Fifth Grade
Curriculum Guidelines – 5th Grade
English Language Arts
Mathematics
Social Studies
Science
The intermediate elementary grades are a time of transition. Rigor in the curriculum increases and the students rotate in cycles to teachers for various core subjects. Beginning in 4th grade, the subjects of Science and Social Studies are taught on a daily basis. Children are taught to read for information (students are not “learning to read” as much as they are “reading to learn”) and reading levels increase in difficulty. Students attend Spanish twice weekly, with one of the three sections of Spanish offered for those students who are “Spanish speakers”. Students continue to attend P.E. (students begin to dress out in P.E. uniform in 5th grade) and Religion daily, and attend an arts rotation of drama, Music, Art and Computer Technology, twice per week, throughout the school year.
English Language Arts
- Use a range of spelling strategies to compose and decompose words when reading and writing
- Apply previous knowledge of grammar and mechanics consistently and accurately
- Work through the writing process (plan, organize, draft, edit, revise, and publish) across various genres (information, personal narrative, persuasive, fantasy narrative)
- Analyze an author’s craft and voice as a way to learn and grow personal writing across all genres.
- Share and analyze complex ideas in book club reading groups
- Continue to develop reading strategies by incorporating inferences, connections, and inquiries into personal Writing about Reading.
- Thematically linked vocabulary instruction using context clues strategies, and analyzing roots and other words parts to unlock word meanings.
Mathematics
- Operations with Whole Numbers
- Factors Multiples LCM GCF Prime Factorization
- Basic Fractions and Decimal Concepts
- Operations with Fractions and Decimals
- Ratios Rates Proportionality Probability
- Geometry
- Measurement
- Statistics
Science
- Matter – classification, changes, properties
- Energy – forms, types, sources, and transformations
- Living things – characteristics, classification
- Atmosphere and its effect on the weather
- Human body systems
- Elements and properties of atoms
- Forces in motion
Social Studies
- Map skills
- Early English settlements – Roanoke , 13 colonies
- American Revolution – causes, battles, outcomes, key figures
- Birth of America – constitution, sectionalism, events leading up to civil war
- Civil War – causes, battles, key figures, outcomes
- Industrial Revolution
- Government / Economics
- World War II
Religion
- The students will come to a better understanding and appreciation of Christian worship. They will become more familiar with the Sacraments of Initiation.
- The children will be prepared for active participation in the Eucharist. They will become more familiar with the Mass.
- Grow and better understand God’s reconciling love, incarnated in Jesus and continuing through his Church in the Sacraments of Healing.
- Become aware that God calls all Christians to holiness through special ways of life.
- The children will better understand the Fifth through Tenth Commandments. They will grow in respect for self and others.
Spanish
- Demonstrate mastery of basic vocabulary previously covered.
- Exposure to the Spanish language through songs, stories, games, pictures, puzzles, and group activities.
- Explore grammar concepts.
- Read and understand expanded vocabulary.
- Exposure to a variety of Hispanic cultural events, centered around holidays and cultural customs.
- Make comparisons between English and Spanish and between cultures creating cultural awareness, mutual respect and tolerance.
