Religion
The spiritual focus in fifth grade is family life, the Trinity, the Church as one, holy, catholic, and apostolic, the liturgy, sacraments, morality, Catholic Social Teaching, and religious practices. Prayer and scripture are interwoven into our classes on a daily basis. Our students will also be responsible for planning at least two Masses during the school year. They also go to weekly school Mass and weekly Eucharistic Adoration. At least twice a year, students will have the opportunity to receive the sacrament of Reconciliation. We also incorporate Theology of the Body’s eight lessons throughout our religion program.
Reading
Our reading curriculum follows the Science of Reading research. The Wit and Wisdom curriculum is a knowledge-based program that consists of four modules. The four modules each explore a specific topic and are deeply explored to further build the students’ knowledge in the arts, science, and social studies through diverse and culturally relevant texts. The four modules for fifth grade are Cultures in Conflict, Word Play, A War Between Us, and Breaking Barriers. Students are encouraged to read from different genres throughout the school year.
Writing and Grammar
Writing and grammar are embedded into the Wit and Wisdom program. Students will continue exploring the writing process of planning, revising, editing, rewriting, and publishing. Throughout the year, they will compose opinion, informative, and narrative pieces, along with a short research project. Students continue learning and practicing cursive handwriting using Handwriting Without Tears.
Spelling and Vocabulary
Fifth grade students have weekly spelling lists from Vocabulary Surge, which concentrates on a variety of common spelling patterns, affixes, Latin root words, and Greek combining forms.
Math
The fifth grade curriculum is Everyday Math. Students use a hands-on problem-solving approach based on everyday situations, practice basic skills in a variety of engaging ways, and regularly revisit and practice previously learned concepts. Students will learn numeration concepts, the four basic operations with fractions and decimals, geometry, and data displays.
Social Studies
Students will study geography concepts and skills with particular emphasis on the geography of the United States. Students also explore the Native American cultures of ancient North and South America, explorers to the New World, and the United States’ early colonial period, Industrial Revolution, settlement of the West, Civil War, and Reconstruction.
Science
Fifth grade will study matter and its interactions, motion and stability, energy, molecules/organisms, ecosystems, Earth’s place in the universe, Earth’s systems, the impact of human activity on the Earth, and engineering. Students will have many opportunities for hands-on experiments as they learn the importance of designing investigations, making detailed observations, improving their designs, and communicating their discoveries.
