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Explore how each subject becomes a coherent sequence of knowledge, reasoning, practice, and transfer—not a disconnected checklist.

Grade 5 Language Arts

43 curriculum outcomes with explicit teaching progressions

Select a record to inspect its progression

Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.1

Quote accurately for explicit meaning and inferences

Independently quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can quote a text accurately when explaining what it says explicitly.
  2. 2I can quote a text accurately to support an inference drawn from it.
  3. 3I can distinguish between an exact quotation and a paraphrase, using quotation marks appropriately.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.2

Determine theme from details and summarize

Independently determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify details, such as a character's response to a challenge, that reveal a theme.
  2. 2I can determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem based on identified details.
  3. 3I can summarize the text concisely, including its most important events or ideas.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.3

Compare and contrast characters, settings, or events

Independently compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can gather specific text details about two characters, settings, or events to be compared.
  2. 2I can compare two characters, settings, or events, identifying a similarity supported by text details.
  3. 3I can contrast two characters, settings, or events, identifying a difference supported by text details.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.4

Determine meanings including figurative language

Independently determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative language such as metaphors and similes. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can determine the meaning of a word or phrase as it is used in a specific text passage.
  2. 2I can interpret the meaning of a metaphor used in a text.
  3. 3I can interpret the meaning of a simile used in a text.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.5

Explain how parts fit together into overall structure

Independently explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to provide the overall structure of a particular story, drama, or poem. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify the chapters, scenes, or stanzas that make up a story, drama, or poem.
  2. 2I can describe what a specific chapter, scene, or stanza contributes to the text.
  3. 3I can explain how a series of chapters, scenes, or stanzas fits together to form the text's overall structure.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6

Describe how point of view influences event description

Independently describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify the point of view of a story's narrator or a poem's speaker.
  2. 2I can identify how a specific event is described from the narrator's or speaker's point of view.
  3. 3I can explain how the narrator's or speaker's point of view influences the way events are described.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.7

Analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to meaning

Independently analyze how visual and multimedia elements contribute to the meaning, tone, or beauty of a text, such as a graphic novel, multimedia presentation, or fiction, folktale, myth, or poem. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify a visual or multimedia element used in a text, such as an illustration or audio effect.
  2. 2I can analyze how a visual or multimedia element contributes to the text's meaning or tone.
  3. 3I can analyze how a visual or multimedia element contributes to the text's overall beauty or artistic effect.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.9

Compare stories in the same genre

Independently compare and contrast stories in the same genre, such as mysteries and adventure stories, on their approaches to similar themes and topics. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify two or more stories that belong to the same genre.
  2. 2I can identify a similar theme or topic addressed by stories in the same genre.
  3. 3I can compare and contrast how each story approaches the shared theme or topic.
Reading Literature · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.10

Read and comprehend grade 4-5 literature at the high end

Independently by the end of the year, read and comprehend literature, including stories, dramas, and poetry, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can read a story or drama at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band with understanding.
  2. 2I can read a poem at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band with understanding.
  3. 3I can demonstrate proficient comprehension of a high-end grade 4-5 complexity literary text by answering questions about it.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.1

Quote accurately for explanations and inferences

Independently quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can quote an informational text accurately when explaining what it says explicitly.
  2. 2I can quote an informational text accurately to support an inference drawn from it.
  3. 3I can format a direct quotation from a text correctly using quotation marks.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2

Determine multiple main ideas and summarize

Independently determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can determine two or more main ideas developed across an informational text.
  2. 2I can explain how specific key details support each identified main idea.
  3. 3I can summarize the informational text concisely, including its main ideas and key supporting details.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.3

Explain relationships between individuals, events, or ideas

Independently explain the relationships or interactions between two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts in a historical, scientific, or technical text based on specific information in the text. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify two or more individuals, events, ideas, or concepts described in a historical, scientific, or technical text.
  2. 2I can identify the relationship or interaction between two individuals, events, ideas, or concepts based on the text.
  3. 3I can support an explanation of a relationship or interaction using specific information from the text.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.4

Determine meanings of academic and domain-specific words

Independently determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify a general academic word or phrase relevant to the text's topic.
  2. 2I can identify a domain-specific word or phrase relevant to the text's subject area.
  3. 3I can determine an academic or domain-specific word's meaning using context, and verify it using a reference source if needed.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.5

Compare and contrast text structures across texts

Independently compare and contrast the overall structure, such as chronology, comparison, cause/effect, or problem/solution, of events, ideas, concepts, or information in two or more texts. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify the overall structure, such as chronology or cause/effect, of each of two texts.
  2. 2I can compare the structures used by two texts to organize similar content.
  3. 3I can explain how each text's structure affects a reader's understanding of its events, ideas, or information.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.6

