Fifth Grade Curriculum Overview

At the beginning of each school year, students are assessed utilizing the Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) to determine the course curriculum for each individual child for the upcoming year. Testing is done again in the middle and end of the year to determine if we are meeting the needs of each student.

Using students’ MAP benchmark assessments and the Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) results from the end (spring) of the previous year, we focus on creating differentiated curricula and custom learning programs for each child.

To this end, our curriculum pulls resources from a variety of sources depending on the student’s needs. Below is an overview of materials and resources we use during the year:

Religion

Textbook: Blest Are We, RCL Benziger Publishers

  1. The seven sacraments: holy orders, reconciliation, confirmation, Eucharist, marriage, anointing of the sick, and baptism
  2. We dive into the richness of each sacrament throughout the year to help students better understand their faith.

Language Arts

Textbooks: Benchmark Advanced, Sadlier-Oxford Vocabulary Workshop, and pre-selected books for nonfiction and literature studies

  1. skill development in comprehension
  2. Vocabulary
  3. plot summaries
  4. six traits of writing (ideas, organization, voice, word choice, sentence fluency, and conventions)
  5. application to several types of writing including narrative, persuasive, descriptive, and expository

Mathematics

Textbook: Saxon Math Level 6 by Houghton Mifflin

  1. operations with large numbers
  2.  Fractions
  3. Decimals
  4. Probability
  5. integers measurement
  6. proportions

Social Studies

Kids Discover Magazine Collection

  1. Regions of North America
  2. Eastern Woodland Indians
  3. Plains Indians
  4. Southwest Peoples
  5. America 1492
  6. Exploring the Americas
  7. Early Settlements
  8. 13 Colonies
  9. American Government
  10. Declaration of Independence
  11. Revolutionary War
  12. US Constitution
  13. Lewis and Clarke
  14. Junior Achievement (“Biztown”)

Science

Textbook: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Science Dimensions

  1. Identify and model examples of matter
  2. Describe energy in animal and plant food chains
  3. Describe Earth Systems (geosphere, biosphere, etc)
  4. Support an argument about Earth’s gravitational force
  5. Design a problem and solve using the engineering design process

Technology

Our classrooms are equipped with 1:1 student Chromebooks and a OneScreen touchscreen. We use the following technology-based programs in various subjects:

  1. IXL (reading and math)
  2. Accelerated Reader
  3. Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, etc.

Discipline with Purpose Skills

  1. Listening
  2. Following Instructions
  3. Asking Questions
  4. Sharing
  5. Social Skills
  6. Cooperation
  7. Understanding rules
  8. Completing a task
  9. Leadership
  10. Communication

Student Learning Expectations (LASER Skills)

  1. Life Long Learner
  2. Active Catholic
  3. Self-Aware Individual
  4. Effective Communicator
  5. Responsible Citizen

Enrichment

Students attend at least one of the various enrichment classes each day:

  1. Physical Education
  2. Library
  3. Music
  4. Spanish
  5. Art

 

 

Diocesan Standards