Unit Overview
Content Area: Language Arts- Reading
Unit Title: Reading ~ Foundational Reading Skills
Unit: 1
Target Course/Grade Level: Fifth Grade
Unit Summary: Foundational Reading Skills is the first reading unit of the fifth grade year. The unit
reviews and introduces skills and strategies that enhance reading comprehension which form a foundation
for later reading analysis. The unit also serves to help students to learn how to think as readers and to
develop skills that will enhance reading enjoyment. The unit begins by reviewing how to select books at a
“just right level” and by teaching students how to select books across a variety of genres. Other skills and
strategies taught include determining the meaning of unknown words; asking questions during reading;
making predictions, connections, and inferences; and responding to text with written reading responses
utilizing textual evidence.
Primary interdisciplinary connections: Writing, Vocabulary
21st century themes and skills: Communication and Collaboration, Life and Career Skills: -flexibility and
adaptability, initiative and self-direction, social skills, productivity and accountability, leadership and
responsibility
Anchor Standards:
Anchor Standards for Reading:
Key Ideas and Details
R.1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite
specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.
Craft and Structure
R.4. Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative,
and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
R.10. Read and comprehend complex literary and informational texts independently and proficiently.
Anchor Standards for Writing:
Production and Distribution of Writing
W.4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
W.9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Anchor Standards for Language:
Vocabulary Acquisition and Use
L.4. Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases by using
context clues, analyzing meaningful word parts, and consulting general and specialized reference
materials, as appropriate.
Learning Targets/Activities
Domain: Reading, Writing, Language
Cluster: Key Ideas and Details, Craft and Structure, Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity,
Production and Distribution of Writing, Research to Build and Present Knowledge, Vocabulary
Acquisition and Use
Standard #
Standards
Quote
accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when
RL.5.1
drawing inferences from the text.
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
RL.5.4
figurative language such as metaphors and similes.
RL.5.10
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and
poetry, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and
proficiently.
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are
W.5.4
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.5.9
Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
L.5.4.A,C
Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases
based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.
A. Use context (e.g., cause/effect relationships and comparisons in text) as a clue to the
meaning of a word or phrase.
C. Consult reference materials (e.g., dictionaries, glossaries, thesauruses), both print and
digital, to find the pronunciation and determine or clarify the precise meaning of key
words and phrases.
Unit Essential Questions
Unit Enduring Understandings
•
What strategies do effective readers utilize
• Effective readers construct meaning from text
to construct meaning from texts?
using a variety of comprehension skills and
strategies (ie: vocabulary skills, rereading,
•
How do strong readers independently
questioning, etc.)
monitor their understanding of texts?
• Strong readers employ many reading
•
How do successful readers improve their
comprehension strategies (ie: making
reading level and interest?
connections, asking questions, making
•
How do readers support their thinking
predictions, inferencing, and synthesizing) to
about texts?
independently monitor their understanding of
text.
• Readers improve their skills by selecting a
variety of ‘just right’ books across many
genres.
• Students clarify and support their thinking
about reading by quoting accurately from the
texts.
Unit Learning Targets
Students will ...
 Select ‘just right’ independent reading books of interest across multiple genres. (RL.5.10)
 Review and apply previously learned reading comprehension strategies to monitor their
understanding of text. Skills and strategies will include: making predictions, visualizing,
questioning, inferencing, and making connections. (RL.5.10)
 Determine meaning of unfamiliar words by means of a variety of strategies including rereading,
context clues, etc. (RL.5.4, L.5.4a)
 Determine meaning of unfamiliar words through use of reference materials, both print and digital
(RL.5.4, L.5.4c)


Organize and write open ended reading responses about text. (W.5.4, W.5.9)
Quote accurately from the text to support ideas and conclusions drawn in written responses to
reading (RL.5.1, W.5.9)
 Make and support inferences by quoting accurately from the text (RL.5.1, W.5.9)
Learning Activities
 Whole class read alouds of picture books and/or
 Library introductory session to select books at
novels with targeted mini-lessons on reading
“just right level” across various genres for book
strategies and skills.
talk project.
 Small group picture book reading
 Independent reading of selected short stories and
novel excerpts from Out of This World
 Partner reading/ pair-share
anthology.
 Jigsaw activity
 Read Time for Kids magazines and complete
 Dictionary practice activities
accompanying activities and handouts.
 Reading responses
Evidence of Learning
Formative Assessments
 Teacher observation
 Student participation
 Application of reading skills and strategies
during group, partner, and independent reading
of picture books and novels.
 Graphic organizers





“Book mark” to record various skills/strategies
Time for Kids quizzes and activity pages
Reading Responses
Exit tickets
Novel quizzes
Summative Assessments
 Book talk project
RESOURCES/TECHNOLOGY
Teacher Instructional Resources:
 Dictionaries
 Out of This World reading anthology
 Time for Kids magazines
 Picture Books for Context Clues:
o Jabberwocky, Graeme Base (original poem by Lewis Carol)
 Picture Books for Visualizing:
o Night in the Country, Cynthia Rylant
o The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
o Tar Beach, Faith Ringgold
 Picture Books for Making Predictions:
o Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, William Steig
o For the Love of Autumn, Patricia Polacco
 Picture books for Making Connections Strategy:
o My Rotten Headed Older Brother, Patricia Polacco
o Thank You Mr. Falker, Patricia Polacco
o The Relatives Came, Cynthia Rylant
o Bedhead, Margie Palatini

Picture books for Asking Questions:
o Fly Away Home, Eve Bunting
o The Wall, Eve Bunting
o Miss Alaineus: A Vocabulary Disaster, Debra Frasier
o The Day of Ahmad’s Secret, Florence Heide and Judith Heide Gilliland
o The Stranger, Chris Van Allsburg
 Picture books for Drawing Inferences:
o Teammates, Peter Golenbock
o Tuesday, David Weisner
o Just a Dream, Chris Van Allsburg
o Babushkah’s Doll, Patricia Polacco
o Fireflies, Julie Brinkloe
 Picture books for Synthesizing:
o Zathura, Chris Van Allsburg
o Fables, Arnold Lobel
o The Sweetest Fig, Chris Van Allsburg
 Class Novel: Crash, Jerry Spinelli
 Literature Group resources: There’s a Boy in the Girls Bathroom by Louis Sachar,
Rules by Cynthia Lord, Loser by Jerry Spinelli
 In the Middle: New Understandings About Writing, Reading, and Learning, Nancie Atwell
 Guiding Readers and Writers (Grades 3-6): Teaching Comprehension, Genre, and Content
Literacy, Irene Fountas and Gay Su Pinnell
 Student “bookmark”
 Reading Skills Graphic Organizers
 Reading Response Organizer
 5th Grade Reading Response Rubric (1-4)
 Novel quizzes
Integration of Technology:
Smartboard, Elmo, internet
Technology Resources:
www.ReadingA-Z.com
www.dictionary.com
http://tc.readingandwritingproject.com
www.scholastic.com
Opportunities for Differentiation:
Leveled picture books for group work and independent reading
Differentiation of graphic organizer
Question/discussion techniques
Metacognitive strategies
Teacher Notes: