By
fifth grade, students are expected to know and understand an incredible
amount of science content. Fifth grade is the first time students will
take the Science MCAS. Because of this, the science department has
proposed a science pilot program as a way to introduce new science
content and to also review content that may or may not have been covered
in grades K-4. Also, as a culminating event, fifth graders will plan
and create their own experiment and prepare for an exhibition.
In
social studies this year, the students will study the movement of
people (and cultures) over time with an emphasis on migration to North
America, and America’s past. We’ll start by exploring Ancient
civilizations (Mayans, Incas, Aztecs). We’ll then focus on the North
American continent as we study Early Explorers. Later, we’ll review
Colonial Times and the road to the American Revolution. We’ll cover
westward expansion and the causes of the Civil War. In addition to
projects and field trips, we’ll use a textbook called Social Studies
Alive!
Because of the enormous amount of content that will need
to be covered between science and social studies, we have decided to
organize the year as seen below:
Science |
Social Studies |
October 14
- Science Notebooks / What is Science?
- Weather and Water: The movement and change in air and water that
result in weather on Earth, including the tools used to measure weather.
|
October 17 – December 2
- Ancient Civilizations: Mayans, Incas, and Aztecs: What is a civilization?
|
December 5 – January 13
- Design Engineering: Explore how bags, boxes, cartons, and bottles
work to contain, protect, dispense and display products ; learn and use
the engineering design process.
|
January 16 – February 3
- American Indians: Learn about the first people to live in North
America, where they came from and how they adapted to different
geographic areas.
|
February 6 – March 16
- Electricity and Magnetism: How they work together to build an electromagnet.
- Light and Sound Energy
|
March 19 – April 6
- European Explorers: Learn about the European Explorers and why they came to “The New World.”
- Early English Settlements and Colonial America
|
April 9 – May 11
- Review of Plants and Photosynthesis
- Review of Rocks and Minerals and Weathering
- Simple Machines: Learn about the six simple machines and how they make work easier.
|
|
May 11 – end of year
- Science Investigations and Exhibitions
|
May 11 – end of year
- Events leading up to the Declaration of Independence
- American Revolution, Constitution
- Westward Expansion
|