Source A describes the Great Pacific Garbage Patch and its microplastics. Source B covers the danger to sea turtles and albatrosses that eat plastic. Students pull one fact from each, then write a Point, Evidence, Explain, Link paragraph on how plastic affects the way marine animals eat. The last task is a paragraph on why the garbage patch is so hard to clean up. The 4-page sheet targets 5th grade W.5.2.b and W.5.8, and the answer key has model paragraphs.
W.5.2.b
“Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.”
Questions 2 and 3 develop a point with facts from the sources, such as turtles eating bags they take for jellyfish.
W.5.8
“Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.”
The Gathering Facts table, where students take one fact from each source and paraphrase it before they write.
Explains how ocean currents pull waste into one area and why the microplastics make the water look "like a cloudy soup."
Describes sea turtles that mistake plastic bags for jellyfish and albatrosses that feed bottle caps to their chicks.
A two-column table for one Source A fact and one Source B fact about why ocean plastic is harmful.
A model paragraph shows Point, Evidence, Explain, and Link. Question 2 then gives starters, such as "According to Source A and Source B," for a paragraph on how plastic affects eating.
Question 3 asks why the garbage patch is a difficult problem to solve, using the full structure and details from both sources.
Two colors
Have students highlight Source A in one color and Source B in another. Both colors should then show up in each Evidence line.
Model check
The key's answer to Question 3 says Source B shows millions of animals live around the trash. Source B says millions die from eating it, so fix that line before you share the model.
Split the work
Spread it over two days: the sources and fact table on day one, the two paragraphs on day two.
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