Unit 1

Week 1
Friends Help Friends
How do friends depend on each other?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Little Flap Learns to Fly

Wednesday text: Help! A Story of Friendship

Short a and i
Vowel sounds

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
has
wag
bad
six
will
sat
had
fix
him
if
can
hit
why
for
help

actions: the things that we do in a situation

afraid: you are scared of something
depend: you need or count on someone or
something
nervously: to act in a fearful way
peered: look hard or look closely at something
perfectly: wonderful in the best way
rescue: to save from danger
secret: something private or not known by
many people

Skills for the week:

Genre: fantasy
Comprehension skill: key details
Vocabulary strategy: inflectional endings
Grammar: statements and questions

Unit 1
Week 2
Families around the world
How are families around the world the same and different?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Maria Celebrates Brazil

Wednesday text: Big Red Lollipop

Short e, o, u
Vowel sounds

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
went
tell
pet
job
fog
not
tug
hut
tub
bun
fix
has
one
or
see

aside: to move something to another space

cultures: people who share the same way of life at a
certain time in history
fair: treating someone in a just and honest way
invited: asked in a nice way to do something or go
somewhere
language: the way we speak, read, write, or sign
plead: beg or argue to get what you want
scurries: to scamper or run quickly
share: to give part of what you have to someone else

Skills for the week:

Genre: realistic fiction
Comprehension skill: characters, settings,
events
Vocabulary strategy: root words
Grammar: commands and exclamations

Unit 1
Week 3
Pets are our Friends
How can a pet be an important friend?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Finding Cal

Wednesday text: Not Norman

two letter
blends

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
grass
trips
crack
still
west
mask
clap
plans
milk
belt
fog
tub
by
he
she

decide: when you make a choice between

things
different: when things are not the same
friendship: being pals and helping one another
glance: to look at something quickly
proper: to act in a correct way
relationship: when you have a connection with
someone
stares: when you look at something for awhile
with eyes wide open
trade: give one thing away for another

Skills for the week:

Genre: fiction
Comprehension skill: characters, setting, and
events
Vocabulary strategy: context clues
Grammar: subjects in a sentence

Unit 1
Week 4
Animals need our care
How do we care for animals?

Spelling
rule:
Short a/ long a
Vowel sounds

Monday text: Taking Care of Pepper

Wednesday text: Lola and Tiva: An Unlikely
Friendship
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
bag
cap
ham
bake
ate
mad
back
cape
made
rake
still
belt
into
done
your

allowed: to have permission to do something

care: when you meet the needs of someone or
something
excited: to be all worked up over something
that happened
needs: things that one must have to survive
roam: to move about freely
safe: free from harm or danger
wandered: to move about aimlessly
wild: a place in nature where animals live

Skills for the week:

Genre: narrative nonfiction
Comprehension skill: key details: use photos
Vocabulary strategy: root words
Grammar: predicates

Unit 1
Week 5
Families Working Together
What happens when families work together?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Why we Work

Wednesday text: Families Working Together

Short i/ long i
Vowel sounds

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
did
fin
pick
line
pipe
tip
mix
five
side
hike
cape
made
all
any
says

check: to make sure everything is alright in a

situation
choose: to decide on one thing rather than another
chores: small jobs done around the house
cost: how much you pay for something
customers: people who buy something from a store
or company
jobs: work that people do to earn money
spend: when you use money to buy or pay for
something
tools: equipment used to make or repair something

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: key details
Vocabulary strategy: inflectional endings
Grammar: capital letters

Unit 2
Week 1
Animals and Nature
How do animals survive?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: A Visit to the Desert

Wednesday text: Sled Dogs Run!

Short o/ long o
Vowel sounds
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
box
fox
dog
lock
pot
cone
home
nose
poke
rope
side
line
have
off
took

adapt: to change something for the conditions

around you
climate: the type of weather a place usually has
eager: when you want to do something very much
freedom: when you can do what you want and go
where you want
fresh: when something is new or unspoiled
sense: to have a feeling about something
shadows: dark shapes that are made when
something is in front of light
silence: completely silent and quiet

Skills for the week:

Genre: realistic fiction
Comprehension skill: character, setting, and
plot
Vocabulary strategy: prefixes
Grammar: nouns

Unit 2
Week 2
Animals in stories
What can animals in stories teach us?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Wednesday text: Wolf! Wolf!

