YEAR FIVE

OVERVIEW

Fifth graders arrive at a balance in the middle years of childhood. Development of the individual as separate from the world is acknowledged in a new verse that is spoken each morning. Now it is possible to direct the gaze outward into the world while becoming ever more conscious of the world within. As fifth graders enter the age of understanding, boys start study of Mishnayot and Gemarrah while girls focus on Naviim and in-depth study of Parsha concepts. Both boys and girls get paired up with a chavruta to study over the phone once a week. As intellectual connection to Hashem strengthens, tefilah is starting to take more time during the day. Both boys and girls are memorizing additional tehilim as well as Tefilot for Minchah and Aravit in addition to those they have been working on in the previous years. In Avoda Yad classes, both boys and girls complete a Tzitzit Project where they learn everything about Tzitzit: from making the fabric to tying a variety of knots. Girls enjoy their Challah baking practice playing with recipes ranging from regular egg challah to vegan, whole-wheat, and gluten-free. Looking outward, fifth graders observe the world of plants. With roots firmly anchored and leaves reaching out to the light, the plant stands in harmonious balance between earth and sun. Botany lessons include time outdoors experiencing plant life through the seasons, observing the diversity of the plant kingdom. Artistic work enhances science studies with ever more precise drawings. Skills acquired in watercolor painting can evoke the changing moods of nature in different climate zones.

The study of Torah math continues. Fifth graders gain proficiency in working with whole numbers, fractions, and mixed numbers by solving Torah-based problems. Properties and number patterns discovered in the lower grades are understood when fifth graders look at prime numbers, abundance, factors, and prime factors. Decimals are introduced. Students work on problems in Gematria throughout the year. Form drawing moves into freehand geometric drawing, an introduction to geometry. Fifth graders write on main lesson themes and life experiences. They edit papers for capitalization, punctuation, and spelling. Parts of speech, verb tenses, active and passive voices of a verb are presented. Letter writing is introduced – both personal and business letter writing – perhaps, with the assignment to request information for a research paper. Dictations and spelling lists are part of the weekly rhythm in fifth grade. Geography lessons focus on the continent of North America. Students begin to work with geographical terms. They look at different regions and hear stories about how inhabitants make a living off the land. Fifth graders welcome the challenge to learn the names of mountain ranges, rivers, and lakes, as well as some of the state capitals. History and Science are taught from Torah perspective. The students learn about something of the ancient cultures as well as about various science phenomena through stories in Tanach as well as the books by Zamir Cohen (MHBH) – Coming Revolution and Hidden Treasures. Students have an option to participate in an ITA Pen Pal Program where they will be paired up with another homeschooler on their level and be given an opportunity to learn about each other’s world and share ideas through weekly snail mail letter writing.

SKILLS BY SUBJECT AREA

MIDOT

In Grade Five, students should: • Show respect for teacher, classmates, property, and materials • Study with positive attitude • Serve the needs of the family or their study group if available • Work individually or in collaboration with other students without continued adult guidance and intervention • Get work done in timely fashion • Demonstrate intention to do best work • Be open and willing to work with feedback from parent-teacher and supervising teacher as well as to work out social issues • Be inclusive and practice positive social habits.

TEFILAH

By the End of Year Five, students will build on what they learned during year one by adding passages to the Tefilot that have learned. They will learn the order of prayers for Mincha, Aravit, and Special Holidays. They will recite by memory a minimum of the first two parts of each section of Tefilah adding for full versions of Tefilot that require standing (Amidah, Aleinu, and some others).

TANACH

Adapted and expanded stories from Tanach are told to students following the Yearly Parsha Calendar. By the end of Year Five, students will learn and memorize the first paragraph of each Parsha if they have not done so in the earlier grades. Additional challenges can be presented to the students enrolled in a Gifted Track Program. The students will study the Book of Ruth, the Book of Daniel, and the Megillah.

TEHILIM

Students will learn and memorize additional 20 tehilim used during prayers during the week and on Shabbat.

SHULCHAN ARUCH (Gifted Program Option)

Fifth graders will continue their study of Shulchan Aruch.

MISHNAYOT

Boys will continue study of Mishnayot and familiarize themselves with the structure of Gemarrah.

OBSERVATION ART

Throughout the year students will be given opportunities to perfect their observation skills working with objects in nature as well as through play.

LANGUAGE ARTS

In Grade Five, students should be able to: • Exhibit sustained attention to primary speaker to capture details and facts • Participate in daily recitation, story recapitulation, and oral reports • Demonstrate clear diction, meter, cadence, syntax, volume, rate, and artistic expression when speaking • Develop dictionary skills • Syllabicate words according to rules for syllabication • Master weekly spelling and vocabulary list • Continue work with spelling rules and irregularities • Increase accuracy and speed in dictation • Compose several paragraphs out of curriculum material presented (biographical or historical sketches, for example) • Write simple research reports from student readings and observations • Write and edit with awareness of spelling punctuation, parts of speech, capitalization, active and passive voice • Write stories from own experience • Read books related to the curriculum • Demonstrate oral and written recall.

