Lower School

Mathematics:

• Number Sense: Students explore whole numbers up to 100, progressing from concrete understanding with manipulatives to abstract concepts, including visual representations. Both students and teachers verbalize procedures and reasoning, with students expressing their thoughts in their own words and teachers using appropriate mathematical vocabulary.

• Operations: They become familiar with addition and subtraction through problem-solving, which helps them grasp the meaning of these operations. They also discover the foundational concepts of multiplication and division.

• Mental Math: Mental calculation plays a crucial role, with students regularly practicing to memorize number facts and developing effective strategies that gradually become automatic.

• Geometry and Measurement: Concepts related to geometry (plane and solid shapes) and measurement (lengths, weights, money, and time) are primarily taught through hands-on activities and applied in real-world problem-solving situations.

Discovering the World / Early Science and Social Studies:

• Understanding the World: Students progressively acquire knowledge to understand the world around them while developing their reasoning abilities. Through observation, experimentation, and questioning, they enhance their critical thinking, rigor, and curiosity.

• Science Concepts: They study, among other topics, the three states of matter and observe how matter changes from one state to another through hands-on experiments and real-life examples.

• Health and Wellness: They begin to recognize healthy habits and behaviors that contribute to their overall well-being, such as good nutrition, regular exercise, and hygiene.

• Living Things: Students explore the basic needs of plants, such as sunlight, water, and soil, by observing how living things grow and thrive in their environment.

Language Arts:

• Oral Language: In small group settings, students are able to articulate their ideas clearly to their peers and ensure they are understood. They actively participate in classroom discussions, respectfully listening to others and confidently sharing their own opinions.

• Reading and Literature: The foundation for decoding builds upon the phonological skills mastered in Kindergarten and a deep understanding of the alphabetic principle. Students learn that groups of letters (graphemes) represent sounds (phonemes), and that combining these phonemes forms meaningful words and sentences. In Grade 1, this learning is systematic, intensive, structured, and takes place daily. Gradually, students acquire and automate comprehension strategies using texts they can decode independently. Continuing from Kindergarten, students cultivate a literary appreciation through stories they both read and hear.

• Language Study and Writing: Decoding is taught in conjunction with writing activities involving letters, syllables, words, and then full sentences. This process is further supported by learning lexical and grammatical spelling, which aids in word recognition and automaticity. In French lessons, daily sessions are dedicated to learning cursive writing, copying, and dictation, helping students develop an increasingly fluid writing style.

Mathematics:

• Number Sense and Operations: Students study whole numbers up to one thousand and consolidate the procedures and reasoning acquired in the previous year. They acquire formal methods for addition and subtraction, learning to explain why these strategies work by utilizing place value and the properties of operations. Mental calculation strategies further reinforce their automaticity. All four basic operations are applied in problem-solving scenarios.
• Fractions: The concept of fractions is introduced through partitioning circles and rectangles. Hands-on activities, verbalization, and geometric representations support the understanding of this new concept.
• Geometry and Measurement: Finally, concepts related to geometry (plane and solid figures) involve activities focused on manipulation, description, and construction. In measurement (lengths, weights, and money), concepts are studied in a practical and concrete way and are applied in problem-solving situations.

Discovering the World / Early Science and Social Studies:

• Design and Motion: Students explore basic principles of design and motion by creating simple moving objects. These hands-on projects allow them to experiment with how things work and apply creative thinking to solve basic engineering challenges.
• Spatial and Temporal Awareness: Students learn to better orient themselves in a nearby space and to represent it by reading plans and extracting information from a map, thus transitioning from an egocentric understanding of space to a geographical one. Similarly, they learn to situate themselves within longer periods of time.
• History and Environment: Students begin to formulate hypotheses about early signs of life before the appearance of humans, fostering curiosity about history and the origins of life on Earth. They deepen their knowledge of good eating habits to maintain health and continue to develop responsible behaviors towards the environment, such as recycling goods and other materials.

Language Arts:

• Oral Language: Language skills continue to advance on both syntactic and lexical levels. Students become adept at expressing and justifying agreement or disagreement. They can appropriately adapt their language (vocabulary and sentence structure) depending on the situation, whether conversing with peers or addressing an adult.
• Reading and Literature: Decoding skills are strengthened throughout this second year of Cycle 2, progressively leading students to become independent readers. They familiarize themselves with various genres and text types (e.g., fiction, non-fiction, poetry, comic strips) and are encouraged to identify their distinguishing features. By the end of the year, reading becomes fluent and expressive. Students learn to observe punctuation and recognize word groups that should be read together, allowing them to adjust tone and rhythm to convey the text's meaning. They also begin to understand implicit elements within simple texts.
• Language Study and Writing: Their first independent writings become increasingly structured. Students begin to express their tastes and preferences for reading and can write a brief summary or invent an alternative ending to a story. In French, students continue to solidify their understanding of cursive letter formation. Copying strategies become more efficient, and various forms of dictation are practiced to help students gradually internalize the spelling and grammar rules learned throughout the year. 

