5th grade English Curriculum

5th grade English Units

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  Unit 1

  Literature: main idea, details, and evidence

  Students determine main ideas in literary passages, gather key details, and combine ideas across related texts. They practice quoting and paraphrasing evidence to explain both explicit and implied meaning.

  Find the main idea in a story passageCombine main ideas from two related literary textsDraw inferences from literary text with evidence

  First steps

  1. 1Notice the central focus of a short story passage
  2. 2Choose details that support the main idea
  3. 3Use explicit and inferential evidence to determine a literary main idea
  4. 4Quote accurately to explain a literary main idea
  5. 5Read a full literary passage and identify the main idea with evidence
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  Unit 2

  Literature: theme, multiple themes, and summary

  Students determine themes in short stories, explain how details support those themes, and write concise summaries that include the central message without extra opinion.

  Determine a story theme from detailsDetermine multiple themes in a story

  First steps

  1. 1Recognize a theme as a message, not just a topic
  2. 2Choose story details that support a theme
  3. 3State a clear theme in your own words
  4. 4Write a brief summary that includes the theme
  5. 5Read a full story passage and determine the theme
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  3

  Unit 3

  Literature: compare stories in a genre and build reading stamina

  Students compare stories in the same genre by theme, topic, and pattern while also building independence with grade-level literary reading.

  Compare themes across stories in the same genre

  First steps

  1. 1Notice when two stories belong to the same genre
  2. 2Compare how two same-genre stories approach a similar theme
  3. 3Compare topics and patterns across stories in one genre
  4. 4Read two short stories and compare theme and pattern
  5. 5Review comparing themes in same-genre stories
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  Unit 4

  Literature: analyze and compare characters

  Students analyze characters through actions, dialogue, thoughts, and traits, then compare and contrast characters within or across literary texts.

  Identify character traits from actions, dialogue, and thoughtsCompare and contrast characters

  First steps

  1. 1Identify a character trait from actions
  2. 2Identify a character trait from dialogue
  3. 3Identify a character trait from inner thoughts
  4. 4Choose evidence that best supports a character trait
  5. 5Read a literary passage and analyze a character using multiple clues
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  5

  Unit 5

  Literature: author purpose, tone, and point of view

  Students analyze why an author writes, how tone and register shape meaning, and how narrator or speaker perspective influences reader understanding.

  Identify author purpose, message, and tone in literary textAnalyze narrator or speaker point of view

  First steps

  1. 1Identify an author's purpose in a literary passage
  2. 2Identify tone from word choice and details
  3. 3Distinguish formal and informal register in literary dialogue
  4. 4Read a passage and explain how purpose and tone work together
  5. 5Review author purpose, message, and tone
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  Unit 6

  Literature: plot structure and text organization

  Students analyze how literary texts are organized through plot elements, chapters, scenes, and stanzas.

  Analyze plot structure in storiesExplain how chapters, scenes, and stanzas fit together

  First steps

  1. 1Recognize the main parts of plot structure
  2. 2Identify exposition and the introduction of conflict
  3. 3Identify events that build the rising action
  4. 4Identify the climax, falling action, and resolution
  5. 5Read a story passage and map the full plot structure
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  Unit 7

  Literature: figurative language, poetry, and multimedia

  Students interpret figurative language, analyze poetry elements, and explain how visuals or multimedia deepen literary meaning and tone.

  Interpret figurative language in literary textAnalyze poetry elements and structureAnalyze visuals and multimedia in literary texts

  First steps

  1. 1Recognize similes and metaphors
  2. 2Interpret the meaning of a figure of speech
  3. 3Explain how figurative language affects tone
  4. 4Interpret a simple allusion in literary context
  5. 5Read a passage and analyze a figure of speech
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  Unit 8

  Informational text: evidence and main ideas

  Students cite textual evidence in informational passages, determine main ideas and supporting details, and combine main ideas from two texts on the same topic.

  Cite evidence for explicit statements and inferencesDetermine main ideas and combine them across texts

  First steps

  1. 1Find a sentence that gives explicit evidence
  2. 2Use informational details to support an inference
  3. 3Choose the best evidence for an informational answer
  4. 4Quote accurately and explain how evidence supports an answer
  5. 5Read an informational passage and support an answer with evidence
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  Unit 9

  Informational text: relationships among people, events, ideas, and concepts

  Students explain relationships among individuals, events, ideas, and concepts in historical, scientific, and technical texts.

  Explain relationships among events, ideas, and concepts

  First steps

  1. 1Recognize a relationship between two ideas in a text
  2. 2Explain how individuals and events are connected in a historical text
  3. 3Explain how steps in a technical process relate to one another
  4. 4Explain how two scientific concepts are connected
  5. 5Distinguish among sequence, cause/effect, and problem/solution relationships
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  Unit 10

  Informational text: structures, cause and effect, and event order

  Students identify and compare informational text structures, match causes with effects and problems with solutions, and determine order in procedural and historical texts.

