Grade 5
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Communication & Collaboration
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Reading: Comprehension
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Reading: Foundations
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Writing
Indiana ELA Standard: 5.CC.1
Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly. (E)
Order and Chaos: Recipe or Instinct?
Two cooks make the same dinner. One follows the recipe to the exact gram. The other just throws things in by feel. Whose food turns out better — the ordered cook or the chaotic cook?
Order and Chaos: The Perfect Heartbeat
A heartbeat sounds steady, but a perfectly regular one is a warning sign — healthy hearts speed up and slow down a little. Is a healthy heart ordered or chaotic?
Order and Chaos: The Shuffle
To shuffle a deck you follow exact steps to make the cards random. Are you creating chaos, or doing something very orderly?
Order and Chaos: No Traffic Lights
One town runs its intersections with signals. Another has no lights at all — drivers just work it out. Which town’s traffic is more orderly?
Order and Chaos: The Snowflake
A snowflake builds a perfect six-sided pattern, and no one designs it. Did that order come from inside the water, or from outside in the cold?
Systems: Grandpa’s Axe
Grandpa’s axe broke, so he put on a new head. Years later the handle cracked, so he replaced that too. Now no original piece is left. Is it still the same axe, or a new one?
Systems: The Thermostat
A thermostat fights to keep a room the same — open a window and it just cranks the heat to undo you. In a system that pushes back like that, can you ever really change just one thing?
Systems: Watch vs. Forest
A watch stops dead if one tiny gear breaks. A forest can lose a whole species and barely notice. Which is the better-built system — the one where every part matters, or the one where no part is essential?
Systems: The Traffic Jam
Picture a jam where no one crashed and no one even stopped on purpose — everyone crawls for an hour, then it clears for no reason. Did anyone actually cause this traffic jam?
Systems: Pull One Thread
A sweater is really one long thread looped a thousand times. Pull the right loose end and the whole thing unravels in seconds. So is a system like that strong or fragile?
Change: The Caterpillar’s Bargain
To become a butterfly, a caterpillar doesn’t just sprout wings — inside the cocoon it dissolves into liquid first, almost nothing left, then rebuilds. Would you trade everything you are now to become something far greater?
Change: The Sealed Jar
You love a flower so much you seal it in a jar to keep it exactly as it is, forever. A month later it’s brown and crumbling. Did sealing it stop the change, or just hide it?
Change: The Tree’s Scar
A nail got hammered into a young tree. The tree didn’t push it out — it grew around it, sealing the nail inside a knot of new wood. Was that change the tree healing, or the tree getting damaged?
Change: One Domino
You nudge one domino. It tips the next, which tips two more, which tip four, until a thousand have fallen. Did you cause one change, or a thousand?
Change: Canyon vs. Earthquake
It took a river six million years to carve the Grand Canyon. An earthquake can drop a cliff into the sea in ten seconds. Which one changed the land more — the slow river or the fast quake?
What’s In My Brain: Ramp vs Bike
Two columns. One is an example, one isn’t. Can you figure out the hidden rule before the big reveal?
What’s In My Brain: H vs Arrow
Two columns. One is an example, one isn’t. Can you figure out the hidden rule before the big reveal?
What’s In My Brain: Grass vs Mold
Two columns. One is an example, one isn’t. Can you figure out the hidden rule before the big reveal?
What’s In My Brain: Inventions vs Discovery
We’re looking at inventions vs discoveries.
What’s In My Brain: Paperclip vs Straw
We’re looking at magnetic vs. non-magnetic materials.
What’s In My Brain: Lion vs Bear
We’re looking at carnivores vs omnivores.
What’s In My Brain: Guinea Pig vs Potbelly
What do guinea pigs, shooting stars, and seahorses have in common? They’re all misnomers!
What’s In My Brain: Spain vs Germany
One column is an example. The other isn’t. Can your students figure out the hidden rule before the reveal?
Tournament of Mythological Creatures
Who will win the tournament of mythological creatures!?
Tournament of Not-So-Famous Inventors
Which inventor and invention will win the tournament?
Not Like The Others: Rivers
Four rivers. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Cephalopods
Four cephalopods. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Flowers
Four flowers. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: 19th Century Presidents
Four 19th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group B
Four 20th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: 20th Century Presidents – Group A
Four 20th century presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
What’s In My Brain: Pentagon vs Pentagon
We’re looking at regular vs irregular polygons.
What’s In My Brain: Austin vs Los Angeles
We’re looking at capital cities.
What’s In My Brain: Italy vs Normandy
We’re looking at countries vs states (and other smaller regions).
What’s In My Brain: Coral vs Water Lilies
Let’s look at saltwater vs freshwater organisms.
What’s In My Brain: Tree vs Tree
Let’s look at deciduous vs coniferous trees.
What’s In My Brain: Ball vs Book
Let’s look at Kinetic vs Potential Energy!
What’s In My Brain: Crocodile vs Tree Frog
Is it a reptile or an amphibian?
What’s In My Brain: Narwhal vs Penguin
We’re looking at the arctic vs the antarctic.
