PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH
Physical education is part of a school-based program that promotes social, emotional, and physical well-being. The purpose of physical education is to develop and enhance gross motor skills, social and life skills, and the learner’s thinking and problem solving skills.
Fifth grade physical education encompasses teaching students the skills that foster participation in physical activities throughout life. Students will learn and apply movement concepts; health related fitness concepts, as well as social concepts. These skills and concepts are taught through a variety of activities and units including dance and movement, individual and team sports, and integration of other discipline areas.
The three domains of physical education include psychomotor, cognitive, and affective. Psychomotor skills include all physical movements from traveling to throwing and catching. Cognitive skills may include decision-making, learning rules of a sport, and/or creating strategies to become more successful. The affective domain encompasses teamwork, being prepared, respect for self and others, and good sportsmanship.
Health education is part of a school-based program that provides information to foster student skills, attitudes, and behaviors that will result in lifelong healthful decision-making. Health education promotes student physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being.
WORLD
LANGUAGES
Students in grade five receive world language instruction two periods in a six-day cycle, with a teacher who comes into their classroom. Students are assessed and a grade for world languages appears on their report card.
Effective communication in Spanish is the primary goal. Students are asked to use all four components of language; listening, speaking, reading, and writing in order to be able to communicate in an effective manner. Spanish is often used in the classroom to teach language concepts. Pictures, stuffed animals, gestures, acting, and music help to convey meaning and reduce or even eliminate the necessity for direct translation. Homework is a written reinforcement of concepts taught in class. Periodic assessments are given to determine the students’ level of comprehension. All four language components are assessed during the marking period.
In addition to language, the world languages program includes the instruction of different cultural practices. Projects to be worked on outside of the classroom focus on cultural activities; and specific cultural lessons are taught in class. The goal is to instill a life-long appreciation for language and culture.
LIBRARY
Appreciation for the printed word
is a priority at the
Additionally, the librarian provides instruction for all grades in research skills and computer skills. It is also an “open library” in that teachers and students may use the resources within whenever necessary. Students are scheduled for library at least one period every six-day cycle.
Starting in the third grade,
students begin developing their research skills. They use dictionaries, almanacs, encyclopedias,
and atlases. Gradually, they become more
comfortable with finding answers on their own.
By the time they are sixth graders, students should be quite comfortable
using print sources as well as databases and the Internet.
At all levels, emphasis is placed
on the accuracy and reliability of information sources. Information literacy grows significantly
during their years at
ART
Fifth graders have art for two periods in a six-day week. The grade level curriculum focuses on acquiring knowledge of skills that will increase an aesthetic awareness in the visual arts. This includes demonstrating a knowledge of the process of critiquing, developing and defining design, identifying and describing various art forms from different historical and contemporary periods and cultures, and recognizing the impact of the visual arts in daily life.
GLEN
RIDGE BOARD OF EDUCATION
Ms.
Betsy Ginsburg, President
Ms.
Karen Eisen, First Vice President
Ms.
Julie Raskin, Second Vice President
Mr.
Thomas Agnew
Mr.
John Cable
Ms.
Mr.
Jeffrey Kobernick
Ms.
Suzanne O’Connor
Ms.
Gwen Schoenfeld
GLEN
RIDGE SCHOOL ADMINISTRATION
Dr.
Daniel Fishbein
Superintendent
of Schools
Mr.
Principal,
Mr.
Michael Donovan
Assistant
Principal,
RIDGEWOOD AVENUE SCHOOL
Glen Ridge
School District
FIFTH
GRADE CURRICULUM FRAMEWORK PARENT BULLETIN
Dear
Parents and Guardians,
A recent article in Education Week stated, “the family is the
cradle of learning.” Research has shown
repeatedly that student achievement improves when parents are involved in their
children’s education by forming a partnership with the school community to help
children succeed.
This curriculum bulletin was
created to help develop that partnership and as a means to communicate an
overview of the curriculum delivered during the academic year. The staff is encouraged to utilize strategies
that appeal to multiple intelligences and learning styles and enable students
to use higher level thinking skills.
We encourage you to keep in
touch with the teacher through parent conferences, get involved by joining the
Home School Association, and participate in Back To School Night, American
Education Week, and as many activities as you can to be involved in your
child(ren)’s school life.
