The Fifth Grade English curriculum provides students with opportunities to become more critical readers and writers. They engage different genres of literature that focus on a range of themes, including but not limited to identity, social inequalities, and the power of relationships. Through small group and whole-class discussions, students practice constructive dialogue with their peers while also developing their ability to annotate as they learn how to thoughtfully articulate insights and observations about a literary text. They become more confident in various modes of expressive, analytical, and imaginative writing assignments that emphasize prewriting, drafting, and revision. The spelling curriculum deepens and expands a word-specific knowledge base that is fundamental to meaningful communication. The course texts are Wonder, The Birchbark House, Esperanza Rising, and The Pants Project.