Elementary Curriculum

Elementary curriculum emphasizes mastery of foundational skills in reading, math, science, social studies, English Language arts, health, art, music and physical education.

The curriculum is individualized to meet special needs, and lessons are also provided to develop social skills, positive character traits and drug-abuse resistance skills. A specialized curriculum is available for academically gifted students and for those needing special education services.

Middle School Curriculum

High School Curriculum

Parent's Guide: Helping Your Child Learn

Kindergarten

Literacy

Kindergarterners will:

Identify and write all upper and lower case letter.
Identify letter sounds.
Recognize and produce rhyming words.
Segment, delete, and blend syllables and sounds.
Read high frequency words.
Decode simple words.
Read grade level text accurately.
Read independently for sustained periods of time.
Use strategies to comprehend while reading and/or listening to a variety of texts.
Write first and last name.
Use a combination of drawing, dictating, and writing to compose stories, opinion and informational pieces.
Speak and listen in multiple setting.

Ways to Help at Home:

Read with and to your child every day.
Play rhyming games and games that involve identifying letters and letter sounds.
Recite nursery rhymes and sing songs. Encourage your child to identify high frequency words in text.
Encourage your child to retell stories.
Ask questions when reading with your child to support their understanding.
Ask your child to put letters and pictures together to create simple stories.
Encourage your child to draw and write by allowing access to pencils, crayons, markers, chalk and a variety of paper.

Mathematics

Kindergarterners will:

Count to 100 by ones and tens.
Write, identify, and count objects for the numbers 1 to 20.
Work with numbers 11-19 to gain foundations of place value.
Understand addition as putting together or adding to, and understand subtraction as taking apart or taking from.
Reason with shapes and their attributes (number of sides, number of angles, etc.)
Sort and recognize squares, circles, triangles, rectangles, hexagons, cubes, cones, cylinders, and spheres by their attributes.
Classify objects into categories and count the number of objects in each category.
Fluently add and subtract within 5.

Ways to Help at Home:

Ask your child questions that encourage them to count up to 20. (How many cans are on the shelf?)
While putting toys into bins, count the number in two bins and ask your child how many more are in one bin than the other.
Play games and create simple addition and subtraction problems for your child using life situations. (If you have five eggs and use two for dinner, ask how many are left in the carton.)
Ask your child about the weight and length of certain objects. (Which is shorter? Which is heavier? How do you know?)
Encourage you child to sort common objects. (coins, buttons, cereal) by attributes such as size, color and shape.

Science

Kindergarterners will:

Make observations about weather and how it changes over time.
Explore how sunlight affects surfaces and can warm things.
Investigate how objects move using pushes and pulls.
Describe and compare objects by size, shape, and weight.
Identify sources of energy like the sun and light.

Ways to Help at Home:

Talk about the daily weather and what to wear for the day or season.
Notice sunny vs. shady areas outside and talk about which feels warmer.
Play with balls, toy cars, or swings and describe how movement changes.
Sort and compare household items (big/small, heavy/light).
Point out light sources and discuss how they help us see or stay warm.
Observe plants/animals and practice caring for the environment (recycling, saving water).

Social Studies

Kindergarterners will:

Engage in the study of themselves, their families, and their schools.
Learn how to participate and use effective citizenship skills.
Explore their families, their classrooms, and their schools through an interdisciplinary approach including history, civics, economics, and geography.
Generate and research compelling questions, such as:
- What is my role in my family and school?
- What is “history'' and how is the past different from the present?
- How do citizens show patriotism?
- How do we use maps and globes to learn about places?
- How do we make choices?

Ways to Help at Home:

Help your child recognize various community member roles and responsibilities (i.e. fire, police, city council, waste management, public works, etc.)
Explain to your child how they are related to other family members.
Share stories about family history, places, and jobs.
Look for opportunities to discuss, explore, and experience different cultures.
Explain to your child where they live - their neighborhood, city, state, etc.
Have conversations with your child about how and why you make decisions - opportunity costs based on decision making.
Discuss your child's goals and ways to reach them.
Have playdates, visit parks, and encourage your child to socialize with peers.
Encourage your child to ask questions and find answers to their questions.

