5th grade English Language Arts practice sheet
Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards · from Gradelings · Name: ______________________
Question 1
Put the events of “The Butterfly Watch” in order, from the exposition to the resolution.
- A monarch butterfly comes out, and the class releases it in the school garden.
- Sam's class is raising monarch caterpillars in a tank by the window.
- As the class watches, its skin splits open and a green chrysalis appears.
- Every day, the students check on the chrysalis as it slowly darkens.
- One caterpillar stops eating and hangs upside down, and the class worries that it is sick.
Sam's class is raising monarch caterpillars in a tank by the window. → One caterpillar stops eating and hangs upside down, and the class worries that it is sick. → As the class watches, its skin splits open and a green chrysalis appears. → Every day, the students check on the chrysalis as it slowly darkens. → A monarch butterfly comes out, and the class releases it in the school garden.
Hint: Start with the event that introduces the characters. End with how things turn out.
Question 2
What does this hyperbole really mean?
Our family stood in that line forever.
- We waited a very long time.
- We are still in line today.
- We waited a few seconds.
- We left the line right away.
We waited a very long time.
Hint: They didn't really wait forever. What is the speaker exaggerating?
Question 3
Sort each text by the author's main purpose.
Sort into: 📘 Inform · 📢 Persuade · 🎭 Entertain
- 🔍A mystery novel about a missing painting
- ✉️A letter asking the city to build a park
- 🔨Instructions for building a birdhouse
- 🌋A science book about volcanoes
- 🗳️A poster asking you to vote for Sam
- 🐶A comic about a dog who wants to be an astronaut
📘 Inform: Instructions for building a birdhouse, A science book about volcanoes · 📢 Persuade: A letter asking the city to build a park, A poster asking you to vote for Sam · 🎭 Entertain: A mystery novel about a missing painting, A comic about a dog who wants to be an astronaut
Hint: Inform = teach facts. Persuade = convince you. Entertain = tell a story or make you laugh.
Question 4
Which meaning of “file” is used in this sentence?
Please file your worksheets in the blue folder.
- to put in order and store
- a line of people, one behind another
- a tool for smoothing nails
to put in order and store
Hint: “file” has more than one meaning. Read the whole sentence, then try each meaning in its place.
Question 5
Which word has a root that means “far”?
- thermal
- biography
- aquarium
- telescope
telescope
Hint: The root “tele” means “far.” Look for “tele” hiding inside one of the words.
Question 6
Which part of this sentence is the dependent clause?
The players stretched before the game started.
- before the game started
- the players stretched
before the game started
Hint: A dependent clause starts with a word like because, when, if or although. It can't stand alone as a sentence. The independent clause can.
Question 7
Which word correctly completes the sentence?
The cat licked ____ paw.
- its'
- it's
- its
its
Hint: “It's” always means “it is.” The cat's paw belongs to it, so use “its” with no apostrophe.
Question 8
Sort these ad statements into facts and opinions.
Sort into: 📏 Fact · 💬 Opinion
- 🚲This bike has 21 gears.
- 🥣Our cereal tastes better than any other.
- 📖The book has 240 pages.
- 🥣The cereal box holds 500 grams.
- 🧥This jacket looks amazing on everyone.
- 🎲This game is the most fun you'll ever have.
📏 Fact: This bike has 21 gears., The book has 240 pages., The cereal box holds 500 grams. · 💬 Opinion: Our cereal tastes better than any other., This jacket looks amazing on everyone., This game is the most fun you'll ever have.
Hint: A fact can be checked or measured. An opinion is what someone thinks or feels.
Question 9
Which medium is best to show how a plant grows over weeks?
- a series of photos or a short video
- one word
- a sentence about soil
a series of photos or a short video
Hint: Time can be shown with a sequence.
Question 10
How do you know a website might be out of date?
- it has a title
- it has pictures
- the last update was many years ago
- it has a search box
the last update was many years ago
Hint: Look for the date.
Answer key
- 1. Sam's class is raising monarch caterpillars in a tank by the window. → One caterpillar stops eating and hangs upside down, and the class worries that it is sick. → As the class watches, its skin splits open and a green chrysalis appears. → Every day, the students check on the chrysalis as it slowly darkens. → A monarch butterfly comes out, and the class releases it in the school garden. (Plot and Conflict)
- 2. We waited a very long time. (Figurative Language)
- 3. 📘 Inform: Instructions for building a birdhouse, A science book about volcanoes · 📢 Persuade: A letter asking the city to build a park, A poster asking you to vote for Sam · 🎭 Entertain: A mystery novel about a missing painting, A comic about a dog who wants to be an astronaut (Purpose and Structure)
- 4. to put in order and store (Context Clues)
- 5. telescope (Greek and Latin Roots)
- 6. before the game started (Complex Sentences)
- 7. its (Punctuation Power)
- 8. 📏 Fact: This bike has 21 gears., The book has 240 pages., The cereal box holds 500 grams. · 💬 Opinion: Our cereal tastes better than any other., This jacket looks amazing on everyone., This game is the most fun you'll ever have. (Media Smarts)
- 9. a series of photos or a short video (Create With Words, Pictures and Sound)
- 10. the last update was many years ago (Research Ready)
Want more than 10 questions?
In Gradelings the questions change every time and adjust to your child, with hints and kind feedback. See all English language arts units.