Empowering
Writers
Your Grade 5 Guide to Everything
LAL!
Attached you will find a month by month
breakdown of the LAL Skills and Writing Topics
covered in Grade 5. You will also find a
compilation of books to Read Aloud, Novel Sets,
DVD’s and Science and Social Studies activities
that correlate to it all. This isn’t meant to tell you
what you need to do; rather it should be viewed as
a toolbox from which you can select what will
work best for you and your students. Enjoy!
Month One: September – Amusement Parks
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Subject/Predicates
Conflict Resolution
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester One)
Character Motive
Setting
Context Clues
Theme
Literary Criticism
Graphic Organizers
Reference Sources
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Science – Forces, Chapter 11
STEM Project – (Option A) Ship The Chip
Tissue Paper Parachute
Next Gen Science Standards: 5-PS2 Motion & Stability
Supplemental Resources:
Websites: www.disneyworld.com
www.greatadventure.com
DVD’s: Disney Parks, The Science of Disney Engineering, Newton’s 3 Laws of Motion
Fiction: The Ride that Really Haunted by Steven Brezenoff
Box Car Children: The Boardwalk Mystery by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Wet and Wild by Nancy Krulik
How did they Build that Waterpark? By Nancy Robinson Masters
Gator by Randy Cecil
The Man Who Walked Between the Towers by Mordicai Gerstein
Non-Fiction: Amusement Park Science, Call #531GRE
Amusement Parks: Perimeter and Area, Call #516IRV
Twists and Turns: Forces in Motion, Call #531LEP
Falling for Fun: Gravity in Action, Call #531LEP
High Speed Thrills: Acceleration and Velocity, Call #531LEP
Month Two: October – It’s Magic!
Types of Writing
Covered
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester One)
Character Motive
Setting
Context Clues
Theme
Literary Criticism
Graphic Organizers
Reference Sources
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Social Studies Unit of Choice
STEM Project – (Option B) Making Ice Cream
Electrifying a Plastic Pipe
(Info can be found in Chapter 23 of Natural World Through Children’s Literature in Joy D. Miller Library)
Next Gen Science Standards: 5-PS1 Matter and Its Interactions
5-PS2 Motion and Stability
Science Activities: What puts fizz in soda?
Penny for your thoughts.
Math - Magic 9s.
Magic Squares
(Chapter 23, pages 145-149- The Natural World Through Children’s Literature, by Carol M Butzow & John W
Butzow)
Language Arts - Fairy Tale Plays, by Scholastic
(This book includes 5 funny plays with related writing activities, graphic organizers, explore plot, characters,
and setting. )
Grammar - Poems with Activities, by Scholastic
Supplemental Resources:
Websites: www.Timeforkids.com
www.davidcopperfield.com
www.seigfriedandroy.com
www.thegreatharryhoudini.com
DVD’s:
Fiction:
Non-Fiction:
Novel Sets: The Magicians Elephant, The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Tiger
Rising, Jennifer Murdley’s Toad, Matilda, Tuck Everlasting, City of Ember, The Lion, The
Witch and the Wardrobe, Prince Caspian, The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, How Ben
Franklin Stole the Lightning
Month Three: November – Amazing Human Body
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Verbs
Compare and Contrast
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester One)
Character Motive
Setting
Context Clues
Theme
Literary Criticism
Graphic Organizers
Reference Sources
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Health – The Great Body Shop
Next Gen Science Standards: 5-PS3 Energy
5-LS1 From Molecules to Organisms
Science Activity: What happens if you swallow gum?