First Grade

Literacy

First Graders will:

Manipulate sounds within words.
Use phonics (matching letters and sounds) and word analysis skills to decode words.
Read high frequency words.
Read grade level text accurately.
Read independently for sustained periods of time.
Use background knowledge to understand texts.
Determine what is important when reading.
Use sensory images to comprehend texts.
Write narrative stories that include a beginning, middle, and end along with details related to the story.
Write informative texts that name a topic and supply facts and provides a sense of closure.
Write opinion pieces that name a topic, opinion, reasons for the opinion, and provides a sense of closure.
Apply conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.
Speak and listen effectively in multiple settings

Ways to Help at Home:

Read with and to your child every day, listen to audio books.
Recite nursery rhymes and sing together.
Play word games.
Point out interesting and unusual words.
Encourage your child to retell stories.
Ask questions when reading with your child to support their understanding.
Visit the library and check out books regularly.
Encourage your child to draw and write by allowing access to pencils, crayons, markers, chalk and a variety of paper.
Write stories, letters, cards and poems with your child.
Enjoy conversation with your child, talk to them about school, books, friends, interests, sports.

Mathematics

First Graders will:

Read and write numbers to 120.
Understand the place value of 2-digit numbers.
Use greater than >, less than <, and equal = symbols to compare two-digit numbers.
Fluently add and subtract within 10 (know addition and subtraction facts).
Add 2-digit numbers.
Solve word problems by adding or subtracting numbers 1 to 20.
Measure lengths in non-standard units (paper clips, blocks, etc.)
Ask and answer questions about data in graphs and charts.
Tell and write time in hours and half hours.
Reason with shapes and their attributes (Draw a shape that has 4 equal sides and 4 angles.)
Create new shapes by combining other shapes.
Identify and know the value of a penny, nickel, dime, and quarter.

Ways to Help at Home:

Play games and create simple addition and subtraction problems for your child using life situations. (There are 16 cookies in the jar. We just ate 4 cookies. How many cookies are left in the jar?)
Cook with your child.
Build things with blocks or other materials. As you build, have your child count the pieces by tens, add or subtract pieces, and name the different shapes you use.
Encourage you child to sort common objects (coins, buttons, cereal) by attributes such as size, color and shape.

Science

First Graders will:

Observe and record patterns in temperature, precipitation, and cloud types.
Identify external features of plants and animals and explain how those parts help them survive.
Compare young plants and animals to their parents to understand how traits are inherited.
Explore energy sources and investigate how vibrations create sound.
Design simple devices to communicate using light and sound energy.
Track the patterns of the sun, moon, and stars across the sky.
Observe and chart how the moon changes shape over time.

Ways to Help at Home:

Ask your child to predict the weather by looking at cloud patterns.
Point out animal body parts and discuss how they help the animal survive.
Look for physical traits that baby animals share with their parents.
Feel the vibrations of different objects when they make a sound.
Use a flashlight or light source to practice sending simple messages.
Draw the shape of the moon together to track how it changes over time.
Observe the sun’s position during the day and look for stars at night.

Social Studies

First Graders will:

Engage in the study of themselves, their families, and their schools.
Learn how to participate and use effective citizenship skills.
Explore their families, their classrooms, and their schools through an interdisciplinary approach including history, civics, economics, and geography.
Generate and research compelling questions such as:
- How do my school and community influence each other?
- Why are symbols important for our community and country?
- How can you use maps and globes to help you find things?
- How do we get things we need or want in our school and community?

Ways to Help at Home:

Share stories about your family and encourage your child to share stories about their lives with others.
Talk about current events in family, community, and country.
Look for opportunities to have your child consider how things in the community and nation impact their lives.
When traveling, give your child a map of where you live and where you are going. Have your child consider different ways to get there.
Talk to your child about how you get the goods and services your family needs.
Point out and have discussions about important symbols in our community and country.
Encourage your child to ask questions and find answers to their questions.

Second Grade

Literacy

Second Graders will:

Apply grade level phonics and word analysis skills in decoding words.
Determine meaning of words and phrases.
Read grade level text with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Use comprehension strategies to understand a variety grade level texts:
- Use background knowledge
- Ask and answer questions
- Determine important ideas
- Make inferences
- Use sensory images
Use the writing process to develop and strengthen writing.
Write narratives that describe actions, thoughts and feelings in a logical order and provides closure.
Write informational texts with a well developed topic, facts and a conclusion.
Write opinion pieces that name a topic, provide an opinion with reasons to support it and includes a sense of closure.
Apply conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.
Speak and listen effectively in multiple contexts.

