Mrs. Geiser, 5-2 Homeroom

Math, Social Studies, Science, and Religion

During the first quarter, our math students will be building their understanding of place value into the billions and thousandths.  Understanding place value is an important building block for performing whole number and decimal operations for both fifth and future grades.  They will continue to develop operation sense in both multiplication and division as we work with larger numbers and money.  They will be discovering more multiplication patterns and divisibility rules.  The students will also develop and understanding of equivalent fractions, learn to identify the greatest common factor, least common multiple, and least common denominator.

In Social Studies, the students will begin their study of geography.  After a general introduction to the topic, students will explore the United States in depth.  They will be creating both a political and physical map of the United States, learning how forces inside the earth affect the shape of the United States, learn how geographical features effected the expansion of our country, discover our original descendants and locations of the first settlements.  The students will be learning about the US economy, foreign trade, and the branches of our government.

In Science, students will be exploring the life sciences.  They will learn to recognize the characteristics that categorize all living things into their kingdoms.  They will study cell characteristics and cell processes, and construct cell models.  They will also be learning more about body systems and the way these systems interact with one another.  The students will also have a short health unit in which they will learn the importance of taking responsibility for personal health habits, learn nonviolent, positive behaviors for resolving conflict, and explain refusal and negotiation in potentially harmful or dangerous situations.

Throughout the year, fifth graders focus on the seven sacraments in religion.  In the first quarter, they will be learning about Jesus Christ and his mission, the three categories of Sacraments, and will focus on the Sacrament of Baptism.

Yours in Christ,

Mrs. Geiser