Supplemental Resources:
Websites: www.Kidshealth.org/kid
www.Sciencekids.co.nz/humanbody
www.Kidsdiscover.com/humanbody
DVD’s: Bill Nye: Blood and Circulation, Bill Nye: Bones and Muscles, Bill Nye: Cells,
Bill Nye: Digestion, Bill Nye: Nutrition, Human Body: All About Cells and Body
Systems, The Magic School Bus: The Human Body, The Magic School Bus: Flexes its
muscles
Fiction: Head, Body, Legs: A Story from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye
Unstoppable by Tim Green
The House of the Scorpian by Nancy Farmer
Soul Surfer: A True Story by Sheryl Berk
Arthur’s Eyes by Mark Brown
Arthur’s Chickenpox by Mark Brown
Arthur’s Tooth by Mark Brown
From Head to Toe by Eric Carle
Miss Bindergarten Stays Home From Kindergarten by J. Slate
Harry Takes a Bath by H. Ziefert
Officer Buckle and Gloria by P. Rathmann
The Magic School Bus: Inside the Human Body by Joanna Cole
The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
The Popcorn Book by Tommy DePaola
Today I Feel Silly and Other Moods by Jamie Lee Curtis
Non-Fiction: Striped Shirt and Flowered Pants: A Story About Alzheimer’s by Barbara
Schnunrbush
Inside your outside! By, Tish Rabe
The Body Book by Sara Bonnett Stein
I wonder Why I Blink and Other Questions About My Body By Brigid
Avison
The Little Brainwaves Investigate – Human Body by Caroline Bingham,
Lisa Swerling and Ralph Lazar
My Five Senses by Aliki
My feet by Aliki
The Brain: Our Nervous System by Semour Simon
The Heart: Our Circulatory System by Semour Simon
Bones: Our Skeletal System by Semour Simon
Germs! Germs! Germs! By Barbara Katz
The Body by My Science Notebook
Why I can’t Eat Just Candy By Ruth Thomson
You Are Weird by Diane Swanson
Every Body Tells A Story by Junior Adventure
Novel Sets: Tuck Everlasting, Hatchet, Brian’s Winter, Maniac McGee
Month Four: December – Giving and Receiving
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Author’s Purpose
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester Two)
Compare and Contrast
Generalization
Context Clues
Cause and Effect
Word Parts
Literary Criticism
Theme
Inferences
Synonyms/Antonyms
Point of View
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Social Studies Unit of Choice
Next Gen Science Standards: 5-ESS3 Earth & Human Activity
Supplemental Resources:
Read Aloud: The Mitten by Jan Brett (Theme)
The First Day of Winter by Denise Fleming and Harry Holt
Winter Lights by Anna Gross and Nicole Hines (Compare & Contrast)
Marco Flamingo by Marco Flaminco (Compare and Contrast)
Snow Sounds by David A. Johnson
The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein (Author’s Purpose)
The Stranger by Chris Van Alsburg
Polar Express by Chris Van Alsburg
The 13th Clue by Ann Jonas
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka
Novel Sets: Dear Mr. Henshaw, Tuck Everlasting, Tale of Despereaux, The Giver,
Number the Stars, Lawn Boy
Month Five: January – Wild Weather
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Main Event
Connotation
Powerful Details
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester Two)
Compare and Contrast
Generalization
Context Clues
Cause and Effect
Word Parts
Literary Criticism
Theme
Inferences
Synonyms/Antonyms
Point of View
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Science: Climate, Chapter 7
STEM Project – Erosion, Glaciers
STEM Project- Shakin’ It Up
Next Gen Science Standards: 5-ESS2 Earth’s Systems
5-LS2- Ecosystems
Supplemental Resources:
Website: http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/for fun/TornadoBottle.pdf
DVD’s: The Magic School Bus Takes Flight, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs,
Protecting Our Planet, Bill Nye the Science Guy
Read Aloud: How Ben Franklin Stole Lightning, Call #BFRA
Balto and the Great Race, Call #KIM
Cold Snap! Frosty Poems by Audrey Baird, Call #811BAI
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett, Call #FIC BAR
Non-Fiction: The Joy D. Miller Library has a wide variety of Weather related texts.
Search the Non-Fiction section beginning with #551.
Novel Sets: The Night of the Twisters, Escaping the Giant Wave, Snow Treasure
Month Six: February – Test Review
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Timeline
Maps
Compare and Contrast
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester Two)
Compare and Contrast
Generalization
Context Clues
Cause and Effect
Word Parts
Literary Criticism
Theme
Inferences
Synonyms/Antonyms
Point of View
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Science: Volcanoes, Chapter 5
STEM: Make a Volcano
Next Gen Science Standards: 5-ESS2 Earth’s Systems
Supplemental Resources:
Websites: www.nationalgeographic.com
www.discovery.com
DVD’s: Bill Nye: Earth’s Crust, Bill Nye: Volcanoe’s, Bill Nye: Earthquakes
Read Aloud: The Volcano Disaster by Peg Kehret, Call #FIC KEH
The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister
Swimmy by Leo Lionni
Officer Buckle and Gloria by Peggy Rathman
Enemy Pie by Derek Munson
Non-Fiction: Best Book of Volcanoes by Simon Adams, Call #551.21
Volcanoes by Chris Durban, Call #551.21
Earthquakes by Daniel Rogers, Call # 551.21
The 2011 Japan Disasters, Call # 952.0512
How the Earth Works, Call # 550 ORB
Month Seven: March – Earth and Space
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Timeline
Maps
Compare and Contrast
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester Three)
Author’s Purpose
Literary Devices
Drawing Conclusions
Word Parts
Main Idea/Details
Paraphrasing
Fact and Opinion
Graphic Sources
Making Judgments
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Science: Astronomy, Chapter 8
STEM: Volcano Project
Next Gen Science: 5-ESS2: Earth’s Systems
Supplemental Resources:
DVD’s:
Read Aloud: Every Soul A Star by Wendy Mass
Spy Force Mission In Search of the Time and Space Machine by
Deborah Abela
Older Than The Stars by Karen C. Fox
The Zoo In The Sky by Jacqueline Mitton
Non-Fiction: The Inner Planets (An Article for Comprehension found on
K12reader.com).
