Curriculum
Week of April 1st
Reading:
Social Studies:
Week of March 25th
Reading:
Social Studies:
Week of March 18th
Reading:
Social Studies:
Week of March 11th
Reading:
Social Studies:
Week of March 4th
Reading:
Social Studies:
Week of February 25th
Reading:
Social Studies:
Week of February 13th and 19th
Reading:
Social Studies: This week we introduce our new unit: The Road to the Revolution. During this time, we will also review non-fiction text structures, such as chronological order, sequence, cause/effect, problem/solution, and compare/contrast.
Week of January 28th
Reading:
Week of January 22nd
Reading:
Week of January 14th
Reading:
Week of January 7th
Reading:
Week of December 10th
Reading:
Social Studies: We will finish studying the first English settlement in North America, Roanoke. We will examine three different text sources for evidence in order to decide upon the most plausible theory as to why the settlement disappeared. Students will then share their opinion, supported by evidence, in the form of a colonial-era newspaper article.
Also, we will learn about the first permanent English settlement, Jamestown. Students will identify problems the colonists faced and then develop potential solutions that could have helped the settlers. Students will have an opportunity to redesign the Jamestown fort and surrounding settlement in order to share their ideas with their classmates.
Week of December 3rd
Reading:
Social Studies: We will focus on the first English settlement in North America, Roanoke. We will examine three different text sources for evidence in order to decide upon the most plausible theory as to why the settlement disappeared.
Week of November 19th and 26th
Reading:
SS:
Weeks of October 29th and November 5th
Reading:
SS:
Week of October 22nd
Reading:
Writing: We have finished our first draft of our biographies. On Wednesday, we will working on revising and editing. We will type in the computer lab on Thursday and Friday. Pumpkins are due on Monday.
Social Studies - We're continuing to learn about the different Native American cultural regions. Students will get to choose one region to research in more depth. They will complete a map and a brochure on the Native Americans' culture and environment.
Weeks of October 9th and 15th
Reading:
Writing: We will work this week on developing an outline to help organize our biographies. We will focus on writing a strong introduction with an interesting hook. Information will be sent home this week on the "pumpkin" portion of the biography project.
Social Studies - We're continuing to learn about the different Native American cultural regions. Students will get to choose one region to research in more depth. We have several small in-class projects to complete. It should be a fun time!
Week of October 1st
ELA - Now that we have finished our reading unit on biographies, students will choose one person to research and then write a biography on this person. We will begin researching and finding materials on Monday and continue throughout the week. We have plenty of print and digital resources available, as well as a graphic organizer to assist students in collecting information. We will work together in the upcoming weeks on turning that information into a multiple paragraph essay.
Social Studies - We're continuing to learn about the different Native American cultural regions.
Week of September 24th
ELA - We're beginning our unit on biographies. Students will read several examples and then will choose a famous scientist or historical figure to research. Then, they will write their own biography of that person and present it to the class. (It will be fun, I promise!)
Social Studies - We began our first unit on the cultural regions of the Native Americans. Yesterday, we watched a brief introductory video and explored our textbook. We have lots of fun mini-projects to complete in the next few weeks!
Week of September 17th
ELA: - We're continuing our fairy tale unit and will start our biography unit on Thursday or Friday.
Week of September 11th
ELA:
Week of September 4th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will identify key details in order to determine the theme of the novel.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Theme
- Word Study: Cogn/Sci
Social Studies:
- Objective: Students will analyze multiple accounts of the Boston Massacre in order to determine the most plausible explanation of events.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War affect the colonies?
- Vocabulary: massacre, primary and secondary sources
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts (nonfiction)
- Skills: Author's perspective
- Writing: Opinion essay
Week of March 25th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will identify key details in order to determine the theme of the novel.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Theme
- Word Study: Stat - Greek/Latin Roots - Ecstatic, Estate, Static, Station, Stationary, Stature, Status, Status Quo, Statute, Thermostat
Social Studies:
- Objective: Students will analyze multiple accounts of the Boston Massacre in order to determine the most plausible explanation of events.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War affect the colonies?
- Vocabulary: massacre, primary and secondary sources
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts (nonfiction)
- Skills: Author's perspective
- Writing: Opinion essay
Week of March 18th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will identify sensory details from the text in order to determine how they affect the characters, setting, and plot.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Identify sensory details
- Word Study: Stat - Greek/Latin Roots - Ecstatic, Estate, Static, Station, Stationary, Stature, Status, Status Quo, Statute, Thermostat
Social Studies:
- Objective: Students will analyze multiple accounts of the Boston Massacre in order to determine the most plausible explanation of events.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War affect the colonies?
