A complete 5th grade homeschool curriculum

1. Unit 1: Reading with Evidence: Quoting AccuratelyThis unit teaches the exact routine your child will use for the rest of the year: find a sentence in the text, copy it word for word with quotation marks in the right place, check that it actually proves the claim (not just mentions the topic), then explain what it shows. They practice this on short stories first, then on informational text, where the 'sounds related but doesn't prove it' trap is hardest to spot.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Quotation or paraphraseDistinguish an exact quotation from a paraphrase of the same sentence.
   • Quotation marks for exact wordsCopy a chosen sentence from a text word-for-word, using quotation marks correctly around only the author's words.
   • Choosing quotes that fit claimsSelect a quotation from a story that actually supports a given claim about a character, rejecting a quotation that mentions the same topic but does not prove the claim.
   • Explaining what a quote showsExplain what a quoted sentence shows about a specific claim, using the frame 'this shows ___ because ___.'
   • Strong and weak evidenceCompare a strong quotation and a superficially similar but weak quotation drawn from the same informational passage, and identify which better proves a given claim.
   • Proving an inference with quotesAnswer an inference question about an unfamiliar short story by quoting exact supporting text and explaining what the quote proves.
   • What evidence meansRecall the definition of 'evidence' as exact words from a text that support a claim.
   • Retelling a partner's evidenceDuring a partner discussion, restate a partner's claim and quoted evidence accurately before responding to it.
2. Unit 2: Whose Story Is It? Comparing CharactersYour child reads a story (or the story cycle used across several units) and tracks two characters — what each wants, how each reacts to the same events, what traits each shows. Every claim they make about a character has to be backed by an exact quote, using the Unit 1 skill on a bigger task: a full character comparison.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Quoting what characters sayGiven a page of dialogue, quote the exact words a character says without adding or dropping words.
   • Checking evidence with two questionsGiven a claim and two candidate quotations, circle the one that matches the claim, using the two-question check taught in class.
   • Traits, wants, and reactionsSort a list of character actions and statements into 'trait,' 'want,' and 'reaction to event' categories.
   • Finding evidence of a traitIdentify one quotation that shows a named character's trait in the class mentor text.
   • Different reactions to one eventExplain how two characters react differently to the same story event, using one quotation per character.
   • Character wants and their effectsExplain why a character's motivation causes a specific effect on another character later in the story.
   • Clues for feeling wordsDetermine the meaning of an unfamiliar word describing a character's feeling, using context clues from surrounding sentences.
   • Comparing two characters in writingWrite a paragraph comparing two characters' reactions to the same event in a short story the class has not read together.
   • Checking a partner's evidence in writingRevise a peer's character comparison by checking that each claim has an exact quotation as support.
3. Unit 3: Whose Eyes Are We Seeing Through? Point of ViewNow your child learns to name WHY two characters saw the same event differently, which they noticed in Unit 2: it's point of view. They learn first-person versus third-person narration, that the narrator and a character are not automatically the same person, and what a first-person narrator simply cannot know about other people's private thoughts. It ends with them rewriting a scene through a different character's eyes.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • First person or third personSort short passages as first-person or third-person narration by identifying the pronouns the narrator uses.
   • Limits of first person narratorsExplain why a first-person narrator cannot directly report another character's private thoughts.
   • The difference between an outside narrator's stance and a character's own perspective inside a third-person text, applied to the taught example itselfLabel sentences in the Day 5 worked-example passage as narrator-description or character-thought, using the same passage annotated during instruction.
   • Narrator views and character viewsDistinguish the narrator's point of view from a character's point of view in a third-person passage not used during instruction.
   • Gaps in narrator knowledgeInfer what a first-person narrator does not know about another character's motives, using textual gaps.
   • Point of view changes detailsCompare how the same event is narrated differently depending on which character's point of view is used, citing specific details.
   • Words for point of viewRecall the definition of point of view and the two narration types using precise vocabulary.
   • Planning what a character knowsPlan a rewritten scene from a mentor text by identifying which details a new point-of-view character would and would not know.
   • Rewriting a scene's point of viewProduce a rewritten paragraph of a mentor text scene told from a second character's point of view, changing only what that character could know.
   • Finding who tells the storyDetermine which character's point of view is being used in a short passage from a book never discussed in class.
4. Unit 4: How the Pieces Build: Structure in Stories and PoemsThis unit is about zooming out from sentences to bigger chunks — chapters, stanzas, scenes. Your child learns that these chunks aren't just containers; each one changes what the next one means. They learn a 4-step routine: identify a part, say what changes in the next part, back it up with two quotes. They practice this on prose first, then poetry, to see the same pattern in a different shape.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Chapter, stanza, scene, sectionDefine chapter, stanza, scene, and section as structural units of text.
   • Finding chapter and stanza breaksIdentify the chapter or stanza break in a short mentor text.
   • The four step checklistRecall the 4-step checklist for explaining how one chapter or stanza changes the meaning of the next, when given the chart to copy from.
   • What one chapter holds backExplain how information withheld in one chapter changes what a reader understands in the next chapter.
   • Stanza breaks and chapter breaksCompare how a stanza break functions similarly to a chapter break in building meaning across parts.
   • Picking quotes as evidenceSelect two quotations from a text that provide evidence for how one part changes the meaning of the next.
   • Write how parts change meaningWrite an analysis explaining how one identified chapter or stanza changes what the next one means, using two quoted supports.
   • Which suspense explanation is strongerJudge which of two candidate chapter-pair explanations better accounts for a suspense effect in an unfamiliar short story excerpt.
   • Discuss suspense with a partnerDiscuss with a partner how a specific structural choice affects suspense, citing text evidence to support the discussion.
5. Unit 5: Two Texts, One Topic: Integrating InformationYour child reads two informational articles on the same topic and writes something that pulls from both, naming which article each fact came from. They learn that when two sources disagree, that's information worth noting, not a mistake to fix. They practice sorting facts by source, paraphrasing without just swapping a word or two, and picking only the facts that actually answer the guiding question instead of dumping everything they found.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Quoting exact words from textsIdentify the exact words a source text uses for a stated fact, without adding or changing any word.
