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5th-Grade ELA Assignment

This assignment is strongly aligned to the standards.

Overview

Fifth-grade students read worthwhile non-fiction texts on whale hunting, then write an argumentative essay. One text argues in favor of legalization, while the other argues against it, and students are required to use evidence from the texts to make a case for one of these positions. This assignment exposes students to content-rich non-fiction and requires students to draw on their learning from the texts to write a substantive, analytical essay. The task rubric outlines thorough expectations that are in line with fifth-grade writing and language standards.

About the Text

Title and Author

“Japan pleads for change in rules to allow for some whale hunting,” by Agence France-Presse

What is the Lexile Level of this text?

900-1000

Based on Lexile, which grades is this text intended for?

6-8

Is the text qualitatively complex enough for the grade?

Yes

Is this text fiction or non-fiction?

Non-fiction

Is this text authentic or was it written for educational purposes?

Authentic

Does the text provide sufficient detail to build knowledge of a worthwhile topic and/or is it worth reading closely and re-reading?

Yes

Related Standards

We looked at how well the assignment aligned to the following standards:

RI.5.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.

Why is this assignment strongly aligned to this standard?

Students must refer extensively to key details in the text to substantiate their claims about whether or not whale hunting should be legal. The rubric stipulates that evidence must include “facts, examples, and passages from the text.”

RI.5.8: Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point(s).

Why is this assignment strongly aligned to this standard?

The task requires that students effectively break down the arguments in each piece, identifying author’s point of view and reasoning, in order to compose their own.

W.5.1: Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.

Why is this assignment strongly aligned to this standard?

The writing prompt gives students opportunity to articulate a claim about whale hunting and support it with evidence. The rubric outlines clear, fifth-grade-level essay expectations: introduction, logically ordered reasons, effective transitions, and conclusion.

L.5.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

Why is this assignment strongly aligned to this standard?

Students must demonstrate their command of fifth-grade-level language conventions in the writing piece. The rubric explicitly names spelling, punctuation, and the avoidance of run-on sentences as criteria for a strong essay.

L.5.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

Why is this assignment strongly aligned to this standard?

Students must demonstrate their command of fifth-grade-level language conventions in the writing piece. The rubric explicitly names spelling, punctuation, and the avoidance of run-on sentences as criteria for a strong essay.

Why is this assignment strongly aligned?

This assignment is strongly aligned because it offers strong texts and a strong prompt:

The assignment exposes students to grade-appropriate non-fiction texts. The texts are opinion pieces on the harms and benefits of whale hunting, published by reputable news outlets. They give students a nuanced picture of a worthwhile environmental and ethical question.

Students are required to read carefully and focus on the key details. Students must understand each author’s point of view, and they must select relevant passages from the texts to support a claim.

Students are required to share what they learned in writing. Students articulate an independent idea about whether or not they think whale hunting should be legal and must support that idea with specific evidence.

Through their written responses, students gain practice with argumentative writing. Students must make a claim, support it with evidence, and organize their thoughts in a logical introduction-body-conclusion format. The rubric outlines clear expectations for both the substance of the writing and adherence to grade-level language conventions.

Additional ELA Resources

Common Core ELA Standards
Read the standards and find out what they require of students.
Instructional Shifts in Literacy
Understand the key instructional shifts the ELA standards call for.
Student Work Review Tool – ELA
Use this tool to understand if an assignment is worthwhile for students.