- Vocabulary: massacre, primary and secondary sources
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts (nonfiction)
- Skills: Author's perspective
- Writing: Opinion essay
Week of March 11th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will identify sensory details from the text in order to determine how they affect the characters, setting, and plot.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Identify sensory details
- Word Study: Pend Greek/Latin Roots
Social Studies:
- Objective: Students will identify the main idea in order to paraphrase the text.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War affect the colonies?
- Vocabulary: Taxation without representation, Acts, Protest, Repeal, Boycott, Parliament
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts (nonfiction)
- Skills: Identify main idea and details; Paraphrase, Summarize
Week of March 4th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will identify key details in the text in order to create a summary.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Summarize
- Word Study: (Cap) = capable, capacity, capitalize, capsize, caption, capture, decapitate, encapsulate, escape, summary
Social Studies:
- Objective: Students will distinguish between important and unimportant details in order to determine the main idea of the text.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War affect the colonies?
- Vocabulary: Allies, Debt
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts (nonfiction)
- Skills: Identify main idea and details; Cause and Effect
Week of February 25th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will identify key details in the text in order to create a summary.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Summarize
- Word Study: (Pel, Puls - drive, driven, force) compel, expel, dispel, impel, impulse, propel, pulsate, repel, repellent, repulsive
Social Studies:
- Objective: Students will distinguish between important and unimportant details in order to determine the main idea of the text.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War affect the colonies?
- Vocabulary: Allies, Debt
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts (nonfiction)
- Skills: Identify main idea and details
Week of February 13th and 19th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will use details from the text in order to analyze how characters respond to challenges.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Analyze how characters respond to challenges
- Word Study: (fer - to carry, to bear, bring together) chauffeur, circumference, conference, differ, fertile, infer, offer, prefer, referral, transfer
Social Studies: This week we introduce our new unit: The Road to the Revolution. During this time, we will also review non-fiction text structures, such as chronological order, sequence, cause/effect, problem/solution, and compare/contrast.
Week of January 28th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will continue our novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will use details from the text in order to compare and contrast characters, settings, and events.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Compare and contrast characters, settings, and events
- Word Study: (Tain, Ten, Tent) abstain, contain, detain, detention, extend, patent, retainer, tenant, tendon, tentative
Week of January 22nd
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we will begin our next novel unit: Historical Fiction with the novels Chains and Fighting Ground.
- Objective: Students will use details from the text in order to compare and contrast characters, settings, and events.
- Essential Question: How did the events of the Revolutionary War impact freedom for different groups of people?
- Strategies: Notice and Note Signposts
- Skills: Compare and contrast characters, settings, and events
- Word Study: (Ono, nym, onym = word, name) acronym, anonymous, antonym, eponym, heteronym, homonym, onomatopoeia, oronym, pseudonym, synonym
- Objective: Students will analyze slavery from various perspectives in order to determine the effect on the culture and economy of the southern colonies.
- Essential Question: How did slavery affect the southern colonies' culture and economy?
- Vocabulary: middle passage, plantation, slave auction, overseer, triangular trade
Week of January 14th
Reading:
- Novels: This week, we're preparing for our next novel, Chains. Because this novel focuses on slavery and the Revolutionary War, we will collect background information on this time period.
- Word Study: (Ono, nym, onym = word, name) acronym, anonymous, antonym, eponym, heteronym, homonym, onomatopoeia, oronym, pseudonym, synonym
- Winter SRI will be given on Wednesday, January 16th during the ELA block.
- Objective: Students will analyze slavery from various perspectives in order to determine the effect on the culture and economy of the southern colonies.
- Essential Question: How did slavery affect the southern colonies' culture and economy?
- Vocabulary: middle passage, plantation, slave auction, overseer, triangular trade
Week of January 7th
Reading:
- Novels: We just finished the novel, Hatchet and we're preparing for our next novel, Chains. Because this novel focuses on slavery and the Revolutionary War, we will spend the next two weeks collecting background information on this time period.
- Word Study: (Log = word, idea, reason, speech) analogy, apology, dialogue, epilogue, eulogy, logbook, logical, logo, monologue, prologue
- Objectives: Students will analyze the culture, economy, and geography of the 13 colonies in order to compare the colonial regions' development. Students will analyze slavery from various perspectives in order to determine the effect on the culture and economy of the southern colonies.
- Essential Questions: How did the geography and climate affect the development of the 13 colonies? How did slavery affect the southern colonies' culture and economy?