   • Sorting notes by sourceSort facts from two given texts into a two-column note-catcher labeled by source name.
   • Saying facts in your wordsRestate a fact from a source text in the student's own words without copying its phrasing.
   • Texts that agree or differExplain where two texts on the same topic agree and where they differ, using specific facts from each.
   • Why texts might disagreeInfer a plausible reason why two texts on the same topic disagree on a specific detail.
   • Naming the source of factsCite which of two source texts a fact came from, using the text's name, when writing about that fact.
   • Combining facts from two textsCombine facts from two source texts into one written paragraph organized around a single guiding question.
   • Checking a draft for sourcesCheck a peer's draft for any fact that lacks a named source, and mark each instance found.
6. Unit 6: Building a Story: Narrative Writing with StructureAfter a year of analyzing other people's stories, your child now builds one of their own. They plan a 3-5 scene story, write an opening that establishes who/where/when, develop character through dialogue that shows rather than states feelings, and write an ending that actually resolves the problem they set up. Every new move — orienting a reader, writing dialogue, transitioning between scenes, ending well — gets taught directly with a worked example before they try it themselves.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Who, where, and whenIdentify the sentence(s) in a mentor narrative's opening that establish who, where, and when.
   • Dialogue that shows feelingsExplain how a specific line of dialogue in a mentor text reveals a character's feeling without stating the feeling directly.
   • Endings that solve the problemCompare two draft endings for the same story to judge which resolves the problem set up in the opening scene.
   • Planning scenes for your storyPlan a 3-5 scene structure chart for an original narrative showing how each scene builds on the one before it.
   • Building a character across scenesWrite dialogue and description across scenes that develop a character consistent with the situation established in the orientation.
   • Revising your ending with feedbackRevise a scene's ending using two specific pieces of feedback so it resolves the story's stated problem.
   • Dialogue punctuation and word pairsCorrectly punctuate dialogue and use correlative conjunctions where appropriate in an original draft.
   • Transition words for scenesSelect transition words and phrases that clearly signal time or setting shifts between scenes.
   • Writing a whole new storyConstruct an original 3-5 scene narrative with an orienting introduction and a conclusion that follows from the narrated events, applying structure and point-of-view choices to a situation never discussed in class.
7. Unit 7: Taking a Side: Opinion Writing with ReasonsYour child writes a five-paragraph opinion essay: a clear claim, three reasons each backed by checkable evidence, and a conclusion that follows from the argument rather than just repeating the introduction. The topic is something they already read about earlier in the year, on purpose — so their attention goes to argument structure, not to learning new facts.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Writing an opinion sentenceGiven a topic, state a claim as a complete sentence that takes a clear side.
   • Claims, reasons, and evidenceSort a list of statements into claims, reasons, and evidence using the definitions taught in this unit.
   • How evidence backs a reasonExplain how a specific piece of evidence supports a stated reason, in a written sentence.
   • Linking words for evidenceSelect a linking word (because, consequently, specifically, for example) that correctly connects a reason to its evidence in a given sentence.
   • Putting reasons in orderOrganize three reasons for an opinion into a logical order and explain why that order is more convincing than another order.
   • Ending an opinion essayWrite a concluding statement that restates the claim in new words and states why the issue matters.
   • Which argument is more convincingGiven two students' opinion paragraphs on the same claim with the same three facts, judge which paragraph uses the evidence more convincingly and cite the specific reason why.
   • Writing a full opinion essayWrite a complete opinion essay with an introduction, three reasons supported by evidence, and a conclusion, on a topic tied to an earlier text.
8. Unit 8: Explaining Clearly: Informative Writing and Year-End SynthesisThis is the year's big pull-together unit. Your child writes an informative essay that groups related facts into paragraphs, opens each paragraph with a topic sentence that actually covers its facts, and names a source every time a fact appears. The introduction previews what's coming, the conclusion says why it matters. The unit opens by checking three earlier skills are solid — exact quoting, structure vocabulary, and citing sources — since the final task assumes those are already there, not newly taught here.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • What citing a source meansRecall the definition of 'cite a source' as naming where a fact came from.
   • Parts of a cited paragraphLabel the parts of a paragraph (topic sentence, supporting fact, cited source) in a fully worked example.
   • Grouping facts into paragraphsClassify a set of loose facts about one topic into logical paragraph groups.
   • Does the topic sentence fitExplain why a given topic sentence does or does not cover all the facts beneath it in a paragraph.
   • Comparing two textsCompare information from two texts on the same topic to identify where they agree and disagree.
   • Using exact quotesExecute the exact-quoting procedure to insert a supporting quotation into an informative paragraph.
   • Introducing what comes nextProduce an introduction paragraph that previews the sections of an informative piece.
   • Ending with why it mattersProduce a conclusion paragraph that states why the topic's information matters to a reader.
   • Planning an informative essayPlan the overall structure (sections and their order) for an informative essay drawing on two new, unfamiliar sources.
   • Checking for named sourcesCheck a peer's draft paragraph for whether every cited fact names its source.

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1. Unit 1: Place Value to the ThousandthsThis unit takes the decimal and whole-number place-value understanding your child built in fourth grade and stretches it further — down to thousandths and up through powers of ten. The one idea underneath everything here is that a digit's value depends entirely on where it sits, not on the digit itself.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Place values and ten timesGiven a multi-digit whole number or decimal, state the value represented by a specified digit, and explain why the digit to its left is worth 10 times as much.
   • Building decimals with blocksBuild a physical or drawn base-ten block model of a decimal to thousandths and match it to its digit form.
   • Patterns of zeros in productsExplain the pattern in the number of zeros in a product when a whole number is multiplied by 10, 100, or 1,000.
