Lower School

Mathematics

Tatnall Lower School uses Open Up Resources K–5 Math curriculum, a problem-based program designed to offer a rigorous elementary school mathematics program for all students. In this curriculum, students engage with carefully crafted and sequenced problems, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. Through collaboration and discussion, learners enhance their ability to think flexibly, communicate their ideas, and apply their knowledge to new situations, building skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

In kindergarten, students explore mathematical tools and develop counting skills, understanding numbers and quantities through engaging activities and continuous assessment. They begin by counting and comparing objects and images, reinforcing that counting determines quantity. Familiar structures, such as fingers and five-frames, help them represent numbers. Students learn terms like "fewer" and "more," and later distinguish "less" for numerals. They also explore shapes, initially associating them with everyday objects and gradually learning to identify and compare them using informal language. The curriculum introduces addition and subtraction through story problems, using hands-on tools such as connecting cubes and pattern blocks to solidify concepts. Students practice writing numbers and equations, emphasizing the composition and decomposition of numbers within 10, laying the groundwork for understanding teen numbers and basic arithmetic. They also distinguish between flat and solid shapes, learning to describe and compare attributes, as well as identifying cubes, cones, spheres, and cylinders.

English Language Arts

Tatnall Lower School uses Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing, a literacy program designed to engage students in active learning through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking about complex ideas. Each day, students engage in three literacy blocks: Shared Reading, English Language Arts, and Differentiation. Kindergarten Shared Reading is designed for emergent readers, focusing on oral language development and literacy skills. This program caters to all students, regardless of their previous language and literacy background. Through the use of full texts, poetry, and nursery rhymes, we aim to build students' oral language competence, phonemic awareness, and concept of print, ultimately achieving mastery in decoding all CVC words by the end of the year.  

In kindergarten, word study focuses on phonics and spelling instruction. Each week, students learn a set list of words featuring specific patterns, and they are given spelling tests approximately every fifth day to monitor progress. These tests include both the weekly words and transfer words, which share the same sound and spelling patterns, but are not directly taught. This approach helps students understand the relationship between sounds and spellings, building their confidence in reading and writing as they encounter various spelling patterns through their literacy activities.

The English Language Arts block includes above-grade-level read-alouds to enhance language, vocabulary, and inferential thinking, fostering a love of reading and broad knowledge. Integrated grammar instruction uses the Sentence Composing approach, encouraging students to experiment with grammatical structures. Writing instruction covers opinions, narratives, and informational texts, with daily goals modeled by teachers and gradually reduced support. Kindergarten focuses on constructing sentences with subjects and predicates, using graphic organizers and checklists to help students independently plan, revise, and edit their work. Writing activities begin with drawing and labeling, progressing to writing with illustrations, emphasizing sentence structure and meaning.

During Differentiation, our students meet in small groups to hone individual skills. Our diagnostic instruction (DI) design mirrors literacy development, represented as a set of stairs that students climb. Starting from letter names and sounds, students in grades K-2 progress to proficient decoding, fluent oral reading, and finally, independent silent reading. We use a validated diagnostic decoding inventory to provide differentiated reading instruction, ensuring each student's unique needs are met. 

Science

In kindergarten, students engage in a variety of activities and discovery stations that support thematic units and an emergent curriculum built on their interests and questions. The focus is on hands-on exploration, both individually and in groups, where students listen to each other's observations and work together to find answers. Over the year, they study the needs of animals and plants, forces like pushes and pulls, and weather and patterns in space, introducing foundational concepts aligned with NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).

Signature Experiences

Curiosity:

• Grow vegetables in our Kinder-Garden - Students plant and care for vegetables in Marilyn’s Kinder-Garden, observing their growth and learning about the needs of living things.

• Kindergarten Sit Spots - Students select a quiet spot in nature to visit throughout the year, recording seasonal changes and reflecting on their observations.
• Explore global cultures - Students learn about diverse cultures, celebrations, and traditions through hands-on activities and storytelling.

