2
Utah Core State Standards (UCSS)
Elementary English Language Arts (Grs. 2-6)
Comprehending and Composing Template
Salt Lake City School District
Core Theme 5 Grade 5
What is the theme?What is the essential question I would like students to engage at the end of the theme?
Universal Theme: Communities Grade Level Theme: Making a Difference
Essential Question: How can we make a difference in our communities? How can an individual make a difference in the lives of others?
Essential Question Writing Task (Week 5): Everyone needs to make a difference in their community. Write about an important issue, and persuade us to take action. Include your opinion, reasons and examples.
BEFORE READING
What is the essential sub-question for each lesson, as it relates to the theme?
Background knowledge: build or activate students’ related knowledge to the theme or topic.
Week 1
Title of Main Reading Selection:
“Interrupted Journey: Saving Endangered Sea Turtles”
Genre: Expository Non-fiction
Essential Sub-Question: / Week 2
Title of Main Reading Selection:
“The Power of W.O.W.!”
Genre: Play
Essential Sub-Question: / Week 3
Title of Main Reading Selection:
“Any Small Goodness: A Novel of the Barrio”
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Essential Sub-Question: / Week 4
Title of Main Reading Selection:
“Chester Cricket’s Pigeon Ride
Genre: Fantasy
Essential Sub-Question:
DURING READING
What reading instruction is needed? (skills, strategies, higher level questions)
Focus Comprehension Skill: Authors Purpose and Perspective
Focus Comprehension Strategy Summarize: / Focus Comprehension Skill: Literary Devices
Focus Comprehension Strategy: Answer Questions
What is the intended comprehension objective of student learning?
Comprehension Objective:
To understand the distinguishing characteristics of expository non- fiction / Comprehension Objective:
To understand the distinguishing characteristics of a play / Comprehension Objective:
To recognize the distinguishing characteristics of realistic fiction / Comprehension Objective:
To recognize the distinguishing features of fantasy
AFTER READING
Short Response (Weekly Writing Tasks)
Create the writing task by turning the sub-question into a prompt. Discuss the sub-question and answer it orally before students write.
Writing Task: / Writing Task: / Writing Task: / Writing Task:
Theme
5 / Possible Theme Essential Questions
How can we make a difference in our communities? How can an individual make a difference in the lives of others / Possible Theme Essential Writing Tasks
Everyone needs to make a difference in their community. Write about an important issue and persuade us to take action. Include your opinion, reasons, and examples.
Describe how you make a difference in your home community, your school community, and your neighborhood community.
Possible Main Selection Sub-Questions / Possible Main Selection Sub-Question Writing Tasks
Lesson 21 / How did Max work with the team to save Yellow Blue? / Describe and explain how Max worked with a team to save Yellow Blue. Use specific examples from the text.
Lesson 22 / In what ways is the WOW program important to Ileana and her friends? / Explain and cite examples from the text of ways that WOW is important to Ileana and her friends.
Lesson 23 / How is Leo Love different from the Rodriguez family? / Compare and contrast using examples from the story, how Leo Love is different from the Rodriguez family
Lesson 24 / What things does Lulu do to make a difference in Chester’s life? / Specify examples from the text how Lulu made a difference in Chester’s life.
Principles of the CCSS found in this template:
1) Working around an essential question that binds selections together.
2) Facilitating extended thinking and reasoning.
3) Reading across multiple texts for different purposes.
4) Writing to deepen reading comprehension.
5) Scaffolding and extensive practice using oral language to support written language.
6) Learning of academic language and vocabulary.
7) Learning to write in different genres.
8) Using on-line resources to support learning.
9) Ability to substitute CCSS standards for basal reading and writing skills and strategies.
10) Using various elements of the writing process.
11) Practicing short responses to a prompt.
12) Practicing extended responses to a prompt.