   • Decimal point shifts and exponentsPredict where the decimal point lands when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of ten, using exponent notation to name the power.
   • Three ways to write decimalsWrite a decimal to the thousandths in word form, standard form, and expanded form, and convert among the three.
   • Comparing decimals using place valueCompare two decimals to the thousandths place using place value reasoning, and justify the comparison by referring to the value of a specific digit rather than digit count.
   • Rounding decimals using place valueRound a decimal to a specified place (tenths, hundredths, or thousandths) using a number line or place value reasoning, and justify why the digit changed or stayed the same.
   • Ranking real-world decimal measurementsGiven an unfamiliar real-world measurement context (e.g., a runner's split times to the thousandth of a second), determine which of several decimals represents the closest finish and explain the ranking using place value.
2. Unit 2: Decimal ArithmeticNow that place value is solid, this unit stretches addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division to work on decimals. Every operation starts as a picture — a grid for adding, an area model for multiplying, hops on a number line for dividing — before the standard written steps show up.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Adding and subtracting decimalsAdd and subtract decimals to the hundredths using a base-ten grid model, aligning place value.
   • Why decimal points line upExplain why decimal points, not digits, must be aligned when adding or subtracting decimals.
   • Multiplying decimals with area modelsMultiply a decimal by a whole number using an area model, then connect the model to the standard algorithm.
   • Multiplying by less than onePredict whether a product will be larger or smaller than the starting factor when multiplying by a decimal less than one, before computing.
   • Checking decimal points by estimatingUse estimation by rounding factors to check whether a decimal product's placement of the decimal point is reasonable.
   • Dividing decimals on number linesDivide a decimal by a whole number using place-value reasoning and a number-line model of equal groups.
   • Divisor size and quotient sizeCompare two decimal quotient problems with different-sized divisors and explain which produces the larger quotient and why.
   • Decimal problems using every operationSolve a multi-step word problem combining decimal addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division in an unfamiliar money-and-measurement context.
   • Finding place value mistakesClassify a set of decimal computation errors by which place-value step broke down (alignment, decimal placement, or grouping).
3. Unit 3: Multi-Digit DivisionThis unit stretches long division to two-digit divisors. The core idea: dividing by a bigger number is the same operation as before, just done with an estimate you check and adjust as you go, using an area model to make the process visible.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Estimating quotients by roundingEstimate a two-digit-divisor quotient by rounding both numbers to place-value-friendly amounts before dividing.
   • Area models for divisionRepresent a multi-digit division problem as an area model with an unknown side length.
   • Partial quotients add upExplain why the partial quotients in an area model sum to the total quotient.
   • Long division with two-digit divisorsExecute the standard long division algorithm with a two-digit divisor and a whole-number quotient.
   • Fixing a quotient guessAdjust an initial quotient estimate when the first trial digit is too high or too low.
   • What to do with remaindersClassify a division word problem by which remainder-handling rule applies: round up, round down, or express as a fraction.
   • Explaining your remainder choiceJustify in one written sentence why a remainder was rounded up, rounded down, or expressed as a fraction in a specific problem.
   • Order of operations with divisionEvaluate a numerical expression containing division and grouping symbols, applying order of operations.
   • Writing expressions with parenthesesWrite a numerical expression, using grouping symbols, that records the two-step calculation described in a word problem.
   • Checking division answers by estimatingEstimate whether a computed quotient is reasonable by comparing it to a place-value-friendly estimate.
4. Unit 4: Adding and Subtracting FractionsThis unit teaches adding and subtracting fractions and mixed numbers with different-sized denominators. The idea repeated all unit long: pieces of different sizes can't be combined until they're renamed into the same size — fraction bars first, shortcut second.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Why unlike fractions need renamingGiven two fraction bars with different denominators, the student explains why the pieces cannot be combined without renaming.
   • Finding common denominators with modelsThe student finds a common denominator for two given fractions using an equivalence model (fraction bars or a number line).
   • Adding and subtracting unlike fractionsThe student adds and subtracts two fractions with unlike denominators, showing the renaming step and the final answer.
   • Regrouping to subtract mixed numbersThe student adds and subtracts mixed numbers with unlike denominators, regrouping a whole into fraction pieces when needed.
   • Benchmarks for comparing fractionsThe student classifies a fraction as closer to 0, 1/2, or 1 by comparing it to benchmark fractions on a number line.
   • Estimating fraction sums firstThe student estimates the sum of two unlike-denominator fractions using benchmark reasoning before computing an exact answer.
   • Choosing the operation for fractionsThe student solves a one-step word problem requiring addition or subtraction of unlike-denominator fractions, selecting the correct operation from context.
   • Fractions in a new situationGiven a real-world context never used in instruction (e.g., combining leftover paint amounts measured in different fraction units across three containers), the student determines whether the situation requires addition, subtraction, or is unsolvable with given information.
5. Unit 5: Multiplying FractionsHere fractions get multiplied instead of added, which means the pieces themselves change size rather than staying the same size and combining. The core idea: multiplying by a fraction less than one means taking a part of a part, and an area model shows exactly why the result shrinks.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Whole numbers times fractionsGiven a picture of a whole cut into fourths with 3 parts shaded, and 4 copies of that shape, find the total shaded amount as 4 x 3/4.
   • Area models for fraction multiplicationShade a rectangle to show 2/3 of 3/4, using rows for one fraction and columns for the other, and name the overlap fraction.
   • Writing equations from area modelsGiven a fraction-times-fraction area model with rows and columns already shaded, write the matching equation as numerator-times-numerator over denominator-times-denominator.
   • Multiplying to grow or shrinkState whether a product will be greater than, less than, or equal to a given factor, without multiplying, based on whether the other factor is greater than, less than, or equal to 1.
   • Multiplying fractions step by stepMultiply two proper fractions by multiplying numerators and multiplying denominators, and simplify the result.
   • Multiplying mixed numbersConvert a mixed number to an improper fraction and multiply it by another fraction or mixed number.
