Fifth Grade

Adopted curricular materials meet the needs of all students through a variety of instructional strategies that provide multiple opportunities for mastery of skills. These materials consist of decodable texts, multilevel sets of quality fiction and non-fiction literature, and a variety of text forms and features. Materials are used to support instruction in phonics, word analysis and comprehension in individual, small and large group settings.

Our adopted curricular materials for Reading include:

• Benchmark Advance (Phonics and Reading Comprehension Strategies)
• Words Their Way (Word Study & Spelling)
• Bookroom sets
• i-Ready Reading Assessment, MyPath & Tools for Instruction

Additional Intervention Curriculum: 

• Really Great Reading (Phonics intervention materials)
• Steps to Advance (Reading comprehension intervention material) 

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

LITERACY

Development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to effectively comprehend, communicate, and engage with various forms of texts and information 

Reading: Foundational Skills
Understanding and using phonemic awareness and phonics knowledge to support accuracy and fluency. 

Reading: Informational Text
Comprehending and analyzing non-fiction text to gain knowledge and understanding. 

Reading: Literary Text
Exploring and interpreting stories to understand themes, characters, and literary elements.  

Language: Vocabulary
Understanding of words and their meanings in order to communicate and comprehend across subject areas. 

TIER 1 COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY BLOCK

Student...

• Displays a growth mindset while setting goals and reflecting on progress  
• Actively participates in a wide range of conversations   
• Shows respect for the ideas of others  
• Works collaboratively with a partner or small group, at times  
• Responds to literacy experiences including the use of tech core tools  
• Grows stamina as a reader and a writer  
• Works to build content knowledge and strong vocabulary  
• With support, apply reading and writing strategies learned in lessons to independent work  
• Chooses own topics and experiences when writing  
• Shows curiosity when thinking about patterns and meaning of words 
• Engages in word work 
• Applies knowledge of phonological awareness, phonics, and spelling patterns when reading and writing 

Teacher...

• Fosters a growth mindset, displays enthusiasm for literacy and a belief that all students can achieve 

• Intentionally select learning activities based on learning targets and student needs 

• Conducts daily reading, phonics, and writing mini lessons in which the learning target is communicated, and background knowledge is primed 

• Conducts small groups based on student need daily.  

• Employs explicit and intentional instruction to assist students in reading accurately and with automaticity 

• Maintains a brisk pace during instruction 

• Sets students up to read and write independently, with a partner, or online.  

• Conducts shared reading and writing experiences to model, demonstrate, and think aloud   

• Responds to learner variability by meeting more often with students who need additional support, providing guided practice and multimodal opportunities to respond 

• Uses multiple strategies to support students in acquiring and using academic language and vocabulary  

• Uses digital resources to support and extend learning 

Essential Learnings

In fifth grade, reading instruction becomes more advanced, focusing on developing critical thinking skills, analyzing complex texts, and preparing students for the demands of middle school and beyond. The focus is on building upon the foundational skills of reading while fostering critical thinking, analytical skills, and a love of reading across various genres and subject areas. The goal is to empower students to become proficient, independent readers who can effectively comprehend and engage with complex texts in both academic and real-world contexts. 

• Fifth graders deepen their comprehension skills by engaging with more challenging and complex texts. They analyze characters, plot development, themes, and literary devices in fiction, as well as main ideas, supporting details, and author's purpose in nonfiction. They also evaluate arguments, identify bias, and make connections between texts. 

• Fifth graders learn to analyze texts more critically, examining the author's craft and style, narrative structure, and use of language to convey meaning. They explore how authors use literary techniques and devices to create mood, tone, and atmosphere, and how these elements contribute to the overall impact of the text. 

• Fifth graders continue to develop critical literacy skills by questioning and evaluating texts, considering different perspectives, and recognizing propaganda, bias, and misinformation. They learn to analyze media texts, identify persuasive techniques, and assess the credibility of sources. 

• Fifth graders expand their vocabulary through exposure to a wide range of words in their reading materials. They learn new words through context, word analysis strategies, and direct instruction. They also explore advanced word relationships, figurative language, and idiomatic expressions. 

• Fifth graders apply their reading skills across different subject areas, including science, social studies, and literature. They read and analyze complex informational texts to deepen their understanding of content-area concepts and develop critical thinking skills in various contexts. 

• Fifth graders study a variety of literary genres and literary movements, including poetry, drama, and modern literature. They analyze the structure, themes, and language of different literary works, and explore how cultural, historical, and social contexts influence interpretations of literature.

