Grade 5

Reading: 90 Minutes Daily

Teachers facilitate whole group instruction using McGraw Hill’s Treasures Reading Series. Spelling, grammar and vocabulary instruction is taught through weekly stories. Teachers have selected high-quality fiction novels to reinforce comprehension, fluency, and strengthen vocabulary and literary skills. With these novels, students are given opportunities to respond to literature through writing. Student-facilitated literature circles are also utilized based on interest levels.

Writing: 30-45 Minutes Daily


Personal narratives, informational writing, opinion writing and research projects are taught using the Lucy Calkins Workshop model. Focusing on the six traits of writing: ideas, organization, word choice, voice, conventions and sentence fluency, students are guided towards being independent, fluent writers. They work through the peer editing process in order to gain the necessary skills to improve their writing. At the end of the year, students take their previous writings on informational selections and publish them into a hard bound book.

Mathematics: 90 Minutes Daily

Students are instructed through small group instruction using the Everyday Mathematics Curriculum. Groups are differentiated based off students’ academic needs. Technology-based applications are utilized to help reinforce math comprehension. Teachers send home math enrichment that is used to gain an understanding of each student’s mathematical retention based on daily instruction.

Science/Individuals & Societies: 45 Minutes Daily


Both subjects are taught on an alternating six week schedule. Science is instructed using the FOSS Modules and teacher created units of inquiry. Through Diversity of Life, Living Systems and Weather on Earth, students are engaged in hands-on scientific explorations. IB units of inquiry are creatively weaved into the state standards. Weather on Earth is the FOSS module that is used for the IB transdisciplinary theme of Sharing the Planet, and the IB transdisciplinary theme of How the World Works is connected to the FOSS Module of Living Systems. Students learn about kinesiology and health through the IB unit of Who We Are.

US Weekly Studies is used to cover Pennsylvania state standards in Individuals & Societies. Teachers also use the IB units of inquiry to help facilitate the understanding of the fifth grade Social Studies curriculum. How We Express Ourselves deals with federal, state and local government. How We Organize Ourselves is tied in with the Civil Rights Movement and the understanding of cultural differences. Civil wars, current and past global conflict is discussed in the IB unit of Where We Are in Place and Time.