Grades 3-5

Phonics/Decoding

• Use phonics and word analysis skills to decode words accurately and fluently.
• Identify and apply syllable types to decode unfamiliar multisyllabic words.
• Apply phonics rules and recognize exceptions to read and spell grade-level words.

Fluency

• Read grade-level text with accuracy and at an appropriate rate.
• Use expression and intonation to convey meaning while reading aloud.
• Read with phrasing and rhythm that supports comprehension.
• Pronounce words accurately when reading aloud.

Vocabulary Acquisition

• Use grade-level academic vocabulary, including synonyms and antonyms, in speaking and writing.
• Interpret vocabulary using inferential meaning from the text.
• Recognize and interpret similes and metaphors in context.
• Use context clues to determine the meaning of unfamiliar words.
• Determine the meanings of multiple-meaning words from context.
• Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine meanings.
• Use affixes to determine meanings of unfamiliar words.
• Interpret idioms in context to understand meaning.
• Differentiate between homophones and use them correctly.

Comprehension

• Activate prior knowledge to aid comprehension of new texts.
• Use visual and picture clues to enhance understanding.
• Make inferences using details from the text.
• Reread text to improve comprehension and accuracy.
• Explain plot development, including setting, events, and conflict.
• Connect ideas within and across texts to build understanding.
• Sequence events logically from a text.
• Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding.
• Explain cause-and-effect relationships in a text.
• Identify main idea and explain how it is supported by key details.
• Make, confirm, and revise predictions using evidence from the text.
• Identify narrator’s point of view and explain how it influences the story.
• Identify problem and solution in a text.
• Summarize a text using main ideas and key details.
• Compare and contrast key elements of two texts.
• Identify and explain the theme and moral of a story.
• Analyze author’s point of view and how it influences the text.

Literature Genres

• Identify characteristics of fantasy.
• Identify characteristics of realistic fiction.
• Identify characteristics of narrative nonfiction.
• Identify characteristics of biography.
• Identify characteristics of fables, folktales, and myths.
• Identify characteristics of historical text.
• Identify characteristics of historical fiction.
• Explain how rhyme and structure in poems contribute to meaning.
• Identify characteristics of informational text.
• Identify characteristics of fairy tales.
• Identify characteristics of drama.

Ideas

• Develop a topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or examples.
• Add supporting details that strengthen ideas in writing.
• Incorporate descriptive details to enhance writing.

Organization

• Begin writing with effective introductions that engage the reader.
• Organize ideas in a logical sequence for clarity.
• Conclude writing effectively to leave a lasting impression.
• Develop strong paragraphs with unity and focus.

Word Choice

• Select precise language and specific vocabulary to convey meaning.
• Choose exact words for clarity and impact.
• Use linking words and phrases to connect ideas.

Sentence Fluency

• Use varied sentence structures to maintain reader interest.
• Write sentences of different lengths for variety and flow.
• Combine and expand sentences for fluency.
• Rearrange sentences to improve the overall flow of writing.

Voice

• State opinions clearly with supporting reasons.
• Write using phrasing and expression suited to the purpose.
• Apply an appropriate voice for the intended audience and purpose.

Types of Writing

• Write personal narratives with clear sequence and details.
• Write fictional narratives with developed characters, setting, and plot.
• Write informational/explanatory texts that analyze a topic.
• Conduct short research projects and present findings clearly.
• Describe a topic with vivid and specific details.
• Write comparison and contrast essays using clear organization.
• Write opinion pieces supported by reasons and evidence.
• Write poems that explain how rhyme and structure contribute to meaning.
• Create visual presentations of information to enhance understanding.
• Write summaries that include main story elements.

Writing About Reading

• Analyze literary text features and key details.
• Analyze story elements including characters, setting, and plot.
• Examine text structure to understand meaning.
• Identify and analyze point of view in a text.
• Write an opinion response to a text using evidence.
• Write reflections about themes and messages in a text.
• Revise writing to improve focus, coherence, and style.

