Naft's Upper Elementary Essentials

Transform your standardized test prep from "boring" to "slam dunk" with this 15-day, basketball-themed intensive! Are you looking for a way to engage your 5th graders in rigorous IAR (Illinois Assessment of Readiness) review without the burnout? Math Madness is a comprehensive, 3-week "Training Camp" designed to build math stamina, master high-leverage standards, and boost student confidence before the big game. What’s Included in the Playbook?This 15-day unit is broken down into three focused "

Are you looking for a way to keep your students engaged during the "Spring Squeeze" of March, April, and May? Do you need a rigorous, standards-aligned informational text unit that won't add hours to your grading pile during testing season? This comprehensive novel study of "The Story of Amelia Earhart: Lost Star" by Patricia Lauber is designed to bridge the gap between high-level Common Core mastery and the reality of end-of-year fatigue. Why Teachers Love This Unit:Built for Testing Season: D

Boost your students' vocabulary and morphology skills with these comprehensive, ready-to-use supplemental worksheets! Specifically designed to align with the 95% Phonics Group 5th Grade curriculum, these activities provide the extra practice students need to truly master word meanings and usage beyond basic phonics. What’s Included:This 90+ page resource covers Lessons 1-10 and includes three core activity types per lesson to reinforce learning: Word Detective Worksheets: Students dive deep in

Bring the 2026 Earth Day theme, "Our Power, Our Planet," to life in your classroom! This resource takes the "fluff" out of Earth Day and replaces it with rigorous, standard-aligned activities that upper elementary students actually find cool. Instead of just telling students that plastic is bad, this unit uses real-world math to show them the scale of the problem and scientific myth-busting to explain the complexity of ocean conservation. It culminates in a persuasive writing piece where studen

Cracking the IAR or any state testing: 15-Day ELA Test Prep Boot Camp (5th Grade)Master the Illinois Assessment of Readiness with Strategy, Not Just Stress!Are you looking for a comprehensive, classroom-tested way to prepare your students for the Illinois Assessment of Readiness (IAR)? This 3-week comprehensive unit is specifically engineered to tackle the unique rigors of the Illinois ELA blueprint. From Evidence-Based Selected Responses (EBSR) to the daunting Prose Constructed Responses (PC

👑 Bridge to Terabithia: Full 5th Grade Novel Study Unit (RL.1-7) Tired of planning complex literary units? This comprehensive, 4-5 week unit plan for Katherine Paterson’s Bridge to Terabithia is ready to implement, designed specifically for 5th-grade students (CCSS aligned). Move beyond surface-level reading and guide your class through the powerful themes of friendship, grief, imagination, and character growth using engaging, evidence-based activities. This resource provides all the structur

Are your students catching "Spring Fever"? Do you need a way to review Patricia Lauber’s "The Story of Amelia Earhart: Lost Star" that doesn't involve another quiet worksheet? Turn your novel study into an interactive adventure! This Question Trail (also known as a Scavenger Hunt) is designed to get Upper Elementary students moving, talking, and thinking critically about Chapters 1–13. How a Question Trail Works:Hang the Stations: Tape the 10+ stations around your classroom, hallway, or even o

Are you looking for a high-energy, low-prep way to wrap up the school year after the Chromebooks have been collected? This End of Year Speed Chatting activity is the perfect solution for keeping upper elementary and middle school students engaged and reflecting without the need for any technology. This structured "speed dating" style activity ensures every student connects with 10–12 different peers in a fast-paced, 45-minute session. Students will rotate through timed "dates" to discuss their

Looking to provide your students with a meaningful way to celebrate Mother's Day? This comprehensive Mother's Day & Someone Special Memory Book is specifically designed for upper elementary students. It moves beyond simple coloring pages to include thoughtful interviews, humor, and deep reflection. Whether you are in a 1:1 classroom or prefer traditional paper-and-pencil activities, this resource is ready to go in both print and digital formats. What’s Included? This project is packed with eng

🎁 The Ultimate Holiday Persuasion Letter: 5.W.1 Opinion Writing Project ✍️ Turn holiday wish lists into powerful persuasive writing! This complete, no-prep project guides students through the structure of a formal opinion letter (or essay) while mastering the rigorous components of the 5.W.1 Standard. Students argue for the one specific gift they want most, providing the perfect high-interest, real-world context for developing strong, supported opinions. 🌟 What Makes This Project Essential?T

