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EL Education Resources - 5th Grade

Module 2: Biodiversity in the Rainforest 

Dear Family, 

During Module 2, Students will focus on the big ideas: 

  • What can we do to help the rainforest?  

  • Scientists study the rainforest because it is home to a diversity of life and to determine the impact of deforestation on biodiversity. 

  • A first person narrative helps us see how one character thinks/feels in response to a situation. 

  • Authors engage readers in narratives by using figurative language to help readers imagine and by speeding up and slowing down the pacing according to what is happening. 

Learning Activities: 

  • Unit 1: Students will learn about the rainforest and its destruction by reading and summarizing texts, conducting web research, and discussing ways to help the rainforest in Science Talks. 

  • Unit 2: Students read and analyze literary texts about the rainforest, focusing on how point of view and descriptive language influence understanding. They compare these elements in various texts, write literary analysis essays, and practice reading fluency. 

  • Unit 3: Students use their knowledge of point of view and narrative techniques to write first-person narratives. They work in pairs to draft and revise narratives, complete individual narrative assessments, and create a Rainforest Adventures ebook. 

Language Skills: 

  • Figurative Language uses words or phrases with meanings different from the literal to help readers understand new concepts through comparisons.  

    • Ex. simile: As busy as a bee, metaphor: The classroom was a zoo., idiom: Hit the nail on the head (to be exactly right) 
  • Identify functions of conjunctions, interjections, and prepositions 
    • Conjunctions connect words, phrases, or clauses.  
      • Ex. and: I like apples and oranges.; or: Do you want tea or coffee? 
    • Interjections express sudden emotions or feelings.  
      • Ex. wow: Wow, that’s amazing!; oops: Oops, I dropped my pen. 
    • Prepositions show the relationship between a noun (or pronoun) and other words in a sentence, often indicating location, time, or direction. 
      • Ex. in: The book is in the bag.; under: The dog is under the table 
  • Point of View: 

    • First-person: Narrator is a character in the story, offering a personal perspective. Written from the viewpoint of a character using “I” 

    • Third-person: Narrator is not a character, providing a broader view 

Supporting Learning at Home: 

  • Discuss rainforest biodiversity, its destruction, and ways to help. 

  • Visit local zoos/animal parks to observe rainforest animals and plants. 

  • Watch documentaries about the rainforest, its animals and plants, and its destruction. 

  • Encourage your student to summarize texts that he or she reads. 

  • Talk about figurative language and its effects in texts. 

Sincerely,  

Fifth Grade Teachers