Fifth Grade
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| Social Studies | Science |
Oral Language
5.1 The student will listen, draw conclusions, and share responses in
subject-related group learning activities.
a) Participate in and contribute to discussions across content areas.
b) Organize information to present reports of group activities.
c) Summarize information gathered in group activities.
5.2 The student will use effective nonverbal communication skills.
a) Maintain eye contact with listeners.
b) Use gestures to support, accentuate, and dramatize verbal message.
c) Use facial expressions to support and dramatize verbal message.
d) Use posture appropriate for communication setting.
5.3 The student will make planned oral presentations.
a) Determine appropriate content for audience.
b) Organize content sequentially or around major ideas.
c) Summarize main points before or after presentation.
d) Incorporate visual aids to support the presentation.
e) Use grammatically correct language and specific vocabulary.
Reading
5.4 The student will read fiction and nonfiction with fluency and
accuracy.
a) Use context to clarify meaning of unfamiliar words.
b) Use knowledge of root words, prefixes, and suffixes.
c) Use dictionary, glossary, thesaurus, and other word-reference
materials.
5.5 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of fiction.
a) Describe the relationship between text and previously read materials.
b) Describe character development in fiction and poetry selections.
c) Describe the development of plot and explain how conflicts are
resolved.
d) Describe the characteristics of free verse, rhymed, and patterned
poetry.
e) Describe how an author's choice of vocabulary and style contributes
to the quality and enjoyment of selections.
5.6 The student will read and demonstrate comprehension of nonfiction.
a) Use text organizers, such as type, headings, and graphics, to predict
and categorize information.
b) Identify structural patterns found in nonfiction.
c) Locate information to support opinions, predictions, and conclusions.
d) Identify cause-and-effect relationships.
e) Identify compare-and-contrast relationships.
f) Skim materials to develop a general overview of content and to locate
specific information.
g) Identify new information gained from reading.
5.7 The student will demonstrate comprehension of information from a
variety of print resources.
a) Develop notes that include important concepts, summaries, and
identification of information sources.
b) Organize information on charts, maps, and graphs.
Writing
5.8 The student will write for a variety of purposes: to describe, to
inform, to entertain, and to explain.
a) Choose planning strategies for various writing purposes.
b) Organize information.
c) Demonstrate awareness of intended audience.
d) Use precise and descriptive vocabulary to create tone and voice.
e) Vary sentence structure.
f) Revise writing for clarity.
g) Use available technology to access information.
5.9 The student will edit writing for correct grammar, capitalization,
spelling, punctuation, and sentence structure.
a) Use plural possessives.
b) Use adjective and adverb comparisons.
c) Identify and use interjections.
d) Use apostrophes in contractions and possessives.
e) Use quotation marks with dialogue.
f) Use commas to indicate interrupters and in the salutation and closing
of a letter.
g) Use a hyphen to divide words at the end of a line.
h) Edit for clausal fragments, run-on sentences, and excessive
coordination.
| Language Arts | Math |
| Social Studies | Science |
The fifth-grade standards place emphasis on developing proficiency in
using whole numbers, fractions, and decimals to solve problems. Students
will collect, display, and analyze data in a variety of ways and solve
probability problems, using a sample space or tree diagram. Students
also will solve problems involving volume, area, and perimeter. Students
will be introduced to variable expressions and open sentences.
While learning mathematics, students will be actively engaged, using
concrete materials and appropriate technologies such as calculators and
computers. However, facility in the use of technology shall not be
regarded as a substitute for a studentâs understanding of quantitative
concepts and relationships or for proficiency in basic computations.
Mathematics has its own language, and the acquisition of specialized
vocabulary and language patterns is crucial to a studentâs understanding
and appreciation of the subject. Students should be encouraged to use
correctly the concepts, skills, symbols, and vocabulary identified in
the following set of standards.
Problem solving has been integrated throughout the six content strands.
The development of problem-solving skills should be a major goal of the
mathematics program at every grade level. Instruction in the process of
problem solving will need to be integrated early and continuously into
each studentâs mathematics education. Students must be helped to develop
a wide range of skills and strategies for solving a variety of problem
types.
Number and Number Sense SOL STATEMENT
5.1 The student will
a) read, write, and identify the place values of decimals through
thousandths;
b) round decimal numbers to the nearest tenth or hundredth; and
c) compare the values of two decimals through thousandths, using the
symbols >, <, or =.