Perseverance:

• Perform in the Kindergarten Play - Students work together to learn lines, rehearse, and perform in a class play, building confidence and teamwork.
• Develop early literacy skills - Students express their thoughts through writing and illustrating multi-page books, laying the foundation for future literacy success.
• Complete a monthly exercise challenge - Students set and achieve personal fitness goals, developing persistence and physical endurance.

Citizenship:

• Lead Community Gathering with a 5th Grade Buddy - Students co-lead division-wide gatherings, gaining public speaking experience and confidence.
• Serve as Admissions Buddies - Kindergarteners welcome and mentor rising Pre-K students, fostering friendships and easing the transition to kindergarten.
• Connect with PALS - Paired with 7th grade students, kindergarteners collaborate on projects, explore nature, and build meaningful relationships.

Overview

1st graders build important foundational academic skills in reading, writing, and math while simultaneously developing confidence, awareness, and empathy inside and outside of the classroom. Creativity and collaboration are emphasized across the curriculum, and 1:1 iPads are used to enrich the experience. Teachers facilitate a classroom community that is caring, encouraging, and inspirational, giving our first graders the emotional safety to thrive.

Mathematics

Tatnall Lower School uses Open Up Resources K–5 Math curriculum, a problem-based program designed to offer a rigorous elementary school mathematics program for all students. In this curriculum, students engage with carefully crafted and sequenced problems, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. Through collaboration and discussion, learners enhance their ability to think flexibly, communicate their ideas, and apply their knowledge to new situations, building skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

In first grade, students tackle various problem types, including Add to/Take From, Change Unknown, Put Together/Take Apart, and Compare problems, while learning to understand and write equations, particularly focusing on the meaning of the equal sign. They develop an understanding of place-value of tens and ones by decomposing and recomposing numbers. The curriculum emphasizes solving story problems, representing numbers with cubes and drawings, and using comparison symbols (<, >) for two-digit numbers. Students practice adding within 100, exploring methods like adding by place-value, drawing models, and using horizontal equations for conceptual understanding. They also learn linear measurement, using units such as cubes and paper clips, and extend their knowledge of shapes by describing, comparing, and composing them, as well as partitioning them into halves and fourths. Finally, students learn to tell time to the hour and half-hour, linking the concept to partitioned circles and analog clocks.

English Language Arts

Tatnall Lower School uses the Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing curriculum to engage students in active learning through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking about complex ideas. Each day, students participate in three literacy blocks: Shared Reading, English Language Arts, and Differentiation. The first-grade curriculum builds foundational reading and writing skills with structured, research-based methods and continuous assessment, focusing on increasing the number of words read daily to develop fluency with complex texts.

Shared Reading is central to instruction, providing a structured system to quickly transition emergent readers to beginning reading. The routines focus on building background knowledge, ensuring fluent reading for comprehension, repeated oral reading, modeling comprehension strategies, and peer-assisted learning. Daily word study includes phonics and spelling, with spelling tests approximately every fifth day to monitor progress. Students learn to apply spelling patterns to new words, building confidence in their reading and writing skills.

The English Language Arts block features both writing instruction and read-alouds. Writing instruction in first grade begins with sentence construction and progresses to opinion, narrative, and informational texts. Students start with drawing and labeling, moving to writing with graphic organizers and revising with checklists for structure, content, and mechanics. Our read-alouds feature engaging, above-grade-level books to develop comprehension, vocabulary, and knowledge. Grammar instruction focuses on sentence composing using sentences from read-aloud texts, encouraging students to experiment with grammatical structures, connecting grammar to composition.

During Differentiation, students meet in small groups to hone individual skills. Diagnostic instruction ensures each student's needs are met, progressing from letter names and sounds to proficient decoding, fluent oral reading, and independent silent reading. Students are reassessed regularly to ensure that we are keeping up with their growth and instructional needs.

