Unit Overview and plans for Fifth Grade
Big idea
This unit covers the big idea of comparing and contrasting with an election
theme.
Standards
Common Core:
ELA.5.R.C1.1 quote accurately from a literary text when explaining what the text
says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELA.5.R.C1.2 determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in a
literary text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges
or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.
ELA.5.R.C1.3 compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or events
in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the literary text.
ELA.5.W.C10.1 produce clear and coherent writing in which the development
and organization are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
ELA.5.SL.C13.1 engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (oneon-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and
texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
IRA/NCTE:
Standard 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to comprehend, interpret,
evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their prior experience, their
interactions with other readers and writers, their knowledge of word meaning and
of other texts, their word identification strategies, and their understanding of
textual features (e.g., sound-letter correspondence, sentence structure, context,
graphics).
Standard 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language to accomplish
their own purposes
Day 1:
Start with read aloud of Off and Running chapter book and discussion questions
to be answered orally.
There are Spanish words used in the text that students may not be familiar with.
Students will use context clues to figure out what the Spanish words mean in the
text.
Students will write in their journals about why they would want to be class
president or not.
There will be one small reading group that will be working with the story
Advertising in Action. Students will fill out a compare and contrast chart
worksheet for the characters in the book.
Day 2:
Start with read aloud of Off and Running chapter book and discussion questions
to be answered orally.
Students will read pages from their textbook story Off and Running.
I will write text related questions on the board and they will answer the questions
on a sheet of paper.
Students will fill out a Venn diagram sheet, comparing and contrasting character
traits of Miata and Rudy.
There will be a small reading group working with the story Who’s Running for
President? Students will fill out a compare and contrast chart worksheet for the
characters in the book.
Day 3:
Start with read aloud of Off and Running chapter book and discussion questions
to be answered orally.
Students will read pages from their textbook story Off and Running. We will
discuss the reading together.
Students will fill out a worksheet in Trophies Practice Book pg. 91-92.
There will be a small reading group working with the story The Best Candidate.
Students will fill out a compare and contrast chart worksheet for the characters in
the book.
Students will add in more entries on their Venn diagrams.
Day 4:
Start with read aloud of Off and Running chapter book and discussion questions
to be answered orally.
Students will add in more entries to their Venn diagrams.
Students will use their textbook to answer the questions for Off and Running in
their practice book on pg. A81-84
There will be a small reading group working with the story Holidays, Family, and
Fun. Students will fill out a compare and contrast chart worksheet for the holidays
in the book.
Day 5:
Start with read aloud of Off and Running chapter book and discussion questions
to be answered orally.
Students will add in more entries to their Venn diagrams.
Students will have time to finish up and turn in questions for Off and Running in
their practice book on pg. A81-84
There will be a small reading group working with the book Election 2000.
Students will fill out a compare and contrast chart worksheet for the characters in
the book.
Day: 6
Start with read aloud of Off and Running chapter book and discussion questions
to be answered orally.
Students will add in more entries to their Venn diagrams and they should be
completed.
Students will write a campaign speech as if they were going out to be president.
Students will volunteer to give there speeches to the class.
Wrap up
Lessons 1-5
1.
Big Idea: Introduce the concept of running for class president.
2. Common Core and IRA Standards:
ELA.5.R.C1.1 quote accurately from a literary text when explaining what the
text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
ELA.5.W.C10.1 produce clear and coherent writing in which the development
and organization are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
IRA/NCTE Standard 3. Students apply a wide range of strategies to
comprehend, interpret, evaluate, and appreciate texts. They draw on their
prior experience, their interactions with other readers and writers, their
knowledge of word meaning and of other texts, their word identification
strategies, and their understanding of textual features (e.g., sound-letter
correspondence, sentence structure, context, graphics).
3. KUD’s (objectives):
Students will know the main characters and setting of Off and Running.
Students will know the meaning of several Spanish words/phrases found in
the text.
Students will understand that there is a process to running for class
president.
Students will be able to use context clues to figure out the meaning or
Spanish words/phrases in the text.
Students will be able to describe what they think it takes to run in an election.
Students will be able to express why or why they would not want to run for
class president.
