Grade 5: Considering Perspectives and Supporting Opinions - Sports and Athletes' Impact on Culture
Rating: 
http://www.engageny.org/sites/default/files/resource/attachments/5m3a.1.pdf Grade 5: Module 3A
Common Core Standards
Reading Informational Text
RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
RI.5.4 Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
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).
Writing
W.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
W.5.8 Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Speaking and Listening
SL.5.1 Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information.
Description of Unit
This Grade 5 unit titled “Building Background Knowledge: Considering Perspectives and Supporting Opinions - Sports and Athletes’ Impact on Culture" developed by Expeditionary Learning for engageny.org is intended to be completed in fifteen sessions of integrated language arts and social studies instruction. The emphasis is on having students draw evidence from texts to produce a clear and coherent writing that informs, explains, and states an opinion. Lessons are designed to have students work in various classroom settings to build background knowledge using multiple texts in order to create a written opinion that they will each deliver orally to their peers.
Cautions
Connecticut teachers should be aware that while the curriculum is available at the site listed, access to materials used in the lessons may be limited.
Rationale for Selection
This unit is an exemplary example of how to integrate social studies and language arts content. The lessons are expertly crafted to move students through the process of reading, research, and writing. Multiple readings are provided with the corresponding Lexile levels facilitating differentiated instruction for all students. Formative and summative assessments with aligned rubrics are included. The materials, instructional aides, and teacher tips are helpful.