• Fifth graders continue to develop habits of independent reading for pleasure and information. They explore a wide range of genres and topics, choosing books based on their interests and reading level. They also engage in discussions and reflections about their reading experiences. 

• Fifth graders integrate their reading experiences into their writing, using texts as models and inspiration for their own writing projects. They engage in activities such as responding to literature, writing literary analyses, and conducting research to support their writing. 

Reading Foundational Skills Progression

Students are receiving Reading Foundational Skills through either Words Their Way or Really Great Reading based on the needs as assessed through i-Ready, Oral Reading Fluency and the Really Great Reading Diagnostic.

Words Their Way (WTW).  WTW is highly differentiates using a skills inventory students so that students are working on spelling and word skills at their level.  Students complete word sorts and WTW activities 4 times per week.

Really Great Reading (RGR).  RGR is also differentiated by need with at focus on phonics skills and strategies.  Students receiving RGR participate in 20-30 minute small group RGR lessons 4 times per week.

Reading Comprehension Learning Progression

Semester 1 

• Benchmark Advance: Launch 
  • Review and Routines  
• Benchmark Advance Unit 1 
  • Cultivating Natural Resources 
  • How do we decide which resources we should develop? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 2 
  • Developing Characters’ Relationships  
  • Why do we value certain qualities in people? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 3 
  • The U.S. Constitution Then and Now 
  • Why do laws continue to evolve?  
• Reading Foundational Skills 

Semester 2 

• Benchmark Advance Unit 4 
  • Recognizing Author’s Point of View 
  • How can other perspectives help us evaluate the world? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 5 
  • Technology’s Impact on Society 
  • What value does technology bring to people’s lives? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 6 
  • Up Against the Wild 
  • What compels us to survive?  
• Benchmark Advance Unit 7 
  • Conflicts that Shaped the Nation 
  • How does conflict shape society? 
• OPTIONAL: Benchmark Advance Unit 8 
  • Water: Fact and Fiction 
  • What does water mean to people and the societies they live in?  
• Reading Foundational Skills 

Adopted curricular materials meet the needs of all students through a variety of instructional strategies that provide multiple opportunities for mastery of skills. Materials are used to support instruction in grammar and conventions, opinion, information, narrative and prompt-based writing in individual, small, and large group settings.

Our adopted curricular materials for Writing include:

• Benchmark Advance

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

LITERACY

Development of reading, writing, listening, and speaking skills to effectively comprehend, communicate, and engage with various forms of texts and information. 

Language: Grammar & Conventions
Study and application of rules and structures of language in order to clearly communicate while speaking and writing.  

Writing Informational Text
Using appropriate language, detail, and organization to educate readers on a specific topic. 

Writing: Opinion Text
Using reasons and examples to persuade or inform readers about the author's stance on a belief or topic. 

Writing: Narrative Text
Crafting stories that depict characters, settings, and events, engaging readers through plot development and descriptive language. 

TIER 1 COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY BLOCK

Student...

• Displays a growth mindset while setting goals and reflecting on progress  
• Actively participates in a wide range of conversations   
• Shows respect for the ideas of others  
• Works collaboratively with a partner or small group, at times  
• Responds to literacy experiences including the use of tech core tools  
• Grows stamina as a reader and a writer  
• Works to build content knowledge and strong vocabulary  
• With support, apply reading and writing strategies learned in lessons to independent work  
• Chooses own topics and experiences when writing  
• Shows curiosity when thinking about patterns and meaning of words 
• Engages in word work 
• Applies knowledge of phonological awareness, phonics, and spelling patterns when reading and writing 

Teacher...

• Fosters a growth mindset, displays enthusiasm for literacy and a belief that all students can achieve 

• Intentionally select learning activities based on learning targets and student needs 

• Conducts daily reading, phonics, and writing mini lessons in which the learning target is communicated, and background knowledge is primed 

• Conducts small groups based on student need daily.  

• Employs explicit and intentional instruction to assist students in reading accurately and with automaticity 

• Maintains a brisk pace during instruction 

• Sets students up to read and write independently, with a partner, or online.  

• Conducts shared reading and writing experiences to model, demonstrate, and think aloud   

• Responds to learner variability by meeting more often with students who need additional support, providing guided practice and multimodal opportunities to respond 

• Uses multiple strategies to support students in acquiring and using academic language and vocabulary  

• Uses digital resources to support and extend learning 

Essential Learnings

In fifth grade, reading instruction becomes more advanced, focusing on developing critical thinking skills, analyzing complex texts, and preparing students for the demands of middle school and beyond. The focus is on building upon the foundational skills of reading while fostering critical thinking, analytical skills, and a love of reading across various genres and subject areas. The goal is to empower students to become proficient, independent readers who can effectively comprehend and engage with complex texts in both academic and real-world contexts. 

