Significant cognitive changes can be seen in children throughout their year in Grade 5. This is the key year for learning with projects and through cooperative groups. In math, we lay the groundwork for expanded understanding of fractions, decimals, and algebraic equations. Strategically placed furniture and bookshelves encourage reading for pleasure and information, and students read class novels within “lit circles” or, at times, as a whole class. The study of early United States history is strengthened with an interactive classroom trip on the Mayflower, an overnight field trip on The Californian in the San Diego harbor, and two in-depth research projects.
Key programs and texts: Daily Grammar Practice; McMillan McGraw Hill Mathematics; Class novels and Reading Workshop ; Houghton Mifflin – United States History, the Early Years; Continent of geographic study – North America; Gillispie social curriculum
Curriculum Benchmarks
By the end of fifth grade students will be able to—
Language Arts
- Read independently and fluently for meaning and enjoyment
- Identify genres, i.e., historical fiction, adventure, biography.
- Consider and explain author’s purpose.
- Compare and contrast the way textbooks and novels should be read.
- Use reference materials: dictionary, encyclopedia, thesaurus, and atlas.
- Predict, infer, and reflect on outcomes of reading selection; recognize use of first, second, third person.
- Write to communicate for a variety of purpose.
- Check for consistent point of view, transitions among paragraphs, varied sentence structure.
- Revise to make more powerful, clear, and to express individual voice.
- Self-edit for punctuation, capitalization, spelling, grammar, consistent tense, subject/verb agreement.
- Use adjectives, adverbs, and linking verbs to express unique voice and explain point of view.
- Write essays in paragraph format, with strong opening, conclusion, and supporting information.
- Write sentences with use of grammar, spelling, and sentence structure.
- Write research report using multiple sources.
- Deliver planned oral presentations for specific audience (i.e., teachers, parents, peers).
Math
- Read, write, solve problems with whole numbers through billions; and numbers less than zero.
- Read, write, solve problems with parts of numbers from thousandths in fractions, and decimals.
- Identify, order, and solve addition and subtraction problems with equivalent fractions (including improper fractions) and mixed numbers.
- Identify and express ratios and identify equivalent ratios.
- Recall multiplication and division facts through 12 x 12; apply them to related multiples of 10.
- Name metric units of measurement.
- Compare and estimate perimeter, area, volume, weight, mass, and angles (0 to 180 degrees).
- Solve for the unknown in an equation with one operation.
- Classify two-dimensional shapes according to number and length of sides, vertices and interior angles.
- Use properties of triangles to solve problems.
- Label circles including radius and diameter.
- Define and sketch the following: acute, right, obtuse angles; congruent and similar features; parallel, perpendicular, and intersecting lines.
Social Studies
- Discuss, compare, and contrast the lives of pre-Columbian American Indians who lived in four regions of what is now the United States.
- Identify North America on maps and globes; point and name bodies of water surrounding the continent as well as the continent that borders North America.
- Describe uniqueness of North America continent including cultural features of countries who figured heavily in America’s beginnings.
- Name and point to key North America countries that competed for control of North America (i.e., England, France, Spain, the Netherlands).
- Trace routes of early explorers.
- Discuss relationship between Indian nations and new settlers, including examples of both cooperation and conflict.
- Summarize reasons, dangers, hardships, and successes of the Mayflower journey and founding of Plymouth.
- Describe geography of the colonies, including the cultural features of colonial life.
- Describe the introduction and gradual institutionalization of slavery in the South, the effect of slavery on families, the struggle between proponents and opponents of slavery.
- Summarize events and explain key players that led to revolution.
- Compare and contrast the views of Loyalists and Patriots, and how the war affected their lives.
- Describe French and German roles in the outcome of the Revolution.
- Discuss events leading to the development of the Constitution.
- Summarize the three branches of the government and the way they are designed to empower and limit the central government.
- Explain struggles over ratification of the Constitution and ratification of the Bill of Rights.
- Locate each state on a map and name its capital.