4. Instructional Strategies:
Read aloud and pre-reading predictions, context clues, group discussion,
independent journal writing
5. Materials:
Book: Off and Running by Gary Soto (Ch. 1-2)
Advertising in Action by Judith Irving
Compare and contrast chart worksheet
Writing journal or sheet of paper to put into journal
Writing utensil
6. Assessment: Formative Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on their oral responses to the discussion
questions, whether or not they can effectively use context clues and
inferences to figure out word meanings, how well they give an explanation to
their journal writing topic
7. Essential Questions
What do you think this book is going to be about?
What does it take to be elected for class president?
8. Procedure:
This lesson will begin with engaging students in a read aloud of Off and
Running. I will ask them the essential questions to get them thinking about
the topic, and then I will present the cover of the book to the students. Next, I
will ask if anyone has read or heard of the book, and ask the students to
make predictions of what they think the book is going to be about.
During and after reading students will explore several whole group
discussion questions. For example: Where do you think the setting takes
place?
What other language does Miata speak besides English?
What nationality do you think the majority of the characters are?
Why do you think Miata and the rest of the school were so shocked when Mr.
Rios announces that Rudy and Alex were in the election running?
There are several Spanish words in the text and students will need to use
context clues to try to figure out their meanings. Students will explain why
they think that the words mean what they do by pulling things out of the text.
For example: after Mr. Rios sneezes, Miata says “Salud”. We can infer that
“Salud” means “Bless you”.
Students will then elaborate on the question “Would you want to run for
class president or vice president? Why or why not?”. This response will be
written in their journal or on a sheet of paper, and added to one of their
writing notebooks.
While students are working on their journal, I will have a reading group come
to the back with me. I will introduce the book Advertising in Action and
students will read independently. After they read to page 3, I will start to
explain the compare and contrast and give an example. Then students will
continue reading and filling out the rest of the chart as they go. We will
discuss answers and then students can return to their seats to finish their
journal writing.
9. Contingency:
If there is any spare time, I will have students volunteer to talk about their
responses they wrote in their journals if they would want to run for class
president or not.
1.
Big Idea: Compare and contrast characters.
2. Common Core and IRA Standards:
ELA.5.R.C1.3 – compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or
events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the literary text
IRA/NCTE Standard 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language
to accomplish their own purposes
3. KUD’s (objectives):
Students will know the two main candidates in the class election, they will
know vocabulary words: candidate, campaign, and debate.
Students will understand what it means to compare and contrast character
traits between two people.
Students will be able to identify character traits that are similar and different
between Miata and Rudy. They will also be able to describe these
characteristics.
5. Instructional Strategies: Read aloud, group discussion, independent
reading, flexible grouping
6. Materials:
Book: Off and Running by Gary Soto (Ch. 3-4)
Reading textbook pg. 492 Off and Running by Gary Soto
Venn diagram worksheet
Book: Who’s Running for President? By Nomi Waldman
Compare and contrast chart worksheet
6. Assessment: Formative Evaluation
Students will be assessed on how well they fill out the Venn diagram with
characteristics for each character and how accurate their comparing and
contrasting is between them. I will also be assessing their comprehension
through in-text questions students will answer independently.
7. Essential Questions:
What type of character traits make Miata and Rudy unique candidates?
What kind of issues are discussed in a debate?
8. Procedure:
This lesson will begin with engaging students in a read aloud of Off and
Running (Ch. 3-4). We will be discussing Miata and Rudy’s character traits in
this lesson so I will have them explore and begin to think of what type of
character traits make Miata and Rudy unique candidates throughout the
reading. They will be asked the two essential questions. After the reading,
we will discuss as a group how the candidates are preparing for the election
and what they are doing for their campaigns.
Students will get out their reading textbooks and begin reading the story Off
and Running. After the reading, I will be asking several text related questions
(they will be written on the board) about what they just read and students will
explain their answers on a sheet of paper.
While the class is working on the questions, I will have one reading group
come to the back with me and we will read Who’s Running for President? We
will talk a little about the book to begin, and then they will read to themselves.
Students will be given a worksheet with a compare and contrast chart to fill
out. We will discuss what it means to compare and contrast and what they
need to do with the chart. I will give them an example then they can continue
to read and add other things. When the group is finished they can go back to
their seats.
