ELA

Students entering Fifth Grade will utilize Houghton Mifflin Harcourt’s (HMH) Into Reading Grade 5 curriculum as the backbone of their English Language Arts study. Outside of the required textbook, students are expected to choose reading level-appropriate texts to read and complete monthly book reports, emphasizing genre study, plot structure, character analysis, and tones/themes.

Our whole group instruction is supported by small group reading lessons. Individual reading assessments are conducted at intervals throughout the year, and reading groups are formed to provide targeted instruction where students need it the most. Additionally, students participate in literature circles which provide opportunities for them to extend their thinking and dive into more challenging texts.

Writing is composed of essay writing, narrative writing, research writing, and grammar practice which include sentence writing and paragraph writing.  Weekly spelling lists are given to students and tests include spelling words correctly and using them is sentence.

Math

Our Math Curriculum is the Texas Go Math by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. We cover all state standards required for Texas 5th graders.

We begin the year with Number and Operation: Place Value, Fractions, and Operations then continue with Number and Operations. The curriculum stresses knowing basic facts to do mental math. The second half of the year we begin Algebraic Reasoning, Geometry and Measurement, Personal Financial Literacy (students become little entrepreneurs with market days at SPX) and end with Data Analysis.

Science

Fifth Grade utilizes HMH Science Fusion Grade 5 as our starting point for scientific inquiry and investigation. We supplement guided instruction from the book with:

*Small group experiments that familiarize students with implementing the scientific method and using entry-level laboratory equipment

*Large group investigations that connect textbook instruction to real-world case studies

A capstone project of our science curriculum is a five-week project in coordination with Starbase Kelly at Lackland AFB, where students design, construct, and ultimately test rocket prototypes in a fun and safe environment.

Social Studies

Fifth Grade continues to use the myWorld curriculum provided by Savvas Learning Company. The Building Our Nation Grade 5 textbook is used for in-class guided reading, while the Savvas Realize digital learning platform is used for supplementary learning materials and online quiz and test assignments.

Fifth Grade also participates in a Living History Museum project, which calls for students to research an American historical figure and embody that figure in a staged museum during Catholic Schools Week