English Language Arts — Grade 5

Comparing/contrasting characters: A Taste of Blackberries

This lesson is designed to use with Chapter 1 of the novel A Taste of Blackberries. Students will use a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast the two main characters and then relate the material to their own lives.

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

By Denise Caudle.

Resources on the web

Sharing favorite books using interactive character trading cards

Students create trading cards as a way to recommend books they have read to classmates. After engaging students in a discussion about how they choose the books they read, the teacher introduces the idea of using trading cards as a way to recommend books... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Rudyard Kipling's "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi": Mixing Fact and Fiction

In this EDSITEment lesson, the first of a two-part curriculum unit on Rudyard Kipling, students identify key events in Kipling's life and describe their effect on his story “Rikki-Tikki-Tavi” (part of The Jungle Book). Students... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: EDSITEment

Mapping characters across book series

In this ReadWriteThink lesson, students are introduced to a character from a literature series. The class critically looks at the character and his or her development over the course of the story. Students read critically to learn about the character's... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Lewis and Clark: "The Object of This Mission"

In this lesson, students will compete against each other for the best “land” and “resources” in the classroom as a way to introduce issues involved in vying for land. They will learn about the mission of the Lewis and Clark expedition... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: Overcoming Obstacles

In this lesson, students will discuss the challenges and obstacles the Lewis and Clark expedition faced, focusing on how geographic information can influence a decision. Students will work cooperatively to make a decision, and experience the difficulty... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: Native American Contributions

In this lesson from Xpeditions, students will learn about specific instances in which Native Americans helped the Lewis and Clark expedition overcome obstacles. The expedition faced many difficult challenges, due primarily to the group's lack of knowledge... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Lewis and Clark: A Legacy to Remember

Students design a memorial that illustrates the legacy of the Lewis and Clark expedition from a geographic perspective. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 and 8 English Language Arts, Information Skills, and Social Studies)

Provided by: National Geographic

Cinderella folk tales: Variations in plot and setting

In this lesson from EDSITEment, students compare and contrast several versions of Cinderella stories told around the world to find differences and similarities in plot and setting. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: EDSITEment

Cinderella folk tales: Variations in character

In this lesson from EDSITEment, students compare and contrast several versions of Cinderella stories told around the world to find differences and similarities in character traits. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: EDSITEment

Bright Morning: Exploring character development in fiction

This lesson uses Scott O'Dell's Sing Down the Moon to explore character traits and identify textual support. After students have read the book, the teacher challenges them to describe the character Bright Morning to someone... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink

Book report alternative: Writing resumes for characters in historical fiction

In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, students select a character from a work of historical fiction then help the character choose and apply for a job. Students explore what it would be like to search for a job in the past and the qualifications that would... (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts)

Provided by: ReadWriteThink