Ways to Help at Home:

Read with and to your child every day, listen to audio books.
Visit the library and check out books regularly.
Play word games.
Point out interesting and unusual words.
Share family stories and memories.
Tell jokes and riddles.
Encourage your child to retell stories and facts they've read.
Ask questions when reading with your child to support their understanding.
Encourage all forms of reading; graphic novels, comics, picture books, articles, wordless picture books.
Create a writing toolbox at home.
Fill it with drawing and writing materials.
Write stories, letters, thank you notes, lists, recipes.
Model reading and writing behavior you want to see from your child.
Enjoy conversation with your child, talk to them about school, books, friends, interests, sports.

Mathematics

Second Graders will:

Fluently add and subtract within 20 from memory (know addition and subtraction facts)
Solve word problems by adding or subtracting numbers 1 to 100.
Understand the place value of 3-digit numbers.
Add and subtract 3-digit numbers.
Measure lengths of objects in standard units such as inches or centimeters.
Solve word problems involving length.
Find the value of combinations of dollar bills, quarters, dimes, nickels, and pennies.
Tell and write time to the nearest 5 minutes using a.m. and p.m.
Work with equal groups of objects to build a foundation for understanding multiplication.
Solve problems and draw conclusions using line plots, picture graphs, and bar graphs.
Divide shapes into halves, thirds, and fourths, understanding that equal shares may not have the same shape. We only use the fraction words (one-half) in second grade, not the symbols (1/2).

Ways to Help at Home:

Ask your child questions about time.
Encourage your child to use money both at home and in the community.
Play math games:
- I'm thinking of a number. It has 5 tens, 3 hundreds and 4 ones. What's my number?
- Using a deck of cards, deal 2 cards and ask your child to add the numbers as fast as they can.
- Using a deck of cards, identify a target number between 1 and 20, deal a card, and ask your child to either add or subtract to obtain that number.
Create addition and subtraction problems for your child using life situations.
Ask your child to measure the length of certain objects. (Which is shorter? Which is heavier? How do you know?)

Science

Second Graders will:

Classify materials based on physical properties like texture, flexibility, and hardness.
Compare different materials to decide which are best suited for building or insulation.
Observe how different pushes and pulls change the way an object moves.
Investigate how vibrations create sound and how changes in vibration affect pitch and volume.
Identify landforms and bodies of water by creating simple models.
Describe how wind and water reshape the land through erosion and weathering.
Explore what plants need to grow and how animals help with pollination and seed dispersal.

Ways to Help at Home:

Explore household objects and discuss why their material—like plastic or metal—was chosen.
Test different pushes and pulls on toys to see how their mass affects their movement.
Create homemade instruments to feel how vibrations change with different sounds.
Look for examples of landforms or bodies of water when traveling or looking at maps.
Point out signs of erosion in your yard or local park after a heavy rain.
Grow a simple plant at home and experiment with how much light or water it receives.
Watch for bees or birds in the garden and discuss how they help plants thrive.

Social Studies

Second Graders will:

Engage in the study of geography as it relates to the cultural, economic, and political characteristics of the regions of both Missouri and the United States.
Examine and evaluate multiple sources of information using an inquiry model.
Explore various regions through the disciplines of history, civics, and economics.
Generate and research compelling questions such as:
- What does it mean to act as a responsible citizen in our community and nation?
- What are some inventions that helped change the way people live?
- What are the responsibilities of government leaders?
- How have the lives of Native Americans changed over time?
- How do we describe our region?
- How are community wants and needs met?

Ways to Help at Home:

Have conversations with your child about how what it means to be a responsible and engaged citizen in their community and country.
Look for opportunities to identify and discuss the characteristics and differences between various regions of the state and nation and how these characteristics and differences benefit them - resources, crops, travel, entertainment, outdoor activities, etc.
Talk to your child about how people used to live in the region and compare it to how people live now.
Point out needs in the community and how those needs are met - public services, stores, parks and recreation, etc.
Encourage your child to ask questions and find answers to their questions.

Third Grade

Literacy

Third Graders will:

Apply word analysis skills in decoding words.
Read grade level text with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Use comprehension strategies to understand a variety grade level texts:
- Ask and answer questions
- Determine important ideas
- Uses text features
- Make inferences
- Use sensory images
Use the writing process to develop and strengthen writing.
Write narratives based on real or imagined experiences/events using descriptive details and structured with a beginning, middle, and end.
Write informational texts with a well developed topic, facts, and a conclusion.
Write opinion pieces that name a topic, provide an opinion with reasons to support it, and include a concluding statement or section.
Apply conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.
Speak and listen effectively in multiple contexts.

