Unit 6 — Art for Everyone
Description
Students examine how different art forms impact people through biographies and informational texts. Texts such as "Let's Get Creative," "Rita Moreno," and "Phillis's Big Test" develop skills in identifying central ideas, point of view, author's craft, and figurative language in biographical texts. Students learn how artists' lives and circumstances shaped their work and contributions. The unit culminates in personal narrative writing where students reflect on how art has impacted their own lives or tell a story connected to an artistic experience. Students examine both the lives of artists and the broader impact of various art forms on society.
Essential Questions
- How do different art forms impact people in different ways?
- How do you write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences?
- How do you identify central ideas, point of view, author's craft, and figurative language, in an unfamiliar biography and use it to better understand the text?
Learning Objectives
- Identify central ideas in biographies and explain how they are supported by details
- Analyze how author's craft and figurative language convey meaning in biographical texts
- Recognize point of view and how it influences interpretation
- Make inferences about artists and their work based on textual evidence
- Write personal narratives with descriptive details and clear event sequences
- Revise narratives using feedback from peers and teachers
Suggested Texts
- Let's Get Creative — infographic (week 1)
- Christo and Jeanne-Claude: Through the Gates and Beyond — informational text (week 1)
- Rita Moreno — biography (week 2)
- Play, Louis, Play! — fictionalized biography (week 2)
- Phillis's Big Test — biography (week 3)
Supplemental Resources
- Printed images or photographs of artwork
- Index cards for recording biographical details
- Graphic organizers for identifying central idea and supporting details
- Chart paper for displaying author's craft examples
- Highlighters for marking key biographical information
Language
Reading: Informational Text
Reading: Literature
Speaking and Listening
Writing
Students examine historical periods, cultures, geography, economics, and civic themes through literature and informational texts about westward expansion, immigration, inventors, and global perspectives.
Formative Assessments
- Guided reading of biographical texts with comprehension questions
- Analysis of author's craft and its effects
- Drafting personal narratives with peer response
- Fluency practice with accuracy and expression
- Vocabulary strategy practice with reference materials
Summative Assessment
Personal Narrative and End of Unit Assessment evaluated using Grade 5 Narrative Rubric
Benchmark Assessment
A short biographical text passage with comprehension and analysis questions measuring students' ability to identify central ideas, recognize point of view, and explain how author's craft conveys meaning in biographical writing.
Alternative Assessment
Students may demonstrate understanding of central ideas and author's craft through oral retelling of a biographical text with teacher prompts, or by arranging provided sentence cards to show key details and their connection to a central idea. Visual supports such as story maps or graphic organizers with sentence frames may be provided to organize information before writing.
IEP (Individualized Education Program)
When reading biographical texts about artists, students may benefit from audio support or pre-highlighted passages that draw attention to central idea statements and key details, reducing the cognitive load of locating textual evidence. For the personal narrative, teachers should consider allowing students to dictate their story or use speech-to-text tools, so that writing mechanics do not interfere with expressing meaningful content. Graphic organizers that scaffold narrative structure—such as a simple sequence frame for events and a place to capture descriptive details—can support both planning and revision stages. Providing a sentence-level model of figurative language in context can also help students recognize and apply these techniques without needing to identify them from scratch.
Section 504
Students should be given extended time during guided reading of biographical texts and on the personal narrative drafting and revision process, as well as during the end-of-unit assessment. Preferential seating away from high-traffic areas of the classroom supports focus during close reading and independent writing tasks. Printed copies of any on-screen text or board-based vocabulary instruction ensure students can reference material at their own pace throughout the unit.
ELL / MLL
Vocabulary central to understanding the biographical texts—including terms related to artistic forms, personal contribution, and figurative expressions—should be introduced with visual supports such as illustrated word walls or picture-paired vocabulary cards before students encounter them in reading. Simplified directions for reading tasks and writing prompts, paired with a brief verbal check for understanding, help ensure students know what is being asked before they begin. When appropriate, encouraging students to brainstorm ideas for their personal narrative in their home language first can help them access and develop their story before drafting in English.
At Risk (RTI)
Teachers can support entry into the biographical texts by activating prior knowledge through brief discussion of an art form students are personally familiar with before reading, building a bridge between students' own experiences and the lives of the artists they will study. For the personal narrative, starting with a structured oral rehearsal—where students tell their story aloud before writing—can reduce anxiety and help students identify a clear sequence of events. Reducing the initial complexity of the writing task by focusing first on a single well-developed moment rather than a full narrative allows students to experience early success and build toward a complete draft.
Gifted & Talented
Students who demonstrate quick mastery of identifying central ideas and point of view in biographical texts can be encouraged to analyze how two texts about different artists present contrasting perspectives on the role of art in society, developing a more layered interpretation than a single-text reading requires. In their personal narrative writing, these students can be challenged to experiment deliberately with specific elements of author's craft—such as extended metaphor or purposeful shifts in pacing—and reflect on how those choices shape a reader's experience. Connecting their writing to the broader thematic question of how art creates change or belonging in a community adds depth and purpose to both the reading and writing work of the unit.