5FifthGrade
Quarter 2: Age of Exploration & the Columbian Exchange

Week 18

Quarter 2 Synthesis & Opinion Essay

Was the Columbian Exchange more harmful or beneficial? Build the argument; assemble the food web.

5.NBT.B.55.NBT.B.65.NBT.B.75.NF.A.1RI.5.6W.5.15-LS2-15-PS3-1
Download PDFOpen printable viewWorksheets (20 pages)With answers (25 pages)Answer key (5 pages)

Daily Plan

Monday

Tracing Consequences Across the Atlantic

Lesson cardWorksheets
Analyze the spread of Smallpox and the introduction of the horse to evaluate the immediate physical impacts of European arrival on Indigenous populations.
Math
Students solve multi-digit multiplication word problems involving the tonnage of goods traded between Europe and the Americas (5.NBT.B.5).
ELA
Students analyze multiple perspectives in primary accounts of the Columbian Exchange to identify point of view for their opinion essay (RI.5.6).
Science
Students draw initial models of food webs to trace how introduced European species disrupted existing American ecosystems (5-LS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Tuesday

Cultivating Arguments and Energy Flows

Lesson cardWorksheets
Compare the caloric impact of the potato in Europe against the ecological devastation of cattle ranching in the Caribbean.
Math
Students use long division to calculate the distribution of resources across colonial settlements in hypothetical trade scenarios (5.NBT.B.6).
ELA
Students draft an introductory paragraph with a clear claim statement arguing whether the Exchange was primarily beneficial or harmful (W.5.1).
Science
Students diagram the flow of energy from the sun to Old World crops like wheat and sugarcane now growing in New World soil (5-PS3-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Wednesday

Complex Webs and Competing Claims

Lesson cardWorksheets
Examine the development of the Encomienda system and its role in the forced labor and resource extraction of the 16th century.
Math
Students add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators to determine the proportion of native versus invasive species in an ecosystem (5.NF.A.1).
ELA
Using evidence from the week's research, students draft body paragraphs that acknowledge contrasting viewpoints regarding global trade (W.5.1).
Science
Students finalize a complex food-web model showing the movement of matter between producers, consumers, and decomposers in a post-1492 environment (5-LS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Thursday

Refining the Global Narrative

Lesson cardWorksheets
Synthesize the global shift in diet and population by mapping the 'Great Exchange' of maize, chili peppers, and cacao.
Math
Students calculate the total costs of trade voyage supplies using decimal addition, subtraction, and multiplication (5.NBT.B.7).
ELA
Students perform peer revisions focusing on the logical transition between environmental and economic arguments in their opinion drafts (W.5.1).
Science
Students write a summary explaining how energy transfer was altered when the Columbian Exchange introduced new apex predators to the Americas (5-PS3-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

Friday

The Final Synthesis Showcase

Lesson cardWorksheets
Participate in a Socratic Seminar debating the long-term historical legacy of the Columbian Exchange on the modern Western Hemisphere.
Math
Students complete a cumulative math review spanning volume, decimals, and fractions to assess mid-year proficiency (5.NBT.B.7, 5.NF.A.1).
ELA
Students finalize their opinion essays and select their strongest writing samples for the mid-year portfolio showcase (W.5.1).
Science
Students present their completed food-web models and explain the interdependence of organisms in a unified global ecosystem (5-LS2-1).
Materials & prepShow

Social Studies

Math

ELA

Science

ELA Supplement This Week

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Standards-tagged tasks landing in this window — reading responses, vocabulary, writing, grammar, or assessments from the Grade 5 ELA Package.

Quarter assessment · Week 18 · 60 minutes (20 points)

#Q2 — Q2 ELA Assessment

Closes Q2 using Reading Passage 2C plus a one-paragraph theme response on Esperanza Rising.

RI.5.2RI.5.6L.5.5L.5.1W.5.2RL.5.2

Mid-year final · Week 18 · 75–90 minutes (25 points)

#Mid-Year — Mid-Year ELA Final Assessment

Cumulative Q1 + Q2 final, anchored by a fresh passage on the Columbian Exchange.

RI.5.2RI.5.6L.5.5L.5.1W.5.2RL.5.2

Math Supplement This Week

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Standards-tagged worksheets, quizzes, and assessments landing in this window — drawn from the Grade 5 Math Package and aligned to the CCSS being taught right now.

Mid-year final · Week 18 · 60–75 min

#Mid-Year — Mid-Year Final Assessment (Q1 + Q2)

25-problem cumulative final covering every Q1 + Q2 standard.

5.NBT.A.15.NBT.A.35.OA.A.15.MD.C.35.NBT.B.55.NBT.B.65.NF.A.1

Science Supplement This Week

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NGSS-aligned labs, worksheets, quizzes, and assessments landing in this window — every lab ends in a Claim-Evidence-Reasoning response students record in the science notebook.

Mid-year final · Week 18 · 60 min

#Mid-Year — Mid-Year Science Final (Units 1 + 2)

20-point cumulative final covering matter, conservation of mass, food webs, and energy flow.

5-PS1-15-PS1-25-PS1-35-PS1-45-LS1-15-LS2-15-PS3-1

Social Studies Supplement This Week

Packet (.docx)Open full library →

NYS-framework map work, primary sources, comparison charts, and quizzes landing in this window — with state adaptations for TX, FL, CA, and VA available in the hub.

Quarter assessmentUnit assessment · Week 18 · 60 min

#Q2A — Q2 Unit Assessment — Age of Exploration & the Columbian Exchange

20-pt assessment: 10 MC + 5 short answer + one rubric-scored DBQ-style essay using the Las Casas / Columbus pairing from 2B.

NYS 5.3NYS 5.4NYS 5.8
Cumulative finalMid-year final · Week 18 · 60 min

#MID — Mid-Year Final — Foundations + Exploration (Q1 + Q2)

20-pt cumulative midterm: geography map ID + ancient civilizations short answer + Columbian Exchange essay.

NYS 5.1NYS 5.2NYS 5.3NYS 5.4NYS 5.8

Student Workbook Pages for This Week

Open student workbook →

Color-coded printable pages students grab during the week — surfaced right when they're used.