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Grade 5
 Welcome to Grade Five.
This is an important grade level, as the students
must transition from the Elementary to the Middle
School. Therefore, we not only push a rigorous
academic program but also try to develop
responsibility and independence within the students.
These are important traits for lifelong learners.
Our students are poised not only to succeed in Grade
Five but they will also achieve success with the new
academic and social demands of Middle School.
Our Social Studies units are focused upon the
development of early United States history until the
American Revolution. We use an inquiry based
approach to look at the relationship between the
geography, culture and history of the various
peoples of North America. We take the same approach
for our unit of Kuwaiti studies.
In Science, we focus heavily on using the scientific
process and hands on approach to understanding some
very complex and difficult issues. Our units focus
on microbiology, astronomy, aerodynamics and energy
resources. However, the true focus is on developing
skills such as questioning, hypothesizing and
testing.
Our Math program is likewise focused on a hands-on
approach to problem solving and critical thinking.
Although we spend much of our time developing basic
computation and numeracy skills, we also look at
various ways that mathematical thinking can be used
to solve a variety of problems. We make every effort
to connect the math learning in the classroom to the
real world experiences of our students.
We have two main objectives in our Reading program.
The first is to use a variety of strategies to
ensure that each and every student is maximizing
their potential. The second is to develop the skills
necessary to effectively read non-fiction texts. As
the students move on to Middle School, it is of
vital importance that they can read for meaning and
understanding from a wide variety of sources.
Our Writing program exposes the students to a broad
variety of genres and audiences. We teach poetry,
narrative, story and report writing. We develop in
the students an awareness of the process of writing
through all of its stages. Throughout the year the
students work towards developing publishable pieces
of work to include in a portfolio that they will
take with them to Middle School.
Overall, we take a creative and fun approach to
teaching so that out students are engaged and
energized about the process of learning. This is the
key to developing lifelong learners who are prepared
to succeed at all academic levels.
Sincerely,
Iain Macfarlane
Team Leader
macfarlanei@ask.edu.kw
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