Online Fifth Grade at Pennsylvania's Esteemed Cyber Charter School

Language Arts

Our Language Arts course provides structured lessons on reading comprehension, analysis, composition, vocabulary, usage, mechanics, and grammar. Emphasizing spelling, students learn relationships between sounds, spelling patterns, and words. Lessons are designed to develop comprehension, build vocabulary, and help students become more independent and thoughtful readers.

Students practice writing as they write a memoir, an editorial, a research paper, a business letter, and more. They will learn about parts of speech, punctuation, and research skills. Students will study literature from a variety of genres including fiction, poetry, nonfiction, drama, and novels. 

Mathematics

Our Math course focuses on computational fluency, conceptual understanding, and problem-solving. This course builds on student understanding of numbers and operations by making connections between place value, decimals, and fractions. It introduces multiplication and division of decimal numbers and extends understanding of fraction operations.

The course emphasizes computational fluency in solving measurement, geometry, and data-analysis problems using mathematical problem-solving techniques. Students will continue to develop their mathematical thinking as they solve multi-step word problems and learn graphical representation. They will extend their knowledge of geometry through the use of classification as well as the introduction of three-dimensional figures. All of these concepts will be connected for students through integrated problem solving. 

Science

In Science, students will engage in experiments, develop scientific reasoning, and recognize science in the world around them. They will build a model of a watershed, test how cell membranes function, track a hurricane, and analyze the effects of gravity. The curriculum covers topics like water resources, the oceans, Earth’s atmosphere, motion and forces, chemistry, cells and cell processes, taxonomy of plants and animals, and animal physiology. 

American History

Our American History course consists of two parts. The first part follows the arrival of the first people in North America through the Civil War and Reconstruction. Students will investigate Native American civilizations, follow the path of European exploration and colonization, assess the causes and consequences of the American Revolution, examine the Constitution and the growth of the new nation, and analyze what led to the Civil War and its aftermath. Lessons will integrate topics in geography, civics, and economics. 

Intermediate Art

In Intermediate Art, students are introduced to the artists, cultures, and great works of art and architecture of North America, from pre-Columbian times through 1877. They study and create sketches, masks, architectural models, prints, and paintings in their exploration of various realistic and abstract works. Students will investigate the art of the Native Americans, as well as Colonial and Federal America. 

Spotlight on Music

Our Spotlight on Music program promotes successful music learning as students continue to explore and build on their foundational skills. The program includes enriching musical experiences that help students understand music concepts. Students will enjoy a vast quality of musical experience through interactive learning activities like focused listening, singing, dancing, and playing instruments like the recorder. Spotlight on Music provides opportunities for students to make meaningful connections with math, language arts, science, social studies, and other subjects.

Health & Physical Education

Students will develop the knowledge and skills they need to make positive fitness decisions to stay active, safe, and informed throughout their lives. The lessons and activities introduce important aspects of physical health and fitness and focus on helping students learn new fitness skills and stay active. In this student-driven course students will set fitness goals and assess their progress, helping them to develop the discipline and drive they will need to stay fit and healthy later in life.