Social Studies

Our Responsive Classroom approach creates a safe and respectful classroom community to kick-off the year.  Topics and skills include family diversity, families around the world, and communities that are taught through read-alouds, class discussions, research, and projects.  Reading projects and specialized activities help students better understand themselves and others, discover that our similarities and differences make us unique and connected, and learn the importance of being an upstander.

Science

First graders enjoy a science curriculum that capitalizes on their natural curiosity. Equipped with trail bags, they spend much of their science time outdoors, learning to ask scientific questions, predict, observe, and draw conclusions. In the classroom and lab, students explore animal adaptations, light and sound waves, space systems, and plant science. The curriculum aligns with NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).

Signature Experiences

Curiosity:

• Research and present on influential figures during Black History Month - Students explore the lives and achievements of historical figures, sharing their findings with peers.
• Creature Power Challenge - Inspired by the Wild Kratts, students use their knowledge of animal adaptations to complete a series of challenges. 
• Read and write autobiographies - After reading biographies of historical figures, students reflect on their own lives and create personal autobiographies.

Perseverance:

• Engage in Number Talks - Students strengthen their problem-solving and mental math skills through daily math discussions.
• Write and illustrate How-To Books - Students create instructional books, developing sequential thinking and writing skills.
• Read chapter books - By the end of the year, students read several chapter books introducing them to favorite characters, authors, and series. 

Citizenship:

• Independently lead Community Gathering - Students gain confidence by taking turns leading division-wide gatherings.
• Participate in Responsive Classroom - Students learn to express emotions, develop empathy, and build strong classroom communities.
• Connect through PALS - First graders build friendships and social skills through partnerships with older students.

Overview

2nd graders continue building critical skills that allow them to dig deeper into their reading, write longer and more detailed stories, and approach math problems using efficient strategies. Students better understand global citizenship through read-alouds, guided research, and collaborative projects.

Mathematics

Tatnall Lower School uses Open Up Resources K–5 Math curriculum, a problem-based program designed to offer all students a rigorous elementary school mathematics program. In this curriculum, students engage with carefully crafted and sequenced problems, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. Through collaboration and discussion, learners enhance their ability to think flexibly, communicate their ideas, and apply their knowledge to new situations, building skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

In second grade, students learn to represent and interpret categorical data using picture and bar graphs, progressing to tape diagrams for comparing quantities and understanding addition and subtraction. They develop place value knowledge by subtracting one- and two-digit numbers from two-digit numbers and solving story problems within 100. Measurement skills are introduced with standard units of length, solving related addition and subtraction problems, and creating line plots. They explore fractions by partitioning shapes and for telling time, work with money to build fluency in addition and subtraction within 100, and add and subtract within 1,000 using place value strategies. Students also analyze rectangular arrays in preparation for multiplication and division in Grade 3.

English Language Arts

Tatnall Lower School uses the Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing curriculum to engage students in active learning through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking about complex ideas. Each day, students participate in three literacy blocks: Shared Reading, English Language Arts, and Differentiation. The second-grade curriculum enhances reading and writing by building automaticity, accuracy, prosody, and stamina. It uses structured, research-based methods and continuous assessment, aiming to increase the number of words read daily to develop fluency with complex texts.

In Shared Reading, teachers use evidence-based practices to build student stamina, text fluency, and reading comprehension through direct instruction, repeated oral reading, and authentic text-based discussions. Carefully sequenced oral comprehension questions and scaffolded routines ensure students can engage deeply with challenging books, maximizing their reading, talking, and writing about the text. In second grade, daily Word Study focuses on sorting words by sound and pattern, primarily dealing with vowel sounds and spellings. 

