Fifth Grade

Positive Action is a survey of the Old Testament and is the basis of this study. Beginning in Genesis, students will gain a much clearer perspective of how the stories of the Old Testament fit together. We also have weekly Bible memorization.

We challenge students to expand their vocabulary and writing through new words and frequently misspelled words. Students work to master these words through a variety of learning games and activities that allow for student collaboration and practice. Our lists encourage students to move beyond spelling & phonic rules in isolation and really become fluent in decoding any word that they are faced with.

Students explore God's creation through projects, experiments, and research in the areas of physical science, earth and space science, and life science. We also undertake an eight-week study of the scientific method as students investigate a question, formulate a hypothesis, perform experiments, record data, create graphs, draw conclusions, and create a presentation for our Science Fair.

The objective of the fourth grade reading program is to produce thoughtful, independent readers and writers through providing outstanding literary and character building selections. Critical thinking about reading is developed through the different genres. Students read Christiana's Journey, 2nd to Pilgrim's Progress as a novel study, and Song of the Brook. Student comprehension skills are assessed weekly. They also will be exposed to material that teaches good character traits, larger speaking and listening vocabulary, and be encouraged to read for knowledge and pleasure.

Our curriculum is further enhanced by our focus this year on the Old World starting in Ancient Bible times in the eastern hemisphere comparing and contrasting with modern times. A mastery of geography compliments our study with comprehensive maps. Our Living History Museum is a ten-week project in which students compile research, write a research paper complete with bibliography, and bring to life a famous figure from history in a dramatic 1st person monologue. Our students are challenged to think outside of the box and learn about different cultures and countries.

Students will have events or field trips that relates to a unit of study —examples include the Outdoor School, Oregon Symphony, our Living History Museum, Spirit Days, Speech Meet, Spelling Bee, and our Science Fair. Fifth graders also have many class traditions that are special to them.

Mastery of Elementary concepts are solidified in our grades. A variety of methods are used to introduce and practice new concepts in math. Students are given strategies to develop understanding, and they often work together in repetition for mastery of skills. Equipping students with essential problem-solving skills helps to prepare them for higher mathematics. Creative Mathematics as a fun hands-on support.

Believing grammar mastery to be essential to good writing, we structure our curriculum to focus strongly on grammar and mechanics, with a comprehensive study and analysis of the parts of speech. Students memorize their parts of speech and prove understanding of how words work together by becoming proficient at sentence diagraming. Students are held accountable to apply their knowledge to their writing in such assignments as narrative and persuasive essays, book and research-based reports, and creative writing that goes across subjects including poetry. They also learn middle-level skills such as note-taking and information analysis.