ELA  /  5th Grade  /  Unit 5: Friendship Across Boundaries: Return to Sender

Friendship Across Boundaries: 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.

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ELA

Unit 5

5th Grade

Unit Summary

In this unit, students begin to explore the complexity of immigration and immigrant rights by reading the core text Return to Sender. Through the eyes of two children, Return to Sender highlights the challenges of life for Mexican laborers in Vermont and how stereotypes about undocumented workers are formed. Through the eyes of Tyler, the farm owner's son, students witness the internal struggle surrounding what makes something right or wrong, particularly in regards to whether or not the family should hire undocumented workers even though, without them, the beloved family farm would need to be sold. They also see how the stereotypes Tyler believes about Mexican workers are broken down through his relationships with the Cruz family. Through the eyes of Mari, the daughter of an undocumented worker, students witness the daily challenges and barriers undocumented workers face in the fight for a better life and future. As Tyler and Mari develop a friendship, readers are pushed to think critically about the arguments on both sides of the debate surrounding Mexican and other laborers in Vermont, and how friendships across lines of difference can help dismantle stereotypes.

It is important to note that the scope of this unit is intentionally narrow. Immigration, particularly undocumented immigration, is an incredibly complex issue. This unit serves as an entry point. It is our hope that this unit begins to humanize a controversial topic and inspires students to question things beyond their own world and fight for their own view of what is right. 

Students continue to notice how comparing and contrasting characters' perspectives, particularly Tyler and Mari's, helps the reader to build a deeper, more well-rounded understanding of who a character is. Students also explore how observing the way characters respond to events can illuminate the similarities and differences between characters, especially as Tyler and Mari have different responses to events. Throughout the text, students see firsthand how characters can change and grow based on their relationships with others. 

In previous units, students focused on sharing and elaborating on their own ideas when discussing the text. In this unit, students begin to build on their classmates' ideas, seeking to genuinely understand what their peers are saying by asking questions, adding on, or engaging in multiple exchanges. Students continue to build their writing fluency by writing daily in response to the Target Task. Students also continue to work on crafting opinion and literary analysis essays, using what they know about writing strong paragraphs to write multi-paragraph essays. 

Please Note: In March 2025, the writing projects (Lesson 28 and 30) in this unit were updated. In February 2026, this unit and its lesson plans will be updated to reflect a round of enhancements that improve writing, language, and reading instruction.

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Texts and Materials

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Core Materials

Supporting Materials

Text Selection Rationale
All Course Materials

Assessment

The following assessments accompany Unit 5.

Content Assessment

The Content Assessment pushes students to synthesize unit content knowledge or unit essential questions in writing. The Content Assessment should be used as the primary assessment because it shows mastery of unit content knowledge and standards.

Cold Read Assessment

The Cold Read Assessment tests students' ability to comprehend a "cold" or unfamiliar passage and answer standards-based questions. The Cold Read Assessment can be given in addition to the Content Assessment as a pulse point for what students can read and analyze independently, a skill often required for standardized testing.

Fluency Assessment

The Fluency Assessment allows teachers to monitor students' oral reading fluency progress with a reading passage drawn from one of the unit's core texts. Find guidance for using this assessment and supporting reading fluency in Teacher Tools.

Unit Prep

Intellectual Prep

Unit Launch

Before you teach this unit, unpack the texts, themes, and core standards through our guided intellectual preparation process. Each Unit Launch includes a series of short videos, targeted readings, and opportunities for action planning to ensure you're prepared to support every student.

Essential Questions

  • How do people develop stereotypical ideas? How can stereotypes lead to prejudice and discrimination? 
  • How can friendships and learning across lines of difference help build empathy and stop the spread of stereotypes? 
  • What is life like for undocumented Mexican laborers and their families? 

Reading Focus Areas

  • Comparing and contrasting character perspectives helps the reader to build a deeper more well-rounded understanding of who a character is.

  • Observing the way characters respond to events illuminates the similarities and differences between characters.

  • Characters grow and change through relationships with others.

Writing Focus Areas

Narrative Writing

  • Use description to develop characters.

  • Use dialogue tags to show how a character is speaking.

  • Draft a logical sequence of events that unfolds naturally.

  • Orient the reader by introducing characters and setting.

Opinion Writing

  • Include an introduction that introduces the topic and states the writer’s position.

  • Draft paragraphs that effectively group related reasons and evidence.

  • Support the position with valid reasons and related evidence.

  • Include a concluding statement with transition words and a purposeful craft choice.

Speaking and Listening Focus Areas

  • Elaborate to support ideas. Provide evidence or examples to justify and defend a point clearly.

  • Use specific vocabulary. Use vocabulary that is specific to the subject and task to clarify and share their thoughts.

