5th Grade English Language Arts
Students explore the different factors that can both positively and negatively influence a community, how groups of people have fought for their rights, and think about the way things around them (both natural and man-made) work and interact.
Course Summary
Our complete 5th grade English Language Arts curriculum is made up of three main components: Literature units, Science and Social Studies units, and independent reading. Together, these three components build students' knowledge and understanding of the world, and support student mastery of all literature, informational, writing, speaking and listening, language, and foundational skills standards. To learn more, see the Pacing Guide for this course.
Literature
In 5th grade Literature, students explore the different factors that can positively and negatively influence a community. Over the course of the year, students see how war, immigration, civil rights, and poverty both shape and inspire individuals and the communities in which they live.
Science and Social Studies
In 5th grade Social Studies, students consider how groups of people have fought for their rights, particularly immigration and civil rights. It is our hope that these units will inspire and motivate students to see that groups of ordinary people can fight to change the world, no matter what obstacles they face. In 5th grade Science, students think about the way things around them (both natural and man-made) work and interact, starting with a study of plastic and its impact on the environment and ending with a unit on Mars exploration.
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Literature Units
1
Seedfolks
Students explore the theme of community through the book Seedfolks, wrestling with how prejudice and racism impact the way people treat each other and the ways in which that can influence a community.
16 Lessons
2
The Breadwinner
Students explore the Taliban's influence on the Middle East through the lens of human rights in the book The Breadwinner, and practice narrative writing by rewriting scenes from other point of views.
30 Lessons
3
Return to Sender
In the novel Return to Sender, students explore the complexity of immigration and stereotypes, and interpret how authors highlight different characters' perspectives.
29 Lessons
4
Survival Stories
Students explore the attributes necessary for survival and the importance of physical and mental strength by reading excerpts from Julie of the Wolves, Endangered, Hatchet, and a variety of poems.
18 Lessons
5
One Crazy Summer
Reading the novel One Crazy Summer, set in 1968 Oakland, CA at the height of the Black Panther movement, students explore the meaning of community, identity, and what it means to be part of a revolution.
30 Lessons
6
A Wrinkle in Time
In this final 5th grade unit, students read about the nuances of good versus evil and how unconditional love can overpower darkness in A Wrinkle in Time, the first science fiction novel in our curriculum.
26 Lessons
Science and Social Studies Units
1
Plastic Pollution
Students explore how plastic pollution is choking the world’s oceans, and explore a variety of solutions for reducing plastic waste and reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in the ocean.
15 Lessons
2
Migrant Workers' Fight for Justice
While learning about the California migrant farm workers' fight for justice led by Cesar Chavez and Dolores Huerta, students learn to make connections and think about cause and effect.
24 Lessons
3
Fighting for Change: Children of the Civil Rights Movement
Students study the Civil Rights Movement through the eyes of the children who experienced its hardships, victories and defeats firsthand by reading and analyzing multiple accounts of the same event.
34 Lessons
4
Exploring Mars
Students explore the rovers Spirit and Opportunity, grappling with the complexity involved in space missions through reading, analyzing photographs, and participating in engineering and design labs.