Phonics/Spelling

• Recognize and apply consonant and vowel patterns in spelling and decoding.
• Use vowel teams to spell and decode words accurately.
• Apply inflectional endings to words correctly.
• Use knowledge of word families to read and spell unfamiliar words.
• Use plural forms of nouns and pronouns correctly.
• Form and use compound words appropriately.
• Identify words containing silent letters.
• Form and use possessives correctly.
• Decode and spell words with three-letter blends.
• Identify and apply different syllable types.
• Identify and use digraphs in words.
• Apply the correct use of controlled vowels.
• Apply knowledge of Greek and Latin roots, prefixes, and suffixes to determine meaning.
• Recognize and pronounce diphthongs accurately.

Grammar Skills

• Identify and correct sentence fragments.
• Write commands and exclamations correctly.
• Identify complete and incomplete sentences.
• Write simple, compound, and complex sentences correctly.
• Identify and use common, proper, and possessive nouns accurately.
• Combine sentences for variety and fluency.
• Identify and use different types of verbs accurately.
• Maintain consistent verb tense within sentences.
• Use adjectives and articles to modify nouns precisely.
• Use adverbs to modify verbs, adjectives, and other adverbs accurately.

Grammar Mechanics

• Capitalize proper nouns, titles, and the first word in sentences.
• Use commas in dates, series, and addresses.
• Apply correct ending punctuation for declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.
• Use commas in a series and other introductory elements.
• Use correct punctuation in formal letters.
• Use commas to punctuate dates, addresses, and quotations.
• Use quotation marks to indicate dialogue.
• Use semicolons to mark complex sentences when appropriate.
• Capitalize names, places, and titles appropriately.
• Use apostrophes to form contractions and possessives.
• Place quotation marks around direct quotes and quotation titles.
• Use commas correctly in sentences according to rules of grammar.
• Maintain subject-verb agreement at all times.
• Ensure subjects and verbs agree in number and person.
• Use correct punctuation and capitalization for book titles.

Additional Usage 

• Form and use comparative and superlative adjectives and adverbs correctly.
• Write dialogue and punctuate it consistently in writing.
• Write quotation marks and commas accurately when using dialogue.
• Write dialogue using correct punctuation consistently throughout writing.
• Write quotation marks and commas consistently and accurately when writing dialogue.

Research

• Conduct short research projects by developing and refining relevant questions to guide investigation.
• Select a focused and manageable topic for research that aligns with the purpose of the project.
• Create a step-by-step action plan to guide research activities and track progress.
• Select and use credible, age-appropriate sources, both print and digital, to gather information.
• Write a clear, organized, and coherent report that explains research findings with supporting evidence.
• Incorporate direct quotations and paraphrased information into research writing while crediting sources.

Information Evaluation

• Differentiate between essential and nonessential information when gathering and presenting research.
• Summarize complex information concisely in clear words and precise phrases.

Graphic Organizers

• Create and use webs to visually organize research ideas and relationships.
• Make organized and prioritized lists to record key research information.
• Organize and present research information effectively using charts.

Public Speaking

• Report on a topic or text using clear facts, descriptive details, and logical organization.

Text Features

• Explain how illustrations and photographs support and enhance the meaning of a text.
• Interpret captions to deepen comprehension of visual information.
• Use headings to efficiently locate specific information within a text.
• Read and interpret maps to gather relevant information.
• Read and interpret diagrams to explain processes or convey ideas.
• Read and interpret sidebars to gain additional or supporting information.
• Interpret data displayed in bar graphs to understand relationships or trends.
• Identify and use keywords to locate information in a text.
• Read and interpret charts to extract and apply relevant information.
• Interpret timelines to understand the sequence of events.

Utilizing Resources

• Use reference materials, including dictionaries and encyclopedias, to find accurate information.
• Use a thesaurus to identify synonyms and antonyms that enhance writing and speaking.
• Use the media literacy center to locate, evaluate, and select resources effectively.
• Use digital tools to find, organize, and present research information.

Keyboarding Skills

• Type using correct posture, proper hand placement, and accuracy to improve efficiency.