Ways to Help at Home:

Encourage your child to read daily (20+ minutes).
Read to and with your child, listen to audio books.
Visit the library and check out books regularly.
Share family stories and memories.
Encourage your child to retell stories and facts they've read.
Ask questions when reading with your child to support their understanding.
Encourage all forms of reading; graphic novels, comics, picture books, articles, wordless picture books.
Play word games.
Write stories, letters, thank you notes, lists, recipes.
Model reading and writing behavior you want to see from your child.
Enjoy conversation with your child, talk to them about school, books, friends, interests, sports.

Mathematics

Third Graders will:

Understand and explain what it means to multiply or divide numbers, e.g. 3 X 4 means 3 groups of 4.
Understand properties of multiplication and the relationship between multiplication and division.
Fluently multiply all 1-digit numbers (know the multiplication facts).
Solve word problems involving addition, subtraction, multiplication and division.
Fluently add and subtract within 1000.
Understand the concepts of area and perimeter.
Relate the measurement of area to multiplicaiton and division.
Understand fractions as numbers.
Compare the size of two fractions.
Tell and write time to the nearest minute.
Solve problems involving time, liquid volumes and the weight of objects.
Represent and interpret data.
Reason with shapes and their attributes.

Ways to Help at Home:

Play math games:
- I'm thinking of a number. It has 5 tens, 3 hundreds and 4 ones. What's my number? Using a deck of cards, deal 2 cards and ask your child to multiply the numbers as fast as they can
Challenge your child to solve problems in everyday situations at home.
Practice telling time and solving problems involving elapsed time:
- What time is it now? What time will it be in 28 minutes?
- Soccer practice starts in 30 minutes. What time does soccer practice start?
- The bus comes at 7:28. It takes me 40 minutes to get ready for school. What time should I get up?
Have your child help with cooking when fractinal measurements are used:
- Measure 1/2 cup of flour. Measure 1/3 cup of sugar. Which is more?

Science

Third Graders will:

Identify and describe how objects interact through contact and non-contact forces.
Observe how magnets attract or repel and how electricity influences motion.
Identify and describe at least three stages of plant and animal life cycles.
Investigate how structural adaptations and inherited traits help organisms survive in their environments.
Explore how heating and cooling cause materials to change between solid, liquid, and gas states.
Collect and interpret weather data using tools like thermometers and rain gauges.
Examine weather-related hazards and design solutions to reduce their impact.

Ways to Help at Home:

Experiment with kitchen magnets to see which household surfaces they stick to and which they don't.
Observe a local plant or pet and talk about the different stages of life it goes through.
Look for animals in your neighborhood and discuss what features help them find food or hide.
Watch water boil or freeze while cooking to talk about evaporation, melting, and freezing.
Create a simple weather station in your yard to track daily temperature and rainfall.
Check the weather forecast together and discuss how the climate might be different in another part of the world.
Discuss what your family would do to stay safe during a local weather hazard like a flood or a storm.

Social Studies

Third Graders will:

Engage in a yearlong study of our state of Missouri.
Analyze the impact of geography, economics, and governmental structures to study both the history and contemporary society of Missouri.
Generate and research compelling questions such as:
- How has Missouri changed over time?
- How is Missouri similar to and different from other states?
- How has Missouri impacted the nation?
- How are governmental decisions made at the state level?
- How do Missouri’s resources support the state and national economy?

Ways to Help at Home:

Look for opportunities to share stories of Missouri history and local history with your child.
Take your child to events happening in the community that celebrate Missouri's history and impact on the nation.
Discuss local, state, and national elections and why they matter.
Talk about the importance of voting and compare candidate's stances on issues.
Discuss events and local current news.
Talk about how state and local government impacts your life.
Look for opportunities to show how the local economy impacts your life.
Encourage your child to ask questions and find answers to their questions.

Fourth Grade

Literacy

Fourth Graders will:

Develop vocabulary and determine the meaning of words and phrases in texts.
Read grade level text with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Use comprehension strategies to understand a variety grade level texts:
- Ask and answer questions
- Determine important ideas
- Analyze text structure
- Make inferences
Use the writing process to develop and strengthen writing.
Write narratives based on real or imagined experiences/events using details to develop the story and provide a conclusion or ending.
Write informational texts that include a well developed topic, groups information logically, uses vocabulary specific to the topic, and a includes a conclusion.
Write opinion pieces supporting a point of view with supporting reasons and evidence, and provide a conclusion.
Apply conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.
Speak and listen effectively in multiple contexts.

