FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM

Santan Elementary

Mrs. Ross’ Class

2012 – 2013

School Year

READING Harcourt Reading Series

Literature Groups/Circles

Independent and Partner Reading

Guided Reading to meet individual needs

On-going assessments for comprehension and fluency

Vocabulary, comprehension, & fluency development

ELA (English Language Arts) Common Core - This year, we will be slowly introducing the new Common Core Language Arts Standards to the students. We will be focusing on various skills in four major categories: Reading, Writing, Speaking & Listening, and Language.

CAFÉ : COMPREHENSION, ACCURACY, FLUENCY, AND

EXPANDING VOCABULARY Engaging all students in

daily literacy assessment and instruction

This “Café” is a menu that supports students in becoming comfortable linking their knowledge to standards

The Café book provides technical expertise necessary for individual students to receive exactly what they need to improve as readers.

READING STANDARDS Narrative Elements Prefixes and Suffixes Cause and Effect Drawing Conclusions Sequencing Locating Information Elements of Non-Fiction: Text Structure Word Relationships Main Idea and Details Summarizing Literature Fact and Opinion Author’s Purpose Compare/Contrast Inferencing

SPELLING

Santan 5th grade No Excuse List

Words Their Way sorts specific to fifth grade standards

Dictation Sentences

Vocabulary from Literature or other units of study

WRITING 6+1 Traits

Writing Process / Write From the Beginning

(focusing on thinking maps)

Genres of writing Persuasive

essays Narrative essays Expository

Essays Descriptive

Essays Poetry Literature

Response

WHAT IS AN INTERACTIVE NOTEBOOK? A working portfolio – all of your students’ notes, classwork,

homework – in one convenient spot. These personal, creative notebooks become a record of each

student’s growth in writing, thinking, recording, and organization skills.

THE BASICS: LEFT-SIDE/RIGHT-SIDE

An open notebook can be seen as a two page spread. For our purposes, a two-page spread is

one lesson.

LEFT IS FOR LEARNING

The left side is for teacher input – notes,

foldables articles, questions

RIGHT IS FOR REFLECTION/WRITING

The right side is for student output – graphic

organizers, drawings, interpretive writing, students notes of

examples any creative way for students to demonstrate their

understanding of the content

GRAMMAR

Modeling through mini-lessons

Daily grammar review as needed

Application in every day writing

MATHEMATICS

The overall goal within the curricular area of mathematics is for students to have not just a basic knowledge of each concept that they learn, but for them to apply it with a certain depth of knowledge. Due to this, students will be required to solve more detailed questions and problems.

Visit the Arizona Department of Education or Chandler Unified School District website to see more about standards changes. http://www.azed.gov/standards-practices/common-core-state-standards/ (All about Common Core)

Arizona Department of Education homepage www.ade.state.az.us

Chandler Unified School District homepage ww2.chandler.k12.az.us

WORKING WITH CORNELL NOTES…5TH GRADE STYLE

MATH STANDARDS

Some standards covered in math this year:

•Fractions•Decimals•Order of Operations•Multiplication & Division ( expected that basic 0-12’s are memorized coming into 5th grade)

•Patterns•Euler Paths & Circuits•Integers•Algebra•Geometry•Mean, Median, Mode & Range•Estimation•Graphing

SOCIAL STUDIES

Social Studies Concepts: American Colonization and the thirteen colonies

American Revolution

Westward Expansion

Civil War

Economics

Geography

Foundations of Government

SCIENCEScience Concepts:

The Solar System

Forces and Motion

Properties of Matter

Simple Machines

Human Body Systems

Science Fair * In the past I have put on a Science day for the kids… this

requires about 10 – 12 volunteers and does take some prep work on your end.. Would anyone be interested? I supply the lessons

MISCELLANEOUS INFORMATION Fundraisers- Grade level T-shirts and Gold Canyon Candles

(on sale now!)

Tax Credit Donations – 100% tax deductable Possible Field Trips:

Biz Town

ASU Planetarium and Mars Exhibit

We attend a play TBD

Traveling Benjamin Franklin Exhibit

Arrowhead Pool (End of Year Celebration!)

o Possible Class visitors• EVIT Marine instructor compare/contrast military training then and

now• ATF SWAT – Bulling• Chandler Fire fighters – CPR information• * If you know anyone or if you yourself does something connecting

to our standards and you’d like to come and share with the class, please let me know! It’s important to bring in visitors and show the kids how their knowledge connects

HOW WE USE THE AGENDA… Throughout the day and at the end of class your child

and I will be filling out the agenda with important information. If you see it highlighted in yellow, then it’s important for you to know and/or homework. If the item is not highlighted then they may have completed the work or the “permission slip” may have already been turned in.

You will find all information in the yellow folder Yellow is the only color I use – important information

from me will also be sent home on yellow paper. I ask that you frequently check in with your child and

take a peek in their agenda, I am not having kids get it signed each night, but if certain friends become frequent flyers on my missing work list, we will need to make different arrangements

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO BE A PART OF YOUR CHILD’S LIFE! YOU HAVE MY

PROMISE THAT I WILL TREAT YOUR CHILD IN THE PROFESSIONAL MANNER THAT I WOULD

EXPECT FOR MY OWN CHILD.I MEAN IT WHEN I REFER TO US AS TEAM ROSS… I BELIEVE IT TAKES ALL OF US TO MAKE YOUR CHILD AS SUCCESSFUL AS

HE/SHE CAN POSSIBLY BE!

If you have any questions don’t hesitate to contact me via

email or simply just come on in

Ross.Hannah@chandler.k12.az.us

V.I.S.AVERY IMPORTANT SPECIAL ACTIVITY

Each week your child will receive a strip of 4 VISA’s.

If work is turned in late, not handed in, behavior interferes with my teaching, their learning or the learning of others a VISA will be turned in. Your child will fill in the reason it was lost on the back side.

Losing 1 VISA is considered a “warning” – 2 is a loss of recess – 3 would be a loss of recess and a phone call home – 4 is a detention

VISA’s left at the end of the week are placed in our reward bucket! Students have a chance to “bump” a person out of their spot to sit with a friend or pick an item from the Ross Box

CLASS DONATIONS & NEEDS Yellow highlighters Candy for our jar (no gum please) Glue sticks Items for our “Ross Box” (treasure box – VISA rewards) Ream of white copy paper Ream of yellow copy paper Scotch tape rolls CD of calm music, no words for writing time I’m always picking up little extra’s here and there for

classroom activities, gift cards to the following stores are helpful… Walgreens Barnes and Noble Target/Walmart Frys/Basha’s