Grade 5 Mathematics
Newton Public Schools
The goal of the mathematics program in the Newton Public Schools is for all students to understand mathematical concepts and procedures; to be able to apply procedures, concepts, and processes to the solution of challenging problems in a variety of school, home and work settings; and to prepare students for continued study of mathematics and fields that require the use of mathematics.
We continue to use Everyday Mathematics as our core text, having eliminated topics that are no longer content expectations in Grade 5, according to the 2011 Massachusetts Curriculum Framework for Mathematics. Two units of study from Contexts for Learning Mathematics and activities from Understanding Numbers have been incorporated in order to deepen students’ understanding of multiplication, division, place value and fractions.
Mathematical practices students will use in fifth grade include:
· Making sense of problems and persevering in solving them;
· Reasoning abstractly and quantitatively;
· Constructing viable arguments and critiquing the reasoning of others;
· Modeling with mathematics;
· Using appropriate tools strategically;
· Attending to precision;
· Looking for and making use of structure;
· Looking for and expressing regularity in repeated reasoning.
In fifth grade, instructional time will focus on three critical areas: (1) developing fluency with addition and subtraction of fractions, and developing understanding of the multiplication of fractions and of division of fractions in limited cases (unit fractions divided by whole numbers and whole numbers divided by unit fractions); (2)extending division to 2-digit divisors, integrating decimal fractions into the place value system and developing understanding of operations with decimals to hundredths, and developing fluency with whole number and decimal operations; and (3) developing understanding of volume.
Content Emphasized in Grade 5 Mathematics
Fifth grade students develop a broad background by learning concepts and skills in all content strands. The fifth grade mathematics curriculum emphasizes the following content.
Operations and Algebraic Thinking
Write and interpret numerical expressions, including the use of grouping symbols; generate numerical patterns and analyze their relationships.
Number and Operations in Base Ten
Use place value understanding to explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point and the number of zeroes in the product when multiplying and dividing by powers of ten; add, subtract, multiply, and divide decimals to hundredths using models and strategies based on place value and the relationships between operations.
Number and Operations with Fractions
Add and subtract fractions with unlike denominators by using equations and visual models; use benchmark fractions to assess the reasonableness of results; interpret a fraction as the division of the numerator by the denominator; apply and extend previous understandings of multiplication and division to multiply a fraction or whole number by a fraction; interpret multiplication as scaling.
Measurement and Data
Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a measurement system; understand concepts of volume and relate volume to multiplication and addition; make a line plot to display a data set of measurements in fractions of a unit; given a set of data, find the mean, mode, median, maximum, minimum, and range.
Geometry
Graph points on the coordinate plane to solve real-world and mathematical problems; classify two-dimensional figures into categories based on their properties.
For More Information . . .
Websites
· Everyday Mathematics authors at the University of Chicago have developed an excellent website for parents - Everyday Mathematics Resource and Information Center - everydaymath.uchicago.edu/parents. Information about the research basis for Everyday Mathematics routines is included along with family letters, homework help, a math glossary and a list of grade-appropriate literature with math themes. Note: At this time we do not subscribe to Everyday Mathematics Online.
· The complete text of the 2011 mathematics framework can be downloaded from the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education website: www.doe.mass.edu/frameworks/current.html.
· More information about units of study from Contexts for Learning Mathematics can be found at www.contextsforlearning.com.
· More information about materials from Understanding Numbers can be found at http://mathperspectives.com/pub_un.html.
Study Links
Homework often comes as a Study Link. Each Study Link includes a Family Note, which describes the day’s lesson and suggests ways to help your child complete the homework task(s). If you need more information about a specific Study Link, check the “Help with Home & Study Links” section of the Everyday Mathematics website.
The Student Reference Book
Students all have access to the Everyday Mathematics Student Reference Book for fifth grade. Topics in the book include directions for all the games played in fifth grade; essays on each strand of mathematics, which provide definitions, examples, a few practice problems, and review of topics from previous years; data tables for use with projects, and a glossary.
Newton Public Schools Elementary Back to School Nights
Office of K-8 Mathematics September 2014