Fifth Grade

Fifth Grade

The fifth grade children see the world with a calmer curiosity. They will soon leave another phase of childhood behind them and cross a new threshold of experience, but during the fifth grade year they are imbued with the same image of perfect balance as the ancient Greeks. The child of this age is often seen as having reached the pinnacle of childhood where for a moment all is harmonious, full of beauty and confidence, where one can fully flourish. The curriculum supports this by building on already established foundations, as well as introducing new elements to prepare them for the next step.

Ancient history in the fifth grade starts in the vibrant images and heroes of the great writings of ancient India. Then follow the new advances in thinking, as well as wonderful stories and unique cultural manifestations of ancient Persia, Mesopotamia, Egypt, and early Greece.

After a journey through the world mythologies and the cultural richness of early civilizations, history now introduces exact temporal concepts and proceeds in sequence. It stirs the students to a more intense experience of their humanity by the way it is introduced. With the story of Alexander the Great, biography will henceforward be a cornerstone to the manner in which events of the past are understood.

Every means is used to give the children a vivid impression of these ancient cultures. They read translations of poetry, study written symbols and sample arts, crafts, and foods of various ancient peoples; trying their hands at similar creations.

The study of North American geography emphasizes contrast. Every consideration of the earth’s physical features is linked with a study of the way human life has been lived in the region; the human uses of natural resources, industry, and produce. The Native Americans, as first people of these regions, are studied and talked about.

As a continuation of their study of the living earth, the fifth graders study botany, the plant world. The children go out to experience the plants as they find them in nature or in the garden. They observe, draw and discuss the cycles of plant life.

Composition, spelling, grammar, and reading are developed steadily as the children read and write about what they are learning. Skills are refined with longer report writing, and more individual writing in lesson books. Revision and refinement of composition, further understanding of grammar and more complex punctuation, like the proper use of the colon and semi-colon is learned.

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