulary words in spoken sentences, providing oral practice and discussion.
Lesson 7
Man with the Red Eyes
Students practice sequencing ideas and using transitional words by circling transitional words in the provided Chapter 7 summary (Activity 2) and by editing and rewriting a paragraph to add transitions and maintain consistent verb tense (Activity 3). The Parent Plan lists skills including summarizing main ideas and significant details from fiction and nonfiction texts, and several prompts ask students to discuss the trial the children faced and to explain reasons, which requires organizing ideas and citing details.
Lesson 8
Father
Students are prompted to discuss events from the previous chapter and to explain discoveries (e.g., "Discuss the events..." and "Explain that today the children make a surprising discovery"). Parent-plan prompts ask students to "explain which of her circles are the most original and why" and to "explain the setting she has in mind," which require spoken explanation. The "Questions to Discuss" and "Wrapping Up" sections invite students to give reasons and interpretations aloud (e.g., why the author chose a brain, why the father is in a transparent column).
Lesson 9
The Beasts
Students complete graphic organizers and a story map to record a theme and gather examples of story events, characters' words/actions, and author descriptions that support that theme. Students write descriptive journal entries (e.g., describing a mother, the ocean, Aunt Beast) without referencing visual appearance, then read those descriptions aloud to a parent who tries to guess. Students answer comprehension questions and complete written perfect-tense exercises that build content knowledge they could use when reporting on the text.
Lesson 10
Love
Students are asked to read Chapter 12 and answer comprehension questions that require them to report on text events (e.g., why Mrs. Whatsit would not permit rescue, why Meg had to go, and what Meg had that IT did not). Parents are instructed to ask the child what her favorite part of the story is and to discuss which character she most identifies with and why, prompting the student to present an opinion and reasons. The "Questions to Discuss" section asks students to explain how Meg was able to rescue Charles Wallace and to interpret a comparison (humans' lives to a sonnet), which requires verbal explanation of ideas from the text.
Final Project
Science Fiction Short Story
Students complete a plot diagram that requires them to list the problem, major events, the climax, and the solution, which has them sequence ideas logically. The rubric asks for organization with a beginning, middle, and end and for effective use of transition words, and it requires descriptive language to create vivid visualization, so students practice using relevant descriptive details to support main ideas and themes. Students are asked to read their rough draft in a conference with a parent and to share/read their final short story with their family, providing opportunities to present their text orally.
Unit 2: Lincoln
Lesson 1
Who Was He?
Students are prompted to share orally what they already know and want to learn about Lincoln through the K and W columns and to describe Lincoln in their own words during discussion questions. Students create a timeline of Lincoln's life, which asks them to record events and dates in sequence. Parents are asked to have students use each vocabulary word in a sentence orally, prompting spoken language practice.
Lesson 2
Childhood
Students are asked to collect at least eight examples of expository writing and "share them with your parent and explain how you know that each one is an expository piece," which requires an oral explanation. Parent Plan sections repeatedly prompt the child to share examples and explain how the author followed the elements of a biography. The Wrapping Up section asks the child to "share examples of expository writing" and "explain the elements of biographies," implying spoken explanation to a listener.
Lesson 3
A Lawyer and Politician
Students are asked to identify offices in their state government and use a Venn diagram to compare state and federal systems, and they are prompted to review the information recorded on the Venn diagram. The materials include multiple parent-led prompts to "discuss with your child" and specific "Questions to Discuss" (e.g., Why do you think a lawyer might be a good profession for a congressman?), which require students to speak about the topic. The lesson also asks students to read Chapter 3 and answer questions about people and political positions, providing content they could use in spoken discussion.
Lesson 4
Slavery
Students are instructed to write a 2–3 minute speech that states a position, provides three supporting reasons, and supports each point with statistics, experiences, or quotations. The speech directions require a conclusion that restates the position and links reasons, and a rubric checks whether the position is stated clearly and each point is supported. Students practice reading the speech aloud, revise for delivery, and the delivery rubric and parent skills explicitly address clarity, avoiding filler words, and use of pace, pitch, and modulation.
