What We are Learning

Everything students will be learning this year is part of the Utah Core Curriculum.  You can view all the standards we will be teaching here: http://www.uen.org/core/ 

Reading

This year, we will be reading many different types of texts.  We will be reading five different novels as a class.  These novels will be used to help students dive deep into texts and improve their comprehension.  We will also tie the novels into various research and writing projects throughout the year.

The novels we will study are all on our district's approved novel list and have direct ties to our core curriculum.  They are:

1. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
2. Bridge to Terabithia
3. Maniac Magee
4. Harriet Tubman
5. Esperanza Rising

We will also be reading many informational texts and district-provided stories that correlate with these novels, with our science curriculum, and with our social studies curriculum.

Writing

We will be working hard to write well-organized, thoughtful essays and stories this year.

The two types of writing we will focus on the most are informational writing and opinion writing. We will learn to use a text to support and inspire our writing.  We will also learn to organize a piece of writing in a way that makes sense and is effective.

Students will also be writing short stories and journal entries throughout the year.

They will be required to do several in-class research papers on various subjects.  Research is a great way for students to practice higher-level thinking skills and to prepare them for the rigors of middle school, high school, and college.

Math

We will be building upon the math students have learned in previous grades as we progress throughout the school year.

The main concepts we will focus on are:

• Extended understanding of place value
• Multiplying larger numbers
• Long division
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals
• Adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing fractions
• Converting measurements in the standard and metric systems
• Finding the area of unusual shapes
• Finding the volume of shapes
• Graphing points on a coordinate plane
• Using and interpreting graphs of different kinds

We will be exploring these concepts using hands-on tools, pictures, and numbers.  We will focus on solving real-world problems using these skills.  This will help students develop problem-solving skills and think at a higher level.

Science

We have five major science units throughout the year:

1. Earth Science

2. Physical and Chemical Changes

3. Electricity

4. Magnets

5. Animal Adaptations

We will use hands-on activities, field trips, and science texts to explore these topics.  We will build circuits, research how animals' bodies help them survive in their habitats, figure out how compasses work, investigate whether ice weighs more than water, and do many other activities.  The best way to see the fun scientific work we are doing is to follow us on Instagram!

Social Studies

Fifth grade is all about American History.  We will start our year by studying the people who were here long before Europeans arrive.  We will then learn about the explorers that mapped and charted the New World, research life in the colonies, and explore the American Revolution.  We will then continue on to Westward Expansion, the Civil War, and learn how our current country was shaped and formed. 

Students will engage in debates and discussions, learn the difficulties of unfair taxing, and understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens of this country.