Mathematics:

• Number Sense and Operations: Students study whole numbers up to 10,000, continuing to use visual representations and manipulatives before transitioning to abstract representations. All four operations are applied in a broader and more diverse range of problem-solving scenarios, including multi-step and atypical problems.
• Multiplication and Division: Students explore multiplication and division using equal-sized groups, arrays, and area models. They learn that multiplication helps find an unknown product, while division determines an unknown factor. By comparing different strategies, students discover the strong connection between multiplication and division, building a solid foundation for future math skills. Mental math strategies continue to help students increase their operational fluency.
• Fractions: They begin more formal work with fractions, learning to view fractions as parts of a whole and using visual models to compare and represent fractions on a number line.
• Geometry and Measurement: Students continue learning about plane and solid figures, utilizing object properties to identify and construct them. In measurement, concepts of length and mass are deepened, and capacity (volume) is introduced.

Science:

• Scientific Method: Students engage in hands-on learning to explore the physical world and develop important scientific skills. They are introduced to the scientific method, learning how to ask questions, form hypotheses, make observations, and draw conclusions. They practice note-taking, gain map-reading skills, and begin to take ownership of digital tools like Google Classroom.
• Time and History: Students discover concepts of time and history by locating events on a timeline and understanding the contributions of ancient civilizations to science. They describe the moon's phases using scientific language.
• Technical Objects: In the technical objects unit, students safely build simple electrical circuits and use diagrams and simulators to deepen their understanding.

Social Studies:

• Geography and Early History: Students are able to identify key elements of Prehistory. They can locate a place on a map, globe, or computer screen, and pinpoint various events on a timeline. Additionally, they can describe and recognize different landscapes, including mountains, coastlines, rural areas, and urban environments.
• Early Massachusetts History: Throughout the year, students will engage with essential questions to develop critical thinking about the historical and cultural forces that shaped early Massachusetts, focusing on its native peoples and early European settlements. Students will examine the experiences of the Pilgrims and the Plymouth Colony, followed by the Puritans and the Massachusetts Bay Colony, highlighting the intricate relationships between Native Peoples and Europeans and their impact on the region.

Language Arts:

• Oral Language: Students develop the ability to understand increasingly long and complex spoken messages and to convey the main ideas effectively. Their speaking becomes more structured, and the vocabulary they use grows increasingly varied and abstract.
• Reading and Literature: Students can read a text fluently and demonstrate their understanding through expressive reading that accurately reflects the meaning of the text. They are encouraged to actively engage with unfamiliar vocabulary, explain inferences, and apply strategies when encountering parts of a text they don't understand, such as rereading a sentence or paragraph. Students also build a common cultural foundation through exposure to texts from children and heritage literature. Books become familiar and cherished objects, nurturing personal interests, fostering a love of reading, and cultivating a desire to learn.
• Language Study and Writing: Students develop greater awareness in planning ideas, formulating sentences, and revising the texts they produce. Copying a short text without error becomes increasingly effortless, and during dictations in French, students accurately spell frequent, regular, and irregular words while improving their precision with grammatical agreements within sentences. 

Mathematics:

• Number Sense & Operations: Students expand their understanding of place value up to 1,000,000, recognizing the relative sizes of numbers. They apply models (equal-sized groups, arrays, area models) and properties of operations to efficiently multiply and divide multi-digit numbers, explaining why these procedures work based on place value. Students develop further fluency in dividing with multi-digit dividends and interpreting remainders in context.
• Fractions & Decimals: Students extend their understanding of fractions, recognizing and generating equivalent fractions, and composing/decomposing fractions from unit fractions. Connecting fractions to multiplication, they begin multiplying fractions by whole numbers. Students are introduced to decimal notation for fractions and learn to compare decimal fractions.
• Geometry: In geometry, students classify and analyze two-dimensional shapes, exploring their properties and symmetry through drawing and building activities. They deepen their understanding of these properties and apply them to solve problems.

Science:

• Earth and Space Science: Students deepen their understanding of the natural world through hands-on learning, exploring Earth’s place in the solar system and the dynamic forces that shape our planet, including earthquakes, volcanoes, weather patterns, and natural disasters. They learn about the water cycle, how natural resources are used, and important prevention methods for natural hazards.
• Life Science: Students explore plant and animal life cycles, investigating growth and development. They learn about food energy transfer and biological systems, connecting science to daily life through experiments and nutrition education. They classify plants and animals and understand complex food webs. Throughout the year, students also consider human impacts on the environment and appreciate their region's natural heritage.

Social Studies:

• Historical and Geographical Skills: Students acquire and use historical and geographical vocabulary from various materials (maps, texts, tables). They gradually learn to analyze documents, understand texts, and extract relevant information.
• French History: Students explore the era of the Roman Empire and the Gauls, understanding the impact of Roman rule and subsequent invasions. They learn how France gradually emerged as a unified nation, examining the reigns of various kings before the French Revolution, with a key focus on the distinct characteristics and contributions of three different royal families.
• Early North American History: Students explore North American geography and history. They develop map skills, learning about the continent's physical features and nations. Students study ancient North American civilizations, how archaeologists uncover their history, and early European exploration, including its impact on Native Peoples and early settlements.
• U.S. Expansion and Regions: Students then examine the expansion of the United States, focusing on westward growth, pioneer life, and the deep divisions over slavery that led to the Civil War. They investigate the five major U.S. regions (Northeast, Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West), discovering each region's geography, cultural diversity, the contributions of diverse peoples, and how natural disasters have shaped their development.