   • Why fraction products get smallerExplain, using an area model or a size-reasoning sentence, why a fraction-times-fraction product is smaller than both factors.
   • Fraction of a fraction problemsSolve a word problem asking for a fractional part of a fractional part of a real quantity (e.g. area of a garden plot), using a labeled area model.
   • Scaling problems in new situationsSolve a scaling word problem set in a context never used in instruction (e.g. map distance shrinking by a fraction), deciding without being told whether the answer should be bigger or smaller than the start.
   • Comparing multiplying and adding fractionsCompare a fraction-times-fraction area model to a fraction addition bar model for the same two fractions, and state what changes between the two operations.
6. Unit 6: Dividing Unit FractionsStudents learn to divide a whole number by a unit fraction (like 6 ÷ 1/3) and a unit fraction by a whole number (like 1/5 ÷ 4). Both get built from fraction bars and number lines before any shortcut — the unit is built to confront head-on the idea that division always makes numbers smaller.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Dividing wholes by unit fractionsGiven a whole number and a unit fraction, draw a fraction bar or number line model showing how many unit-fraction pieces fit inside the whole number.
   • Counting pieces in a modelGiven a completed picture of a whole number split into unit-fraction pieces, count the pieces and state the total.
   • Writing division from fraction modelsGiven a completed fraction bar model for whole number ÷ unit fraction, write the matching division expression and quotient.
   • Dividing unit fractions by wholesGiven a unit fraction and a whole number, draw a fraction bar model showing the unit fraction split into that many equal smaller pieces.
   • Why dividing by fractions growsExplain why 6 ÷ 1/3 produces a larger number than 6, using the fraction bar model as evidence.
   • Which quantity gets splitCompare a whole ÷ unit fraction model and a unit fraction ÷ whole model side by side and identify what is different about which quantity gets split.
   • Choosing the right division modelGiven a real-world story problem, decide whether it requires whole ÷ unit fraction or unit fraction ÷ whole number, and justify the choice.
   • Multiply or divide fractionsGiven a mixed set of Unit 5 multiplication and Unit 6 division fraction word problems, identify which operation each story requires and solve it.
   • Fraction division with new unitsSolve a novel measurement story involving a non-foot, non-familiar unit of measure requiring whole ÷ unit fraction, with no operation cue given.
7. Unit 7: Volume: Packing and MultiplyingThis unit takes flat-shape area thinking into three dimensions. Kids pack rectangular prisms with unit cubes and count them, then discover that multiplying the three edge lengths gives the exact same number — two methods that always agree.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Counting cubes to find volumeCount unit cubes packed into a rectangular prism shown in a layered picture to find its volume.
   • Why multiplying edges gives volumeExplain why the number of unit cubes packed into a prism equals length times width times height.
   • Finding volume with a formulaCalculate the volume of a rectangular prism given its three edge lengths using the formula V = l x w x h.
   • Cubes needed for one layerGiven a partially-packed prism picture missing some cubes, find the number of cubes needed to finish one layer.
   • Volume of real containersApply the volume formula to a real-world context, such as a shipping box or fish tank, to find how much it holds.
   • Volume of two joined prismsDecompose a composite figure made of two rectangular prisms into two separate prisms to find total volume.
   • Finding a missing edge lengthSolve for a missing edge length of a rectangular prism given its volume and its other two edge lengths.
   • Choosing the volume problem typeDistinguish which of three volume problem types (single prism, composite figure, missing edge) a given word problem requires.
   • Checking volume two waysFind the volume of a composite figure never seen in class, built from two prisms in an unfamiliar arrangement, using both counting and multiplying, and reconcile the two answers.
8. Unit 8: The Coordinate Plane and Numerical PatternsThe year's closing unit. Two number lines from Unit 1, set perpendicular to each other, become a coordinate plane. Kids plot and read points in the first quadrant, then generate number patterns using fraction and decimal operations from earlier units and graph them to compare.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Parts of a coordinate gridLabel the x-axis, y-axis, and origin on a first-quadrant coordinate grid.
   • Plotting points on a gridPlot an ordered pair on a first-quadrant grid by moving right along the x-axis then up parallel to the y-axis.
   • Why point order mattersExplain why the order of the two numbers in an ordered pair changes which point is named.
   • Reading points in real lifeInterpret the coordinates of a point plotted in a real-world context, such as distance traveled over time.
   • Making patterns with a ruleGenerate a numerical pattern by applying a given whole-number rule repeatedly to produce a sequence of terms.
   • Two patterns from two rulesGenerate two numerical patterns from two related rules using fraction or decimal operations from Units 4-6, and form ordered pairs from corresponding terms.
   • Comparing two patterns on graphsCompare two numerical sequences generated from related rules by graphing their corresponding ordered pairs and describing the relationship between the sequences.
   • Finding the rule from pointsInfer the rule relating two corresponding sequences when given only their graphed points, in a context and number pairing not used during instruction.
   • What a point meansDistinguish between a point's location in the context of the real-world situation it represents and its bare coordinate values.

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1. Unit 1: Matter Is Made of Particles Too Small to SeeThis unit gets your child to accept something that sounds obvious but isn't: everything, including air, is made of tiny particles you can't see, and those particles take up space and have weight. It starts with hands-on evidence — balloons, syringes, a scale — before asking your child to draw and defend their own particle pictures of everyday things like a drying towel.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Matter is made of particlesState that all matter is made of particles too small to see.
   • Solids, liquids, and gasesClassify a given sample (air in a balloon, ice cube, water in a cup) by its state of matter using shape and volume behavior.
   • Air takes up spaceExplain why a sealed, empty-looking syringe resists being pushed using the idea that air takes up space.
   • Air has weightCompare the weight of an inflated balloon to an identical deflated balloon to infer that air has weight.
   • Particles in liquids and gasesDraw a particle diagram showing particles closer together in a liquid than in a gas, and further apart in a gas than a liquid.
