Fourth & Fifth Grades

Beginning in fourth grade, students have specialized teachers for each subject instead of one homeroom teacher who teaches all subjects. In preparation for transitioning to the Upper School, students learn how to manage multiple teachers who may have different expectations. They also gain more responsibility and trust on campus.

In fourth and fifth grade, students gradually assume greater responsibility for keeping track of their assignments and work. They are shown how to use planners and online calendars to stay on top of their work and are more formally introduced to other study skills such as note-taking, making outlines and summaries, how to plan and manage a lengthy assignment. Students have all academic subjects daily, as well as enrichment and P.E. Student progress is updated weekly and visible to parents via an online portal.

Curriculum

Language Arts

Literature & Writing

Through a literature-based program, students refine reading accuracy, fluency and comprehension. Both classic and modern literature is taught, with emphasis placed on how novels and stories are structured, how writers use different styles to convey meaning, and the study of plot, characterization, and figurative language. In grammar, students master parts of speech and more rigorous usage and mechanics. Students write extensively, using journals, compositions and reports to develop the ability to express themselves with clarity and conviction. They work with different styles of writing, including creative and expository writing.

The literature in each grade is themed: in fourth grade, students read novels that follow the theme of Social Change in California History. Each novel (including Laurence Yep's Dragon's Gate and Pam Muñoz-Ryan's Esperanza Rising) ties into what they learn in history class, and allows students to deepen their understanding of California's rich history. In fifth grade, the theme is Identity; students read novels (such as Skeleton Man, by Joseph Bruchac, and Holes, by Louis Sachar) where the lives of the characters are enriched by the lives of their ancestors.

Grammar & Vocabulary

In addition to Literature and Writing, students have a focused Grammar and Vocabulary class daily. They master parts of speech and more rigorous usage and mechanics and build vocabulary through the introduction of weekly word sets.

Math

4th Grade: Saxon, Grade 5 Curriculum

5th Grade: McDougal Littell Middle School Math: Course 1

Over the course of fourth and fifth grades, students learn increasingly complex operations using addition, subtraction, and multiplication with whole numbers, decimals, and fractions. Students continue to explore measurement, graphing, percents, ratio and proportion, perimeter, area, and volume. By the end of fifth grade, geometry and geometric concepts are introduced. Students practice good work habits such as showing all work in preparation for pre-algebra and algebra at the Upper School.

Science

Foss Next Generation Science is used in 4th and 5th grade. Each year includes investigations across physical, earth, and life sciences. The curriculum is designed around active investigations that provide engagement with phenomena and science and engineering practices. Surrounding those firsthand investigations are experiences that help build student understanding of core science concepts and deepen scientific habits of mind.

History

In fourth grade, students study California history, from the state's first inhabitants to the early 1900's. They discuss not just the events that occurred, but also why they occurred and what effects they had. The main textbook is Houghton- Mifflin's California Studies, supplemented by a wide variety of primary and secondary sources. The goal of this class is to make students aware of how to study and talk about history, specifically that of California. The class covers a broad spread of topics that include archaeology, anthropology, geography, California Indians, European colonization, Spanish and Mexican California, the Gold Rush, statehood, the transcontinental railroad, the Great Depression, and beyond. The overall focus is not just on the major players in history, but also how their actions affected the marginalized communities in the state. Throughout the year, students complete projects, take tests, write short research papers, and do many other hands-on activities related to the study of history. They also go on an overnight field trip at Coloma Outdoor Discovery Center.

In fifth grade, students study American history. They begin the year by doing an in-depth study of world geography and reinforce their map-reading skills. From there, students move on to studying pre-Columbian Native Americans all over what is now the United States. They learn about early contact between Native Americans and Europeans, and how that contact helped shape the first European colonies. They finish the year by studying the development of the thirteen colonies and the causes of the Revolutionary War.

Spanish

LEAP

Over the course of their fifth grade year, students complete a cumulative project that displays many aspects of what they have learned at the Lower School. Students showcase their elementary school learning through a self-selected, interest driven, long-term project, report and presentation. Fifth graders have chosen a diverse range of topics-- everything from sewing to programming to woodworking. At the end of the project, students host an open house for parents and community members to explore what students have learned and created.

Field Trips

Fourth grade is the first time that Old Orchard students go on an overnight field trip: they travel to Coloma, in the Sierra Nevada foothills, for a three-day trip to explore and experience aspects of the California Gold Rush at Coloma Outdoor Discovery School.

In fifth grade, students travel to Pigeon Point Lighthouse for a three-day science camp with Exploring New Horizons Outdoor School. Overlooking the ocean, students, staff and chaperones stay at the historic Pigeon Point Lighthouse hostel, learning about the intricate life of tide pools, the near extinction of the Elephant seals, and the rich cultural history of the San Mateo coast.

Students also go on a number of different field trips around the Bay Area. They visit the Santa Cruz Mission, the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Seymour Marine Discover Center, Montalvo Arts Center, and many more. The goal of these field trips is to allow students to gain hands-on experience in science, history, and the arts in ways that complement what they learn in the classroom.