The English Language Arts block features both writing instruction and read-alouds. Writing instruction in second grade emphasizes a strategic, step-by-step approach to writing across three genres: opinions, narratives, and informational texts. Based on empirical research, this method involves learning to consistently use specific steps when composing: evaluating writing, planning, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing. During read-aloud, teachers engage students with a variety of carefully selected above-grade-level texts, including picture books, novels, and informational texts, to build knowledge and comprehension. Grammar instruction is taught through sentence composing, a research-based practice that uses sentences from the read-aloud texts to encourage students to experiment with grammatical structures, connecting grammar to composition.

During Differentiation, students meet in small groups to hone individual skills. Diagnostic instruction ensures each student's needs are met, progressing from letter names and sounds to proficient decoding, fluent oral reading, and independent silent reading. Students are reassessed regularly to ensure that we are keeping up with their growth and instructional needs.

Social Studies

The year begins with creating a safe and respectful classroom community through a Responsive Classroom approach. Topics and skills include geography, cultures from around the world, and research and map skills. Reading projects and specialized activities help students gain a greater understanding of themselves and others, discover that our similarities and differences make us unique and connected, and learn the importance of being an upstander.

Science

Second-grade scientists spend much of their time outdoors exploring more complex topics, learning how to ask scientific questions, make predictions, and draw conclusions through hands-on experiences in ecosystems, properties of matter, geology, and a mini unit focusing on trees. These units integrate cross-cutting concepts like structure and function, aligning with NGSS’s (Next Generation Science Standards) emphasis on interconnected systems.

Signature Projects and Experiences

Curiosity:

• Use AI for creative storytelling - Students integrate AI-generated images into writing projects like "Camouflaged Critters" and "Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Weather Report."
• Research Native American tribes - Students explore the culture, traditions, and history of indigenous communities.
• Explore ecosystems - On a field trip to a stream ecosystem, students investigate the relationships between living and nonliving components.
• Create and perform a puppet show - Students craft paper-mâché puppets, learn lines, and present a folktale performance.

Perseverance:

• Bring stories to life with stop-motion animation - Students animate chapter book scenes through creative filming techniques.
• Learn cursive handwriting - Students develop fine motor skills and persistence while mastering cursive writing.

Citizenship:

• Participate in Responsive Classroom and Morning Meeting - Students build a supportive classroom community through daily social-emotional learning activities.
• Write persuasive opinion pieces - Students debate and write about decision-making, learning to support their arguments effectively.
• Engage in digital citizenship - Students use Seesaw blogs to share ideas and provide constructive feedback to classmates. 

Overview

3rd graders delve into more complicated math concepts, engage in long-term interdisciplinary projects, and learn the responsibilities of digital citizenship using their 1:1 Chromebook that they will use for the remainder of their time in Lower School. Readers explore a variety of genres with a deeper focus on character development and non-fiction reading. These skills support elaboration, organization, and craft development in their writing. With teacher guidance, students experience increasing independence around study skills, organization, and homework.

Mathematics

Tatnall Lower School uses Open Up Resources K–5 Math curriculum, a problem-based program designed to offer a rigorous elementary school mathematics program for all students. In this curriculum, students engage with carefully crafted and sequenced problems, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. Through collaboration and discussion, learners enhance their ability to think flexibly, communicate their ideas, and apply their knowledge to new situations, building skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Third graders will delve into multiplication and its applications through various units. They will start by learning multiplication using scaled picture graphs and bar graphs, which helps them understand equal-size groups. They will explore the concept of arrays and discover the commutative property of multiplication. Students will also solve problems with missing factors, introducing them to division. They will study area, beginning with tiled rectangles and progressing to more abstract representations, and will learn to measure area using standard units. They will solve real-world problems involving area and will explore the distributive property of multiplication.

Additionally, students will learn different multiplication algorithms and relate multiplication to division for fluency in single-digit facts. They will solve two-step problems involving all four operations and work with fractions, using diagrams to understand equivalent fractions and their relationship to whole numbers. Measurement of length, weight, liquid volume, and time will also be covered using standard units and practical exercises. Finally, students will study two-dimensional shapes, focusing on perimeter and area, and solve problems involving these attributes in various contexts, such as designing a park or a pattern.

