Fifth Grade Teachers

The fifth grade program is child-centered and directed toward the developmental needs (cognitive, social, physical, and emotional) of the fifth grader. Students continue to use lockers for backpacks and PE clothes. To develop responsibility and organizational skills, students rotate between the two fifth grade rooms for Math and Reading. Character Education is an integral part of our program.

Mathematics

Our mathematics curriculum is designed to provide an accelerated program which allows our students to develop new skills while maintaining and expanding previous learning. The text Silver Burdett & Ginn is a sixth grade level text book. The math program uses the Curriculum and Evaluation Standards for School Mathematics issued by the “National Council of Teachers of Mathematics” as a guide when designing our fifth grade program. Manipulatives, games, small group instruction, problem-solving, logical thinking, mental math activities, journal writing, and our interactive SmartBoard are all used to supplement our program. The basic content areas that are covered are as follows:

• Number sense-place values
• Addition, Subtraction, multiplication, division of whole numbers, decimals and fractions
• Comparing, ordering, estimating, and rounding of whole numbers, decimals and fractions
• Prime numbers, prime factorization, exponents
• Order of Operation & Algebraic equations
• Reading, drawing and interpreting graphs
• Geometry- angles, lines, triangles, quadrilaterals and polygons
• Perimeter, area and volume
• Ratio, proportion and probability
• Positive /negative integers

In addition, we will also begin introducing elements of Singapore Math.

Language Arts

Emphasis in our Language Arts curriculum is placed on developing our fifth grade students into effective communicators. This is accomplished by integrating fundamental grammar and writing skills into a cohesive and balanced approach to personal expression, building on the skills learned in fourth grade. Our program is centered around the Shurley English: English Made Easy curriculum, specifically the Level 5 textbook and accompanying workbook. This is a participatory, interactive program that uses repetition and rhythmic components. Students learn parts of speech in the context of the whole sentence rather than in isolation which greatly increases comprehension and fosters critical thinking skills through the process. Additional resources are utilized along with the primary textbook to focus student learning on the following aspects of language arts:

• Sentence types and usage
• Sentence structure, punctuation, and parts of speech
• Paragraph structure (i.e. main idea, topic and supporting sentences)
• Writing genres (i.e. personal narrative, business and friendly letters, persuasive, summary, research, explanatory, expository, comparative)
• Writing Process (i.e. pre-writing/brainstorming, writing, revising, editing, proof-reading, and publishing skills)
• Reference, research, and study skills which are taught in classroom and reinforced during library periods

Reading

The fifth grade reading program stresses the development of appropriate comprehension skills, with the equally important goal of assisting students in learning to enjoy the simple act of reading as a lifelong habit. The use of a variety of resources allows for meeting the needs of each individual student. These resources include 9 Good Habits For All Readers, Comprehension Plus reading workbooks, Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, SRA Open Court Classics, the Barnell-Loft series, Accelerated Reading program, “Time for Kids” magazines, and grade-appropriate cross-curricular novels. Skill development focuses on the following components:

• Comprehension skills such as main idea, supporting details, sequencing, comparison, prediction, drawing conclusions, cause and effect, fact and opinion
• The use of context clues and phonics to understand unfamiliar words
• Elements of novels (characters, setting, plot, theme, mood)
• Reading and comprehension skills taught in content areas
• Exposure to different genres of literature
• Weekly vocabulary lessons

Social Studies

The fifth grade Social Studies curriculum explores U.S. history from the earliest Ice Age people through the Civil War. The basis of the program is the Harcourt Brace Social Studies Series, with supplemental activities found in the accompanying workbook. Geography and map skills are directly integrated in the text, and are reinforced through the use of Daily Oral Geography, a program which enhances students’ knowledge and understanding of physical and political aspects of the world. Current events are addressed through lessons using Time for Kids as well as the local newspaper. Integration of classroom social studies lessons with our technology department is achieved through projects incorporating Internet research, software applications, and school-wide projects such as the annual International Festival. Special field trips are an integral part of the 5th grade Social Studies curriculum. An extended field trip to Washington, D.C., Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, Jamestown, and Yorktown is the culmination of extensive classroom studies of colonial life and the Revolutionary War, as well as the history and importance of Washington D.C. and the national government. The overall basic content areas covered in the 5th grade curriculum include:

