5th grade English Language Arts
11 units matched to the Alabama Course of Study. Kids see this subject as “Language Arts”.
Focus areas
- Reading: summarizing, point of view, and figurative language
- Writing, speaking and listening: building arguments, and research from several sources
- Vocabulary and language: building word knowledge and using grammar, spelling and punctuation
Units
Unit 1
Plot and Conflict
The five parts of a plot, types of conflict (person vs. person, nature or self), and telling first-, second- and third-person point of view apart.
Content standard: 5.17; 5.19 · plot structure and conflict
Unit 2
Figurative Language
Spotting similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia and alliteration, and explaining what common idioms really mean.
Content standard: 5.12; 5.R5 · similes, metaphors, idioms and more
Unit 3
Purpose and Structure
Deciding whether a text informs, persuades or entertains, recognizing five common text structures and their signal words, and using text features like the glossary and index.
Content standard: 5.24 · an author's purpose and text structure
Unit 4
Context Clues
Using the words around an unfamiliar word to figure out what it means, naming the type of clue, and choosing the right meaning of words like “bat” or “bank.”
Content standard: 5.3; 5.R2 · using context to work out word meanings
Unit 5
Greek and Latin Roots
Learning common Greek and Latin roots (like tele = far, port = carry, rupt = break) and using them to figure out long words such as “spectator” or “interrupt.”
Content standard: 5.2; 5.13 · Greek and Latin roots
Unit 6
Complex Sentences
Choosing conjunctions like although, because and unless, finding dependent and independent clauses, telling simple, compound and complex sentences apart, and combining sentences.
Content standard: 5.39 · clauses and subordinating conjunctions
Unit 7
Punctuation Power
Placing commas after introductory words, using colons before lists, writing possessives and contractions, choosing its/it's and their/there/they're, and punctuating dialogue.
Content standard: 5.40 · commas, colons and apostrophes
Unit 8
Media Smarts
Spotting the tricks ads use, telling facts from opinions, and asking smart questions about who made a message and why.
Content standard: 5.25; 5.26 · the purposes of ads and the techniques they use to persuade
Unit 9
Create With Words, Pictures and Sound
Planning and polishing texts that combine words, images, sound and video, and choosing fonts, layout and tools to suit an audience and purpose.
Content standard: 5.31; 5.R6 · choosing words, images, sound and design for an audience
Unit 10
Research Ready
Children practice narrowing a research question, searching with keywords, judging sources, telling sponsored content from information, taking notes, paraphrasing and citing sources instead of copying.
Content standard: 5.25; 5.38; 5.R3 · research questions, judging sources, taking notes and listing sources
Unit 11
Spelling Smarts
Children practice US spelling of words with suffixes (-ful, -ly, -ous, -ment, -able, -ible), doubling rules, i before e and commonly misspelled words.
Content standard: 5.4; 5.40 · spelling words correctly using suffix rules and spelling patterns
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