English Language Arts · 5th Grade

Active learning ideas

Active Listening and Responding

When students practice active listening and responding, they move beyond passive hearing to become engaged participants in discussions. Fifth graders learn to connect ideas, show respect for speakers, and contribute meaningfully, which builds both collaboration skills and confidence in sharing thoughts.

• Common Core State Standards
• CCSS.ELA-Literacy.SL.5.1.c

• 25–40 min
• Pairs → Whole Class
• 4 activities

Activity 01

• Fishbowl Discussion
• 35 min · Small Groups

Fishbowl Discussion: Active Listening Model

One small group discusses a text prompt in the center while the outer circle observes and notes listening behaviors. Observers then switch in, applying feedback like using linking phrases. Debrief as a class on effective strategies.

Explain what it means to be an active listener during a group discussion.

Facilitation Tip

During the Fishbowl Discussion, position yourself outside the inner circle to observe non-verbal cues and verbal responses, noting examples of effective linking phrases to highlight later.

What to look for

Present students with a short, engaging text or a brief video clip. Ask them to discuss it in small groups for 5 minutes. Afterward, have each student write one sentence summarizing a classmate's contribution and one sentence that builds on another's idea.

• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Social Awareness
• Self-Awareness

Activity 02

• Think-Pair-Share
• 25 min · Pairs

Think-Pair-Share: Build and Respond

Students think individually about a question for 2 minutes, pair to share and build on ideas using sentence stems, then share with the whole class. Provide stems like 'That connects to...' Circulate to coach non-verbal cues.

Analyze how non-verbal cues contribute to effective listening.

Facilitation Tip

In the Think-Pair-Share activity, provide sentence stems on cards to support students in building on each other’s ideas before sharing with the whole group.

What to look for

During a group discussion, provide students with a checklist. The checklist should include items like: Made eye contact, Nodded to show understanding, Used a phrase like 'I agree' or 'Building on that...', Asked a clarifying question. Students observe one partner and mark the behaviors they see.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 03

• World Café
• 30 min · Small Groups

Role-Play Scenarios: Non-Verbal Practice

In small groups, pairs act out discussion scenarios, one as speaker and one as listener exaggerating poor vs. strong non-verbals. Switch roles and discuss improvements. Record one round for self-review.

Differentiate between summarizing a speaker's point and offering a new idea.

Facilitation Tip

During Role-Play Scenarios, assign specific non-verbal roles (e.g., eye contact, nodding) to observers to focus their attention on these cues.

What to look for

After a class discussion, ask students to write on an index card: 'One thing I heard from a classmate today was...' and 'One way I added to the discussion was...' Collect these to gauge understanding of building on ideas.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

Activity 04

• World Café
• 40 min · Small Groups

Feedback Carousel: Peer Response

Post discussion prompts around the room. Groups rotate, read previous responses, and add building comments or questions. End with whole-class highlights of strongest links.

Explain what it means to be an active listener during a group discussion.

Facilitation Tip

After the Feedback Carousel, spend two minutes reviewing the most common peer feedback to reinforce what effective responding looks like.

What to look for

Present students with a short, engaging text or a brief video clip. Ask them to discuss it in small groups for 5 minutes. Afterward, have each student write one sentence summarizing a classmate's contribution and one sentence that builds on another's idea.

• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Social Awareness
• Relationship Skills

A few notes on teaching this unit

Teachers find that modeling both verbal and non-verbal listening is essential. Avoid assuming students know how to transition from listening to responding smoothly. Instead, provide structured sentence frames and consistent feedback on both content and delivery. Research shows that students benefit from seeing the difference between passive listening and responsive engagement in real time.

Successful learning looks like students listening attentively, using phrases that link to others' comments, and responding with clarity and respect. Non-verbal cues should reflect engagement, and discussions should flow naturally with connected ideas rather than disjointed statements.

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Watch Out for These Misconceptions

• During Fishbowl Discussion, watch for students who believe active listening means staying completely silent.

  Use the inner circle’s verbal responses as examples to show that building on ideas requires talking, not just listening. Pause the discussion after one round to highlight phrases like 'Building on that...' or 'I see your point, and...' that students used to connect ideas.

• During Fishbowl Discussion, watch for students who assume non-verbal cues like eye contact are optional.

  Designate observers to track how often speakers receive eye contact or nods. After the discussion, ask observers to share how body language made the speaker feel more or less engaged.

• During Think-Pair-Share, watch for students who think summarizing repeats words exactly or new ideas ignore others.

  Provide sentence stems that emphasize connection, such as 'So you’re saying... and I also think...' Use the sharing phase to contrast vague responses with clear examples that build on peers’ ideas.

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Methods used in this brief

• Fishbowl Discussion
• Think-Pair-Share
• World Café