5.2 The student will
a) recognize and name commonly used fractions (halves, fourths, fifths,
eighths, and tenths) in their equivalent decimal form and vice versa;
and
b) order a given set of fractions and decimals from least to greatest.
Fractions will include like and unlike denominators limited to 12 or
less, and mixed numbers.
Computation and Estimation
5.3 The student will create and solve problems involving addition,
subtraction, multiplication, and division of whole numbers, using
paper and pencil, estimation, mental computation, and calculators.
5.4 The student will find the sum, difference, and product of two
numbers expressed as decimals through thousandths, using an
appropriate method of calculation, including paper and pencil,
estimation, mental computation, and calculators.
5.5 The student, given a dividend of four digits or fewer and a divisor
of two digits or fewer, will find the quotient and remainder.
5.6 The student, given a dividend expressed as a decimal through
thousandths and a single-digit divisor, will find the quotient.
5.7 The student will add and subtract with fractions and mixed numbers,
with and without regrouping, and express answers in simplest form.
Problems will include like and unlike denominators limited to 12 or
less.
Measurement
5.8 The student will describe and determine the perimeter of a polygon
and the area of a square, rectangle, and right triangle, given the
appropriate measures.
5.9 The student will identify and describe the diameter, radius, chord,
and circumference of a circle.
5.10 The student will differentiate between perimeter, area, and volume
and identify whether the application of the concept of perimeter,
area, or volume is appropriate for a given situation.
5.11 The student will choose an appropriate measuring device and unit of
measure to solve problems involving measurement of
a) length ÷ part of an inch (1/2, 1/4, and 1/8), inches, feet, yards,
miles, millimeters, centimeters, meters, and kilometers;
b) weight/mass ÷ ounces, pounds, tons, grams, and kilograms;
c) liquid volume ÷ cups, pints, quarts, gallons, milliliters, and
liters;
d) area ÷ square units; and
e) temperature ÷ Celsius and Fahrenheit units.
Problems also will include estimating the conversion of Celsius and
Fahrenheit units relative to familiar situations (water freezes at 0¡C
and 32¡F, water boils at 100¡C and 212¡F, normal body temperature is
about 37¡C and 98.6¡F).
5.12 The student will determine an amount of elapsed time in hours and
minutes within a 24-hour period.
5.13 The student will measure and draw right, acute, and obtuse angles
and triangles, using appropriate tools.
Geometry
5.14 The student will classify angles and triangles as right, acute, or
obtuse.
5.15 The student, using two-dimensional (plane) figures (square,
rectangle, triangle, parallelogram, rhombus, kite, and trapezoid)
will
a) recognize, identify, describe, and analyze their properties in order
to develop definitions of these figures;
b) identify and explore congruent, noncongruent, and similar figures;
c) investigate and describe the results of combining and subdividing
shapes;
d) identify and describe a line of symmetry; and
e) recognize the images of figures resulting from geometric
transformations such as translation (slide), reflection (flip), or
rotation (turn).
5.16 The student will identify, compare, and analyze properties of
three-dimensional (solid) geometric shapes (cylinder, cone, cube,
square pyramid, and rectangular prism).
Probability and Statistics
5.17 The student will
a) solve problems involving the probability of a single event by using
tree diagrams or by constructing a sample space representing all
possible results;
b) predict the probability of outcomes of simple experiments,
representing it with fractions or decimals from 0 to 1, and test the
prediction; and
c) create a problem statement involving probability and based on
information from a given problem situation. Students will not be
required to solve the created problem statement.
5.18 The student will, given a problem situation, collect, organize, and
display a set of numerical data in a variety of forms, using bar
graphs, stem-and-leaf plots, and line graphs, to draw conclusions
and make predictions.
5.19 The student will find the mean, median, mode, and range of a set of
data.
Patterns, Functions, and Algebra
5.20 The student will analyze the structure of numerical and geometric
patterns (how they change or grow) and express the relationship,
using words, tables, graphs, or a mathematical sentence. Concrete
materials and calculators will be used.
5.21 The student will
a) investigate and describe the concept of variable;
b) use a variable expression to represent a given verbal quantitative
expression involving one operation ; and
c) write an open sentence to represent a given mathematical
relationship, using a variable.
