Fifth Grade
Language Arts
Students in Fifth Grade continue to hone their wordcraft through penmanship and spelling practice, but they also take a deep dive into the mechanics of language using Michael Clay Thompson’s grammar, vocabulary, and poetics curricula. Students learn the art of the sentence, paragraph, and essay as they master foundational principles of parts of speech, phrases, clauses, and coherence. They are also introduced to stylistic techniques and practices.
Scritorium Book 2, a classical writing program
Grammar Town by Michael Clay Thompson
Caesar’s English I by Michael Clay Thompson
Building Poems by Michael Clay Thompson
Sequential Spelling
Pentime Cursive 5, by Pentime Publishers
History & Literature
The story of Western Civilization is a rich and compelling one. In the combined History and Literature curriculum, formal history readings provide a scene while individual books of fiction provide characters, clothing, props, and dialogue. Together, the students gain a vision of the past. In addition to their readings in History and Literature, students also complete art projects, draw and label maps, learn geography, prepare feasts, and even perform short plays or puppet shows related to their year’s historical era.
Ancient Year
The Story of Civilization I: The Ancient World by Philip Campbell
Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire
Boy of the Pyramids by Ruth Fosdick
Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean
The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare
The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff
Victory on the Walls by Frieda Clark Hyman
City of the Golden House by Madeleine Polland
Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff
Catechesis
Students visit the Atrium each week for their work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Level III. This level emphasizes the unfolding mystery of God’s redeeming work in the universe as they ask the question “What is the kingdom of God and my place in it?” They also continue their studies of saints and virtues.
Nature Study
Students continue their weekly trips to a nearby park in order to adventure in the natural world. The focused theme for Fifth Grade is birds: their habits, flight, and where they live. The students also observe and collect specimens of what they find, take notes, sketch, and–perhaps–take a moment to splash in the creek. We take a deep dive into nature journaling, recording the weather, observations, diagrams, drawings and reflections. Although these times may be leisurely, they form both a first-hand knowledge of the immediate cosmos, but also the important habit of quiet, careful, and close observation. Finally, students are taught to reflect; they are afforded the time and space to simply contemplate and wonder in moments of quiet.
Science
Fifth Grade Science is a general life science class that applies the process of scientific inquiry to solving scientific questions, by making observations, measuring and collecting data and using reliable resources in order to come to a conclusion. Students use microscopes to observe and study cells and then learn how cells lead to the classification of all living things. The adaptations of plants and animals that allow for growth and survival are explored, as well as the human skeletal and nervous systems. Performing labs such as the cow eye dissection allows the students to apply their knowledge while practicing safe and exciting exploration of real anatomy.
Math
Continuing in the Math Mammoth curriculum, in Fifth Grade, special focus is given to mastering fractions and decimals, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions. Students are introduced to large numbers and calculators, problem solving, bar models graphing, and more advanced geometry.
Fine Arts
Art: Students study great works of art and architecture from the year’s historical time period. They participate in “Thinking Routines” when observing art. They also complete a focused artist study and create a reproduction of an important work. A selection of projects are done throughout the year that include a variety of media: paint, drawing, sculpture, clay, calligraphy, graphic arts and colored pencils.
Music: All students participate in the music program, as they learn musical notation and scales, and practice their voices on classical, folk and liturgical songs.
Sixth Grade
Language Arts Nosheen
Grammar Voyage by Michael Clay Thompson
Caesar’s English II by Michael Clay Thompson
A World of Poetry by Michael Clay Thompson
Sequential Spelling
Pentime Cursive 6, by Pentime Publishers
History and Literature
The story of Western Civilization is a rich and compelling one. In the combined History and Literature curriculum, formal history readings provide a scene while individual books of fiction provide characters, clothing, props, and dialogue. Together, the students gain a vision of the past. In addition to their readings in History and Literature, students also complete art projects, draw and label maps, learn geography, prepare feasts, and even perform short plays or puppet shows related to their year’s historical era.
Medieval Year
The Story of Civilization II: The Medieval World by Philip Campbell
The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli
Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray
Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green
King Arthur by Roger Lancelyn Green
Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb
Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield
Thomas Aquinas by Mary Fabian Windeatt
Joan of Arc by Susan Helen Wallace
Cinderella and Puss in Boots, Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
Math Chris
In Sixth Grade, students deepen their previously studied topics, but are also introduced to expressions and equations as they prepare for further algebraic studies.
Catechesis
Students visit the Atrium each week for their work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in Level III. This level emphasizes the unfolding mystery of God’s redeeming work in the universe as they ask the question “What is the kingdom of God and my place in it?” They will also continue their studies of saints and virtues.
Nature Study
Students continue their weekly trips to a nearby to observe the natural world. The focused theme for 6th grade is earth and stream study. The nature journal will be more focused on collecting data this year, but there will also be time to reflect and record things they find as they are observing and enjoying the environment.so as to develop the important habit of quiet, careful, and close observation.
Science (Dooley)
While Nature Study allows for students to make observations and explore their environment with curious minds, Science provides the methods for further investigation and a deeper understanding of the processes involved. Students begin a more focused and formal study of General and Earth Science in a 2-year cycle, creating a foundational understanding of the steps of scientific inquiry, by planning and conducting investigations, and using equipment for measuring, collecting, and analyzing data.
General Science fundamentals also include the impact of biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem, interactions in a biological community, classification of organisms, the human body, matter and energy. Earth Science focuses on the local Chesapeake Bay Watershed, atmosphere and weather, human impact on the environment, geology, and our solar system.
Music Mrs. deCastro
Art Sheila
Fine Arts
Art: Students study great works of art and architecture from the year’s historical time period. They participate in “Thinking Routines” when observing art. They also complete a focused artist study and create a reproduction of an important work. A selection of projects are done throughout the year that include a variety of media: paint, drawing, sculpture, clay, calligraphy, graphic arts and colored pencils.
Music: All students participate in the music program, as they learn musical notation and scales, and practice their voices on classical, folk and liturgical songs.