Essential

Question:

What do good
problem solvers do?

Spelling Words:

Who Wrote the U.S.

Constitut ion?

Unit 2 Week 1

Variant Vowel /o/

joint
foul
coil

hoist

Compre he nsion Strategy:

Reread

Genre:

Expository Text

Expository text often explores unfamiliar concepts

and uses new vocabulary. When you encounter an
unclear or difficult section of text, stop and reread
that section. You may need to reread it more than
once before you understand. If rereading that section
does not help you understand, you may need to go
back and reread an earlier section in the text. In
addition to helping you understand important facts
and explanations, rereading can help you understand
an expository texts main idea.

- gives facts, examples,

and explanations about a
topic
- may include text
features such as headings,
charts, diagrams, or time
lines that organize
information

stout
dawdle
mouthful
counter
brought
bawl
fountain
sprawls
douse
clause

Compreh ension Skill:

Writing:

Authors Point of View

Main Idea

The author of a persuasive text gives his or her

poin t of v iew about, or position on, a topic. To
support his or her point of view, the author gives
reasons and evidence and includes facts and
opinions. Fa cts are statements that can be
proven. Opinion s are expressions of a persons
feelings and therefore cannot be proven.
Identifying facts and opinions in persuasive writing
can help you understand the authors point of view
and determine whether or not you agree with it.

Writers of informational text

focus on one main idea in each
paragraph. The main idea is an
important point about the
writers topic. The rest of the
paragraph supports and explain
the main idea with facts,
definitions, details, quotations,
and examples. When writers
are ready to move on to
another main idea, they begin a
new paragraph.

sprouts
cautious
turmoil
scrawny
foundation
turquoise
Review Words:
work
thirst
squirm

Grammar:
Kinds of Nouns

Vocabulary Strategy:

A noun names a person, place,

thing, event, or idea. A common
noun names any person, place,
thing, or event. A proper noun
names a specific person, place, or
thing and always begins with a
capital letter. A concrete noun
names something that you can see,
hear, smell, taste, or feel. An
abstract noun is an idea or
concept that you cannot see, hear,
smell, taste, or feel love, courage,
trust, happiness.

You can often figure out the

meaning of an unknown word by
unknown word by using context
clues. Writers sometimes define or
restate the meaning of a difficult
word within the text. Writers
might use commas and the clue
word to define or restate the
meaning of a difficult word. They
may also place a definition in
parentheses following a word. At
other times, the writer will define
the word in a nearby sentence.

Context Clues

Challenge Words:
buoyant
renown

Vo cabulary W ords:
committees
convention
debate
proposal
representatives
resolve
situation
union

Essential
Question:

What can you do to

get the information
you need?

Spelling Words:

Where the Mountain

Mee ts the Moon

Unit 2 Week 2

Plurals

rattlers
fangs
countries

liberties

Compre he nsion Strategy:

Make Predictions

Genre:

potatoes

Fairy Tale

rodeos

When you read fairy tales, you can predict future

events in the plot. Use details in the text to
make predictions about events that might happen
later. After making predictions, read on to
determine whether or not your predictions were
accurate. If it turns out that predictions you made
were inaccurate, revise them based on evidence in
the text. Making predictions and then reading on
to confirm them keeps you actively involved in a
story.

- may have a made-up

setting, such as once upon a
time

taxes

Compreh ension Skill:

Writing:

- may include a prince or

princess and magical
characters
- may include illustrations

reptiles
surroundings
beliefs
difficulties
batches
abilities
lashes

Compare and Contrast

Strong Openings

You can compare and contrast events in a story

to see how they are alike or different.
Important events happen during the beginning,
middle, and end of a story. Comparing and
contrasting these events can help you
understand how a story develops and why
events occur in a particular order. Comparing
and contrasting events is also a good way to
keep track of what has happened in the story.

A strong opening draws

readers into a text and
makes them want to keep
reading. In a story, a
strong opening introduces
the setting, the narrator
and main characters, and
the main problem, or conflict,
the characters face. The
authors choice of words and
details set the tone for the
story.

