Fifth Grade
FIFTH GRADE
Teaching Team
Academic Standards
MATH
- 5.CA.1: Write quotients and remainders with 4-digit dividends and 2-digit divisors.
- 5.CA.2: Solve real-world multiplication and division problems; explain remainders.
- 5.CA.4: Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators and mixed numbers.
- 5.CA.7: Multiply fractions, including mixed numbers.
- 5.CA.8: Divide fractions, including mixed numbers.
- 5.CA.10: Perform addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division with decimals to the nearest hundredth.
- 5.M.3: Apply real-world formulas for area.
- 5.M.5: Apply real-world formulas for volume.
- 5.DA.2: Determine measures of central tendency.
ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS
- 5.RC.1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining or inferring meaning.
- 5.RC.2: Determine theme; summarize a story, play, or poem.
- 5.RC.6: Determine two or more main ideas and explain how they’re supported by key details.
- 5.RC.8: Compare and contrast organizational structures of texts.
- 5.RC.9: Explain how authors use reasons and evidence to support claims.
- 5.RC.13: Apply knowledge of word structure, roots, and affixes to determine meaning.
- 5.W.1: Write persuasive compositions.
- 5.W.2: Write informative compositions.
- 5.W.3: Write narrative compositions.
CogAT Assessment
In fifth grade, students participate in the Cognitive Abilities Test (CogAT), which measures reasoning and problem-solving skills through verbal, quantitative, and nonverbal tasks. This assessment helps identify students’ academic strengths and potential areas for advanced learning opportunities. At Western Intermediate, CogAT results are used as one part of a comprehensive approach to understanding each student’s unique abilities and supporting their continued growth and achievement.
Student Experiences
- Rocket Day One of the most exciting days of the year for our fifth graders! Students design, build, and launch model rockets. Rocket Day is a hands-on experience that combines creativity, engineering, and teamwork — and it’s a tradition students look forward to for years.
- End-of-Year Kickball Tournament To celebrate a year of hard work and learning, our fifth graders take to the field for a friendly kickball tournament. This fun-filled day is all about teamwork, sportsmanship, and making memories with classmates before heading to middle school.
- “Feast” and Holiday Movie Day Before Winter Break Before winter break, fifth graders enjoy a special day of celebration and community. Each class hosts its own “feast,” where students share snacks and spend time watching cozy classroom holiday movies.
- Native American Diorama Project (Social Studies) As part of their social studies curriculum, students research Native American tribes and bring their learning to life through creative diorama projects. This hands-on experience encourages students to explore history, geography, and culture in a meaningful, visual way.
- Pi Day Math meets fun on Pi Day! Students celebrate 3.14 (March 14) with engaging math challenges, circular-themed activities, and, of course, a few sweet treats. It’s a great way to show that math can be both educational and exciting.
- Field Trips: Statehouse and Eiteljorg Museum Fifth graders experience history and culture firsthand with field trips to the Indiana Statehouse and the Eiteljorg Museum. These excursions connect classroom learning to the real world as students explore government, art, and the stories of Native peoples and Western expansion.
- Science Team: Surprise Project Presentation Our fifth grade Science Team is working on a special project that will be revealed later this year! Students are collaborating to create a hands-on, inquiry-based experience that they’ll proudly present to parents and families — stay tuned for details!