5.22 The student will create a problem situation based on a given open
sentence using a single variable.
| Language Arts | Math |
| Social Studies | Science |
The fifth-grade standards emphasize the importance of selecting
appropriate instruments for measuring and recording observations. The
organization, analysis, and application of data continue to be an
important focus of classroom inquiry. Science skills from preceding
grades, including questioning, using and validating evidence, and
systematic experimentation, are reinforced at this level. Students are
introduced to more detailed concepts of sound and light and the tools
used for studying them. Key concepts of matter include atoms,
molecules, elements, and compounds, and the properties of matter are
defined in greater detail. The cellular makeup of organisms and the
distinguishing characteristics of groups of organisms are stressed.
Students will learn about the characteristics of the oceans and the
Earthâs changing surface.
The fifth-grade standards focus on student growth in understanding the
nature of science. This scientific view defines the idea that
explanations of nature are developed and tested using observation,
experimentation, models, evidence, and systematic processes. The nature
of science includes the concepts that scientific explanations are based
on logical thinking; are subject to rules of evidence; are consistent
with observational, inferential, and experimental evidence; are open to
rational critique; and are subject to refinement and change with the
addition of new scientific evidence. The nature of science includes the
concept that science can provide explanations about nature, can predict
potential consequences of actions, but cannot be used to answer all
questions.
Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, and Logic
5.1 The student will plan and conduct investigations in which
a) rocks, minerals, and organisms are identified using a classification
key;
b) estimations of length, mass, and volume are made;
c) appropriate instruments are selected and used for making quantitative
observations of length, mass, volume, and elapsed time;
d) accurate measurements are made using basic tools (thermometer, meter
stick, balance, graduated cylinder);
e) data are collected, recorded, and reported using the appropriate
graphical representation (graphs, charts, diagrams);
f) predictions are made using patterns, and simple graphical data are
extrapolated;
g) manipulated and responding variables are identified; and
h) an understanding of the nature of science is developed and
reinforced.
Force, Motion, and Energy
5.2 The student will investigate and understand how sound is transmitted
and is used as a means of communication. Key concepts include
a) frequency, waves, wavelength, vibration;
b) the ability of different media (solids, liquids, and gases) to
transmit sound; and
c) uses and applications (voice, sonar, animal sounds, and musical
instruments).
5.3 The student will investigate and understand basic characteristics of
visible light and how it behaves. Key concepts include
a) the visible spectrum and light waves;
b) refraction of light through water and prisms;
c) reflection of light from reflective surfaces (mirrors);
d) opaque, transparent, and translucent; and
e) historical contributions in understanding light.
Matter
5.4 The student will investigate and understand that matter is anything
that has mass; takes up space; and occurs as a solid, liquid, or
gas. Key concepts include
a) atoms, elements, molecules, and compounds;
b) mixtures including solutions; and
c) effect of heat on the states of matter.
Living Systems
5.5 The student will investigate and understand that organisms are made
of cells and have distinguishing characteristics. Key concepts
include
a) basic cell structures and functions;
b) kingdoms of living things;
c) vascular and nonvascular plants; and
d) vertebrates and invertebrates.
Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems
5.6 The student will investigate and understand characteristics of the
ocean environment. Key concepts include
a) geological characteristics (continental shelf, slope, rise);
b) physical characteristics (depth, salinity, major currents); and
c) biological characteristics (ecosystems).
Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change
5.7 The student will investigate and understand how the Earthâs surface
is constantly changing. Key concepts include
a) the rock cycle including the identification of rock types;
b) Earth history and fossil evidence;
c) the basic structure of the Earthâs interior;
d) plate tectonics (earthquakes and volcanoes);
e) weathering and erosion; and
f) human impact.
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| Social Studies | Science |
Virginia Studies
The standards for Virginia Studies allow students to develop a greater
understanding of Virginiaâs rich history, from the early settlements of
American Indian language groups and the founding of Jamestown to the
present. Geographic, economic, and civic concepts are presented within
this historic context. Students will develop the skills needed to
analyze, interpret, and demonstrate knowledge of important events and
ideas in our history, and understand the contributions made by people of
diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds. Students will use geographic
tools to examine the influence of physical and cultural geography on
Virginia history. Ideas that form the foundation for political
institutions in Virginia and the United States also are included as part
of the story of Virginia.
The study of history must emphasize the intellectual skills required for
responsible citizenship. Students practice these skills as they extend
their understanding of the essential knowledge defined by all of the
standards for history and social science.
