GRADE 5 • DISCOVER & MASTER
America & the Physical World
Grade 5 consolidates elementary mastery while expanding into a coherent factual survey of American history and more substantial science.
What students explore
- Indigenous civilizations, European exploration, colonies, independence, constitutional government, territorial development, slavery as a historical institution, the Civil War, amendments, industrialization, immigration, and technological expansion
- Matter, energy, force, ecosystems, geology, weather, introductory chemistry, and astronomy
- Fractions, decimals, measurement, geometry, budgeting, source comparison, and essay writing
Example experiences
- Compare two accounts of a historical event.
- Conduct a controlled experiment involving force, materials, or plant growth.
- Create a simple monthly budget.
- Build, test, and revise a physical object.
TECHNICAL STANDARDS
- 5.1.2.1 Read substantial fiction and nonfiction independently.
- 5.1.2.2 Compare sources and identify agreements and differences.
- 5.1.3.1 Produce structured essays with introduction, evidence, and conclusion.
- 5.2.1.1 Add, subtract, multiply, and divide fractions in grade-appropriate applications.
- 5.2.1.2 Perform decimal calculations accurately.
- 5.3.1.1 Design a controlled investigation and record observations accurately.
- 5.4.2.1 Separate factual claims from persuasive assertions.
- 5.6.1.1 Create and maintain a simple personal budget.
- 5.7.3.1 Design, build, test, and improve a physical object.
Policy relationship: MLP-POL-02, MLP-POL-03, and MLP-POL-04.
Grade 5 mastery gate
Before middle school, students should demonstrate fluent reading and comprehension, coherent essay writing, multiplication and division fluency, competency with fractions and decimals, measurement, foundational science and geography, ability to follow instructions, observation-versus-inference reasoning, and basic budgeting.
The Minnesota Learning Project 