Fifth

Grade Text Set on India

Read Alouds

Look What Came from India by Miles Harvey

Lexil Measure: 680L

Look What Came From India is a great read aloud to show students the impact India

has made on everyones lives. Having students make the personal connection to

Indias culture will make a meaningful impact on the readers. This book starts out

telling us where India is located and moves on to the inventions. Many readers

probably do not know bathrooms, toilets, coins and many more things we use on a

daily basis are from India. Many religions stem from India, such as Hinduism,

Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, and Buddhism. Some foods that we eat day to day come

from India, and the text shares many Indian foods. The book tells readers about

animals, medicines, games, fashion, and much more that came from India. The

relevance of the text will draw readers into the Indian culture.

SOL support

Taj Mahal: Indias Majestic Tomb by Tagliaferro

Lexile Measure: 1120L

5.4 The student will expand vocabulary when reading.

a) Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words and phrases.
b) Use context and sentence structure to determine meanings and
differentiate among multiple meanings of words.

5.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction texts.
a) Use text organizers, such as type, headings, and graphics, to predict
and categorize information in both print and digital texts.
b) Use prior knowledge and build additional background knowledge as
context for new learning.
 c) Skim materials to develop a general overview of content and to locate
specific information.
d) Identify the main idea of nonfiction texts.
e) Summarize supporting details in nonfiction texts.
f) Identify structural patterns found in nonfiction.
g) Locate information to support opinions, predictions, and conclusions.
j) Identify, compare, and contrast relationships.
k) Identify new information gained from reading.
l) Use reading strategies throughout the reading process to monitor
comprehension.
m) Read with fluency and accuracy.

Taj Mahal: Indias Majestic Tomb is a great text to pair with the SOLs listed. The text

has strong vocabulary, including tier 2 and 3 words. This text allows students to use

text features to categorize the information given. It allows student to build on their

knowledge about India and make connections to knowledge that they have learned

about the Indian culture. This book engages readers by the captions and the vivid

pictures, which makes it easy to summarize supporting details. In 1631, Shah Jahan,

the emperor of a land now called India, and his wife had just given birth to their

fourteenth child when his wife past away. In remembrance of her, he decided to

build a tomb that was later called Taj Mahal. Shah Jahan had always loved jewels

and art, and searched for the best designed to create his wifes tomb. After 20 years

of work, the Taj Mahal was finished. When Shah became ill, his sons fought to take

power. The son who took power locked his father in the Red Fort and he died eight

years later. British then took rule over India and wanted to destroy the Taj Mahal,

until the realized the worth and restored it to what we know today. People from all

over the world come to visit the beautiful Taj Mahal.

Leveled student text

India by Elaine Landau

Lexile Measure: 770L

India is on a fourth grade reading level, so students can successfully read this book

who are on a fourth grade reading level and above. It is a nonfiction text that shares

an overview of India. It shares how where India is located and the climate that is

there. It also engages students by sharing about the national park that is located in

India and what animals are found there. The text explains the people of India and

the different groups that make up Indian culture- including what their home life is

lie. The history is explained in simple terms and allows readers to dig deeper into

the Indian culture.

Younguncle Comes to Town by Vandana Singh

Lexile Measure: 920L

Younguncle Comes to Town is fiction book that introduces Indian culture in a subtle

way. The books setting is in North India and the first page students will realize the

hints of differences in American culture and Indian culture. The book started off

when three children, Sarita, Ravi, and baby, are waiting for their dads youngest

brother to arrive, which they called Younguncle. The childrens dad said that it is

time for Younguncle to settle down, so he moves in. Younguncle is not like many

people; he loves adventures and seems not to take life too seriously. He goes

through many jobs, starting at a car repair place. Throughout his jobs, he scares off

robbers, outsmarts pickpockets, and goes on many adventures to come back and tell

stories to the children.

Shine, Coconut Moon by Neesha Meminger

Lexile Measure: 740L

I chose this book because it is an amazing fiction book that shares about Indian

culture, and it is at a fifth grade reading level. Sam, whos real name is Samar, never

knew about her Indian culture. She is a regular teenage girl, and her mother has

always sheltered her from her Indian culture and her family. After September 11th,

her uncle shows up on her doorstep that brings the Indian heritage into her life. She

begins to identify herself with her Indian heritage and questions her culture that she

has never known. She begins to realize the prejudice against people in the Middle

East, and struggles with combing her cultures. Shine, Coconut Moon is a great book

to share with students the importance of identity and the Indian culture.

Professional development

My Country India by Jilian Powell

Lexile Measure: 630L

My Country India is a great resource to get an overview of India and its culture. The

book is a quick read for teachers to become familiar to the culture in a simple way.

The book goes through where India is, what languages are spoken in India, how the

landscape is, and many other aspects. This book also shares how familys are in

Indian cultures. This is important for teachers to know if they have students of the

Indian heritage. Family dynamics are sometimes different, and this book shows use

how they live, what they eat, and what is celebrated in the Indian culture. Readers

are also provided with Indian words that would be important for teachers and
students to know. This book is also on a fifth grade level, so it could be used for

professional development as well as a text students can read.