Grade 5

RELIGION

The Middle School Religion Program educates the students to “learn the Catholic Faith and to follow in the footsteps of Jesus Christ”.  Students grow spiritually, academically and socially.  They attain the foundation to lead a life of faith, service, and integrity. All Middle School students follow the Liturgical calendar and enter into the prayer life of the Catholic Church. Holy Days of Obligation and other special saint days are celebrated on a monthly basis, as the school community gathers for Mass at St. Pius X Church. During Advent, and at other times through the year, students participate in school-wide prayer service. On a daily basis, students pray in the chapel before each Religion class. Formal prayers are learned and prayed during the school year.  Students in Grades 6-8 are required to complete thirty hours of community service each school year. All students learn the virtues and are encouraged to practice them on a daily basis. Students in Grade 5 Religion use the textbook published by Sadlier, We Believe: We Meet Jesus in the Sacraments. The focus in fifth grade is on the seven Sacraments. They learn about Jesus and his presence in the life of the Church.

LANGUAGE ARTS/LITERATURE

The Grade 5 Language Arts/Literature curriculum focuses on the key components of literacy: reading, writing, listening and speaking.   Throughout the year, the students will be reading a variety of selections in both fiction and nonfiction. These selections include chapter books such as Maniac Magee, Crenshaw, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson, Three Times Lucky, Shakespeare’s Secret, Al Capone Does My Shirts, and Esperanza Rising, along with their grade level textbook. Students also complete several book reports during the school year. The reports in fifth grade focus on literary elements, such as character, setting, and plot. Students write weekly about their reading in their Reader’s Notebooks.

In Language Arts, students will engage in a variety of writing modes throughout the year, which will include narrative, descriptive, persuasive, expository and creative writing. In all writing assignments, students use the writing process where they will plan, draft, edit, revise and publish their written work. Grade 5 continues with the study of proper grammar and mechanics (Grammar Workshop in Grade 5). Vocabulary study is taught in lessons from Sadlier’s Vocabulary Workshop textbook. Students continue to practice their cursive handwriting and use cursive on a daily basis.

MATHEMATICS

This course includes instruction based on the Diocese of Fall River and Commonwealth of Massachusetts Standards.  Fundamental mathematical concepts, such as operations with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions, as well as skills such as algorithms and data analysis are taught.  Fluency in math vocabulary and reflection on mathematical processes and patterns are stressed.  Problem-solving is important to demonstrate the application of the fundamentals and skills mastered previously. Curriculum: Place Value, Addition & Subtraction; Multiplication; Division; Operations with Fractions; Probability & Statistics; Operations with Decimals; Geometry; and Measurement.

SCIENCE

In the Grade 5 science course, general science topics are covered.  The Scott Foresman text series is used.  Topics covered include life science (classifying, heredity, and ecology), physical science (matter, types of energy), earth science (climate, astronomy) and the human body.  By touching upon a wide variety of topics in grade 5, students build a solid foundation to delve deeper in Grades 6-8.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Learning about world geography is the focus of the Grade 5 social studies program. Students use the Prentice Hall textbook, Foundations of Geography, to study the earth’s physical features and world culture.  Students showcase their learning by completing projects about countries in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Central/South America.

SPANISH

Vocabulary: greetings; likes and dislikes with GUSTAR; adjectives of description; school subjects and supplies; numbers, days, months, seasons; leisure activities; foods and drinks

Structures: forms and agreements of adjectives; ME GUSTA/TE GUSTA; use of TAMBIEN/TAMPOCO; telling time; possession and possessive adjectives; subject pronouns; present tense of  -AR,-ER,-IR verbs, and SER, ESTAR, IR; use of IR A + infinitive to express future time

Culture: greetings and classroom expressions; levels of speech: TU vs. USTED/USTEDES; compare and contrast: schools, foods, and meals, leisure activities.