• Fifth graders deepen their comprehension skills by engaging with more challenging and complex texts. They analyze characters, plot development, themes, and literary devices in fiction, as well as main ideas, supporting details, and author's purpose in nonfiction. They also evaluate arguments, identify bias, and make connections between texts. 

• Fifth graders learn to analyze texts more critically, examining the author's craft and style, narrative structure, and use of language to convey meaning. They explore how authors use literary techniques and devices to create mood, tone, and atmosphere, and how these elements contribute to the overall impact of the text. 

• Fifth graders continue to develop critical literacy skills by questioning and evaluating texts, considering different perspectives, and recognizing propaganda, bias, and misinformation. They learn to analyze media texts, identify persuasive techniques, and assess the credibility of sources. 

• Fifth graders expand their vocabulary through exposure to a wide range of words in their reading materials. They learn new words through context, word analysis strategies, and direct instruction. They also explore advanced word relationships, figurative language, and idiomatic expressions. 

• Fifth graders apply their reading skills across different subject areas, including science, social studies, and literature. They read and analyze complex informational texts to deepen their understanding of content-area concepts and develop critical thinking skills in various contexts. 

• Fifth graders study a variety of literary genres and literary movements, including poetry, drama, and modern literature. They analyze the structure, themes, and language of different literary works, and explore how cultural, historical, and social contexts influence interpretations of literature.

• Fifth graders continue to develop habits of independent reading for pleasure and information. They explore a wide range of genres and topics, choosing books based on their interests and reading level. They also engage in discussions and reflections about their reading experiences. 

• Fifth graders integrate their reading experiences into their writing, using texts as models and inspiration for their own writing projects. They engage in activities such as responding to literature, writing literary analyses, and conducting research to support their writing. 

Learning Progression for Writing 

SEMESTER 1 

• Benchmark Advance: Launch 
  • Review and Routines  
• Benchmark Advance Unit 1 
  • Cultivating Natural Resources 
  • How do we decide which resources we should develop? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 2 
  • Developing Characters’ Relationships  
  • Why do we value certain qualities in people? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 3 
  • The U.S. Constitution Then and Now 
  • Why do laws continue to evolve?  
• Reading Foundational Skills 

SEMESTER 2 

• Benchmark Advance Unit 4 
  • Recognizing Author’s Point of View 
  • How can other perspectives help us evaluate the world? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 5 
  • Technology’s Impact on Society 
  • What value does technology bring to people’s lives? 
• Benchmark Advance Unit 6 
  • Up Against the Wild 
  • What compels us to survive?  
• Benchmark Advance Unit 7 
  • Conflicts that Shaped the Nation 
  • How does conflict shape society? 
• OPTIONAL: Benchmark Advance Unit 8 
  • Water: Fact and Fiction 
  • What does water mean to people and the societies they live in?  
• Reading Foundational Skills 

In the 2016-17 school year, the Issaquah School District implemented Eureka Math, a comprehensive curriculum that provides elementary students with a solid foundation built on the three pillars above. Eureka Math was written by a team of teachers and mathematicians who took great care to present mathematics in a logical progression to help students achieve deep understanding. Eureka Math follows the Washington State Learning Standards and connects math to the real world in ways that build student confidence and ensures that today's young mathematicians will be prepared for futures where they will thrive. 

Eureka Math is supported by an accompanying digital tool, Zearn.

To provide additional resources and to monitor progress toward meeting standard, ISD utilized i-Ready Math diagnostic assessments, the interactive My Path and teacher tools for instruction.

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

Math Content:

Students demonstrate grade level conceptual understanding, procedural fluency and productive disposition in the following areas.

• Operations and Algebraic Thinking
  • Writes and interprets numerical expressions
  • Analyzes patterns and relationships
• Number and Operations in Base Ten
  • Understands the place value system
  • Performs operations with multi-digit whole numbers and with decimals to hundredths
• Number and Operations - Fractions
  • Uses equivalent fractions as a strategy to add and subtract fractions
  • Applies and extends previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply and divide fractions
• Measurement and Data
  • Converts like measurement units within a given measurement system
  • Represents and interprets data
  • Geometric measurement: understands concepts of volume and relates volume to multiplication and to addition
• Geometry
  • Graphs points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems
  • Classifies two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties

Math Practices:

Students demonstrate grade level skills with the following processes and proficiencies.