Short u/ long u
Vowel sounds

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
mule
fuse
plum
use
dug
cub
hum
huge
must
fun
rope
nose
look
yes
their

believe: what you think will happen or come

true
delicious: something that tastes very good
feast: a large or very fancy meal
fond: when you like something very much
lessons: things you can learn ideas or rules
from
remarkable: wonderful or outstanding
snatch: when you grab something quickly
stories: a made-up tale or retelling

Skills for the week:

Genre: fable
Comprehension skill: plot: problem and
solution
Vocabulary strategy: suffixes
Grammar: singular and plural nouns

Unit 2
Week 3
Animal Habitats
What are the features of different animal homes?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: A Prairie Guard Dog

Wednesday text: Turtle, Turtle Watch Out!

Words with soft

c and g

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
place
barge
trace
ice
budge
badge
space
range
mice
cape
mule
huge
out
wash
saw

buried: when something is covered completely

escape: to get out of something or away from
something
habitat: a place where an animal or a plant
usually grows up and lives
journey: a trip of some kind
nature: all of the things outdoors. Not made
by people
peeks: to take a quick look
restless: when you cannot stay still or quiet
spies: watching something or seeing it

Skills for the week:

Genre: narrative nonfiction
Comprehension skill: main topic and key
details
Vocabulary strategy: suffixes
Grammar: kinds of nouns

Unit 2
Week 4
Baby Animals
How are offspring like their parents?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Eagles and Eaglets

Wednesday text: Baby Bears

ch, thc, sh, ph,

th, ng, wh

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
chop
catch
shape
trash
phone
that
sting
thin
bring
while
place
badge
seven
isnt
early

adult: a grown-up person

alive: a living thing
covered: when there is something all over it
fur: a hair-like covering found on an animal
giant: something very large
groom: when animals clean each other or
themselves
mammal: a warm-blooded animal that feeds
milk to its young, has live births and a fur or
hair covering
offspring: the children or young of people or
animals

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: main topic and key
details
Vocabulary strategy: multiple meaning words
Grammar: plural nouns

Unit 2
Week 5
Animals in Poems
What do we love about animals?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Cat and Kittens, Desert

Camels, A Bat is not a Bird

Three letter
blends
scr, spr, str, thr,
spl, shr

Wednesday text: Beetles & The Little

Turtle

Words
scratch
scrape
spring
throne
stripe
strange
shred
shrub
splash
split
catch
sting
far
flower
until

Vocabulary words for the week:

behave: to act in a way that is expected that is not
disruptive
express: when you tell or show how you feel about
something
feathers: the soft covering on a birds body
flapping: when something moves up and down
poem: a form of writing that expresses imagination
or feeling
rhyme: when tow words have the same ending and
middle sounds
rhythm: repeating accents or beats in poem
word choice: the use of rich, colorful, exact words

Skills for the week:

Genre: poetry
Comprehension skill: key details
Vocabulary strategy: multiple meaning words
Grammar: possessive nouns

Unit 3
Week 1
The Earths Forces
How do the Earths forces affect us?

Spelling
rule:
Words with long
A:
ai, ay, ea, eigh,
ey, ei

Monday text: Magnets Work!

Wednesday text: I Fall Down
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
nail
train
main
hay
stay
break
steak
weigh
sleigh
prey
scrape
strange
good
often
two

amazing: something that is incredible and out

of this world
force: a push or pull that can change how
something moves
measure: to find the size or amount of
something
objects: things that you can see or touch
proved: to show evidence that something is
true
speed: how fast something moves
true: it is correct
weight: how heavy something is

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: authors purpose
Vocabulary strategy: similes
Grammar: action verbs

Unit 3
Week 2
Look at the Sky
What can we see in the sky?

Spelling
rule:
Words with long
I:
y, igh, ie, i

Monday text: Starry Night

Wednesday text: Mr. Putter and Tabby See the
Stars
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
light
sight
mind
cry
tie
high
wild
dry
try
lie
hay
steak
begin
those
apart

adventure: to do unusual and exciting things

delighted: when you are very pleased about
something
dreamed: when you think about something
you want to have happen and imagine it
happening
enjoyed: to like doing something
grumbled: a low, rumbling sound
moonlight: the moons glow that you see at
night
neighbor: a person who lives near you
nighttime: the dark part of the day

Skills for the week:

Genre: fiction
Comprehension skill: plot: sequence
Vocabulary strategy: compound words
Grammar: past-tense verbs

Unit 3
Week 3
Ways People Help
How can people help out their community?

