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Unit 5Unit Name: Around the Town
BIG IDEA: What places make up a community?		Unit pacing: 3 weeks
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Unit Overview and Enduring UnderstandingsIn Unit 5, students explore the idea of community while continuing to build essential reading and writing skills. Phonics instruction focuses on blending and segmenting individual sounds, working with long and short vowel patterns, and recognizing soft consonant sounds like /s/ and /j/. These patterns strengthen decoding, spelling, and fluency.

Through engaging literary and informational texts, students expand their vocabulary and explore what makes up a community. They will ask and answer questions, visualize ideas, summarize key information, and analyze how text features, facts vs. opinions, and author’s purpose shape meaning.

In writing, students begin to express and support their opinions. They learn how to organize their ideas clearly, form letters neatly, and use grammar and punctuation effectively. Writing tasks like persuasive posters give students a chance to share their thoughts and use language to influence others.

By the end of this unit, students will better understand the role of community and continue to grow as thoughtful, confident readers and writers.
LESSON 1: November 12- 14, 2025
LESSON 2: November 17- 21, 2025
THANKSGIVING RECESS (NO SCHOOL): November 24- 28, 2025
LESSON 3: December 1- 5, 2025

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Essential QuestionsFoundational Skills:
1. What happens when I change the first sound in a word?
2. How can blending and breaking apart sounds in a word help me read and spell better?
3. What helps me tell the difference between a short vowel and a long vowel sound in a word?
4. How do vowel patterns help me read words?
5. How do letters like c and g sound different when they come before e or i?

Reading Elements & Comprehension Strategies:
1. What can we learn about communities from the stories and texts we read?
2. What strategies help us understand and remember what we read?
3. How can we find the main idea of a text and the details that support it?
4. How do we group ideas and tell the difference between facts and opinions?
5. How do pictures, headings, and other text features help us understand the author’s message?
6. What makes a story realistic fiction or a photo essay?		Writing:
1. How do I form letters correctly so others can read my writing easily?
2. Why is it important to leave the right amount of space between my letters and words?
3. What makes an opinion statement clear and strong?
4. Why do we use capital letters for names, days, and months?
5. When do we use commas in writing, and how do they help readers?
6. How do I know if a noun is singular or plural, and how can I use it correctly in a sentence?

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Content DomainEssential StandardsSupporting StandardsConceptsSkillsStrategies/ ModelsVocabularyEvidence of MasteryAssessmentsDistrict Aligned Resources
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Foundational Sklils1.RF.2 Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes).

1.RF.3 Know and apply phonics and word analysis skills in decoding one-syllable or two-syllable words.


1.RF.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.

1.RF.2.b Orally produce single‐syllable words by blending sounds (phonemes), including consonant blends.

1.RF.2.c Isolate and pronounce initial, medial vowel, and final sounds (phonemes) in spoken single-syllable words.

1.RF.2.d Segment spoken one-syllable words of three to five phonemes into individual phonemes (e.g., /s/p/l/a/t/).

1.RF.3.f Recognize and read grade‐appropriate irregularly spelled words.

1.RF.3.b Decode regularly spelled one-syllable words.		Every word is made up of sounds. We can break those sounds apart (segment) and put them together (blend) to help us read and spell.

Vowels can make a short sound (like /i/ in sit) or a long sound (like /ī/ in bike). Knowing the difference helps us read and spell words correctly.

Some long vowel sounds are spelled with special patterns like i_e in bike, o_e in rope, u_e in cube, ee in feet, and ea in team.

Some letters make soft sounds when followed by e or i, like ce in ice and gi in giant. These spellings help us say the right sounds when reading.

Changing the first sound in a word can make a brand-new word. This helps us become more flexible readers and writers.

Reading the same decodable text more than once helps us become faster, smoother, and more confident readers.		Blend and segment individual sounds in single-syllable words to build phonemic awareness and improve reading and spelling.

Identify short and long vowel sounds in words, like /i/ in sit and /ī/ in bike.

Blend, spell, and read words with long vowels using patterns such as i_e, o_e, u_e, ee, and ea.

Read words with soft consonant sounds, including /s/ spelled ce and ci, and /j/ spelled ge and gi.

Substitute initial sounds in words to build flexible decoding skills.

Build fluency through repeated reading of decodable texts that reinforce taught phonics patterns.		Use Elkonin boxes, sound chips, and oral tapping to blend and segment phonemes in single-syllable words.

Practice sound substitution games (e.g., Change the /s/ in sat to /m/).

Apply I Do–We Do–You Do with visual and auditory cues to support all learners.

Use sorting mats, vowel sound posters, and mirror work to compare mouth position and pronunciation.

Practice reading and spelling long vowel words with i_e, o_e, u_e, ee, ea using:
Word ladders, phonics word sorts, and decodable text practice

Introduce soft consonants with ce, ci, ge, gi through:
Visual anchor charts, sorting games, and highlighting patterns in words

Conduct repeated readings, partner reading, and choral reading of decodable texts.		HIGH FREQUENCY WORDS.

