5th Grade

The Arts provide an opportunity for students to explore ideas and express thoughts and emotions. Over their time in the Lower School, they develop skills in music, woodshop, and visual arts. 

Woodshop

In woodshop, students learn general shop protocols and tool safety while basic tools, including with hammers, saws, and drills. They practice proper ergonomic use of hand tools including body position, alignment to work, and repetitive body logistics. Students engage in group and independent projects learning to create a design plan, select materials, sequencing of construction, learn about wood finishes, and clean up practices. 

Visual Arts

Students explore, experiment and communicate while practicing the visual arts. Inspired by other artists, the world around them, and their own imaginations; they engage with various media including drawing, painting, paper arts, clay, printmaking and fiber arts. 

Music

Based in the Orff music education tradition, music provides time for students to express themselves through sounds and movement. Inspired by artists across cultures and by their own musicality, students practice both ensemble and individual musical skills. They learn concepts of rhythm, tone, and pitch by playing instruments such as the xylophone, glockenspiel, and marimba.

In fifth grade, literacy becomes more than just a skill set—it becomes a means of connection, reflection, and advocacy. Through experiential learning and meaningful projects, students learn to read and write with purpose. They see literacy as a tool to better understand themselves, their communities, and the world around them—and as a way to lead with voice, empathy, and integrity.

Reading

Fifth graders read to explore real-world issues, ask questions, and engage in thoughtful dialogue. Emphasizing nonfiction texts and inquiry-based reading, the curriculum supports students as they make the shift from learning to read to reading to learn. Reading is both a personal journey and a communal experience—students participate in rich discussions, reading partnerships, and literature circles that allow for deep dives into identity, justice, and change.

Whether reading an array of diverse stories or analyzing articles during a current events project, students engage with texts that connect to their lives and their learning across disciplines. Reading workshops encourage choice and independence, while guided groups and shared read-alouds promote critical thinking, empathy, and perspective-taking. Texts often support interdisciplinary projects, such as end-of-year exhibitions on advocacy or environmental change.

Writing

Writing in fifth grade is rooted in authenticity and application. Students write each day with purpose—whether crafting a persuasive essay on a social issue, scripting a podcast episode for a cross-curricular project, or composing a personal poem that reflects their inner world. Writing is not confined to the classroom; it lives in exhibitions, presentations, and the broader learning community.

Through project-based learning, students use writing to share research, advocate for causes, and demonstrate understanding across disciplines. For example, during a culminating project on environmental change, students may research a local issue, write letters to city leaders, or create informational brochures for the school community. These experiences show students how writing can inform, persuade, and move others to action.

The writing workshop model offers students sustained time for drafting, revising, and publishing. Visual planning tools, peer feedback, and one-on-one conferencing support each student’s individual process. Writing instruction focuses on craft and convention, but also on clarity, ownership, and care—students are taught to write with an awareness of the audience and an intent to make a difference.

Word Study

Word study in fifth grade is hands-on, relevant, and woven throughout the curriculum. Through differentiated small groups and multisensory activities, students explore vocabulary and etymology in ways that connect directly to their reading, writing, and project work. Whether studying root words tied to scientific vocabulary or exploring persuasive language for a civic action project, students deepen their understanding of language as a tool for learning, connection, and advocacy.

Fifth-grade students move into more complex areas of operations, algebraic thinking, measurement, and working with data while developing a flexible understanding of mathematics through experimenting, reflection, and adaptation. Students explore three-dimensional shapes, understand volume, and compose and decompose shapes to understand their properties. Much of fifth grade is spent exploring the concepts of decimals and fractions. They continue to strengthen their math community by exploring mathematical practices and making connections between strategies, solutions, and the varied ways to solve problems. 

Big Ideas in Fifth Grade

• Unit Cubes and Volume
• Fractions with unlike Denominators
• Multiplying and Dividing Fractions
• Decimal Place Value Patterns and Operations
• Measurement Conversions and Powers of 10
• Multiplying and Dividing Multi-digit Numbers using the Standard Multiplication Algorithm and Partial Quotient Division Algorithms
• Shapes on the Coordinate Plane

First through fifth grade students study either Mandarin Chinese or Spanish. During their time in the Beginning and Lower School they acquire cultural understanding and build a foundation for language acquisition and fluency. Students are immersed in situations where they develop language skills by drawing on their own experiences to engage in conversations with the teacher and peers. Through movement, song, play, art, conversation, and oral and written activities they begin to learn to listen, speak, read and write in their studied language. 

Students are empowered to develop their own investigatable questions, driving their curiosity and exploration as they conduct experiments and uncover answers through active inquiry and discovery. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) Science and Engineering Practices are used to promote deeper understanding and engagement in scientific learning. Throughout the year, they engage in studies of physical science, life science, earth and space science, and engineering and technology.

Questions explored in Fifth Grade include

• How does space exploration and technology impact our lives?
• In what ways does matter change?
• What impact do humans have on Earth’s systems and structure, function, and processes?
• How are the relationships in ecosystems interdependent?

Educating for Democracy

With a focus on educating for democracy, students increase their self-awareness and understanding of complex issues. Fifth graders start the year by celebrating aspects of their identity and learning new skills for honoring the diversity in our community. Fifth graders go on to examine historical and cultural contributions and the formation of the United States. They study how people moving to the United States from different countries have helped make America’s culture, races, and ethnic groups what they are today. Fifth graders compare different journeys and how people from different countries experienced moving to the United States. Students study complex historical events, and contributions. Students learn that despite unfair treatment because of race or background, groups of people have helped make America’s society and culture rich and diverse.

Our holistic approach to wellness helps children develop habits for healthy living that will last across their lives. Children develop skills across four domains:

Physical

• Moving body is various ways; developing gross motor skills
• Understanding what helps a body perform well

Mental

• Noticing what causes emotions and stress
• Developing a toolbelt of strategies to regulate emotions and stress

Intellectual

• Trying new activities
• Using strategies in games
• Reflecting on progress

Social

• Working with others in productive ways
• Being a good sport
• Showing appreciation for others