Next, students will elaborate by filling out a Venn diagram of character traits
of Miata and Rudy that we see so far. I will give an example to get them
started. The worksheet is to be filled out as we progress through the story.
9. Contingency: With extra time, I will fill in a Venn diagram on the board
with all of the character traits the students have come up with so far. This will
help them compare their answers and see how well they paid attention to the
text.
1. Big Idea: Drawing inferences from text to create ideas to compare and
contrast.
3. Common Core and IRA Standards:
ELA.5.R.C1.1 quote accurately from the test when explaining what the text
says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.
IRA/NCTE Standard 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language
to accomplish their own purposes
3. KUD’s (objectives):
Students will know vocabulary words and definitions for campaign,
residence, obnoxious, endorse, and graffiti.
Students will understand that sometimes we have to look deeper to
understand ideas in a text and that they may not be written plainly to us. We
have to infer to what it is the author is trying to get across to us.
Students will describe the main characters through a Venn diagram.
Students will also analyze text in order to answer questions about the
reading.
6. Instructional Strategies:
Read aloud, whole group discussion, flexible grouping, independent reading,
graphic organizer (Venn diagram), independent written work
7. Materials:
Book: Off and Running by Gary Soto (Ch. 5-6)
Venn diagram worksheet from previous lesson
Reading textbook pg. 500-506 Off and Running by Gary Soto
Trophies Practice Book pg. 91-92
Book: The Best Candidate by Josh Craig
Compare and contrast chart worksheet
6. Assessment: Formative Evaluation
I will be assessing students by how well they answer the guided reading
questions. I will also be assessing how well they complete their workbook
pages. In their groups, I will be assessing how well they can pick out traits to
compare and contrast between characters. I will be checking their graphic
organizers (Venn diagram) to make sure they are filling it in with responses
and how accurate they are.
7. Essential Questions:
What can similarities and differences tell us about each other?
What were Rudy and Miata’s motives for running for class president?
8. Procedure:
I will start by engaging students with a read aloud of chapters 5-6 of Off and
Running. Before we start reading, I want to pose the essential questions to
the students to get them thinking about what this story is really about. We are
starting to get more into detail about the characters and who they are, and it
is important for the students to start seeing this as the big picture. I will be
asking questions to review what has happened so far, and then make
predictions of what will happen next. As we read, I will go over the Spanish
words in the text and ask several questions to keep students interacting.
Students will begin reading their textbook pages 500-506 and given guided
reading questions to explore while they are reading. Students will explain
their answers as we discuss these questions when they have them
completed, as well as all of the vocabulary words in the story. They will also
be assigned pg 91-92 of their practice books to be done on their own time.
I will have a reading group that will be working with me on the story The Best
Candidate, and we will be putting together a compare and contrast
worksheet for the characters in the book. We will talk about the book and I
will help them get started on the chart worksheet. We will be discussing what
it means to compare and contrast and students will mark things down on the
chart as the read. When they are finished we will talk about it and then they
can go back to their seats.
Lastly, students will elaborate more on their Venn diagram they started in
the previous lesson. They will add more things comparing and contrasting
Miata to Rudy.
9. Contingency: If there is any extra time, I will allow the students to work
on the worksheet in their practice books, pg. 91-92.
1.
Big Idea: Determining overall theme or idea of text.
4. Common Core and IRA Standards:
ELA.5.R.C1.2 determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in a
literary text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to
challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize
the text.
ELA.5.SL.C13.1 engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions
(one-on-one, in groups and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5
topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
IRA/NCTE Standard 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language
to accomplish their own purposes
3. KUD’s (objectives):
Students will know the main theme and ideas for their textbooks story Off
and Running.
Students will understand that authors have a purpose for writing.
Students will analyze the entire text and describe why they think the main
idea of the book is and evaluate why the author wrote it.
7. Instructional Strategies:
Read aloud, group discussion, graphic organizer, independent reading,
independent explorations, flexible grouping
8. Materials:
Book: Off and Running by Gary Soto (Ch. 7-8)
Venn diagram worksheet from previous lesson
Reading textbook Off and Running by Gary Soto
Trophies Practice Book pg. A81-84
Book: Holidays, Family, and Fun by Alma Flor Ada
Compare and contrast chart worksheet
6. Assessment: Formative Evaluation
I will be assessing students on how well they are coming along with their
Venn diagram and how accurate it is. I will be assessing how well they can
come up with ideas for their compare and contrast chart with their small
group reading. I will also be assessing how much they get correct on the
workbook assignment.
