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Minnesota Standards

Minnesota 5th Grade ELA Standards

All 43 Minnesota English language arts standards for 5th grade, each explained in plain English. The official wording is in Minnesota Department of Education's document, linked at the end of this page.

43 standards

Reading

21 standards
5.1.1.2
Break apart long unfamiliar words, alone or in a sentence, using letter sounds, syllables and French or Latin parts like port or -tion to read and understand them.
5.1.1.3
Read fifth grade texts aloud accurately, at a fitting speed and with expression that shows the meaning, like changing voice for dialogue.
5.1.2.1
Monitor understanding while reading alone and fix misreadings without help, using strategies like inferring and connecting the text to known facts.
5.1.2.2
Choose and read fifth grade level texts with skill for school tasks, like a novel for literature circle or a social studies article.
5.1.2.3
Find and pick books showing people and identities both like and unlike one's own, searching award lists, curated lists and book reviews.
5.1.3.1
Pick and read texts for enjoyment, interest or class that reflect Dakota and Anishinaabe people and their views, both in history and today.
5.1.4.1
Quote a text accurately to explain what it states outright and what can be inferred from it, then summarize it.
5.1.4.2
Name the theme or central idea a text explores, then trace how particular details build it up from start to finish.
5.1.4.3
Trace when and how a story introduces its characters, setting, conflict, events or ideas, how they change, and how the resolution comes about.
5.1.4.4
Explain how people, events and ideas in a nonfiction text connect or affect each other, like how an inventor's work changed daily life, using details.
5.1.5.1
Explain how chapters, scenes or stanzas work together to build the overall shape of a story, play or poem.
5.1.5.2
Identify how a nonfiction structure, like time order, sequence or description, shapes what readers take from a text or part of it.
5.1.5.3
Interpret, use and judge the information in pictures, graphs, maps and other visuals to better understand a text.
5.1.6.1
Compare an eyewitness account with a secondhand report of one event or topic, including by Dakota and Anishinaabe authors, noting how focus and facts differ.
5.1.6.2
Compare texts written in different eras to see how the times shaped their meaning, content or style, like a 1950s and a recent book on space.
5.1.6.3
Analyze where a text falls between fact and fiction, using evidence from it, like a historical novel mixing real events with invented people.
5.1.7.1
Identify an author's argument and explain how the author's viewpoint and bias affect which evidence gets included or left out.
5.1.8.1
Show understanding of how related words differ in shades of meaning in stories, poems or songs, like the feelings carried by cheap versus thrifty.
5.1.8.2
Interpret school and subject-specific words and phrases, like ecosystem in science or legislature in social studies.
5.1.9.1
Gather information from varied sources and formats that show diverse viewpoints, like interviews, videos and podcasts.
5.1.9.2
Judge sources by how accurate and believable their information is for the task and purpose at hand.

Writing

16 standards
5.2.1.1
Use correct punctuation, including semicolons and colons, along with correct spelling, capitals and grammar in one's own writing.
5.2.1.2
Spell words that come from French and Latin correctly in one's own writing, applying spelling patterns and rules, like the -tion in nation.
5.2.1.3
Use nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and pronouns well in one's own sentences, including relative words like who, which, where and when.
5.2.2.1
Write regularly for different tasks, purposes and audiences, like a poem for fun, a book review or a science lab report.
5.2.2.2
Write a reflection on how one's own identity has grown and changed over the years, like how a hobby or a move shaped who one is.
5.2.3.1
Draft several pieces, then pick some to rework, such as by starting over or taking a fresh angle, before editing and publishing.
5.2.3.2
Pick words, phrases, punctuation and sentence types that state ideas exactly and suit the reader and setting, like a speech versus a text message.
5.2.4.1
Write an argument that sits inside an explanation of a bigger topic, like arguing for solar panels within a report on energy.
5.2.4.2
Write to persuade using emotional strategies that motivate, inspire or sway readers, building on earlier persuasive skills.
5.2.5.1
Write to inform with precise subject words, developed subtopics, logically grouped facts, and headings or visuals where they help, like a report on volcanoes.
5.2.5.2
Respond in writing to a story's style, tone and plot, like sharing a personal reaction or an interpretation of the ending.
5.2.6.1
Write poems, stories or plays using figurative language, exaggeration and personification to shape style, tone and plot, like a wind that whispers.
5.2.6.2
Organize stories, poems or other creative writing with a structure that suits the style and tone, like chapters, stanzas or scenes.
5.2.7.1
Come up with research questions both alone and with classmates to guide an investigation.
5.2.7.2
Plan and carry out research independently, using sources to learn about a topic, and share what was found in writing.
5.2.8.1
Quote, summarize and cite sources of many formats without plagiarizing, showing understanding of copyright, fair use and Creative Commons.

Listening, Speaking, Viewing and Exchanging Ideas

6 standards
5.3.1.1
Discuss and tell stories with voices from Dakota, Anishinaabe and other cultures, following norms, drawing conclusions from others, compromising and pursuing shared goals.
5.3.1.2
Ask and answer questions in a discussion with comments that show preparation, add new ideas and expand on what others said.
5.3.1.3
Seek feedback, ask questions to understand it, and decide what to change in one's work based on what was learned.
5.3.2.1
Speak with precise words and sentence structure, adjusting the way one talks to the situation, like a class presentation versus lunch with friends.
5.3.3.1
Report on a topic in an organized way with relevant, reliable facts and descriptive details, in varied formats, while communicating safely and ethically.
5.3.3.2
Share work made with chosen digital tools, like a podcast or slideshow, explain why the tools suit the purpose and audience, and stay aware of one's digital footprint.

The official Minnesota documents

The plain-English lines on this page are EMStudio's own explanations of Minnesota's standards, not the official wording, which Minnesota Department of Education publishes in the documents above. Codes and strand names identify each standard.