Our fifth grade scientists engage in many hands-on activities and lab experiments throughout the year, which integrate Math and Language Arts. We focus on many topics of life science such as classification, cells, body systems, biomes, interactions in ecosystems, plants, and crayfish. The students focus on using many skills such as making hypotheses, working cooperatively, making inferences and observations, and making conclusions. One of the major projects throughout the year is when the students research and create a biome. The information gathered and projects are then displayed in the classroom for the students to present to their classmates. At the end of the year, the students get to work with live crayfish. The students always love this unit and get very excited. Our mathematicians focus on decimals and fractions in fifth grade.  They create projects integrating why decimals are important and how they are all around us.  These projects are presented and displayed for classmates to see.  In fifth grade Religion, students study the seven sacraments with special emphasis on the sacraments of initiation. A highlight is when they take part in a baptismal ceremony. The students role play priests, deacons, parents, and godparents. In Social Studies, our journey begins with the United States and moves on to Canada and South America.  The students explore how different cultures live, about their natural resources, how their government works and much, much more. In ELA, writers' workshop is a large portion of the curriculum.  The students are working very hard on adding descriptive details to their writing.  They also work on personal narratives. Students in Grade 5 continue to study a World Language. Students may choose from Italian, Spanish, French or Latin.