Weekly Boost
This Week in Fifth Grade
Week 36
Grammar, Mechanics, and Punctuation
Grammar, Mechanics, and Punctuation
Fifth graders still need support with grammar and writing mechanics. Run-on sentences and misplaced commas can plague even the best writers. Remind your child that their ideas are the most important aspect of their writing, but poor grammar and punctuation can interfere with reading comprehension. Take time to review comma placement, quotation marks, and sentence structure with your child.
Fifth graders still need support with grammar and writing mechanics. Run-on sentences and misplaced commas can plague even the best writers. Remind students that their ideas are the most important aspect of their writing, but poor grammar and punctuation can interfere with reading comprehension. When you review writing mechanics, your students' writing will improve across genres.
Practice Punctuation: Little Women
Worksheet
Practice Punctuation: Little Women
Young learners will correct a passage for punctuation in this proofreading exercise.
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Mastering the Possessive Apostrophe
Lesson plan
Mastering the Possessive Apostrophe
Who would have thought possessive apostrophes could be this fun or easy? With one simple rule and some fun sentences, students will become masters at indicating possession.
4th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Using Quotation Marks
Worksheet
Using Quotation Marks
When writing dialogue, it's important to know where to place quotation marks and other punctuation. Get some practice with this passage from The Secret Garden.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Multiplying Fractions with Tape Diagrams and Other Models
Multiplying Fractions with Tape Diagrams and Other Models
Kids love to make their own discoveries! Instead of teaching your child the shortcut of multiplying fractions across (numerator times numerator and denominator times denominator), use tape diagrams to help your child discover the traditional multiplication algorithm on their own. Once they've made this connection, they are more likely to retain what they've learned.
When your students use tape diagrams to model fraction multiplication, they will discover that there is a shortcut they can use to find the product, one which happens to be the traditional multiplication algorithm. Students may be convinced they are the first to make this "magic" connection of multiplying across: numerator times numerator and denominator times denominator. When students make these types of discoveries on their own, they are more likely to retain what they have learned.
How to Multiply Fractions
Worksheet
How to Multiply Fractions
Use this helpful guide to learn and practice multiplying fractions.
5th grade
Math
Worksheet
Illustrating Fraction and Whole Number Products with Tape Models
Lesson plan
Illustrating Fraction and Whole Number Products with Tape Models
Teach your students to use tape diagrams to solve equations involving whole numbers and fractions.
4th grade
Lesson plan
Comparing Tape Diagrams
Lesson plan
Comparing Tape Diagrams
Compare two different ways to use tape diagrams! This lesson discusses fractions and multiplication within tape diagrams. Use this lesson as support for the lesson Illustrating Fractions and Whole Number Products with Tape Models.
5th grade
Math
Lesson plan
Comparing & Contrasting Sources
Comparing & Contrasting Sources
Encourage your child to research a topic of their choice. As they work, discuss the value and challenges in different types of resources. For example, what is valuable about using the internet to conduct research? What are the potential pitfalls?
Guide your students through a research project and discuss the value and challenges in different types of resources. For example, what is valuable about using the internet to conduct research? What are the potential pitfalls?
Elections and Conditions
Lesson plan
Elections and Conditions
Use this lesson to help your ELs understand details in a sentence by identifying conditional phrases. It can be a stand-alone lesson or used as support to the lesson Comparing Primary and Secondary Sources.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Putting it All Together
Worksheet
Putting it All Together
With this versatile graphic organizer students have spaces to record information from their sources and synthesize the information in a central space.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Comparing Primary and Secondary Sources
Lesson plan
Comparing Primary and Secondary Sources
What's the difference between primary and secondary sources? This lesson will compare the two types of sources and ask students to discuss the benefits of using each source.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Informational Writing: Conclusions
Informational Writing: Conclusions
Before your child begins writing, share with them some examples of strong conclusions. Select a few articles with great concluding paragraphs; after reading them with your child, discuss the components of a strong conclusion. Remind your child that a concluding paragraph is a reader's final impression, so it is important to be as impactful as possible. Ways to do this include offering a personal connection or making a thought-provoking statement.
Instead of asking students to write conclusions for their own essays, offer them a chance to develop this skill with some isolated practice. Provide the class with a short informational text that is missing its concluding paragraph. Have students write a conclusion that restates the main idea. Remind them that a concluding paragraph is the last impression left on a reader, so it is important to make it impactful. Ways to do this include offering a personal connection or making a thought-provoking statement; a good conclusion is also supported by the introduction and the body. This exercise is helpful in removing any stumbling blocks students may experience with their own compositions.
Writing Conclusions for Informational Text
Worksheet
Writing Conclusions for Informational Text
Students will read a fascinating, informational text about fungus, then follow steps to write a conclusion.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
Informational Writing: Conclusions
Lesson plan
Informational Writing: Conclusions
In this lesson, students will learn how to write a conclusion for informational text using pre-written texts for practice.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Lesson plan
Writing an Introduction for Informational Text
Worksheet
Writing an Introduction for Informational Text
Students will practice writing hook questions and then write their own introduction to an informational text about animals that echo.
5th grade
Reading & Writing
Worksheet
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