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Language arts includes reading, spelling, speaking, listening, writing, handwriting and continued attention to phonics as needed. Our guide is the Open Court curriculum. Fifth graders read novels and newspapers that cover a wide range of skills: listening, summarizing, comprehension, vocabulary studies, cause and effect, character sketches, comparisons, etc. Various forms of writing and studies of grammar and parts of speech are included as part of the language curriculum. Writing activities are frequently integrated into other content areas such as Bible, science, and social studies. In fifth grade we do a research paper called Gold Mining as we are "mining" for information. Fifth graders also learn the spelling of the books of the Bible.

In fifth grade we have a brand new curriculum. This follows the state standards and includes units on the human body, changes in species, the solar system, and force and motion. It is based on issues, so the students will be able to see where science fits into real life situations.

We begin the year with an overview of the Pentateuch. Then we go on to study the books of Proverbs and Psalms. Following the study of some of the prophets, we will study the birth and life of Christ on earth, the early Christian church, and Paul's missionary journeys.

Everyday Math is the curriculum used in fifth grade. We are looking forward to the new strategies and techniques in using math in a practical way, and we feel the students will find multiple ways in developing mathematical answers.

Geography is studied first semester. Geography of the United States is covered using the Census Regions. Students learn the names of capital cities and state locations.

History will be studied the second semester, and we will cover United States history from the time of Native Americans through 1800. We will include Economics study as well as a study of our national government.

A fifth grader is able to build on what has been taught in earlier years of art and is able to learn techniques and specifics to become quite skillful in art. A fifth grader is able to treat materials with respect and to use materials knowledgeably. Coordinating art projects with class studies helps students understand how art can be an interesting aspect of communication and learning

Appreciation of literature is learned through listening to books from the various genres read aloud by the librarian. The students learn to decipher information given on card catalog cards in order to locate specific books. Fifth graders learn to use the thesaurus, atlases, and indexes to find information in encyclopedias and almanacs. They are aided in the choosing of books to be read for enjoyment. Students have their own numbers for checking out books.

This year in fifth grade students will work on organizational skills. They will complete assignment sheets and maintain an organized notebook. A research project will be used to enhance learning.

In fifth grade P.E. we develop the sports skills and learn the rules of soccer, basketball, floor hockey, volleyball, tumbling, and softball. We learn skills, rules, positions, and strategies in each of these sports. It is also important for us to use these sports to develop good sportsmanship. We have fitness testing in the spring. We learn that our Christianity makes a difference in how we participate in sports. Students must wear their indoor shoes for gym.

Our goal through music education is to bring your child to understand and experience music as a gift of God which was given to us to develop and use for God's glory and our own enrichment. By means of listening, singing, creating, movement and manipulation of melodic and rhythm instruments, your child will be led to perceive music as an artistic organization of sounds and silences through an enjoyable exploration of:

1. rhythm (beat, meter and its patterns);
2. melody (pitch, melodic direction and shape, intervals, scales);
3. harmony (chords, rounds, descants, partner songs);
4. tone color (vocal, timbre, string, brass, woodwind, percussion, and orchestral sounds);
5. expressive qualities (dynamics, tempo and style); and
6. form (strophic, AB, ABA, theme and variations, rondo, sonata). In this way your child will experience music on his/her developmental level, and in a way which is delightful to the ear and challenging to the mind.

Many students are looking forward to starting band this year, so a major unit will be the study of instruments. We will learn to recognize all the instruments by sight and sound and we will see how related instruments are grouped into families. Occasionally students will be encouraged to perform for the class. We will discover how and why a band is different from an orchestra. Band and orchestra will be on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday.

Since orchestra begins at 4th grade at Hudsonville Christian, 5th grade strings players are already well on their way to becoming a cohesive group of performers. In 5th grade all students experience a field trip which provides an opportunity to hear a live orchestra concert performed by the Grand Rapids Symphony Orchestra. The 5th grade orchestra has several opportunities to perform for parents and groups of students throughout the year.