Fifth Grade Specials
NFS Curriculum Update :: January, 2016
ART
Fifth grade artists will finish up their investigation of the art element of space by combining their architectural landmarks with their atmospheric drawings to create one magnificent piece. Later in the month we will look at an artist who views space in a completely different way, Stewart Davis. Students will work on a collage piece inspired by the artist and experiment with form, color and layering.
LATIN
This month 5CE will explore the concept of person as it relates to verbs. We will read the Latin autobiographies we have written out loud to a partner, showcasing our knowledge of first person verb forms. Our partners will summarize our autobiographies back to us, requiring the use of second person verb forms. We will then restate what we have learned about our classmates using third person verb forms. At the end of the month, 5MM will return to Latin and begin focusing more intensely on verb conjugation.
LIBRARY
Fifth graders will be investigating effective and safe online searching. We will review Webpath Express, the website search of Destiny online library catalog. Students will rate websites for accuracy and authority. They will learn about the various forms that web advertising can take, including product placement, malicious ads, and advertorials.
MUSIC
Fifth graders finished their handchime unit and are moving on to a brief unit on music history before we begin rehearsals for our show. We will be refreshing our memories on the Renaissance, Baroque and Classical time periods and focusing on the major composers and styles of the Romantic, Nationalist, and Modern time periods. Our composer of the month is American composer John Williams.
P.E.
This month students will participate in a various types of basketball competitions including half court games, full court games and other basketball skill challenges. The students will be working on basketball skills like dribbling, passing, shooting and teamwork. Students will be confronted with integrity and social interaction issues, as many of these activities will be student organized and monitored. This month the fitness challenge will be the shuttle run. Each class will use the rock wall once during the month. January ends with the introduction of jump rope and various jump rope skills, as the class begins to prepare for our fifth annual Jump Rope for Heart event in February.
SCIENCE
Fifth graders start the new year by focusing on the topic of mixtures and solutions. We will separate a mixture, and move into learning about solubility. Some of the terms we will cover are: solute, solvent, solution, substance, dissolve, and saturated solution. We will test if temperature affects solubility and if the substance we use affects solubility. We will also conduct an investigation to determine whether mixing two or more substances together results in a new substance. We finish the month by exploring the difference between physical and chemical changes/reactions. They observe, perform and classify several reactions and determine if they are physical or chemical changes. Students will then do a short presentation/poster about one aspect of matter before we move on to a new unit.
SPANISH
Students in 5MM will begin to research their Spanish speaking country. The vocabulary and information learned from the Tyrona National Park, Colombia lesson will serve as language foundation to structure their findings. Using functional chunks of vocabulary practiced, students will describe in written and oral expression cultural and travel information for their country. They will include, where their country is, who are the indigenous group, what fun activities one can do there, what items one needs to take, what animals live there, and what the typical food is. Students will use a template to collect their information. They will then translate and present their findings to the class using Google Slides.