Study Skills

• Evaluate sources to ensure reliability, credibility, and relevance to the research topic.
• Organize research notes in a clear, logical, and easy-to-follow format.

Algebraic Thinking

• Understand and explain place value concepts up to the thousands place.
• Add and subtract multi-digit numbers accurately and efficiently.
• Apply properties of operations, including associative and commutative, to solve problems.
• Use mental math strategies to compare and estimate sums, differences, products, and quotients.
• Round numbers to the nearest 10 or 100 and explain reasoning.
• Solve real-world problems within 100 using strategies and algorithms for addition and subtraction.
• Understand multiplication and division as equal groups and repeated addition or subtraction.

Numbers/Operations in Base Ten

• Read, write, and represent numbers up to 100,000 in multiple forms.
• Read and write numbers in standard, expanded, and word form.
• Apply place value understanding and properties of operations to multiply whole numbers up to two digits by one digit.
• Use strategies and algorithms to divide up to four-digit dividends by one-digit divisors.

Numbers and Operations Fractions

• Understand the equivalence and relative size of fractions with like denominators.
• Add and subtract fractions with like denominators, including mixed numbers.
• Compare fractions with like denominators using symbols <, >, and =.

Measurement and Data

• Tell and write time to the nearest minute using analog and digital clocks.
• Measure time intervals using clocks and number lines.
• Interpret and represent data using scaled picture graphs, bar graphs, and line plots.
• Use data to solve problems involving addition and subtraction.
• Find the perimeter of polygons and solve real-world perimeter problems.
• Find the area of rectangles and solve real-world area problems.

Geometry

• Identify and describe the attributes of shapes, including the number of sides, angles, and vertices.
• Identify and classify lines and angles (right, acute, obtuse).
• Identify and classify triangles by their sides and angles.

Data and Graphing

• Collect and organize data into various types of graphs including bar graphs, line plots, and pictographs.
• Interpret data from multiple graph types to answer questions.
• Apply measurement concepts and data analysis to solve multi-step problems.

Civic Ideals and Practices

• Explain the principles of democracy and how they guide government and civic life.
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of citizens in various communities.
• Compare and contrast different government structures around the world.
• Describe the characteristics of global communities and how they interact.
• Explain basic human rights and their importance in societies.

Geography, Humans and Environment

• Identify and describe physical features such as landforms, bodies of water, and climate regions.
• Use maps and globes to locate hemispheres, continents, and countries.
• Use cardinal and intermediate directions to describe the location of places.
• Identify and describe regions and states within the United States.

Time, Continuity and Change

• Describe cultural characteristics of world communities such as food, music, dance, and traditions.

Development, Movement, and Interaction of Cultures

• Explain the impact of cultural diffusion on societies.
• Compare world communities to identify similarities and differences in culture, governance, and economics.

Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems

• Identify human and natural resources and explain their uses.
• Explain resource surplus, scarcity, and how these affect trade.
• Recognize needs, wants, and resources in economic systems.
• Explain the concept of supply and demand and its effect on prices.
• Describe the impact of technology on trade and production.
• Identify and compare the currencies of the US, Mexico, Canada, and the Caribbean.

Life Science

• Describe interdependent relationships among plants and animals within ecosystems.
• Explain how organisms survive in their environment by meeting basic needs.
• Describe how fossils provide evidence about organisms and environments from the past.
• Identify and describe habitats and the features that support life.
• Explain how environmental changes can affect organisms and habitats.

Inheritance and Variation of Traits

• Describe life cycles and inherited traits of plants and animals.
• Describe patterns of traits and variations among individuals of the same species.
• Explain how environmental factors influence traits in plants and animals.
• Identify and describe the survival needs of organisms.

Earth Science 

• Describe weather patterns and their seasonal changes.
• Explain global climate zones and factors that affect them.
• Identify and describe weather hazards and their impact on people and the environment.

Physical Science

• Describe forces and interactions, including pushes and pulls.
• Describe the concept of balance and stability in objects.
• Describe patterns of motion of objects, including speed and direction.
• Describe electric and magnetic interactions and their uses.

