LANGUAGE ARTS

This 1st Grade Language Arts course will teach students to identify and write all letters, produce letter sounds, and frequently used phonograms. Students will also master weekly sight words and reading and comprehension strategies to grow as readers. This course meets all Common Core 1 LA standards.

MATH

During the first semester students will build fluency with basic math. They will learn to count to 100, basic addition and subtraction facts, and how to add double-digit numbers. Students will be introduced to such new concepts as word problems, Venn diagrams, and basic geometric concepts.

Students will begin counting by twos, fives, and tens during the second semester. They will learn both vertical addition and subtraction. Students are introduced to multiplication, division, and the signs used in those operations. They will also study even and odd numbers.

SCIENCE

Students in this course will complete projects designed to allow for exploration and discovery. Students observe their surroundings and, through observations of the natural world, conduct inquiries into topics related to their healthy development.

SOCIAL STUDIES

This semester, students begin to explore the fundamentals of social studies, including map skills and cardinal directions, and examine maps of the U.S. and the globe. They will also be introduced to important figures from American history, such as Pocahontas, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, and Clara Barton.

The second semester focuses on introductory economics. Students will study bartering, goods and services, jobs in the community, and how the marketplace works.

LANGUAGE ARTS

The 2nd Grade Language Arts course will teach students to spell and write vocabulary, read more fluently, apply grammar concepts, and participate in handwriting and writing activities through thematic units. Students will also continue to master weekly sight words and reading and comprehension strategies to grow as readers. This course meets all Common Core 2 LA standards.

MATH

During the first semester, students will build fluency with basic math facts and add and subtract within 100 to solve word problems using strategic methods. They will also manipulate numbers to 1000 using knowledge of hundreds, tens, and ones. Lastly, students will demonstrate arrays with repeated addition.

During the second semester, students will use place values to add and subtract within 1000. They will use place value to estimate and solve word problems to demonstrate skills. Students will measure and compare length and represent it on a number line. They will work with money and time to compare value. Students will collect data and represent it on graphs to discuss it. Lastly, they will recognize common two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes by specific characteristics.

SCIENCE

2nd Grade Science introduces students to the observation process and its importance in studying science. Learners will identify their five senses and why they are critical to observation. Students will use these observation skills throughout the course to examine many different types of animals and their environments. Students begin by observing ants in their environments and continue to learn the different kinds of birds. Students will come to understand plant and animal rhythms and will perform small experiments with plants. Stories will be used to teach the students about nature and the interactions that humans have with nature. They will continue to learn about animals and their characteristics, habitats, and needs.

SOCIAL STUDIES

In this course, students will explore the fundamentals of social studies, including culture, geography, and economics. Students will explore the Ancient Cultures of China, Africa, and the Celts. Students will explore these cultures through ancient folk tales and fables. Learners will create a photo book describing significant events in their own lives. They will also examine the importance of geography and direction. Students will learn how to locate boundaries while using a world map. Students will identify the places discussed in the previous lessons, including Africa, China, and the British Isles.

LANGUAGE ARTS

This 3rd Grade Language Arts course will teach students reading comprehension skills and strategies to help them become stronger readers. Students will also master weekly vocabulary, spelling words, and grammar concepts to help them become stronger writers. This course meets all Common Core 3rd Grade LA standards.

MATH

During the first semester, students will build flexibility with numbers as they master addition and subtraction facts and multiplication and division facts. Students will understand relationships between addition and subtraction, multiplication and addition, and multiplication and division as they learn to borrow, carry, and regroup to find sums and differences of two whole numbers up to 10,000. They will also learn the place value of base ten numbers up to 1,000,000 to discover patterns and make estimations. Lastly, they will implement a 4-step approach to solving problems and express numbers differently, translating them into Roman numerals or ordinal numbers.

 During the second semester, students will explore concepts of linear measurement, weight, volume, temperature, and time. They will also recognize, compare, and convert fractions. Students will write amounts of money and make change using as few coins as possible. Lastly, students will examine lines, polygons, and solid figures as they are introduced to basic geometry concepts.

SCIENCE

3rd grade science introduces students to experimentation as they journey through the earth and its many miracles. They will begin by learning about the planet, the sun, and the moon. By participating in simple experiments, students will explore the water cycle, gravity, the weather and its patterns, various types of terrain, and the role of plants in oxygen production and their importance to human survival. Learners will expand their knowledge through videos, pictures, short readings, projects, and hands-on experiments.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Students will begin to explore the fundamentals of social studies, including geography, civics, and economics. They will start at the beginning of civilization and examine the ancient Hebrew culture, the Phoenicians, and the Kush tribe of ancient Africa. They will then study the Native American tribes of the Cherokee, Sioux, and Hopi. Students will also learn about the first explorers of the Americas and the beginning of the United States. In the first semester, students will learn notable geographical factors in the ancient civilizations, Native American tribes, and the developing United States. Students will increase their skills by creating maps and looking at the landscapes. They will closely examine their heritage by mapping their ancestry.

LANGUAGE ARTS

4th grade Language Arts integrates reading, writing, speaking, listening, and the study of vocabulary and grammar to engage today’s learners and support them in building a broad and diverse set of literacy skills. Students study classic literature and more contemporary forms, including media and multimedia products. Writing assignments in semester A focus on narrative and persuasive modes and emphasize the use of reasoning and details to support opinions. Each writing assignment spans several lessons and guides students through a writing process that begins with prewriting and ends by emphasizing one or more aspects of conventions of standard written English. Students also learn how to participate in collaborative discussions and peer review sessions. In each lesson, engaging and relevant models and step-by-step instruction guide students toward mastering and appreciating 21st-century communication in all its forms and functions.

