Welcome to Fifth Grade at Cornwall Terrace!

We are Mrs. Gomm, Mrs. Hoffmann, Mrs. Kriebel, and Mrs. Weidenhammer, the teachers of the fifth grade team.

It is our goal to meet the academic needs of our fifth grade students while helping them grow as respectful, responsible Cornwall Terrace citizens. We hope our students will love fifth grade as much as we do!

Please visit our classrooms by clicking on our names below, or scroll down to learn more about our program.

Language Arts

Helping all of our students become successful, life-long readers and writers is the driving force of our language arts program.  We use the Treasures Reading Program with our fifth grade students. Through guided reading and reading workshop, students interact with a wide variety of authentic literature, while acquiring comprehension strategies and vocabulary that enable them to make critical and evaluative responses to texts. Students have many opportunities in fifth grade to share books they have read through discussion, literature circles, book talks, and creative projects.

Students are expected to read a wide variety of books at home and at school on a daily basis.  Visits to the library will occur regularly. Fifth graders must read a total of 140 minutes a week, and keep track of their reading on the reading calendar. Please be sure you are helping your child meet the requirements of the home reading contract. We encourage you to visit local libraries and bookstores as a family, and share the joy of reading!

Throughout their fifth grade experience, students acquire the revision and proofreading skills needed to produce quality writing.  The writing process is used to compose narrative, persuasive and informational pieces.  Students are encouraged to develop the content, style, focus and organization of their writing through shared writing and mini-lessons.  Grammar, punctuation, editing skills and resourcefulness are reinforced in daily language and spelling activities.

Math

Our math program is Eureka Math, it is based on the upcoming Common Core Standards. Explore the link below to see what your child will be learning in 5th grade.

5th Grade Math

Basic addition, subtraction and multiplication facts are a prerequisite for 5th grade. If your child has not mastered these facts, daily practice at home is encouraged.

Science

5th grade will be moving to an inquiry based science program using kits and hands on experiments to allow students to work through scientific problems. The program that we are using is Science and Technology Concepts. This program was developed by the Smithsonian Institution National Science Resources Center and Carolina Biological Supply Company.

This program addresses the National Science Standards and allows students to engage directly in their learning of science through hands on experiments and investigations. They will have the chance to ask questions, make and test predictions, record observations from their investigations, reflect on and share their findings and apply skills and knowledge to new situations. Below is a description of each of the kits we will be using in 5th grade this year. We are very excited for the students to be able to interact with additional animals beyond the chicks in Embryology this year!!

• Embryology – During Embryology, students will learn how to care for chicken eggs while they are incubating. They will learn the parts of an egg and get the chance to see the developmental stages of the chicken egg as it progresses through the 21 day incubation period. Students will get a chance to see the hatching of chicks and then care for them for 1 week after hatch. They will get the chance to hold and bond with the chicks. This is one of the most memorable moments of 5th grade and it is a lesson in responsibility.
• Motion and Design –  In this kit students will get the chance to learn about the physics of motion. They will build vehicles and test them for speed. They will learn about friction and kinetic and potential energy, as well as the effect of gravity on motion.
• Animal Studies – In this kit students will get the chance to build, observe, and care for habitats for dwarf African frogs, fiddler crabs, and millipedes. They will use these animals and research based inquiry to gather information and synthesize information about the behaviors of each animal.

Social Studies

5th grade will learn about US Geography, Exploration and Settlement, 13 Colonies, & the Revolutionary War.

A Parent’s Guide to Student Success

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