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.
Module 1
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
Module 2
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
Module 3
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
Module 4
The Impact of Natural Disasters
How do natural disasters affect the people and places that experience them? How can we prepare for a natural disaster?
Eight Days: A Story of Haiti by Edwidge Danticat
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.
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
Family Resource: Mixtures and Solutions
What is matter, and what happens when samples of matter interact?
Investigations:
Separating Mixtures
Developing Models
Concentration
Reaching Saturation
Fizz Quiz
Earth Science
Family Resource: Earth and Sun
How do Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere interact to create a sustainable environment for life?
Investigations:
The Sun
Planetary Systems
Earth’s Atmosphere
Heating Earth
Water Planet
Life Science
Family Resource: Living Systems
How can we describe Earth’s biosphere as a system of interacting parts?
Investigations:
Systems
Nutrient Systems
Transport Systems
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