Fifth Grade

Preparing for Their Journey Into Middle School

This is such an exciting year for students as they are enjoying their last year in elementary school and preparing for that journey into middle school.

Students will have the opportunity to participate in a wide variety of activities this year: Field Day, Safety Patrol, K-Kids, Battle of the Books, Family Life, Fire Safety, 5th grade party/dance, and of course, the 5th grade Promotion Ceremony.

In fifth grade, teachers challenge students with long-term projects that require planning and organization. Parents, guardians and teachers can play a critical role in listening, reassuring and supporting the new individuals that are starting to emerge.

Three girls pose together at ground breaking

Reading

There is an emphasis on reading comprehension by comparing fiction and nonfiction texts. Fifth grade instruction emphasizes nonfiction reading; students will identify organizational patterns and use texts to support opinions and conclusions and continue to expand vocabulary using knowledge of roots, affixes, synonyms, antonyms and homophones. Teachers encourage the development of reading skills foundational to effective comprehension and critical thinking.

Writing

Students continue to develop as readers and writers as they write in a variety of forms including narrative, descriptive, expository and persuasive while writing multi paragraph compositions including evidence to inform or persuade an audience. Precise and descriptive vocabulary and varied sentence structure will become important tools for creating tone and voice within a text. Teachers encourage the development of writing skills foundational to effective written communication and critical thinking.

Mathematics

Emphasis is on number sense with whole numbers, fractions and decimals. This focus includes concepts of prime and composite numbers, identifying even and odd numbers and solving problems using order of operations for positive whole numbers. Students develop proficiency in the use of fractions and decimals to solve problems. Students collect, display and analyze data in a variety of ways and solve probability problems using a sample space or tree diagram.

Accelerated Mathematics

Rational numbers and algebraic concepts are emphasized. Students use ratios to compare data sets; recognize decimals, fractions and percents as ratios; solve single-step and multistep problems, using rational numbers; and gain a foundation in the understanding of integers. Students will solve linear equations and use algebraic terminology and work with π (pi), focus on applications of statistics, explore the coordinate plane and apply proportions to solve practical problems.

Science

Students delve more deeply into foundational concepts in physical science and begin making connections between energy and matter. Students explore how energy is transformed and learn about electricity, sound and light. They also learn about the composition of matter and how energy can change phases of matter. Students apply an understanding of force, matter and energy when they explore how the Earth’s surface changes. Students continue to use the engineering design process to apply their scientific knowledge to solve problems.

Social Studies

The World Studies curriculum is county-created and serves as a bridge between the study of the ancients in third grade and the world history courses in high school. Students will study Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe and the Middle East. The content is international in scope, with an emphasis on geography and history along with economic development, political systems and current world issues from selected countries.

Art

Visual Arts enable students to use their knowledge and skills to synthesize information, thus allowing them to produce and respond to works of art. Emphasis is on communication of personal values and beliefs in art appreciation and production. Students gain fluency in using and understanding the elements of art (color, form, line, shape, space, texture, value) and the principles of design (balance, contrast, emphasis, movement, pattern, proportion, rhythm, unity, variety) as they relate to artistic expression and communication.

Health & Physical Education

Students develop proficiency in games, dances and educational gymnastics while demonstrating specialized skills alone, with a partner or in a small group. They access and use resources to improve personal fitness and continue to develop responsible personal and social behaviors as they work with others in safe and respectful ways.

Library

During weekly library visits, students will experience lessons that focus on multiple literacies integrated into grade-level core content. Literacies such as reading, digital, information and multimodal are immersed with the National School Library Standards defined by the American Association of School Librarians. Students have the opportunity to check out books from the school library each week.

Music

General music standards enable students to use music knowledge and skills to synthesize information and create music. Students continue to read, write and compose music, using increasingly complex rhythms and meters. They begin to develop choral skills, including singing in two-and three-part harmony. Students explore and perform a variety of music styles and develop personal criteria to describe and analyze musical performances.

STEAM

Students master the integration of science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) content, practices and processes to investigate and solve real world problems while engaging in meaningful, purposeful and relevant hands-on inquiry-based, problem-based learning experiences.