The 5th-grade humanities curriculum draws upon the Writing Revolution program to foster critical reading and writing skills. Students deepen their comprehension by analyzing a variety of texts through making inferences and supporting ideas with evidence. They pay attention to the author’s voice, common themes, and character development. Students also learn the fundamentals of a complete sentence, paragraph, and five-paragraph essay. Students are expected to write analytical essays and research papers, as well as creative pieces inspired by their reading and their lives. Students complete Wordly Wise exercises throughout the week to strengthen their vocabulary.

The entire 5th grade reads several of the same novels. Throughout the year, the students engage in units of study based on genres, including historical fiction, biography, nonfiction, current events, and fantasy. They engage with various texts through critical group discussions. In order to promote lifelong reading habits, each student also independently reads a number of “just-right” books, which are documented and reflected upon in their reading log.

Fifth-grade students focus on immigration as a major theme throughout the school year. Some of the topics include immigration to the U.S. through Ellis Island, Angel Island, and the Mexican border. These topics are explored through various books and nonfiction texts, and materials from Pollyanna, a racial literacy curriculum. These texts also help to strengthen students’ literacy skills. Students also publish the Trevor Tribune, a student newspaper, and write their own argumentative speeches on a topic about which they are passionate.

The 5th-grade math program moves through numerous units. The first unit begins with a review of place value to 1 billion. Students use mental math to multiply and divide numbers within 1 billion by 10, 100, and 1,000. From there, students move on to the order of operations where they solve multistep problems involving parentheses and all four operations. The first unit ends with building mastery of multidigit multiplication and division, including multistep word problems.

In the second unit, students study fractions, using differentiated activities to explore equivalencies and the conversion of mixed numbers and improper fractions. With this foundational understanding, 5th graders learn to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions and mixed numbers. They explore a variety of strategies for performing these operations and apply them to solve multistep fraction-based word problems.

The third unit starts by creating a connection between fractions and decimals. From there, students review and learn how to round, order, and compare decimals to the thousandths place. Thereafter, students begin to add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals, using standard algorithms.

For the remaining units of the school year, students work on geometry, graphing, measurement, and data analytical skills. In these chapters, students are exposed to volume, line plots, coordinate planes, and using properties of angles, lines, and shapes to classify triangles and quadrilaterals. So that students understand and master all these concepts, they complete daily classwork and homework, have exposure to challenging problems, and work on collaborative projects with peers throughout the entire year.

The 5th-grade PE curriculum builds upon what is learned in 4th grade by extending students’ knowledge and understanding of both sports and body movement. Teamwork and sportsmanship skills also continue to be paramount. Units of instruction include soccer, volleyball, gymnastics/ tumbling, lacrosse, basketball, badminton, Ping-Pong, floor hockey, team handball, kickball, softball, and track and field. These activities, first learned in 4th grade, are taught with more depth and complexity, allowing students to develop a thorough understanding of the strategies involved in each and enabling them to become active participants, as well as intelligent spectators. Students are given opportunities to develop critical thinking skills with each sport as their knowledge and confidence increase throughout the units.

Fifth graders start the year learning about ecology and ecosystems, focusing on an in-depth investigation of Earth cycles and their relationships. The students learn about the importance of salt marshes, food webs, and ecological principles, including sustainability and impacts that humans have on the environment. As part of this work, the students visit and explore the Mashomack Preserve on Shelter Island as part of their three-day outdoor education trip, furthering their study of how biological systems remain diverse and productive over time.

Students then move into studying Earth’s structure and changes to its surface, such as the Earth’s internal structure and the theory of plate tectonics. For their STEM project, students learn about architecture and work to create and build a structure for an architectural design challenge. Next, 5th graders study Earth’s atmosphere and our imperative relationship with the sun and the moon. Students explore the difference between climate and weather, how weather is forecasted, and the layers of the atmosphere. The students further their prior understanding of the water cycle and water as a limited resource, as well as learn how New York City gets its water.

Students close the year with a study of rocks and minerals to learn about their influence on our lives, and their importance in learning about Earth’s materials, structure, and systems. They connect their study of minerals with their knowledge of geometry to construct different polyhedrons to understand the formation of crystals. They also explore the periodic table of elements and the chemical composition of minerals.

Fifth-grade students focus on immigration as a major theme throughout the school year. Some of the topics include immigration to the U.S. through Ellis Island, Angel Island, and the Mexican border. These topics are explored through various books and nonfiction texts, and materials from Pollyanna, our racial literacy curriculum. These texts help to strengthen students’ literacy skills. Students also publish the Trevor Tribune, a student newspaper, as part of their study of current events.

Using the Alba y Gael Level 2 textbook and workbook, the 5th-grade curriculum is designed to continue last year’s Spanish language and culture. Fifth-grade students begin the year in Spanish by reviewing vocabulary and expressions to communicate in the classroom. By mid-October, they learn about and celebrate the Day of the Dead (el Día de los Muertos). Before learning vocabulary related to this joyous, traditional Latin American holiday, students study the historical indigenous beliefs and practices of the Day of the Dead in Mexico by collaborating with the Art departments. During Spanish class, students learn the cultural and historical aspects, while in Art, they concentrate on the creative and colorful experience of the holiday. After Thanksgiving break, students learn vocabulary related to the home, food, pets, clothing, and physical descriptions. Simultaneously, students have an introduction to regular verbs (-ar, -er, -ir), irregular verbs (to be–“ser,” to have–“tener” and there is/there are–“haber”), and question words.

Students in 5th grade focus on the development of their music literacy skills in order to learn how to listen, improvise, and perform on their instruments with comprehension. They sing tunes in multiple tonalities, move their bodies rhythmically, and learn how to sing and play rhythm patterns. They also learn to play a variety of tunes by ear, using their first five notes. In Band, 5th graders begin to explore their chosen band instrument: clarinet, flute, or trumpet. They learn the mechanics and maintenance of their instrument, as well as playing their first few notes. In Chorus and Dance, 5th graders enjoy a wide variety of genres, time periods, cultures, and styles of choreography. They also discover music both new and familiar through various historic and appreciative lenses. Students perform at various concerts throughout the year.

In 5th grade, students meet twice a week for hands-on art-making experiences. They are responsible for taking care of their materials, tools, and space, which continues to foster a real-world art studio experience. They are able to demonstrate their knowledge of media, techniques, and processes in painting, drawing, and sculpting in a variety of materials, such as our glass tile mosaic project. Fifth graders are also able to identify and describe various art forms, both contemporary and historic, recognizing the impact of visual arts in daily life.

In 5th grade, the close relationship between science and computer science is further emphasized. Every science lesson—whether it focuses on ecology, architecture, celestial bodies, or electricity— is approached through the lens of coding, engineering, and design. Through the scientific method, students immerse themselves in handson projects that are complemented by classroom teachings. Emphasis is placed on collaboration, fostering a spirit of diverse solving techniques. As students navigate through tools and materials, ranging from conventional paper and wood to innovative thermoplastics and 3D printing, they also become acquainted with new instruments that propel their creativity further. Frequent exhibitions provide a platform for students to reflect upon and showcase their accomplishments to the entire school community.