Third through Fifth Grade
Diving deep.
Children in the 3-5 Pod are ready to dive more deeply into learning and adventure. The 3-5 Pod Teaching Team prioritizes building children’s confidence and fostering a life-long love of learning.
They tackle multidisciplinary projects collaboratively and individually and relish sharing creations and discoveries with their peers, teachers, and families. They have regular excursions into the mountains during their skiing/snowboarding unit and bike around Seattle every week in the spring.
Each year in the 3-5 Pod is a mix of treasured traditions and new units concocted by our educators to meet students’ needs, speak to their interests and questions, and offer ample opportunities for engaging challenges, new discoveries, and joyful learning.
Literacy: Grades 3-5
Grade 3-5 students explore writing genres through meaningful, real world applications. In the upper grades, students practice their paragraph structure and writing with detail as they build thoughtful letters to a friend or family member. They learn argumentative writing by selecting an issue of concern and writing to our elected officials. Narrative writing is an opportunity for classmates to learn more about one another. They learn to research and write essays by exploring a topic of their choosing and then teaching their peers as experts. From journal writing to poetry to structured essays, every student experiences first hand the power of their written voice.
A love and excitement of reading is built through access to great books, shared group reading, and book clubs, which encourage peer discussion and a deep dive into high interest literature.
In our multiage reading groups, students read, analyze, and discuss the characters, settings, main conflicts, and themes of the book. Our literacy festivals shine a spotlight on our student authors who perform in front of an audience reciting their original writing, or a chosen piece from an established author. Students will participate each year in our Poetry Night, Author’s Night, or Storytelling Festival.
Math: Grades 3-5
Grade 3-5 mathematicians develop an understanding of mathematical concepts and mastery of skills through building, discussion, problem-solving, projects, and games.
Over their three years in grades 3-5 math classes, students develop their understanding of numerical values between 0 and 1 in fraction and decimal formats and develop mastery of mathematical operations for positive integers, fractions, and decimals. Geometric attributes and area, volume, and angle measurements are also covered. Students explore these concepts in a variety of contexts and develop flexibility in their problem-solving approaches.
From creating trading card games where factors and prime numbers serve as power-ups, to exploring fractions and probability through role-playing games to using area to design and model apartments and homes, students are eager to use math to their advantage in the world around them!
Science: Grades 3-5
In grades 3-5, students explore science and engineering through phenomena-based, hands-on investigations. They learn core science concepts and ideas while carrying out experiments, creating models, and engaging in the engineering design process. Throughout this process, they practice and reinforce math and literacy skills. Selective use of technology provides a foundation for how computers work, programming, 3D design, and understanding technology as a tool to enhance creativity.
We engage in a variety of types of units, including phenomena-based investigations to explore a topic through a series of experiments; annual projects like March Mammal Madness (a simulation of animal combat where we learn about key biological concepts like evolution, biodiversity, and habitats) and architecture (with fifth graders creating complex 3d models of houses they design); and units focused on concrete skills like graphing, argumentation, and data analysis.
Social Studies: Grades 3-5
In upper elementary, students are ready to expand their social studies knowledge outward, learning more about how the world is, how it came to be this way, and how we can take action to create a better world.
Over their three years in the 3-5 pod, they go in-depth: one year into local history, one year into state history, and one year into national history and civics. We discuss current events and give students a platform to express their passions through activism. Exploring issues that matter to them teaches them to make their voices heard and drive positive change in their communities. Students leave the school with the knowledge needed to engage thoughtfully with their communities - both present and future, and inside and outside of the school building - and the skills and mindset to choose to engage.
This work takes the form of deep, long-term study units. These projects help develop skills like discussing complex topics constructively, collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking, persuasion, and learning the basics of geography, economics, and politics.
Some examples include:
Interviewing immigrants for StoryCorps
Creating geographical maps that model ways different peoples have altered landscapes throughout history
Presenting land use wishes to the Seattle City Council
Tracking bills in the WA state legislature
Engaging in historical inquiry using artifacts and primary sources
Ethics: Fifth Grade
As fifth grade students extend their understanding of who they are and how the world works, they are ready to dig deeper into topical issues. They explore their vision for how the world should be and their role. Students consider concepts of fairness, responsibility, positive action, and their thoughts and beliefs about right and wrong. They learn to share their ideas and respectfully discuss and debate different perspectives on a variety of important issues and current events.
Spanish and Cultural/Social Studies: Grades 3-5
Grade 3-5 students build on the Spanish vocabulary and phrases they have previously learned. They expand their knowledge about Latin American culture and traditions and experience the songs, stories, games, and music from various Spanish-speaking countries.
Social-Emotional Learning: Grades 3-5
In grades 3-5, students expand their social awareness to take the perspective of and empathize with others from diverse backgrounds and cultures. They continue to develop their emotional regulation, intrinsic motivation, community membership, decision-making, and problem-solving skills. They more consistently maintain a growth mindset, identify their strengths and values, and use them to contribute to their community as individuals, advocates, and leaders. They can identify and react appropriately to more subtle differences in social and cultural groups.