Ways to Help at Home:

Encourage your child to read daily (30+minutes).
Read to and with your child, listen to audio books.
Visit the library and check out books regularly.
Share family stories and memories.
Encourage your child to retell stories and facts they've read.
Ask questions when reading with your child to support their understanding.
Encourage all forms of reading; graphic novels, comics, picture books, mysteries, articles, biographies, any kind of nonfiction.
Play word games.
Write stories, letters, thank you notes, lists, recipes.
Write letters to a pen pal who lives far away. Keep a journal. (Could be a daily journal or gratitude journal, fitness journal, food journal).
Model reading and writing behavior you want to see from your child.
Enjoy conversation with your child, talk to them about school, books, friends, interests, sports.

Mathematics

Fourth Graders will:

Understand place value for whole numbers up to one million.
Fluently add and subtract whole numbers up to one million.
Solve multi-step word problems, including problems involving time, volume, weight, money, area, perimeter and converting measurements (larger to smaller).,
Multiply and divide multi-digit whole numbers.
Build fractions from smaller fractions (3/4=1/4+1/4+1/4).
Create equivalent fractions.
Add and subtract fractions with the same denominator (digit below the fraction bar).
Connect addition and subtraction of whole numbers to muliplying fractions by whole numbers.
Connect the concepts of fractions and decimals by converting fractions (with denominators of 10 or 100) into decimals and decimals into fractions.
Compare fractions and decimals.
Measure angles and classify shapes using lines and angles.
Represent and analyze data.
Generate and analyze number patterns.

Ways to Help at Home:

Play math games:
- Using a deck of cards, deal 2 cards and ask your child to multiply the numbers as fast as they can.
Challenge your child to solve problems in everyday situations at home.
Practice telling time and solving problems involving elapsed time:
- What time is it now? What time will it be in 28 minutes?
- Soccer practice starts in 30 minutes. What time does soccer practice start?
- The bus comes at 7:28. It takes me 40 minutes to get ready for school. What time should I get up?
Have your child help with cooking when fractinal measurements are used:
- Measure 1/2 cup of flour. Measure 1/3 cup of sugar. Which is more?
- See how many times you have to refill a 1/4 cup measure to make a 1/2 cup measure
- How much is 1/2 cup of flour measured 3 times? (3 x 1/2)

Science

Fourth Graders will:

Examine internal and external structures of plants and animals to see how they help with survival, growth, and behavior.
Identify and describe how simple machines like levers, pulleys, and inclined planes change force and motion.
Investigate how friction affects movement and how energy is transformed from one form to another.
Describe properties of waves, including amplitude and wavelength, and how they affect sound.
Study fossils and rock layers to uncover clues about Earth's history and past environments.
Develop solutions to minimize the impact of natural disasters like floods and earthquakes.
Design and test model gliders to explore forces like lift, drag, thrust, and gravity.

Ways to Help at Home:

Discuss how our senses, like sight and hearing, help us stay safe and interact with the world.
Look for simple machines around the house, such as a canned food opener (wedge) or a ramp (inclined plane).
Experiment with friction by sliding objects across different surfaces like carpet, wood, or tile.
Use a slinky or a jump rope to create waves and observe how changing the height changes the wave's appearance.
Look at local maps to identify land features like mountains and rivers in your region.
Observe different rock types and discuss how weathering or erosion might have shaped them over time.
Build paper airplanes together and experiment with different wing shapes to see which flies the farthest.

Social Studies

Fourth Graders will:

Engage in the study of events early in United States history ranging from indigenous peoples here prior to colonization through the American Revolution.
Analyze and evaluate a variety of documents, sources, and perspectives.
Generate and research compelling questions such as:
- Why do people migrate from one place to another?
- What factors influence conflict past and present?
- How did the founders balance freedom with rule of law?

Ways to Help at Home:

Talk to your child about important historical events and celebrations that are a part of Early American History.
Look for opportunities to highlight the diverse groups of people who have been a part of forming our country.
Discuss with your child why there has been conflict in American History and how those conflicts may or may not have been resolved.
Talk about why people move and what may have caused them to do so.
Discuss how and why we have laws and how these laws protect our freedoms.
Encourage your child to ask questions and find answers to their questions.

