Grades 4-6

List of 12 items.

• Art

  The personal growth of each student as an artist is encouraged through observation, reflection, interpretation, and expression of ideas. Students are exposed to a plethora of creative possibilities, including the artistic styles of individuals and cultures. In 5th grade students expand their understanding of the elements and principles of design in art and acquire new vocabulary and skills that enable them to analyze and critique artistic pieces. Students work with foil, mat board, India ink, acrylic paint, clay, underglazes, recycled materials, tempera, and watercolor. 

• Character Education

  Character Education is an important aspect in every classroom as students acquire and apply the knowledge, attitudes, and skills necessary to achieve goals, maintain positive relationships, make decisions, and lead by example. Students are encouraged to dream big, focus on their own and each others’ strengths, develop an attitude of gratitude, and make a difference as they create their JCDS legacy. Positive mindsets, virtues of the month, service learning, collaborative activities, and character assemblies enhance the program. 

• Enhancement

  Life skills provide the foundation for adaptability and positivity in dealing effectively with the demands and challenges of everyday life. Students gain self awareness and confidence in this extraordinary journey to prepare them for academic and personal growth successes. Core skill sets include organizational skills, study strategies, communication skills, time management, 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens, interpersonal relationship skills, empathy, creative thinking, identifying personality types, presentation skills, the importance of a positive attitude, and so much more!  The time is now to enhance their potential and lead by example!

• Global Studies

  Students investigate ancient Indian, Egyptian, Greek, and African societies, religions, cultures, governments, geography, and contributions to contemporary life.  Each of these engaging units culminates with a cultural celebration. Activities may include celebrating a country’s food, music, and art along with guest visitors from the region studied. Twenty-first century skills such as creativity, collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, communication, technology, public speaking, innovation and evaluation are the fuel that propel the global studies program. Projects are assigned regularly in relation to the country being studied, and students work individually and in groups to prepare presentations. 

  
  
  
  

• Language Arts

  Students in 5th grade spend the year developing and strengthening their writing and reading skills within the Writing and Reading Workshops. Students also learn grammar and vocabulary to deepen their understanding in reading and writing. In addition, students learn about the morphology of words through studies of classical roots.

  
  

  In Writing Workshop, students become authors of personal narratives, realistic fiction narratives, opinion/argument essays, and informational/research essays. They study mentor texts, which allow them to learn to write like real authors do. Students learn specific skills of writing development, structure, craft, and conventions of the genre, and then practice these skills writing multiple drafts and choosing their best work for final publication. The workshop structure is energetic, engaging and collaborative, giving students time to learn, practice, revise, edit, and share their writing daily.  

  
  

  In Reading Workshop, students read works of strong literature across several genres. They begin with the narrative genre in which students form interpretation book clubs to analyze themes. Next, 5th grade readers learn strategies to help them tackle increasing levels of text complexity in nonfiction reading. They then move into researching debatable issues, as they learn to read with argument and advocacy. Finally, students end the year in fantasy book clubs where they explore the magic of themes and symbols. In Reading Workshop, students choose their own books within a genre, meet with partnerships and book clubs, and engage in strategy lessons, which promote active reading.

• Library

  Students in grades 4 - 6 have the opportunity to use the library and the literacy specialist as an authentic extension of their reading workshops. When our eldest Sharks visit the library in small groups, they are coached into books at their “just right fit” reading level and challenged to expand their “thinking work” from the classroom teacher. Children have these reading conferences with the literacy specialist focusing on meeting them exactly where they are. This programming creates yet another environment on campus where students have a strong connection with a loving adult who has watched them grow for years.

• Math

  Fifth grade students continue to explore increasingly complex concepts in math through hands-on investigations, problem solving, and mathematical reasoning. Skills learned include estimation; finding factors and multiples; prime factorization; comparing, adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing fractions; solving word problems using model drawing; converting measurements expressed as fractions; ratios; combining three quantities using model drawing; identifying formulas for calculating perimeter; area and surface area; adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing decimals; problem solving, converting fractions to percents; calculating percentages of a quantity; analyzing data; identifying unknown angles with and without a protractor; utilizing a variety of models when calculating the average or rate between quantities; geometry; and pre-algebra concepts.

• Music

  5th grade students delve into units that complement their Global Studies program. Throughout the year, they learn about music from India, China, and Greece. They end the year delving into African percussion instruments, create a percussion ensemble, and learn to follow a musical score. They also explore major and minor scales, music composition, and classical composers.

• Physical Education

  Students review swimming and pool safety skills as they participate in centers and group water activities. During this unit, emphasis is placed on advanced stroke development and aerobic conditioning. Later, students hone their team organization, collaboration, and sport specific skills during units on basketball, hockey, track and field, golf, volleyball, and soccer. Students also participate in circuit training, learn a variety of games, and study human growth and development.

• Science

  Through hands-on laboratories students develop hypotheses, control variables, measure, observe and predict as they investigate and experiment. Units of study integrate science, technology, engineering and math and utilize the Makerspace to enable students to ideate and prototype solutions to real issues. During the course of the year, students study health and fitness, electricity, matter, chemical and physical reactions, structure of atoms, periodic table of elements, atomic theory, electrical engineering, natural resources and conservation, and endangered animals with a focus on sea turtles.

• Spanish

  Students develop Spanish verbal and aural skills through conversations, cultural activities, and games. Emphasis is placed on strategies to manipulate lexical and grammatical structures, cognates, pronouns, gender/number agreement, and adjective/verb agreement. Students also learn to read and translate simple texts and utilize Pages, FINDS, Glogster, Google Slides and Maps to research and present their work. Indigenous people from Central and South America and the regions of Spain are explored.

• Technology

  Students learn internet safety techniques, internet research skills, Tinkercad (3D design and printing), iMovie, Google Slides, Google Docs, Notability, Showbie, various iPad apps, EV3 Lego Robotics (building and programming on computer), green screen, and video production. Lessons build on concepts learned in social studies, science, Spanish, and art courses as students utilize technology to extend learning.