Welcome to the Logic Stage
Year one of the Logic Stage, your student now:
"Somewhere around fourth or fifth grade, children begin to think more analytically, Middle-school students are less interested in finding out facts than in asking, 'Why?' The second phase of the classical education, the 'logic stage,' is a time when the child begins to pay attention to cause and effect, to the relationships among different fields of knowledge, to the way facts fit together into a logical framework. A student is ready for the logic stage when the capacity for abstract thought begins to mature. During these years, the student begins the study of algebra and applies mathematical reasoning to real-life situations. She studies the rules of logic, and begins to apply logic to all academic subjects. The logic of writing, for example, includes paragraph construction and support of a thesis; the logic of reading involves the criticism and analysis of texts, not simple absorption of information; the logic of history demands that the student find out why the War of 1812 was fought, rather than simply reading its story; the logic of science requires the child to learn and apply the scientific method."1
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1 Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical
"Somewhere around fourth or fifth grade, children begin to think more analytically, Middle-school students are less interested in finding out facts than in asking, 'Why?' The second phase of the classical education, the 'logic stage,' is a time when the child begins to pay attention to cause and effect, to the relationships among different fields of knowledge, to the way facts fit together into a logical framework. A student is ready for the logic stage when the capacity for abstract thought begins to mature. During these years, the student begins the study of algebra and applies mathematical reasoning to real-life situations. She studies the rules of logic, and begins to apply logic to all academic subjects. The logic of writing, for example, includes paragraph construction and support of a thesis; the logic of reading involves the criticism and analysis of texts, not simple absorption of information; the logic of history demands that the student find out why the War of 1812 was fought, rather than simply reading its story; the logic of science requires the child to learn and apply the scientific method."1
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1 Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise, The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical
Fifth Grade
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SCIENCE: Earth Science and Astronomy
In the fifth grade year, students are led through a study of plants, animal life, and the human body by digging deeper into what was studied during the elementary years. Topics Covered Include: Unit 1: Biological Building Blocks Overview of Study Cells, DNA and GeneticsClassification, Nutrient Cycles, and Basic Ecology Unit 2: Plants Overview of StudyFungi, Simple Plants, Flowerless Plants, Flowering Plants, Seeds and Fruit, and Broadleaf Trees Unit 3: Invertebrates Overview of Study, Annelids, Platyhelminthes, Nematodes Cnidarians and Echinoderms, Mollusks, Crustaceans (Arthropods), and Insects (Arthropods) Unit 4: Vertebrates Overview of Study Fish, Amphibians Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals Unit 5: Animal Overview: Overview of StudyAnimal Research, Project Migration, Animal Defenses, and Feeding and Nutrition Unit 6: The Human Body Overview of Study, Integumentary System (Skin, Hair, and Nails) Skeletal System, Muscular System, Nervous System, Endocrine System (Hormones), Circulatory System, Respiratory System, Digestive System, Urinary System, and Immune System Writing skills, Penmanship:
(for information on why we teach cursive, please visit our "about us" or "curriculum" page) Building upon each grade, the consistent step-by-step approach to good penmanship presented each year emphasizes neatness and correct letter formation in daily practice. Writing habits which are polished during second grade will greatly influence students’ penmanship skills throughout life. Beginning in lesson 81, penmanship class will focus primarily on creative writing skills and some penmanship review. Creative writing skills will be taught in a sequence that will prepare students to write their own stories incorporating higher level thinking skills into imaginative writing. |
Social Studies/History: The Ancients
Making use of The Story of the World, Volume 1 along with The Kingfisher History Encyclopedia and numerous instructor-assigned supplemental materials, this class studies ancient times at a logic-stage level. Students will make use of primary sources, time lines, and outlines to learn about the ancient world, from the earliest records to the last Roman emperor. Topics covered include: What is History? What is Archaeology?, The Earliest People, Ancient Egypt, Early Writing, Mesopotamia, Hammurabi, Assyria, Ancient India, Ancient China, Ancient Africa, Middle & New Kingdoms of Egypt, Phoenicia, Assyria vs. Babylon, Crete, Early Greece, The Greece of Homer, The Medes & Persians, Sparta & Athens, The Greek Wars, Alexander the Great, The Ancient Americas, Early Rome, Aryan & Mauryan India, Confucian China, Rome and the Caesars, The Decline and Fall of Rome Grammar and Writing
Moving from basic definitions through advanced sentence structure and analysis—your student will learn the three essential elements of language education: understanding and memorizing rules (prescriptive teaching), repeated exposure to examples of how those rules are used (descriptive instruction), and practice using those rules in exercises and in writing (practical experience). Students will move through the most basic concepts through advanced grammatical concepts such as modal and hortative verbs and multiple functions of noun clauses.Extensive diagramming exercises reinforce the rules and help technical and visual learners to understand and use the English language effectively. Text for examples and exercises are drawn from great works of literature, as well as from well-written nonfiction texts in science, mathematics, and the social sciences. |
Fifth Grade Math
The Lab school of Oklahoma uses Saxon math for it's core math instruction. We believe each student is unique and teach to the individual. Therefore, we supplement with Math-U-See to integrate a more hands on approach with those who would benefit. For more information on Saxon math, please visit our "About Us" page.
Below is a list of new topics covered this year in math. For a great resource and explanation on why we use Saxon Math, please refer to our "About Us" page.
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Adding and subtracting integers/signed numbers
Multiplying and dividing integers/signed numbers Transforming equations (using the addition rule and the multiplication rule) Linear functions Analyzing functional relationships Rates Graphing lines Selecting the best measure of central tendency for a given situation Tree diagrams Combinations Odds Angle bisectors Congruent angles Pyramids Cylinders Complex Figures Parallelograms Trapezoids Circles Platonic solids |
Surface area
Concentric circles Arcs Area Pi Interior and exterior angles Sum of angle measures Complementary and supplementary Angles formed by transversals Calculate to find unknown angle measures Using similar triangles Angle bisectors Unit multipliers Irrational numbers Prime Factorization Percents greater than 100% Power of decimals and fractions Dividing with signed numbers Multiplying signed numbers Adding and Subtracting signed numbers |
Books We May Read In Class*
*Book lists are subject to change
1.) Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks
2.) Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
3.) A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
4.) Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
5.) Heroes of Black History (from the Who Was…? series - Harriet Tubman, MLK, Rosa Parks, and Jackie Robinson)
6.) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
7.) The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
8.) Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
9.) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
10.) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
2.) Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
3.) A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park
4.) Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
5.) Heroes of Black History (from the Who Was…? series - Harriet Tubman, MLK, Rosa Parks, and Jackie Robinson)
6.) Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl
7.) The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
8.) Fuzzy Mud by Louis Sachar
9.) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis
10.) Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