English Language Arts

Tatnall Lower School uses the Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing curriculum to engage students in active learning through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking about complex ideas. Students participate in three literacy blocks daily: Shared Reading, English Language Arts, and Differentiation. With the primary focus of building fluency behind them, third-graders spend the majority of their time on text analysis in both reading and writing. The curriculum uses structured, research-based methods and continuous assessment, aiming to increase fluency and comprehension with complex texts daily.

In Shared Reading, teachers use evidence-based practices to build student stamina, text fluency, and reading comprehension through direct instruction, repeated oral reading, and authentic text-based discussions. Carefully sequenced oral comprehension questions and scaffolded routines ensure students can engage deeply with challenging books, maximizing their reading, talking, and writing about the text. In third grade, students build on their single-syllable pattern knowledge to spell multisyllabic words by practicing the doubling principle with specific base word patterns and suffixes and using sorting strategies to generalize rather than memorize. As the year progresses, word study words are selected from the text read in class and transition from base word spellings to syllable types for decoding and spelling, aided by the six syllable types.

The English Language Arts block includes writing instruction and read-alouds. Third-grade writing instruction focuses on research-based strategies, teaching students to independently plan, draft, revise, and edit various texts using their own graphic organizers, with consistent teacher modeling and structured peer interactions. Read-aloud sessions involve engaging, above-grade-level texts to build knowledge and comprehension. Grammar instruction is integrated through sentence composing routines like expanding, imitating, combining, and unscrambling sentences, linking grammar practice to writing and reading comprehension.

During Differentiation, students meet in small groups to hone individual skills. Diagnostic instruction ensures each student's needs are met, progressing from letter names and sounds to proficient decoding, fluent oral reading, and independent silent reading. Students are reassessed regularly to ensure that we are keeping up with their growth and instructional needs.

Social Studies

In Social Studies, teachers establish expectations, rules, and routines to create a safe and respectful classroom community. Topics and skills include maps, regional study of the United States, Native Americans, timelines, Influential People through History, and the 50 States. Reading projects and specialized activities help students gain a greater understanding of themselves and others, discover that our similarities and differences make us unique and connected, and learn the importance of being an upstander.

Science

Third graders build on their scientific skills, spending time outdoors studying local life cycles, forces and motion, weather, and climate. Students make observations, predictions, and conclusions through lab work and hands-on activities. Fourth graders also participate in a mini-unit on birds, introducing them to concepts and ideas needed for a seventh-grade core experience. This year, the focus is on evidence-based explanations and predictions, aligning with the NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards).

Signature Projects and Experiences

Curiosity:

• Develop and market a product - Students invent, create, and sell products to their peers, learning entrepreneurship skills.
• Explore cultural dance - Students learn and perform traditional folk dances from around the world.
• Build a Mini-Society - Students establish their own economy, complete with currency, jobs, and businesses.

Perseverance:

• Research and present on an influential person - Students select and study a historical figure, creating an engaging presentation.
• Learn to play the recorder - Students are introduced to wind instruments through hands-on music instruction.
• Master new gross-motor skills - Students challenge themselves with complex movement-based activities and teamwork-based games.
• Design and test a Rube Goldberg machine - Students explore forces and motion through hands-on engineering challenges.

Citizenship:

• Apply government and economics lessons to Mini-Society - Students make real-world connections by managing their own classroom economy.
• Practice social-emotional learning - Students develop communication skills through discussions about emotions and relationships.

Overview

4th graders expand their knowledge of multiplication, division, fractions, and decimals and become creative problem solvers. Students engage in a cross-curricular study of American history and demonstrate their understanding through integrated technology projects and a thesis-driven essay. An emphasis is placed on vocabulary development and test-taking strategies.

