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PlayOwl

English · Grade 5

Research, Citation and Media Literacy

Learners investigate why leaves change color in fall. They turn a topic into focused research questions and keywords, take notes in their own words, record where information came from in a simple list of sources, check whether sources are reliable, and figure out whether a media message is trying to inform, persuade, entertain or sell.

  • 4 lessons
  • About 95 minutes
  • Research and media check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: fill in the blanks, choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, put in order and sort into groups
See plans Included with Family, Teacher and School plans. Open in PlayOwl

What learners will discover

  • Narrow a topic into focused research questions and choose useful search keywords.
  • Take notes by paraphrasing and summarizing in your own words, using quotation marks for any exact words.
  • Judge whether a source is reliable by checking its author, date, purpose and evidence, and by cross-checking.
  • Identify the purpose of a media message (inform, persuade, entertain, sell) and notice techniques such as sponsorship and exaggeration.
  • Write a simple list of sources with author, title, publisher or website, and date.

Lessons

  1. Questions and keywords 5 steps3 practiceabout 22 min
  2. Notes in your own words, with credit 6 steps3 practiceabout 25 min
  3. Can you trust this source? 6 steps3 practiceabout 24 min
  4. What does this message want from me? 6 steps3 practiceabout 24 min
  5. Research and media check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Memory LanternsFlip glowing lanterns to find pairs that belong together.
  • Sentence TheatreYour words direct the show: change a word and the stage changes too.
  • Missing ChapterA page has gone missing. Use the clues to put the right one back.

More 5th grade reading

Guides for grown-ups