5th Grade Curriculum

If you walked into a 5th grade classroom at any point in the day, you would see a variety of activities taking place. From read-a-louds, singing, and collaborative learning to independent work, quiet reading, and movement, the goal is to facilitate a loving, creative, and engaging learning environment where all children can succeed.  5th grade is an important year of growth as our curriculum is designed to help students be prepared for the rigors and responsibility of middle school.

STREAM in 5th Grade

The 5th grade STREAM curriculum is focused on making connections to real world applications. Students engage in the engineering design process and the scientific method to solve problems and understand the world around them.   Students apply skills learned in math and science in the kitchen, in the garden, as well as in activities such as robotics, computer applications, and art.

Communication

Employs computer applications such as Google Docs, Slides, and Canva

Summarizes key points from research materials

Conveys reasoning and ideas

Collaboration Critical Thinking

Respectfully disagrees Engages in objective reasoning

Identifies team goals Understands cause and effect

Scientific Method Engineering Design Process

Conducts basic measurements Communicates design choices

Uses metric system Understands limits and purpose of design

Analyzes data from scientific sources

Recognizes experiment flaws

Examples of STREAM Activities and Projects

Hurricane Houses:  After learning about the destructive forces of hurricanes, students build a house to withstand water and wind forces using clay, construction paper, tape, and popsicle sticks.

Focus:  Engineering Design Process and science

Volume Zoo:  Students build Minecraft animals out of boxes and measure and calculate length and volume.

Focus:  Math, science, design, and collaboration

Domino Food Chains:  Students demonstration chain reactions by building a domino field to represent a food chain in a particular ecosystem.  

Focus:  Collaboration and Engineering Design Process

Native American Shelters:  Using natural materials, students build model shelters based on Native American structures.

Focus:  Engineering Design Process and collaboration

Animal Adaptations:  Students create new animals adapted to extreme hot and cold environments based on real animals.  They create drawings and write an essay to explain the adaptations of their new animal.

Focus:  Communication and critical thinking

Menu Project:  Students write a realistic menu on Canva and calculate a price of a meal based on their menu items.

Focus:  Math and technology