• Makes sense of problems and perseveres in solving them
• Reasons abstractly and quantitatively
• Constructs viable arguments and critiques the reasoning of others
• Models with mathematics
• Uses appropriate tools strategically
• Attends to precision
• Looks for and makes use of structure
• Looks for and expresses regularity in repeated reasoning

Using Eureka Math Lessons and Zearn (the digital learning tool designed to be used with Eureka)

Concept Development Lessons & Debriefs. Teacher engages students to pose problems, engage in mathematical discourse, model problem solving and provide explicit instruction in math concepts.

Fluency Practice. Students engage in fluency development routines.

Application Problem and Problem Solving. Students work collaboratively and independently to solve problems and practice skills.

Using i-Ready Math

My Path.  Students may be assigned 30-50 minutes per week of personalized learning in My Path.  My Path may be used to...

• Provide instruction and practice in areas of weakness or skill gaps that may prevent a student from meeting standard.  
• Provide an opportunity to reinforce classroom learning and demonstrate the ability to apply learning in a different context.
• Provide an opportunity to work on above grade-level concepts and skills. This may help prepare student who wish to consider advanced learning paths in Middle School.

Trimester 1

• Place Value and Decimal Fractions
• Multi-Digit Whole Number and Decimal Fraction Operations
• Addition and Subtraction of Fractions

Trimester 2

• Addition and Subtraction of Fractions
• Multiplication and Division of Fractions and Decimal Fractions
• Addition and Multiplication with Volume and Area

Trimester 3

• Addition and Multiplication with Volume and Area
• Problem Solving with the Coordinate Plane

Amplify Science: A phenomena-based science curriculum, Amplify Science is a K–8 science curriculum that blends hands-on investigations, literacy-rich activities, and interactive digital tools to empower students to think, read, write, and argue like real scientists and engineers.

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

Understands and applies skills and concepts related to scientific principles taught in each of the following units:

Patterns of Earth and Sky: Investigating patterns in the day and night sky.

Modeling Matter: Investigating the particulate nature of matter.

The Earth System: Investigating natural water systems and resources.

Ecosystem Restoration: Investigating ecosystems; matter, energy, soil and conditions that foster growth. 

See Learning Progression Below for more information on each unit

Hands-on Activity.  Students work with partners and small groups, interacting with science tools, recording observations, sharing ideas, or creating models.

Teacher-led Discussion. Teachers ask questions and prompt students to make sense of their experiences in or out of class with the science concept.  Students share ideas and evidence.  Students listen to others and ask questions to understand others' thinking.

Student-to-Student Discussion. Working in pairs and small groups, students share science ideas and present evidence to support their ideas.

Digital Simulation or Modeling.  Students use digital tools to engage with concepts, extending hands-on science learning beyond what can be provided in a classroom setting.

Patterns of Earth and Sky: Why do we see different stars at different times?

Taking on the role of astronomers, students help a team of archaeologists at the Museum of Archaeology figure out what the missing piece of an ancient artifact might have depicted.

Chapter 1: Why don’t we see a lot of stars in the daytime?
Chapter 2: Why is the sun up sometimes, but not other times?
Chapter 3: Why do we see different stars at different times of year?
Chapter 4 (optional): How can we investigate why we see different stars on different nights?

Modeling Matter: What happens when two substances are mixed together?

Working as food scientists, students create a good-tasting and visually appealing salad dressing that does not separate into layers and contains no sediment.

Chapter 1: Why did the food coloring separate into different dyes?
Chapter 2: Why do some salad dressings have sediments, and others no not?
Chapter 3: Why can salad dressing ingredients separate again after being mixed?

The Earth System: What can determine how much water is available for human use?

As water resource engineers, students figure out what is causing the water shortage on one part of Ferris Island, and then design solutions.

Chapter 1: Why is East Ferris running out of water while West Ferris is not?
Chapter 2: Why does more rain form over West Ferris than East Ferris?
Chapter 3: Why is more water vapor getting cold over West Ferris than East Ferris?
Chapter 4: Why is there more water vapor up high over West Ferris than East Ferris?
Chapter 5 (optional): How can East Ferris turn wastewater into clean freshwater?

Ecosystem Restoration: How do organisms in an ecosystem get the matter and energy they need to grow and thrive?

As ecologists, students figure out why the organisms in a Costa Rican rain forest aren’t growing and thriving, and recommend actions to restore the ecosystem’s health. 