Spelling
rule:
Words with long
O:
o, oa, ow, oe

Monday text: Lighting Lives

Wednesday text: Biblioburro
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
told
most
float
coat
toast
grow
mow
show
Joe
toe
light
mind
only
our
who

across: to go from one side to another

borrow: when you take something and agree
to return it later
countryside: a land that is away from cities or
large towns
idea: a thought or plan you have for
something
insists: to say firmly that something must be
done
lonely: few people are around you or a place
solution: the way to answer a problem
villages: very small towns in the country

Skills for the week:

Genre: narrative non-fiction
Comprehension skill: authors purpose
Vocabulary strategy: synonyms
Grammar: past and future tense verbs

Unit 3
Week 4
Weather Alert!
How does weather affect us?

Spelling
rule:
Words with long
E:
ee, ey, ea, ie, y

Monday text: Tornado!

Wednesday text: Wild Weather
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
we
bee
need
queen
mean
leaf
thief
chief
pony
keys
grow
toe
after
every
special

damage: injury or harm that happens to

something
dangerous: something that is not safe and could
harm you
destroy: to break something so it cannot be used
anymore
event: something that happens
harsh: something that is difficult and does not
feel good
prevent: to stop something from happening
warning: to let people know that something
dangerous is going to happen
weather: what the air and conditions are like at
certain place and time

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: main idea and details
Vocabulary strategy: antonyms
Grammar: the verb have

Unit 3
Week 5
Express Yourself
How do you express yourself?

Spelling
rule:
Words with long
U:
u-e, ew, ue, u

Monday text: Theyve Got the Beat!

Wednesday text: Many Ways to Enjoy Music
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
cute
cube
fumes
music
unit
menu
few
pew
fuel
cues
pony
queen
began
come
give

cheered: to shout with happiness or praise

concert: a musical performance played by a
number of musicians
instrument: tools used to make music
movements: different ways of moving
music: pleasing sounds made by a singer or
musical instrument
rhythm: the repeating sounds or movements to
create a beat
sounds: noises that can be heard
understand: when you know what something
means

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: main idea and details
Vocabulary strategy: prefixes
Grammar: commas in a series

Unit 4
Week 1
Different Places
What makes different parts of the world different?

Spelling
rule:
Words with
silent letters:
wr, kn, gn, mb,
sc

Monday text: Alaska: A Special Place:

Wednesday text: Rain Forest
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
comb
crumb
scene
scent
gnat
sign
knife
know
wrist
writing
cube
music
dont
eat
very

eerie: something that is strange in a way that

makes you feel afraid or nervous
growth: something that grows or has grown
layers: different parts or levels that are sitting on
top of one another
lively: active and full of life and energy
location: a place
region: a large part of the surface of the Earth
seasons: the four parts of the year that each
have their own kind of weather
temperate: a place that is never very hot or very
cold

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: compare and contrast
Vocabulary strategy: compound words
Grammar: linking verbs

Unit 4
Week 2
Earth Changes
How does the earth change?

Spelling
rule:
Words with rcontrolled:
ir, er, or, ur

Monday text: Into the Sea

Wednesday text: Volcanoes
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
clerk
herd
first
skirt
stir
churn
hurt
burst
work
worse
know
wrist
found
from
today

active: something that is very lively

earth: the ground or land we walk on
explode: something that bursts loudly with a
lot of force
island: land that has water around all sides
local: something that is nearby
properties: the different ways something looks
and acts
solid: when something is firm and hard and
keeps its shape
steep: a very sharp slope

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository text
Comprehension skill: cause and effect
Vocabulary strategy: context clues
Grammar: helping verbs

Unit 4
Week 3
Our Culture Makes us Special
How are kids around the world different?

Spelling
rule:
Words with rcontrolled:
or, oar, ar,

Monday text: Happy New Year

Wednesday text: Dear Primo: A Letter to my
Cousin
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
port
north
more
store
oar
roar
board
part
start
park
first
hurt
ago
carry
people

common: when two or more people own or share

something
costume: clothing you wear to look like something or
someone else
customs: ways of acting or events that a group of
people has done over and over again
favorite: something you like the best
parades: large groups of people, including bands
surrounded: when something is closed in on all sides
by another thing
travels: when something or someone goes over or
through a place to get to another place
wonder: when you think about something because
you are curious

Skills for the week:

Genre: realistic fiction
Comprehension skill: compare and contrast
Vocabulary strategy: similes
Grammar: irregular verbs

Unit 4
Week 4
Folktales About Nature
How can we understand nature?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Why the Sun and the Moon Live

in the Sky

Words with rcontrolled:

eer, ere, ear

Wednesday text: How the Beetle Got Her

Colors
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
deer
cheers
steer
here
jeer
near
ear
dear
clear
spear
store
north
again
house
inside

ashamed: when someone feels embarrassed or

sorry about something
boast: to brag about something
dash: to go somewhere quickly and suddenly
holler: to yell or shout
plenty: when there is a lot of something so that
you have enough
similarities: when things are very much the same
in certain ways
victory: to win a contest or a game
wisdom: knowing what is right and using what
you know to make smart choices

Skills for the week:

Genre: folktale/ drama
Comprehension skill: theme
Vocabulary strategy: root words
Grammar: irregular verbs

Unit 4
Week 5
Poems about Nature
What excites us about nature?

