ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS

HMH Into Reading: Curriculum Overview for Fourth and Fifth Grade Program Description: 

HMH Into Reading is a comprehensive literacy program designed to foster a love for reading while developing essential skills in students from fourth and fifth grades. The curriculum emphasizes a balanced approach to literacy, integrating reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills. 

Key Features: 
● Engaging Texts: The program includes a diverse selection of texts, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and graphic novels, that cater to various interests and reading levels. 
● Skill Development: Focused lessons target key literacy skills such as vocabulary acquisition, comprehension strategies, and critical thinking. 
● Interactive Learning: Students engage in collaborative activities and discussions that promote communication and deepen their understanding of the material. 

Goals: 
The primary goal of HMH Into Reading is to equip students with the skills necessary for academic success and lifelong learning. 
● Fourth Grade: By the end of fourth grade, students will develop foundational reading skills, enhance their comprehension abilities, and become more confident in their analytical thinking. 
● Fifth Grade: By the end of fifth grade, students will be confident readers, able to analyze texts and articulate their thoughts clearly. 

This curriculum not only supports literacy development but also aims to inspire a passion for reading that extends beyond the classroom.

MATH

Our Math Curriculum is the Texas Go Math by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. We cover all state standards required for Texas 5th graders.

We begin the year with Number and Operation: Place Value, Fractions, and Operations then continue with Number and Operations. The curriculum stresses knowing basic facts to do mental math. The second half of the year we begin Algebraic Reasoning, Geometry and Measurement, Personal Financial Literacy (students become little entrepreneurs with market days at SPX) and end with Data Analysis.

SCIENCE

Fifth Grade utilizes Into Science from HMH for Grade 5 as our starting point for scientific inquiry and investigation. We supplement guided instruction from the book with:

*Small group experiments that familiarize students with implementing the scientific method and using entry-level laboratory equipment

*Large group investigations that connect textbook instruction to real-world case studies

A capstone project of our science curriculum is a five-week project in coordination with Starbase Kelly at Lackland AFB, where students design, construct, and ultimately test rocket prototypes in a fun and safe environment.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Fifth Grade continues to use the myWorld curriculum provided by Savvas Learning Company. The Building Our Nation Grade 5 textbook is used for in-class guided reading, while the Savvas Realize digital learning platform is used for supplementary learning materials and online quiz and test assignments.

Fifth Grade also participates in a Living History Museum project, which calls for students to research an American historical figure and embody that figure in a staged museum during Catholic Schools Week