Grade 5 Home Letter
Lesson 2: Off and Running
Dear Family,
This lesson’s concept is all about determination and about
running for class president. In “Off and Running”, students will
learn how to compare and contrast two characters through what
they say and do. They will read a realistic fiction with characters
that are like people in real life.
Activities to Do Together Your Child
Vocabulary
Make up sentences, or an entire story, with your child, using as
many of this week’s Target Vocabulary words as you can!
Helping Hand
Tell your child about a time when you helped someone, either
directly or through volunteer work. Ask your child what she or
he might like to do to help others. Ask, “How would you like to
make the world better?”
Finding a Solution
Talk with your child about solving problems. Ask your child to
imagine that someone has come to him or her with a problem
and needs help. How would your child help them?
This lesson’s…
Target Vocabulary: debate, prodded,
gradually, decorated, beckoned, scanned,
inflated, stalled, shaken, hesitated
Vocabulary Strategy: Multiple Meaning word
– Prefixes dis-, re-,-un
Comprehension Skill: Response -- state your
choice for class president after comparing and
contrasting two candidates.
Comprehension Strategy: Compare &
Contrast— look for details that show how
characters or ideas in a text are the same and
different
Writing Focus: Write to express—draft, revise,
edit, and publish an informative/narrative
paragraph
Language Skill: Complete Subject &
Predicates, Simple Present, Nouns (Singular &
Plurals)
Spelling Words: groan - silent – reply – dough-
thrown – spider –mighty- slight- stroll -height -
excite – define -odor