Grade 5

Grade 5 at Far Hills

English

Grade 5 English introduces students to the study of literature and the writing workshop through whole class and small group instruction. Starting the year with an in-depth study of conflict in A Mango Shaped Space, students develop a lens to read other novels such as Holes, Graveyard, Hatchet, and Front Desk. Using these anchor texts, students learn to write creative stories, persuasive essays, expository essays, and shorter literary response pieces. As these pieces are edited and refined in a writer’s workshop format, students are responsible for grammar lessons and skills taught in conjunction with each piece of writing. Grade 5 students are introduced to the study of vocabulary from Greek and Latin roots, learning four new roots and twenty new words every two weeks.

History

Grade 5 History introduces students to the study of Ancient Civilizations, such as Mesopotamia, Egypt, Mali, Greece, China, the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca. Students examine the geography, economies, societies, and cultural history of these areas and learn about the impact geography has on the development of culture. As the year progresses, students recognize both common themes and their unique features and attributes through each civilization. Hands-on projects such as building a replica of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and field trips to the Metropolitan Museum of Art allow students to experience these ancient cultures first hand. Students refine their research and persuasion skills by writing short pieces that answer thought-provoking questions such as what was ancient Egypt’s most significant accomplishment.

Math

Grade 5 math students solidify their place value understanding and achieve multi-digit multiplication and division fluency. In addition, students deepen their understanding of the relationship among fractions, decimals, and whole numbers and learn to calculate with these different forms of numbers. Geometric and measurement concepts, such as angle and line relationships and triangle and quadrilateral explorations, lay the foundation for future coursework. Weaving together these units provides students with regular opportunities to hone problemsolving skills and apply their understanding to solve various real-world problems. Students who exhibit excellent motivation and display a curiosity and interest in underlying mathematical principles have the opportunity to be considered for placement into an accelerated course of study beginning in Grade 6.

Science

Grade 5 scientists dive right into fundamental science topics with a year-long study of the ocean biome. Use of basic scientific tools, the study of chemistry through

the mixtures and solutions, the properties of water, buoyancy, the water cycle, cause and effect relationships between objects and events, as well as the adaptations of ocean life and its largest inhabitants, the whales, are some of the topics covered. Presentations on ocean biome and water begin in the second trimester and supplement student learning by addressing present-day issues facing the world’s oceans. Grade 5 students are further challenged with an engineering and design project about the ocean floor. This project develops their problemsolving skills. As the year draws to a close, students complete a research project and presentation concerning one specific whale species that covers its physical features, habitat, diet, pod behavior, migration, and conservation status.

Language Study Choice

In Grade 5, students have the opportunity to experience both Spanish and Latin language courses. From there, they have the power of choice: they’ll select which language they will study in Grades 6–8.

Spanish

Grade 5 Spanish introduces students to all four language skills—listening, speaking, reading, and writing. This class is taught in Spanish from day one, and students quickly catch on. Students read stories, practice oral communication, review key phrases, and conjugate verbs. “Llamarse” and “possessivo” are grammatical concepts mastered at this level. Grade 5 students complete the “Un Autorretrato Parlante” project where they draw a self-portrait and then present it to the class speaking only in Spanish. The goals of this introduction to Spanish course are for the students to become comfortable speaking, listening, reading, and writing in a new language. Music and songs are crucial components of the student’s development at this stage.

Latin

Grade 5 Latin is a unique blend of the study of the language of Latin and an introduction to the ancient culture of Rome. Students begin their study of the Ancient Roman culture by entering the world of Pompeii and meeting the family of Caecilius, the Roman banker. Simultaneously, students analyze the language in new ways, such as identifying the roles a noun can play in a sentence, the etymology of derivatives and cognates, and the unusual sentence structure that Latin utilizes. This combination of culture and language study allows Grade 5 students an opportunity to ease into the study of a new language. This introductory course encompasses half of Unit 1 of the Cambridge Latin Course.

Music

Grade 5 Music class is centered around an in-depth study of instruments. During the course of the year, students will compose and perform music using traditional classroom instruments, Chromebooks, keyboards, flutes, clarinets, or saxophones. Students are expected to demonstrate proper embouchure and instrument assemblage as well as proficiency in music literacy skills. Students read and write melodic notation in the Treble Clef and simple rhythmic notation, including quarter, half, dotted half, eighth, sixteenth notes and their corresponding rests. In addition, students practice singing on pitch with proper posture. During Grade 5 Music class, crosscurricular connections are made to the students' study of ancient Egypt. Students learn about instruments from that time, the importance of music and performers, and then using recyclable materials, create a facsimile of an Ancient Egyptian instrument.

Visual Art

Far Hills Country Day School’s Grade 5 artists work with various media to create and appreciate art. Grade 5 Art classes have cross-curricular connections to several other subjects in the Grade 5 curriculum. The Whale Watercolor lesson connects to Science class, as students research and present information about their assigned whale. Students learn about and discuss the importance of design, proportion, body structure,

line quality, surface texture, and how to convey the illusion of depth and movement without losing details when using watercolor media on a flat surface. History class connections can be found when students complete either Ancient Egyptian “William” sculpture (clay), Ancient Egyptian Self Portrait (mixed media), or Ancient Egyptian Canopic Jar (clay). We even bring in mindfulness, which students practice at Far Hills Country Day School from Kindergarten up. Students hand-craft a mindfulness eye pillow using soft material and thread. The pillows are decorated with designs/ images created using printmaking techniques.

Learning and Design

Grade 5 marks the beginning of the Upper School, and the Chromebook is a vital tool as students travel to their academic classes. Facility with the different Google tools is integral for success as Classroom, Drive, and Gmail are used daily. Students extend their knowledge with Docs and Slides while adding work with Sheets to create tables and graphs. The Digital Citizenship topics of media balance, clickbait, online relationships, and cyberbullying are a focus for the year. Students study how Internet searches and databases work as they learn how to create effective queries for searching. Students also continue to advance their coding skills through individually paced tutorials focusing on game design, music, and animation. If interested, students can choose to work in courses on JavaScript or Python.

Social-Emotional Learning

Building on the strong foundation established in the Lower School study of the Five Pillars, Grade 5 students are introduced to the mission skills of time management, teamwork, and curiosity. This initial exploration allows students to connect the five pillars with the mission skills and identify how they already use them. Along with their advisors, Grade 5 students identify areas for growth with each of these mission skills and set appropriate goals for each trimester.

Highlights of Grade Level Objectives

By the end of Grade 5, Far Hills Country Day School students will be able to: • write a three-paragraph response to a prompt with an introductory, body, and concluding paragraph; • utilize a variety of strategies to develop note-taking skills of factual information; • use efficient strategies for multidigit multiplication and division and apply to problem-solving situations; and • understand fraction and decimal place values and develop fluency with fraction and decimal operations.