Engineering Design

• Define a design problem by identifying criteria and constraints for a solution.
• Develop and compare multiple possible solutions to a given problem.
• Plan and conduct investigations to test solutions, controlling variables as needed.

Phonics/Decoding

• Employs advanced decoding strategies to recognize and apply complex consonant and vowel patterns swiftly and accurately in unfamiliar words.
• Demonstrates mastery of syllable types by breaking apart and accurately spelling multisyllabic words with precision.
• Applies phonics rules effectively while identifying and navigating exceptions to decode and spell with accuracy.

Fluency

• Reads smoothly and at an optimal pace, ensuring comprehension and maintaining accuracy across grade-level texts.
• Brings text to life with dynamic expression, intonation, and phrasing to fully convey meaning.
• Reads with natural phrasing and rhythm, reflecting an understanding of syntax and meaning.

Vocabulary Acquisition

• Selects and applies precise synonyms and antonyms to enhance clarity and variety in communication.
• Analyzes and explains figurative language, linking it to tone, mood, and thematic meaning.
• Integrates idiomatic expressions appropriately into speech and writing to add nuance and depth.
• Derives word meaning through careful analysis of context and surrounding textual clues.
• Selects the most accurate meaning of a multiple-meaning word by analyzing its use in context.
• Applies knowledge of affixes to determine or refine the meaning of unfamiliar vocabulary.
• Employs understanding of Greek and Latin roots to unlock meanings of new and complex words.
• Recognizes and interprets similes and metaphors, explaining their impact on meaning.
• Explains proverbs and adages, connecting their meaning to broader themes or lessons.
• Accurately distinguishes and applies homophones in both spoken and written communication.
• Identifies denotation and connotation to interpret nuanced word meanings.

Comprehension

• Constructs vivid mental images using textual and visual clues to enhance understanding.
• Uses textual evidence to make and refine accurate predictions throughout reading.
• Draws logical conclusions by integrating text details with prior knowledge.
• Engages with text by forming and responding to questions that probe surface and deeper meaning.
• Analyzes and describes story elements and their relationships within the narrative.
• Identifies cause-and-effect relationships to interpret and connect events.
• Synthesizes details to determine the central theme and articulate its significance.
• Writes concise summaries that capture essential ideas without personal bias.
• Analyzes point of view and explains its effect on how the story is told.
• Orders events logically using textual cues and prior understanding.
• Recognizes conflicts and explains their resolution with textual evidence.
• Examines similarities and differences in elements across multiple texts.
• Evaluates how point of view is established and supported in the text.

Literature Genres

• Recognizes traits that define realistic and historical fiction genres.
• Identifies genre-specific traits and explains their distinguishing features.
• Explains how structure and features contribute to the purpose of informational text.
• Recognizes elements that define the science fiction genre.
• Describes forms of drama and articulates their intent in storytelling.
• Identifies poetic structures and explains their contribution to meaning.
• Examines how nonfiction integrates factual accuracy with narrative elements.
• Analyzes similarities and differences in narrative and literary nonfiction forms.
• Evaluates organizational structure and its effectiveness in conveying meaning.

Ideas

• Develop a topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or examples. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Enhance writing by including vivid sensory details that engage the reader. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Select logical supporting details to strengthen ideas and arguments. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Create and develop narrative elements including characters, setting, and plot. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Structure plot events to create a clear beginning, middle, and end. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Organization

• Engage readers by beginning with effective introductions. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Organize writing so ideas flow logically from one to another. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Provide a strong conclusion that reinforces the main idea or theme. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Word Choice

• Use precise language and vocabulary to convey meaning. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Use strong, descriptive words to enhance meaning. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Incorporate figurative language to add depth and interest to writing. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Create mental images for readers through descriptive and sensory language. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Sentence Fluency

• Write using varied sentence structures for clarity and interest. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Use appropriate transitions to connect ideas and paragraphs smoothly. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Voice