Mathematics

Tatnall Lower School uses Open Up Resources K–5 Math curriculum, a problem-based program designed to offer a rigorous elementary school mathematics program for all students. In this curriculum, students engage with carefully crafted and sequenced problems, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. Through collaboration and discussion, learners enhance their ability to think flexibly, communicate their ideas, and apply their knowledge to new situations, building skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Fourth graders will learn a variety of math concepts, starting with understanding factors, multiples, and prime and composite numbers through the area of rectangles. They will perform operations with fractions, including multiplication by whole numbers and addition and subtraction of fractions with the same denominator. Students will also delve into measurement and data, analyzing line plots with fractional lengths and exploring decimal notation and place value relationships up to the hundred-thousands. Multiplication and division skills will be extended to multi-digit numbers, and students will solve multi-step problems involving measurement. Geometric concepts will be covered, including the classification of shapes, symmetry, and measuring and comparing angles with protractors. Through these lessons, students will deepen their understanding of multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, geometry, and measurement, applying their knowledge to solve real-world problems.

English Language Arts

Tatnall Lower School uses the Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing curriculum to engage students in active learning through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking about complex ideas. Each day, students participate in three literacy blocks: Shared Reading, English Language Arts, and Differentiation. Settled into working with more complex texts, fourth-graders spend most of their time on text analysis and building content knowledge through reading and writing. 

In Shared Reading, teachers use evidence-based practices to build student stamina, text fluency, and reading comprehension through direct instruction, repeated oral reading, and authentic text-based discussions. Carefully sequenced oral comprehension questions and scaffolded routines ensure students can engage deeply with challenging books, maximizing their reading, talking, and writing about the text. In fourth grade, students continue to study syllable types in vocabulary words chosen from the daily reading passages to aid students in both the decoding and spelling of multisyllabic words. 

The English Language Arts block includes writing instruction and read-alouds. Fourth-grade writing instruction focuses on research-based strategies, teaching students to independently plan, draft, revise, and edit various texts using their own graphic organizers, with consistent teacher modeling and structured peer interactions. Read-aloud sessions involve engaging, above-grade-level texts to build knowledge and comprehension. Grammar instruction is integrated through sentence composing routines like expanding, imitating, combining, and unscrambling sentences, linking grammar practice to writing and reading comprehension.

During Differentiation, students meet in small groups to hone individual skills. Diagnostic instruction ensures each student's needs are met, progressing from letter names and sounds to proficient decoding, fluent oral reading, and independent silent reading. Students are reassessed regularly to ensure that we are keeping up with their growth and instructional needs.

Social Studies

At the onset of the school year, teachers establish expectations, rules, and routines to create a safe and respectful classroom community. Topics and skills include world geography and landforms and American history from early colonialism through the Civil War. Project-based learning includes 3D landforms, a reenactment of a historical event, a digital comic strip, a historical puppet show, and podcasts. Reading projects and specialized activities help students gain a greater understanding of themselves and others, discover that our similarities and differences make us unique and connected, and learn the importance of being an upstander.

Science

Fourth-grade students use both lab spaces and outdoor environments to explore more advanced topics like animal adaptations, waves and energy, chemistry, weathering, erosion, and soil. They participate in a year-long collaboration with the Delaware Nature Society, enhancing their learning with real-world applications. The curriculum aligns with NGSS (Next Generation Science Standards), emphasizing scientific modeling and evidence-based predictions.

Signature Programs and Experiences

Curiosity:

• Become Naturalists in Training - Students work with Delaware Nature Society experts to connect science lessons to environmental exploration.
• Conduct independent science experiments - Students apply the scientific method by designing and presenting their own research projects at the science fair.
• Dive into American history - Students explore the founding of the U.S. through hands-on projects and interactive lessons.
• Visit historic Philadelphia - Students tour the Museum of the American Revolution, Constitution Hall, and the Liberty Bell.
• Learn about investing and the stock market, and participate in the Stock Market Game

Perseverance:

• Perform in the Fourth Grade Play - Students choose a play, rehearse, and perform, building confidence and teamwork.
• Create a Greek mythology podcast - Students research, script, and record a podcast episode featuring legendary figures.
• Design and sell a real product - Using AI tools, students create and market items on an external platform.
• Learn to play the ukulele - Students are introduced to string instruments through hands-on instruction.

