Grade 5 Curriculum

Fifth grade students are the leaders of the lower school at Belmont Day. Students at this age put tremendous physical, emotional, and cognitive energy into all that they do—whether it is writing in-depth reports about about activists, or mentoring second grade buddies. This is a time for discovering and exploring interests and passions as well as for developing a growing independence and sense of self. The fifth grade program helps students meet increasing academic demands by teaching students skills to organize information, set priorities, and develop strategies for reaching their academic goals—preparing them well for middle school.

Program Highlights

  • Fifth grade play
  • Second grade buddies
  • Migration study to and through the U.S.
  • Design and 3D- print an assistive device
  • Make a BrainPOP movie about muscles
  • Winter coat drive leadership
  • Field Lab: Freedom Trail

Specialist Time

  • World language twice a week for 45 minutes
  • Arts four times a week for 45 minutes: music, visual art, theater arts, and woodworking
  • Tech class 90 minutes a week for one trimester
  • DEI Seminar 45 minutes a week for one trimester
  • Physical education four times a week for 50 minutes
  • Health and wellness 45 minutes a week for one trimester

Grade 5 Subjects

Quality texts expand fifth graders’ vocabulary and promote literal, inferential, and evaluative reasoning. Students recognize fundamental literary elements in their readings and apply them in their own creative writing. Students work with teachers, peers, and learn to edit their own work, developing personal rubrics to identify areas for improvement.

English

Quality texts expand fifth graders’ vocabulary and promote literal, inferential, and evaluative reasoning. Students recognize fundamental literary elements in their readings and apply them in their own creative writing. Students work with teachers, peers, and learn to edit their own work, developing personal rubrics to identify areas for improvement.

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A boy works on a math problem at his desk

Math

Fifth graders pursue open-ended problems, investigate and formulate questions from problem situations, and use statistical methods to describe, analyze, evaluate, and make decisions. The math program encourages students to communicate mathematically and build confidence in themselves as problem solvers.

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Fifth graders engage in hands-on activities, role-playing, debates, and research in a social studies curriculum that is interwoven with reading and writing, the arts, and occasionally math and science. Students use primary documents to study the Salem Witch Trials, design their own monument to welcome people to the U.S., and become tour guides for parents along the Freedom Trail.

Social Studies

Fifth graders engage in hands-on activities, role-playing, debates, and research in a social studies curriculum that is interwoven with reading and writing, the arts, and occasionally math and science. Students use primary documents to study the Salem Witch Trials, design their own monument to welcome people to the U.S., and become tour guides for parents along the Freedom Trail.

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A student examines an owl pellet with a magnifying glass

Science

Fifth graders study the systems of the body and discover how the mind works, with an emphasis on understanding how learning transpires. They expand laboratory skills and record data from experiments. They write computer codes, explore robotics, and design prosthetic limbs using non-standard materials.

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Belmont Day faculty have designed a unique class for fifth graders called Foundations for Language Learning. Students investigate universal truths about how and why language evolves. They document similarities and differences between English, Latin, Spanish, and French. Then, in the spring they begin formal study of Latin, Spanish, or French—committing to a world language to study in middle school.

World Language

Belmont Day faculty have designed a unique class for fifth graders called Foundations for Language Learning. Students investigate universal truths about how and why language evolves. They document similarities and differences between English, Latin, Spanish, and French. Then, in the spring they begin formal study of Latin, Spanish, or French—committing to a world language to study in middle school.

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Building on the skills and techniques they have learned, fifth graders combine materials and ideas in new ways, such as exploring the intersection of art and math in tessellations.

Visual Arts

Visual Arts

Building on the skills and techniques they have learned, fifth graders combine materials and ideas in new ways, such as exploring the intersection of art and math in tessellations.

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In addition to preparing for performances, fifth graders study movements in music history, including folk and jazz music and the Romantic Period.

Music

Music

In addition to preparing for performances, fifth graders study movements in music history, including folk and jazz music and the Romantic Period.

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Fifth graders use improvisation and collaboration to adapt a classic tale—often a Shakespearean work—into a script they will perform, complete with student-crafted costumes and sets.

Theater Arts

Theater Arts

Fifth graders use improvisation and collaboration to adapt a classic tale—often a Shakespearean work—into a script they will perform, complete with student-crafted costumes and sets.

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Projects emphasize problem-solving and independent thinking as fifth graders combine engineering and computer programming with woodworking skills.

Woodworking and 21st Century Skills

Woodworking and 21st Century Skills

Projects emphasize problem-solving and independent thinking as fifth graders combine engineering and computer programming with woodworking skills.

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Fifth graders select from a variety of sports in our intramural athletics program, which encourages positive risk-taking and good sportsmanship. Students also participate in cooperative games, team-building activities, and fitness challenges.

Physical Education

Physical Education

Fifth graders select from a variety of sports in our intramural athletics program, which encourages positive risk-taking and good sportsmanship. Students also participate in cooperative games, team-building activities, and fitness challenges.

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Students build healthy habits, personal and community awareness, and positive social skills. Among other topics, fifth graders cultivate positive self-esteem and display leadership skills.

Social Competency and Health and Wellness

Social Competency and Health and Wellness

Students build healthy habits, personal and community awareness, and positive social skills. Among other topics, fifth graders cultivate positive self-esteem and display leadership skills.

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Fifth graders gain independence by better understanding their own learning process, and by expanding strategies for organization, time management, and studying.

Study Skills and Support

Study Skills and Support

Fifth graders gain independence by better understanding their own learning process, and by expanding strategies for organization, time management, and studying.

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Fifth grade students conduct research, write computer programs, and engage in design-thinking. Students use laptops, iPads, Chromebooks—exposing them to a variety of platforms and applications.

Information Literacy and Technology

Information Literacy and Technology

Fifth grade students conduct research, write computer programs, and engage in design-thinking. Students use laptops, iPads, Chromebooks—exposing them to a variety of platforms and applications.

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Our Grade 5 Teachers