RELIGION
Students will learn about each of the Seven Sacraments, the roots of each sacrament and the way each sacrament is celebrated in the Church today. In addition to our study of the sacraments, students learn about the liturgical year, celebrate the seasons of the Church year, celebrate the Mass and sacraments, pray everyday, share faith with others and live out their faith.
Content Focus:
Unit 1: Jesus Christ Shares His Life With Us
Unit 2: Confirmation and Eucharist Complete Our Initiation
Unit 3: The Sacraments of Healing Restore Us
Unit 4: We Love and Serve as Jesus Did
MATH
The University of Chicago Everyday Mathematics (Common Core Edition) builds on understanding mathematics with a focus on problem solving in everyday situations and mathematical contexts, as well as mathematical modeling.
Emphasis is on:
Number Theory
Estimation and Computation
Geometry Explorations
Division
Fractions, Decimals and Percents
Using Data: Addition and Subtraction of Fractions
Exponents and Negative Numbers
Fractions and Ratios
Coordinates, Area, Volume, and Capacity
Using Data: Algebra Concepts and Skills
Volume
Probability, Ratios, and Rates
SCIENCE
Students will ask questions, make observations, measure, graph and analyze data, create models, conduct investigations, support arguments, and complete research. Various teaching strategies are used in the classroom to accommodate different learning styles.
Content focus:
Matter and Structure
Energy in Organisms and Ecosystems
Earth's Systems
Earth's Place in the Universe
SOCIAL STUDIES
Students prepare for their role as informed citizens in a democratic society. Students will study American history and geography from the first appearance of Native Americans. The text used is Social Studies: A U.S. History
Emphasis is on:
the Thirteen Colonies
the American Revolution
the Constitution of the U.S.
Exploring the West
Civil War and Reconstruction
ELAR
Reading
Students will experience authentic literature in many forms including short stories, novels, reader’s theatre, poetry, and nonfiction texts.
Students will learn to read beyond the text in order to analyze: cause and effect, sequence of events, main idea and key details, context clues, figurative language, descriptive language, literary devices, craft and structure, and genre.
The components of the curriculum focus on the development of the students’ ability to read with fluency and comprehension, and to effectively communicate. The students participate in literature circles, challenging them to apply these skills by finding deeper meaning within the text, use academic vocabulary, support their reasoning with text evidence among peers, and to build off of others’ ideas. The textbook used for target skill instruction is Journeys Common Core: Catholic School Edition. The 5th grade paramount novels include: Number the Stars by Lois Lowry, and other student selected novels used within Literature Circles. The Sadiler Vocabulary Series is used for focused instruction of vocabulary acquisition.
Writing
Students will be immersed in the production and distribution of the writing process in order to produce writing pieces that include: narratives, opinion pieces, informative/ explanatory pieces, and creative writing. Students will also experience the research process first hand as they complete personalized learning projects.
The presentation of the writing instills a sense of pride and accomplishment within the students as they are challenged to enhance their speaking through a variety of contexts and tasks while collaborating on multimedia presentations. The goal of each writing experience is to produce creative, discerning, reflective, and expressive communicators.
Language Arts
Students will continue to develop their knowledge of:
The Conventions of Standard English
Knowledge of language when writing, speaking, reading,& listening
Vocabulary acquisition & use
Figurative language,
Word relationships & nuances in word meanings
Academic and domain specific vocabulary.
MUSIC
Students will have the opportunity to participate in music activities and to develop an appreciation for music.
Emphasis is on:
Singing in groups and performance opportunities
Involvement in choirs.
Exploring a variety of musical styles
Understanding tonality through singing and listening activities.
Developing vocal skills, understanding how the voice works
SPANISH
To prepare students to communicate effectively in an increasingly global community.
The Spanish classes focus on the three modes of communication:
Interpersonal-communicating effectively with native speakers in oral fashion.
Interpretive-reading and comprehending authentic texts made for native speakers.
Presentational-expressing yourself effectively and correctly in Spanish in written form.
Theme-based Units
Grade 5
¡Avancemos!1a-Lección Preliminar Nueva York:
Greetings
Spanish alphabet
¡Avancemos!1a-Lección Preliminar Nueva York:
Greetings/Introductions
Spanish alphabet
Ser/Where are you from?
Spanish Numbers 0-10
Spanish days of the week
Spanish months of the year
Weather expressions
Classroom instructions
¡Avancemo!1a!-Unidad 1/Lección 1 Estados Unidos
Activities
Like and don’t like to do
Ser
ART
The art class at Saint Mary is an interactive experience where students are encouraged to strive for a "growth mindset.” All forms of artistic mediums to do a variety of artistic projects.
Students are assessed using letter grades that align with Marzano’s assessment criteria for visual arts:
A is given for students who do what was asked and more in the areas of creativity and craftsmanship
B what was asked
C more could be done
D did not due what needed to be done
creativity
craftsmanship
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
The goal of the P.E. and Health curriculum at Saint Mary School is for students to gain a greater awareness about what constitutes their physical, mental and social well-being. The program mission is to provide the knowledge and skills that will enable students to become literate. This will allow them to make responsible decisions and maintain a healthy lifestyle for the rest of their life, which benefits students of all ages and all aspects of their growth, development and learning. This will allow the students to become proficient movers, demonstrate strong character, collaborate effectively with their peers, think critically and become advocates for family and friends in promoting the value of exercise and making healthy lifestyle choices.
