Unit Plan 21 (Grade 5 ELA): Tone, Connotation, and Precise Language
Grade 5 language and tone unit: analyze how word choice shapes tone and meaning; explore connotation, figurative language, and sentence revision to convey precise emotion and style.
Focus: Meaning/shades of meaning; tone signals in context
Grade Level: 5
Subject Area: English Language Arts (Reading Literature, Language)
Total Unit Duration: 5 sessions (one week), 45–60 minutes per session
I. Introduction
Readers and writers tune their ears to tone this week—how authors’ word choices and phrases signal attitude. Students will use context to determine meaning, sort connotations (shades of meaning), and practice revising sentences to fit a target tone. By Friday, each learner can name a passage’s tone with text evidence, choose precise words that convey nuance, and expand/combine/reduce sentences to sharpen style.
II. Objectives and Standards
Learning Objectives — Students will be able to…
- Determine the meaning of words and phrases (including figurative language) and explain how they affect tone (RL.5.4).
- Distinguish shades of meaning among related words and explain connotation (positive/neutral/negative) (L.5.5c); recognize/respond to figurative language (L.5.5a as support when it appears).
- Use word relationships (synonyms/antonyms) to refine meaning (L.5.5b).
- Expand, combine, and reduce sentences to improve meaning, style, and tone (L.5.3a).
Standards Alignment — CCSS Grade 5
- RL.5.4, L.5.5b–c, L.5.3a
Success Criteria — student language
- I can name the tone and point to specific words/lines that signal it.
- I can choose a more precise word by considering connotation and context.
- I can revise sentences (expand/combine/reduce) so the tone is clearer and the meaning is tighter.