Grammar:
Singular and Plural Nouns

Vocabulary Strategy:

A singular noun names one

person, place, idea, or thing. A
plural noun names more than one
person, place, idea, or thing. Add
s to form the plural of most
nouns. Add es to form the plural
of singular nouns that end in s,
sh, ch, or x. To form the plural of
nouns ending in a consonant and
the letter y, change the y to I and
add es. To form the plural of
nouns ending in a vowel and y, add
s.

Sometimes authors compare one

thing to another in order to
create a picture in readers
minds. A simile compares two
things using the word like or as.
A metaphor compares two
things but does not use the
word like or as. The comparison
might be more difficult to
identify without these words.
Similes and metaphors make
writing more vivid and
entertaining for readers.

Simile and Metaphor

identities
losses
possibilities
notches
zeroes
eddies
Review Words:
brought
counter
coil
Challenge Words:
mangoes
sinews

Vo cabulary W ords:
circumstances
consideration
consults
destiny
expectations
presence
reveal
unsure

Essential
Question:

How do we
investigate questions
about nature?

Spelling Words:

The Boy Who Drew Birds

Unit 2 Week 3

Inflectional Endings

jogging
dripping
skimmed

accepted

Compre he nsion Strategy:

Reread

Genre:

Biography

Informational texts such as biographies may

introduce new concepts and include unfamiliar
vocabulary. R er ead difficult sections in order to
increase your understanding of facts and
information in the text. If something that you read
does not make sense, you may have missed an
important point made by the author, or you may
have misread a particular word. Dont forget that
you may need to reread a section of text more
than once or go back and reread an earlier section.

- tells the true story of

another persons life
- is told in the third
person, using pronouns
such as he and she
- may include photographs
and illustrations

amusing
easing
regretted
forbidding
referred
injured
deserved
applied
relied
renewing

Writing:

Compreh ension Skill:

Sequence

Supporting Details

Text structure is the way the ideas in a text

are organized. The author of a biography often
presents information in sequence, or in the
order the events happened in the persons life.
Recognizing this text structure can help readers
connect different events and understand how
one event might lead to another. Time order
signal words indicate sequence. Examples include
first, then, later, and finally, as well as specific
times and dates.

Good writers support their

ideas with facts, examples,
definitions of unfamiliar
words, and quotations.
They concrete details
ones that help readers form
a mental picture. All
supporting details clearly
relate to the topic, help
readers understand the
topic, and make writing
more interesting.

Grammar:
More Plural Nouns

Vocabulary Strategy:

- To form the plural of some nouns ending

in f or fe, change the f to v and add es.

Many words are composed of

different word parts, including
roots, prefixes, and suffixes. A
suffix is added to the end of a
word to change its meaning.
Many suffixes originally come
from Greek and Latin. For
example, the Greek suffix -ist
means one who specializes in.
You can use your knowledge of
suffixes and any context clues
you find to determine a words
meaning.

- To form the plural of nouns ending in a

vowel followed by o, add s.
- To form the plural of nouns ending in a
consonant followed by o, add s or es.
- Some nouns name a group. These nouns
are called collective nouns. A collective
noun can be considered singular or plural:
crew, council, class.
- Some nouns have a special plural form
that does not end in s: oxen, teeth, feet.
- Some nouns stay the same whether
singular or plural: trout, moose.

Greek & Latin Suffixes

complicated
qualified
threatening
gnarled
envied
fascinated
Review Words:
difficulties
notches
rodeos
Challenge Words:
adoring
diaries

Vo cabulary W ords:
behaviors
disappearance
energetic
flurry
migrate
observation
theory
transformed

Essential
Question:

Spelling Words:

When has a plan

helped you accomplish
a task?

Contractions

Blancaflor

you've
Unit 2 Week 4

shed
thats

whats

Compre he nsion Strategy:

Make Predictions

Genre:
Folktale

When you m ake predi ction s, use information in the

text to determine what might happen. First, look for
details about what the main character says, does, or
thinks. Also look for clues about how other
characters respond to the main character. Then,
based on text evidence, make a prediction about what
events are likely to happen next. A prediction made
early in the story may change as you learn more about
the characters and events. Use new evidence in the
text to confirm or revise your original predictions.

