reading closely, writing clearly, arguing well
5th grade ELA is about reading things that are genuinely complicated — and learning to explain, in writing, exactly what you noticed.
Following multiple characters, comparing points of view, and pulling out an author's main argument.
Figuring out what a story is really about beneath the plot, using evidence from the text.
Opinion (convince), informative (explain), and narrative (tell a story) — each with its own structure.
Verb tense, conjunctions, and building a working vocabulary of words that show up again and again.
Finding real information, and giving credit for it instead of just copying it.