Fifth Grade Curriculum

1. Fifth Grade Curriculum Mrs. Ross’ Class 2012 – 2013 School Year Santan Elementary

2. Reading • Harcourt Reading Series • Literature Groups/Circles • Independent and Partner Reading • Guided Reading to meet individual needs • On-going assessments for comprehension and fluency • Vocabulary, comprehension, & fluency development • ELA (English Language Arts) Common Core - This year, we will be slowly introducing the new Common Core Language Arts Standards to the students. We will be focusing on various skills in four major categories: Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language.

3. Café : Comprehension, Accuracy, Fluency, and Expanding Vocabulary • Engaging all students in daily literacy assessment and instruction • This “Café” is a menu that supports students in becoming comfortable linking their knowledge to standards • The Café book provides technical expertise necessary for individual students to receive exactly what they need to improve as readers.

4. READING STANDARDS • Narrative Elements • Prefixes and Suffixes • Cause and Effect • Drawing Conclusions • Sequencing • Locating Information • Elements of Non-Fiction: Text Structure • Word Relationships • Main Idea and Details • Summarizing Literature • Fact and Opinion • Author’s Purpose • Compare/Contrast • Inferencing

5. Spelling • Santan 5th grade No Excuse List • Words Their Way sorts specific to fifth grade standards • Dictation Sentences • Vocabulary from Literature or other units of study

6. Writing • 6+1 Traits • Writing Process / Write From the Beginning (focusing on thinking maps) • Genres of writing • Persuasive essays • Narrative essays • Expository Essays • Descriptive Essays • Poetry • Literature Response

7. What is an Interactive Notebook? • A working portfolio – all of your students’ notes, classwork, homework – in one convenient spot. • These personal, creative notebooks become a record of each student’s growth in writing, thinking, recording, and organization skills.

8. The Basics: Left-side/Right-side An open notebook can be seen as a two page spread. For our purposes, a two-page spread is one lesson. RIGHT IS FOR REFLECTION/WRITING The right side is for student output – graphic organizers, drawings, interpretive writing, students notes of examples any creative way for students to demonstrate their understanding of the content LEFT IS FOR LEARNING The left side is for teacher input – notes, foldables articles, questions

9. Grammar • Modeling through mini-lessons • Daily grammar review as needed • Application in every day writing

10. Mathematics The overall goal within the curricular area of mathematics is for students to have not just a basic knowledge of each concept that they learn, but for them to apply it with a certain depth of knowledge. Due to this, students will be required to solve more detailed questions and problems. • Visit the Arizona Department of Education or Chandler Unified School District website to see more about standards changes. http://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/common-core-state-standards/ (All about Common Core) • Arizona Department of Education homepage • www.ade.state.az.us • Chandler Unified School District homepage • ww2.chandler.k12.az.us

11. Working with Cornell Notes…5th grade Style 

12. Math Standards • Some standards covered in math this year: • Fractions • Decimals • Order of Operations • Multiplication & Division • ( expected that basic 0-12’s are memorized coming into 5th grade) • Patterns • Euler Paths & Circuits • Integers • Algebra • Geometry • Mean, Median, Mode & Range • Estimation • Graphing

13. Social Studies Social Studies Concepts: • American Colonization and the thirteen colonies • American Revolution • Westward Expansion • Civil War • Economics • Geography • Foundations of Government

14. Science Science Concepts: • The Solar System • Forces and Motion • Properties of Matter • Simple Machines • Human Body Systems • Science Fair • * In the past I have put on a Science day for the kids… this requires about 10 – 12 volunteers and does take some prep work on your end.. Would anyone be interested? I supply the lessons 

15. Miscellaneous Information • Fundraisers- Grade level T-shirts and Gold Canyon Candles (on sale now!) • Tax Credit Donations – 100% tax deductable • Possible Field Trips: • Biz Town • ASU Planetarium and Mars Exhibit • We attend a play TBD • Traveling Benjamin Franklin Exhibit • Arrowhead Pool (End of Year Celebration!) • Possible Class visitors • EVIT Marine instructor compare/contrast military training then and now • ATF SWAT – Bulling • Chandler Fire fighters – CPR information • * If you know anyone or if you yourself does something connecting to our standards and you’d like to come and share with the class, please let me know! It’s important to bring in visitors and show the kids how their knowledge connects

16. How we use the Agenda… • Throughout the day and at the end of class your child and I will be filling out the agenda with important information. If you see it highlighted in yellow, then it’s important for you to know and/or homework. If the item is not highlighted then they may have completed the work or the “permission slip” may have already been turned in. • You will find all information in the yellow folder • Yellow is the only color I use – important information from me will also be sent home on yellow paper. • I ask that you frequently check in with your child and take a peek in their agenda, I am not having kids get it signed each night, but if certain friends become frequent flyers on my missing work list, we will need to make different arrangements 

17. Thank you for allowing me to be a part of your child’s life! You have my promise that I will treat your child in the professional manner that I would expect for my own child.I mean it when I refer to us as team ross… I believe it takes all of us to make your child as successful as he/she can possibly be! If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via email or simply just come on in  Ross.Hannah@chandler.k12.az.us

18. V.I.S.AVERY IMPORTANT SPECIAL ACTIVITY Each week your child will receive a strip of 4 VISA’s. If work is turned in late, not handed in, behavior interferes with my teaching, their learning or the learning of others a VISA will be turned in. Your child will fill in the reason it was lost on the back side. Losing 1 VISA is considered a “warning” – 2 is a loss of recess – 3 would be a loss of recess and a phone call home – 4 is a detention VISA’s left at the end of the week are placed in our reward bucket! Students have a chance to “bump” a person out of their spot to sit with a friend or pick an item from the Ross Box

19. Class Donations & Needs • Yellow highlighters • Candy for our jar (no gum please) • Glue sticks • Items for our “Ross Box” (treasure box – VISA rewards) • Ream of white copy paper • Ream of yellow copy paper • Scotch tape rolls • CD of calm music, no words for writing time • I’m always picking up little extra’s here and there for classroom activities, gift cards to the following stores are helpful… • Walgreens • Barnes and Noble • Target/Walmart • Frys/Basha’s