- describes a hero or
heroines quest or set of
tasks he or she must
accomplish
- includes the repetition of
actions or words
- often includes
foreshadowing and imagery

doesnt
theres
youre
wasnt
well
weve
were
couldnt
Ive

didn't

Compreh ension Skill:

Writing:

Theme

Sequence

The theme of a story is the big idea or message

about life that the author wants to share with
readers. The theme of a story is usually not
stated directly. Readers must use details in the
text to identify the theme. Think about what
characters do and say and what happens to
those characters. You can use the characters
actions and words, along with the results of
those actions and words, to help you identify the
theme of the story.

Good writers consider their

audience, purpose for
writing, and genre when
deciding on the most logical
way to organize their ideas.
When writing about steps
in a process or about a
series of events, writers
usually use seq uen ce
they put the steps or
events in the order in which
they happen.

Grammar:
Possessive Nouns

Vocabulary Strategy:

A poss ess ive no un is a noun that

shows who or what owns or has
something. A singular possessive noun is
a singular noun that shows ownership. To
form a singular possessive noun, add an
apostrophe and an s to a singular noun.
A persons name or a collective noun that
ends in s also has an apostrophe and an
s in the possessive. A plural possessive
noun is a plural noun that shows
ownership. To form the possessive of a
plural noun that ends in s, add an
apostrophe. To form the possessive of a
plural noun that does not end in s, add
an apostrophe and an s.

Writers sometimes use words in

unusual ways when telling a
story. Folktales often include
personification, or the act of
giving human qualities to animals
or objects. Personification helps
the reader better picture animals,
objects, or events in a story. If
the feelings or actions in the
story refer to animals or objects
instead of people, then the
author is using personification.

Personification

theyre
shouldnt
wouldnt
hed
dont
isnt
Review Words:
dripping
applied
diaries
Challenge Words:
won't
arent

Vo cabulary Words:
assuring
detected
emerging
gratitude
guidance
outcome
previous
pursuit

Essential
Question:

Spelling Words:

Stage Fright; Catching Quiet

What motivates you

to accomplish a goal?

Unit 2 Week 5

Closed Syllables

dentist
jogger
fifteen

flatter

Lite rary Ele ments:

Repetition and Rhyme

Genre:

Poets often use repetition and rhym e to achieve

certain effects. A poet may use repetition, or the
repeated use of words, phrases, or sounds, for
effect. The repetition of the final sound in two or
more words is called rhyme. Repeating a word,
phrase, or sentence style can help the poet
emphasize certain details, ideas, or feelings in a poem
that connect to its meaning. Recognizing and
understanding how a poet uses repetition and rhyme
can help you better understand a poem.

submit

Poetry

mustang

n arrativ e
- tells a story
- has characters and dialogue
- can rhyme
free vers e
- shares ideas and feelings
with no set rhyming pattern
or rhythm
- has no set line length

absent

hollow
empire
blizzard
culture
goggles
summon
excite

Writing:

Compreh ension Skill:

Theme

Precise Language

The theme of a poem is the big idea or

message that the poet wishes to communicate
to readers. Considering the speaker and the
poets word choice and use of key details can
help readers identify a poems theme. Reading
a poem aloud can help reveal its rhythm and
the feelings it evokes, which are important to
understanding theme. You may need to reread
a poem several times in order to determine the
theme.

Good writers use precise

language to give readers a
clear and accurate
understanding of their
message. Precise language
is specific, rather than
general. For example, collie
is a more precise noun than
dog because it gives readers
concrete information about
what type of dog to
visualize.

Grammar:
Prepositional Phrases

Vocabulary Strategy:

A prepositional phrase is a group

of words that tells more about an
important part of a sentence. A
prepositional phrase begins with a
preposition such as about, during,
in, near, under, or with. It ends with
a noun. A prepositional phrase can
function as an adjective or an
adverb. The object of a prepositional
phrase is the noun or pronoun that
follows the preposition. The most
important word in a prepositional
phrase is often the noun or pronoun
at the end.

Homographs are words that

are spelled the same but have
different meanings. They may or
may not have the same
pronunciation. The word wind,
meaning air that blows outside
and the word wind, meaning to
turn or twist something, are
homographs. You can use
context clues to determine which
meaning of a homograph is
correct.

Homographs

kennel
valley
fragment
gallop
vulture
pigment
Review Words:
won't
shouldnt
were
Challenge Words:
clammy
hammock

Vo cabulary W ords:
ambitious
memorized
satisfaction
shuddered
narrative
free verse
repetition
rhyme