This resource accompanies our Rethink 5th Grade ELA course. It includes ideas for use, ways to support exceptional children, ways to extend learning, digital resources and tools, tips for supporting English Language Learners and students with visual and hearing impairments. There are also ideas for offline learning. 

This teachers guide for Searching for Silverheels by Jeannie Mobley includes a prereading activity, discussion questions, and writing and research activities for after reading.

Students will pick a character from whichever text they are currently reading and create a fake social media profile. The original creator mentions that this can be done digitally, but says she has her students do it on poster board. Many students find the technology more engaging and can use it to look up and translate unknown words quickly. So I have provided the Google Slides templates for Twitter, Snapchat, Twitter, and Facebook.
Having students work this way combines 21st century skills, and allows for students that are unfamiliar with words from the text to have access to a resource immediately.

I would also have students work in pairs so that it is more collaborative. It is a "social" project.

The rubric gives clear expectations.

Students should NOT use real social media sites to create their profiles.

Students will pick a character from whichever text they are currently reading and create a fake social media profile. This can be done digitally, though I have my students complete it on poster board. There are several templates I have come across that match up with the various forms of social media in the project instructions.

Students should NOT use real social media sites to create their profiles.

What are the elements of narrative writing? How do authors describe people and places in their writing? From exposure to this lesson, students will gain a clear understanding of setting, characters, problem/solution, and plot. Each day students listen to a read-aloud of a story and are guided by discussions related to the focus story element for the lesson. After working collaboratively, students engage in independent activities such as completing a character map; a setting illustration; a problem/solution chart; a beginning, middle, and ending activity; and a story map. Activities can be modified for early readers by allowing them to work with partners.

A teachers guide for five Jack Henry books by Jack Gantos (Jack Adrift, Jack on the Tracks, Heads or Tails, Jack's New Power, Jack's Black Book), including an activity to complete throughout reading, discussion questions for each book as well as questions to draw connections between themes, and ways to connect themes and key subjects in the books to other areas of education.

After reading their Wonders anchor text, “They Don’t Mean It!”, students will be asked to collaborate using a Nearpod on Chinese Cultures. During the Nearpod students will further investigate the Chinese culture and celebrations. Afterwards students will use  knowledge learned from the anchor text and the nearpod and Makey Makeys to create  interactive poster board characters from the story. The characters they create will share important information about their beliefs, foods, and any other important cultural features that students feel are necessary to share out based on the characters they read about. The poster will be enhanced by Makey Makey coding and audio recordings.  Students will complete a gallery walk to learn more about the characters by the other groups.