5th Grade

Fifth grade is an exciting year of growth and discovery. The year begins in history with a geological dig which introduces the study of ancient civilizations. Students discover early explorers through reports and trade maps. Students host a Boston Tea Party and a “Wax Museum”. Many school-based projects enhance the children’s learning: Revolutionary War Project, President’s Project, 50 States Project, and the Lewis and Clark Expedition. The students become experts at identifying famous art works through a year-long study of major artists from history. They also paint their own renditions of these art pieces; this study culminates with a Spring Art Show. Technology is an important part of our 21st Century classroom. Computers are used daily to gather and search for information. Keyboarding is also taught. Science is lab-based, and the students are introduced to chemistry and biology. They also perform their first dissections. We end our body systems unit with the dissection of a fetal pig, and they get to hold a real human brain! Students become better readers and writers through our study of English and composition. Students create a poetry notebook and host a Poetry Party for parents. Fifth graders also travel to Washington, D. C., once every two years with the sixth graders where they explore the city as they learn more about the government of the United States. Learning is fun, creative, positive, and challenging in the fifth grade. It truly is the way school is supposed to be!

Curriculum Summary

Reading

  • Vocabulary
  • Plot
  • Setting
  • Characterization
  • Conflict
  • Climax
  • Resolution
  • Theme
  • Foreshadowing
  • Point of view
  • Context clues
  • Metaphor
  • Simile
  • Predicting
  • Sequencing
  • Cause/effect
  • Inference
  • Compare/contrast
  • Classifying
  • Comprehension
  • Cloze reading
  • Oral reading
  • Informational reading
  • Recreational reading
  • Initial understanding
  • Interpretation
  • Critical analysis
  • Strategies

Novels read:

  • My Side of the Mountain
  • Something Upstairs
  • Running Out of Time
  • Voyage of the Frog
  • The Whipping Boy
  • The Christmas Rat
  • Favorite Greek Myths
  • Bud, Not Buddy
  • Out of the Dust
  • Where the Red Fern Grows
  • Crispin
  • Tall Tales
  • Legends and Fables

Vocabulary

  • Word spellings
  • Definitions
  • Dictionary usage
  • Word pronunciations
  • Multiple meanings
  • Context clues
  • Opposite/Like
  • Meaning in context
  • Solving analogies
  • Greek and Latin root words

American History

  • Geography: The American Landscape
  • Regions
  • States/capitals
  • Continents/oceans
  • Major landforms
  • Major water forms
  • Famous Americans—1860
  • U.S. Presidents
  • First Americans
  • Early Civilizations
  • Beringia
  • North America in 1400
  • Early Explorers/voyages/trade route
  • Columbus Exchange
  • Colonial America
  • French and Indian War
  • Revolutionary War
  • War of Independence
  • Slave Trade
  • Constitution
  • Bill of Rights
  • Birth of Political Parties
  • Jefferson Era
  • Louisiana Purchase
  • War of 1812
  • Industrial Revolution
  • Jackson Age
  • Westward Movement
  • Art History

Art History

English

  • Grammar
  • Parts of Speech
  • Sentence Diagramming
  • Writing process: prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, publishing
  • Mechanics
  • Capitalization
  • Punctuation
  • Usage
  • Expression
  • Sentence structure
  • Content
  • Organization
  • Types of writing
  • Descriptive
  • Narrative
  • Expository
  • Journal
  • Creative Writing
  • Gathering and interpreting data from the internet and periodicals

Mathematics

  • Rounding
  • Naming, ordering, comparing
  • Place value
  • Expanded notation
  • Multiplication of 2 digit numbers
  • Division of 2 digit numbers
  • Fractions and mixed numbers
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying, dividing fractions
  • Adding, subtracting, multiplying decimals
  • Percentages
  • Positive and negative integers
  • Problems solving situations
  • Factoring
  • Estimation
  • Measurement: customary and metric
  • Angles
  • Plane geometry
  • Solid geometry
  • Perimeter
  • Area
  • Circles/triangles
  • Congruent figures
  • Symmetry
  • Grids, graphs, maps
  • Properties of numbers
  • Probability
  • Tables, charts
  • Mean, median, mode, and range
  • Technology in problem solving
  • Combinations
  • Permutations

Science

  • Sound and Hearing
  • Light and vision
  • Matter
  • Density
  • Physical and chemical changes and reactions
  • Introduction to Chemistry
  • Periodic Table of Elements
  • Elements 1—50
  • Atoms
  • Acids, bases, solids
  • Indicators
  • Cells
  • Animal and plant
  • Skeletal system
  • Muscular System
  • Nervous system
  • The Brain
  • The effects of drugs
  • Circulatory system
  • Respiratory system
  • Digestive system
  • Excretory system
  • Endocrine system
  • Introduction to Biology
  • Dissections
  • Classification
  • Simple machines
  • Energy
  • Force and motion
  • Scientific process