Analyze multiple accounts noting similarities and differences

Independently analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify two or more accounts describing the same event or topic.
  2. 2I can identify the point of view represented by each account.
  3. 3I can analyze important similarities and differences between the accounts, connecting them to differences in point of view.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7

Draw on multiple sources to answer efficiently

Independently draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can locate relevant information from more than one print or digital source.
  2. 2I can use text features and search strategies to locate an answer to a question quickly.
  3. 3I can combine information from multiple sources to solve a problem efficiently.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.8

Explain how reasons and evidence support specific points

Independently explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which points. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify the particular points the author makes in a text.
  2. 2I can identify which specific reasons and evidence the author uses to support each point.
  3. 3I can explain how specific reasons and evidence connect to and support a specific point.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9

Integrate information from several texts

Independently integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify relevant information about a topic from several texts.
  2. 2I can combine information from several texts on the same topic into a unified understanding.
  3. 3I can write or speak about a topic knowledgeably, drawing on information integrated from several texts.
Reading Informational Text · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10

Read and comprehend grade 4-5 informational text at the high end

Independently by the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band independently and proficiently. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can read an informational text at the high end of the grades 4-5 text complexity band with understanding.
  2. 2I can apply appropriate reading strategies while reading a challenging history, science, or technical text.
  3. 3I can demonstrate proficient comprehension of a high-end grade 4-5 complexity informational text by answering questions about it.
Foundational Reading · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.3

Apply Grade 5 phonics and word-analysis skills

Independently know and apply grade-level phonics and word-analysis skills in decoding words, including using combined knowledge of letter-sound correspondences, syllabication patterns, and morphology to read accurately unfamiliar multisyllabic words in context and out of context. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can combine syllabication patterns and knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, and roots to decode an unfamiliar multisyllabic word.
  2. 2I can decode an unfamiliar multisyllabic word accurately as it appears within a sentence or passage.
  3. 3I can decode an unfamiliar multisyllabic word accurately when presented in isolation.
Foundational Reading · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4

Read with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension

Independently read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension, reading grade-level text with purpose and understanding, and using context to confirm or self-correct word recognition, rereading as necessary. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can read a grade 5 text with sufficient accuracy and appropriate expression to support comprehension.
  2. 2I can use context to confirm word recognition or self-correct when a word doesn't make sense.
  3. 3I can reread a passage as necessary to clarify or confirm understanding.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.1

Write organized opinions with reasons, facts, and details

Independently write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information, organizing ideas logically with linking words, and providing a concluding statement. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can state an opinion on a topic or text and organize supporting reasons in a logical order using linking words.
  2. 2I can support each reason with relevant facts and details.
  3. 3I can write a concluding statement related to the stated opinion.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2

Write organized informative texts with facts and quotations

Independently write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly, using facts, definitions, quotations, and other information and examples related to the topic. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can organize information about a topic into paragraphs grouped by related ideas.
  2. 2I can use facts, definitions, and quotations to convey information about the topic clearly.
  3. 3I can write a concluding statement or section related to the information presented.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.3

Write well-sequenced narratives with technique and details

Independently write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, descriptive details, and clear event sequences. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can orient the reader by establishing a situation and introducing a narrator or characters.
  2. 2I can use descriptive details, dialogue, and pacing to develop experiences and events.
  3. 3I can organize an event sequence that unfolds naturally, using transitional words and phrases.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4

Produce clear and coherent writing

Independently produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify the task, purpose, and audience for a given piece of writing.
  2. 2I can organize a piece of writing in a way appropriate to its task, purpose, and audience.
  3. 3I can produce writing that is clear and coherent from sentence to sentence and paragraph to paragraph.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.5

Develop and strengthen writing through the writing process

Independently with guidance and support from peers and adults, develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, and editing. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can plan a piece of writing before drafting, with guidance and support.
  2. 2I can revise a piece of writing to strengthen its content and organization, with guidance and support.
  3. 3I can edit a piece of writing to correct conventions, with guidance and support.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.6

Use technology to produce, publish, and collaborate

Independently with guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can use technology, including the internet, to produce a piece of writing, with guidance and support.
  2. 2I can use technology to publish writing and interact or collaborate with others, with guidance and support.
  3. 3I can demonstrate sufficient keyboarding skill to type at least two pages in a single sitting.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.7

Conduct short research projects using several sources

Independently conduct short research projects that use several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify different aspects of a topic worth investigating for a short research project.
  2. 2I can use several sources to investigate different aspects of a topic.
  3. 3I can build knowledge of a topic by synthesizing findings from multiple sources in a short research project.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.8

Gather, summarize, and cite information

Independently 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. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can gather relevant information about a topic from print and digital sources.
  2. 2I can summarize or paraphrase gathered information accurately in notes and finished work.
  3. 3I can provide a list of the sources used to gather information for a research project.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9

