5th Grade
5th Grade Resources
Early Literacy Central (assessment materials and supports)
Other Resources
5th grade lesson plans, slideshows, and other resources for the EL Education curriculum
Science resources for 5th Grade, including support for FOSS
Newsela social studies curriculum for 5th grade
EL Education is the provider of the ELA curriculum that has been adopted by OUSD for grades K-5.* The curriculum is standards-based, and relies heavily on fiction and nonfiction trade books. OUSD teachers can find EL Education materials and lesson plans at EL Ed Central. While there are normally four modules in a school year, teachers can opt to teach three modules during this first year of adoption.
* OUSD Dual Language schools use the Benchmark Education curriculum for language instruction.
Fall
Stories of Human Rights
What are human rights, and how can they be threatened? How can we use writing to raise awareness of human rights?
Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan
A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World by DK Publishing
Winter
Biodiversity in the Rain Forest
Why do scientists study the rainforest? How do authors engage readers in narratives?
The Great Kapok Tree, Cherry Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson
The Most Beautiful Roof in the World by Katherine Lasky
Spring
Athlete Leaders of Social Change
How have athletes broken barriers during the historical era in which they lived? What factors can contribute to an individual's success in changing society?
Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America by Sharon Robinson
Fall
Module 1
Place Value Concepts for Multiplication and Division with Whole Numbers
Module 2
Addition and Subtraction with Fractions
Winter
Module 3
Multiplication and Division
with Fractions
Module 4
Place Value Concepts for Decimal Operations
Spring
Module 5
Addition and Multiplication with Area and Volume
Module 6
Foundations to Geometry in the Coordinate Plane
For elementary science instruction, OUSD uses FOSS (Full Option Science System), a research-based science curriculum developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. This curriculum emphasizes hands-on activities and is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The order of the three modules varies from school to school, depending on the rotation of physical science kits at each school site.
Physical Science
Mixtures and Solutions
What is matter, and what happens when samples of matter interact?
Investigations:
Separating Mixtures
Developing Models
Concentration
Reaching Saturation
Fizz Quiz
Earth Science
Earth and Sun
How do Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere interact to create a sustainable environment for life?
Investigations:
The Sun
Planetary Systems
Earth’s Atmosphere
Heating Earth
Water Planet
Life Science
Living Systems
How can we describe Earth’s biosphere as a system of interacting parts?
Investigations:
Systems
Nutrient Systems
Transport Systems
Sensory Systems
OUSD 5th graders use Newsela to access a Social Studies curriculum that focuses on U.S. History. This online curriculum is aligned to California Common Core state standards, and consists of individual articles that are adjusted to each student's reading level.
Fall
Indigenous Lands
Chapter 1
The Land and People Pre-Contact
Chapter 2
Age of Exploration
Chapter 3
Cooperation and Conflict in North America
Winter
Colonial America
Chapter 4
Settling the Colonies
Chapter 5
The Road to War
Chapter 6
The American Revolution
Spring
The U.S. Forms and Expands
Chapter 7
Development and Significance of U.S. Constitution
Chapter 8
Life in the Young Republic
Chapter 9
The New Nation’s Westward Expansion
5th Grade Academic Milestones (for families)
Milestones_5th Grade.pdf