Narrative Nonfiction:�Frozen Earth�Featured Skill: Text Evidence

Travel back in time to learn about how animals and humans lived during the Ice Age.

Play: The Woman Who Swam With Sharks�Featured Skill: Main Ideas

A play about Eugenie Clark, a scientist who changed how the world thinks about sharks

Debate: Outdoor Play vs. Video Games�Featured Skill: Supporting an Opinion

Two kids discuss in letters whether they should have fun outside or play video games.

Paired Texts: The History of Fun!/A Playground for All�Featured Skill: Connecting Texts

An article about the history of playgrounds, paired with a Q&A with a boy who designed an inclusive playground for his community

Mini Read: Swallowed Up!�Featured Skill: Vocabulary

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What happened when a school bus got caught in a sinkhole?

Fiction: Starring Me, Sophia Sun�Featured Skill: Theme

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Sophia has always wanted to be a TV star—but her big break turns out differently than she expected.

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Vocab Lab �Featured Skill: Vocabulary��Students learn the root mem and the multiple-meaning word comb.

Poem: Famous�Featured Skill: Theme�

A delightful and heartfelt poem about the different ways one can be famous

Infographic: The Apple: A Great American Fruit�Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Detail

�Should the apple be our national fruit?

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Narrative Nonfiction:�Lost in Death Valley�Featured Skill: Text Features

An incredible story of courage and survival in one of the most dangerous places on Earth

Play: Undercover Patriots�Featured Skill: Character’s Motivations

A historical-fiction play about a brave girl who was part of a Patriot spy ring that helped America win the Revolutionary War

Debate: Should Gifts Get Opened at the Birthday Party?�Featured Skill: Supporting an Opinion

Is opening presents in front of guests a fun tradition or a recipe for disaster?

Paired Texts: Malala the Powerful/Hope�Featured Skill: Connecting Texts

An article about the incredible Malala Yousafzai, paired with a heartfelt poem about the power of hope

Mini Read: Super Slime�Featured Skill: Vocabulary

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A short article all about the amazing properties of human and animal slime

Fiction: The Save�Featured Skill: Character

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Oren makes an incredible save in a lacrosse game, but he can’t help feeling like a fraud.

Vocab Lab�Featured Skill: Vocabulary��Students learn the root astro and the multiple-meaning word charged.

Poem: Hope�Featured Skill: Connecting Texts�

A heartfelt poem about the power of hope is paired with an article about the incredible Malala Yousafzai.

Infographic: Bats: Spooky or Sweet?�Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details

�All about these mysterious (but important!) nighttime creatures

Narrative Nonfiction:�The Shattered Land�Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details

A pulsing narrative about America’s strongest earthquake, the Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964

Play:�The Three Challenges�Featured Skill: Problem and Solution

This heartfelt retelling of a Japanese folktale teaches that everyone has something to contribute.

Debate:�Should Liz Try Something New?�Featured Skill: Supporting an Opinion

Two kids discuss in letters whether their friend should start a new activity or stick with what she knows.

Paired Texts:�The Mysteries of Animal Navigation�Featured Skill: Connecting Texts

How do animals know where to go? And what can humans do to help?

Mini Read:�Would You Do This?�Featured Skill: Vocabulary

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Some people celebrate the new year by diving into icy water. Cool or crazy?

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Fiction:�The Perfects

Featured Skill: Theme

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With his dad away from home, Max’s life feels like it’s falling apart—until a broken sink fixes everything

Vocab Lab�Featured Skill: Vocabulary��Students learn the root terra and a multiple-meaning word.

Poem:�Snow Dust

Featured Skill: Rhymes

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A beautiful poem by Robert Frost about appreciating the small things in life

Infographic:�Holiday Foods Around the World�Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details

�People around the globe celebrate the holidays with some special treats. What about you?

