5th Grade Specials
NFS Curriculum Update :: December, 2014
Art
Fifth graders will finish up their unit on graffiti and move in a completely new direction as we move into December. Students will continue to work with color blending but will now learn techniques for blending and mixing watercolor paint. We will also be working with ink to create winter landscapes.
Latin
This month 5BF will be completing our unit on Latin pronunciation. We will finish reading our introductory Latin text, Ursus et Porcus, and create a diorama to illustrate one of the scenes. Students will then adapt the text of the book to describe their dioramas, and they will practice their pronunciation skills by presenting their work to the class. Our next unit will focus on word origins and the important role that Latin plays in the etymology of English words. This unit will continue through the end of the month.
MUSIC
The fifth graders contine to be very successful with their vocal sightreading. We will be adding more difficult rhythms and solfege patterns to this as we move forward. Fifth grade will finish their handchime unit this month! The December composer of the month is Peter Tchaikovsky.
LIBRARY
Fifth Grade will study “exquisite corpse” drawings and stories (one person begins, then passes it to another who adds a piece, then passes it on and so forth), and draw and write our own versions. We will discuss how to stretch an idea into a story, referring back to the exquisite corpse story and using examples from The Chronicles of Harris Burdick.
P.E.
In P.E. we will continue to develop our physical fitness and work on muscular strength with a focus on the core. This month our new fitness exercise will be jogging. December is the start of our basketball unit and many of the classes will focus on various basketball skills, drills, and activities. We will participate in basketball activities like Runners and Gunners and Basketball Pirates. We will play large group games like BBK and Line Basketball. We will also participate in non-basketball activities including Battle Star and Flag Grab, class favorites that develop skill, teamwork and cardiovascular endurance.
Science
This month we will focus on the topic of mixtures and solutions. We will review our experiment where we separated a mixture, and move into learning about solubility. Some of the terms we will cover include solute, solvent, solution, substance, dissolve, and saturated solution. We will test if temperature affects solubility and if the substance we use affects solubility. We will also conduct an investigation to determine whether mixing two or more substances together results in a new substance. This will be our introduction to physical changes versus chemical changes.
Spanish
In December students will continue reading the Pobre Ana reading text. They have five more chapters to go. Students will complete the reading and practice the verbs and vocabulary learned in various contexts and activities. The class will apply language to describe the order of and chapter events in oral and writing work. Thus far they have done a great job constructing language from the first four chapters. It will be great to listen to and see the work they will produce as they progress in reading and oral skills using language from the text.