Fifth Grade Curriculum Overview

Language Arts – Students spend in-depth time in both grammar and composition. They parse and diagram sentences with all parts of speech and various grammatical constructions through the Spalding Method. Students learn to write for a variety of purposes, such as summarizing, outlining, historical and scientific narratives, and multi-paragraph expository and persuasive essays. Students will also review basic elements of fiction, such as setting, characters, plot, and theme, through classroom literature discussions and individual writing responses. The resources for 5th grade include Writing With Skill, Well Ordered Language, and novels such as Voyage of the Dawn Treader, The Secret Garden, Where the Red Fern Grows, and Across Five Aprils.

Math – Students continue their studies in Singapore Math, with a focus on such topics as number sense, factors and multiples, multiplying and dividing fractions, advanced calculations with whole numbers, perimeter, area, and volume of geometric figures, ratios and percentages, and algebraic expressions. Emphasis continues to be on conceptual understanding and problem solving through word problems and class discussions.

History – The first semester of history is devoted to the Age of Exploration and the Renaissance period, where students learn about influential figures such as Shakespeare, da Vinci, and Martin Luther. They also cover the “golden age” of England and figures such as Queen Elizabeth I as well as the English Bill of Rights. In the second semester, students learn about America’s early days, the early presidents, Western expansion, Native Americans, and the slave trade.

Science – Students cover a general overview of the major areas of science, exploring such topics as the scientific method, experiments and lab safety, famous astronomers, stars and the earth’s rotation/orbit, photosynthesis and pollination, comparing animal and human cells, classifying matter, experimenting with forces, and a study of the endocrine and lymphatic systems. Students observe and record data from various experiments.

Specials – All 5^th Grade students will participate in PE, Latin, Art and Music year round.