Narrative Nonfiction:�Rescue at Sea�Featured Skill: Problem and Solution

A gripping narrative about a collision between two ships in 1909, and how a new invention—the wireless telegraph—enabled a timely rescue

Play:�The Rule Breaker�Featured Skill: Character

The amazing true story of Althea Gibson, the Black tennis player who broke through race barriers to excel at the sport

Debate/Essay Kit:�Should You Tell On Someone Who Cheats?�Featured Skill: Supporting an Opinion

Students give advice on whether it’s OK to tell on a classmate caught cheating.

Paired Text:�The Fascinating History of Fire/The Myth of Prometheus

A story about the importance of fire in human history is paired with the Greek myth of Prometheus.

Mini Read:

Lost in the Amazon�Featured Skill: Vocabulary

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How four kids survived more than a month in the largest rainforest in the world

Fiction:�A Touch of Magic�Featured Skill: Plot�

Amelia reconnects with her grandfather by performing a magic trick show.

Vocab Lab�Featured Skill: Vocabulary��Students learn the root uni and the multiple-meaning word succeed.

Poem:

If I Can Stop One Heart From Breaking �Featured Skill: Inference��A heartwarming poem about the value of helping others

Infographic:

Your New Favorite Toy: The Rubik’s Cube

Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details

All about the famous toy that’s been fascinating people since the 1980s

Narrative Nonfiction:�Escape From Darkness�Featured Skill: Key Details

The incredible true story of the rescue of most of Denmark’s Jewish population during the Holocaust

Play:�The Eclipse Party Disaster�Featured Skill: Knowledge Building

A fun play revolving around the total solar eclipse taking place on April 8, 2024.

Debate:�Should Everyone Get a Trophy?�Featured Skill: Supporting an Opinion

Rewarding everyone on the team might make kids feel good, but some worry that it sends the wrong message.

Paired Texts:�Growing Up in Alcatraz/�Life on Alcatraz Up Close

What life was like for dozens of children who lived on America’s most dangerous prison island

Mini Read:�The Biggest Shark That Ever Lived�Featured Skill: Vocabulary

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Meet the mighty megalodon—and a girl who found one of its teeth

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Fiction:�Scaredy Cat�Featured Skill: Genre

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A magical cat gives a fearful boy nine lives to learn that failing is OK.

Vocab Lab�Featured Skill: Vocabulary��Students learn a Greek or Latin root and a multiple-meaning word.

Poem:�Fossils

Featured Skill: Metaphor

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A fun poem about fossils pairs really well with the mini read about megalodons.

Infographic:�How Do You Say . . . ?�Featured Skill: Main Idea and Supporting Details

�Meet a few wonderful words that don’t exist in English.

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Narrative Nonfiction:�Saving America’s Eagle�Featured Skill: Cause and Effect

When America’s national bird began to disappear from the sky, scientists and environmentalists took bold actions to save it.

Play:�Pinocchio�Featured Skill: Cause and Effect

A retelling of the old classic about a puppet who wants to be a real boy.

Debate:�Is It OK to Squash Bugs?�Featured Skill: Supporting an Opinion

Students will debate if insects are friend or foe.

Paired Texts:�Welcome to 2124!�Predictions From the Past�Featured Skill: Compare and Contrast

Predictions about what

life will be like 100 years

from now are paired with

predictions from 100 years

ago about life today.

Mini Read:�Would You Pay $8,820

for This Rock?

Featured Skill: Vocabulary

A short article about what

makes meteorites special

—and why some are worth

thousands of dollars!

Graphic Fiction:�Nat Good Enough

Featured Skill: How a Character Changes

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A delightful graphic fiction story about a girl who learns to overcome her doubt gremlins.

Vocab Lab�Featured Skill: Vocabulary��Students learn a Greek or Latin root and a multiple-meaning word.

Poem:�Pen

Featured Skill: Personification

A whimsical poem about

the stories and drawings a

pen brings to life

Infographic:�The Olympics: Then and Now�Featured Skill: Main Idea

and Supporting Details

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Surprising ways the Olympics have changed over time

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