Fifth Grade
Theme
“The Lord is the King of Kings”
Overview
Fifth grade is a good age to emphasize friendship as it is a time when peers take on a new importance. Students begin to want to understand themselves in a social context. In general fifth graders are eager to learn and love to apply known skills and knowledge. Highlights of the year are the creation and performance of an explorer puppet play and a Colonial day in the spring.
Religion—taught by a minister
In fifth grade the books of 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel comprise the course of study. The fifth grade student is becoming more and more conscious of his or her interaction with the surrounding world. The kings, Saul, David and Solomon, each make their mark in different ways as they expand the lands of Israel and attempt to lead the Israelites. Jehovah works with His people by means of the kings’ leadership. Learning about and discussing the struggles and blessings of these rulers in their efforts to be leaders while serving the Lord works well for fifth graders as they begin to form their own character, separate from the adults in their lives.
Reading
Reading skills are taught and reinforced in our reading program which consists of novels and short stories. We introduce the idea of character development. Our vocabulary study centers on using context to discover meanings of new words found in the readings. We emphasize giving complete answers to reading questions. Fifth graders continue to change their reading focus from “learning to read” to “reading to learn.”
Composition
We work on both narrative and expository writing, with a skills focus on organization, descriptive word choice, interesting sentences, accurate use of proper grammar and paragraph formation.
Grammar
Grammar skills are drawn from teacher resources and a grammar book, Write Source Skills Book. We use many games, drill exercises and board work.
Spelling
The first few weeks of spelling consist of a study and drill of the 375 core spelling words from the BACS spelling curriculum. During the year we expect that these words are spelled correctly on papers in all subject areas. Weekly spelling units focus on patterns in spelling, found in Everyday Spelling.
Handwriting
Fifth grade practices cursive in their daily work.
Math
We use the Envision math program, a sequentially based math program which focuses on visualizing math concepts, problem solving, and group and individual practice. Fifth graders become more confident with the multiplication and division processes. New concepts include adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing of fractions and decimals. The Rocket Math program is used to encourage the memorization of the multiplication and division math facts.
History
Exploration is the history theme for fifth grade. We look at how in the Lord’s providence people have discovered new lands enabling the Lord’s Word to be spread. 
We study how the explorers and settlers handled their responsibility in the new lands. It is a wonderful way to point out the use and abuse of power. We study the Native Americans, the explorers, colonization and settlement of the thirteen colonies, finishing the year with colonial life and our “Colonial Day,” where we transform our classrooms into a colonial village, dress in period costumes, and share what we have learned about life in colonial times.
Geography
In geography we emphasize both the world and individual countries as our neighbors. Map skills are learned as we study South, Central and North America. We study the life and culture of the people living in these regions. In the spring term, along with the study of the United States, each student researches and develops an extensive notebook on one particular state.
Science—specialist teacher
The science curriculum focuses on understanding and appreciating the Lord’s creation of the natural world and the laws that govern it. Students learn about the skeletal and muscular systems, geology, weather, simple machines, and an introduction to microscopes.
Library—led by librarian
Students in 5th grade visit the library regularly for book report books and to find recreational reading materials. The librarians provide book choices in a variety of genres and subjects to support the 5th grade curriculum. 5th graders also come to the library for a series of lessons about research skills and using the library’s reference section. Students conduct a mini research project in the library in order to put these new skills to use.
Technology
Fifth graders continue to develop their word processing skills through simple essays individual state notebook project and other assignments. They create presentations and use the Internet for research and learning activities.
Art—specialist teacher
The fifth grade continues to expand and stretch their basic art skills. They have more “long term” style projects that require planning, careful work and time management. Most of these larger projects are in support of classroom curriculum. They are also exposed to art history/appreciation as they work on the variety of projects they do throughout the year.
Music—specialist teacher
In fifth grade music, students sing, move, actively listen, create music, and play a variety of pitched and non-pitched instruments, with continued emphasis on recorder, and one term of group guitar classes. The content includes folk songs, hymns in notation, solfege exercises, sight singing, music history, and choral music.
Physical Education—specialist teacher
The physical education program provides the students with a standards based program that is developmentally and culturally appropriate and highly active. It fosters a lifelong commitment to a healthy lifestyle. In the intermediate grades we continue with the skills that we practiced in the primary years while adding and improving loco-motor skills. We also focus on cooperative skills, problem solving, decision making, fitness, and team and individual sports.