Fifth & Sixth Grades

 

In the Fifth and Sixth Grades, the Grammar stage continues; but instead of focusing on broad, foundational knowledge, our focus shifts to deep knowledge.  For instance, in science, students continue their encounter with natural wonder and beauty in Nature Study, but they also spend time in a focused study of matter, and earth science.  History and literature are linked, and tell a coherent story of Western civilization. On a two-year cycle of Ancient and Medieval times, students read historical narratives alongside historical fiction, forming a backdrop of characters, scenes, clothing, and ideas from our forerunners.

Language Arts

Students in Fifth and Sixth Grades continue to hone their wordcraft through penmanship and spelling practice, but they also take a deep dive into the mechanics of language using Michael Clay Thompson’s grammar, vocabulary, and poetics curricula.  Students learn the art of the sentence, paragraph, and essay as they master foundational principles of parts of speech, phrases, clauses, and coherence.  They are also introduced to stylistic techniques and practices.

Fifth Grade

  • Paragraph Town by Michael Clay Thompson

  • Grammar Town by Michael Clay Thompson

  • Caesar’s English I by Michael Clay Thompson

  • Building Poems by Michael Clay Thompson

  • Sequential Spelling

  • Pentime Cursive 5, by Pentime Publishers

Sixth Grade

  • Essay Voyage by Michael Clay Thompson

  • Grammar Voyage by Michael Clay Thompson

  • Caesar’s English II by Michael Clay Thompson

  • A World of Poetryby Michael Clay Thompson

  • Sequential Spelling

  • Pentime Cursive 6, by Pentime Publishers

History & Literature

The story of Western Civilization is a rich and compelling one.  In the combined History and Literature curriculum, formal history readings provide a scene while individual books of fiction provide characters, clothing, props, and dialogue. Together, the students gain a vision of the past.  In addition to their readings in History and Literature, students also complete art projects, draw and label maps, learn geography, prepare feasts, and even perform short plays or puppet shows related to their year’s historical era.

Ancient Year

  • The Story of Civilization I: The Ancient World by Philip Campbell

  • Book of Greek Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

  • Boy of the Pyramids by Ruth Fosdick

  • Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean

  • The Bronze Bow by Elizabeth George Speare

  • The Wanderings of Odysseus by Rosemary Sutcliff

  • Victory on the Walls by Frieda Clark Hyman

  • City of the Golden House by Madeleine Polland

  • Black Ships Before Troy by Rosemary Sutcliff

Medieval Year

  • The Story of Civilization II: The Medieval World by Philip Campbell

  • Book of Norse Myths by Ingri and Edgar Parin d’Aulaire

  • The Door in the Wall by Marguerite de Angeli

  • Adam of the Road by Elizabeth Janet Gray

  • Robin Hood by Roger Lancelyn Green

  • King Arthur by Roger Lancelyn Green

  • Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb

  • Shakespeare Stories by Leon Garfield

  • Thomas Aquinas by Mary Fabian Windeatt

  • Joan of Arc by Susan Helen Wallace

  • Cinderella and Puss in Boots, Blue Fairy Book by Andrew Lang

Catechesis

Students continue to visit the Good Shepherd School Atrium in Purcellville, VA for their work with Catechesis of the Good Shepherd in the Level III Atrium.  This level emphasizes the unfolding mystery of God’s redeeming work in the universe as they ask the question “What is the kingdom of God and my place in it?”

Nature Study

Students continue their weekly trips to a nearby park in order to adventure in the natural world.  After a short lesson, they observe and collect specimens, take notes, sketch, and–perhaps–take a moment to splash in the creek.  In Fifth and Sixth grades, we take a deep dive into nature journaling, recording the weather, our observations, diagrams, drawings and reflections. Although these times may be leisurely, they form both a first-hand knowledge of the immediate cosmos, but also the important habit of quiet, careful, and close observation.  Finally, students are taught to reflect; they are afforded the time and space to simply contemplate and wonder in moments of quiet.

Science

While Nature Study allows for students to make observations and explore their environment with curious minds, Science provides the methods for further investigation and a deeper understanding of the processes involved. Students begin a more focused and formal study of General and Earth Science in a 2-year cycle, creating a foundational understanding of the steps of scientific inquiry, by planning and conducting investigations, and using equipment for measuring, collecting, and analyzing data. General Science fundamentals also include the impact of biotic and abiotic factors in an ecosystem, interactions in a biological community, classification of organisms, the human body, matter and energy. Earth Science focuses on the local Chesapeake Bay Watershed, atmosphere and weather, human impact on the environment, geology, and our solar system.

Math

Continuing in the Math Mammoth curriculum, in Fifth Grade, special focus is given to mastering fractions and decimals, including addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division of fractions.  Students are introduced to large numbers and calculators, problem solving, bar models, graphing, and more advanced geometry. In Sixth Grade, students deepen their previously studied topics, but are also introduced to expressions and equations as they prepare for further algebraic studies.

Fine Arts

Art: Students study great works of art and architecture from the year’s historical time period. They participate in “Thinking Routines” when observing art. They also complete a focused artist study and create a reproduction of an important work. A selection of projects are done throughout the year that include a variety of media: paint, drawing, sculpture, clay, calligraphy, graphic arts and colored pencils.

Music:  All students participate in the music program, as they learn musical notation and scales, and practice their voices on classical, folk and liturgical songs.