Early U.S. History
5th-Grade
Fifth Grade in Woodside Elementary School is committed to helping each child meet the academic and social-emotional competencies expected at this grade level and become an engaged learner in the classroom setting.
5th-Grade ELA Common Core Standards
Curriculum standards are what all grade-level students are expected to know and be able to do by the end of a school year. Key standards of fifth grade education are highlighted below. All K-5 teachers are implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) (http://www.cde.ca.gov/re/cc/) in both English Language Arts and Mathematics. Curriculum used includes Reader’s and Writer’s Workshop, Envision Math, Silicon Valley Mathematics Initiative (SVMI), FOSS Science Program, and History Alive Program.
In Fifth Grade, each student will…
Reading
Draw on a repertoire of ways to read closely, alert to how story elements interact and details that seem to represent big ideas
Participate in reading clubs to work with a novel that has nuanced characters and multiple subplots
Learn to read analytically, analyzing differences in perspective across texts
Investigate the ways nonfiction texts become more complex and learn appropriate strategies
Pursue independent inquiry projects
Analyze arguments, working in research groups to study a debatable issue
Learn how to compare the ideas and perspectives of many authors and how to formulate their own evidence-based, ethical positions on issues
Become immersed in the fantasy genre and develop higher-level thinking skills
Work on their habits as readers to build knowledge, study how authors introduce hard words and use strategies to learn new vocabulary as they read
Writing
Learn to apply their own writing techniques across the genres of Opinion, Information, and Narrative
Use their knowledge of narrative craft to make their stories more thematic
Draw inspiration and understanding from mentor texts, historical accounts, primary source documents, maps, and timelines to write focused research reports
Grasp that form follows content, deciding whether to express their thoughts in narratives, in essays, or in a hybrid genre
Learn to build powerful arguments that balance evidence and analysis to persuade readers to action
Speaking & Listening
Engage in discussions on grade appropriate topics
Summarize a text, information, or points made by a speaker
Speak clearly about a topic/opinion with main ideas or themes
Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks
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Social Studies
Study geography
Learn about pre-Columbian settlements
Examine exploration
Discover the Colonial Era
Investigate the causes of the American Revolution
Learn about Westward Expansion