Spelling
rule:
Words with rcontrolled:
are, air, ear, ere

Monday text: poetry

Wednesday text: April Rain Song and Rain
Poem

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
dare
stare
fare
hair
pair
chair
bear
pear
where
there
dear
cheers
knew
never
talk

pale: something very light in color

excite: things that make a person feel happy or
eager
outdoors: something that is outside not inside
drops: small amounts of liquid that fall in round
shapes
alliteration: a combination of words with the same
beginning sound
Free verse: poetry where the words do not need to
rhyme
repetition: when words or phrases are repeated in a
poem
simile: to use like or as to compare two things that
are not alike

Skills for the week:

Genre: poetry
Comprehension skill: theme
Vocabulary strategy: similes
Grammar: contractions

Unit 5
Week 1
Being a Good Citizen
What do good citizens do?

Spelling
rule:
Words with
diphthongs
ou and ow

Monday text: A Difficult Decision

Wednesday text: Grace for President

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
sound
mound
cloud
shout
pound
clown
brown
crown
howl
growl
chair
where
been
myself
pushed

champion: a person who has won a contest.

determined: something that is decided
issues: important problems or topics that
people are talking or arguing about
promises: things that you tell people you will
definitely do
responsibility: a duty to do something
rights: the things the law says you can do or
have
volunteered: when you offer to do something
votes: when people choose one thing over
another

Skills for the week:

Genre: realistic fiction
Comprehension skill: point of view
Vocabulary strategy: suffixes
Grammar: pronouns

Unit 5
Week 2
Cooperation Works
How do people get along?

Spelling
rule:
Words with
diphthongs
oy and oi

Monday text: Soccer Friends

Wednesday text: Once Upon a Baby Brother
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
soil
broil
moist
point
toil
oil
toy
joy
coin
noise
crown
mound
Ill
laugh
maybe

amused: something that makes you laugh or

smile
cooperate: when you work together on something
describe: to tell about something in words
entertained: when something pleased or
interested you
imagination: the ability to make up ideas and
form pictures in your mind
interact: when people or things act on and affect
each other
patient: to calmly wait for something
peaceful: calm and quiet

Skills for the week:

Genre: fiction
Comprehension skill: point of view
Vocabulary strategy: idioms
Grammar: pronouns I and me, we and us

Unit 5
Week 3
Our Heroes
What do heroes do?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Cesar Chavez

Words with
tricky vowels

Wednesday text: Brave Bessie

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
flu
room
June
new
glue
fruit
crook
could
full
push
point
coin
along
ever
strong

agree: when people say that something is true or

that they will do something
challenging: something that is difficult and takes
effort to do
discover: to find something or find out about it
heroes: people who have done brave things
interest: when you like something and want to
learn more about it
perform: to act in a play or movie
study: to read, practice, or think about something
so that you can learn it
succeed: to do something exactly the way you
want to

Skills for the week:

Genre: biography
Comprehension skill: sequence
Vocabulary strategy: synonyms
Grammar: possessive pronouns

Unit 5
Week 4
Preserving Our Earth
How can we protect Earth?

Spelling
rule:
Words with a
variant vowel

Monday text: The Art Project

Wednesday text: The Woodkeepers Gift

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
ball
small
paw
jaw
pause
sauce
taught
chalk
walk
sought
new
fruit
city
own
read

curious: when you want to learn more about

something
distance: when something is far away from you
Earth resources: things found in nature that
people can use
enormous: very large in size or amount
gently: to do something in a way that is light and
not rough
proudly: to do something in a way that shows you
were pleased with what you did
rarely: to not happen very often
supply: an amount that is ready to use when you
need it

Skills for the week:

Genre: myth
Comprehension skill: plot: problem/solution
Vocabulary strategy: homophones
Grammar: possessive pronouns/ contractions

Unit 5
Week 5
Rights and Rules
Why are rule important?

