Elementary School

Fifth Grade Curriculum Overview

Bible

Old Testament: God’s faithful people in new surroundings; Instructions for God’s faithful people
New Testament: Knowing the basis of your faith; How to live and tell about your faith
Weekly Scripture memory
Integration of Biblical worldview in all subjects

Language Arts

Listening: Demonstrate active listening skills; listen and respond to a variety of literary forms; listen to information to recall, summarize, and interpret
Speaking: Use increasingly complex vocabulary and sentence structure in oral communication; deliver a planned oral presentation to inform, persuade and entertain; practice effective communication skills
Word Analysis: Apply phonetic strategies, syllable rules, and knowledge of prefixes, suffixes, synonyms, antonyms, and homophones; Greek and Latin roots
Fluency: use syntactic and semantic cues; apply principles of pitch, tone, pacing and expression; participate in daily guided oral reading and independent, self selected silent reading;
Vocabulary: Learn new vocabulary in context; practice dictionary skills; classify words according to attribute
Literature: Participate in guided reading and self selected reading of 40% fiction, 60% nonfiction; listen to literature read aloud
Comprehension: Read increasingly longer works for a variety of purposes; identify genre; identify elements of fiction and nonfiction; distinguish between fact and opinion; identify author’s purpose, point of view; make predictions; compare and contrast; draw conclusions; make inferences and generalizations; recognize explicit and implicit main idea, details, sequence of events, and cause and effect; identify and use figurative language; identify literary devices including foreshadowing and flashback; literary analysis of character, plot, setting, and theme; connect literature to historical events; respond to literal, inferential, and evaluative questions
Spelling: Spell phonetic and non-phonetic words at fifth grade level or above; recognize specific Greek and Latin roots; review and apply phonetic strategies and syllabication rules
Writing: Write legibly in manuscript and cursive; recognize and write complete sentences and paragraphs; use the steps of the writing process to produce different types of writing including reflections, summaries, narratives, poems, letters, multi-paragraph essays, expository writing, and imaginative stories; write pieces that demonstrate elaboration, a variety of sentence lengths and types, dialogue, and increasingly descriptive vocabulary, phrases, and clauses; write a researched report
Grammar: Identify and use different types of sentences; identify simple and compound subjects and predicates; apply standard rules for capitalization, punctuation, commas, apostrophes, quotations marks; identify and use nouns, verbs, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and correct subject/verb agreement.
Reference skills: Locate information using a dictionary, encyclopedia, atlas, periodicals, and almanac; locate information using table of contents, title page, index, and glossary; engage in the research process; prepare outlines, graphic organizers, and bibliographies

Math

Numbers and operations: Addition and subtraction of whole numbers and decimal numbers with regrouping, mastery of addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division facts; multiplication of whole numbers and decimal fractions with regrouping; long division; division of multi-digit whole numbers and decimal numbers; multiples, factors, and divisibility; place value from hundred millions to thousandths; expanded notation;
Fractions and decimals: decimal place to thousandths; identify, compare, and order fractions; add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions; multiply and divide decimal numbers
Measurement: Time, money, schedules, customary and metric measurement of length, weight, temperature, capacity, volume, area, and perimeter; practice metric conversion; use formulas
Geometry: Area, perimeter/circumference of plane figures; lines and angles; reflection, translation, and rotation
Graphs and statistics: All types of graphs, charts, and schedules; mean, median, mode, and range
Probability: Terms and outcomes; experimentation, and prediction
Ratio, proportion, and percent: Ratios and equivalent ratios; ratio as percent and decimal; use of percent in problem solving
Estimation: Estimation of products, quotients, sums, and differences by rounding
Algebraic reasoning: commutative, associative, distributive, identity, and multiplicative properties; concept of equality; unknowns; order of operations; formulas with variables; negative integers
Problem solving: Multi-step problems; strategies; calculators

Mathematical concepts are taught with manipulatives, direct instruction, guided practice, small group exploration, independent practice, and written, oral, and performance assessments.

Social Studies

Civics: Branches of federal government; Powers of the citizens
Economics: Economic interdependence (producing, consuming, exchanging, investing, specializing
Geography: Geography of the Western hemisphere; Map Skills 5
History: American history: Westward expansion to WWII
Other: Canada, Central America, South America

Science

Life science: Biotic and abiotic systems, food chains and webs, populations and survival; Life cycles; Classification of plants; Mosses, ferns, gymnosperms, angiosperms; Vascular vs. non-vascular; Photosynthesis, respiration, adaptation, reproduction, flower parts and function; Identification of vertebrates and invertebrates; Five kingdoms; Animal adaptations, hybridization, cross breeding; Ocean ecosystems; Health – respiratory and circulatory systems
Earth science: Properties and uses of rocks, minerals; Rock cycle; Forces that create landforms; Effects of erosion; Sources of water, pollution; Sources of energy; Ocean currents, tides, topography; Atmosphere – temperature, wind, humidity; Details of the water cycle; Use of weather maps, weather prediction; Cause and effect of severe weather; Climate

FIFTH GRADE

Physical science: Kinetic and potential energy; Law of motion – speed, velocity, acceleration; Gravity; Classification of matter by property; Atoms, compounds, molecules, elements; Acids, bases, pH; Measurement of mass, volume, density, temperature; Physical and chemical change

Information Literacy

Orientation to the media center
Personal accountability with materials and information
Literary appreciation
Story elements
Strategies for locating sources, accessing, and selecting relevant information
Organizing information from multiple sources using a graphic organizer
Presentation and synthesis
Product and process evaluation; plagiarism
Computer terms and operation
Basic keyboarding skills
Integration of skills with software
Internet navigation
Computer graphics
Word processing
Multimedia skills
Legal issues of electronic technology

Physical Education: Three classes per week

Personal fitness program, partner and team games, non-competitive games, skill development and knowledge of positions, strategies, rules, and scoring for soccer, volleyball, badminton, lacrosse, and basketball, adherence to team game rules and etiquette, drills, lead-up games, modified and official games, throwing and catching skills, knowledge of High School/Olympic level track and field events, technique and form for track and field events, and endurance and pacing in the weekly mile run.
Application of rules and techniques, participation, and sportsmanship

Fine Arts

Art: One class per week

Elements of visual arts: value, texture, pattern, color, principles of design
Media, techniques, and processes: Recognize, describe, and create varied effects
Selection and evaluation of subject matter: Select subject matter, ideas, and symbols to communicate meaning; interpret and compare art pieces
Visual arts in relation to history and cultures: Identify art pieces in historical and cultural context; explain how visual arts affect culture and environment
Critical response: Recognize and explain purpose in specific artwork
Connecting visual arts and other disciplines: Use observation, critical thinking, and speaking/ writing skills in presentation and analysis of original artwork

Music:

Instrumental music: All fifth graders select an instrument and participate in beginning band. Two classes per week during the first semester and two classes per week during the second semester.
Choral music: Optional participation in 4th/5th grade Windsong Choir