Literature
In addition to individual novel reading using the Accelerated Reading program, students in fifth grade read Hatchet, My Brother Sam and The Lion, The and The Wardrobe. Students also read stories in our Treasures in Literature textbook. Students investigate mystery novels and nonfiction text in Ms. Tatone's class.
Language Arts
Spelling is a weekly part of our curriculum. Students study 25-30 words each week, by completing weekly workbook activities. Students are given a Pretest and Post-tests. Students also explore writing in Writer's Notebooks to expand creativity and writing fluency. The study of basic grammar is also a part of our language arts. Students in Ms. Tatone's class also study nonfiction writing in magazines. Students then create their own magazine.
Science
In science class we explore matter, forces of nature, life processes, weather and climate, astronomy, and ecology.
Social Studies
In fifth grade, we investigate United States History. Students learn about geography through SPAM and DOG, two unusual activities that motivate students to learn. We begin the year exploring how the Americas were inhabited, explorers that set sail for the Americas, and when and where the colonies began. We continue to explore how the states were formed, how our government came to be, and what conflicts arose throughout this journey. Students research a state of their choosing, to create a state report. We spend a good portion of our time on the American Revolution, the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution and the Branches of Government. We also spend some time talking about the Civil War.
In correlation with our social studies curriculum, we take several field trips. We visit Camp St. Croix, where we work on team building and orienteering. In late winter, we visit the MN State Capitol Building to see how our government works. In the Spring, we see a Civil War reenactment.
Math
In the fifth grade math curriculum, we study a variety of math topics. Students will enhance their skills in place value, by extending it to the Billions place and adding decimal place value. Students then move to explore decimals in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. Graphing of many types of graphs is completed in fifth grade, along with the use of range, mean, median, and mode. One of the bigger units of study is fractions. Students review the basics of fractions and then begin applying those basics to comparing and ordering of fractions, decimals, and mixed numbers. Students learn how to add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions and mixed numbers. The process of converting fractions and decimals into percents is used. Other units of study are measurement ( metric and customary),Geometry, Perimeter, Area, Volume, Ratios, Probability, Algebra, and Integers.
In addition to our fifth grade text we also incorporate math stations. Each student is expected to complete 18 stations in a quarter. These stations include worksheets or games on topics of study for each quarter. These are used to challenge, enrich and reinforce skills necessary for everyday problem solving and math class.
Religion
Our fifth grade religion text is Blessed Are We. Throughout the book we focus on the sacraments. We study the Beatitudes and the Fruits of the Spirit as well. The fifth grade completes a service project each year during Lent. Students learn the art of stitching.Their stitched blocks are put together to make quilts. Two of these quilts are placed in a school auction, as a fundraiser for our school, while the rest are sent down to Guatemala to our sister parish.
In addition to our religion textbook, we also spend time on a Character Ed and Bullying curriculum. Here students learn about good character traits that God has given each of us. We also spend time discussing bullying, what is it and how to prevent or handle tough issues. Through these two addition curriculums our mission is to teach students to be better Christians in the world around them.
Art
Art is taught by a teacher who has a B.S. degree in K-12 Broad Area Art Education. The students meet once a week for 40 minutes for the entire year. The art curriculum at St. Patrick School follows the theory of Discipline Based Art Education which centers around and teaches art history, aesthetics, production, and criticism.
Fifth grade art centers around the Impressionist and Postimpressionist periods. The students learn extensively about Edward Degas, Vincent van Gogh, and George Seurat. They learn about and are tested on the artist's background and their artistic characteristics and are able to identify their artwork. They also learn about and do projects that center around books arts and typography. In addition, they review, from 3rd grade, and do an in-depth project on linear perspective. As a highlight of art in fifth grade, the students have an art experience day. They spend the morning at the Minnesota Center for Book Arts and create their own 'font' and produce a class alphabet which they each print on a Vander Cook printing press. In the afternoon, they take a tour of the Minneapolis Institute of Art and see specific works of art they have studied in class.
Computer Technology
The computer technology curriculum at St. Patrick School approaches technology as a tool. We do not teach technology for the sake of technology but as a tool to be used to enhance learning in other subjects areas. Fifth grade students meet for computers for 40 minutes a week for three quarters of the school year starting second quarter.
Fifth grade computers starts off with a review in proper keyboarding techniques. They then review and go more in-depth using StarOffice Presenter (PowerPoint) which was introduced in fourth grade. They get to pick a famous building or structure from anywhere in the world and then research its construction and history using the internet and book research. After they have assembled their notes, they use Presenter to create a presentation on their building. To finish the year, they learn about statistics and percentages and how to use a spreadsheet to create a graph, and how to properly label and present their information.
Music