Language Arts:

• Oral Language: Students actively participate in rich discussions and collaborative learning. They learn to express ideas clearly, ask thoughtful questions, articulate a point of view, and build on others' contributions. Oral presentations and reports are given in small or large groups throughout the year.
• Reading and Literature: Students engage with a wide array of literary and informational texts, developing deep comprehension and reading fluency. They learn to identify main ideas, analyze characters and plot, and recognize an author's purpose and point of view. A significant focus is placed on using text evidence to support understanding and inferences, and on expanding vocabulary through context clues, roots, and figurative language. Students connect classroom texts to their personal experiences and knowledge.
• Language Study and Writing: Students become confident and skilled writers across various genres. The curriculum emphasizes the full writing process, from generating ideas and planning to drafting, revising, and editing. Students craft compelling narratives, write informative reports based on research, and construct well-supported opinion pieces. They refine their grammar, punctuation, and spelling to ensure clarity and precision in their communication.

Mathematics:

• Fractions, Decimals, and Operations: Students focus on deepening their understanding of numbers, fractions, and decimals through hands-on learning and real-world applications. Students develop fluency in adding and subtracting fractions with unlike denominators and conceptually understand and communicate why and how multiplication and division of fractions work. They refine skills in multi-digit multiplication and division, applying this knowledge to decimal operations (adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing decimals to the hundredth place). Throughout the year, they strengthen problem-solving skills and mathematical reasoning, preparing them for more advanced concepts in Middle School.
• Measurement and Volume: Measurement concepts are expanded as students convert between different-sized units and solve multi-step problems. They also explore volume, understanding it as a measurable attribute of three-dimensional space. Students learn to calculate volume using unit cubes and decompose shapes to solve practical and mathematical problems.

Science:

• Motion, Energy, Matter, and Technology: In 5th-grade Science, students explore key concepts in motion, energy, matter, and technology through hands-on experiments and investigations. They learn about different types of forces and motion, including Newton’s laws, and develop skills in measuring distance, time, and speed. Energy is studied through activities like building rubber band-powered boats and creating electrical circuits, helping students understand energy forms and transfers, including renewable energy sources.
• Physical and Earth Science: Students deepen their understanding of matter by measuring mass and volume, classifying materials, and exploring mixtures and elements. The technology unit encourages students to think critically about how inventions evolve to meet human needs, analyze product lifecycles, and solve real-world problems.

Social Studies:

• Historical and Analytical Skills: Students orient themselves within different historical periods and refine their analysis and interpretation of documents, while continuing to enrich their vocabulary and knowledge.
• French History: Students examine the French Revolution, tracing France's transformation from a kingdom to a democratic republic. They then explore the profound societal and economic changes brought about by the Industrial Revolution. Students also study the causes and impact of World War I.
• American Revolution & Government: Students study the American Revolution's causes and key events, including the role of women, important Massachusetts moments, and the creation of the first government under the Articles of Confederation. They deepen their understanding of U.S. government principles by studying the Constitution, the three branches, and the Bill of Rights.
• Slavery, Civil War, and Civil Rights: Students explore the origins of slavery alongside the path to emancipation, and address the legacy of slavery and the Civil War, highlighting key figures like Abraham Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation. Finally, students explore the struggles for civil rights from the post-war era through the 20th century, including women’s rights, Jim Crow laws, the Ku Klux Klan, and the broader African American Civil Rights movement.

Language Arts:

• Oral Language: Students continue to develop oral communication through collaborative discussions, presentations, and structured conversations. They learn to articulate complex ideas clearly, actively listen, synthesize information, and engage respectfully with diverse viewpoints. These experiences enhance their ability to express themselves confidently and participate effectively in group settings.
• Reading and Literature: Grade 5 readers dive into a rich collection of literary and informational texts, tackling longer texts with more complex themes and structures. A core focus is on quoting accurately from texts to support analyses and inferences. Students develop skills in identifying themes, analyzing character motivations and intricate plot developments, and evaluating authors' perspectives. They significantly expand their vocabulary, exploring word nuances, figurative language, and academic terminology to become more perceptive and independent readers.
• Language Study and Writing: Students become more refined and powerful writers. They engage in the full writing process—from in-depth planning and research to drafting, revising with peer feedback, and publishing polished pieces. Students autonomously craft detailed narratives with strong character development, produce well-researched informative essays, and write persuasive opinion pieces supported by strong evidence. Throughout, they improve their command of language conventions, mastering complex grammar, punctuation, and sentence structures for clear and impactful communication.