What your child learns in Grade 5 in BC
In Grade 5, students deepen their number sense with decimals, fractions and multi-digit operations, write longer pieces and do more research in science and social studies.
Grade 5 subjects in the BC Curriculum
Math
Big Ideas
- Numbers describe quantities that can be represented by equivalent fractions.
- Computational fluency and flexibility with numbers extend to operations with larger (multi-digit) numbers.
- Identified regularities in number patterns can be expressed in tables.
12 units, including numbers to a million, add & subtract, multiply, divide.
English Language Arts
Big Ideas
- Language and story can be a source of creativity and joy.
- Exploring stories and other texts helps us understand ourselves and make connections to others and to the world.
- Using language in creative and playful ways helps us understand how language works.
10 units, including reading detectives, plot and conflict, figurative language, purpose and structure.
Science
Big Ideas
- Multicellular organisms have organ systems that enable them to survive and interact within their environment.
- Solutions are homogeneous.
- Machines are devices that transfer force and energy.
6 units, including digestion & breathing, heart, bones & muscles, solutions & mixtures, simple machines.
Social Studies
Big Ideas
- Natural resources continue to shape the economy and identity of different regions of Canada.
- Immigration and multiculturalism continue to shape Canadian society and identity.
- Canadian institutions and government reflect the challenge of our regional diversity.
6 units, including levels of government, making laws, rights & freedoms, immigration & multiculturalism.
French Immersion
Big Ideas
- Interactions with other people reveal their varied perspectives and thus expose human diversity.
- Fiction presents sociocultural and historical elements that have been adapted and shaped by the author.
- Looking for information in multiple sources provides different points of view and enriches knowledge and vocabulary.
7 units, including qui, que, où, dont, ne… plus, jamais, rien, les adverbes, la ponctuation.
Core French
Big Ideas
- Listening and viewing with intent helps us begin to understand French.
- Both verbal and non-verbal cues contribute meaning in language.
- With simple French, we can describe ourselves and our interests.
8 units, including salutations, sounds and accents, numbers 0 to 30, masculine, feminine, plural.
What to look for on the report card
Look for comments on problem solving, supporting ideas with evidence, and independent research.
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending. See what each level means.
Core Competencies are part of every grade. Read about core competencies.
Ready for Grade 5?
Grade 5 builds on what your child practised in Grade 4. If a skill feels shaky, a few short practice sessions before or early in the year can help:
- Math: numbers to 10 000, add & subtract, times tables, multiply & divide, fractions
- English Language Arts: reading detectives, text features, figurative language, point of view, parts of speech
- Science: sense & respond, biomes, phase changes, particles & mass, energy changes
- Social Studies: first peoples & the land, contact & the fur trade, colonization & treaties, gold rushes, confederation & bc
- French Immersion: tu ou vous?, poser des questions, synonymes et contraires, les adverbes en -ment, comparer
Common questions
What do kids learn in Grade 5 in British Columbia?
Grade 5 covers math, english language arts, science, social studies, french immersion, core french in the BC Curriculum. In Grade 5, students deepen their number sense with decimals, fractions and multi-digit operations, write longer pieces and do more research in science and social studies.
How is Grade 5 reported in BC?
BC report cards describe learning with Emerging, Developing, Proficient, Extending.
How can I help my Grade 5 child at home?
Short, regular practice works better than long sessions: 10 to 15 minutes a few times a week, on the skills your child's teacher flags. Read together, use math in real life, and praise effort.
Practise Grade 5 skills with Gradelings
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