  Identify and compare informational text structuresMatch causes with effects and problems with solutionsDetermine order of events in informational texts

  First steps

  1. 1Recognize chronological structure
  2. 2Recognize compare/contrast, cause/effect, and problem/solution structures
  3. 3Compare how two informational texts use different structures
  4. 4Read a passage and identify the best-fitting informational structure
  5. 5Review and compare informational text structures
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  Unit 11

  Informational text: accounts, arguments, and integrating sources

  Students compare accounts, analyze claims and supporting evidence, and integrate information from several texts to answer questions or speak and write knowledgeably.

  Compare accounts and analyze claims with evidenceIntegrate information from several texts on one topic

  First steps

  1. 1Distinguish firsthand and secondhand accounts
  2. 2Compare two accounts of the same topic or event
  3. 3Identify a claim and the evidence supporting it
  4. 4Explain how evidence supports a claim
  5. 5Read two short accounts or an argument passage and analyze support
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  Unit 12

  Informational text: text features, visuals, vocabulary in context, and stamina

  Students use text features and visuals to locate and interpret information, determine academic and domain-specific vocabulary in context, and sustain comprehension across grade-level informational texts.

  Use text features to locate and interpret informationInterpret vocabulary, visuals, and longer informational texts

  First steps

  1. 1Identify common informational text features
  2. 2Select the best text feature for a reading task
  3. 3Use charts and captions to interpret information
  4. 4Use text features to answer a question in an informational passage
  5. 5Explain how a text feature helps comprehension
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  Unit 13

  Language: sentence types, subjects, predicates, and complete sentences

  Students classify sentence types, identify complete and simple subjects and predicates, and distinguish complete sentences from fragments and run-ons.

  Classify sentence typesIdentify subjects, predicates, fragments, and run-ons

  First steps

  1. 1Identify declarative sentences
  2. 2Identify interrogative sentences
  3. 3Identify imperative and exclamatory sentences
  4. 4Sort sentences by type
  5. 5Read short contexts and choose the matching sentence type
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  Unit 14

  Language: clauses and sentence variety

  Students identify dependent and independent clauses and classify and form simple, compound, and complex sentences.

  Identify independent and dependent clausesClassify and form simple, compound, and complex sentences

  First steps

  1. 1Identify an independent clause
  2. 2Identify a dependent clause
  3. 3Sort clauses as dependent or independent
  4. 4Identify both clauses in a complex sentence
  5. 5Edit fragments by connecting dependent clauses to main clauses
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  Unit 15

  Language: nouns, pronouns, and possession

  Students use nouns and pronouns accurately, including irregular plurals, possessives, subject and object pronouns, reflexive pronouns, and relative pronouns.

  Use nouns, irregular plurals, and possessivesUse pronouns accurately in sentences

  First steps

  1. 1Classify common, proper, and abstract nouns
  2. 2Use irregular plural nouns
  3. 3Use singular and plural possessive nouns
  4. 4Edit noun forms in sentences for correctness
  5. 5Review noun types, irregular plurals, and possessives
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  Unit 16

  Language: verbs, helping verbs, tense, and agreement

  Students identify main verbs, helping verbs, and modal auxiliaries, maintain subject-verb agreement, use a range of verb tenses, and correct inappropriate tense shifts.

  Use main verbs, helping verbs, modals, and agreementUse verb tenses and fix inappropriate shifts

  First steps

  1. 1Identify main verbs and helping verbs
  2. 2Identify modal auxiliaries such as can, may, must, and should
  3. 3Maintain subject-verb agreement
  4. 4Edit sentences for verb agreement and clear verb phrases
  5. 5Choose verb forms that best match meaning and clarity
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  Unit 17

  Language: modifiers, prepositions, and conjunctions

  Students use adjectives and adverbs, prepositions and prepositional phrases, and coordinating and correlative conjunctions to make meaning clearer and more precise.

  Use adjectives and adverbs preciselyUse prepositions, phrases, and conjunctions

  First steps

  1. 1Distinguish adjectives from adverbs
  2. 2Use comparative and superlative forms
  3. 3Use natural adjective order in noun phrases
  4. 4Edit sentences to improve modifier use and precision
  5. 5Review adjectives, adverbs, comparison, and adjective order
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  Unit 18

  Language: commas, capitalization, titles, abbreviations, contractions, and affix spelling

  Students apply grade-level conventions for commas, capitalization, formatting titles, abbreviations, contractions, and spelling with prefixes and suffixes.