Novel Sets:
Month Eight: April – Transportation
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Main Idea
Genre
Author’s Purpose
Powerful Details
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester Three)
Author’s Purpose
Literary Devices
Drawing Conclusions
Word Parts
Main Idea/Details
Paraphrasing
Fact and Opinion
Graphic Sources
Making Judgments
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Science: Rocks and Minerals, Chapter 6
Next Gen Science: 5-ESS1 Earth’s Place in the Universe
STEM: Design a spacecraft or Paper Mache Planets
Science Activity: Why do we weigh more on Earth than on the Moon?
Why don’t planets crash into each other?
Social Studies Unit of Choice
Supplemental Resources:
DVD’s: Ruby Bridges
Read Aloud: Lon Popo by Ed Young (Compare and Contrast)
Little Red Riding Hood (Compare and Contrast)
The True Story of the Three Little Pigs (Compare and Contrast)
The Three Little Pigs (Compare and Contrast)
Stellaluna by Jannell Cannan (Drawing Conclusions)
Is Your Mama a Llama? By Deborah Guarino (Drawing Conclusions)
Smoky Night by Eve Bunting (Drawing Conclusions)
The Pain and the Great One by Judy Blume (Main Idea)
I Wanna Iguana (Author’s Purpose)
Freckle Face Strawberry (Author’s Purpose)
The Boy of Fairfield Street By Kathleen Krull (Author’s Purpose)
Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig
Non-Fiction: The Magic School Bus Inside Earth
The Magic School Bus Liz Sorts It Out
Rocks: Hard, Soft, Smooth and Rough by Natalie Rosinsky
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It
Novel Sets: Stargirl, Hatchet, Bud – Not Buddy, George Washington’s Socks, Titanic,
Ruby Bridges
Month Nine: May – Oceans
Types of Writing
Covered
Narrative
Expository
Persuasive
Empowering Writer’s
Skills
Elaborative Details
Describe Setting
Incorporating facts
Similes
Figurative Language
Language Arts Pacing
Guide Skills
(Trimester Three)
Author’s Purpose
Literary Devices
Drawing Conclusions
Word Parts
Main Idea/Details
Paraphrasing
Fact and Opinion
Graphic Sources
Making Judgments
Additional Topics/Subjects that correlate:
Science: Ecosystems, Chapter 3
Next Gen Science: 5-LS2 Ecosystems-Interactions, Energy & Dynamics
STEM Project: Biomes
Create-A-Car
Supplemental Resources:
Websites: www.ocean.si.edu/SmithsonianOceanPortal
www.ocean.nationalgeographic.com
www.seewinter.com
www.noaa.gov/ocean.html
www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/ocean
www.data.gov/ocean/community/ocean
www.marinemammalstrandingcenter.org
http://wetlandsinstitute.org
www.adventureaquarium.com
www.montereybayaquarium.org
www.cousteau.org
DVD’s: Finding Nemo, Dolphin’s Tale, Bill Nye The Science Guy, Disney Nature
Oceans, Disney Nature Earth, Eyewitness Ocean, Eyewitness Seashore, The Magic
School Bus Takes a Dive, Habitats and Biomes – Ecosystems of the World, The Great
Barrier Reef, Plants of the Rainforest.
Read Aloud: A Swim Through the Sea by Kristen Joy Pratt
Over In The Ocean: In a Coral Reef
Ocean Soup Tides – Pool Poems by Stephen R. Swinburn
At the Sea Floor Café: Odd Ocean Critter Poems by Leslie Bulion
Dolphin Tale: A Tale of True Friendship by Emma Ryan
Winter’s Tail by Craig Hatkoff
Life In The Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle
Somewhere In The Ocean by Jennifer Ward and TJ Marsh
Non-Fiction: All of the following can be found in the Joy D. Miller Library
Section 551
One Well, The Story of Water on Earth
Geography – First Coasts
What Makes an Ocean Wave
World Wise Beneath the Ocean
The Incredible Journey to the Depths of the Ocean
Bill Nye The Science Guy – Big Blue Ocean
Artic Ocean
Indian Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Southern Ocean
Mediterranean Sea
Caribbean Sea
National Geographic Kids – Oceans
Oceans and Art Activities
Geography Detective Oceans
Exploring the Oceans Sunlit Zone
Section 571
Horseshoe Crabs and Shorebirds
Protecting Wetlands
Wetlands
Life On An Ocean Shore
The Seashore: A Saltwater Web of Life
Ocean Tide Pool
Protecting Ocean Habitats
Coral Reefs
Life In a Coral Reef
Explore the Ocean
Ocean Explorer
Novel Sets: Escape the Great Wave, The River, Dolphin Adventure, The Music of
Dolphins, Hoot
Other Resources: A Dolphin’s Tale
Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Olive’s Ocean by Kevin Henkes
The Ancient Ocean Blues by Jack Mitchell
Aquamarine by Alice Hoffman
Ocean, Tidal and Wave Energy by Lynne Peppas
Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean
Motion by Loree Griffith Burns
Far From Shore: Chronicles of An Open Ocean Voyage by
Sophie Webb
The Ocean Book: Center for Marine Conservation
Marine Biologist by William David Thomas