Language Arts

Trade books ("Reading in Common") continue to be used to expand students' awareness and appreciation of different forms of literature. Students are taught about using evidence from their reading to explain (orally and in writing) their factual understanding, interpretations/inferences,and comparisons to other readings. Students learn to lead discussion and activity groups and to record and report on the work conducted.

The teaching of writing focuses on the writing process in both expository and creative genres, with attention to different ways of adding description and improving the appearance of the piece. Spelling rules, grammar, parts of speech, shades of meaning, word families, and figurative language continue to be taught. The Six Traits model is used for assessing and strengthening writing skills and as a guide for developing rubrics for individual projects. Students learn to share their work in small groups and receive helpful critiquing from teachers and peers.

Mathematics

The Scott Foresman-Addison Wesley enVision math program is used with teacher selected materials to reinforce skills. The math program emphasizes strategies through standard algorithms and hands-on projects. Topics include:

• continued practice and mastery addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division math facts
• introduction to the standard algorithm for single and double-digit multiplication and division
• decimals to the thousandths place
• spatial relationships
• geometry
• measurement
• fractions
• probability and statistics
• logic
• simple algebaric patterns

Students practice explaining their answers in words, numbers, and pictures.

Science

• Experiments with Plants: setting up an experiment with variables and understanding the life cycle and parts of plants
• Astronomy: The Solar System, Earth/Moon relationship, Shadows/Light
• Land and Water: Erosion/Weathering, Land Forms, Humans' impact on the environment

Social Studies/Geography

People Come to North America:

• settlement of North America by Native Americans
• Bering Land Bridge theory
• role geography plays in the development of regional and cultural differences
• maps and geographic landforms

Related Studies

Students use computers to do word-processing, skill reinforcement, and research. They learn to use Powerpoint and other programs as vehicles for demonstrating learning.

The arts are integrated with language arts and social studies via songs, plays, mixed media (e.g. watercolors, paint, pastels, cut paper) and Sloyd projects.