Unit Plan 1 (Grade 5 ELA): Launching Our Reading–Writing Community

Focus: Routines, stamina, close reading norms, writer’s workshop expectations

Grade Level: 5

Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Literature, Writing, Speaking & Listening, Foundational Skills, Language)

Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session

I. Introduction

Welcome to Grade 5! This launch week builds a joyful, purposeful community of readers and writers. Students establish reading routines and stamina, practice close reading + annotation norms, learn collaborative discussion moves, and set up writer’s workshop (mini-lesson → independent work/conferring → share). By Friday, each learner selects “just-right” texts, reads with fluency and focus, participates in accountable talk, and produces a clear, short on-demand paragraph that follows class formatting and basic grammar expectations.

II. Objectives and Standards

Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…

1. Choose appropriate texts and sustain independent reading with developing stamina; discuss range of literature expectations (RL.5.10).
2. Read aloud/quietly with accuracy, rate, and expression to support comprehension (RF.5.4).
3. Engage in collaborative discussions using norms, evidence, and academic talk stems (SL.5.1).
4. Produce a short, clear paragraph that fits task/purpose/audience; use a simple planning routine (W.5.4).
5. Apply core grammar/usage in daily writing (complete sentences, subject–verb agreement, conjunctions) (L.5.1).

Success Criteria — student language

• I can explain our reading and writing routines and follow them independently.
• I can read for X minutes without losing focus and log my pages accurately.
• I can annotate with purpose (question, connect, clarify) and talk using evidence.
• I can write a well-formed paragraph with complete sentences and correct basic usage.

Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 5

• RL.5.10, RF.5.4, SL.5.1, W.5.4, L.5.1