Fifth Grade
This is the year of shock and awe!
Serious thinkers and very empathetic, fifth graders are committed learners who are just discovering the triumphs and failures of history. Each new thing learned has a direction and purpose and there is a thrill at being connected to the advanced thinking of the bigger world. The glamour of new information gives way to reflection and thought. Fifth graders study American history from the Iroquois League to the American Constitution. They grapple in teams with math problems that take many steps to solve. They glory in team effort! Whether it’s volley ball or math, they know how to work together. In science, they explore evidence of the unseen from cell structures to chemistry. Readers are competent and writers explore the challenges of expository writing. Historical novels and biographies are all the rage and middle school beckons. All that Spanish that they have learned since second grade is beginning to pay off in reading and in writing short paragraphs. They know how to put on a powerful musical performance. Hands on crafts from other times help to “get the feel” for the Native people and early Americans which they study—they weave, spin, sew, and paint. Connecting and linking knowledge and experience is at the core of the integrated curriculum.
Class page
Download the fifth grade class schedule [pdf]