- Vocabulary: assembly, Great Britain, indentured servant, grant, economy, democratic, colonial regions, middle passage, plantation, slave auction, overseer, triangular trade
Week of December 10th
Reading:
- Objective: Students will use specific text evidence in order to determine and explain the theme of the text.
- Essential Question: How do humans adapt to survive in their environment?
- Strategies: Infer, Question
- Skills: Identify Theme, Notice and Note Strategies (Again & Again, Memory Moments, Aha Moments)
- Word Study: (Sed, Sid, Sess = To sit or settle) assessor, President, reside, residence, sedan, sedate, sedative, sediment, session
- Genre: Adventure Novel (Hatchet by Gary Paulsen)
Social Studies: We will finish studying the first English settlement in North America, Roanoke. We will examine three different text sources for evidence in order to decide upon the most plausible theory as to why the settlement disappeared. Students will then share their opinion, supported by evidence, in the form of a colonial-era newspaper article.
Also, we will learn about the first permanent English settlement, Jamestown. Students will identify problems the colonists faced and then develop potential solutions that could have helped the settlers. Students will have an opportunity to redesign the Jamestown fort and surrounding settlement in order to share their ideas with their classmates.
- Objective: Students will describe the motives of explorers and settlers in order to analyze the settlement patterns in the New World.
- Essential Question: What motivated Europeans to explore and settle the New World?
Week of December 3rd
Reading:
- CBA Testing
Social Studies: We will focus on the first English settlement in North America, Roanoke. We will examine three different text sources for evidence in order to decide upon the most plausible theory as to why the settlement disappeared.
- Objective: Students will describe the motives of explorers and settlers in order to analyze the settlement patterns in the New World.
- Essential Question: What motivated Europeans to explore and settle the New World?
Week of November 19th and 26th
Reading:
- Objective: Students will describe how the narrator's point of view influences how events are described.
- Essential Question: How do humans adapt to survive in their environment?
- Strategies: Infer, Question
- Skills: Identify Point of View, Memory Moment Signpost
- Word Study: (Pos - To Place) apposition, compose, depose, deposit, expose, imposition, juxtapose, post, proposal, transpose
- Genre: Adventure Novel (Hatchet by Gary Paulsen)
SS:
- Objective: Students will describe the motives of explorers and settlers in order to analyze the settlement patterns in the New World.
- Essential Question: What motivated Europeans to explore and settle the New World?
- Vocabulary: Archeologists, New World, Ore, Explorers, Colonies, East Indies, Conquistadors, Age of Exploration, Northwest Passage, Contagious Disease, Cash Crop
Weeks of October 29th and November 5th
Reading:
- Objective: Students will identify sensory details in the text in order to determine how it helped the reader better understand the character, setting, and plot.
- Essential Question: How do humans adapt to survive in their environment?
- Strategies: Infer
- Skills: Identify sensory details, Again and Again Signpost
- Word Study: automobile, demote, locomotion, mobile, mobility, mobilize, motion, motivate, promote, removal
- Genre: Adventure Novel (Hatchet by Gary Paulsen)
SS:
- Objective: Students will describe the motives of explorers and settlers in order to analyze the settlement patterns in the New World.
- Essential Question: What motivated Europeans to explore and settle the New World?
- Vocabulary: Archeologists, New World, Ore, Explorers, Colonies, East Indies, Conquistadors, Age of Exploration, Northwest Passage, Contagious Disease, Cash Crop
Week of October 22nd
Reading:
- Objective: Students will analyze elements of poetry in order to determine the theme or message.
- Essential Question: What message is the author trying to convey in the poem?
- Strategies: Infer
- Skills: Identify Theme
- Vocabulary: narrative, free verse, repetition, rhyme, satisfaction, memorized, ambitious, shuddered
- Genre: Poetry
Writing: We have finished our first draft of our biographies. On Wednesday, we will working on revising and editing. We will type in the computer lab on Thursday and Friday. Pumpkins are due on Monday.
Social Studies - We're continuing to learn about the different Native American cultural regions. Students will get to choose one region to research in more depth. They will complete a map and a brochure on the Native Americans' culture and environment.
- Objective: Students will compare and contrast characteristics of Native American groups in order to determine how the environment affected their lives and culture.
- Essential Question: Native Americans adapted to different environments. How did this lead to the development of the various cultures of the Native Americans?
- Vocabulary: Mesa, Artifact, Adapt, Nomadic, Gorge, Environment, Culture, Region
Weeks of October 9th and 15th
Reading:
- Objective: Students will analyze elements of folktales in order to determine the theme of the text.
- Essential Question: What message is the author trying to convey in the selection?