• Adopt an appropriate informal tone for letters and personal writing. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Clearly express opinions with supporting reasons. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Adjust writing style based on audience and purpose. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write using formal voice when appropriate to the task. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Types of Writing

• Write personal narratives that include clear sequence and detailed events. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write imaginative or real narratives with developed characters, setting, and plot. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write formal and informal letters using correct format. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write lists for specific needs that convey clear and concise details. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write essays that explain a topic with clarity and supporting details. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write informational/explanatory texts that analyze a topic. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Paraphrase information accurately and maintain meaning. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Can summarize content in a concise paragraph that captures main ideas. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write research reports using information from multiple sources. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write summaries that reflect the text’s central idea. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write poems that reflect creativity and understanding of structure. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write vivid descriptions that appeal to senses and create imagery. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Create persuasive arguments that convince the reader. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write pieces that organize facts, ideas, and supporting details effectively. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Write creative texts that use figurative language for emphasis. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Writing about Reading

• Analyze the sequence of events to determine cause and effect relationships. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Analyze text to determine how problems are identified and solved. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Analyze key details to explain how they support the main idea or theme. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Analyze examples—both stated and unstated—with supporting evidence. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Analyze text features to determine their purpose and effectiveness. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.
• Analyze poetic structure to explain how it contributes to meaning. in a manner that demonstrates depth of thought, clear organization, and a command of language appropriate for fourth-grade writing expectations.

Phonics/Spelling

• Apply knowledge of consonant and vowel patterns to decode and spell words accurately in unfamiliar contexts.
• Use knowledge of vowel patterns and irregular vowel sounds to spell grade-level words correctly.
• Accurately apply inflectional endings to convey tense, plurality, and comparisons.
• Combine base words effectively to create and use compound words in writing and speech.
• Analyze base words, roots, and affixes to decode and correctly spell unfamiliar words.
• Form and spell contractions accurately using apostrophes in the correct position.
• Add appropriate prefixes and suffixes to base words to create new words with accurate spelling.
• Consult reference tools to confirm spelling and determine definitions of unfamiliar words.
• Apply knowledge of syllable division rules to spell multi-syllable words accurately.
• Select the correct homophone in reading and writing by analyzing context clues.
• Recognize and correctly label complete subjects and predicates to improve sentence structure.
• Classify and correctly use the four sentence types in both written and oral communication.
• Edit writing to eliminate sentence fragments and run-ons, ensuring grammatical completeness.

Grammar Skills

• Distinguish between and correctly use common and proper nouns in writing and conversation.
• Form singular and plural nouns accurately, including irregular plural forms.
• Integrate plural nouns correctly into complete sentences in writing and speaking.
• Merge related ideas into compound or complex sentences for sentence variety and clarity.
• Recognize and accurately use main and helping verbs in various tenses.
• Ensure verb tense consistency throughout writing for clarity and accuracy.
• Match pronouns correctly to their antecedents for number and gender agreement.
• Apply pronoun-antecedent agreement rules in both speech and writing.
• Select and apply adjectives that provide specific and vivid descriptions.
• Employ adverbs accurately to modify verbs, adjectives, and adverbs in context.
• Eliminate double negatives and use negative forms correctly in speech and writing.

Grammar Mechanics

• Insert prepositions and prepositional phrases into sentences to clarify relationships.
• Apply appropriate punctuation marks to declarative, interrogative, imperative, and exclamatory sentences.
• Place commas accurately in addresses, dates, series, and introductory elements.
• Apply quotation marks correctly to enclose dialogue and direct speech.
• Correctly position apostrophes in singular and plural possessive nouns.
• Integrate hyphens and dashes according to standard grammar conventions.
• Apply capitalization rules consistently for proper nouns, titles, and sentence beginnings.
• Apply subject-verb agreement rules in all forms of writing and speech.
• Select 'good' and 'well' accurately depending on grammatical role in sentences.
• Distinguish between 'real' and 'really' and apply them correctly in sentences.
• Place commas appropriately to separate independent and dependent clauses and phrases.
• Insert commas accurately to separate items in a list.

