Curriculum Overview

Grade 5 is a year for balance, flexibility, and harmony. It is often called the “Golden Age of Childhood”. It is a time when the children experience a fine balance with their dawning inner life and a sense of lightness with their outward movement. The fifth Grader is one of finding order and grace by actively seeking new ways to improve their habits, their work, and themselves. Fifth Graders have a dynamic interest in the world, and they need to be inspired in a dignified way; they thrive on goodness and beauty, seeking truth and striving to imbue their entire world with these virtues. As a picture, the Fifth Grader is like a fine musical instrument that is beginning the process of being tuned. This is a slow and deliberate process, requiring rhythmic evaluations and direction, for the children easily stray onto divergent paths. As one string is being tuned, it is necessary to step back, recheck and see if the others are still in tune. Each individual finding balance results in a harmonious whole.

Fifth Graders have a dynamic interest in the world, and they need to be inspired in a dignified way; they thrive on goodness and beauty, seeking truth and striving to imbue their entire world with these virtues. As a picture, the Fifth Grader is like a fine musical instrument that is beginning the process of being tuned. This is a slow and deliberate process, requiring rhythmic evaluations and direction, for the children easily stray onto divergent paths. As one string is being tuned, it is necessary to step back, recheck and see if the others are still in tune. Each individual finding balance results in a harmonious whole.

Your fifth grader will learn:

• Language Arts: Composition, outlines, study of plots and characters, grammar, speech and drama

• Literature: Mythology of ancient cultures

• Mathematics: Calculations with fractions and decimals, geometric drawing
• Science: Botany
• Geography: North American geography
• History: India, Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt and Greece
• Chinese: Formal grammar, regular verbs and possessive adjectives, individualized dialogue and expanded vocabulary, reading and spelling practice, poems and songs
• Physical Education: Games to become aware of their bodies in space and develop foundations of movement.
• Handwork: Knitting with four needles and wooden spoon carving
• Art: Drawing, painting and clay modelling
• Music: Recorder, singing and string ensemble