Grade 5

Summary of course content and activities: 

Language Arts 5 includes five units with spelling, vocabulary, creative writing, and grammar activities throughout.

• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
• Short Stories
• Non-fiction & Ecology
• Poetry & Music

Philosophy statement for and/or behind teaching this course:

Communication is an amazing gift from God. Whether we write, email, speak through words, Braille or ASL, listen or read, we are communicating with other people or with God. In Language Arts, we develop an appreciation for literature and the ability to look critically at what we read.  We also develop our communication skills- both oral and written.

Pre-requisite(s):   

Language Arts 4 or equivalent

Materials and resources provided by NSA: 

Open Court Reading, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, ACSI Spelling Plus Workbook,  Language Power workbook

Major course goals:   

• Students will read a novel: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.
• Students will read a variety of short stories and poems.
• Students will complete a variety of writing activities, including a research project.
• Students will work on a group of twenty spelling words each week.
• Students will complete a variety of grammar activities to learn about the forms and structures of language.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week’s lesson:

Students should spend approximately 8 hrs per week on language lessons and activities.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests:

Students are required to submit a variety of assignments for marking.  These include research projects, comprehension questions, writing assignments, vocabulary activities, spelling exercises, etc.  

Assignments will be assessed as:

Excellent (in-depth, insightful, or exemplary skill)

Proficient (having met the outcomes of the assignment and demonstrating a strong understanding of the concepts and skills)

Satisfactory (demonstrating basic knowledge or having shown some effort to meet the outcomes of the assignment) 

Beginning (incomplete understanding of the concepts and skills required for this outcome)

Summary of Course Content and Activities

Math 5 is designed as a 4-day/week course that takes into account the Alberta Program of Studies learning outcomes.  At the beginning of each week, students can practice their addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division skills by working through “Mad Math Minute” quizzes.  Then, students work through the daily lessons—reading through the lesson material and/or watching teacher-created Loom videos to help the students understand the day’s mathematical concepts.  Students are provided with in-lesson formative assignments, group discussion questions where students show other students what they learned in the lessons, as well as assignments that need to be handed in for grading.  A newer and exciting type of assessment is to have students create Math Stories, where they have the opportunity to explain what they know.  Review assignments are provided occasionally.  Each unit has an exam and there is a final exam that are all done in Moodle.

Philosophy statement

Math 5 includes the study of the principles of mathematics.  Through the study of math, learners are given an opportunity to explore and understand the orderly and systematic world that God created.  They will become aware of the profound influence of math in their lives.  Relating the study of math to what the learners already know will help them see the practical side of mathematics and its relevance in daily situations.  Students learn math in relevant contexts and engage in meaningful activities.  They are encouraged to appreciate mathematics as an endeavour that leads to practical impact on their own lives and on society as a whole.

Prerequisites

Math 4

Materials and Resources

• NSA at Home Learning Technology (click to view)
• Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint).
• Google Docs.
• Geometry Set.
• Scientific Calculator.

Forecasted amount of time

4-6 hours per week.

Evaluation

• Assignments – 30%
• Math Stories – 10%
• Review Assignments – 20%
• Unit Reviews – 30%
• Final Review – 10%

Summary of Course Content and Activities

Science 5 includes seven Organizing Ideas from the Alberta Program of Study to explore and build our understanding of the world.

1. Matter
2. Energy
3. Earth Systems
4. Living Systems
5. Space
6. Computer Science
7. Scientific Methods

Philosophy statement for teaching this course

It is important for students to learn about and develop an appreciation for the world that God has created. This encourages students to become good stewards of natural resources and provides them with an understanding of God's awesome design in the world. To accommodate a variety of learning styles, a variety of activities are provided, including opportunities for students to do hands-on activities and experiments.

Prerequisites

Science 4

Materials and Resources

Provided By NorthStar Academy

None; all Learners will require a computer with internet access to various websites and variety of household items for activities.

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson

Students should spend a minimum of 3 hrs per week on Science lessons and activities.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes, and tests.

Students are required to submit a variety of assignments for marking. These include research projects, experiment write-ups, crossword puzzles, unit tests, etc.

Summary of Course Content and Activities

Canada: The Land, Histories, and Stories

•     Physical Geography of Canada
•     Histories and Stories of Ways of Life in Canada
•     Canada: Shaping an Identity

In this course, we will examine the foundations of Canada through its physical geography and the ways of life and heritage of its diverse peoples. Events and issues will be presented that have impacted citizenship and identity in the Canadian context over time.

Philosophy statement for teaching this course

Grade 5 students will be provided with opportunities to explore how the diversity of stories and experiences, and the vastness of Canada, affect citizenship and identity in the Canadian context.

Prerequisites

Students taking Social Studies 5 are presumed to have reached the acceptable standard or better in Social Studies 4.

Materials and Resources

Provided by NSA

• Textbook: Our Land and People

Purchased by Students

• Atlas (recommended but not required)

Forecasted amount of time required to complete each week's lesson

The Social Studies 5 program will require approximately 45 minutes of work each day, which includes reading and assignment work. The weeks are divided into 4 days of work.

Description of student evaluations, quizzes and tests.