Cursive (Writing & Reading)

• Produce legible cursive writing with uniform letter size, consistent slant, and proper spacing.

Research 

• Locate and navigate library resources, including the catalog, reference section, and digital databases, to efficiently gather information for academic tasks.
• Select a focused, age-appropriate research topic and collect initial facts, background details, and key vocabulary from reliable sources to guide further study.
• Design a sequential research plan that outlines objectives, timelines, and source collection strategies to ensure comprehensive topic coverage.
• Collect accurate and relevant facts, examples, and explanations from varied sources such as books, articles, and credible websites, synthesizing them into cohesive research notes.
• Record information in a structured format using bullet points, graphic organizers, or note cards to categorize facts by theme or subtopic.
• Assess the reliability, relevance, and bias of potential sources, ensuring they meet academic standards and suit the research purpose.
• Apply MLA or APA citation formats to give proper credit to authors and avoid plagiarism by accurately citing all referenced materials.
• Compile a complete, alphabetized list of all references following the chosen citation style, ensuring consistency in formatting.
• Formulate relevant, open-ended questions and conduct a respectful interview to gather firsthand information for research purposes.
• Employ technology such as spreadsheets, slideshows, and online organizers to gather, store, and share research findings.

Text Features

• Interpret how visuals enhance comprehension by clarifying concepts, adding detail, or evoking emotion in relation to the text.
• Scan and interpret headings to find targeted information quickly and understand the organization of content.
• Interpret data presented in bar graphs, pie charts, or line graphs to identify trends, comparisons, or patterns.
• Analyze chronological timelines to determine event order, duration, and historical context.
• Read captions to clarify images, diagrams, or tables and connect them to main text ideas.
• Examine charts to extract and apply relevant details that support learning objectives.
• Study diagrams to understand sequences, cause-effect relationships, or functional parts of a system.
• Integrate headings, subheadings, charts, and other features to locate and better comprehend content.
• Analyze original documents or artifacts and compare them with later interpretations to evaluate accuracy and bias.
• Recognize bold print as a signal of importance, often highlighting vocabulary or key concepts.
• Apply pronunciation symbols to decode unfamiliar vocabulary accurately.
• Analyze how stanzas group lines to convey rhythm, structure, and meaning in poems.
• Read sidebars for supplementary facts that enhance comprehension of the main text.

Information Evaluation

• Separate critical facts that directly support the research purpose from extra details that may be interesting but unnecessary.
• Judge the trustworthiness, timeliness, and appropriateness of sources for the research task.

Summarizing

• Condense key ideas from a text using original wording while maintaining essential meaning.

Graphic Organizers

• Develop visual webs to connect concepts and subtopics for clearer organization.
• Arrange information hierarchically using tree diagrams to show relationships between ideas.

Public Speaking

• Communicate research conclusions confidently using well-structured presentations and visuals.

Keyboarding Skill

• Maintain proper posture and hand positioning while typing accurately and efficiently.

Study Skills

• Use active learning techniques to record, condense, and logically arrange material for easy recall.

Test-taking Skills

• Use strategies like process of elimination, time management, and rereading questions to optimize performance.

Operations and Algebraic Thinking

• Identify and explain factors and multiples for whole numbers up to 100, using visual models, arrays, and factor trees to demonstrate relationships.
• Determine the largest factor shared by two whole numbers through systematic listing, division, and prime factorization.
• Classify numbers as prime or composite by analyzing their factors and divisibility rules.
• Calculate the smallest multiple shared by two numbers using listing, skip counting, and prime factorization methods.
• Explain the value of digits in numbers to the millions place and use this understanding for rounding and comparing numbers.
• Identify, extend, and create numeric sequences and geometric patterns, explaining the rule that governs them.

Numbers and Operations Base Ten

• Apply place value concepts to read, write, and compare whole numbers to one million in standard, expanded, and word form.
• Perform multi-digit addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division using strategies based on place value and properties of operations.
• Apply commutative, associative, and distributive properties to solve multi-step problems efficiently.