✈️ Amelia Earhart Movie Study: Comparison Guide & "Sanity Saver" Permission Slip Wrap up your Amelia Earhart unit with a high-engagement film study that doesn't sacrifice your prep time or your classroom's age-appropriateness! Watching the 2009 film Amelia (starring Hilary Swank) is the perfect way to celebrate the end of a book study or recognize Women’s History Month. However, finding the time to vet the film for upper elementary students can be a challenge. This "No Prep" bundle does the hea

🚢 Pearl Harbor: A Day That Changed History (40-Minute Upper Elementary Lesson Plan) Ignite your students understanding of American history with this comprehensive, engaging 40-minute lesson plan focused on the pivotal attack on Pearl Harbor!This ready-to-use resource clearly outlines the events of December 7, 1941, explains the motivations behind the attack, and highlights its immediate, world-changing impact—bringing the United States into World War II. Key Features Included:⏱️ 40-Minute Pacin

These Google Slides are for the excerpt of, "Bud, Not Buddy," from the the 5th grade Wonders textbook designed to help your 5th-grade students master the skill of comparing and contrasting literary elements. Aligned with Common Core standard 5.RL.3, this resource is a complete, no-prep unit that will save you valuable planning time and lead your students to a deeper understanding of the text. What's Inside?Four Scaffolding Reading Lessons This unit includes four carefully crafted 30-minute les

🌟 Mastering Point of View (POV) & Perspective: A 4-Day Poetry Unit! 🎤 RL.5.6 Ready! Equip your students with the tools to master the complex standard of analyzing Point of View (POV) and how it influences a text! This comprehensive, four-lesson mini-unit uses engaging modern poetry to move beyond simply identifying pronouns and deep into analyzing the speaker's perspective and its impact on content and style. What's Included in this 4-Lesson Unit? This low-prep, high-impact resource provide

🌌 The Night and Day Navigator: Astronomical Phenomenon PSA (Grade 5) 🚀 Turn your 5th graders into expert Astronomers! This comprehensive, group-based project challenges students to create an engaging 10-slide Public Service Announcement (PSA) to explain the predictable apparent motion of the Sun, Moon, and stars (5-ESS1-2). Project Overview & Standards MasteryThis project is a high-impact, authentic assessment that requires students to apply their knowledge of Earth's rotation as the underly

💧 The Water Wise Action Plan: Saving Our Shores 🌊 Transform your students into Environmental Consultants with this engaging, real-world Group Project designed for mastery of NGSS Standards: 5-ESS2-1 and 5-ESS2-2!Overview: A Problem-Based Learning AssessmentThe Water Wise Action Plan is a comprehensive, week-long project where students apply their knowledge of Earth's water systems, the water cycle, and land change processes (weathering and erosion) to solve a critical environmental challenge

Transform testing anxiety into "Championship Energy" with this LeBron James-inspired lesson! Are your Upper Elementary students feeling the pressure of high-stakes testing? Help them trade their stress for a "Pro Athlete" mindset. This 50-minute interactive lesson uses LeBron James’ best-selling book, I Promise, to teach students that testing isn't about being perfect—it's about staying in the game until the final buzzer. What’s Included in This Lesson?The Hook: A high-engagement "Warm-Up" conn

This complete, no-prep unit is your ultimate solution for teaching students to identify and analyze an author's argument. Aligned with 5.RI.8, this resource takes a challenging standard and breaks it down into four engaging, scaffolded lessons using the text "The Case of the Missing Bees" as a central example. It provides everything you need to guide your students from basic identification to a deeper understanding of how authors build a convincing case. What's Included?Four Scaffolding Lessons

🏈 Remember the Titans: The "Titan Journal" | Fact vs. Fiction & Movie Study Bring the history of the Civil Rights Movement to life with this comprehensive 5th-grade movie study! Are you looking for a meaningful way to celebrate Black History Month while still hitting your Common Core ELA standards? This "Titan Journal" is more than just a movie guide—it’s a deep dive into character development, historical accuracy, and the social complexities of integration in 1971. 🌟 Why Teachers Love This Re

♻️ Matter Matters: A Community Recycling Innovation Challenge (5th Grade NGSS) Ignite your 5th graders' passion for science and the planet with this authentic, week-long project! Students become Waste Management Consultants tasked with applying their understanding of matter to solve a real-world community recycling problem. This challenging and engaging unit is the perfect capstone for your properties and changes of matter unit. 💡 Project Overview: The Waste Innovation ChallengeIn this dynamic