Course evaluation will be 70% daily assignments, and 30% tests and quizzes. Daily assignments will include comprehension questions, critical thinking questions, mapping, projects, research, group discussions, charting/graphing, and more. Periodic tests and quizzes will be completed using the on-line ExamView test format.

Summary of Course Content and Activities:

In this course, students will continue with the Discover 4 Yourself series of Inductive Bible Studies for Kids!  The first half of the course uses the book, Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids and the second half works through the How to Study Your Bible for Kids book.  Lessons take 2 weeks to complete and include both memory work and assignments or quizzes.  

Philosophy Statement:

Bible study is serious fun!  The Discover 4 Yourself Inductive Bible Studies for Kids series of books helps students find out for themselves what the Bible is all about—and gives them exciting ways to do it.  These hands-on books help teach the basic skills of Bible study for a lifetime of discovering God’s Word.

Prerequisites:

None.

Materials:

Required technical materials are listed on NorthStar’s “At-Home Learning and Technology Requirements” webpage.

• https://www.nsaschool.ca/programs/technical-requirements
• Bible (NASB version for workbooks; students can use Biblegateway.com, if needed).
• Lord, Teach Me to Pray for Kids (Kay Arthur) – provided by NorthStar.
• How to Study Your Bible for Kids (Kay Arthur) – provided by NorthStar.

Forecasted Amount of Time:

2-3 hours per week.

Evaluation:

Every two weeks, students are required to submit scans of the work that they complete in their consumable books.  They also need to complete Memory Work every two weeks, as well.

For each task, elementary students are graded on achievement indicators—Excellent, Proficient, Satisfactory, Beginning—rather than percentages.  There are 3 reporting periods throughout the year.  Elementary students’ report card marks are based on the indicators that they achieve on their tasks.

Summary of Course Content and Activities

Physical Education and Wellness 5 (or PEW 5) is based on the new Alberta curriculum (2022).  PEW supports a strength-based focus that promotes the development of the whole individual and aims to nurture students in their pursuit of living healthy and active lifestyles, from a biblical perspective.  Physical education improves the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities.  As students become physically literate, they develop the motivation, confidence, physical competence, and knowledge to value and take on the responsibility for engaging in a wide range of physical activities.  Wellness education promotes the vitality of individuals and communities and provides students with opportunities to learn about various aspects of health and wellbeing and to make informed decisions.  As students grow and develop, they access, comprehend, evaluate, communicate, and apply health and wellness related information as a means of promoting, maintaining, and improving wellbeing in a variety of settings throughout their lifetimes.  Students who understand the importance of their wellbeing can make healthy living choices because they have developed essential knowledge and skills.

There are 9 units of study: Active Living and Motivation; Movement Skills Development; Developing Character; Personal Safety; Healthy Eating; Healthy Relationships; Decision Making (opt-in); Human Reproduction (opt-in); and Financial Literacy.  There are also monthly physical activity logs to complete.

Please note that the Decision Making and Human Reproduction units are “opt-in” units of study and require parental approval before a student is allowed to take part in them.  Parents will be provided with information regarding these units and how to opt-in at the beginning of course.

On top of Alberta Education’s goals and outcomes, this course is designed to help students develop a godly understanding of who they are and to also learn how to take care of their bodies in a healthy manner, through eating well and daily physical activity.  Health and life skills involve learning about the habits, behaviours, interactions, and decisions related to healthy daily living and planning for the future.

There is an assignment at the end of each unit of study that relates back to the information taught in the lesson.  Also, there are formative assessments placed throughout the lessons, such as Group Discussions and Table Talks with parents and Case Studies, that students think through to develop their understanding of the course material and have parents or supervisors actively work with them to provide their practical input based on their own personal experiences.

Philosophy Statement:

God has created each person as unique individuals, with different bodies, minds, interests, personalities, families, etc.  Thankfully, we can be assured that God spent time thinking about and planning every part of us.  Psalm 139:13-16 says:

“For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  I praise You because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.  Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in Your book before one of them came to be.”

Learning to eat healthy foods, in moderation, along with daily physical activity, helps our bodies to be the best that they can be in order to serve the Lord.  Additionally, knowing what to think and how to think, through a proper grasp of who we are in relation to the God of the universe, helps us to organize our thought-life in a way that supports a biblical worldview.  This, then, benefits us as we learn to live and think rightly in a world that wants to pull us away from God.

Prerequisites:

There are no prerequisites for PEW 5.

Materials:

Required technical materials are listed on NorthStar’s “At-Home Learning and Technology Requirements” webpage.

• https://www.nsaschool.ca/programs/technical-requirements
• Access to items to complete physical activity (trampoline, weights, running shoes, gymnasium, playground, etc.)

Forecasted Amount of Time:

At least 20 minutes/day for PE activity and 10 minutes/day for Wellness assignments.

Evaluation:

Unit Assignments (Wellness) and Monthly Activity Logs (PE).

Students will be assigned specific tasks over the course of the year.  For each task, elementary students are graded on achievement indicators—Excellent, Proficient, Satisfactory, Beginning—rather than percentages.  For report cards, they are based on how well students achieve certain Physical Education or Wellness outcomes, based on the indicators students received on their tasks.