Chapter 1: Why aren’t the jaguars and sloths growing and thriving?
Chapter 2: Why aren’t the cecropia trees growing and thriving?
Chapter 3:  Why aren’t the cecropia trees growing and thriving in the soil?

ISD Created Units

The Issaquah School District developed our own social studies units for elementary. These units were created based on Washington State Standards, The Inquiry Design Model, and the C3 Framework of College, Career & Civic Life. Students who are equipped with skills of authentic inquiry and who know geography, civics, economics, and history can move forward with the confidence that they are prepared to engage with the world. You can discover more about the C3 Framework through the graphic and video seen below.

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

Understands skills and concepts related to social studies lessons on the following units

• US First People, Encounter and Colonization

• US Revolution

• US Government

See the learning progression below for more information on the supporting questions of each unit.

Our Social Studies curriculum provides and inquiry-based approach that focuses on building knowledge and skills as students engage in discussion and activities that center on compelling questions.

Discussion & Concept Development: Students learn from, build on and demonstrate understanding of different perspectives and points of view

Inquiry & Collaboration:  students recork their thinking in journals, organizers, and charts; students work independently, in pairs or small groups to complete learning tasks that apply skills from concept development

Trimester 1

Us First People, Encounter and Colonization

Compelling Question: Was America really the land of opportunity during the colonial period?

Supporting Questions 

• Why were the colonies established and by whom?
• What was the impact of colonization on the land and the First People?
• How did trade affect the economy and lives in the colonies?

Trimester 2

U.S. Revolution

Compelling Question: How Successful was the American Revolution?

Supporting Questions 

• What caused tensions in the relationship between Britain and the American colonies?
• Was the Revolutionary War avoidable?
• What were the ideas the patriots were fighting for?

Trimester 3

U.S. Government

Compelling Question: How is our government of the people, by the people, and for the people?

Supporting Questions

• How does the U.S. constitution support the goal of forming a perfect union?
• How does the structure of the U.S. government protect the rights and responsibilities of the people?
• What rights and liberties does the U.S. constitution guarantee, and for whom?

Our adopted Elementary Music Curriculum is Quaver’s Marvelous World of Music.

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

Demonstrates behaviors that promote learning

• Stays on task
• Follows directions
• Contributes positively

Demonstrates skills and concepts

• Sings
• Performs with instruments
• Reads and notates music
• Composes and improvises
• Listens, analyzes, and describes music

Elementary Music Develops Skills in the following areas:

• Rhythms
• Melody & Pitch
• Timbre
• Form
• Harmony & Texture
• Expression
• Vocal Technique
• Instrumental Technique

Our adopted health materials include:

• Five for Life (Focused Fitness)
• SPARK PE (Spark) 

Below are the learning goals organized around the area(s) reported on the student report card.

Demonstrates behaviors that promote learning related to health and fitness from among the following content areas:

• Respects the rights and feelings of others
• Actively listens and follows directions
• Stays on task
• Contributes positively

Demonstrates skills and concepts related to health and fitness from among the following content areas:

• Demonstrates locomotor, non-locomotor, manipulatives, balance, and rhythm skills in group activities
• Applies movement concepts in cooperative situations; understands and applies the need for different roles with in a team game (offense and defense)
• Analyzes the health and skill related components of fitness
  • Cardiorespiratory endurance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, flexibility, and body composition
  • Power, agility, balance, speed, coordination, reaction time
• Uses fitness assessment scores to set personal fitness goals
• Understands skills and concepts related to health
  • Nutrition and the body

Physical education develops physically literate individuals who have the knowledge, skills and confidence to enjoy a lifetime of healthful physical activity.

To pursue a lifetime of healthful physical activity, a physically literate individual:

• Has learned the skills necessary to participate in a variety of physical activities.
• Knows the implications and the benefits of involvement in various types of physical activities.
• Participates regularly in physical activity.
• Is physically fit.
• Values physical activity and its contributions to a healthful lifestyle.

Library lessons center on 4 overarching areas:

Digital Citizenship and Responsibility

• Digital citizenship & safety
• Digital presence & awareness
• Managing technology 
• Responsibly reporting
• Screen time & media balance

Library Skills and Organization

• The library collection
• Library management procedures
• Catalogs & databases

Information Literacy and Research

• Genres & sub-genres of informational text
• Text features & formats
• Locating information & conducting database searches
• Evaluating sources
• Citations & plagiarism

Reading Engagement

• Connecting with literature & texts
• Awareness of different ways to choose a book
• Literature awards
• STEM integration