7. Essential Questions:
Why do you think Miata is stressed out about this election?
What does the election really mean to her?
8. Procedure:
I will start by engaging students with a read aloud of chapters 7-8 of Off and
Running. We will go over what happened previously and then make
predictions for what will happen next. I want the students to be thinking about
the essential questions and explore some ideas as to what the answer could
be.
Students will have a chance to read back through their textbook story Off and
Running and we will discuss any questions they may have about the story.
They will explain what they think the theme of the story is and how the
characters were a part of that theme. We will also discuss why they think the
author wrote this book. Students will begin working on pg. A81-84 of their
practice books. They can use their textbooks to explain the answers to the
story questions Off and Running.
While students are working on that, I will have a small reading group in the
back with me. We will be working with the book Holidays, Family, and Fun.
We will talk about the book some, then students will fill out a compare and
contrast chart worksheet for the holidays discussed in the book. We will go
over the answers when they are finished, then they can return to their seats.
Lastly, students will elaborate more on their Venn diagrams.
9. Contingency: If there is any extra time, I will allow the students to do a
journal entry on any topic we have discussed so far that has to do with Off
and Running. They can talk about the characters, class elections, anything
we have covered.
1. Big Idea: Summarizing and drawing conclusions to a story and putting
the knowledge gained into writing.
5. Common Core and IRA Standards:
ELA.5.R.C1.3 compare and contrast two or more characters, settings or
events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the literary text.
ELA.5.W.C10.1 produce clear and coherent writing in with the development
and organization are appropriate to task, purpose and audience.
IRA/NCTE Standard 12. Students use spoken, written, and visual language
to accomplish their own purposes.
3. KUD’s (objectives):
Students will know the winner of the fifth grade president.
Students will understand how to create an appropriate campaign speech.
Students will create a campaign speech.
8. Instructional Strategies:
Read aloud, group discussion, graphic organizer, independent reading,
independent explorations, flexible grouping, writing assignment, oral
presentation
9. Materials:
Book: Off and Running by Gary Soto (Ch. 9-11)
Venn diagram worksheet from previous lesson
Reading textbook Off and Running by Gary Soto
Trophies Practice Book pg. A81-84
Book: Election 2000 by Elaine Israel
Compare and contrast chart worksheet
Sheet of notebook paper and pencil
6. Assessment: Summative Evaluation
I will be assessing on how well students understand the compare and
contrast concept by the Venn diagrams they did throughout the unit. I will
also be collect the workbook page A81-84 to see how well they
comprehended the textbook story. Each student will be created a speech as
if they were running for president. I want to see how well they picked up on
key concepts of campaigning and incorporated that into their writing.
7. Essential Questions:
Who do you think deserves to win the election and why?
What do you think Miata and Rudy learned from their experiences in running
for class president?
8. Procedure:
We will start with engaging in a read aloud of Off and Running, chapters 911. We will discuss everything that has been going on in the story so far then
make predictions on who we think will win the election. I want students to
start thinking about the essential questions and explore the text as I read to
come up with ideas. After the reading we will discuss some of the main ideas
in the book and basically review what they learned from Miata and Rudy.
Students will also complete the Venn diagram and write a paragraph
explaining which character they would have voted for and why.
Students will have time to complete their practice book pages A81-84 to turn
in. I will meet with a small group and have them work with the book Election
2000. We will discuss most of the book together because it is slightly harder
to read than the other little readers. Students will fill out a compare and
contrast sheet of the two main characters of the book. We will discuss and
when students are finished, they can return to their seats.
To complete the unit, I will have each student write their own speech as if
they were trying to get their class to vote for them for class president. I am
looking for the students to discuss why they want to run, what their goals are,
what they will do if they win, how they will bring good to the school, and any
other topics Maria and Rudy discussed in their debate. I am looking to see
that they really paid attention and understood the ideas on an election.
9. Contingency: With any extra time, I want students to volunteer to read
their speeches. They could also create their own poster for their campaign.