Spelling
rule:
Words with
short vowel
digraphs

Monday text: Visiting the Past

Wednesday text: Setting the Rules

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
dead
ahead
lead
thread
bread
breath
touch
trouble
gym
myth
small
chalk
instead
whole
words

exclaimed: to speak or shout suddenly because

you were excited or upset
finally: to happen after a long time
form: to make or shape something
history: the story of what happened in the past
public: when it is for all people to use or visit
rules: directions that tell how to do something or
what is allowed
united: when things are brought or joined
together
writers: people who write stories, books, and
articles

Skills for the week:

Genre: expository
Comprehension skill: cause and effect
Vocabulary strategy: multiple-meaning
words
Grammar: pronoun verb agreement

Unit 6
Week 1
Plant Myths and Flowers
What do myths help us understand?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Why Fir Tree Keeps His Leaves

Wednesday text: The Golden Flower

Words with open

and closed
syllables

Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
pencil
magnet
publish
supper
letter
lady
gravy
solo
open
odor
lead
touch
door
front
someone

appeared: to come into sight

crops: a large number of plants that are
grown for food
develop: when things or ideas grow and
change
edge: the line or border where something
ends
golden: bright and yellow like gold
rustled: to make a soft crackling sound
shining: to give out light
stages: the steps in a process

Skills for the week:

Genre: myth
Comprehension skill: theme
Vocabulary strategy: context clues
Grammar: adjectives

Unit 6
Week 2
We Need Energy
How do we use energy?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Pedal Power

Wednesday text: My Light

Words with
CVCe syllables

Words
state
replace
nine
ninety
side
sidewalk
face
outside
these
tadpole
letter
magnet
alone
beside
round

Vocabulary words for the week:

electricity: the energy that flows through wires
and makes lights and machines work
energy: power from things, such as electricity
or the sun, that can be used to heat things and
make lights and machines work
flows: to move in a steady stream
haul: to carry away something heavy
power: any kind of energy that can be used to
make lights and machines work
silent: total quiet with no sound
solar: something that is caused by or is related
to the sun
underground: beneath the surface of the earth

Skills for the week:

Genre: Expository text
Comprehension skill: authors purpose
Vocabulary strategy: paragraph clues
Grammar: articles and this, that, these, and
those

Unit 6
Week 3
Team Up to Explore
Why is teamwork important?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: Dive Teams

Wednesday text: Astronaut Handbook

Words with
Consonant plus
(le) Syllables

Words
lit
little
set
settle
rip
ripple
pad
paddle
middle
bubble
outside
replace
follow
listen
something

Vocabulary words for the week:

exploration: when people search to learn
about new things
important: something that matters a lot or is
needed
machines: a tool made of different parts that
is used to do a kind of work
prepare: to get ready for something
repair: to fix something that is broken
result: when one thing happens because of
another thing happening
scientific: having to do with science
teamwork: when people work together for a
goal

Skills for the week:

Genre: Expository text
Comprehension skill: Main idea and key
details
Vocabulary strategy: Greek and Latin roots
Grammar: adjectives that compare

Unit 6
Week 4
Money Matters
How do we use money?

Spelling
rule:

Monday text: The Life of a Dollar Bill

Wednesday text: Money Madness

Words with
Variant team
syllables
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
way
away
root
balloon
play
display
reach
enjoy
explain
meadow
little
middle
complete
enough
river

invented: to make or create something brand

new
money: the dollars and cents you use to buy
things
prices: how much you have to pay for things
purchase: to get something in exchange for
money
record: when facts are written down about
something
system: a plan or set of rules for doing
something
value: how much something is worth
worth: the cost of something to buy or replace it

Skills for the week:

Genre: Expository text
Comprehension skill: Summarize
Vocabulary strategy: paragraph clues
Grammar: adverbs and prepositional phrases

Unit 6
Week 5
How on Earth?

Where can your imagination take you?

Spelling
rule:
Words with rcontrolled vowel
syllables

Monday text: poems

Wednesday text: Books to the Ceiling, Ive
Got This Covered, Eating While Reading
Vocabulary words for the week:

Words
jumper
higher
star
starry
garden
better
dinner
doctor
market
hairy
enjoy
display
afternoon
anyone
everythin
g

create: to make or invent something

dazzling: to be very bright
imagination: to visualize ideas in your mind
seconds: a measure that is part of minute
metaphors: compare two unlike things
beats: the syllables that make rhythm in a line
of poetry
message: what a poet or writer wants you to
understand after reading their work
repeated lines: when a line repeats again in the
same piece of work

Skills for the week:

Genre: rhyming poems
Comprehension skill: point of view
Vocabulary strategy: metaphors
Grammar: adjectives and adverbs