5th grade (5A) with Ms. Herman
The fifth grade class has a daily schedule that includes Math, Social Studies, Religion, and Language Arts. Fifth grade students also receive two hours per week of instruction in Science by a separate Science teacher. Included in this weekly two hours is a hands on lab. Foreign Language is taught in 30 minute lessons twice a week. Students also receive one hour of music, one hour of art instruction, one hour of P.E., and 70 minutes of computer instruction each week.
Our Math curriculum coincides with the California State standards. It is based upon the students' knowledge and mastery of basic math facts--- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division--with a heavy emphasis on the mastery of multiplication facts. The curriculum expands into division by 2 digits into larger divisors. We then learn about fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing), mixed numerals, and decimals. There is also a major focus on finding different ways to solve a variety of word problems.
Our Social Studies curriculum revolves around the study of U.S. History--the birth of our nation. It also includes the study of early exploration of other areas, the study of the regions of our country, and the memorization of the 50 states and capitals. To go along with the Presidents’ Theme and Black History Month in February, the students create a mobile about one of the U.S. presidents, and create a poster about a famous Black American from the past or present. These projects are then presented orally to the class.
The Language Arts curriculum includes instruction in Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Writing and Reading. Grammar is an area of focus in class as students learn about the parts of speech and correct usage of our English language. The Reading text includes stories of different types of literary genres which are discussed and analyzed in class. Students are encouraged to build listening comprehension along with reading comprehension.
A major project in the fifth grade is our biography project. In this project, students are required to read a biography of a famous person and then design a project about that person. Students may choose from a variety of activities to do for this project. Some of the choices include creating a crossword puzzle or word search using words associated with their famous person, making a sculpture or doll of the person, presenting a creative timeline of the person’s life, sharing works of art or music from that person, and other activities. (All information must come from the book that has been read--not from any other source.) The project culminates at a “social” where the students dress as their famous person and “become” the person for an hour. Students also have the option of being a guest on a “talk show” as they are interviewed and tell the audience about themselves. This project has proven to be very effective in teaching students about famous people from the past, while allowing students to express their creativity in a manner in which they feel comfortable.
The fifth grade's major field trip is related to our Social Studies curriculum. We go to Knott’s Berry Farm to experience a tour through Independence Hall, a visit with Ben Franklin, a reenactment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and a visit with Abigail Adams. This 4 hour trip correlates perfectly with our curriculum and standards in Social Studies. The fifth grade, accompanied by the Science teacher, also goes to the Burbank Recycling Center each spring to learn more about the benefits of recycling and other ways to help save the planet!
Our Math curriculum coincides with the California State standards. It is based upon the students' knowledge and mastery of basic math facts--- addition, subtraction, multiplication and division--with a heavy emphasis on the mastery of multiplication facts. The curriculum expands into division by 2 digits into larger divisors. We then learn about fractions (adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing), mixed numerals, and decimals. There is also a major focus on finding different ways to solve a variety of word problems.
Our Social Studies curriculum revolves around the study of U.S. History--the birth of our nation. It also includes the study of early exploration of other areas, the study of the regions of our country, and the memorization of the 50 states and capitals. To go along with the Presidents’ Theme and Black History Month in February, the students create a mobile about one of the U.S. presidents, and create a poster about a famous Black American from the past or present. These projects are then presented orally to the class.
The Language Arts curriculum includes instruction in Spelling, Vocabulary, Grammar, Writing and Reading. Grammar is an area of focus in class as students learn about the parts of speech and correct usage of our English language. The Reading text includes stories of different types of literary genres which are discussed and analyzed in class. Students are encouraged to build listening comprehension along with reading comprehension.
A major project in the fifth grade is our biography project. In this project, students are required to read a biography of a famous person and then design a project about that person. Students may choose from a variety of activities to do for this project. Some of the choices include creating a crossword puzzle or word search using words associated with their famous person, making a sculpture or doll of the person, presenting a creative timeline of the person’s life, sharing works of art or music from that person, and other activities. (All information must come from the book that has been read--not from any other source.) The project culminates at a “social” where the students dress as their famous person and “become” the person for an hour. Students also have the option of being a guest on a “talk show” as they are interviewed and tell the audience about themselves. This project has proven to be very effective in teaching students about famous people from the past, while allowing students to express their creativity in a manner in which they feel comfortable.
The fifth grade's major field trip is related to our Social Studies curriculum. We go to Knott’s Berry Farm to experience a tour through Independence Hall, a visit with Ben Franklin, a reenactment of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, and a visit with Abigail Adams. This 4 hour trip correlates perfectly with our curriculum and standards in Social Studies. The fifth grade, accompanied by the Science teacher, also goes to the Burbank Recycling Center each spring to learn more about the benefits of recycling and other ways to help save the planet!
