Upper Elementary 9-11yrs

An Overview of the 9 – 11 Level Primary 5 & 6

Our Upper Elementary programme (Primary 5 and 6) is designed as an inquiry based learning programme. It is a unique combination of the Montessori philosophy blended with the learning profile of the IB programme. This programme walks students through the process of learning and encourages them to ask relevant questions and seek, record and present their findings in an organized, insighful way. Students learn to work collaboratively in groups and are required to take on a variety of roles within their group work. This enables students to see how important learning communities are to a successful project.
 
The students work from the concrete towards abstraction. Hands-on lessons and materials enable the children to see the "how" and "why". Critical thinking and true-to-life problem solving are key components of our maths programme. The students use a variety of technology to enhance and support their lessons.
 
Our Primary 5 and 6 students participate in a variety of writing and reading activities. All students work towards one significant piece of writing that is published at the end of the school year. The children take part in literature circles and complete meaningful novel studies and book reports throughout the year. Our goal is to foster lifelong readers, writers and learners.
 
Somersfield Academy's Upper Elementary programme is an academically challenging one; the children take great pride in their many accomplishments and are challenged to become outstanding students and citizens both in the classroom and out in the community.
 

LANGUAGE ARTS

The goal of the 9-11 language programme is for students to effectively apply what was learned in the 6 – 9 level while further enhancing their creative writing and comprehension skills, vocabulary, grammar, and general knowledge through a variety of tools.

Literature

  • Students are encouraged to read for personal enjoyment.
  • Through a variety of novel studies, students increase their vocabulary and general knowledge and express their thoughts in response to the readings through discussion and creative book reports.
  • Biographies – students can summarize the major events in the life of the subject and how other characters influenced the subject.
  • Students learn about the power of print and the media. 

Comprehension

  • Comprehension skills are further developed through novel study groups and individual reading assignments.
  • Essay and research skills teach the children how to form their thoughts on paper, extract the important facts from their readings and present them in their own words.
  • Short tests are given to students after a novel study to assess their knowledge.                                                                                                    

Creative Writing

  • Creative writing and its processes are taught through a variety of activities.
  • Students continue to hone their writing styles and apply them through a variety of creative writing opportunities. 
  • Proofreading and editing skills are enhanced through peer editing. 

Grammar, Punctuation, Language Mechanics (Writing Conventions)

  • To demonstrate their knowledge of grammar usage, students are given specific exercises.
  • Written work is monitored by teachers and peers to ensure correct application of the rules. 

Spelling and Vocabulary

  • Students are given weekly units of spelling.
  • Vocabulary skills are enhanced through exercises that require an understanding of word meaning through context and use of the dictionary. 
  • Weekly tests are given to review our students’ knowledge of spelling rules and the meaning of new words.

Oral Presentations

  • Public speaking skills are furthered through oral presentations based upon project work.
  • Students present their projects through the use of visual aids and models.

MATHEMATICS

The goal of the 9 – 11 mathematics programme is for students to link the concrete materials with abstract concepts thereby gaining a holistic view of what is being taught. By using their reasoning skills rather than relying on the memorization of rules and procedures, students will understand how they arrived at an answer to a complex question. The acquisition of this skill will prepare them for our Middle Years Programme which is based on the work of the International Baccalaureate Organisation. 

Areas of Study:                                                                                                           

Number Sense- Rounding. Positive integers. Ordering and comparing. Uses the concept of negative numbers. Place value of whole numbers and decimals.How numbers and decimals relate to simple fractions

Algebra & Functions  - Interpret variables, mathematical symbols, and properties to write and simplify expressions and sentences. 

Measurement & Geometry - Perimeter and area. Show relationships between plane and solid geometric objects and solve problems.

Statistics, Data Analysis &Probabilities - Organizes, represents and interprets numerical and categorical data and communicates the findings.

Mathematical Reasoning-  How to approach problems. Uses a variety of strategies, skills and concepts in finding solutions.

SCIENCE

Our goal is to have students question, explore, investigate and use practical applications to prove their hypothesis in the areas of study.

Areas of Interaction: Life Science, Physical Science and Earth Science

Work is broken into various components:

Group work -  Discuss topics. Research topics using a variety of resources. Form an hypothesis

Experiments -  Hands on application to test hypothesis

Projects      -  Outlined and divided into weekly work. Written reports, oral presentations, visual aids and models.                                               

THE CULTURAL STUDIES

Our goal is to make students aware of the interdependence of all nations.

History

Our Primary 5 students learn the theory behind Early Humans with the use of timelines, materials, and individual research.

Our Primary 6 students study the Time Line of Civilizations such as Sumerian, Egyptian and Babylonian.  As in other areas of study, students apply their research skills to learn more about previous civilizations and interpret their findings in a report, project and/or a presentation.

Geography

This subject is divided into two elements—Physical and Cultural.  The framework is about Man’s relationship to the Earth and how he meets his basic needs of shelter, food, clothing, transportation, defense, ornamentation, and self-expression under varying geographic conditions. 

Physical-  Study of maps, land and water features. Political geography of our nations, cities, borders. Earth-moon-sun relationships. Environments. Cartography (map-making) skills. Longitude and Latitude.                                                                                                                     

Cultural & Economic - Natural resources, their production and transportation to market.Overpopulation, pollution and their effect on humans.

Through these cultural subjects, students continue to develop their research skills using a variety of resources.  They learn how to use indices, appendices, tables of content, etc. to look up information in encyclopedias, magazines, the Internet and atlases.  Organizing their time and work is essential in researching, reading and interpreting information into their own words for essays and reports for cultural projects. Students thoroughly enjoy these subjects and are fascinated by the unfolding drama of History and Geography.