   • Why a wet towel driesGenerate a particle-model explanation for why a wet towel left out overnight becomes dry.
   • Figuring out the word particleDetermine the meaning of the term 'particle' as used in a grade-level informational text passage about matter.
   • When matter seems to disappearJustify, using evidence from a balloon, sugar-water, and a drying towel, that particles are conserved even when matter seems to vanish, in a context not used during instruction (a sealed bag of shrinking ice).
   • Claim and evidence about gasesSummarize the main claim and one piece of supporting evidence from a short science text about invisible gases.
2. Unit 2: Where Did It Go? Conservation of Matter in Mixtures and DissolvingYour child tests, with an actual scale, whether dissolved or mixed stuff still exists and still has weight. They move from just weighing things to arguing that total weight never changes when you mix or dissolve — even though the salt has vanished from sight. They also learn to tell mixtures from solutions, and separate mixtures by filtering or evaporating.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • The particle model of matterState that Unit 1's particle model claims matter is made of particles too small to see.
   • Does dissolving change weightPredict, before weighing, whether dissolving salt in water will change the total weight, then compare the prediction to measured data.
   • Mixtures and solutionsClassify given examples as a mixture, a solution, or neither, based on whether the parts can be seen and whether they settle.
   • Dissolved salt is still thereExplain, using the particle model, why dissolved salt is still present in water even though it cannot be seen.
   • Weighing before and after mixingExecute the four-step procedure for using a balance to compare total weight before and after mixing two substances.
   • Choosing how to separate mixturesSelect filtering or evaporating as the correct method to separate a given mixture, based on whether the parts dissolved.
   • Graphing weight before and afterConstruct a bar graph of total weight before and after dissolving from a data table the student collected.
   • Weighing oil and waterArgue from a novel household dataset (oil and water shaken, then settled) whether the total weight stayed the same, using the particle model.
   • Changes you can undoCompare a mixture that settles back out with a solution that does not, to identify what makes a change reversible.
3. Unit 3: Physical or Chemical? Sorting Changes in MatterThis unit teaches one test for sorting any change in matter: did a new substance actually form? Your child moves from watching demonstrations (melting, tearing, burning) to sorting cards to classifying brand-new household examples on their own, always backing it up with evidence like color, gas, temperature, or smell — not with how dramatic the change looked.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • What a physical change isState that a physical change keeps the same substance, only shape or state changes, and apply that test to classify 3 novel physical-change examples (folding foil, crushing a cracker, melting chocolate).
   • What a chemical change isState that a chemical change produces a new substance with new properties, and name the specific new substance formed in two novel examples (rusting nail, burnt toast).
   • Physical or chemical changeClassify a demonstrated change (melting butter, tearing paper, burning a match) as physical or chemical using the substance-identity test.
   • Color change is not enoughExplain why a color change alone does not prove a chemical change occurred, using the food-coloring-in-water and browning-apple contrast.
   • Fast and slow changesCompare rusting (slow) and baking soda plus vinegar (fast) to identify that speed does not determine change type.
   • Four clues of chemical changeIdentify which of four evidence types (color, gas, temperature, odor) is present in a given household example.
   • Weight in a sealed reactionPredict whether the total mass of a sealed reaction (baking soda and vinegar in a bag) changes, and justify using Unit 2's conservation claim.
   • Sorting household changesClassify eight household changes not previously demonstrated in class as physical or chemical, citing specific evidence for each.
   • Why dissolving is physicalExplain in writing why a claimed chemical change (e.g., dissolving sugar) is actually physical, using evidence and citing the substance-identity criterion.
4. Unit 4: Following Matter Through Plants, Animals, and EcosystemsYour child takes the conservation idea and the physical/chemical test and points them at living things. The centerpiece is a real investigation: weigh soil and a growing bean plant before and after several weeks of growth, and use the actual numbers to figure out where a plant's added mass really comes from. Then photosynthesis and decomposition get named as chemical changes, and matter gets traced from producers to consumers to decomposers.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • What photosynthesis needsState that plants use air, water, and sunlight to build their own matter through photosynthesis.
   • Labeling a photosynthesis diagramLabel a photosynthesis diagram with its three inputs and one new substance, given the same diagram structure shown in class.
   • Where plant mass comes fromExplain why a plant's mass gain comes mostly from air and water rather than soil, using the soil-weighing investigation as evidence.
   • Two chemical changes in natureClassify photosynthesis and decomposition as chemical changes using the criteria of new substance formation from Unit 3.
   • Matter in a food chainDiagram the movement of matter from a producer through a consumer to a decomposer in a given food chain.
   • Energy flow and matter cyclingCompare energy flow and matter cycling in an ecosystem, identifying what is reused versus what is not.
   • Where a dead leaf goesPredict what happens to the matter in a dead leaf left on the ground for one year.
   • Bean plant mass argumentConstruct a written claim-evidence-reasoning argument about the source of a bean plant's added mass, using investigation data.
   • Where matter goes in decayExplain to a partner, using precise vocabulary, where matter goes when an unfamiliar organism (a mushroom on a log) decomposes it.
5. Unit 5: Earth as a System: Land, Water, Air, and Life InteractingThis unit zooms out to Earth's four big systems — the land (geosphere), water (hydrosphere), air (atmosphere), and living things (biosphere) — and asks how one event can ripple across all of them. A rainstorm gets worked through in detail first, then a wildfire gets tried with less help, and finally a human activity (like damming a river) raises the stakes.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • The four Earth systemsStudents name the four Earth systems (geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, biosphere) and classify example items into the correct system.
   • Sorting landscape features by systemGiven a labeled photo of a landscape, students classify each visible feature as belonging to the geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, or biosphere.
   • Where Earth systems meetStudents identify where two Earth systems touch or overlap in a photograph, given a modeled example.
   • Evaporation moves water to airStudents explain how evaporation moves water matter from the hydrosphere into the atmosphere, using particle-model vocabulary from Unit 1.
