Grade 5

English Language Arts

EL Education is the provider of the OUSD ELA curriculum for grades K-5,.* The curriculum is standards-based, and relies heavily on fiction and nonfiction trade books. This curriculum is open access, and full materials are available to view and at the EL Education website.

* OUSD Dual Language schools use the Benchmark Education curriculum for language instruction.

Fall

Stories of Human Rights

What are human rights, and how can they be threatened? How can we use writing to raise awareness of human rights?


  • Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan

  • A Life Like Mine: How Children Live Around the World by DK Publishing

Winter

Biodiversity in the Rain Forest

Why do scientists study the rainforest? How do authors engage readers in narratives?


  • The Great Kapok Tree, Cherry Seeds of Change by Jen Cullerton Johnson

  • The Most Beautiful Roof in the World by Katherine Lasky

Spring

Athlete Leaders of Social Change

How have athletes broken barriers during the historical era in which they lived? What factors can contribute to an individual's success in changing society?


  • Promises to Keep: How Jackie Robinson Changed America by Sharon Robinson


Math

Eureka Math2 (Eureka Math "Squared") is the adopted OUSD curriculum for elementary schools. The curriculum is aligned to California Common Core standards, which describe what students should know and be able to do in each subject in each grade.

Fall

Module 1

Place Value Concepts for Multiplication and Division with Whole Numbers


Module 2

Addition and Subtraction with Fractions


Winter

Module 3

Multiplication and Division

with Fractions


Module 4

Place Value Concepts for Decimal Operations

Spring

Module 5

Addition and Multiplication with Area and Volume


Module 6

Foundations to Geometry in the Coordinate Plane

Science

For elementary science instruction, OUSD uses FOSS (Full Option Science System), a research-based science curriculum developed at the Lawrence Hall of Science, University of California, Berkeley. This curriculum emphasizes hands-on activities and is aligned to Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). The order of the three modules varies from school to school, depending on the rotation of physical science kits at each school site.

Physical Science

Mixtures and Solutions

What is matter, and what happens when samples of matter interact?


Investigations:

  1. Separating Mixtures

  2. Developing Models

  3. Concentration

  4. Reaching Saturation

  5. Fizz Quiz

Earth Science

Earth and Sun

How do Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere interact to create a sustainable environment for life?


Investigations:

  1. The Sun

  2. Planetary Systems

  3. Earth’s Atmosphere

  4. Heating Earth

  5. Water Planet

Life Science

Living Systems

How can we describe Earth’s biosphere as a system of interacting parts?


Investigations:

  1. Systems

  2. Nutrient Systems

  3. Transport Systems

  4. Sensory Systems




Social Studies

OUSD 5th graders use Newsela to access a Social Studies curriculum that focuses on American history. This online curriculum is aligned to California Common Core state standards, and consists of individual articles that are adjusted to each student's reading level.

Fall

Indigenous Lands

Chapter 1

The Land and People Pre-Contact


Chapter 2

Age of Exploration


Chapter 3

Cooperation and Conflict in North America

Winter

Colonial America

Chapter 4

Settling the Colonies


Chapter 5

The Road to War


Chapter 6

The American Revolution

Spring

The U.S. Forms and Expands

Chapter 7

Development and Significance of U.S. Constitution


Chapter 8

Life in the Young Republic


Chapter 9

The New Nation’s Westward Expansion