Lesson 1 (Week 1):
ride, walk, we, well, make, them, you, go, after

Lesson 2 (Week 2):
over

Lesson 3 (Week 3):
or, two, be, green, take

TSWBAT blend, segment, and substitute phonemes in single-syllable words with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT distinguish between short and long vowel sounds in both spoken and written words with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT read and spell words with long vowel patterns (i_e, o_e, u_e, ee, ea) and soft consonant patterns (ce, ci, ge, gi) with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT read decodable texts fluently with 90% word accuracy and improved WPM through repeated practice.

TSWBAT identify, read, and recall vocabulary and high frequency words presented in various assessment formats with at least 80- 90% accuracy.		Phonics Assessment:

Oral blending and segmenting tasks using teacher prompts or picture cards

Initial sound substitution checks with verbal or hands-on tasks

Dictation exercises using long vowel and soft consonant spelling patterns

Sorting activities (short vs. long vowels, soft vs. hard consonants)

Word reading fluency checks with target phonics patterns

Timed 1-minute reads tracking words per minute and accuracy

GALILEO Tests		Week 1:
Decodable 63: A Mess
Decodable 64: Grace and Vince
Decodable 65: Ginger and Gem
Decodable 66: Riding in Gem Park


Week 2:
Decodable 67: Frozen
Decodable 68: Muse the Mule
Decodable 69: A Better Mule


Week 3:
Decodable 70: A Zebra
Decodable 71: Summer Heat
Decodable 72: Green River
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Reading Elements and Comprehension Strategies1.RI.9 Identify basic similarities in and differences between two texts on the same topic (e.g., in illustrations, descriptions, or procedures).

1.RL.1 Ask and answer questions such as who, what, where, why, when, and how about key details in a text.

1.RL.3 Describe characters, settings, and major events in a story, using key details.		1.RL.7 Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting, or events.

1.SL.2 Ask and answer questions about key details in a text read aloud or information presented orally or through other media.

1.SL.4 Describe people, places, things, and events with relevant details, expressing ideas and feelings clearly.
Words in a story can help us learn new meanings when we talk about them and use them in our own sentences.

Books have parts like the cover, title, and table of contents that help us know what the book is about and how to find things in it.

We can learn what makes a community by reading stories and talking about how people live and work together.

Using strategies like asking questions, making predictions, and picturing the story in our minds helps us understand what we read.

Every text has a main idea, and the details help explain or tell more about it.

Putting similar ideas or things into groups helps us understand and remember what we read.

Facts can be proven true, but opinions are what someone thinks or feels.

Text features like pictures and titles help us understand more, and the author writes with a reason or purpose in mind.

Stories and texts have different types—some are real, some are made-up—and each type has special parts that make it unique.

Who is telling the story and the words they use help us see the story in a special way.		Build vocabulary knowledge by discussing and understanding new words from texts.

Recognize book parts such as the front and back covers, title, and table of contents to support print awareness.

Explore the concept of communities through reading and discussion.

Apply key comprehension strategies like asking and answering questions, predicting, clarifying, visualizing, summarizing, and making connections to better understand texts.

Identify main idea and supporting details and use them to find what the text is mostly about.

Classify and categorize information to organize ideas and details.

Distinguish facts from opinions in both literary and informational texts.

Analyze text features (e.g., photos, headings) and the author’s purpose for writing.

Understand different genres such as realistic fiction and photo essays by recognizing their elements.

Discuss point of view and language use to understand how a story is told and why certain words are chosen.		Use book walks to review front cover, back cover, title, and table of contents.

Incorporate label-the-book activities and interactive read-alouds to build print awareness.

Pre-teach new vocabulary using context clues, visuals, and student-friendly definitions.

Reinforce understanding through turn-and-talks and anchor charts.

Use read-alouds and guided discussion around central themes like community.

Model and practice key comprehension strategies using:
1.) Think-alouds (predicting, clarifying, visualizing)
2.) Sentence stems for asking/answering questions
3.) Summarizing with graphic organizers

Use boxes and bullets graphic organizers to determine main idea and supporting details.

Practice classifying/categorizing information with T-charts and concept webs.

Conduct fact vs. opinion sorting games and identify opinion words in texts.		VOCABULARY WORDS

Lesson 1 (Week 1):
grumpy, repair, types, fewer, citizens, facilities, recreation, commute, hectic, common

Lesson 2 (Week 2):
borrow, symbols, compass, practice, borders, visit, arrive, sketch

Lesson 3 (Week 3):
local, worried, spread, enjoyed, fight, station, check, equipment

TSWBAT identify the front cover, back cover, title, and table of contents with 90% accuracy.

