Quarter 1: Adapting to Survive In our first theme students will learn about the importance of adaptation. In science students will learn about the characteristics that scientists use to define “life” and will see how many organisms have mastered the ability to adapt to their environment. In social studies students will learn about colonial America and how the early colonists learned how to adapt to their new surroundings. In reading students will read independent novels where they will learn how people adapt to their surroundings in times of natural disasters. In math students will use decimal numbers to compare oxygen levels in the harbor to determine if the harbor is a healthy environment for species.
Quarter 2: Revolutions that Matter In our second theme students will learn about times of change. In science the focus will be on physical science where they are exposed to the different types of matter and how these types of matter can change. Students will participate in many hands on activities where they explore the difference between chemical and physical changes. In social studies students will learn about the tensions developing between the 13 colonies and England. Students will see how these tensions turned into change.In Reading students will begin reading the novel "Chains" which is a story told from the perspective of a slave during the Revolutionary War. Students will also read Revolutionary War based independent novels and non-fiction selections. In math students will create a menu that will incorporate operations and algebraic thinking while relating it to the 13 colonies.
Quarter 3: America in the 1800’s
In our third unit students will learn about the United States as it developed and grew. Students will learn about the War of 1812 and the importance Baltimore played in this War. They will also learn about the era of Westward Expansion. In science students will be focused on Earth Science and how the geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact. In Reading students will continue to read the novel "Chains" and complete activities based around the novel. Students will also read independent novels based on Westward Expansion. In math students will analyze the different forms of measurement used in settling the West.
Quarter 4: Civil War In our final theme students will explore the concepts of conflict and change as they delve into the Civil War Era. Students will understand the role the state of Maryland played in this war and will analyze the conflicts in the Civil War with differing perspectives. In science students will focus on space and astronomy as they learn the explanations behind patterns they see on Earth (shadows, day and night, 4 seasons). In Reading students will read independent novels based on the Civil War and participate in a reader's theater about Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. In math students will explore problems that occurred in the Civil War and discuss others ways they could have been resolved. They will also use a coordinate grid to demonstrate their knowledge of the earths features.
Math Quarter One Unit 1 - Place Value and Decimal Fractions Unit 2 - Multiplying and Dividing Multi-Digit Whole Numbers and Decimal Fractions Quarter Two Unit 2 Continued Unit 3 - Addition and Subtraction of Fractions Unit 4 - Multiplication and Division of Fractions and Decimal Fractions Quarter Three Unit 4 Continued Unit 5 - Addition and Multiplication with Volume and Area Quarter 4 Unit 6 -Problem Solving with The Coordinate Plane