MATH

4th grade math uses a varied amount of instructional material to reinforce and teach new math skills. Instruction includes creative videos, mathematical storytelling, practical math applications, and repetition to reinforce skills throughout the course. Students will gain strong knowledge in three focused areas by the end of the course. The first is to gain proficiency in multi-digit multiplication and understand how to divide to find quotients involving multi-digit dividends. The second step is to develop an understanding of equivalent fractions and addition, subtraction, and multiplication of fractions with like denominators. The third will be addressed in semester B.

SCIENCE

4th grade science includes the three main domains of science: physical, life, and earth and space science. Students will use various kinds of experiments, including field studies, systematic observations, models, and controlled studies. The course begins with an explanation of the scientific method, which the students continue to use and build upon throughout the course. Earth’s big picture is examined as students review the life on our planet, salt and freshwater, and fast and slow changes that occur on the planet. Lessons go beyond planet Earth as they study galaxies, the solar system, and other planets. Students examine how forces and motion can be measured and how a single kind of matter can exist as a solid, liquid, or gas. This course uses many modes of instruction, including video presentations, enrichment activities, and hands-on experimentation.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Students will use their understanding of social studies skills to explore their local states and communities. They will begin by learning the topography of their area by creating a detailed landscape model. This project will be hands-on and require students to research their communities. They will also examine local wildlife and gain an understanding of local Native American grounds in their part of the country. This course walks students through the research and report writing steps vital to continuing social studies. They will continue to focus on their states as they do projects based on local geography, state capitals, and nearby natural wonders and landforms. The semester concludes with an introduction to colonial history.

Semester B of 4th grade Social Studies picks up where semester A left off by examining the frontier life of the early American settlers. Students learn the difficulties that early settlers faced when reaching America. They apply knowledge of historical thinking, chronology, turning points, individuals, and local and United States history themes to understand how history has shaped the present and will shape the future. They will continue the focus of local history by doing research projects on settlers from their particular states and on how their state became a part of the Union.

LANGUAGE ARTS

5th grade Language Arts integrates reading, writing, speaking, listening, vocabulary, and grammar to engage and support students in building a broad and diverse set of literacy skills. They study classic literature and more contemporary forms, including media and multimedia products. Writing assignments in semester A focus on narrative and persuasive modes and emphasize the use of reasoning and details to support opinions. Each assignment spans several lessons and guides students through a writing process that begins with prewriting and ends by emphasizing one or more aspects of conventions of standard written English. Students also learn how to participate in collaborative discussions and peer review sessions. In each lesson, engaging and relevant models and step-by-step instruction guide students toward mastering and appreciating 21st-century communication in all its forms and functions.

MATH

Students will learn math topics outlined in this course, drawing from a variety of sources, including hands-on activities, interactive lessons, and practical math applications. Students will focus on several critical areas, including but not limited to developing fluency in addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions. They will also learn to extend division to 2-digit divisors, integrate decimal fractions into the place value system, and increase an understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths. They will develop fluency with whole numbers and decimal operations. The semester begins with operations and expressions, moves into decimals and money, and ends with more work on fractions. Learners will gain valuable skills as they carry out activities that model real-life situations like grocery shopping throughout the semester.

Semester B begins with students continuing to work with fractions. The first lesson focuses on ratios and challenges students to solve word problems using fractions and ratios in practical life situations. Students will continue strengthening their math skills by studying mixed and fraction products, fraction application, models, and division. The third critical area students will focus on is volume.

SCIENCE

5th grade science continues to build on the science skills that have been obtained in years previous. There will be an emphasis on earth and space science, life science, and physical science. Students will begin the course by focusing on Earth and space science by looking at the solar system and planets. Students will come to an understanding of the concept of the Earth as a sphere and the Earth’s place in the solar system. The course continues with a focus on physical science and the different tools that can measure force, time, and distance. They will also grow in their understanding of how light and sound travel and interact with each other, as well as the different types of energy. The semester concludes with a look into life science and the ways that organisms are interconnected. Instruction will include real life application, hands-on projects and assessments, and video and short research projects.

Semester B significantly emphasizes life science and begins with a focus on the Earth’s many ecosystems and how all parts of ecosystems depend on each other. Students will learn about different types of ecosystems that exist. They will discover that ecosystems change and how they affect their ability to support their populations. Students will examine plants, their structures, and how they allow them to respond to different needs. Students will also learn the importance of good nutrition to all living organisms. The course concludes with a look into the scientific process and the importance of investigations and conclusions in the study of science.

SOCIAL STUDIES

5th grade social studies combines U.S. History through the Civil War with a geographical exploration of the United States. Students will use social studies skills and concepts as they study the development of the United States. The first semester begins with North America’s early settlements. It takes an in-depth look into what life was like for colonists and Native Americans. Students will review the causes of the Revolutionary War and the people who played a significant role in it. The semester ends with students examining the new nation and what life was like for European immigrants and those on the frontier.

Semester B begins with exploring the West and what life was like for those looking to find gold. Students will look at slavery and what led to the Civil War. Then, the course departs from American history and focuses on cultures, people, and the geography of the United States from the past to the present. Students explore the country region by region and discover all it has to offer. Students will conclude the course by planning and describing a trip they would like to take to a particular place within the 50 United States. They will take a hands-on approach as they learn the geography, climate, and culture of the U.S.