Citizenship:

• Lead student-run clubs - Students take initiative by organizing and managing extracurricular groups.
• Serve as Admissions Ambassadors - Students welcome and support prospective families.
• Participate in the 4th and 5th Grade Strings Ensemble - Students collaborate and perform together in a musical group.

Overview

As the oldest students, 5th graders embrace their leadership in the Lower School. Their dynamic weekly schedule includes coding and robotics in STEM class, learning to play the ukulele, reading and writing with greater complexity, learning the roots of language, and collaborating on invigorating projects. In preparation for Middle School, students strengthen their independence and organizational skills as they manage classes taught by multiple teachers throughout the day.

Mathematics

Tatnall Lower School uses Open Up Resources K–5 Math curriculum, a problem-based program designed to offer a rigorous elementary school mathematics program for all students. In this curriculum, students engage with carefully crafted and sequenced problems, fostering a deep understanding of mathematical concepts and procedures. Through collaboration and discussion, learners enhance their ability to think flexibly, communicate their ideas, and apply their knowledge to new situations, building skills that will benefit them throughout their lives.

Fifth graders will engage in a comprehensive math curriculum that covers a variety of topics. They will begin by exploring the concept of volume through solid figures, understanding how to measure it using unit cubes, and recognizing its additive nature. Students will progress to analyzing and constructing right rectangular prisms, calculating volumes using numerical expressions and abstract representations. They will learn to generalize the formula for volume of rectangular prisms and apply this knowledge to solve real-world problems involving composite figures. Additionally, students will deepen their understanding of fractions by interpreting them as quotients and extending their multiplication skills to include fractions and mixed numbers. They will explore decimals to the thousandths, learning to read, write, compare, and perform operations with them. Throughout the year, students will apply these skills to solve multi-step problems, develop fluency in multi-digit multiplication and division, and gain proficiency in geometry, measurement, and data analysis, including coordinate grid studies and numerical patterns.

English Language Arts

Tatnall Lower School uses the Bookworms K-5 Reading and Writing curriculum to engage students in active learning through daily reading, writing, listening, and speaking about complex ideas. Each day, students participate in three literacy blocks: Shared Reading, English Language Arts, and Differentiation. Now, proficient readers of complex texts, fifth graders continue to hone their text analysis skills through both reading and writing. 

In Shared Reading, teachers use evidence-based practices to build student stamina, text fluency, and reading comprehension through direct instruction, repeated oral reading, and authentic text-based discussions. Carefully sequenced oral comprehension questions and scaffolded routines ensure students can engage deeply with challenging books, maximizing their reading, talking, and writing about the text. In fifth grade, students continue to study syllable types in vocabulary words chosen from the daily reading passages to aid students in both the decoding and spelling of multisyllabic words. 

The English Language Arts block includes writing instruction and read-alouds. Fifth-grade writing instruction focuses on research-based strategies, teaching students to independently plan, draft, revise, and edit various texts using their own graphic organizers, with consistent teacher modeling and structured peer interactions. Read-aloud sessions involve engaging, above-grade-level texts to build knowledge and comprehension. Grammar instruction is integrated through sentence composing routines like expanding, imitating, combining, and unscrambling sentences, linking grammar practice to writing and reading comprehension.

During Differentiation, students meet in small groups to hone individual skills. Diagnostic instruction ensures each student's needs are met, progressing from letter names and sounds to proficient decoding, fluent oral reading, and independent silent reading. Students are reassessed regularly to ensure that we are keeping up with their growth and instructional needs.

