Fifth Grade
In our fifth grade year, students are given the opportunity to move into a middle school program model. The language arts, science, math, and social studies teachers loop with the 5th and 6th grade students, creating a seamless two-year block of instruction and growth.
In science and math, the classes are a single-gender arrangement, breaking the day into a strong and unique learning model, one where brain researched teaching strategies appealing to individual learning strengths give a new avenue for abstract responses from these pre-adolescent learners. The instructors, trained in brain growth needs at this special age, observe and utilize activities that enhance learning specially designed for these groups. The classes homogenize for the remaining instructional day.
The math curriculum is Pearson’s envisions Math series, a new and strong series that continues to provide a bridge for the Singapore Math foundations. The philosophy of this program involves essential understanding, problem-based interaction, and visual learning. It enhances learning because students are actively engaged in thinking about the problems. Included are middle school skills such as manipulating decimals and fractions, data, statistics, graphs, functions and equations of algebra, integers and rational numbers, perimeter, area and volume, ratio and proportion, percents, and probability.
The goal is to make a deliberate and comfortable jump to the next level as our students go forward.
Social studies goes in depth into early American history, settling the west, the Civil War, Industrialization, modern America, and current events. The highlight of the fifth grade year is the study trip to Washington, D.C.
The literature component of fifth grade will include reading trade books, such as Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, and completing book-based skill activities. Students will also read novels and excerpts of great works based on correlating topics in social studies.
In fifth grade science, work becomes increasingly interesting in the lab. Units on energy and forces, outer space, and geology are explored with interactive lessons and use of microscopes.
Fifth graders attend all the resources; art, computer, Christian education, music, physical education, world language, and library throughout the week.
