The Solution to Reading Comprehension
5th and 6th Grade Novel Study Units
These units give students the opportunity to engage with and read longer, chaptered, rich texts. Deep reading comprehension and comprehension concepts are taught in a single unit. All units include a pacing guide, five to seven lessons, an extensive student packet with formative assessments, and a unit assessment. Most units require 4 – 6 weeks of instructional time.
Fountas & Pinnell
Lexile
5th Grade Units
Genre: Biography
Lost Star: The Story of Amelia Earhart
-
Distinguish biography and autobiography using a story’s point of view
-
Infer an author’s unstated opinion about a subject using facts from the text
-
Retell the events in the life of a main character
-
Explain the impact of a significant experience on a person’s life
-
Use a text feature to find and explain facts in a text
T
870L
The Story of Jackie Robinson, Bravest Man in Baseball
-
Distinguish biography and autobiography using a story’s point of view
-
Infer an author’s unstated opinion about a subject using facts from the text
-
Retell the events in the life of a main character
-
Explain the impact of a significant experience on a person’s life
-
Use a text feature to find and explain facts in a text
O
760L
Genre: Historical Fiction
-
Identify historical terms in historical fiction
-
Examine how a character’s past impacts their present actions, thoughts, and feelings
-
Compare and contrast two settings
-
Explain how historical events and details affect characters
-
Connect a theme in Historical Fiction to today’s world
P
720L
The Watsons Go to Birmingham—1963
-
Identify historical terms in Historical Fiction
-
Examine how a character’s past impacts their present actions, thoughts, and feelings
-
Compare and contrast two settings in a novel
-
Explain how historical events and details affect characters
-
Connect a theme in Historical Fiction to today’s world
U
1000L
Genre: Poetry
-
Identify elements of poetry
-
Explain the main idea of a poem
-
Describe the emotion or tone of a poem
-
Identify a theme in a poem
-
Identify the author’s purpose in a poem
-
Classify various types of figurative language found in a poem
NP
Words with Wings: A Treasury of African-American Poetry and Art
-
Identify elements of poetry
-
Explain the main idea of a poem
-
Describe the emotion or tone of a poem
-
Identify a theme in a poem
-
Identify the author’s purpose in a poem
-
Classify various types of figurative language found in a poem
Genre: Realistic Fiction
-
Identify the realistic elements of realistic fiction by making personal connections
-
Predicting Events in Realistic Fiction
Make a prediction about what will happen in a work of realistic fiction using text evidence and prior knowledge
-
Identify two plot conflicts in the text (Character vs. Character and Character vs. Self)
-
Analyze character relationships
-
Boys vs. Girls: It’s Not Just in Your Head
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Use recurring events in order to identify and examine a theme in a work of realistic fiction
-
Character and Relationship Changes
Explain what drives a change in characters and their relationships
T
810L
-
Identify the realistic elements of realistic fiction by making personal connections
-
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Analyze character relationships
-
Predicting Events in Realistic Fiction
Make a prediction about what will happen in a work of realistic fiction using text evidence and prior knowledge
-
Identify two plot conflicts in the text (Character vs. Character and Character vs. Self)
-
Use recurring events in order to identify and examine a theme in a work of realistic fiction
-
Character and Relationship Changes
Explain what drives a change in characters and their relationships
O
560L
-
Identify the realistic elements of realistic fiction by making personal connections
-
Use the Textual Analysis Process to answer questions about a text
-
Identify two plot conflicts in the text (Character vs. Character and Character vs. Self)
-
Analyze character relationships
-
Predicting Events in Realistic Fiction
Make a prediction about what will happen in a work of realistic fiction using text evidence and prior knowledge
-
Character and Relationship Changes
Explain what drives a change in characters and their relationships
-
Use recurring events in order to identify and examine a theme in a work of realistic fiction
S
840L
-
Identify the realistic elements of realistic fiction by making personal connections
-
Analyze character relationships
-
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Predicting Events in Realistic Fiction
Make a prediction about what will happen in a work of realistic fiction using text evidence and prior knowledge
-
Identify two plot conflicts in the text (Character vs. Character and Character vs. Self)
-
Use recurring events in order to identify and examine a theme in a work of realistic fiction
-
Character and Relationship Changes
Explain what drives a change in characters and their relationships
W
820L
Genre: Fantasy
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
-
Identify the fantastical elements in a work of fantasy fiction
-
Examine descriptive language used to give a setting emotional impact
-
The Effects of Character Decisions
Explain the effects of a character’s decision on the plot
-
Analyze a Character vs. Character plot conflict
-
Explain the theme of a story by analyzing the effects of a character’s decision
T
940L
-
Identify the fantastical elements in a work of fantasy fiction
-
Examine descriptive language used to give a setting emotional impact
-
The Effects of Character Decisions
Explain the effects of a character’s decision on the plot
-
Analyze a Character vs. Character plot conflict
-
Explain the theme of a story by analyzing the effects of a character’s decision
P
1000L
Fountas & Pinnell
Lexile
6th Grade Units
Genre: Mysteries
-
Identify the elements of a mystery
-