• Ancient Americans
• Exploration and Encounters
• Our Colonial Heritage
• The American Revolution
• The New Nation
• Westward Expansion
• Civil War
• Geography and Map skills

Spelling

The fifth grade spelling program will focus on learning the rules of spelling and how to apply those rules in everyday usage. We use the text SRA Spelling Mastery, Level F. Spelling Mastery uses specific strategies that encourage students to think their way through spelling rather than memorize weekly word lists. These strategies, combined with repeated practice and application, enable students to spell unfamiliar words and to remember familiar words more successfully than other spelling methods. Every fifth lesson is a test over words covered in the previous four lessons. Spelling Mastery also presents information about international spellings and the history of unusual spellings.

Our fifth grade spelling program also acquaints students with the international relationships of spelling, vocabulary, and usage.

Handwriting

Fifth grade stresses proper handwriting in all of the student’s written work.

The text used by the student is Zaner- Bloser Handwriting, Grade 5.

Daily exercises include modeling of letters at SmartBoard, tracing of standard letters, and self-evaluation of written work. The specific areas covered are:

• Letter shape, size, spacing, slant
• Lower case cursive letters
• Upper case cursive letters
• Letter reversals
• Joining letters

Field trips

• January – Kennedy Space Center
• March – Washington DC, Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown
• April – EPCOT
• May –Wild Waters

Community Service

• School wide recycling of paper and aluminum cans
• Donate new coloring books and crayons wrapped for the holidays to Children’s Home Society
• Filled socks with personal items for homeless

Special Area Classes

Art: Increased observation translates into more detailed and accurate drawing. Students explore artists and Art History in more depth and experiment with all media.

Computers: Students will begin the year with a review of our program, Touch Typing, a method of keyboarding. They will review the instruction of the Microsoft Office Suite, Internet skills are broadened by search activities and grade appropriate education software. They will create and present at least three Power Points, type reports, business letters and create graphic presentations.

Library: Skills for Student Success-Grade 5 is the text used for teaching students skills for success in the classroom. The focus is on organizational skills, specific learning strategies, textbook reference skills and the use of reference materials. This program uses a spiral curriculum: skills that are introduced at one level are reviewed at each subsequent level with more difficult applications and additional skills are introduced at each subsequent level. Students also practice being independent library users by utilizing the free-flow circulation system and independently completing book searches on the library's automated catalog.

Music: Students meet with the music specialist once week. They engage in singing activities and play rhythm instruments, recorders, and keyboards. They participate in a musical production and perform for assembly programs.

Physical Education: Students have locker and dressing out responsibilities, learn about nutrition, life-time fitness, dance, practice individual and team sports, have a unit on team building called “Group Cooperation” and practice citizenship in both competitive and non-competitive activities. Fifth graders are encouraged to set individual fitness goals, practice good sportsmanship and continue their physical activity level with after school sports programs.

Science: Students attend the science lab and follow the curriculum set forth in Harcourt Science. Hands-on experiences, and use of the interactive Smart Board accompany lectures in the areas of physical, Earth, and life sciences. Students complete lab reports and become proficient in communicating the results of investigations performed. Fifth graders observe, measure, classify, infer, and predict while following the scientific method of investigations. The curriculum is further supported through a collaborative unit with the classroom on space. The unit is culminated with a field trip to Kennedy Space Center.

*Field Trip: Kennedy Space Center

Bingham Science Activity Award

An award is given at the end of the year to students who voluntarily complete three projects at home during the course of the year. The students are given guidelines and due dates for their projects which are presented in class and then displayed.