Leap into Literacy
November/December- 5th Grade
Reading: Main Idea
Reading: To help students determine the main idea when reading informational text, try this:
Focus on one section at a time. List several facts that seem to connect and write, in your own words, what the section is mostly about. Try using some of the following prompts:
What did you learn after reading that section?
What are three facts that fit together?
How do they fit?
What is your thinking about the main idea?
What do all those facts have in common?
Go back and reread.
List three facts that fit together.
Put that into your own words.
That’s the topic; what’s the main idea?
That’s a fact; can you put a few together?
I like that main idea statement - you told me the ‘what’ and the ‘so what.’
Yes, those three facts fit together; that work is repeated in all three.
From: The Reading Strategies Book by Jennifer Serravallo
Writing: Research Based Argument Writing
Our next unit is Research Based Argument Writing and in it students are asked to publish a piece of opinion writing. What better way to introduce this concept than to synthesize information from two books?
Students read A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon and The Wizard of Wallaby Wallow by Jack Kent. The theme of both books is that people are unhappy if they do not accept themselves for who they are. Students are asked to write an opinion piece which includes a clear position statement and supporting details (evidence from within, as well as outside, the text).
Afterwards, students may argue their case orally. They may also work in pairs to grade the clarity of each other's’ essays using a student friendly rubric!
Check out Forever in Fifth Grade Blog for more info...
NewsELA: Write Feature
The Write feature can be used to embed CCSS Informational Reading skills. Some points to consider to focus on:
- Main Idea
- Structure
- Compare/Contrast Point of View
- Groundhog Gets a Say by Pamela Curtis Swallow
- Mr. Maxwell’s Mouse by Frank & Devin Asch
- A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech
- Dear Katie, The Volcano Is a Girl by Jean Craighead George
- Red is Best by Kathy Stinson
- Animals Nobody Loves by Seymour Simon
- Sophie Hartley On Strike by Stephanie Greene
- Not Norman: A Goldfish Story by Kelly Bennett
- The Great Kapok Tree by Lynne Cherry
- The Best Town in the World by Byrd Baylor
OverDrive
Use OverDrive to borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and more from your local public library - anywhere, anytime. All you need is a library card.
Speaking and Listening: Discussion Strategies
Spice up your classroom by changing the structure of a class discussion. The article and podcast from Cult of Pedagogy outlines 15 different structures to use in your classroom.
- Gallery Walk
- Philosophical Chairs
- Pinwheel Discussion
- Socratic Seminar
Low-Prep Discussion Strategies
- Affinity Mapping
- Concentric Circles
- Conver-Stations
- Fishbowl
- Hot Seat
- Snowball Discussion
Ongoing Discussion Strategies
- Asynchronous Voice
- Backchannel Discussions
- Talk Moves
- Teach-OK
- Think-Pair-Share