   • Matter moving in a rainstormGiven the rainstorm case study, students diagram how a single rainstorm event moves matter across at least three of the four Earth systems.
   • One system changes anotherStudents compare the rainstorm case and a wildfire case to identify a common pattern: a change in one system causes a change in another.
   • First system people changeStudents infer which Earth system a human activity (such as damming a river) will most directly change first, before tracing further effects.
   • Volcano effects on Earth systemsGiven a completely new event never discussed in class (a volcanic eruption), students construct a system-interaction diagram explaining effects on at least three Earth systems.
   • Finding a shared claimStudents summarize a short informational text about a human activity's effect on Earth's systems, identifying the two texts' shared claim.
6. Unit 6: Where Is Earth's Water? Distribution and the Water CycleYour child finds out that most of Earth's water is salt water or ice, and the fraction that's actually drinkable fresh water is small and unevenly spread around. They build a scaled, measured physical model of that distribution — using real measured liquid, not just a diagram — and use it as evidence in a written argument about scarcity. The water cycle gets taught as the mechanism moving water between these places.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Earth's water is mostly saltyState that most of Earth's water is salt water located in oceans.
   • Water cycle stage namesName the four water cycle stages (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection) using the exact diagram taught in class.
   • Sorting Earth's water sourcesClassify a named water source (glacier, river, groundwater well, ocean, lake) as salt water, frozen fresh water, or liquid fresh water.
   • Reading graphs of Earth's waterInterpret a bar graph or pie chart of the percentages of Earth's water in each reservoir to identify which fraction is usable fresh water.
   • Why puddles disappearExplain why a puddle disappears using the particle model of evaporation.
   • A new water cycle diagramSequence the stages of the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, collection) using an unfamiliar or differently drawn diagram.
   • Water moving between Earth systemsExplain how water moves between two Earth systems (e.g., ocean to atmosphere, atmosphere to land) using the water cycle model.
   • Building a scale water modelConstruct a proportional physical model of Earth's water distribution using a measured volume of liquid to represent usable fresh water.
   • Writing a water scarcity claimWrite a claim about water scarcity supported by evidence from a self-built scaled water model.
   • When one water source changesPredict how a change in one Earth reservoir (e.g., melting glacier) would affect water available in another reservoir.
7. Unit 7: The Sun's Energy and Earth's PatternsThis unit names the sun as the energy source behind weather and the water cycle, then uses a physical globe-and-lamp model to explain day and night. The second half switches to real data: your child reads a season's worth of sunrise and sunset times and figures out whether days are getting longer or shorter, then connects that pattern to Earth's motion.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • The sun powers water and weatherState that the sun is Earth's main source of energy for weather and the water cycle.
   • What makes day and nightExplain, using the globe-and-lamp model, why Earth's rotation causes day and night.
   • Rotation versus revolutionDifferentiate Earth's rotation from Earth's revolution when explaining a given sky observation.
   • Reading sunrise and sunset tablesInterpret a table of recorded sunrise and sunset times to identify whether day length is increasing or decreasing across a season.
   • Earth's motion and day lengthExplain a seasonal pattern of change in day length by connecting it to Earth's motion, using energy-transfer vocabulary from Units 5 and 6.
   • Sky motion facts and mythsClassify sky-motion claims (e.g. 'sun circles Earth,' 'Earth spins,' 'Earth orbits') as accurate or a documented misconception.
   • Predicting future sunrise timesPredict the sunrise time for a future date not in a given data table, based on the observed pattern.
   • Explaining a new city's daylightConstruct a written, data-based explanation of an unfamiliar city's seasonal sunrise/sunset pattern, with no diagram provided, citing Earth's motion and the sun as energy source.
8. Unit 8: Brightness, Distance, and Patterns in the Night SkyThe year closes by asking whether the brightest-looking star has to be the most powerful one. Using a flashlight before any diagrams or numbers, your child learns that how bright a star looks depends on both how bright it truly is and how far away it is. They build a scale model relating the sun's size to the true distance of the nearest star, and use Earth's rotation versus its orbit to explain why the same constellations return each year.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • What apparent brightness meansState that a star's apparent brightness is how bright it looks from Earth.
   • Why the sun looks brightestExplain why the sun looks far brighter than any other star, using distance.
   • Distance and true brightness togetherCompare two stars' apparent brightness given their true brightness and relative distance.
   • Sun and nearest star modelConstruct a scale model relating a shrunken sun size to the correctly scaled distance of the nearest star.
   • Spin and orbit sky patternsDifferentiate Earth's daily rotation from its yearly orbit as causes of two different sky patterns.
   • Why constellations return each yearExplain why the same constellations appear at the same time each year, using Earth's orbital position.
   • Arguing brightness with a modelArgue, using a scale-distance model, why a nearby dim star can look brighter than a distant powerful one.
   • Sorting night sky evidenceClassify a set of night-sky observations as evidence of Earth's rotation or Earth's orbit.
   • Presenting your brightness claimPresent a brightness-distance claim orally, responding to a partner's question about the model.

Try a real Matter, Systems, and the Sky: Grade 5 Science lesson, no account needed →

1. Unit 1: Nations Before ContactThis unit undoes the idea that North America was empty before Europeans arrived. Your child learns five culture regions, matches real Native nations to each one, and figures out why people in different regions built different houses and ate different foods based on climate and what was around them.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Five Native culture regionsMatch each of five culture regions to its correct location on a North America map.
   • Four key words to knowRecall the meaning of nation, resource, adapt, and culture region using the picture example taught for each.
   • Native nations in three regionsRecall the name of at least one Native nation associated with each of three culture regions.
   • Homes that fit the regionExplain why a specific housing style (e.g., longhouse, adobe, plank house) fits its region's climate and available resources.
   • How land shaped food choicesCompare the food sources of two different culture regions and explain how geography shaped each choice.
   • Sorting a new nation by cluesClassify a new, previously unstudied Native nation's way of life into its correct culture region using given clues about climate and resources.
