Year 5 Curriculum Guide

All learning at our school is based around the International Baccalaureate's Primary Years Programme (PYP), an inquiry-based, transdisciplinary curriculum framework.

Throughout the year, students will be guided through six Units of Inquiry of global significance, providing opportunities to broaden their learning by developing their conceptual understandings, strengthening their knowledge and skills across, between and beyond subject areas.

The following six Units of Inquiry will be explored throughout the year. Each unit is developed around a concept, a Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry.

Central Idea: Understanding art worlds leads to an appreciation of art 了解藝術世界有利於欣賞藝術

An inquiry into:

• How we look at and talk about creative and performing arts 我們如何看待和談論創意和表演藝術
  
• Understanding the process of other artists 了解其他藝術家的創作過程
  
• How art connects us with others 藝術如何將我們與他人聯繫起來
  

Unit timing: All year

Central Idea: Natural landforms help us to learn how the Earth’s structure has changed over time 自然地貌幫助我們了解地球結構是如何隨時間變化的

An inquiry into:

• Earth's structure 地球的結構
• How Earth's structure has changed over time 地球的結構如何隨著時間變化
• Evidence of changes to Earth's structure 地球結構變化的證據

Unit timing: Term Two

Central Idea: Knowledge of ourselves and the impact of our interactions helps us to flourish

An inquiry into:

• Myself: My health and wellbeing
• Interactions: My relationships with others and my sense of belonging
• Growth: The impact on my learning and development

Unit timing: All year

Central Idea: Materials can undergo changes that may provide challenges and benefits for society and the environment 材料會發生變化，這可能會給社會和環境帶來挑戰和好處

An inquiry into:

• Reversible and irreversible changes to materials 材料的可逆和不可逆變化
  
• How materials are changed for different purposes 材料如何根據不同的目的而轉化
• Challenges and benefits of changing materials 改變材料的挑戰和好處
  

Unit timing: Term Three

Central Idea: Trade encourages interactions between people and organisations worldwide 貿易促進世界各地的人和組織之間的互動

An inquiry into:

• Changes in trade over time (HK case study) 貿易隨時間的變化（香港案例研究）
  
• Trading practices 貿易實踐
  
• The impact of trade 貿易的影響
  

Unit timing: Term Two

Central Idea: Learning about extreme weather can help us to understand the effects of climate change. 了解極端天氣可以幫助我們理解氣候變化的影響。

An inquiry into:

• The impact of extreme weather events (Recent flooding as case study) 極端天氣的影響（山竹案例研究）
• The causes of extreme weather events 極端天氣的成因
• The connection between climate change and extreme weather 氣候變化與極端天氣之間的聯繫

Unit timing: Term One

The development of language is fundamental to all areas of our learning programs. Language helps us communicate our thinking and understanding.

Language is socially constructed - it is dependent on social interactions and relationships. It permeates all subject areas. As such, we view all of our teachers and assistants to be language teachers.

English is our main language of instruction, with Chinese (Mandarin) taught as an additional language.

Our English curriculum is taught via five main strands: speaking and listening, reading, writing, spelling and handwriting and information literacy.

In Year 5, our reading program focuses on developing strategies needed to be an independent reader. Students are taught different comprehension strategies to understand what is written beyond the literal text. These are developed through a mixture of guiding reading, shared reading, read aloud and independent reading sessions.

Students will explore a range of text types: to entertain, to inform and to persuade. Specific writing skills will be developed around how to create a range of informative texts.

Our Chinese curriculum is taught via three main strands: speaking and listening, reading and writing. Our Chinese program is taught through three main streams: Chinese Foundation, Chinese Language and Chinese Language and Literature. Traditional characters are used in all streams.

Chinese Foundation focuses on speaking, listening and social Chinese. Students read texts and environmental print and learn to write the most commonly occurring characters.

Chinese Language focuses on Chinese speaking, listening and the reading of longer texts. Students write their own longer pieces of writing.

Chinese Language and Literature focuses on extended reading and writing tasks, using more complex language.

Mathematics is a global language of concepts and symbols through which we make sense of the world around us.

Mathematics is taught through three main stages:

1. Constructing meaning and ideas about a mathematical concept through interactions with objects, discussions, experimentation and play;
2. Transferring these ideas and understandings into symbols;
3. Applying these ideas and understanding in real-life and hands-on problem solving activities.

Mathematics is taught through the strands of number, data, shape and space, measure and problem solving.

In Year 5 students will explore numbers to 1,000,000 and decimals to hundredths. They will explore factors and multiples and learn division facts. They will apply the column method as well as, learn how to apply doubling, halving, rounding, compensating and reversibility to solve multiplication problems. They will learn short division. They will explore the connection between fractions and decimals.