Fifth Grade

Literacy

Fifth Graders will:

Develop vocabulary and determine the meaning of words and phrases in texts.
Read grade level text with accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
Use comprehension strategies to understand a variety grade level texts:
- Ask and answer questions
- Determine important ideas
- Analyze text structure
- Make inferences
- Synthesize information
Use the writing process to develop and strengthen writing.
Write narratives based on real or imagined events using descriptive details, clear event sequence, transition words, and a clear ending.
Write informational texts about a topic that includes facts and details to convey ideas, linking words, and a concluding statement or section.
Write opinion pieces supporting a point of view with supporting reasons and evidence and providing a conclusion.
Apply conventions of standard English grammar and usage in writing.
Speak and listen effectively in multiple contexts.

Ways to Help at Home:

Encourage your child to read daily (30+minutes).
Read to and with your child, listen to audio books.
Visit the library and check out books regularly.
Share family stories and memories.
Encourage your child to retell stories and facts they've read.
Ask questions when reading with your child to support their understanding.
Encourage all forms of reading; graphic novels, comics, picture books, mysteries, articles, biographies, any kind of nonfiction.
Play word games.
Write stories, letters, thank you notes, lists, recipes.
Write letters to a pen pal who lives far away.
Keep a journal. (Could be a daily journal or gratitude journal, fitness journal, food journal)
Model reading and writing behavior you want to see from your child.
Enjoy conversation with your child, talk to them about school, books, friends, interests, sports.

Mathematics

Fifth Graders will:

Fluently multiply multi-digit numbers.
Divide 4-digit numbers by 2-digit numbers.
Use exponents to express powers of 10.
Understand decimal place value to the thousandths place.
Convert decimals to fractions and fractions to decimals.
Add, subtract, multiply and divide decimals.
Use equivalent fractions to add and subtract any fractions.
Multiply fractions by whole numbers and other fractions.
Divide fractions and whole numbers.
Find the volume of rectangular prisms.
Convert measurements.
Solve multi-step word problems involving variables.
Generate number patterns from rules.
Translate number patterns into ordered pairs and plot the ordered pairs on a coordinate grid.
Create a line plot to represent data.

Ways to Help at Home:

Play math games:
- Using a deck of cards, deal 2 cards and ask your child to multiply the numbers as fast as they can.
Use everyday objects to allow your child to explore the concept of fractions:
- Divide a granola bar equally between 3 people. How much does each person get?
- Divide 2 granola bars equally between 3 people. How much does each person get?
Ask your child to give you a fraction equal to a decimal:
- What are two fractions that are equivalent to 0.6? (6/10, 60/100, 12/20, 3/5, etc.)
Have your child help with cooking when fractinal measurements are used:
- How much is 1/2 of a fourth of a cup of flour?
- How much is 3/4 cup of flour measured 3 times?

Science

Fifth Graders will:

Investigate how energy is transferred through food webs and how matter cycles through ecosystems.
Learn how plants use photosynthesis to convert solar energy into food for growth and survival.
Explore the microscopic world of matter to see how tiny particles behave in solids, liquids, and gases.
Conduct investigations into mixtures, solutions, and physical properties like magnetism and solubility.
Analyze evidence of chemical changes and understand that matter is conserved even when it changes form.
Discover how Earth’s four major spheres—geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere—interact.
Observe patterns in light, shadows, and gravity to explain day, night, and seasonal changes.

Ways to Help at Home:

Discuss how the food you eat provides energy for your own body's movement and growth.
Look for "decomposers" or evidence of matter cycling in your backyard or a local park.
Experiment with dissolving sugar or salt in water to discuss solubility and solutions.
Identify chemical changes occurring in the kitchen, such as baking a cake or browning toast.
Talk about how your local community protects natural resources like water or local soil.
Track the length and direction of a shadow outside at different times of the day.
Identify which objects in the night sky emit their own light, like stars, versus those that reflect it.

Social Studies

Fifth Graders will:

Engage in the study of events, documents, movements, and people emphasizing the time period between 1800 and 2000 in America with a focus on inquiry into the continuing development of the United States as a nation.
Generate and research compelling questions such as:
- What were the costs and benefits of territorial expansion? How did wars change the United States?
- How have economic, political, and social rights of individuals and groups changed over time in the United States?
- How did the United States' role in the world change between 1800-2000?
- How have economic factors influenced change in the United States?

Ways to Help at Home:

Talk to your child about important historical events and celebrations that are a part of American History.
Look for opportunities to highlight the diverse groups of people who have been a part of forming our country.
Discuss with your child why there has been conflict in American History and how those conflicts may or may not have been resolved.
Talk about why people move and what may have caused them to do so.
Discuss how and why we have laws and how these laws protect our freedoms and how these have changed over time.
Encourage your child to ask questions and find answers to their questions.