  • Build onto a partner's ideas. Seek to genuinely understand what peers are saying and then build upon it.

Vocabulary

Text-based

adolescenceagitatedapprehendedastonishedballisticcivilizedconfiscatecontradictionconsolecontradictorycourteouscommendingculpabledemocracydiversityecstaticenlightenedesteemedescortedexasperategeneralizationhystericallyimmoralinsistentla migraoversimplifypetitionpreoccupyingprejudiceresignedsentimentsstereotypesstigmatensiontestimonytrespassingunanimouslyunburdenundisclosedupstandingvigilantwholeheartedly

Root/Affix

-ous-sion-tionen-pre-un-

To see all the vocabulary for Unit 5, view our 5th Grade Vocabulary Glossary.

Supporting All Students

In order to ensure that all students are able to access the texts and tasks in this unit, it is incredibly important to intellectually prepare to teach the unit prior to launching the unit. Use the intellectual preparation protocol and the Unit Launch to determine which support students will need. To learn more, visit the Supporting all Students teacher tool.

Content Knowledge and Connections

Previous Fishtank ELA Connections

Lesson Map

28
Lesson
Narrative Writing

4 days

Overview

Write a continuation of the novel Return to Sender.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer Sample Response (G5, U5, L28)
  • Complete Sample Draft (G5, U5, L28)
  • Conclusion Quick-Write (G5, U5, L28)
Day 1 - Brainstorming

Brainstorm a logical sequence of events by planning details for the events, characters, setting, and point of view in a story.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer

Standards

W.5.3.aW.5.5

Day 2 - Drafting

Draft the beginning and middle of a narrative with developed setting and characters.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer Sample Response (G5, U5, L28)
  • Day 2 Initial Draft Handout (G5, U5, L28)

Standards

W.5.3.aW.5.3.b

Day 3 - Drafting (continued)

End stories by including a resolution that is engaging and satisfies the reader.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer
  • Narrative Brainstorming Graphic Organizer Sample Response (G5, U5, L28)
  • Complete Sample Draft (G5, U5, L28)
  • Conclusion Quick-Write (G5, U5, L28)

Standards

W.5.3.bW.5.3.e

Day 4 - Revision & Editing

Revise a narrative to include precise words and phrases.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Narrative Writing Rubric (G5)

Standards

W.5.5

30
Lesson
Opinion Writing

5 days

Overview

Write an opinion piece defending if Mari and her family should have been allowed to stay.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Grade 5 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric
  • 2 Paragraph Outline
  • 3 Paragraph Outline
  • Opinion Brainstorm (G5, U5, L30)
Day 1 - Brainstorming

Brainstorm and outline ideas before defending an argument using evidence from the text.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Grade 5 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric
  • 2 Paragraph Outline
  • 3 Paragraph Outline
  • Opinion Brainstorm (G5, U5, L30)

Standards

W.5.1W.5.1.a

Day 2 - Drafting

Draft an opinion piece that clearly states the topic and position using questions, facts, images, or examples.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Grade 5 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric
  • 2 Paragraph Outline
  • 3 Paragraph Outline

Standards

W.5.1.a

Day 3 - Drafting (continued)

Draft strong body paragraphs that group details together by determining which information strongly supports the position. 

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Grade 5 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric
  • 2 Paragraph Outline
  • 3 Paragraph Outline

Standards

W.5.1.b

Day 4 - Drafting Conclusions

Draft a strong concluding statement by using transition words and phrases, a question, or suggestion.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Grade 5 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric
  • 2 Paragraph Outline
  • 3 Paragraph Outline

Standards

W.5.1.d

Day 5 - Revision & Editing

Writers revise their work by rearranging sentences in a paragraph for cohesion and coherence.

Materials
  • Return to Sender
  • Grade 5 Literary Analysis and Opinion Writing Rubric

Standards

Common Core Standards

Core Standards

L.5.1
L.5.1.a
L.5.1.e
L.5.2
L.5.2.b
RI.5.1
RL.5.2
RL.5.3
RL.5.6
SL.5.1
SL.5.2
SL.5.3
SL.5.4
SL.5.5
W.5.1
W.5.1.a
W.5.1.b
W.5.1.c
W.5.1.d
W.5.3
W.5.3.a
W.5.3.b
W.5.3.e
W.5.9.a

Supporting Standards

L.5.4
L.5.4.b
L.5.5
L.5.6
RF.5.3
RF.5.4
RL.5.1
RL.5.4
RL.5.10
W.5.3.c
W.5.3.d
W.5.4
W.5.5
W.5.6
W.5.10

Read Next

Friendship Across Boundaries: Return to Sender
Lesson 1
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