List of 12 items.

• Mathematics

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  This class is designed to extend students’ fluency with whole-number operations to fractions and decimals. A special emphasis is placed on developing students’ understanding of equivalence in mathematics as they explore the relationships between fractions, decimals, percentages, and the place-value system. Throughout the year, students are also gradually introduced to probability, graphing, statistics, geometry, and algebraic concepts at a developmentally appropriate level. A focus on the development of problem solving and reasoning skills is integrated into every stage of instruction. Students are regularly prompted to explain their thinking, justify their solution to a problem, or share a problem-solving strategy.

• Humanities

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  5th Grade Humanities combines Language Arts and Social Studies into a single class where we examine the essential question of “Is Geography Destiny?”
  
  Students will explore how human settlements throughout history have been shaped by their surrounding environments and available resources. They will also consider how innovators have found solutions to the challenges of geography. After studying the rivers in the ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India the year culminates with a local case study of The Los Angeles River. Additionally, learning is brought to life with projects in our design lab.
  
  Complementing these studies, students read the novels The Wild Robot, The Golden Bull: A Mesopotamian Adventure and The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Young Readers Edition).
  
  Weekly grammar and vocabulary practice supplement these activities as students begin their middle school journey.

• Religion

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  Students study the Catholic Mass, traditions and sacraments while growing their personal relationships with God. They examine and participate in the liturgy of the Mass to gain a greater awareness of the Church as a community of worship locally and throughout the world. Using a variety of resources, students learn the tenets of the Catholic faith, while Catholic Social Teaching is woven into the fabric of every lesson. Through personal reflections and discussions about ethics and morality, students are able to address their concerns and questions about their roles as children of God. Students receive an overview of Catholic traditions and sacraments while practicing various forms of prayer. The ultimate goal is a reinforced sense of God’s infinite love and mercy, and the development of practical ways to reflect that love back to all.  
  
  Sources:
  Scripture, Venture: What the Church Believes and Teaches Handbook by Pflaum

• Science

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  Science in Middle School is designed to spiral, which helps students explore connections across the four domains of science and engineering every single year: Physical Science, Life Science, Earth and Space Science, and Engineering Design. Students use the science and engineering practices that actual scientists and engineers use as they investigate the natural world and design and build systems respectively. Students are learning actively through inquiry.
  
  Each science unit has an overarching essential question that is particularly relevant and appropriate to the age group. These questions are meant to inspire wonder and by the end of the unit, provide opportunities for students to practice solving problems.
  
  5th Grade Essential Questions and other relevant additions

  
  The Amplify Science Grade 5 Course includes four units that support students in meeting the NGSS. The following unit summaries demonstrate how students engage in three-dimensional learning to answer and solve real-world questions and problems. 
  
  

  Patterns of Earth and Sky: Analyzing Stars on Ancient Artifacts. 
  
  Essential Question: Archaeologists discovered part of an ancient artifact that depicts the sun and other stars. How can we figure out what would have appeared on the missing piece?
  
  Students take on the role of astronomers, helping a team of archaeologists explain the illustrations on a recently discovered, thousand-year-old artifact with a missing piece. Students use mathematical thinking to make sense of patterns in the sky, which they figure out by using physical and digital models and obtaining information from science books. They plan and conduct investigations to figure out how the spin and orbit of our planet are the cause of the daily and yearly patterns of stars we see in the sky. 

  
  Modeling Matter: The Chemistry of Food. 
  
  Essential Question: What happens when two substances are mixed together?
  
  In the role of food scientists, students work to identify a potentially hazardous food dye in a food coloring mixture, then to create a good-tasting and visually appealing salad dressing. They engage in hands-on investigations and use physical and digital models to gather evidence about mixtures at the observable scale and at the scale of molecules. They develop visual models and write explanations about mixtures, including whether they are likely to change or remain stable. 
  
  

  The Earth System: Investigating Water Shortages. 
  
  Essential Question: What can determine how much water is available for human use?
  
  In the role of water resource engineers, students ask questions and investigate what makes a city on one side of an island, prone to water shortages while a city on the other side is not. Students develop and use system models that help them figure out how water cycles through parts of the Earth system at the nanoscale and at the observable scale. They apply their understanding of condensation and evaporation to design freshwater collection systems as a possible solution for the island’s water shortage problem. 
  
  

  Ecosystem Restoration: Matter and Energy in a Rain Forest. 
  
  Essential Question: Why aren’t the jaguars and sloths in a reforested part of the Costa Rican rain forest ecosystem growing and thriving?
  
  Students take on the role of ecologists to figure out why a reforested section of a rain forest ecosystem is failing—the jaguars, sloths, and cecropia trees in the area are not growing and thriving. Students use a digital model and terrariums as models to figure out the ways that animals and plants in an ecosystem get the matter and energy they need to grow. They analyze data about the ecosystem, and use evidence to make scientific arguments about what is causing the problem and to design restoration plans to address it.

• World Languages: Spanish

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  This course is taught using comprehensible input, making vocabulary building the primary focus. Students will acquire the language by listening and reading to support their eventual output of writing and speaking. We implement TPRS: Teaching Proficiency through Reading and Storytelling and the ¡CÚENTAME MÁS! curriculum, supplemented by reading texts specifically written for this level of language student and by telling stories based on short videos.  Students have the opportunity to work on Señor Wooly and Rockalingua, two interactive platforms that use theme-based songs to keep students engaged while making independent learning enjoyable.

• Health and Personal Development

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  The middle school health and personal development program builds on what the students have learned in the lower school and expands their knowledge in the areas of physical, emotional and social health. Areas of focus include: interpersonal relationship and communication skills, understanding who they are as individuals as well as citizens of their community and world, learning about various aspects of health, including sexuality education, being physically fit, understanding body image and eating disorders, drug and alcohol education, learning about the impact of media and technology and how to be good digital citizens, and how to exercise effective and educated decision-making skills in all aspects of their lives. Students leave Mayfield confident in their life skills and with a deeper understanding of their personal development and physical, emotional, and social health.

• Art

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  In the fifth grade, students work on sculpture, drawing, painting, and ceramic projects. In their sculptural unit, students create spooky clay castles using slab, pinch and coil methods. They create a “realistic” favorite meal/desserts using recycled materials, cardboard, and newspaper Students construct reptile sculptures (based on their science project) using newspaper, tape, and the paper mache method and need to understand and apply volume, form, space, and shape. They come to understand that “common or everyday objects” can be considered as “Art.”

• Drama: Using Our Voice

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  Fifth grade students become filmmakers, using video to explore and respond to the world around them and identify universal themes. They learn how to write, direct, and edit footage together to tell a meaningful story. Each week, they work in small groups to produce a school-wide news broadcast called the "Mayfield Minute." In a variety of ways they are able to use their theatre skills to bring their content knowledge to life. They use more complex structures when creating stories (exposition, complication, crisis, climax, and resolution) and characters (protagonist, antagonist). In collaboration with music class, they develop a musical theatre piece which is performed in the spring.

• Music

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  By fifth grade, students are able to read, write, and perform simple melodic notation in treble clef in major and minor keys. They can sing accurately and with good breath control throughout their singing ranges, alone and in small and large ensembles. Students use classroom instruments to play melodies and accompaniments from a varied repertoire of music from diverse cultures, including rounds, descants, and ostinatos and two-part harmony, by oneself and with others. Students are able to play solo compositions and ensemble arrangements on instruments with good posture, good playing position, and good breathe or bow control. Performance opportunities include the Christmas and Spring Concerts, liturgical music for masses and services, and developing a musical theatre production in collaboration with drama class.

• Design & Engineering

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  In 5th grade, students have even more design and engineering opportunities. Students continue to develop their computational thinking skills and think critically about designing adaptations for different terrains during their Wild Robot Project. They also continue to cultivate their maker thinking skills and discuss the entire design thinking process. This is particularly important for their Rubber Band Car Project, which requires students to iterate by creating multiple designs to identify optimal vehicle performance. Problem solving remains a key focus, and students have established comfort with basic tools like scissors, glue, and tape, while also developing comfort with more advanced tools such as laser cutters, cricuts, and glue guns. They also expand their understanding of conductive/coding tools like "Makey Makey," and increasingly tackle ambiguity by addressing problems with non-linear solutions, as they did in the Windmill Project.

• Computer Science and Technology

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  5th Grade Computer Science and Technology students learn and practice productivity and creativity skills on the iPad that specifically support their success in the iPad 1:1 program in middle school. Students gain competency in their knowledge of hardware & troubleshooting, advance their word processing, email etiquette, spreadsheet, presentation, video editing and production skills, and acquire a basic knowledge of digital citizenship.
  

  
  In addition, 5th graders expand their knowledge of robotics using the Lego Mindstorm EV3 robots and curriculum. Students work collaboratively to create solutions to real world problems.

  
  Students continue to document their classroom learning on their digital portfolio.

• Physical Education

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  In fifth grade physical education, students will continue to grow and develop their physical abilities through participation in a diverse range of activities. This will include individual and team sports, such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, football, track and field, softball, and baseball to promote teamwork, sportsmanship, and friendly competition. In addition to physical play, the curriculum will also include lessons on fitness and the importance of regular exercise.  
  
  Good sportsmanship and positive behavior will be emphasized, as students learn the importance of fair play and treating others with respect. The curriculum will also encourage students to work towards personal fitness, helping them develop perseverance and a growth mindset. In addition to physical skill development, students will learn game strategy and tactics, enhancing their understanding of the sport and helping them make informed decisions on the field or court. By the end of the year, fifth grade students will have a strong foundation in physical fitness and the confidence to participate in a wide range of physical activities with skill and enjoyment.