Student Introductions With Depth, Complexity, and Frames: Level Two
Once students know the prompts of Depth and Complexity, let’s take them much higher up Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Domesticated Animals Tournament
Which domesticated animal will win the tournament?
Types of Energy Tournament
Which type of energy will win the tournament!?
Squiggles Collection 1
Everyone starts with the same squiggle. No two drawings end up the same. What do you see?
Not Like The Others: African Nations
Four African nations. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Phrases to Join a Discussion
Want your classroom discussions to go a bit more smoothly? Train students to use a few simple phrases and it’ll make all the difference in the world.
What’s In My Brain!? Japan vs Jamaica
Is it an island or an archipelago?
Not Like The Others: US National Parks
Four US national parks. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Discussing An Important Decision from History
How would people with two different perspectives discuss a decision from history?
What’s In My Brain!? Gold vs Wood
Some of these examples are conductors and some are insulators!
What’s In My Brain!? Walnut vs Clouds
Let’s look at living vs non-living things.
Concept Attainment: Hornet vs Tiger
Can your class spot the vertebrates vs invertebrates?
Not Like The Others: Types of Diseases
Four diseases. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Desert
Four desert birds. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Penguins
Four penguins. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Microstates of Europe
Four of the tiniest countries in Europe. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Microorganisms
Four microorganisms. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Plant Adaptation Tournament
Who will win in a tournament of eight plants with Interesting adaptations!?
Tournament: 8 Wonders of the Solar System
Which location is the most wondrous place in the solar system?
Not Like The Others: Ants of the World!
Four ants from around the world. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
The 8th Wonder of the World Tournament
Which of these eight wonders deserves to become the Eighth Wonder of the World!?
Exploration Technology Tournament
Which of these pieces of exploration technology is most important? Most underrated? Most long-lasting?
Precipitation Tournament
Eight types of precipitation battle it out in this tournament.
Tournament of Ancient Inventions
Which of these inventions of the ancient world is most influential? Least useful today? Most taken-for-granted?
Animal Adaptation Tournament
Which animal has the most interesting, most valuable, or strangest adaptations?
Habitable Planets and Moons Tournament
Which object in the solar system is most habitable?
Parts of Speech Tournament
Which part of speech is most useful? Interesting? Strange?
Not Like The Others: Types of Rocks
Igneous, sedimentary, metamorphic — and one that doesn’t fit. But which one? Depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Snakes of the Rainforest
Four rainforest snakes. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Rainforests
Which of these rainforests is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Stars
How is each of these stars not like the others?
Not Like The Others: US States
How is each of these states not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Mountains
Which of these mountains is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Birds of the Tropical Rainforest
Which of these four birds is not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Branches of the US Government
How is each part of the United States Government not like the other parts?
Tournament of Presidents
So who was the strangest of these eight presidents?
What’s In My Brain: Owl vs Eagle
Some of these animals are nocturnal and some are diurnal.
Concept Attainment: Art
Can your students tell the difference between cubism and abstract art?
Not Like The Others: Natural Disasters
Four natural disasters. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Game: Snakes
In this grid-based strategy game, who will be the last to add to the snake?
Not Like The Others: States of Matter
How is each of the states of matter not like the others?
Not Like The Others: Countries
How is each of these four countries not like the others?
What’s In My Brain: Trapezoids or Not?
Which are trapezoids and which are not?
Not Like The Others: Charlotte’s Web
Four Charlotte’s Web characters. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Creatures of the Tundra
Four tundra creatures. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: US Presidents
Four US presidents. One doesn’t belong. But which one? That depends on your argument.
Not Like The Others: Planets
Which of these planets is not like others? Well, it sure looks simple at first. But each option could be the one that doesn’t fit in.
The Tournament of Biomes
Want to move beyond memorizing the characteristics of biomes? In this lesson, students work through a Tournament of Biomes, explaining which biome wins in each round (based on criteria you choose). In the end, they crown a 👑 Champion Biome!
Fraction Ordering Tournament
Which set of fractions would be the trickiest to order from least to greatest? Let’s have a tournament!
Col – A Strategy Game
The first person to run out of regions loses in this strategy game.
The Resiliency Tournament
Your students will set up a tournament to determine which person or character best demonstrated resiliency.
The Thinking Hats
So… do your students moan when forced to work in a group? Part of the problem is that lack the structure to work well with peers. Edward de Bono’s Thinking Hats are a perfect tool to help with this problem.
Content Imperatives: Convergence
Add complexity by considering how multiple factors 🔄 Converge within one topic.
Depth and Complexity: 👓 Multiple Perspectives
Every topic looks different depending on who’s looking. This prompt teaches students to see through someone else’s eyes.
Asynchrony: Developing At Different Rates (For Students)
For students! In some areas, a student may be shockingly advanced, while in others… surprisingly average. This is asynchrony in action.
Creating A Classroom Motto
Starting with specific examples of fantastic classroom behavior, your class will end up with one sentence summing up their expectations. It’s a classroom motto!
Teaching Empathy With Faberge Eggs
The story of the Fabergé Eggs is heartbreaking. It’s also the perfect way to build empathy in your classroom.