Fifth Grade

Religion

Students develop a better understanding of the use of the Bible and the five different kinds of prayer.  They learn about the Liturgical Calendar of the Catholic Church and actively participate in weekly Eucharistic Celebrations as well as studying the different parts of the Mass.  Sacraments and their symbols are studied.  Students also come to have a better understanding of the Saints and aspire to be “saint like”.

Reading/Vocabulary

The reading curriculum develops skills of communication: reading, speaking, listening, viewing, and researching.  Specific areas that are examined and developed include fluency, acquisition of vocabulary, concepts of print, comprehension strategies, appreciation of all forms of literature, and use of informational text.  Students build strong foundation skills and strategies so that they can apply the full range of reading to learning on their own.

Math

Building on their work in fourth grade, students extend their knowledge of place values of numbers through millions.  They apply what they know about multiplication and division of whole numbers to larger numbers.  Students develop an understanding of and fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions and decimals.  They also are able to describe two and three dimensional shapes and analyze their properties, including volume and area.

English/Language Arts

In grade five, students will further enhance and effectively use spelling, punctuation, grammar, and other writing conventions to communicate ideas in writing.  They will draw from their experience, knowledge, and Catholic values to create several forms of informal and formal writings. These student created pieces will incorporate the steps of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.  Informal writings will include several styles of poems as well as notes.  Formal writings will incorporate research skills to create persuasive position writings and poetry subjects.  Through delivery of formal and informal presentations and demonstration of attentive listening skills, students will further develop their communication skills.

Science

Students develop an understanding of the processes of scientific inquiry by developing, designing, conducting experiments and analyzing results.  They develop an understanding of the universe through the study of the planets, the stars, the sun, and the moon.  Students gain knowledge of the Rock Cycle and develop an understanding of how living organisms function and how they interact within the ecosystem.  In addition, the physical and chemical properties of matter along with the Periodic Table of Elements are also investigated.

Social Studies

Grade five focuses on the history, people, and events which led to the birth and development of the United States.  Through Catholic social justice teachings, we examine times when Christian values were not followed and the consequences of those actions.  Students also explore the Western Hemisphere through the study of Canada, Mexico, and Central and South America.