   • Oral stories and archaeologySummarize how an oral tradition passage and an archaeological description each serve as evidence about a Native nation's past.
   • How Native councils governedInfer how a Native confederacy's council structure functioned as a form of government, based on a described example.
   • Was it really a discoveryCritique the accuracy of the word 'discovery' when applied to Columbus's arrival, using evidence from two contrasting texts.
   • Mapping nations and adaptationsProduce a labeled regional map matching three Native nations to their region and one adaptation each.
2. Unit 2: Contact and ConsequenceThis unit asks why Europeans crossed the ocean and what happened when they got here. Your child learns the shorthand 'God, gold, and glory' for explorer motives, then complicates it, traces more than one voyage (not just Columbus), and looks hard at the real scale of Native deaths from disease versus war.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Three reasons explorers sailedGiven a description of an explorer's actions, students name which motive (God, gold, or glory) it most reflects.
   • Mapping two explorer voyagesStudents trace the route of Columbus's 1492 voyage and one non-Spanish voyage on a world map, labeling start, path, and landing.
   • What crossed the AtlanticStudents sort a set of items (corn, horses, smallpox, wheat, potatoes) into 'moved to Europe' or 'moved to Americas' and explain why each item's movement mattered for the people who received it.
   • Disease and war after contactStudents compare disease-caused deaths to war-caused deaths in the demographic collapse using a given data chart and explain which was the larger cause.
   • Two sides of one eventGiven a Native-perspective account and a European-perspective account of the same contact event, students identify one detail unique to each account.
   • Why writers pick certain detailsStudents explain how each writer's motive shaped which details they included or left out, using one specific example from each of two paired accounts.
   • Was the exchange fairStudents evaluate whether a claim about the Columbian Exchange ('it was a fair trade') is well supported, citing at least two specific pieces of evidence from the unit.
   • Finding motive in new accountsGiven a brand-new, previously unseen pair of accounts describing a contact event never discussed in class, students write a paragraph explaining how motive shaped each account, citing one detail from each.
3. Unit 3: Colonial Life, Region by RegionYour child compares New England, Middle, and Southern colonies — why they grew such different economies and lifestyles despite similar goals — and confronts that slavery and indentured servitude existed in every region, not just the South.9 skills ▸close ▾

   • Three colonial regions on the mapStudents label the New England, Middle, and Southern colony regions on a blank map and list each region's climate and landforms.
   • How land shaped colonial economiesStudents explain why a region's climate and soil made a particular economy (fishing/shipbuilding, mixed farming/trade, or cash-crop plantations) more likely than others there.
   • Indentured servitude or slaveryStudents classify a labor arrangement described in a short scenario as indentured servitude or chattel slavery.
   • Daily life under slaveryStudents summarize a primary-source-based narrative of daily life for an enslaved family, identifying what the system allowed and denied them.
   • The triangular trade routeStudents trace a triangular trade route on a map and explain what goods or people moved along each leg.
   • Why regional economies differedStudents compare the New England and Southern economies using two specific pieces of evidence each, explaining how geography drove the difference.
   • Geography, economy, and laborGiven a description of an unfamiliar 18th-century colony-like settlement, students infer which labor system and economy it most likely used and justify the choice.
   • Comparing three regions in a chartStudents organize evidence from at least two regions into a three-column comparison chart (economy, geography, labor).
   • Which region would resist changeStudents write a short essay arguing which region's way of life would have been hardest to change and support it with evidence from two regions.
4. Unit 4: The Road to RevolutionThis unit traces how colonial loyalty to Britain eroded step by step — taxes, boycotts, protests, violence — and asks whether the Revolution was really about ideas or about money and power. It's built around a shared timeline your child adds to over several days.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Colonial economy vocabulary reviewStudents recall the meaning of cash crop, triangular trade, and self-government from Unit 3.
   • Why Britain passed each actStudents match each taught act (Sugar Act, Stamp Act, Townshend Acts, Tea Act) to the one worked-example reason Britain passed it.
   • Why Britain taxed the coloniesStudents explain why Britain taxed the colonies after the French and Indian War, using colonial trade as the reason.
   • Ways colonists responded to BritainStudents classify specific colonial actions (boycott, petition, protest, violence) by type of response to British policy.
   • Stamp Act to Tea PartyStudents sequence five to six key events from the Stamp Act to the Boston Tea Party on an annotated timeline, showing escalation.
   • Why some stayed LoyalistsStudents infer why a colonist might have chosen to remain a Loyalist despite rising grievances, using a primary-source excerpt.
   • Patriot and Loyalist points of viewStudents compare Patriot and Loyalist perspectives on the same event to identify how point of view shapes a historical account.
   • Testing the Tea Party claimStudents critique the claim that the Boston Tea Party alone caused the Revolution, using the full timeline as evidence.
   • Ranking causes using new evidenceStudents rank the two most important causes of the Revolution from an untaught set of colonial grievances drawn from a different colony's records, and defend the ranking in writing.
   • Writing about the top two causesStudents produce a claim-based paragraph ranking two causes of the Revolution and defending the ranking with timeline evidence.
5. Unit 5: Fighting for IndependenceThis covers the actual Revolutionary War, from the Declaration through the war's end, built around two questions: why did the underdog win, and whose side would you have picked? It also looks at how women, Black Americans, and Native nations each navigated the war differently.10 skills ▸close ▾

   • Matching grievances to meaningsMatch each of 6 Unit 4 grievances to its correct one-sentence description.
   • Real events and grievancesGiven a real 1770s example (e.g. Stamp Act), identify the matching Unit 4 grievance word and state one reason the event was unfair.
   • Two jobs of the DeclarationExplain why the Declaration of Independence functioned as an announcement of separation, not only a list of complaints.
   • Finding Yorktown on the mapFollowing the teacher's modeled example at Saratoga, locate Yorktown on the Unit 3 regional map and repeat the same reasoning move to name its relevant geographic feature.