TSWBAT use context and discussion to determine and apply word meanings with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT apply at least three comprehension strategies (e.g., predict, clarify, summarize) to demonstrate text understanding with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT identify the main idea and supporting details and classify information using a graphic organizer with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT distinguish facts from opinions in both literary and informational texts with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT identify text features and explain how they support understanding, and identify the author’s purpose with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT compare two genres and explain the narrator’s point of view and language choices with 75–80% accuracy.		Book feature identification tasks

Vocabulary exit tickets or sentence completion

Word meaning quizzes using context clues

Completing graphic organizers for summarizing, predicting, and visualizing

Main idea/supporting detail worksheets

Categorizing Fact vs. Opinion

Highlight and label text features in nonfiction passages

Close Reading Activities (Ask students to identify important details and explain their significance to the overall passage.)

Provide discussion prompts.

Ask WH and open-ended questions.

GALILEO Tests		Lesson 1 (Week 1):
Title: “City Life and Town Life”
Poetry: "Wake Up!"

Lesson 2 (Week 2):
Title: “Places in Our Community"
Title: "Sam's Map"

Lesson 3 (Week 3):
Title: “The Zoo Trip”
Title: "Inside the Fire Station"

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Writing1.W.5 With guidance and support from adults, focus on a topic, respond to questions and suggestions from peers, and add details to strengthen writing as needed. 1.WF.3.d.1 Irregular words (e.g., said, what, are, they, was).

1.WF.3.e Spell unfamiliar words phonetically, applying phonemic awareness and spelling conventions.
Letters should be formed with the correct shape and size to make writing neat and easy to read.

Keeping the right amount of space between letters and words helps others read what we write.

An opinion tells what we think or feel about something and should be clearly stated.

Adding reasons and details helps make our opinion writing stronger and more convincing.

We can improve our writing by fixing mistakes, publishing it neatly, and sharing it with others.

A sentence starts with a capital letter, and names of people, days, and months begin with capital letters too.

Commas help us separate words in a list and are used in dates to keep them clear.

A noun can name one (singular) or more things (plural), so we need to match it with the correct form when we write.

A persuasive poster uses words and pictures to convince others to think or do something.		Form the letters u, m, v, w, k, and z correctly using proper size and spacing.

Control letter size and spacing to make handwriting neat and legible.

Draft an opinion statement that clearly shares a personal thought or belief.

Revise opinion writing by adding details to support the statement.

Edit, publish, and share final opinion writing with others.

Capitalize the first word in a sentence and proper nouns, including names of people, days, and months.

Use commas in dates and to separate words in a list.

Recognize and use singular and plural nouns correctly in writing.

Explore persuasive writing through the creation of posters.

Model formation of u, m, v, w, k, z using skywriting, tracing worksheets, and guided letter writing on lined paper.

Use I Do–We Do–You Do modeling with feedback for handwriting.

Use sentence starters (e.g., I think…, I believe…) to draft opinion statements.

Support ideas using graphic organizers (e.g., OREO: Opinion, Reason, Example, Opinion).

Teach revision strategies such as adding descriptive details or examples.

Teach capitalization rules using mentor sentences, anchor charts, and editing practice.

Reinforce singular/plural nouns through sorting activities, sentence building, and anchor charts.

Highlight the Proper Nouns: Use short paragraphs and have students highlight all the names of people and places, then rewrite the paragraph with proper capitalization.

Calendar Writing Practice: Use a calendar to practice writing full dates (e.g., Monday, February 14). Have students always start with capital letters.

Days & Months Song: Use chants or songs to reinforce the correct spelling and capitalization of days and months.

Date Puzzle: Give students sentence strips with parts of a date (e.g., March, 17, 2025) and have them put them in order, adding the comma after the day.

SPELLING WORDS

Lesson 1 (Week 1):
time, mice, mile, dime, wife, nine, vine, hike, side, like

Lesson 2 (Week 2):
home, rode, hole, hope, rope, use, cute, rule, huge, cube

Lesson 3 (Week 3):
he, she, sleep, feel, green, these, real, read, mean, clean

TSWBAT form u, m, v, w, k, and z with correct shape, size, and spacing in writing tasks with 90% accuracy.

TSWBAT write a clear opinion with at least one supporting reason and revise to include details with 80% accuracy.

TSWBAT edit and publish an opinion piece using proper grammar and present it to an audience confidently.

TSWBAT capitalize the first word and proper nouns, use commas in dates/lists, and apply correct noun forms in writing with 85–90% accuracy.
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TSWBAT create a persuasive poster with a clear message, supporting reasons, and visual elements with 80% success.

TSWBAT consistently write grammatically correct and complete sentences with 80-90% accuracy.

TSWBAT correctly spell at least 80-90% words in the Spelling List.
Letter formation practice pages

Opinion writing rubrics (clear statement, reasons, examples, organization)

Graphic organizer completion

Capitalization and punctuation editing tasks

Sentence Writing
Sentence Editing
Sentence Scramble

Fill-in-the-blank for commas in lists and dates

Sentence construction with singular/plural nouns

Poster rubric assessing clarity, supporting reasons, visuals, and format

Dictation Exercises

Weekly Spelling Test


Handwriting without tears ( Students edition)
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