HEBREW
The 5th Grade Ivrit curriculum focuses on the following areas:
V Speaking, Listening, Reading, and Writing
V Reading with fluency and accuracy at the sentence and paragraph levels
V Analyzing text
V Using grammatical forms: present, past, and future tense
V Using new vocabulary in coherent sentences
Themes:
V Read and explain prayers
V Strengthen Hebrew conversational skills
V Yearlong focus on utilizing problem-solving skills throughout curriculum
V Memory folder - focus on classifying and retaining knowledge
JEWISH STUDIES (CHUMASH & JUDAICS)
Lessons on each Jewish holiday will fill the calendar as we proceed from Rosh Hashanah and the High Holidays through Chanukah, Purim, Passover, Shavuot and other special days. The students will gain practical instruction in the traditions through arts & crafts and hands-on learning. They will also learn about the meanings of each holiday and their relevant customs and importance today.
V Parshat Hashavua: Student will understand the story and details from that week’s Torah Portion. Student will also bring home questions to discuss the Parsha at home
V Yamim Meryuchadim: Student will identify the date and significance of specific special days on the calendar
V Chagim (Jewish Holidays): Student will identify date and significance of Jewish Holidays. Students will also learn customs and blessing of the holiday
V Tefila: Students will learn to be fluent in reading the morning prayers and understand the significance of specific blessings. Students will progressively learn new blessings for their morning prayers throughout the unit
V Pirkei Avot Unit: Students will understand the background, lessons, and stories of Pirkei Avot
V Yidios Klaliyos: Students will gain knowledge in Judacis, and various other general topics
V Shabbat Unit: Students will understand the importance of Shabbat and some of the laws that apply on that day
LANGUAGE ARTS (ELA)
By 5th grade we are putting the ‘icing on the cake’. This year the focus will be more formal and evaluative work in reading, writing and grammar, including diagramming sentences, timed reading comprehension pieces reflecting higher thinking skills, rhetorical analysis of devices used in essays, speeches and formal writing, and more directed nightly reading and reading comprehension testing, (often on a near-nightly basis).
The ability to read effectively and respond to written material is one of the most important skills our students need to have before moving into middle and high school grades. Shaloh House students have developed excellent decoding and basic comprehension, grammar and spelling skills prior to coming to upper elementary.
All writing submitted will utilize lead-ins, thesis questions, arguments and detailed backup, including quotations, finishing with concluding statements.We follow the basic Common Core requirements by grade.
The essence of reading this year is discussing the process of analyzing not only the story but the art and voice of the author.We are looking at when the story was written, why and how the author uses personification to create the story and effectively sway the audience.
Students are continuing working with Wordly Wise Series, Handwriting without Tears series and moving along towards typing skills.
As part of vocabulary development, students are mastering their spelling skills. All students are expected to utilize proper spelling of any words encountered in a text, and needed for responses to queries.
MATH
V Mental Multiplication and division review, Decimals: place value
V Decimals – Equating to Fractions and vice versa
V Multiplying and Dividing Decimals by 10s, 100s, 1000s
V Conversion of Metric Measurements
V Percentages – Conversion to Decimal / Fraction
V Percentages – Finding % of a Quantity & Word Problems
V Line Graphs – Reading, Reading / Word Problems, Creating Our Own
V Triangles – Sum of Angles: Proving 180 degrees / Vocabulary
V Quadrilaterals – Properties / Missing Angles
V Tessellations – Identification & Drawing
SCIENCE
Using the many materials from the PEARSON Interactive Science Curriculum, all classes will cover basic information on Scientific Inquiry, Experiments, and Research. All students will have some level of information about the formation of the earth, planets, evolution, and global warming. We will all do a series of lessons on the use of water & will have the Boston Water Department in to do presentations on the use and conservation of water, tied in with the water cycle, weather etc…
Each week will be working through pages from the Interactive Science Workbook, supplementing with National Resource Materials provided by groups such as NASA, as well as working towards hands-on science experiments at the culmination of each chapter. There are approximately 10 Chapters in each science book, as well as a myriad of extra materials available to supplement the study work. Please read your child’s tracker for the most up to date information regarding the chapters we are reading and discussing. This month we will be focused on the formation of the earth, which will fall in nicely with discussion of geography in Social Studies.
Grade 5 will be working on a Science Project during the last semester, which will utilize English writing skills, as well as Scientific Experimentation and Documentation.
SOCIAL STUDIES
In 5th Grade Social Studies (History), we will be working with the American History Passwords textbooks. Students are expected to develop the process of annotating texts for self-study in preparation for standard format history testing. We will spend time studying continents, countries, and basic geographical landforms. We will spend time going through basic governmental agencies, and the balance of power in the US government as time and opportunity present. As the year progresses we will be delving into key dates, leaders and accomplishments of Ancient, early European, and Renaissance History.