Grade 5 PSSA Language/Conventions
PARTS of SPEECH
Topic
General
Verbs
Nouns, Proper
Nouns
PA Core Eligible Content
Explain the function of conjunctions,
prepositions, and interjections in
general and their function in particular
sentences. (D.1.1.1)
Units of Study Lessons
Use correlative conjunctions (eg:
either/or; neither/nor). (D.1.1.5)
Form and use the perfect verb tenses
(eg: I had walked; I have walked; I will
have walked). (D.1.1.2)
Use verb tense to convey various times,
sequences, states and conditions.
(D.1.1.3)
Recognize and correct inappropriate
shifts in verb tense. * (D.1.1.4)
Naming people and places that matter
Unit 1, Lesson 2: Dreaming
the Dream of the Story;
naming people and places
that matter
How Might This Look in Practice?
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 30
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 41
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 31
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 32
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 33
AGREEMENT
Topic
Subject-Verb
Agreement
PA Core Eligible Content
Ensure subject-verb agreement.
(D.1.1.8)
PronounAntecedent
Agreement
Ensure pronoun-antecedent agreement.
(D.1.1.8)
Units of Study Lessons
How Might This Look in Practice?
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 35
SENTENCES
Topic
Types of
Sentences
PA Core Eligible Content
Produce complete sentences,
recognizing and correcting
inappropriate fragments and run-on
sentences. (D.1.1.6)
Expand, combine and reduce
sentences for meaning, reader/listener
interest, and style. (D.2.1.1)
Units of Study Lessons
Unit 2, Lesson 19: MidWorkshop: Dividing
Overlong Sentences
Unit 2, Lesson 19: Small
Group, Editing (Adding
information into sentences)
Adding quotations
conventionally
How Might This Look in Practice?
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 38
Unit 3, Lesson 18: Editing
to Match Sound to
Meaning, Vary the way we
begin sentences; Vary the
length of sentences
CAPITALIZATION
Topic
Titles
PA Core Eligible Content
Use underlining, quotation marks, or
italics to indicate to indicate titles of
works. (D.1.2.4)
Units of Study Lessons
How Might This Look in Practice?
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 40
Units of Study Lessons
Unit 1, Lesson 18: Editing:
The Power of Commas
(“What does the comma
do?”)
How Might This Look in Practice?
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 34
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 36
PUNCTUATION
Topic
Commas
PA Core Eligible Content
Use punctuation to separate items in a
series. * (D.1.2.1)
Use a comma to separate in
introductory element from the rest of the
sentence. (D.1.2.2)
Use a comma to set off the words yes
and no (eg: Yes, thank you), to set off a
tag question from the rest of the
Unit 1, Lesson 19:
Mechanics – improving the
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 37
sentence (eg: It’s true, isn’t it?), and to
indicate direct address (eg: Is that you,
Steve?). (D.1.2.3)
quality of writing –
punctuation
Parentheses
Adding information inside sentences
Quotation
Marks
Using quotations conventionally
Unit 2, Lesson 19: Is the
info “big” enough to need its
own sentence?
(Information that is not very
connected)
Unit 1, Lesson 9:
Elaborating on Important
Parts: Add Dialogue
Unit 2, Lesson 19: Is the
info “big” enough to need its
own sentence?
(Information that is fairly
connected)
Unit 1, Lesson 14:
Taking Writing to the
Workbench, Raising the
Level of Narrative Writing –
internal thoughts
Unit 2, Lesson 19: Small
Group, Editing (Adding
quotations conventionally)
Coloe
Choose punctuation to bring out tone
Punctuation
Choose punctuation for effect (D.2.1.3)
Unit 3, Lesson 18,
Conferring and Small
Group: Use sentence
structure to vary the sound
SPELLING
Topic
High-frequency
words
PA Core Eligible Content
Correctly use frequently confused
words (eg: to, too, two; there, their
they’re) (D.1.1.7)
Units of Study Lessons
How Might This Look in Practice?
Spelling
patterns and
generalizations
Spell grade-appropriate words correctly.
(D.1.2.5)
PA Core Eligible Content
Choose words and phrases for effect.
(D.2.1.4)
Choose words and phrases to convey
ideas precisely. * (D.2.1.2)
Units of Study Lessons
Unit 3, Lesson 11: Editing
for Voice
How Might This Look in Practice?
Editing Checklist, Unit 3 & 4 (complete
sentences, capitalization, dialogue
(commas/quotes), agreement, spelling,
frequently confused words,
paragraph/indent), voice
Unit 3, Lesson 11: Editing
for Voice
Unit 4, Lesson 21:
Paragraphing Choice
Reading Aloud to Edit
Unit 3, Lesson 18: Editing
to Match Sound to Meaning
Unit 4, Lesson 21:
Paragraphing Choices
WORD USAGE
Topic
Diction
Editing
Checklist
Paragraphing
Paragraphing Choices
(informational/argument: transitional
words/phrases, new information, new
part, new idea, new reason/evidence…;
narrative: new person speaking, new
time or place, highlight an important
part; texts should have distinct ideas
flowing in logical sequence)
PSSA Grade 5 Preliminary Item and
Scoring Sampler 2013-14, question 39