THIRD thru FIFTH GRADE CURRICULUM

THIRD GRADE

Mathematics
The third-grade standards place emphasis on learning multiplication and division facts through the nines table. Concrete materials and two-dimensional representations will be used to introduce addition and subtraction with fractions and decimals and the concept of probability as chance. Students will use standard units (U.S. Customary and metric) for temperature, length, liquid volume, and weight and identify relevant properties of shapes, line segments, and angles.  Students will also gain proficiency with place value, rounding, using a calendar, and telling time.

Language Arts
Reading continues to be a priority in third grade. Emphasis is on learning about words, reading age-appropriate text with fluency and expression, and learning comprehension strategies. The student will read a variety of fiction and nonfiction literature, which relates to all areas of the curriculum. The student will use effective communication skills in group activities and will present brief oral reports. Reading comprehension strategies will be applied in all subjects, with emphasis on materials that reflect the Standards of Learning in mathematics, science, and history and social science. The student will plan, draft, revise, and edit stories, simple explanations, and short reports. In addition, the student will gather and use information from print and nonprint sources. The student also will write legibly in cursive.

Science
The third-grade standards place increasing emphasis on conducting investigations. Students are expected to be able to develop questions, formulate simple hypotheses, make predictions, gather data, and use the metric system with greater precision. Using information to make inferences and draw conclusions becomes more important. In the area of physical science, the standards focus on simple and compound machines, energy, and a basic understanding of matter. Behavioral and physical adaptations are examined in relation to the life needs of animals. The notion of living systems is further explored in aquatic and terrestrial food chains and diversity in environments. Patterns in the natural world are demonstrated in terms of the phases of the moon, tides, seasonal changes, the water cycle, and animal life cycles. Geological concepts are introduced through the investigation of the components of soil.

Social Studies
Students should develop map skills and demonstrate an understanding of basic economic concepts. Students will explain the importance of the basic principles of democracy and identify the contributions of selected individuals. Students will recognize that Americans are a people who have diverse ethnic origins, customs, and traditions, who all contribute to American life, and who are united as Americans by common principles.

Religion
The Third Grade Religion Curriculum presents the main truths Catholics believe and express in the Creed.  Students are led to realize that they are called to belong to a faith community, the Church.  Furthermore, students are helped to develop a deeper faith in their study of God as revealed in creation, His relationship with the chosen people, and the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

FOURTH GRADE

Mathematics
The fourth-grade standards place emphasis on multiplication and division with whole numbers and solving problems. Students will continue to learn and use the basic multiplication facts as they become proficient in multiplying larger numbers. Students also will refine their estimation skills for computations and measurements and investigate relationships between and among simple two-dimensional (plane) figures and three-dimensional (solid) figures. Students will identify and draw representations of points, lines, line segments, and rays. Students will graph points in the first quadrant in the coordinate plane and extend and duplicate patterns. Concrete materials and two-dimensional representations will be used to solve problems involving perimeter, patterns, probability, and equivalence of fractions and decimals.

Language Arts
In fourth grade, reading and writing skills support an increased emphasis on content-area learning and utilization of the resources of the media center, especially to locate and read primary sources of information. A significant percentage of reading material will relate to the study of mathematics, science, and history and social science. The student will use text organizers, summarize information, formulate questions, and draw conclusions to demonstrate reading comprehension. The student will also read classic and contemporary literature selections by a variety of authors. The student will continue to increase communication skills in large- and small-group settings. In addition, the student will plan, draft, revise, and edit narratives and explanations. The student will also routinely use information resources and word references while writing.  The student will also demonstrate correct use of language, spelling, and mechanics by applying grammatical conventions in writing and speaking.

Science
The fourth-grade standards stress the importance of using information, analyzing data, and validating experimental results. Defining variables in experimentation is emphasized, and making simple predictions from picture, bar, and basic line graphs is underscored. Questioning and hypothesizing become more detailed at this level. Students are introduced to basic principles of electricity and to the concept of motion. Relationships are investigated in the interactions among the Earth and among plants and animals and their environments. In examining weather phenomena and conditions, students identify various factors, make predictions based on data, and evaluate the results. The importance of natural resources in Maryland is emphasized.

Social Studies
Students will examine significant ideas, beliefs, and themes; organize patterns and events; and analyze how individuals and societies have changed over time in Maryland and regions of the United States.  Students will use historical thinking skills to understand how individuals and events have changed society over time.  Students will use geographic concepts and processes to examine the role of culture, technology, and the environment in the location and distribution of human activities.  Students will also develop economic reasoning to understand the historical development and current status of economic principles, institutions, the nation, and the world.

Religion
    The Fourth Grade Religion curriculum emphasizes the laws for living a responsible life.  Students learn how the Ten Commandments and the Beatitudes are guidelines to follow.  The Sacraments of Reconciliation, Baptism, and Holy Communion are also reviewed.

FIFTH GRADE

Mathematics
The fifth-grade standards place emphasis on developing proficiency in using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to solve problems. Students will collect, display, and analyze data in a variety of ways and solve probability problems, using a sample space or tree diagram. Students will become proficient in graphing and recognizing & constructing various lines (segments, rays, etc).  Students will also solve problems involving volume, area, and perimeter. Students will be introduced to variable expressions and open sentences.

Language Arts
In fifth grade, reading and writing skills continue to support an increased emphasis on content-area learning and utilization of the resources of the media center, especially to locate and read primary sources of information. The student will read texts in all subjects and will acquire information to answer questions, generate hypotheses, make inferences, support opinions, confirm predictions, compare and contrast relationships, and formulate conclusions. The student will continue to develop an appreciation for literature by reading a variety of fiction and nonfiction selections. The student will continue to increase communication skills used in learning activities and will use online, print, and media resources to prepare presentations. The student will use oral and written communication skills to describe key concepts and information contained in the mathematics, science, and history and social science Standards of Learning. In addition, the student will plan, draft, revise, and edit writings to describe, to entertain, and to explain.  The student will also demonstrate correct use of language, spelling, and mechanics by applying grammatical conventions in writing and speaking.

Science
The fifth-grade standards emphasize the importance of selecting appropriate instruments for measuring and recording observations. The organization, analysis, and application of data continue to be an important focus of classroom inquiry. Science skills from preceding grades, including questioning, using and validating evidence, and systematic experimentation, are reinforced at this level. Students are introduced to more detailed concepts of sound and light and the tools used for studying them. Key concepts of matter, including those about atoms, molecules, elements, and compounds, are studied, and the properties of matter are defined in greater detail. The cellular makeup of organisms and the distinguishing characteristics of groups of organisms are stressed. Students learn about the characteristics of the oceans and the Earth’s changing surface.

Social Studies
Students will use skills of historical and geographical analysis to explore the early history of the United States and understand ideas and events that strengthened the union. The standards for this course relate to the history of the United States from pre-Columbian times until 1877. Students will continue to learn fundamental concepts in civics, economics, and geography as they study United States history in chronological sequence and learn about change and continuity in our history. They will also study documents and speeches that laid the foundation of American ideals and institutions and will examine the everyday life of people at different times in the country’s history through the use of primary and secondary sources.

Religion
    The Fifth Grade Religion curriculum emphasizes the sacraments and the steps to becoming Catholic.  The students learn how Christian marriages bring families together and how everyone can be a good Christian through the respect shown to others.  The various parts of the Mass are also presented in detail, including the preparation for the Eucharist.