Unit Materials for 5th Grade English Language Arts
Explore the texts and supporting materials used in each unit of 5th Grade English Language Arts.
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You can request a current spreadsheet with all unit texts needed to teach Fishtank ELA for the 2025-26 school year by emailing [email protected].
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Building Community: Seedfolks
Core Texts
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Book: Seedfolks by Paul Fleischman (Harper Trophy, 2004) — 710L
Supporting Texts
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Student Materials From Lesson 7
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Student Materials From Lessons 7 & 12
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Completed Drafts from Day 4 (G5, U1, L19)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Exploring Human Rights: The Breadwinner
Core Texts
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Book: The Breadwinner: 15th Anniversary Edition by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2015) — 710L
Supporting Texts
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Book: Kids of Kabul: Living Bravely through a Never-Ending War by Deborah Ellis (Groundwood Books, 2012)
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Book: I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World by Malala Yousafzai with Patricia McCormick (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
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Website: Britannica Kids: Afghanistan
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Website: Twinkl Country Profile
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Website: Kiddle Afghanistan Facts
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Protecting the Earth: Plastic Pollution
Core Texts
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Book: Trash Vortex: How Plastic Pollution Is Choking the World's Oceans by Danielle Smith-Llera (Compass Point Books, 2018) — 1120L
Supporting Texts
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Article: “Single-Use Plastics: A Roadmap for Sustainability” (United Nations Environment Programme, 2018)
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Article: “Ten 'stealth microplastics' to avoid if you want to save the oceans” by Sharon George and Deirdre McKay
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Article: “Queensland passes laws banning 'killer' single-use plastics” by Graham Readfearn (The Guardian)
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Article: “'People need them': The trouble with the movement to ban plastic straws” by Vivian Ho (The Guardian)
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Article: “Mythbusting: 5 common misperceptions surrounding the environmental impacts of single-use plastics” (University of Michigan News)
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Article: “Little girl, big difference: 4th grader's idea helps reduce trash at Pikes Peak region-area elementary school” by Lindsey Grewe (KKTV)
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Article: “A Girl Scout's letters spurred companies to cut down on using plastic straws” (The Washington Post)
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Template: Two-Paragraph Outline
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Template: Plastic Pollution Note-Taker
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Young Heroes: Children of the Civil Rights Movement
Core Texts
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Book: Witnesses to Freedom: Young People Who Fought for Civil Rights by Belinda Rochelle (Puffin Books, 1993) — 1040L
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Book: Freedom’s Children: Young Civil Rights Activists Tell Their Own Stories by Ellen S. Levine (Puffin Books, 2000) — 760L
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Book: Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose (Square Fish, Reprint edition (2010)) — 1000L
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Book: Turning 15 on the Road to Freedom: My Story of the 1965 Selma Voting Rights March by Lynda Blackmon Lowery (Speak, Reprint edition (2016)) — 780L
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Book: Selma, Lord, Selma: Girlhood Memories of the Civil Rights Days by Frank Sikora (University Alabama Press, 1st Edition edition (1997)) — 830L
Supporting Texts
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Article: “American slavery: Separating fact from myth” by Daina Ramey Berry (The Conversation)
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Excerpt: “Day 1: March 5, 1770” from 28 Days: Moments in Black History that Changed the World by Charles R. Smith Jr.
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Poem: “Ruby Bridges' Brave Step” by Latorial Faison
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Template: Poetry Brainstorm Template
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Friendship Across Boundaries: Return to Sender
Core Texts
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Book: Return to Sender by Julia Alvarez (Yearling, 2010) — 890L
Supporting Texts
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Video: “Mexican Migrant Workers and Vermont Dairy Farms” (The Golden Cage Project)
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Video: “No Human Being Was Born Illegal (NIOS)” (Not in Our Town)
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Video: “Under the Cloak of Darkness” (Bjorn Jackson, 2015)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Shaping Dreams: A Single Shard
Core Texts
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Book: A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park (HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition, 2011) — 920L
Supporting Texts
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Article: “Apprenticeship” (Britannica Kids)
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Article: “What is an Apprenticeship & How Does it Work?” (Get Schooled)
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Article: “How High School Students Can Benefit from Apprenticeships” by Joy Biscornét (Bright Horizons)
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Article: “Fair Play: Sam Rapoport works to make the NFL more inclusive” by Rachel MacPherson (TIME for Kids)
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Article: “Teen Finds New Planet” by Karena Phan (TIME for Kids)
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Article: “Growing Up Long Ago” (ReadWorks)
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Article: “Becoming a Doctor” (ReadWorks)
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Article: “How An Apprenticeship Model Engaged Students and Turned a School Around” by Sarah Gonser (Edutopia)
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Article: “Apprenticeships on the Rise” by Patrick O’Donnell (Education Next)
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Article: “The Future of Work Needs More Apprentices” by Maria Flynn (Forbes)
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Article: “Conquer the Cold” by Angela Haupt (TIME for Kids)
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Article: “Deep-Sea Danger” by Lillian Stone (TIME for Kids)
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Article: “A Juneteenth Celebration” by Brian S. McGrath and Constance Gibbs (TIME for Kids)
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Article: “A Place to Play” by Jaime Joyce (TIME for Kids)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Exploring Mars: Spirit and Opportunity
Core Texts
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Book: The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch (HMH Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition, 2017) — 950L
Supporting Texts
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Video: “How We Landed on Mars with NASA Spirit” by The Azza
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Article: “Now a Stationary Research Platform, NASA's Mars Rover Spirit Starts a New Chapter in Red Planet Scientific Studies” by NASA Press Release 7
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Assessment Text: “Impact!: Asteroids and the Science of Saving the World” by Elizabeth Rusch (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2017) (Note: this text is only used for the assessment.)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Belonging to a Movement: One Crazy Summer
Core Texts
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Book: One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia (HarperCollins Publishers, 2011) — 750L
Supporting Texts
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Book: Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson (The Penguin Group, 2014)
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Poem: “I, Too” by Langston Hughes
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Poem: “Dream Variations” by Langston Hughes
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Website: 10-Point Platform by PBS.org
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Template: Two-Paragraph Outline
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Template: 10-Point Platform Student Brainstorm
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
Seeking Truth: A Wrinkle in Time
Core Texts
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Book: A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle (Square Fish, Reprint edition, 2007) — 740L
Supporting Texts
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Book: A Wrinkle in Time: The Graphic Novel by Hope Larson and Madeleine L'Engle (Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR), 2012)
- Resource: Recommended Texts for Independent Reading
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