Fifth Grade
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The opportunities for fifth graders expand critically and creatively as they explore some advance ideas in art, design thinking, and more.
Language Arts
- Appreciate and respond to literature during Reader’s Workshop
- Integrate comprehension strategies while reading to gain understanding of text
- Understand literary elements as conventions in reading and writing
- Apply metacognitive skills while reading
- Examine word choice to develop accuracy and precision of language
- Complete analogies and state their relationships
- Use figurative language to gain understanding while reading
- Apply the six traits of writing to all Writer’s Workshop narrative, informational, and opinion texts
- Use MLA format to write an evaluative, research-based essay on topic of choice
- Analyze sentence structure and edit writing samples for proper use of parts of speech, phrases, subject-verb agreement, clauses, mechanics, and spelling rules
Math
- Perform calculations with multi-digit whole numbers, fractions, and decimals
- Process and solve word problems using all operations
- Explain prime and composite numbers
- Convert fractions to percents and percents to fractions
- Convert fractions to ratios
- Explore geometric properties and relationships of lines, angles, polygons, and circles
- Discover different types of angles, polygons, and triangles
- Use formulas to find area, perimeter, volume, circumference, and diameter
- Demonstrate an understanding of elementary algebraic patterns and relationships
- Construct various graphs to communicate data appropriately
- Analyze data using basic statistical terms
Social Studies
- Survey and examine events in U.S. history from pre-contact America through the Civil War
- Make connections from the past to the present and possibly the future
- Read for understanding and summarize historical events
- Conduct internet research
- Determine main ideas and worthy conclusions within texts and take informative notes
- State a claim and support it with historical data
- Apply understanding of vocabulary and sentence structure to write an essay featuring content and opinions of American history
- Use critical and creative-thinking skills to write a reflection on historical topics
Science
- Observe, investigate, and describe Newton’s Laws of Motion
- Understand the impact of friction on a moving object
- Relate potential energy to kinetic energy
- Describe the action and reaction forces involved in motion
- Discover and demonstrate the properties of air
- Build and launch parachutes; observe how the shape and size of parachutes affect flight
- Investigate and construct model airplanes
- Relate an increase in power to an increase in thrust
- Build a model rocket complete with internal fuel source
- Observe how air pressure provides thrust needed to launch a spacecraft into orbit
Curriculum Overview by Grade
Early Childhood
Elementary
Curriculum Overview: Special Areas
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1
We intentionally educate and nurture the heart, soul, mind, and body of each boy.
Guiding Principles
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2
We know, nurture, and love each boy as a unique child of God.
Guiding Principles
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3
We teach the Bible and model the Christian faith to our boys.
Guiding Principles
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4
We aren't just teachers; we are life-long learners and students.
Guiding Principles
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5
We push students to engage as thinkers.
Guiding Principles
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6
In an increasingly connected world, our curriculum has a global perspective.
Guiding Principles
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7
Flexible teaching strategies seek to maximize learning for each boy.
Guiding Principles
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8
Our assessments aren't just a way to measure learning — we want our boys to demonstrate understanding.
Guiding Principles
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9
We seek to enroll boys from diverse backgrounds.
Guiding Principles
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10
We seek balance and excellence in all we do.
Guiding Principles
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11
We aren't just boy-friendly; we're boy-specific.
Guiding Principles
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12
Our program sets a foundation of learning that will help boys thrive beyond PDS.
Guiding Principles
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13
We take time to make sure our faculty and staff are growing spiritually.
Guiding Principles
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14
We hold high standards for ourselves, pushing ourselves to reflect, renew, and grow.