English Language Arts — Grade 5

Civil War Tribune

This lesson focuses on student creativity along with the writing process. Art is also incorporated in a unique way. Students will use their research skills to complete a creative writing project on the Civil War.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

By Aimee Adkins.

Exploring the Everglades

After reading the book, Everglades, by Jean Craighead George, students will apply basic Internet navigation and computer skills to complete a scavenger hunt about the Everglades. As a culmination activity, students will use a word processing program to type a paragraph detailing what they have learned about the Everglades.

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

By Debbie Fox.

Simple: Now compound (post-visit)

This lesson focuses on the process of combining two or more simple machines to form a compound machine. It is the third in a sequence of lessons on machines. The others are Lesson 1: Let's make it simple (pre-visit) and Lesson 2: Make it simple: Now find it(museum visit).

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Science)

By Becky Robinson.

Simplicity: A Literature Based Paideia Seminar

Students will apply their knowledge of how developments in the history of the United States, as well as the world, can impact the lives of people today. The lesson is based on the picture book entitled, The Simple People, written by Tedd Arnold and illustrated by Andrew Shachat. (Summary: The simple people enjoy the simple life until one of the character's inventions is used to make life more complicated. As a result, everyone forgets the simple things in life.) After a Paideia seminar discussing the book, students will select a modern invention, research the history of its development and how it impacts society, and create a multi-media presentation.

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

By Krista Hannah.

WOLVES: Comprehending Informational Texts

This integrated plan uses non-fiction text and wolves to motivate students with language arts and science. Students will read a nonfiction text and use metacognitive skills of guided reading and KWHL chart to monitor comprehension and extend vocabulary.

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Computer Technology Skills)

By Amy Vance.

Lesson plans on the web

Alliteration all around

In this lesson, students are introduced to alliteration through picture books by Pamela Duncan Edwards. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Author study: Improving reading comprehension using inference and comparison

In this lesson, students review several texts by one illustrator/author, practice making inferences about that author, and then check their inferences against the author's online biography. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Blending fiction and nonfiction to improve comprehension and writing skills

Introduces text sets to increase student interest in and understanding of content area material and to develop critical writing skills. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 3–6 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Buzz! Whiz! Bang! Using comic books to teach onomatopoeia

This lesson uses comic strips to introduce students to onomatopoeia, words that imitate the natural sound associated with an action or an object. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Can you convince me?: Developing persuasive writing

Students are engaged in developing their skills of persuasion in a classroom game that introduces students to the basic concepts of lobbying for something that is important to them (or that they want) and making persuasive arguments. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Charlotte is wise, patient, and caring: Adjectives and character traits

Students define the purpose of adjectives and find examples in shared reading. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Color Poems--Using the Five Senses to Guide Prewriting

Students use their five senses as a prewriting tool to guide their poetry writing. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Comics in the classroom as an introduction to genre study

Students explore a variety of comic strips and discuss the different components and conventions of them. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Comics in the classroom as an introduction to narrative structure

Students examine the plot and narrative structure of a story through the use of comic strip frames. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Creating a classroom newspaper

Students write authentic newspaper stories. Various aspects of newspapers are covered, including parts of a newspaper, writing an article, online newspapers, newspaper reading habits, and layout and design techniques. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Cyberspace explorer: Getting to know Christopher Columbus

This lesson supports the exploration of multiple online sources to gather information about the life of a well-known explorer, Christopher Columbus. Extension activities promote critical literacy by exposing students to Columbus from the perspective of the Native Americans and by engaging them in a discussion of point-of-view. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Social Studies and English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Dear Librarian: Writing a persuasive letter

Inspired by the actions in Beverly Cleary’s book Emily’s Runaway Imagination, in this lesson plan, students write to their school librarian, requesting that a specific text be added to the library collection. (Learn more)

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

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Declare the causes: The Declaration of Independence

Introduces students to the development of the Declaration of Indepedence as both an historical process and a writing process through the use of role play and creative writing. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provider: National Endowment for the Humanities

Did you say spiders?

Students work cooperatively using response journals and online resources to inquire into the world of spiders, gather information about various types of spiders, and create a multimedia project about one particular type of spider. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science and English Language Arts)

Provider: IRA/NCTE

Engaging students in a collaborative exploration of the “Gettysburg Address”

This lesson invites groups of students to learn more about the historical significance of President Abraham Lincoln's famous speech, the “Gettysburg Address” as well as the time period and people involved. (Learn more)

Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Social Studies)

Provider: IRA/NCTE