   • Reading a new battle locationIndependently interpret a new, unmarked battle location on the regional map and justify its geographic significance in one's own words.
   • What the French alliance changedExplain how the French alliance changed the balance of resources between the Continental Army and Britain after Saratoga.
   • Wartime choices for different groupsCompare the wartime choices available to two different groups (for example, enslaved people and Native nations) during the Revolution.
   • How one turning point matteredWrite a paragraph explaining one turning point's importance using a cause-and-effect connector.
   • Choosing a side in warDetermine which side (Patriot, Loyalist, or neutral) a hypothetical colonist in an unfamiliar situation would most plausibly choose, and justify it with at least two risks.
   • Finding grievances in the DeclarationIdentify grievances within a short excerpt of the Declaration of Independence that connect to Unit 4 causes.
6. Unit 6: A Nation Tries to Govern ItselfAfter the war, the new states had to actually run themselves, and this unit asks why they deliberately built a weak central government, then what happened when that weak government met real problems like Shays' Rebellion.11 skills ▸close ▾

   • Power under the ArticlesState that the Articles of Confederation were designed to give states more power than the central government.
   • Why leaders wanted weak governmentExplain why fear of British tyranny led the framers to make the central government weak on purpose.
   • Money problems and power problemsClassify specific weaknesses of the Articles (no power to tax, no national army, unanimous consent to amend) as either 'money problems' or 'power problems'.
   • Why no taxes meant no payInfer why a government with no power to tax could not pay soldiers or pay off war debt.
   • Shays' Rebellion hurts real peopleSummarize Shays' Rebellion as evidence that the Articles' weaknesses were causing real harm to real people.
   • Two views of Shays' RebellionCompare two accounts of Shays' Rebellion (one sympathetic to the farmers, one alarmed by the uprising) for point of view.
   • Why states chose to fixExplain why the states decided to call a convention to fix, rather than replace, the Articles.
   • Compromise in the classroomDemonstrate compromise by resolving a concrete classroom scenario where two sides want incompatible things.
   • Compromise in a river disputeApply the concept of compromise to a dispute between two states over a river boundary by first comparing its structure to the classroom scenarios, then proposing a solution.
   • Articles strengths and weaknessesOrganize evidence about the Articles into a strengths-and-weaknesses chart.
   • Memo to fix the ArticlesProduce a short recommendation memo, in a child's voice, proposing changes to the Articles with reasons.
7. Unit 7: Framing a New GovernmentThis is the big one: how the states built a stronger government after watching a weak one fail, and — just as important — who got left out of 'We the People.' It covers the three branches, checks and balances, federalism, the Bill of Rights, and an honest look at the Three-Fifths Compromise.12 skills ▸close ▾

   • Fixing weaknesses with the ConstitutionStudents explain, using a specific Article of Confederation weakness named in Unit 6, which constitutional feature was designed to fix it.
   • Two plans and one compromiseStudents recall the two competing plans (Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan) and state what the Great Compromise combined from each.
   • What each branch doesStudents name the job of each of the three branches of government (legislative, executive, judicial) using the term taught in direct instruction.
   • State power and federal powerStudents classify a described government action (e.g., a state law, a treaty, a court ruling) as a power of the states, the federal government, or shared under federalism.
   • Branches that check each otherStudents match a real scenario (a law is passed, a law is enforced, a law is challenged in court) to the branch of government responsible and explain why that branch checks another.
   • Why a Bill of RightsStudents explain why the Anti-Federalists demanded a Bill of Rights before ratifying the Constitution.
   • Matching rights to amendmentsStudents recall which specific amendment (from the three taught: speech, due process, unreasonable search) protects a scenario shown during direct instruction.
   • Who was left outStudents compare who was included and who was excluded from "We the People" in 1787 with who the Declaration of Independence (Unit 4) claimed had rights.
   • The Three Fifths CompromiseStudents explain, in their own words, the honest reasoning behind the Three-Fifths Compromise and name whose interests it served.
   • Reading an unfamiliar government textGiven an adapted, unfamiliar clause from a state constitution or a different historical document, students infer which branch or level of government it describes and justify the inference with textual evidence.
   • The Preamble and one amendmentStudents explain in their own words what an adapted Preamble excerpt and one Bill of Rights amendment each promise.
   • Did the Constitution keep promisesStudents write a paragraph evaluating whether the Constitution kept the Declaration's promises for all people, using at least two pieces of evidence from the unit.
8. Unit 8: The American Story: Looking Back, Looking ForwardNo new content here — this is the unit where your child pulls together everything from the whole year into one argument. They pick a big question about the founding period and defend a claim using evidence from at least three different units, in writing and out loud.8 skills ▸close ▾

   • Native nations to colonial lifeRecall the region, key nation or colony names, and one core vocabulary term for each of the first three units (Native nations, contact, colonial life) when given a blank timeline.
   • From grievances to the ConstitutionRecall the sequence of grievances, war events, and constitutional compromises from Units 4-7 when given a blank timeline.
   • Ideals versus realityClassify a given historical example (e.g., Wampanoag land use, indentured servitude, a specific grievance) as illustrating 'ideal' or 'reality' within the ideals-versus-reality theme.
   • Contact in different regionsCompare two Native nations' experiences of contact and colonization (e.g., a Northeast nation and a Southeast nation) using evidence from Units 1-3.
   • From grievance to compromiseExplain how a specific grievance named in Unit 4 connects to a specific compromise made in Unit 7's Constitution.
   • Write a claim with evidenceGenerate a claim answering one course essential question, supported by evidence drawn from at least three different units.
   • Voices we heard very littleIdentify a group or perspective from this year's story that received little attention in class texts, using a source neither assigned nor discussed this year.
   • Share your claim with classmatesPresent a researched claim to classmates, sequencing evidence logically and speaking at an understandable pace.

Try a real The American Story Begins: Peoples, Contact, and a New Nation lesson, no account needed →