5th Grade
Spectra Goals
Upon completion of 5th
Grade Spectra in the
Francis Howell School
District, students will be
able to:
1. Assume shared
responsibility for
collaborative work,
and value the
individual
contributions made
by each team
member.
2. Utilize multimedia
and technologies
and know how to
judge their
effectiveness as well
as their impact.
3. Demonstrate
originality and
inventiveness in
work and
understand real
world limits to
adopting new ideas.
4. Reflect critically on
learning experiences
and processes.
Progress Reports
Students will receive
a progress report at
the end of each unit.
Progress reports will
monitor student
growth in each of the
grade level goals.
Progress reports will
also monitor student
growth in
social/emotional
behaviors, work study habits and
productive strengths.
FHSD
Gifted
Curriculum
Fifth Grade
2015-2016

Units of Study
In fifth grade, Spectra students will be focusing on creating documentaries about their projects.
They will learn different components of a documentary each unit so they can understand how to
utilize them effectively. Students will gauge audience reactions to their documentaries to gain
feedback. Students will also be asked to assume shared responsibility for collaborative work and
value the contributions made by each team member. When creating products, students must
learn to recognize real world limitations on creative ideas, such as time, cost and location.
Students will also learn how to reflect critically on their work. They will learn to write each of
three sections in a critical reflection and refine them during the three units.
Topic 1: Environmental Science: Biomimicry
Biomimicry (from bios, meaning life, and mimesis, meaning to imitate) is a design discipline that
seeks sustainable solutions by emulating nature’s time-tested patterns and strategies. Students will
learn how to gain inspiration from nature’s form and function and will apply what they learn to
solve a problem. They also will be learning about how to construct a documentary. Students will
innovate camping gear and water collection solution using biomimicry and create a documentary
to share their experience and knowledge.
Topic 2: Fine Arts: Architecture
Architecture pertains to the design of buildings and it can teach us much about our cultural
roots, our local history and the evolution of art. American architecture has a unique appearance
called “style” and a distinctive timeline that reflects many aspects of our changing
society. Students will become an expert about a specific building in St. Louis or St. Charles.
They will learn about its style and apply their knowledge as an “architectural detective” to
highlight components of their building that reflect that style. They will create a documentary
and a relief model about their building and combine their relief models with those of other
students to create a historical and architectural timeline. Students will continue to reflect
critically on their learning through the use of a learning journal.
Topic 3:STEM: Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics- Water
Island
In this unit students will use the Engineering Design Process to engineer solutions to problems
presented in an engaging scenario of survival on Water Island. Students will work cooperatively
to solve several challenges and chronicle their solutions in a documentary.
Assessments


Formative
Students will write a
critical reflection about
a component of their
project.
Summative
Students will integrate
newly acquired
information into the
creation of a
product/project. They
will collaboratively
create a
project/product that
solves a problem within
real world limitations in
the fine arts. Students
will storyboard, film
and edit a short
documentary. Using a
framework, students
will identify the critical
components of a
documentary and
analyze the
effectiveness of the
documentary after its
presentation.