LANGUAGE ARTS
Spelling/Grammar:
Students will take a weekly Spelling Test every Friday. The spelling
will help students develop as confident writers. Specific grammar
skills will be introduced and reviewed on a daily basis.
Writing:
Writing is a huge focus. We will spend a significant amount of time
working through the entire writing process and strengthening our
ability to incorporate the six traits of writing (ideas,
organization, word choice, sentence fluency, voice and conventions).
We will write in many creative ways, including daily journal
writing, essays, short stories, poetry, reports, and personal
brochures.
Independent Reading:
Students understand that they need to read at least 30 minutes
nighty, with weekend reading encouraged, but not required. This will
be a part of their effort grade in reading.
Students have the opportunity to read many types of literature with
the different genre required each month. This exposure to a variety
of literature should help to foster a real enjoyment and love for
reading. Students will keep me updated with their reading at home
with the monthly Reading Logs and Literature Log responses.
Reading:
We will be reading a variety of novels in literature groups.
Students choose the genre and book they would like to read,
and meet weekly to discuss the book. Weekly lessons focus on
working cooperatively in a group, how to hold meaningful book
discussions, and identifying and analyzing critical attributes
of the genre being read. Also accompanying the reading will be
activities that help students develop reading strategies.
Students will practice questioning the text, connecting to
its meaning, developing inferences about characters, and combining
prior knowledge with new ideas the text presents. Typically, there
will be a comprehension assessment on Friday.
Vocabulary:
Vocabulary words will be given out on Monday and tested on Friday.
The words will relate to the novel being read
or Social Studies unit that we are studying. The homework will
involve various activities to help insure understanding.
MATH
The 5th/6th grade program is intended to review and build upon math
skills learned previously, as well as introduce new
and higher level concepts. Students will keep a well organized Math
Binder with Daily notes/homework/study guides.
SOCIAL STUDIES
This year we will be taking an exciting journey into the history of
our great nation! We will begin by looking at the U.S. government
and election process and by the end of the year we will see our
country recovering from one of its most defining moments: The Civil
War. We'll use historical fiction and primary source documents in
order to dig deeper into the following topics.
• Geography (seven continents, U.S. geographic regions, bodies of
water, 50 states)
• Native Americans
• Explorations and Encounters
• Colonial America
• The American Revolution
• The Constitution and the Bill of Rights
• Westward Expansion
• The Civil War
• Reconstruction
Students will practice note-taking skills, learn to use outlines, flow-charts,
and be introduced to a variety of organizational strategies.