  Spell words with prefixes and suffixesApply commas, capitalization, and formatting conventions

  First steps

  1. 1Spell words with common prefixes such as re-, over-, and sub-
  2. 2Spell words with suffixes such as -ion, -able, and -ible
  3. 3Choose the correctly spelled affixed word in context
  4. 4Edit misspelled words with prefixes and suffixes
  5. 5Review spelling with prefixes and suffixes
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  Unit 19

  Vocabulary: prefixes, suffixes, and Greek and Latin roots

  Students decode words with prefixes and suffixes, analyze Greek and Latin roots and affixes, and use derived words accurately in context.

  Decode words with prefixes and suffixesAnalyze Greek and Latin roots and affixes

  First steps

  1. 1Use prefixes to determine a word's meaning
  2. 2Use suffixes to sort words by meaning and part of speech
  3. 3Sort affixed words by meaning
  4. 4Use an affixed word correctly in context
  5. 5Read a short passage and use word parts to determine meaning
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  Unit 20

  Vocabulary: relationships, context clues, connotation, and reference skills

  Students build semantic categories, synonyms and antonyms, analogies, homophones and multiple-meaning words, idioms and proverbs, and reference skills including dictionary and thesaurus use.

  Build word relationships through categories and analogiesUse context clues, connotation, figurative expressions, and reference tools

  First steps

  1. 1Choose words that belong in a semantic category
  2. 2Identify the word that does not belong
  3. 3Solve analogies based on word relationships
  4. 4Explain the relationship in an analogy
  5. 5Use word relationships in a short passage context
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  Unit 21

  Writing: organization, transitions, summaries, and revision

  Students organize writing logically, use topic and concluding sentences and transitions, remove irrelevant details, combine main ideas in summaries, and strengthen writing through revision and editing.

  Organize writing with topic sentences, transitions, and conclusionsSummarize and revise for focus and sentence variety

  First steps

  1. 1Choose a clear topic sentence
  2. 2Order sentences from general to specific
  3. 3Choose effective transitions and concluding sentences
  4. 4Organize a short paragraph with opening, support, and closing
  5. 5Review organization, transitions, and paragraph closure
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  Unit 22

  Writing: opinion, reasons, evidence, and argument

  Students distinguish facts from opinions, choose reasons and supporting details, and develop arguments with relevant evidence across literary and informational contexts.

  Distinguish facts from opinions in reading and writingDevelop arguments with reasons and evidence

  First steps

  1. 1Distinguish facts from opinions
  2. 2Identify an author's opinion statement in a passage
  3. 3Choose reasons that support an opinion
  4. 4Read a short passage and identify the claim and strongest supporting reason
  5. 5Review fact, opinion, claims, and reasons
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  Unit 23

  Writing: narrative craft, research integrity, and publishing

  Students show character emotions and traits with strong verbs and sensory imagery, identify plagiarism, distinguish primary and secondary sources, and use technology and routine writing processes to draft, revise, and publish.

  Show character and setting through vivid narrative detailsUse sources responsibly and publish with care

  First steps

  1. 1Show character emotions through actions and dialogue
  2. 2Revise with stronger verbs
  3. 3Add sensory imagery to a narrative scene
  4. 4Revise a narrative sentence for stronger character and setting detail
  5. 5Read a short draft and choose the best narrative revision
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  Unit 24

  Speaking and listening: discussions, presentations, and formal discourse

  Students prepare for discussions with evidence, summarize information from media and text, evaluate a speaker’s support, report on topics with organized facts, and adapt speech for audience and purpose.

  Participate in discussions using evidenceSummarize media, evaluate speakers, and present clearly

  First steps

  1. 1Prepare for discussion with notes and evidence
  2. 2Build on another speaker's idea respectfully
  3. 3Defend an interpretation with cited evidence
  4. 4Read a discussion scenario and choose the strongest evidence-based response
  5. 5Review discussion preparation, listening, and evidence use
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  Unit 25

  Extension: source evaluation and media literacy

  Students deepen critical reading by comparing how different sources present information, evaluating support, and integrating evidence across print and media. This year-end extension strengthens independent judgment while staying anchored in grade-level reading, writing, and speaking work.

  Evaluate source usefulness and reliability for a classroom task

  First steps

  1. 1Choose the most useful source for a question
  2. 2Compare which source gives stronger support for a claim
  3. 3Integrate print and media information into one conclusion
  4. 4Evaluate how a media message supports its main point
  5. 5Review source usefulness, support, and media evaluation
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  Unit 26

  Year-end synthesis: close reading, discussion, and writing across sources

  Students bring together literature, informational reading, writing, vocabulary, language, and speaking/listening in richer tasks that require synthesis, reflection, and polished communication. This mastery challenge keeps all work in-grade while raising independence and precision.

  Synthesize ideas across reading, discussion, and writing tasks

  First steps

  1. 1Synthesize notes from literary and informational reading
  2. 2Plan an organized response using evidence from more than one source
  3. 3Choose the strongest spoken response to a synthesis question
  4. 4Read a source set and choose the strongest short written synthesis
  5. 5Edit a synthesis response for clarity, grammar, and transitions