Course Overview

Students will learn about the origins of North America: it's early people and long history of exploration and settlement. They will learn about the age of exploration that led to the colonization of what is now the United States. The history of the colonies will be studied, and will progress through the mid-twentieth century. Along the way, fifth graders will build a strong foundation of study, text reading, organization , and research skills.

This year, grades K through 5 have adopted the Arts and Letters literacy program, a content-based, integrated program that builds knowledge through reading, inquiry, discussion, and most importantly, writing. Grammar and vocabulary are embedded within the program, allowing students to more meaningfully and independently understand and apply information and skills. This program aligns closely with our efforts to follow the guidelines and philosophy of the Science of Reading. In addition students will practice word study, decoding, and spelling strategies using the Megawords program, which is grounded in core foundational practices. See the Links and Resources page for more information.