Curriculum / ELA / 5th Grade / Unit 3: Protecting the Earth: Plastic Pollution / Lesson 14
ELA
Unit 3
5th Grade
Lesson 14 of 16
Jump To
Describe how Shelby’s actions show that a single person can make a difference.
Article: “CA Girl Scout’s letters spurred companies to cut down on using plastic straws” by Washington Post, adapted by The Lily News
Article: “Little girl, big difference: 4th grader’s idea helps reduce trash at Pikes Peak region-area elementary school” by Lindsey Grewe for CBS
We participate in the Amazon Associate program. This means that if you use this link to make an Amazon purchase, we receive a small portion of the proceeds, which support our non-profit mission.
Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.
Tasks that represents the peak thinking of the lesson - mastery will indicate whether or not objective was achieved
Shelby and Claire’s actions show that "a single person, one lone voice" can make a difference. Describe how their actions made a difference. Include specific examples from the text.
An example response to the Target Task at the level of detail expected of the students.
Questions about the text that will help guide the students understanding
Why is Shelby passionate about plastic pollution? How does passion drive her actions?
What response did Shelby get from different companies? Why?
What impact did Claire’s letter have on her community?
In the article Claire says, "You don’t have to be an adult to make a difference in the world." What does she mean by this?
Bring your most engaging lessons to life with comprehensive instructional guidance, detailed pacing, supports to meet every student's needs, and resources to strengthen your lesson planning and delivery.
RI.5.3 — Explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text.
RI.5.8 — Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).
Standards that are practiced daily but are not priority standards of the unit
L.5.3.a — Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
L.5.4 — Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
L.5.6 — Acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships (e.g., however, although, nevertheless, similarly, moreover, in addition).
RF.5.3 — Know and apply grade-level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
RF.5.4 — Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
RI.5.1 — Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
RI.5.4 — Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
RI.5.10 — By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4—5 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
SL.5.1 — Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly.
W.5.10 — Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Lesson 13
Lesson 15
Explain what it means to have a plastic problem.
RI.5.3
Explain how plastic ends up in a gyre and what happens to it once it is there.
Explain why the author uses the words grotesque, astounding, and dramatic to describe what Moore and his team found.
L.5.4.c RI.5.3
Explain how Leo Baekeland invented plastic.
Analyze how plastic became such a large part of everyday life.
L.5.2.a RI.5.3
Explain what evidence the author uses to emphasize how much plastic is in the ocean and its impact on the ecosystem.
RI.5.3 RI.5.8
Analyze how plastic has a negative impact on ocean ecosystems and humans.
Explain what the author means by the quote, "we need to think about the items we are using not just on beaches, but also inland and communities far upstream as well."
Writing – 3 days
Write two strong paragraphs describing why we have a plastic pollution problem and how plastic pollution impacts the ocean.
L.5.2.a W.5.2 W.5.2.a W.5.2.b W.5.2.e W.5.7 W.5.9
Opinion Writing – 4 days
Write an opinion piece defending whether or not single-use plastics should be banned by citing evidence from multiple texts and building an argument.
L.5.2.e L.5.3.a RI.5.8 SL.5.1 SL.5.4 W.5.1 W.5.1.a W.5.1.b W.5.5 W.5.8
Explain what strategies the author recommends to help reduce the amount of plastic in the ocean and the pros and cons of the strategies.
RI.5.3 RI.5.9
Explain what "stealth microplastics" are and what steps we can take to reduce plastic waste from microplastics.
Assessment
Write multiple paragraphs that describe a solution for reducing the school’s use of plastic after researching different alternatives. Create a presentation to convince others around the school to take part and minimize the school’s use of plastic.
L.5.2.a L.5.2.e L.5.3.a L.5.3.b L.5.4.c SL.5.4 SL.5.5 SL.5.6 W.5.1 W.5.1.a W.5.1.b W.5.2.a W.5.2.b W.5.2.e W.5.6 W.5.7 W.5.9
Create a free account to access thousands of lesson plans.
Already have an account? Sign In
See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.
Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.
Yes
No
Access rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free