5th Grade

The reading program focuses on enhancing both literal and inferential reading skills. Students explore a variety of genres through diverse literature, and gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of characters, stories, and events. As tools to strengthen their comprehension, they practice a variety of reading strategies, as well as practice the skill of making meaningful annotations, identifying text structure, using text features, and navigating figurative language. 

As their reading skills advance, students are expected to complete increasingly challenging tasks. This includes book projects on a biography, historical fiction, and an award-winning novel. Students present their projects to their classmates and through practice and continued exposure, students gain confidence in public speaking, maintaining eye-contact with audience members, and accepting constructive feedback from their peers and teacher. Students also practice answering both short and long response questions that require students to cite textual evidence, give examples, and think beyond the text.

In our writing program, students gain continued exposure to the five paragraph essay, using many resources, including the Step Up to Writing curriculum, as their aid for producing clear, structured work. Throughout the year, students are engaged in the writing process for multiple expository, persuasive, and narrative essays. All aspects of the writing process (drafting, editing, revising, and finalizing) are practiced for all formal essays. Additionally, direct lessons further support their development as young writers, focusing on skills such as using a variety of sentence structures, incorporating rich vocabulary, and utilizing figurative language devices. To culminate the writing experience, each student creates their personal “5th grade magazine” which includes all the year’s written works.

While there are many project highlights, one particularly exciting showcase is the “T-Shirt Book Report.” For this unique experience, students design and create a T-shirt and write a persuasive summary to present to their classmates. Projects are critiqued based on originality, detail, and, for their written piece, their effectiveness in persuading the audience. 

For the poetry unit, students read Sharon Creech’s Love that Dog and analyze the original poems of poets such as Langston Hughes, William Blake, and Valerie Worth. The artistry of each poet is studied and honored as students then write their own rendition of the poems learned. Poetry is an important facet to the writing curriculum and is integrated throughout the year.

In 5th grade mathematics, our leveled classes accommodate students’ varied learning rates through flexible, ability-based learning groups. The grade-level and advanced curriculum concentrates on enhancing conceptualization and real-world problem solving, as well as on mastery of whole number operations, fractions, decimals, geometry, percentages, probability, measurement, ratios, and early pre-algebra. The program prepares students for the higher-level thinking that is the foundation not only of our 6th grade program, but also of any middle school pre-algebra or algebra class that they will take after they leave Laurence.

Fourth through 6th grade students are eligible to participate in our Mathletes Club, which meets weekly to explore complex, challenging math problems and competes (with great success) throughout Los Angeles in a variety of math tournaments.

In social studies, students study American history from the time of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca people to post Civil-War reconstruction. Topics include learning about the geography of the United States, early civilizations of Mesoamerica, Native American cultural regions, the effects of European exploration of North America, the 13 English colonies, the Revolutionary War, early U.S. Government, U.S. westward expansion, the U.S. Civil War, and Reconstruction. Students look at each of these periods of American history through different points of view and use a variety of primary and secondary sources as resources to gather information. Students participate in various immersion simulations, as well as traditional class instruction.  A focus on note-taking, multiple perspectives, and working collaboratively is an important piece of the social studies program. 

The Global Education program in 5th grade focuses on their sister continent of Africa, with an emphasis on Tanzania, where their sister school is located. The 5th graders communicate with students from their sister school through letters and videos, sharing photos, goals, and interests. This global connection allows the students to learn from each other, therein developing a better understanding of the world. Furthermore, proceeds from the 5th grade's annual Farmer's Market benefit their sister school. 

Additionally, the students have used the icons of depth and complexity to drive their thinking and deepen their comprehension while analyzing images from all over the world. They also discuss current events, using sources such as CNN 10, so that the students can further engage with what is happening around the globe.

In the 5th grade science curriculum, the children practice applying the scientific method to their studies in our fully-equipped science lab and in outdoor gardens and ecosystems. The 5th grade curriculum includes units on biology, the Earth, and physical science. Students study the ocean, including its flora and fauna, and many different habitats. Working in small, cooperative groups and independently, they also explore units on the body (human development/puberty) and the solar system.

Fifth grade students also learn design thinking, engineering, and programming throughout their LEGO robotics projects using LEGO Robot EV3 kits. Working in teams, students come up with a design idea for a project that will solve a real-world problem. Once complete, students demonstrate their robots and share their design process at a symposium.

A true high point of the 5th grade is a three-day, two-night excursion to Astrocamp, where the children participate in science enrichment programming and outdoor educational experiences. Another stand out aspect of the 5th grade’s program is the spring inquiry-based Science Share, where students, working in small, cooperative groups, take on the role of scientists in formulating questions and testing hypotheses on any given topic applicable to the curriculum. They plan and conduct investigations, emphasizing skills such as predicting, drawing inferences, measuring, identifying cause and effect relationships, and supporting conclusions with evidence. Finally, they showcase their findings before parents, friends, and other members of the school community.

Our upper-elementary school children have many opportunities to be leaders through science. On Planting Day, they pair up with their 1st grade Buddies to plant our Edible Garden and engage in interactive activities in the Science Center. 

At Thanksgiving time, the 5th graders demonstrate their commitment to Character Education & Service Learning by making "Thanksgiving in a Bag" donations for a variety of charities that serve food insecure families. In addition to preparing these ready-made dinners, students package them in personally-decorated grocery bags that include handwritten cards.

Our Farmer's Market program teaches 5th graders about sustainability and economics. Students see what it is like to be local farmers and entrepreneurs – growing and tending the produce in our Edible Garden, designing and packaging the products, determining the cost of the items, and selling the fruits (and vegetables) of their labor at our Spring Open House & Global Faire. Proceeds from the Farmer's Market help sustain our Edible Garden and are also donated to the 5th grade's sister schools in Africa.

Students in 5th grade are paired up as mentors to 1st grade students, helping them to deepen their leadership skills and gain a greater sense of responsibility. They participate in meaningful activities together, such as planting in our Edible Garden, reading together, and participating in themed projects.