- Strategies: Predict & Infer
- Skills: Identify Theme
- Vocabulary: detected, previous, guidance, outcome, emerging, gratitude, pursuit, assuring
- Genre: Folktales
- Story Titles: The Magical Lost Brocade, Clever Manka, The Lion's Whiskers, The Riddle of the Drum
Writing: We will work this week on developing an outline to help organize our biographies. We will focus on writing a strong introduction with an interesting hook. Information will be sent home this week on the "pumpkin" portion of the biography project.
Social Studies - We're continuing to learn about the different Native American cultural regions. Students will get to choose one region to research in more depth. We have several small in-class projects to complete. It should be a fun time!
- Objective: Students will compare and contrast characteristics of Native American groups in order to determine how the environment affected their lives and culture.
- Essential Question: Native Americans adapted to different environments. How did this lead to the development of the various cultures of the Native Americans?
- Vocabulary: Mesa, Artifact, Adapt, Nomadic, Gorge, Environment, Culture, Region
Week of October 1st
ELA - Now that we have finished our reading unit on biographies, students will choose one person to research and then write a biography on this person. We will begin researching and finding materials on Monday and continue throughout the week. We have plenty of print and digital resources available, as well as a graphic organizer to assist students in collecting information. We will work together in the upcoming weeks on turning that information into a multiple paragraph essay.
Social Studies - We're continuing to learn about the different Native American cultural regions.
- Objective: Students will compare and contrast characteristics of Native American groups in order to determine how the environment affected their lives and culture.
- Essential Question: Native Americans adapted to different environments. How did this lead to the development of the various cultures of the Native Americans?
- Vocabulary: Mesa, Artifact, Adapt, Nomadic, Gorge, Environment, Culture, Region
Week of September 24th
ELA - We're beginning our unit on biographies. Students will read several examples and then will choose a famous scientist or historical figure to research. Then, they will write their own biography of that person and present it to the class. (It will be fun, I promise!)
- Objective: Students will identify the important events in a biography in order to create a summary of the person’s life.
- Essential Question: What characteristics are included in a biography?
- Strategies: Monitor/Clarify and Questioning
- Skills: Sequence of Events
- Vocabulary: Theory, Transformed, Observation, Migrate, Flurry, Disappearance, Behaviors, Energetic
- Genre: Biographies
- Story Titles: Growing in Place, The Boy Who Drew Birds, George Eastman, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Norman Borlaug
Social Studies - We began our first unit on the cultural regions of the Native Americans. Yesterday, we watched a brief introductory video and explored our textbook. We have lots of fun mini-projects to complete in the next few weeks!
- Objective: Students will compare and contrast characteristics of Native American groups in order to determine how the environment affected their lives and culture.
- Essential Question: Native Americans adapted to different environments. How did this lead to the development of the various cultures of the Native Americans?
- Vocabulary: Mesa, Artifact, Adapt, Nomadic, Gorge, Environment, Culture, Region
Week of September 17th
ELA: - We're continuing our fairy tale unit and will start our biography unit on Thursday or Friday.
- Objectives: Students will use text evidence in order to make, confirm, and revise predictions. Students will analyze the characters, setting, and plot in order to determine how the story elements change and develop over time.
- Essential Question: How do the plot, setting, and characters change over time?
- Strategies: Make predictions/Cite evidence
- Skills: Compare and contrast story elements, specifically focusing on changes over time
- Vocabulary: Expectations, Unsure, Destiny, Circumstances, Consideration, Consults, Reveal, Presence
- Word Work: Similes and Metaphors
- Genre: Fairy Tales
- Story Titles: A Modern Cinderella, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, The Bird of Truth, The Golden Oranges, The Talking Eggs
Week of September 11th
ELA:
- Objectives: Students will use text evidence in order to make, confirm, and revise predictions. Students will analyze the characters, setting, and plot in order to determine how the story elements change and develop over time.
- Essential Question: How do the plot, setting, and characters change over time?
- Strategies: Make predictions/Cite evidence
- Skills: Compare and contrast story elements, specifically focusing on changes over time
- Vocabulary: Expectations, Unsure, Destiny, Circumstances, Consideration, Consults, Reveal, Presence
- Word Work: Similes and Metaphors
- Genre: Fairy Tales
- Story Titles: A Modern Cinderella, Where the Mountain Meets the Moon, The Bird of Truth, The Golden Oranges, The Talking Eggs
Week of September 4th
- We will participate in several fun activities to learn about each other and establish rules and procedures for the classroom.
- We have several simple pre-assessments to complete in writing and spelling.
- We will read several current event news articles from NewsELA and practice our discussion techniques and written responses.
- We will also set up our Writer's Notebook, where students will have an opportunity to journal throughout the school year.