Protecting the Earth: Plastic Pollution

Lesson 16
icon/ela/white

ELA

Unit 3

5th Grade

Lesson 16 of 16

Objective


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.

Readings and Materials


Fishtank Plus

Unlock features to optimize your prep time, plan engaging lessons, and monitor student progress.

Target Task


Writing Prompt

One solution for minimizing the amount of plastic pollution in the ocean is to educate others. Your job is to educate other classrooms around the school and convince them to take part in reducing the school’s use of plastic by finding an alternative to plastic. 

To do so, you’ll need to: 

  • Write a strong paragraph that describes why we have a plastic problem and how plastic pollution impacts the ocean.
  • Research alternatives for plastic, and then write a strong paragraph that describes a solution for reducing the school’s use of plastic. 
  • Create a visual presentation to share with other classrooms around the school.

Sample Response

Upgrade to Fishtank Plus to view Sample Response.

Enhanced Lesson Plan

Fishtank Plus Content

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.

Common Core Standards


  • L.5.2.a — Use punctuation to separate items in a series.
  • L.5.2.e — Spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
  • L.5.3.a — Expand, combine, and reduce sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style.
  • L.5.3.b — Compare and contrast the varieties of English (e.g., dialects, registers) used in stories, dramas, or poems.
  • L.5.4.c — Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key words and phrases.
  • SL.5.4 — Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
  • SL.5.5 — Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes.
  • SL.5.6 — Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation.
  • W.5.1 — Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information
  • W.5.1.a — Introduce a topic or text clearly, state an opinion, and create an organizational structure in which ideas are logically grouped to support the writer's purpose.
  • W.5.1.b — Provide logically ordered reasons that are supported by facts and details.
  • W.5.2.a — Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
  • W.5.2.b — Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
  • W.5.2.e — Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented
  • W.5.6 — With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
  • W.5.7 — Conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
  • W.5.9 — Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Supporting Standards

L.5.1
L.5.1.a
L.5.2
L.5.6
W.5.4
W.5.5
W.5.6
W.5.9
W.5.10

Lesson Map

A7CB09C2-D12F-4F55-80DB-37298FF0A765

Request a Demo

See all of the features of Fishtank in action and begin the conversation about adoption.

Learn more about Fishtank Learning School Adoption.

Contact Information

School Information

What courses are you interested in?

ELA

Math

Are you interested in onboarding professional learning for your teachers and instructional leaders?

Yes

No

Any other information you would like to provide about your school?

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We Handle Materials So You Can Focus on Students

We've got you covered with rigorous, relevant, and adaptable ELA lesson plans for free