Fifth Grade

Math:

Students will review addition and subtraction operations. Computational skills will expand to include multiplication and division of 1, 2, and 3 digit whole numbers and decimals. Math facts, math language, and math vocabulary are stressed. Manipulatives are frequently used to illustrate concepts, and attempts are always made to relate math to everyday life. Problem solving strategies are a part of each unit.

Students in Math Acceleration will cover these topics utilizing a 6th grade level text. They will cover them in greater depth and at an accelerated rate.

Science & Health:

Science instruction is built around hands on instruction and activities. District wide kits provide materials and resources for teaching basic concepts in each unit area as well as the scientific method of investigation.

Students will learn about:

	Digestion. This unit focuses on digestive organs, the food pyramid, food labels, and nutrition.
	Small Life. Microscopes are used to observe living and nonliving things, single and multi-celled life.
	Weather. Students focus on atmospheres, air temperature, air pressure, wind, moisture, storms, and weather safety. Students will also gather weather readings and input them into an internet site to assist worldwide meteorologists in studying weather patterns.
	Magnetism and Electricity. Study focuses on atoms, magnets, static and current electricity, circuits, conservation, and electrical safety.
	Personal Health. Throughout the year, we will focus our learning on caring for our own physical, emotional, social, and developmental needs.

Additional activities:

	D.A.R.E. The Aurora Police Department sponsors this Drug Abuse Resistance and Education program.
	Robert Crown Field Trip & Follow Up. “Life Begins”
	Waubonsie Planetarium Field Trip. Stars, Constellations, and Galaxies.

**NOTE**
Since we do not use a basic text in science, students must rely on personal notes and class handouts to prepare for tests and quizzes.

Social Studies:

U.S. History! A study of PEOPLE!

Unit topics will include:

	America’s Geography and Culture
	Exploration
	Colonization
	The Revolutionary War
	United States Constitution
	Westward Expansion
	Civil War and Reconstruction
	20th Century into the 21st Century

The major themes of Geography are stressed: we focus on WHO came; WHEN and WHERE they came from; WHY they came; WHERE they settled and WHY. Also included are HOW the environment determined people’s lifestyles and WHAT people did to change their environment in order to survive.

Language Arts:

Spelling

Our goals are to make students cognizant of letter patterns, to provide them with strategies for becoming better spellers, and to help students recognize the importance of correct spelling in every day writing.

Weekly spelling lists are generated from the Zaner-Blose Spelling Program. The lists are individualized to meet student needs and abilities. They contain a range of 8 to 20 words, including many words that are most commonly misspelled by 5th graders and some that are related to other content areas.

Writing

Students have the opportunity to put language skills to use in personal creative writing. Fifth graders are expected to provide samples of:

	Descriptive Writing
	Narrative Writing
	Expository Writing
	Persuasive Writing
	Letters
	Poetry

They will come to understand and practice the basic steps in the writing process—prewriting, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. They will also continue to critique and improve their own writing according to the 6 + 1 Traits writing program—ideas, voice, organization, sentence fluency, word choice, conventions, and presentation.

Speaking and Listening

Students will learn to recognize and practice the “body language” skills that comprise good listening and speaking skills. They will learn to be appreciative audience members and confident, comfortable presenters by frequently sharing things they have learned with their classmates. Students will learn to evaluate personal performance and that of others in a positive way.

Reading

Our goal is to inspire students to become critical, creative thinkers who read daily for pleasure and self-improvement—just for the fun of it!

The basal reader – Macmillian’s Don’t Forget To Fly! – is supplemented with age-appropriate novel studies. This gives students a chance to read a novel and discuss it in a classroom setting while hearing views and ideas that may be different from their own. Throughout the year, our reading selections provide links to learning in other curriculum areas, especially Social Studies and Science.

In addition to teaching comprehension skills, our program offers time for:

	D.E.A.R. Drop Everything And Read
	Book reports, book talks, and other activities related to books

All students are expected to spend 20-30 minutes at home each night reading a book of their choice.

Computers

Fifth grade students review computer parts and vocabulary. They are taught keyboarding skills at the beginning of the school year. As the year progresses, specific programs are introduced to enhance all subject areas. By the end of fifth grade, most students should be able to produce finished documents for specific subject area projects, such as research projects and book reports

Our aim is to teach our students to become lifelong learners!!!