TORAH MATH

In Grade Five, students should be able to: using the reciprocal) • Add/subtract mixed numbers by finding common denominators and regrouping • Name place values (whole numbers and decimals) • Multiply and divide mixed numbers using conversions to improper fractions, expansion, and simplification of fractions • Practice four basic operations on whole numbers (multiple digit), long division using estimation and rounding of numbers • Know multiplication tables out of sequential order • Multiply by 10s (for example 20x600) • Discern proper operation to use in word problems • Continue practice in “mental math,” speed calculations • Discover prime numbers, factors, common factors, rules of divisibility • Work with decimals • Develop facility with fraction/decimal equivalents • Calculate area and perimeter for rectangles and squares • Begin geometry with freehand geometric drawing.

NATURAL SCIENCE AND SOCIAL STUDIES

In Grade Five, students will: • Explore history of ancient cultures • Develop familiarity with historical maps of the above cultures (construct or draw) • Study geographical regions of North America, the relationship to the people living there and their occupations • Begin to work with geographical terms • Learn political and geographical boundaries of North America: countries, states, and capitals • Examine Earth’s major climate zones • Develop an understanding of the plant, its relationship to sun and earth, life cycles, and anatomy • Explore categories of plants and plant relationship to geography and climate.

FOREIGN LANGUAGES (HEBREW AND SPANISH, FRENCH, GERMAN/RUSSIAN

Reading material is introduced and becomes a focus for vocabulary work. Grammatical concepts established in the mother tongue are practiced in simple statements written in the foreign language. For the students taking on a foreign language, the initial learning is done through audio perception. For those who are beyond their third year of learning the language, the following skills will be emphasized: • Improving writing and reading skills • Listening to a poem and songs and recognize main themes • Being able to respond to simple questions from text reading • Memorizing plays and longer poems • Practice writing simple paragraphs • Reading short paragraphs with good pronunciation • Knowing the verb forms in the present tense • Starting to recognize conjugation of regular and irregular verbs in sentences • Using article, nouns adjectives, and prepositions • Using numbers up to 1000.

INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC (OPTIONAL)

By the end of Grade Five, students should: • Have a basic facility on the violin, viola, or cello, playing scales and simple songs/rounds in first position • Be able to play with facility in the keys of C, G, D, A, and F major • Be able to participate in a musical ensemble with four and five part harmony • Understand how to read and interpret key signatures up to two sharps and flats • Be able to sight-read basic melodies and harmonies • Be able to complete simple rhythmic dictation Students who start wind instruments should achieve basic facility on their wind instruments by the end of the year and should be able to apply their musical knowledge from their studies of string instruments to the wind instruments.

MUSIC AND VOICE

In Grade Five, students should be able to: • Sing medleys, several songs put together • Sing rounds; start at same time in parts and end together • Keep rhythm • Begin sight singing and understand basic music theory concepts, including key signatures and scale degrees • Experience culture and historical moods through Jewish music (Eastern European, Western European, Middle Eastern, Irish, etc.) • Relate singing to geography by singing folk songs that belong to different regions of the world.

ART

In Grade Five, students should be able to: • Draw geometric forms freehand • Develop and work with nuances of color to create qualitative differences • Apply watercolor painting techniques to illustrate plant world, geography, and ancient cultures • Model with clay – Beit Hamikdash Project • Practice drawing and shading techniques with colored pencils.

HANDWORK/ AVODA YAD

By the end of Grade Five, students should be able to: • Read and attempt to follow a simple knitting pattern independently • Design their own socks • Keep track of and care for their supplies • Strengthen previously learned knitting skills by knitting a sample gauge • Continue to work with color values and design • Knit with five double-pointed needles • Turn a heel and shape the toe of each sock • Knit a pair of socks (for themselves) • Some may learn to hand-sew a gusseted animal.

WOODWORK

By the end of Grade Five, students should be able to: • Practice proper care of and develop respect for tools • Work within prescribed safety rules • Carve both convex shapes (egg form) and begin concave shapes (bowl) with a mallet and gouge • Make basic measurements with a ruler • Work with a rasp to shape and smooth a form • Recognize common local wood species • Complete the term project.

EURYTHMY/ORIENTATION IN SPACE (optional as per parents’ choice)

Eurythmy In Grade Give, students should be able to: • Work with geometric forms, using copper rods in frontal orientation • Continue dexterity and concentration exercises • Learn peace and energy dances • Practice stepping rhythms • Know eurythmy alphabet, every gesture of every sound.

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

In Grade Five, students should be able to: • Add strength, beauty, and speed to all skills developed in previous years • Play team games with strength and accuracy • Learn to juggle three balls • Practice gymnastics: cartwheel, handstand, and round off • Begin developing skills in unicycle, Rolla bola, and rolling globe • Show good sportsmanship.

ADDITIONAL SUBJECTS OF STUDENT’S INTEREST

As homeschooling allows and calls for flexibility, students can choose extra subjects within their area of personal interest. An in-depth study of marine biology, for example, or any other area of Creation is welcomed. Students enrolled in a Gifted Track Program can submit their work samples through video and audio recordings as well as physical projects for extra credit.