English
Students in Fifth Grade Language Arts engage in skill lessons to enhance reading fluency and comprehension. They are responsible for obtaining copies of The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleishman, Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary, and Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor. All three books are Newberry Award Books. Students are required to read these books, use the writing process to write several papers including a research paper, and present a variety of speeches. Students use rubrics to self-evaluate their work before submitting it to their teachers. (back)

Math
In fifth grade math, students will compare, order, convert, estimate, and compute with fractions of like and unlike denominators, decimals, ratios, and percents; investigate perfect squares and their roots; and explore numbers less than zero through familiar applications such as temperature. Students will extend their understanding of plotting locations in a coordinate system to include negative numbers; determine and compute measurement of length, area, and volume within the same measurement system; and determine the appropriate use of linear, square and cubic units. In geometry, students will use benchmark angles to estimate and measure angles; develop formulas of perimeter and area for basic two-dimensional shapes and volume for rectangular prisms; and describe, define, and model two-dimensional and three-dimensional geometric figures. Students will determine rules for patterns and relationships using calculators, tables, and graphs; create, interpret, and model equations, proportions, and inequalities representing problem situations; read and construct frequency tables, circle graphs, line graphs, and double bar graphs interpreting and selecting graphs that are appropriate for the type of data to be displayed; determine and use range, mean, median, and mode to compare and explain data; analyze change through related variables in graphs; and use simple experiments and simulations to list all possible outcomes, make predictions, and justify theoretical probabilities. (back)

Social Studies
The fifth-grade year focuses on the geography of the continent of North America. Students learn how people came to the continent and about the land and resources that they found. Citizenship skills build as students learn about U.S. history and the democratic government of the United States. Students continue to develop their research skills by obtaining information from multiple sources. (back)

Science
Earth and space sciences are investigated in more detail in grade five. Earth's characteristics, resources and location in the solar system are identified and their implications explored. Students also learn about the interrelationship of organisms and ecosystems and simple food chains and food webs. Energy and energy transfer through an electrical current are addressed. Fifth-graders describe and illustrate the design process and describe the positive and negative impacts of human activity and technology on the environment. Students observe, measure and collect data when conducting a scientific investigation; students use this information to formulate inferences and conclusions; and students develop skills to communicate the results. (back)

Rev. 01-13-05