Social Studies - United States History, Harcourt, 2003

The students will learn to read and use maps, globes, graphs, diagrams, and photographs.  They will utilize both primary and secondary sources to connect the people and events of the past to the present.  They will analyze how the abundance of America's natural resources provided the impetus for the United States to develop as a world power.  Students will recognize that the United States maintains close economic and political ties with other lands.  Students will progress through each unit using the text.  The lessons are supplemented with an Activity Workbook and primary and secondary source materials.  A social studies spiral is required for note taking, vocabulary (terms), class work and selected homework assignments.  Tests will reflect the material covered by the text as well as topics and examples reviewed in class.  Trimester grades are determined by participation, homework, chapter tests and cumulative tests.

Math - Math, Macmillan/McGraw-Hill, 2005

Students will develop mastery of basic computational skills, especially addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of both whole numbers and decimals.  Additional challenges will include work in the areas of fractions and geometry.  Students will progress through each unit using the text.  All lessons are supplemented with a workbook, in-class examples and problem solving-based group work.  A math spiral is required for note taking, vocabulary (terms), class work and selected homework assignments.  Homework is assigned from the Practice Workbook, student text, or worksheets.  Tests will reflect material covered by the text as well as topics and examples reviewed in class.  Trimester grades are determined by participation, homework, chapter tests and cumulative tests.

Field Trip to Pawnee Earth Lodge

            The fifth grade students visited the Pawnee Earth Lodge exhibit at the Field Museum in Chicago.  The Pawnee Earth Lodge is an authentic replication of a Native American dwelling of the Great Plains Tribe. 
            In the Lodge the students heard a 45 minute presentation on the culture of the Pawnee.  Students were allowed to handle original artifacts created and preserved by the Pawnee.  These artifacts provided hands-on learning experiences for the students.  During the field trip the students visited the Hall of the Northwest Coast and Arctic Tribes and a special traveling exhibit on the Crow Nation of Montana.  The students learned how these tribes adapted to their unique environments and used natural resources to meet their needs of food, clothing, and shelter.

Click here for Web Gallery of photos from this field trip!

February 2010:

Students from Epiphany school met at St. Paul of the Cross on Friday, February 10^th for an in school field trip.   In addition to trading pen pal letters and examining the same Field Museum boxes, our children read and experienced the same novel, Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan.  Our morning included using symbolism and character traits to create a mask representing one of the characters from the story.  Children guessed “Who Am I?” Another group accepted the challenge of creating thoughts and events through the symbols they drew on rocks.  The rock pictures made paragraphs that other groups had to try to guess the meaning.  The Great Depression activity involved selecting a job and trying to manage a budget during the Great Depression.  The list of goods during the 1920’s was quite enlightening to our students.  Finally, our last groups recreated mama’s yarn rag doll that she made for the little girl on the train in the novel.  Our day ended with a hot pizza lunch and an exchange of valentines.  The smiles and laughter were proof enough of a successful field trip!

Click here for a Web Gallery of photos from this fun day!

Native American Tribes-Lifestyles Prior to 1500 A.D

Social Studies