The fifth grade English student reads several Newberry Book Award winners, increasing their reading fluency and comprehension. Students engage in the writing process to develop several genre’s of writing, including a research paper, and a speech.

In math, the fifth grade works with fractions, investigates roots and squares, and explores numbers less than zero. Students extend understand of plotting locations on a coordinate system. They measure and compute length, area and volume. Fifth grade students explore geometry by studying angles, develop formulas for perimeter and area for two-dimensional shapes, and volume for three dimensional shapes. They determine rules for patterns, use calculators, tables, and graphs.

Fifth grade social studies focus’ on geography of North American. Students learn how people migrated to this continent, and about the land and resources that they found. Citizenship skills build as students learn about U.S. history and the democratic government of the United States. Students continue to develop their research skills by obtaining information from multiple sources.

Earth and space sciences are investigated in more detail in grade five. Earth's characteristics, resources and location in the solar system are identified and their implications explored. Students also learn about the interrelationship of organisms and ecosystems and simple food chains and food webs. Energy and energy transfer through an electrical current are addressed. Fifth-graders describe and illustrate the design process and describe the positive and negative impacts of human activity and technology on the environment. Students observe measure and collect data when conducting a scientific investigation; students use this information to formulate inferences and conclusions; and students develop skills to communicate the results. (back)