Content Connections: Fifth Grade

Reasoned Argument

Reasoned argument is the chain of credible evidence that supports an assertion or claim. Fifth graders use evidence and tools to gather and assess reliable and credible information. They then sequence evidence to articulate a well-reasoned and logical position. Reasoned argumentation is a skill that uses both verbal and written communication and is a fundamental skill for participation in civic and professional life.

Change and Transformation

Transformation is the change in the structure, appearance, or character of something or someone. Fifth graders explore, analyze, and model transformations in a variety of ways. They describe the processes of change; compare pre- and post- change attributes and begin to understand the underlying causes for change. Although students have encountered examples of change throughout elementary school, in fifth grade students are developing more abstract ideas about how substances and situations transform into new and different states.

Multiple Perspectives

Multiple perspectives is a concept that centers on viewing an event, situation, object, or idea from various points of view. Fifth grade students explore and critically analyze using multiple perspectives by considering and processing diverse attitudes, experiences, and relationships. Students also research, create products, and develop reasoned arguments that reflect an understanding of multiple perspectives and points of view.

Systemic Thinking

Systemic thinking entails seeing the whole in addition to the parts and their interrelationships. Fifth grade students are expected to identify the structures within and across content areas and explain how those structures work in an interconnected fashion. Students examine the smaller parts within a structure to understand how they work together to create increasingly more complex systems of interaction. This work is an extension of the work on interactions, visual and spatial thinking, and systems and structures.