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Interesting Sites for Families and Students
Linked sites are not under the control of the school district, and the district is not responsible for the content of any linked site or any site contained in a linked site. The link is provided only as a convenience and its inclusion implies no endorsement.
Mathematics: The fifth grade uses the Everyday Mathematics series for math instruction. Computation skills involving whole numbers, fractions and decimals will be developed, in addition to analyzing and creating data. Other topics covered will be metric measurement, geometric concepts, ratios, perimeter and area, and volume. A Family Letter will be sent home with your child at the beginning of each math unit. This letter is meant to familiarize parents with the upcoming mathematical concepts we will be studying. Family letters contain important vocabulary and games that are beneficial in reinforcing learning at home. If you need another copy of a Family Letter, feel free to download a copy from the "Important Classroom Documents" section of my website. For any other additional information about Everyday Math, visit their website which has a lot of great resources. http://everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents/ Readers' Workshop: For English Language Arts, we utilize a balanced approach to instruction. The goal of our reading program is to inspire life-long learning and a love of literature. Resources we will use this year, include a vast collection of trade books and picture books that are at each child's just-right level. Students will be exposed to a variety of literary genres and will develop skills in the following areas: reading comprehension, vocabulary development, critical thinking, questioning, predicting, determining importance, inferring, and responding to a text through writing. By differentiated, small group instruction, as well as individual conferences, we are able to meet each child’s specific needs. Writers' Workshop: Writers' Workshop is taught in a similar format as Reader's Workshop through differentiation, small group instruction, and one-on-one conferences. The writing exercises your child engages in will include work in content, organization, writing mechanics, and style. Students will be exposed to multiple writing genres, which may include personal narrative, personal essays, literary essays, persuasive writing, expository writing, fiction, memoirs, and short research reports. The goal of our program is to instill a love of writing in each student. Word Study: This year, the fifth grade is piloting a vocabulary based word study program by Sadlier. At this time, we are still working out the details of the best way to use this with our fifth graders. We will keep you posted about this program as we are set to begin it in the very near future. Social Studies: Students will begin the year learning about Pre-Columbian civilizations, and will then journey through a learning of American History to 1815. Resources which may be used include the History of US textbook as well as picture books and trade books to augment the study of U.S. history. The Social Studies units covered are as follows:
Science: Students will be participating in a variety of units that involve them in hands-on learning experiences and experiments. Students will explore the Scientific Process and develop their skills of observing, questioning, testing, analyzing, and communicating thoughts and discoveries. Students will take part in five different units throughout the year, each lasting approximately 7 weeks. The units are as follows:
**There will also be a wellness unit that covers developmental changes to the body which concludes with viewing the growth and development video.** Technology: Fifth graders will be using desktop computers in the computer labs, as well as learning to use wireless laptops for research and writing. Chickering School has the philosophy that technology should be integrated into the core curriculum. Throughout the year, your child will be exposed to a variety of technology programs including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. Your child will also conduct research using the internet, and use software that is installed on the computers that supports our curriculum. Open Circle: Our class participates in the Open Circle program which is centered upon the principles of social competency. Through Open Circle curriculum, students will learn ways to support classroom and school community, and develop social problem solving skills. If you would like further information about this program, feel free to visit the Open Circle website.
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