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Describe the mysteries, or plot problems that need to be solved, in a piece of detective fiction
-
Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
Draw conclusions about which details in a mystery are useful clues
-
Draw a conclusion about characters’ possible motives for committing a crime, in order to determine which characters are suspects
-
Predicting a Mystery’s Solution
Predict the solution to a mystery based on what they know about character motivation and possible clues
-
Identify red herrings used to mislead the reader
S
770L
Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy
-
Identify the elements of a mystery
-
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Describe the mysteries, or plot problems that need to be solved, in a piece of detective fiction
-
Draw a conclusion about characters’ possible motives for committing a crime, in order to determine which characters are suspects
-
Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
Draw conclusions about which details in a mystery are useful clues
-
Predicting a Mystery’s Solution
Predict the solution to a mystery based on what they know about character motivation and possible clues
-
Identify red herrings used to mislead the reader
750L
Sammy Keyes and the Hotel Thief
-
Identify the elements of a mystery
-
Describe the mysteries, or plot problems that need to be solved, in a piece of detective fiction
-
Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
Draw conclusions about which details in a mystery are useful clues
-
Draw a conclusion about characters’ possible motives for committing a crime, in order to determine which characters are suspects
-
Forensic Science Files: Handwriting Analysis
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Predicting a Mystery’s Solution
Predict the solution to a mystery based on what they know about character motivation and possible clues
-
Identify red herrings used to mislead the reader
T
840L
-
Identify the elements of a mystery
-
Describe the mysteries, or plot problems that need to be solved, in a piece of detective fiction
-
Taking Stock of the Stock Market
Use the Textual Analysis process to answer comprehension questions about a text
-
Draw a conclusion about characters’ possible motives for committing a crime, in order to determine which characters are suspects
-
Identifying Clues to Help Solve a Mystery
Draw conclusions about which details in a mystery are useful clues
-
Predicting a Mystery’s Solution
Predict the solution to a mystery based on what they know about character motivation and possible clues
-
Identify red herrings used to mislead the reader
V
750L
Genre: Science Fiction
-
Identify scientific, futuristic, and/or out of the ordinary elements of science fiction
-
Determine the Meaning of Unknown Words
Determine the meaning of unknown words in a science fiction text
-
Interpret the meaning of a symbol in work of science fiction
-
The Similarities and Differences of Setting
Compare and contrast the settings in a science fiction text with their world
-
Explain how a plot conflict is resolved
-
Use the plot resolution to explain a theme in a science fiction novel
600L
-
Identify scientific, futuristic, and/or out of the ordinary elements of science fiction
-
Determine the Meaning of Unknown Words
Determine the meaning of unknown words in a science fiction text
-
The Similarities and Differences of Setting
Compare and contrast the setting in a science fiction text with their world
-
Interpret the meaning of a symbol in a work of science fiction
-
Explain how a plot conflict is resolved
-
Use the plot resolution to explain a theme in a science fiction novel
W
740L
Genre: Verse Novels
-
Differentiate between narrative and lyric poetry
-
Identify and explain poetic word choice
-
Explain how a past experience affects a character’s perspective
-
Examine a character’s voice to describe their traits and emotions
-
Identify a symbol and explain what it means
W
Keeping the Night Watch and Chess Rumble
-
Differentiate between narrative and lyric poetry
-
Identify and explain poetic word choice
-
Explain how a past experience affects a character’s perspective
-
Examine a character’s voice to describe their traits and emotions
-
Identify a symbol and explain what it means
Genre: Short Stories
-
Examine the depth and breadth of a short story
-
Identify the point of view in multiple short stories, including first-person, third-person objective, third-person limited, and third-person omniscient points of view
-
Interpret how a character’s perspective is influenced by his or her cultural background
-
Compare and contrast multiple perspectives in a collection of short stories
-
Using Plot Elements to Retell a Story
Retell a short story’s plot using the plot elements
R
870L
-
Examine the depth and breadth of a short story
-
Identify the point of view in multiple short stories, including third person limited and omniscient
-
Interpret how character’s perspective is influenced by his or her cultural background
-
Compare and contrast multiple perspectives in a collection of short stories
-
Using Plot Elements to Retell a Story
Retell a short story’s plot using the language of the plot elements
W
870L
Genre: Autobiography
-
Classify different forms of first-person nonfiction: autobiography, memoirs, journals/diaries
-
Identify the main ideas in an autobiography
-
Pictures, Photographs, and Captions
Explain how a picture and/or caption support a description or event in an autobiography
-
Identify multiple author purposes in a text
-
Identify explicit and implicit opinions in a text
W
1110L
-
Classify different forms of first-person nonfiction: autobiography, memoirs, journals/diaries
-
Identify the main ideas in an autobiography
-
Explain how a picture and/or caption support a description or event in an autobiography
-
Identify multiple author purposes in a text
-
Identify explicit and implicit opinions in a text
U
970L