Draw evidence from literary or informational texts

Independently draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can draw specific evidence from a literary text to support an analysis or reflection.
  2. 2I can draw specific evidence from an informational text to support an analysis or reflection.
  3. 3I can use drawn text evidence to support a piece of research writing.
Writing · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.10

Write routinely for discipline-specific tasks

Independently write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can produce a piece of writing within a shorter time frame, such as a single sitting.
  2. 2I can produce a piece of writing over an extended time frame that includes research, reflection, and revision.
  3. 3I can adjust a piece of writing appropriately for a specific discipline, purpose, and audience.
Speaking And Listening · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1

Engage in collaborative discussions

Independently engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can come prepared to a discussion having read or studied the topic or text.
  2. 2I can build on a comment or idea shared by another participant in a discussion.
  3. 3I can express one's own ideas clearly in a collaborative discussion.
Speaking And Listening · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2

Summarize text read aloud or media information

Independently summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can summarize the most important information from a text read aloud.
  2. 2I can summarize information presented visually, quantitatively, or orally in diverse media.
  3. 3I can check a summary against the original text or presentation to confirm it preserves the correct meaning.
Speaking And Listening · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.3

Summarize points and evaluate supporting reasons

Independently summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can summarize the main points a speaker makes during a presentation.
  2. 2I can identify the reasons and evidence a speaker uses to support each point.
  3. 3I can explain how specific reasons and evidence support each of a speaker's claims.
Speaking And Listening · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4

Report on a topic with logical sequencing

Independently report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can sequence ideas logically when reporting on a topic, text, or opinion.
  2. 2I can use appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support the main ideas or themes of a presentation.
  3. 3I can speak clearly at a pace a listener can understand during an oral presentation.
Speaking And Listening · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.5

Include multimedia components in presentations

Independently include multimedia components, such as graphics, sound, and visual displays, in presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or themes. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can select graphics, sound, or visual displays appropriate to a presentation's main ideas or themes.
  2. 2I can add selected multimedia components to a presentation to enhance it.
  3. 3I can explain how an added multimedia component enhances the audience's understanding of the presentation's main ideas.
Speaking And Listening · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6

Adapt speech to context using formal English

Independently adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal english when appropriate to task and situation. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can identify a speaking situation that calls for formal english.
  2. 2I can identify a speaking situation where informal discourse is appropriate.
  3. 3I can adapt one's speech, using formal english when appropriate to the task and situation.
Language · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.1

Use Grade 5 grammar and usage

Independently demonstrate command of the conventions of standard english grammar and usage when writing or speaking, including using conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections, and using verb tense correctly to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can use conjunctions, prepositions, and interjections correctly in speaking or writing.
  2. 2I can use correct verb tense to convey various times, sequences, states, and conditions.
  3. 3I can recognize and correct an inappropriate shift in verb tense within a piece of writing.
Language · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.2

Use Grade 5 capitalization, punctuation, and spelling

Independently demonstrate command of the conventions of standard english capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing, including using punctuation to separate items in a series and using a comma to set off the words yes and no. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can use punctuation correctly to separate items in a series.
  2. 2I can use a comma correctly to set off words such as yes and no, or to set off a tag question.
  3. 3I can spell grade-appropriate words correctly, consulting references as needed.
Language · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.3

Use knowledge of language for expanding and combining sentences

Independently use knowledge of language and its conventions when writing, speaking, reading, or listening, including expanding, combining, and reducing sentences for meaning, reader/listener interest, and style. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can expand a sentence by adding detail, while maintaining clarity.
  2. 2I can combine two related sentences into one to improve meaning or style.
  3. 3I can reduce a wordy sentence to improve its concision without losing meaning.
Language · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.4

Determine meanings using context, roots, affixes, and references

Independently determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on grade 5 reading and content, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies, including using common greek and latin affixes and roots as clues. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can use context clues to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
  2. 2I can use knowledge of common greek and latin roots and affixes to determine the meaning of an unfamiliar word.
  3. 3I can use a dictionary, glossary, or thesaurus to verify or clarify a word's meaning.
Language · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.5

Interpret figurative language, word relationships, and nuances

Independently demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances in word meanings, including interpreting figurative language, including similes and metaphors, in context. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can interpret the meaning of a simile or metaphor as it is used in a specific text context.
  2. 2I can analyze the relationship between related words, such as synonyms with different connotations.
  3. 3I can distinguish shades of meaning among closely related words with similar denotations.
Language · CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.5.6

Acquire and use academic and domain-specific vocabulary

Independently acquire and use accurately grade-appropriate general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, including those that signal contrast, addition, and other logical relationships. across representations and contexts.

Component progression

  1. 1I can acquire and use a general academic word or phrase accurately in speaking or writing.
  2. 2I can acquire and use a domain-specific word or phrase accurately, relevant to a specific topic.
  3. 3I can use a word or phrase that accurately signals a logical relationship, such as contrast or addition.
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