Students will explore the concept of space by using grid systems and manipulating 2D shapes. They will measure perimeter and area, as well as angles. They will explore the use of 24-hour time.

Our outdoor learning is a central pillar of our school and a wide range of engaging experiences enable our students to learn about and connect with nature. Students develop specific skills in school and are provided opportunities to apply them during Forest School outings throughout the year.

In Year 5, students will explore a range of land-based, freshwater and coastal environments. They will learn how to identify a range of native insects and invertebrates. Students will also create and maintain a garden which encourages pollinators to visit the school.

Our PE program from Year 5 focuses on developing fitness and an understanding of four different types of games: target, net/wall, striking/fielding and invasion. Each unit focuses on developing appreciation for the game, different tactics that can be applied, how to make decisions within a game, how to apply a range of skills and performance.

Wellbeing is another central pillar of our school. Throughout our wellbeing program, our students explore relationships, identity and aspects of health (physical, social, emotional and spiritual). Our wellbeing program also teaches our students about child protection, anti-bullying and mindfulness strategies.

In Year 5, students will begin to explore ways to manage the changes that come with with puberty. They will learn strategies in dealing with bullying and harassment, including what to do as a bystander. Students will learn about the importance of sleep, physical activity and mindfulness practices.

Our Arts program is taught through four main strands: music, visual arts, drama and dance. Music and visual arts are taught by specialist teachers.

In Music, Year 5 students will consolidate skills to play the bamboo flute. They will explore music from different cultures. They will continue to develop knowledge of using formal notation and time signatures.

In Visual Art, Year 5 students will be provided opportunities to choose different materials and techniques to communicate their own thoughts, opinions and emotions. They will explore artworks of different styles and artists from different times and cultures to inspire their own artworks

In Drama, Year 5 students will experiment with voice, movement and tension. They will have opportunities to perform short scripted drama with a sense of role, situation and tension.

In Dance, Year 5 students will explore how to use elements of dance to choreograph dances that communicate meaning. They will experiment with different dance styles.

Science and Social Studies are primarily taught through the Units of Inquiry (see above).

In Year 5, students will explore the basics of chemistry, including reversible and irreversible changes. They will learn about the causes of and response to extreme weather. They will investigate how landforms, rocks and fossils are used as evidence of change in the Earth's surface. They will inquire into global trade routes, including Hong Kong's role. They will explore a range of different social, cultural and religious activities and norms.

Our technology program in taught through two strands: ICT and Design.

In Year 5, students will learn how to use a visual programming language to implement solutions to a problem. They will learn how to use advanced search techniques when acquiring information from online sources. They will experiment with animation and sound recording. Students will conduct tests to understand the properties of materials. They will be provided opportunities to experiment with and manipulate materials with appropriate tools, equipment and techniques.

• Comprehend information, which is presented by teachers, peers and guest speakers.
• Express views and questions.
• Appreciate the opinions of others.

• Read and comprehend narrative and information texts with a reading age that corresponds to chronological age or higher.
• Answer various types of comprehension questions, including literal, reorganisation, inferential, evaluative, and reaction questions.
• Read a wide range of texts independently.
• Use a range of resources to find information and support inquiry.

• Adapt writing to inform, entertain or persuade.
• Use academic language when writing to inform or persuade.
• Use figurative language when writing to entertain.
• Use planners and graphic organisers to help to structure ideas.
• Edit writing, making improvements when necessary.
• Use most basic punctuation correctly, starting to use commas to demarcate phrases.
• Write legibly, fluently and with increasing speed.

• Recognise, write and compare numbers up to and beyond 1,000,000.
• Begin to recognise and use negative numbers to -100.
• Efficiently use multiplication and division facts for times tables up to 12 x 12.
• Make choices about when to use mental or written methods for calculations, selecting appropriate methods and using them mostly accurately and fluently.
• Compare fractions and decimals Find and interpret information from tables, charts and graphs.

• Distinguish between regular and irregular polygons based on reasoning about equal sides and angles.
• Calculate and compare the area of rectangles and squares ( including using standard units) and estimate the area of irregular shapes.
• Use the properties of rectangles to deduce related facts and find missing lengths and angles.
• Know angles are measured in degrees: estimate and compare acute, obtuse and reflex angles.

• Use problem-solving skills, such as visualising and trial and improvement, when solving problems relating to real-life situations.

To see the Subject Guidance for all subjects from Nursery to Year 6 please click on this link

A happy, healthy learning community empowering all members to flourish

Email: info@ichkhly.edu.hk
Website: www.ichkhly.edu.hk
Location: 3 Hong Lok Yuen 20th Street, Hong Lok Yuen, Hong Kong
Phone: +852 3955 3000
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