5th grade English Language Arts
11 units matched to the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards. 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
- Language: building vocabulary 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.
Benchmark: 5.1.4.3; 5.1.5.1 · how characters, conflict and events develop, and how chapters build a story
Unit 2
Figurative Language
Spotting similes, metaphors, personification, hyperbole, onomatopoeia and alliteration, and explaining what common idioms really mean.
Benchmark: 5.2.6.1; 5.1.8.1 · figurative language, hyperbole and the nuances of words
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.
Benchmark: 5.1.5.2; 5.1.7.1 · the effects of informational text structures, and an author's argument
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.”
Benchmark: 5.1.8.2 · working out academic and technical words
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.”
Benchmark: 5.2.1.2; 5.1.1.2 · Latin and other word origins in reading and spelling
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.
Benchmark: 5.2.1.3 · clauses, relative pronouns and relative adverbs
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.
Benchmark: 5.2.1.1 · commas, colons, semicolons 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.
Benchmark: 5.2.4.2; 5.1.7.1 · persuasive techniques and how perspective shapes an argument
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.
Benchmark: 5.1.5.3; 5.3.3.2 · how words, images and sound work together, and choosing digital tools
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.
Benchmark: 5.2.7.2; 5.2.8.1; 5.1.9.2 · research, judging sources, and citing them
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.
Benchmark: 5.2.1.2 · spelling patterns and rules
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