Skills
VS.1 The student will develop skills for historical and geographical
analysis including the ability to
a) identify and interpret artifacts and primary and secondary source
documents to understand events in history;
b) determine cause and effect relationships;
c) compare and contrast historical events;
d) draw conclusions and make generalizations;
e) make connections between past and present;
f) sequence events in Virginia history;
g) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;
h) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
i) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms,
water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events.
Virginia: The Land and Its First Inhabitants
VS.2 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the geography and early
inhabitants of Virginia by
a) locating Virginia and its bordering states on maps of the United
States;
b) locating and describing Virginiaâs Coastal Plain (Tidewater),
Piedmont, Blue Ridge Mountains, Valley and Ridge, and Appalachian
Plateau;
c) locating and identifying water features important to the early
history of Virginia (Atlantic Ocean, Chesapeake Bay, James River,
York River, Potomac River, and Rappahannock River);
d) locating three American Indian (First American) language groups (the
Algonquian, the Siouan, and the Iroquoian) on a map of Virginia;
e) describing how American Indians (First Americans) adapted to the
climate and their environment to secure food, clothing, and shelter.
Colonization and Conflict: 1607 through the American Revolution
VS.3 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the first permanent
English settlement in America by
a) explaining the reasons for English colonization;
b) describing how geography influenced the decision to settle at
Jamestown;
c) identifying the importance of the charters of the Virginia Company of
London in establishing the Jamestown settlement;
d) identifying the importance of the Virginia Assembly(1619) as the
first representative legislative body in English America;
e) identifying the importance of the arrival of Africans and women to
the Jamestown settlement;
f) describing the hardships faced by settlers at Jamestown and the
changes that took place to ensure survival;
g) describing the interactions between the English settlers and the
Powhatan people, including the contributions of the Powhatans to the
survival of the settlers.
VS.4 The student will demonstrate knowledge of life in the Virginia
colony by
a) explaining the importance of agriculture and its influence on the
institution of slavery;
b) describing how European (English, Scotch-Irish, German) immigrants,
Africans, and American Indians (First Americans) influenced the
cultural landscape and changed the relationship between the Virginia
colony and England;
c) explaining how geography influenced the relocation of Virginiaâs
capital from Jamestown to Williamsburg to Richmond;
d) describing how money, barter, and credit were used.
VS.5 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in
the American Revolution by
a) identifying the reasons why the colonies went to war with England as
expressed in the Declaration of Independence;
b) identifying the various roles played by Virginians in the
Revolutionary War era, with emphasis on George Washington, Thomas
Jefferson, and Patrick Henry;
c) identifying the importance of the American victory at Yorktown.
Political Growth and Western Expansion: 1781 to the Mid 1800s
VS.6 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the role of Virginia in
the establishment of the new American nation by
a) explaining why George Washington is called the ãFather of our
Countryä and James Madison is called the ãFather of the
Constitutionä;
b) identifying the ideas of George Mason and Thomas Jefferson as
expressed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia
Statute for Religious Freedom;
c) explaining the influence of geography on the migration of Virginians
into western territories.
Civil War and Post-War Eras
VS.7 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues that divided
our nation and led to the Civil War by
a) identifying the events and differences between northern and southern
states that divided Virginians and led to secession, war, and the
creation of West Virginia;
b) describing Virginiaâs role in the war, including identifying major
battles that took place in Virginia.
VS.8 The student will demonstrate knowledge of the reconstruction of
Virginia following the Civil War by
a) identifying the effects of Reconstruction on life in Virginia;
b) identifying the effects of segregation and ãJim Crowä on life in
Virginia;
c) describing the importance of railroads, new industries, and the
growth of cities to Virginiaâs economic development.
Virginia: 1900 to the Present
VS.9 The student will demonstrate knowledge of twentieth century
Virginia by
a) describing the economic and social transition from a rural,
agricultural society to a more urban, industrialized society,
including the reasons people came to Virginia from other states and
countries;
b) identifying the social and political events in Virginia linked to
desegregation and Massive Resistance and their relationship to
national history;
c) identifying the political, social, and/or economic contributions made
by Maggie Walker, Harry F. Byrd, Sr., Arthur R. Ashe, Jr., and L.
Douglas Wilder.
VS.10 The student will demonstrate knowledge of government, geography,
and economics by
a) identifying the three branches of Virginia government and the
function of each;
b) describing the major products and industries of Virginiaâs five
geographic regions;
c) explaining how advances in transportation, communications, and
technology have contributed to Virginiaâs prosperity and role in the
global economy.