5th Grade Mission Statement
The mission of the fifth grade team is to prepare students for middle school. We encourage students to take responsibility for their performance by fostering independence while creating lifelong learners. Our team strives for optimum student achievement through constant planning, implementing, evaluating and reviewing the curriculum.
Language Arts in 5th grade is all about the written word. We try to instill in the children a love of literature through wonderful read alouds, novel groups, classroom libraries, and our own enthusiasm. Reading is a part of every day that many of the students complain about only when it is removed from the schedule. Additionally, we mix all four classes of students for intensive work on specific reading strategies throughout the year.
To help the students understand what they are reading more fully, the children learn about prefixes, suffixes, and roots. The children are then encouraged to find examples of these affixes while they read. This technique of word study has repeatedly shown great growth in students’ vocabulary in research studies.
Although each of the four teachers have their own personalities and teaching styles, writing instruction is collaborative and units of study are implemented simultaneously grade wide. The year begins with reminders of the elements of good writing which flows into persuasive writing. Figurative language is then taught so that it can be used in the rest of the units of study—descriptive and narrative writing as well as poetry.
Top row: Miss Steele and Mrs. Bestreich
Bottom row: Mr. Metherd and Mrs. Holt
We divide our classes into groups to better meet the needs of each student. Using the district curriculum and the Everyday Mathematics program, we strive to teach the students computation, geometry, algebra, probability, data, and problem solving skills. We encourage students to explain their work with written and verbal statements, diagrams, and computation as appropriate. In addition, students are asked to make estimations and use logical reasoning in all areas of mathematics. Sample units include; fractions, decimals, division, and graphing.
Fifth grade science classes are taught by science specialists. There is an emphasis on note taking, hands-on activities, and how we use scientific investigation strategies to understand more about our world. Our curriculum includes an exploration of electricity, magnetism, stars, galaxies, and other phenomena of our universe. We also investigate the human body’s primary systems. As part of our learning, students have the opportunity to dissect sheep hearts, lungs, and eyes.
The fifth grade social studies curriculum covers the beginning of American history from the first explorers arriving in North America through the Revolutionary War and the creation of our government. Students enhance their understanding by analyzing the perspectives of the different groups living in colonial America. Emphasis is placed on how the colonial ideas lead to the colonists declaring their independence. The values and principles of American democracy are studied by exploring the political ideas underlying the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence.