Mrs. Melvin's Fifth and Sixth Grade at 405 Third Street, Paintsville, KY 41240 US - Home
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The 5th and 6th grade classroom is located on the second floor of Our Lady of the Mountain School. Math and Science are taught by Mrs. Rachel Melvin; instruction in Language Arts and Social Studies are provided by Mrs. Dotty Lewis. Students also participate in religion, physical education, art and music, computers, library, foreign language studies (Spanish) and sign language.
LANGUAGE ARTS
Texts for this year include Voyages in English (Writing and Grammar) and Trophies (Reading). Content: Language Arts is a catch-all phrase that includes all aspects of language. Consequently, the curriculum is divided into 6 major areas:
1. Grammar: At this level students will continue working on the correct use of Standard English which includes such aspects as sentence correctness, proper use of punctuation, capitalization, correct use of the 8 parts of speech, etc.
2. .Writing: The students will apply their grammar knowledge to a variety of writing forms, including personal essay, historical analysis, persuasive speech, memoir/personal narrative, script, letter, editorial, and poem.
3. Reading: Reading skills will continue to be taught during the 5/6 grade years. Using the text as a guide, students will read orally and silently. They will focus on a specific skill from the unit. The purpose is to become a fluent reader who can identify the main idea of a passage with its supporting detail, summarize or paraphrase, and advance to the higher levels of thinking: analysis, synthesis, an evaluation.
4. Speaking: Both texts provide instruction and opportunity for oral presentations.
5. Spelling/Vocabulary: Words to spell and learn will be determined from the units being taught.
6. Literature: At this level, we do not have a specific literature test. We will begin learning the elements of fiction in order to analyze the effectiveness of a piece of literature. We will use literature from the Junior Great Books program and other sources. Over the course of 2 years, the following novels will be studied:
A Wrinkle in Time
Esperanze Rising
The Little Prince
Lottery Rose
Among the Hidden
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
A novel of choice, which must be a novel of merit and approved by Mrs. Lewis.
Grading:
Homework will range from 10-30 points depending on the depth of the work and time involvement. No late homework will be accepted unless there is an excuse granted from the office. If the student has an excused absence, he/she will then have the prescribed days to do the make-up work.
Papers and unit tests will be 100 points. Nice weeks grades will be an average of the points assigned during that time period.
Materials needed include pencils, black or blue pens, 3-ring binder, and loose leaf paper.
SOCIAL STUDIES
Text for this year is Horizons – World History.
For our 5th and 6th graders, instruction in Social Studies will help students become aquainted with other nations and cultures throughout history in order to instill an understanding an appreciation for the diversity of the world’s peoples. In order to achieve this, we will study geography, economics, historical events, forms of government, social groupings, and issues. We will read, observe, analyze, and write about the topics studied. Each nine weeks we plan to cover 2 units so the students will be exposed to world history from pre-history to present. A parent newsletter will be sent home with each unit which will not only inform the parents about the content but will also suggest activities to do with the student. Emphasis of reading in the content area will be applied as well as analytical skills such as making inferences, cause and effect, compare and contrast, etc.
Grading:
Homework will range from 10-30 points depending on the depth of the work and time involvement. No late homework will be accepted unless there is an excuse granted from the office. If the student has an excused absence, he/she will then have the prescribed days to do the make-up work.
Papers and unit tests will be 100 points. Nice weeks grades will be an average of the points assigned during that time period.
Materials needed include pencils, black or blue pens, 3-ring binder, and loose leaf paper.
SCIENCE
Our Science text for this school year is Harcourt Science. The content is as follows: All year: Scientific Method; August/September: Ecosystems; October: Classification; November/December: Human Body; January: Cells and Heredity; February: Forces and Motion; March: Life Cycles of Chickens; April/May: Plants.
Grading: Assignments will be graded using a point system. Points will vary depending on the specific assignment, content, time, etc. No late assignments will be accepted unless the office excuses it. Students with excused absences will have the proper time to make-up any missed assignments, per the student handbook policy. Students who are pulled from class for other activities (music, etc.) are responsible for getting and completing any assignments on time.
Material needed include a 3-ring binder with 2 tab dividers labeled math and science, loose leaf paper, pencils, and blue or black ink pens.
MATH
The math textbook for the 2009-2010 school year is Saxon Math (Intermediate 5, Course 1, Course 2, Algerbra 1)
Saxon is a new math series we are starting this year. It is a spiraling curriculum where instruction is distributed across lessons throughout the entire school year and breaks apart the traditional approach of clumping unit together. The areas that will be covered throughout the school year are: Numbers and Operations, Algebra, Geometry, Measurement, Data Analysis and Probability, and Problem Solving.
Grading:
Assignments will be graded using a point system. Points will vary depending on the specific assignment, content, time, etc. No late assignments will be accepted unless the office excuses it. Students with excused absences will have the proper time to make-up any missed assignments, per the student handbook policy. Students who are pulled from class for other activities (music, etc.) are responsible for getting and completing any assignments on time.
Material needed include a 3-ring binder with 2 tab dividers labeled math and science, loose leaf paper, pencils, and blue or black ink pens.