Numbers and Operations Fractions

• Create and identify equivalent fractions using visual models and number lines; compare and order fractions with unlike denominators.
• Use fraction models and properties of operations to break down and combine fractions for problem solving.
• Represent and compare fractions and decimals to hundredths using visual models and comparison symbols.
• Interpret and solve multi-step real-world problems involving whole numbers and fractions, justifying solutions with models and equations.

Measurement and Data

• Collect, organize, and represent data using line plots, stem-and-leaf plots, and tables; interpret results to answer questions.
• Plot and interpret data points on a line plot, analyzing trends and patterns.
• Construct and analyze stem-and-leaf plots to interpret large data sets.
• Plot ordered pairs on a coordinate grid to represent and interpret real-world situations.

Geometry

• Recognize and classify lines as parallel, perpendicular, or intersecting and angles as acute, right, or obtuse.
• Recognize and create tessellations using polygons, describing their repeating patterns.
• Use a protractor to measure and draw angles to the nearest degree.
• Apply formulas to find the circumference and area of circles using radius and diameter measurements.
• Find the area and perimeter of squares using side length measurements.
• Decompose composite figures to calculate total area and perimeter using formulas for basic shapes.

State History of Florida

• Analyze the traditions, customs, and daily life of Native Floridians, recognizing their lasting contributions to Florida’s heritage and culture.
• Examine the motivations, routes, and impacts of early explorers in Florida, including their influence on indigenous populations and settlement patterns.
• Detail the establishment of St. Augustine, the role of Spanish colonial governance, architecture, religion, and its long-term effects on Florida.
• Trace Florida’s progression from a territory to statehood, highlighting key events, leaders, and political developments.
• Evaluate the role of Henry Flagler’s railroad expansion in stimulating tourism, trade, and population growth across Florida.
• Recognize notable figures from Florida’s past and assess their contributions to the state’s social, political, and economic development.
• Analyze immigration trends and their cultural, economic, and demographic impacts on Florida through different historical periods.
• Summarize significant events, industries, and societal changes that shaped Florida during the 1800s and 1900s.
• Discuss the crops, farming methods, and trade systems that established agriculture as a cornerstone of Florida’s economy.
• Identify key geographic features and natural resources, and explain their influence on settlement, industry, and culture.
• Evaluate Florida’s contributions to national events and examine how migration and cultural blending have shaped its diverse society.

Life Science

• Explain that animals and humans use specialized organs such as eyes to detect and interpret light, enabling vision essential for survival.
• Detail how plants and animals possess unique structural adaptations, such as thorns, fur, or root systems, to meet environmental challenges.
• Explain that living things react to internal and external changes, like moving toward light or altering behavior with temperature.

Physical Science

• Analyze how varying forces and energy levels influence the speed of moving objects through measurement and experimentation
• Explain that energy moves from one object or system to another, such as heat transfer from a flame to water
• Identify how energy changes forms, such as electrical energy becoming light in a bulb.
• Detail examples like food energy becoming motion in muscles, emphasizing conservation of energy.
• Recognize renewable and nonrenewable resources, promoting practices such as recycling and sustainable use.

Waves and Information

• Explain that waves are patterns of motion carrying energy, with wavelength measuring the distance between peaks.
• Observe and explain repetitive patterns such as crests and troughs in water or sound waves.
• Describe how sound, light, and radio waves carry data across distances.

Earth/Space Science

• Explain how geological processes create rock layers and how fossils reveal ancient life.
• Recognize how erosion, deposition, and weathering alter landforms over time.
• Differentiate between weathering breaking down rock and erosion moving the particles.
• Identify common landforms and water bodies on Earth’s surface and their formation.
• Explain forces such as volcanoes, earthquakes, and plate tectonics shaping the planet.

Engineering Design

• Clarify a problem by describing constraints, needs, and goals before proposing solutions.
• Brainstorm and plan designs considering materials, tools, and criteria for success.
• Design fair tests by altering one factor at a time while keeping others constant to collect valid data.