Global Studies

In Global Studies, teachers establish expectations, rules, and routines to create a safe and respectful classroom community.  Topics and skills include geography, early humans, and ancient civilizations.  Students engage in project-based global studies projects, including a Ziggurat marble maze, mummifying a hot dog, a digital escape room, Parthenon and Roman aqueduct construction, and a Roman feast.  Reading projects and specialized activities help students gain a greater understanding of themselves and others, discover that our similarities and differences make us unique and connected, and learn the importance of being an upstander.

Science

Young scientists learn important skills in asking scientific questions, making precise observations and accurate calculations, and drawing conclusions through hands-on learning experiences in our science lab and outdoor learning spaces. Students design and conduct controlled experiments and learn that careful identification and control of variables are crucial for drawing accurate conclusions. Relative mathematics skills are also intertwined in their science curriculum as students explore various topics. Students have interactive learning opportunities with lab experiences both indoors and out. Projects such as building a wind turbine, creating a scale model of the planets, participating in the Great Solar System Rescue Game, building a wet cell battery, and constructing and launching their own rockets are some of the highlights. Topics include scientific practices and the scientific method, layers of the forest and tree identification, air pressure and composition, climate change, water cycle, weather, space, and circuits.  Overall, the fifth-grade curriculum emphasizes the development of key NGSS practices—Asking Questions, Planning Investigations, Analyzing Data, and Designing Solutions—through hands-on, inquiry-based learning and interdisciplinary projects that incorporate math, engineering, and real-world applications.

STEM

5th graders have STEM twice a week for an hour and fifteen minutes.  All students build and learn to code their robots and participate on a Tatnall Lego League team. Students prepare codes, create an innovation project, and make several presentations for the competition.

SEL (Social Emotional Learning)

Students have a weekly class using the Fly Five Curriculum. There is a focus on cooperation, assertiveness, responsibility, empathy, and self-control.

Transition to Middle School

The 5th grade experience is a building block for the Middle School. We have targeted specific areas to support our students in a smooth transition to 6th grade.

• Students are assigned a homeroom teacher who supports them in their overall academic experience, study skills, organization, and social-emotion development.

• The classes are semi-departmentalized into two areas: language arts/global studies and math/science. Students switch classrooms and teachers while learning important organization skills that will better prepare them for additional transitions in Middle School.

• Students earn traditional letter grades for the first time, and students and parents utilize MyTatnall, our internal portal, to review their performance and grades.

• Students use an open locker setup to learn more about an organization system that works well for them while allowing the teachers to monitor and provide support as needed.

Signature Projects and Experiences

Curiosity:

• Engineer a Miniature Mini-Golf Course - Students design, calculate, and build interactive golf holes.
• Run the Fifth Grade Bake Shop - Students calculate each ingredient cost, bake goods, and donate proceeds to a chosen charity.
• Construct and launch rockets - Students apply physics concepts to build and test rockets.
• Recreate ancient engineering feats - Students build Mesopotamian Ziggurat Marble Runs and Roman aqueducts.
• Explore mummification - Students simulate the ancient embalming process using hot dogs.

Perseverance:

• Compete in the First State Lego League - Students tackle robotics and innovation challenges in a statewide competition.
• Enter Young Writers USA competitions - Students refine their writing and submit pieces to national contests.
• Abuelito Who Inspired Poetry Project - Students write heartfelt poems modeled after "Abuelito Who," celebrating a special person in their lives. They present their poems as a meaningful gift on Valentine's Day.
• Complete creative arts projects- Students learn how to connect music and life events to create personalized soundtracks.  They additionally work on their composition skills to create advertisements through jingle writing.  

Citizenship:

• Mentor Kindergarten students - Fifth graders guide younger students in leading Community Gathering.
• Serve as Admissions Ambassadors - Students welcome and assist prospective families.
• Attend 5th Grade Night Out - Students set up tents, cook over an open fire, and explore campus after dark.
• Lead as Swords vs. Shields Captains - Students are elected by peers to lead in an exciting field day competition.