Anchor Lutheran School > K - 8

FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM

RELIGION

We utilize the Concordia Publishing House Series Voyages: Exploring God’s Word. Students have weekly memory work assignments in which they will learn the books of the Bible, the Ten Commandments, the Lord’s Prayer, Luther’s Morning and Evening Prayers, the creeds and a variety of Bible passages. This curriculum has been designed so that through the Word and the Spirit of God, students of all abilities may:

experience Christ’s forgiving love;
respond in faith and grow into Christian maturity;
see themselves as the reconciled, redeemed children of God and individual members of Christ’s body: the church;
live happily in peace with God, themselves, and their fellow human beings;
express their joy in worship of God and in loving service to others;
value all of God’s creative work in His world and the church;
witness openly to Christ as the Savior of all people; and
live in Christian hope with the blessed assurance of eternal life in heaven through Christ Jesus, our Lord.

To focus on these goals, the Voyages curriculum is Christ-centered so that students will have optimal opportunity to grow in their relationship with God.

SPELLING

We use the Houghton Mifflin; Spelling and Vocabulary Series. Students complete workbook pages in which they will demonstrate word usage, figurative meaning of words, solve analogies and other types of word problems. Weekly spelling tests are taken. Students will complete a written assignment each week using their spelling vocabulary.

READING/LANGUAGE ARTS

We use the SRA; Open Court Reading Series. Fifth graders demonstrate competence in general skills and strategies vital to reading. Students read, analyze, evaluate, and respond to a variety of literary forms including short stories, novels, poetry, as well as newspaper and magazine articles. This year we will be working on stories and activities out of a reading textbook, as well as reading 4 novels (1 each quarter). Students will study vocabulary, metaphors, imagery, points of view, idioms, irony, compare and contrast, fact and opinion, story progression, character, setting, plot mood conflict, climax, theme and many other comprehension strategies.

The 4 novels fifth graders read are:

1. My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George

2. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell

3. Hatchet by Gary Paulsen

4. Number the Stars by Lois Lowery

Students are expected to do book reports throughout the year on different genres we study.

ENGLISH

We use the Houghton Mifflin; English Series. Fifth grade students learn to identify types of sentences (declarative, imperative, interrogative, exclamatory, fragments and run-ons), identify nouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs and prepositions in more difficult sentences. Students also continue to increase their personal writing and editing skills through journal and short story writing.

MATH

We use the Saxon Series. Lessons and activities focus on learning and remembering the foundational skill of mathematics. Fifth graders focus on sequencing, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division up to three digit numbers, decimals, fractions, measurement, basic geometry, ratio, percents and vocabulary terms that accompany the skills. Book assignments are 25 questions long everyday. It is very important that students have complete mastery of basic facts. We do timed tests in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.

GEOGRAPHY

Students are given a map every Tuesday, due Friday. Quizzes will be every Tuesday. Students can use any resource (including parents, siblings, atlases, and internet) to complete the worksheet, as long as they do the actual labeling and tracing themselves. We begin with 3 weeks of general World Geography (continents, oceans, some major bays, gulfs, rivers, latitude and longitude) later units will be 3-7 weeks long and will cover, “Lower 48” US Geography, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Alaska. Capital cities of nations will be part of the study.

SOCIAL STUDIES

We use the Scott Foresman; Social Studies Series. Our theme for the 07/08 school year is “US Exploration”. Some of the highlights of the year are: European Settlement, 13 colonies, Revolutionary War, Civil War, Industrial Revolution, The Western Movement, World War I and II, the Cold War and life today. Through these topics the students learn geography, government, economics, culture, map and globe skills, and chart and graph skills. Students will also learn research skills, critical thinking skills, and study skills during the year.

SCIENCE

We use Scott-Foresman; Science Series. The Fifth grade studies a variety of topics in life science, earth science, physical science, space and technology. Worksheets, quizzes and chapter tests help the students to master the material. Students begin to learn how to take notes on important material such as writing definitions for vocabulary in their science notebooks. Science is often a hands-on class where students learn to use microscopes as part of biology. Simple experiments are assigned to do at home.

MUSIC

Music involves learning to read music, rhythm, singing, playing the recorder, and music history. All students prepare and present the Christmas service and the spring musical.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Fifth grade has P.E. twice a week with the P. E. teacher. Students participate in health related fitness activities and Presidential fitness testing. They continue to refine basic skills, participate in individual and team sports, describe strategies and rule concepts. Christian Sportsmanship is always encouraged. Fifth graders are eligible to participate in after school intramural sports; soccer, volleyball, basketball, track and field.

ART

Fifth graders have art instruction each week. The focus of the art program is not only to teach students the elements (line, shape, color, texture, composition, and perspective) and techniques of art (variety of materials, shading, shadowing, proportion, and balance), but also to foster creativity. Additionally, students learn an appreciation of art through this creative experience regardless of their level of artistic ability.

SPANISH

We have Spanish twice a week. The curriculum is a video series from Northern Arizona University. The students watch videos, answer questions in a workbook and take quizzes. Parents are encouraged to ask their student about what they are learning and help practice the words with them.

HOMEWORK POLICY

Most of the daily work can be taken home, and is due at 9:00 the next morning. If for some reason an assignment cannot be completed, please notify the teacher by a note or phone call. Otherwise all assignments not turned in will be counted late. All late assignments will be reduced 10% or 1 grade. Some subject assignments have more than one day to complete. Geography is an example; the map is assigned on Tuesday, but is not due till Friday.

ASSIGNMENT NOTEBOOKS

Students will purchase a year long assignment book through the Office. These books need to be at school everyday. The books are the same format as the chart on my wall. Students will be expected to write all assignments in their book. This is the tool that will help students know what is due the next day, and what is coming up. Organization skills are a critical part of Fifth Grade.