Lesson 5
Emancipation
Students are asked to prepare factual notes (Activity 4) and fill a biopoem about Frederick Douglass (Activity 5) and then "read your biopoem aloud to your family," which requires an oral presentation of learned information. Students create a stovepipe hat project (Activity 3) and are prompted by the parent plan to "share his hat and explain the words and phrases he used" and the evidence from the book, which requires explaining and supporting traits with events. Students make a Venn diagram comparing Lincoln and Douglass (Activity 6) and are asked to review and discuss their diagram with a parent, which involves organizing and communicating comparative information.
Lesson 6
Civil War
Students practice speaking aloud by memorizing and reciting the first sentence of the Gettysburg Address (Activity 2). Students gather and organize information by listing reasons for and against the Civil War on the "To Fight or Not to Fight" page and by writing a letter from a slave presenting an opinion (Activity 1 and Activity 3). Students plan, conduct, take notes on, and summarize an interview (Activities 5–7) and identify facts versus opinions and persuasive techniques when listening to political speeches (Activity 4).
Lesson 7
Assassination
Students complete a 5 W's chart and write a short newspaper report about Lincoln's assassination, which requires gathering and organizing factual details (who, what, when, where, why). Students are directed to use at least one appositive and to combine sentences with appositive phrases, practicing inclusion of descriptive detail. The newspaper template asks for a headline, date, and organized main text, which prompts sequencing of ideas and presentation of supporting facts.
Unit 3: Independent Study
Lesson 1
What Is Independent Study?
Students are instructed to write a five-paragraph essay and to develop a product (such as a presentation or brochure) to share what they have learned. The Student Activity Page checklist explicitly includes steps to "Write a report about your topic" and "Develop a product related to your topic." The Independent Study Rubric requires organization (outline adherence, clear paragraphs) and process items (creating study questions, using a variety of sources, note-taking, bibliography) that guide students in collecting appropriate facts and structuring their report.
Lesson 3
Developing Questions
Students are asked to write three "big questions" about their topic and list three supporting details under each question, which directs them to identify main ideas and relevant descriptive details. Students copy each big question and its subtopics into Research Chart pages and record factual information and bibliographic sources, which teaches them to gather appropriate facts to support main ideas. The 3 Big Questions and Research Chart organizers require students to break a topic into focused main ideas with supporting details and to place supporting facts under those subtopics.
Lesson 4
Finding Information
Students are instructed to locate and circle multiple sources, gather at least four sources (including print, web, and a nonprint source), and use Research Chart pages to record information and authors. Students practice note-taking by reading a short article about lemurs, underlining information related to questions and subtopics, paraphrasing key points in their own words, and placing details into a chart organized by subtopic. Students are taught how to compile a formal bibliography with properly formatted citations for books, articles, interviews, films, and websites.
Lesson 5
Writing Your Report
The lesson requires students to create a five-paragraph outline that includes an introduction with a thesis, three body paragraphs focused on key questions, and a concluding paragraph, which supports sequencing ideas logically. The skills list and activities instruct students to include facts and details, draw from more than one source, and compose drafts that convey major ideas with relevant supporting details. Students are guided to revise for organization and ideas and to strengthen verbs and descriptive language, and to use a rubric that evaluates organization and content.
Lesson 6
Developing a Product
Students choose a final product and answer questions about how that product will help deliver information and help others understand the topic (Activity 1). Students make a list of factual information to include and create a numbered checklist of steps to complete the product, organizing what will be presented (Preparing for the Product). Students practice presenting their product, read or explain it to an audience, and rehearse until comfortable (Activity 5). The parent/skills notes explicitly prompt making oral presentations with visual aids and adjusting pitch, tone, and body language.