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Fifth GradeClick here for staff contact information.
Last updated
Friday September 01, 2006 02:19 PM
- Assignment Notebook-A parent (or a supervising adult) needs to sign every night. Please don't just sign it. Read through the assignments and make sure your child has completed it, especially in the beginning of the year when routines are new. They need to write down all assignments at school, even the completed assignments.
- Home Folder-This is for mail, work to be kept at home, and possibly homework.
- All current work-This should always be in the accordion folder, never in the desk, backpack, or textbook. As a result, parents can check completed work if would like to.
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Language Arts involves the skills of reading, writing, spelling, grammar, speaking and listening. District 204 has a language arts curriculum that is based on integrating subject areas. This means that children learn to read and write by reading and writing things that are "real" or meaningful to them.
The reading anthology, Don't Forget to Fly, is made up of excerpts of fine children's literature from well-known children's authors. The series provides suggested related reading and opportunities for extending learning. Novel studies and student-led literature
discussions will also continue to be used. This is a chance for students to read a book and discuss it in a classroom setting while hearing views and ideas that may be different from their own. Possible genres include fantasy, mysteries, science fiction, realistic fiction, historical fiction and adventure/survival.
Spelling and grammar are a natural outcome of reading and writing. For instance, weekly spelling lists, which tie into the current theme, are provided by the reading series. These list words are correlated to our reading selections. We expect students to spell these words correctly in their everyday writing. Students will receive a pretest and
any words that are correct are eliminated from the list and replaced with words from their writing an/or other lists. Activities are completed throughout the week, which relate to the words. Individual spelling tests are given to ensure mastery of the words studied.Through the use of writer's workshop and 6
+ 1 Writing Traits, students will learn the skills necessary to write for various audiences and purposes. Students will be instructed in the modes of narrative, expository, and persuasive writing. Creative writing will also be incorporated. In all subject areas students will be asked to take notes from lectures, reflect upon their learning, write
questions they have for the teacher and classmates and make connections to what they already know in their response/learning journals. Writing and reading are woven together across the curriculum. Assessment of necessary fifth grade skills will come in a variety of ways, including teacher observations, oral
presentations, individual and group activities and projects. The reading curriculum provides required tests designed to cover the skill goals for language arts.
- Students need to get an adult signature on their cover sheet. The adult signature verifies that the spelling of the words on the cover is correct.
- Students will have three activities to complete during the week.
- If spelling sentences are assigned, students should write a sentence that conveys the meaning of the word.
- Students are responsible for keeping their pre-test, the original list of spelling words, and cover sheet until the day of the test.
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Fifth grade students at Gwendolyn Brooks will be given opportunities to develop the skills of investigation and the understanding that knowledge, observations, ideas, and questions guide scientific inquiry.
Units of Study
- Health - Digestion
Students will learn that the human digestive system has interactive functions and structures that are necessary to sustain life.
- Solar System - Stars
The focus of this unit is on basic space terminology, the sun's layers, distance and sizes of stars, color and temperature of stars, nebulas, galaxies, and the universe.
- Small Life - Structures and Functions in Living Organisms
Students will learn that all organisms are composed of cells - the fundamental unit of life. Using a microscope, students will observe single cell plant and animal organisms.
- Weather and Climate
In this unit of study, students will discuss the seasons and the water cycle. Students will identify cloud formations and its effect on weather and climate. Properties of atmospheric layers will be investigated. A Weather Disaster Brochure will be designed using technology. Within the GLOBE program, our students, along with students worldwide, will collect and record weather data that will be forwarded to scientists who are researching the Earth's global environment.
- Physical Science - Magnets and Electricity
This unit is a favorite among students. They are given the opportunity to use the knowledge they have gained about the scientific process and information from lectures to creatively explore magnetism and electrical circuitry.
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Objective: To expose the fifth grade student to a chronological survey of United States history from earliest settlement to the Civil War. Units of Study
- Unit 1~ Americans and Our Environment
- Unit 2~ Culture West and East
- Unit 3~ Contact and Exploration
- Unit 4~ Colonization and Conflict
- Unit 5~ Independence and New Government
- Unit 6~ Expansion and Change
- Unit 7~ Slavery and Emancipation
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Everyday Mathematics
- Is a balanced program emphasizing both concepts and mastery of basic skills
- Is traditional - - students are expected to learn basic facts "by heart"
- Is pragmatic - - discovery is welcomed giving students sound mathematical foundation
- Meets or exceeds all of the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics standard
- Is widely used - - Over 1,000,000 students learn from it
- Shows achievement data which indicates students do quite well in:
- Geometry
- Computational (especially in mental computation)
- Data analysis
- Problem Solving
- Is a full (rigorous) mathematics program
- Expects students to master a wide variety of mathematical skills
- Introduces students to all mathematical content areas
NCTM Mathematical Strands Covered by Everyday Mathematics
- Algebra and Uses of Variables, Data and Chance
- Geometry and Spatial Sense
- Measures and Measurement
- Numeration and Order
- Patterns, Functions and Sequences
- Operations
- Reference Frames
Everyday Mathematics Assessment
Students will be assessed throughout the year by using the following components:
- Ongoing Assessment:
Informal assessment using class checklists and anecdotal record keeping during teacher-guided instruction, game play and slate use
- Product Assessment:
Detailed samples of student work in Math Boxes, Math Journal and various projects
- Periodic Assessment:
Unit, mid-year and end-of-the-year assessments and Math Boxes
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