GRADE 5 

January/February 2025

Math - Students will be wrapping up rounding, estimating, adding, and subtracting decimals to the thousandths place. Then, they will begin multiplying and dividing decimal numbers. It is imperative that they continue to practice their math facts at home on a regular basis. Lastly, they will learn about expressions, patterns, order of operations, and graphing in the first quadrant of the coordinate plane.

Reading - Students will begin their unit on figurative language and learn about similes, metaphors, personification, idioms, alliteration, and hyperbole. They will learn the definitions of each type, practice identifying the meaning, create their own, and identify them within a larger context. Additionally, we will spend time in February focusing on Black History Month and taking a virtual field trip to learn about Black change-makers in recent history whose passions and talents spread awareness and resisted racism and segregation in the U.S.

Writing - Students will begin our nonfiction writing unit where they will write a 5 paragraph essay on showing how the Earth is protected from asteroids. They will apply all they have learned about paragraph writing in their essay making sure to include: a topic sentence, transition words, star ideas, explanations, and a conclusion sentence. In February, they will begin writing their descriptive hybrid creatures paragraph. The goal is for students to create a hybrid creature, not reveal their picture to their partner, then write a paragraph with such descriptive detail that their partner can replicate their hybrid creature based on their writing. They will compare pictures at the end to see how well they did and what they might have left off in their writing. 

Science- Students will be doing their first NYS Investigation called “Circle of Life.” This is the first year students are doing this and it will be part of the end of year NYS Science exam. After their first investigation, students will learn about electricity and then will be completing their second NYS Investigation called “Light It Up.”

Social Studies- Students will be working on their explorers unit. They will be learning about Leif Erikson, Christopher Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci, John Cabot, Ferdinand Magellan, Hernando DeSoto, Henry Hudson, and Robert LaSalle.

Religion- Students will be learning about the book of Genesis. Students will learn an overview of the creation story, Adam and Eve, Noah's Ark, and more.

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Please check your child’s Google Classroom regularly for updated grades and information on missing assignments. If you need their login information please email me. Although, most students have this memorized. If you need help with this please let me know.

Using IXL at home for practice is encouraged and a really great way for students to improve their skills. Students have skill plans for both math and ELA pinned to easily find lessons that align to their lessons. They also have recommended lessons based off of their IXL diagnostic.

You may reach the Parent Portal here https://parentportal.eschooldata.com/buffalodiocese

Mrs. Jenna Jakubowski - Grade 5 

jjakubowski@cawb.org