I hope your child will have a
successful and enjoyable school year.
Sincerely,
Principal
LANGUAGE ARTS
The fifth grade language arts curriculum gives the students the opportunity to explore a broad array of language skills. The students embark on a year-long journey where they learn many skills such as analyzing novels and their anthology. The students also learn to expand their essay and letter writing techniques. The curriculum provides the opportunity for the students to learn the proper uses for nouns, pronouns, adjectives, adverbs, and prepositional phrases in their writing. The fifth grade curriculum also allows for the students to become immersed in research report skills, including creating note cards, an outline, rough and final drafts, works cited page, and a presentation, which encompasses technology.
Novels presented to the fifth grade include The Big Wave, My Side of the Mountain, From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson. The novels offer the opportunity for rich classroom discussion. The students read the novels and then they are asked to use higher level thinking skills to analyze and synthesize the notions put forth in the story.
Fifth grade brings new focus to essay writing. Students learn to expand their thoughts and skills in many different types of writing. Students are now held accountable for spelling and grammar rules, which have been taught in class. The essays are expected to flow in a logical coherent fashion that demonstrates one’s ability to use transitions between paragraphs as well as the proper usage of opening and closing paragraphs. The students also learn to apply these skills across the content areas. Study skills appropriate to each grade are integrated into the curriculum.
MATHEMATICS
The
The fifth grade program
highlights problem solving, basic number facts, arithmetic, fractions,
decimals, percents, early geometry skills and early algebra skills. The students develop links between their
past, present, and future knowledge.
Students are given the opportunity to develop their skills through
cooperative learning, individual learning, and incorporating manipulatives for
hands-on experience, which presents the individual with the opportunity for a
deeper understanding of all concepts taught.
Additional practice with long
division, multiplication facts, adding, subtracting, dividing, and multiplying
with decimals are supplemented by the classroom teacher.
SCIENCE
Fifth grade science is an inquiry-based program. It involves the study of five units: Systems in Living Things introduces students to the life processes of living things, as well as both plant and animal cycles, Matter and Energy concentrates on the various forms that matter and energy take, Populations and Ecosystems examines the nature of an ecosystem, as well as the biodiversity in earth’s biomes and aquatic environments, The Solid Earth is an earth science unit comprised of rock/mineral classification, fossils, and the structure of the earth, Light and Sound is a unit that focuses on the properties of light and sound through experimentation, and students will be engaged in real-world investigations to foster their scientific curiosity. They will learn to conduct experiments and draw reasonable conclusions.
SOCIAL
STUDIES
In the fifth grade social studies curriculum, children study the phenomena and effects of the first explorers, the settlement of the colonies, the American Revolution, western movement, the Civil War, and our nation’s reconstruction.
Students will use an appropriate text, which follows the curriculum, and will complete projects, trips, and activities that supplement the curriculum.
MUSIC
The curriculum for music in fifth grade is divided into three sections. The first section, general music, is taken by all fifth grade students. In this class, students learn the basics of listening to, performing, writing, and appreciating music. The second section of music offered to fifth graders is the choral program. This is a performing ensemble that meets twice a week before school. The chorus consists of students of all ages, grades and abilities. The main focus of this ensemble is reading music and performing. The last section of music available to the fifth grade is the instrumental program. There are two bands at this school currently, an advanced band and a beginner band. The beginner band is for all first year instrumental students. They perform one concert a year in the spring with the advanced band. The Advanced Band is available for anyone wishing to audition during the year. There are currently students in fourth, fifth and sixth grades in this ensemble. The advanced band performs two concerts, one in the winter and the other in the spring. All instrumentalists receive one music lesson a week during the school year.
SYNERGISTICS LAB
With an ever-increasing demand for and usage of technology today, the Synergistics Lab offers students a hands-on experience utilizing technology tools to explore topics in physical and life science. Appropriate yet high tech gear, computers, videotapes and hands-on lab experiences guide students learning. Problem solving strategies are an integral part of all eleven modules and apply to other classroom activities.
The Synergistics Lab was donated to the school through the generosity of the Glen Ridge Educational Foundation.