Third, Fourth and Fifth Grade
At Canton Country Day, the intermediate grades are a time of growing independence, deeper exploration, and expanding responsibility. Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 strengthen core skills in reading, writing, and mathematics while engaging in rich studies of science, social studies, and the arts. Hands-on projects, collaborative learning, and technology integration encourage critical thinking and creativity, preparing students for the challenges ahead. Equally important, children develop leadership skills, empathy, and confidence as they take a more active role in their school community. By the end of fifth grade, students are well prepared—academically and socially—for the transition to middle school.
CCDS Encourages Critical Thinking and Creativity
Third grade is an exciting year of growth as students transition into more independent learners and take on greater academic challenges. At Canton Country Day, third graders strengthen reading fluency and comprehension, develop stronger writing skills, and deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts through problem-solving and real-world applications. Science and social studies come alive through hands-on experiments, research projects, and collaborative discussions that spark curiosity and critical thinking. Beyond academics, students build confidence, responsibility, and teamwork skills, preparing them to take on leadership roles within the classroom and the broader school community.
Third Grade Curriculum Overview
View The Core Educational Offerings Canton Country Day Offers To Our Third Grade Students
Topics of study within grammar include prepositions, verbs, nouns, conjunctions, types of sentences, interjections, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, friendly letter writing, capitalization, and punctuation. Students routinely practice vocabulary through spelling, definitions, context, and multiple meanings. Writing is further developed through journaling, formal, and informal practice.
In third grade, key skills include mastery of operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), number sense, fractions, measurement (length, mass, volume), geometry, and data analysis. Students will build on prior knowledge, integrating interactive lessons, problem-solving, and assessments to support their learning. CCDS math curriculum is carried out through Sadlier Math with a goal of building a deep conceptual understanding and reinforcing skills through balanced practice and theory.
The local community serves as the focal point for third grade as students begin to understand how their communities have changed over time and to make comparisons with communities in other places. The study of local history comes alive through the use of artifacts and documents. They also learn how communities are governed and how the local economy is organized.
Students will continue to explore the process of scientific inquiry including topics from the three main branches of science. Students investigate matter and learn that all objects and substances in the natural world are composed of matter, which exists in different states, each of which has different properties. Students will also explore different forms of energy, life cycles and Earth’s resources through hands-on learning and experiments.
Students are provided a school issued Chromebook and focus on developing skills in browsing, keyboarding, creating documents, presentations, and videos using google docs, Canva and google slides. Technology topics include an introduction to online research, internet safety, coding, and Google Docs/Slides/Sheets. Using one of the School’s 3D printers, students will learn how to create and print their own 3D designs with TinkerCAD.
Spanish lessons will cover a variety of themes and introduce students to basic expressions, words and phrases, through reading, speaking, and listening. Students will be involved in communicative games, language experience activities, songs, rhymes, children’s literature, physical activity, role plays, dialogues, and listening activities.
Our students also have Art, Library, Physical Education, Music, Movement, Health, Wilderness and Wildlife. Information about those classes can be found on their respective pages.
Fourth grade is a year of discovery and increasing independence, where students are encouraged to think critically, solve problems creatively, and take ownership of their learning. At Canton Country Day, fourth graders refine reading and writing skills through deeper analysis, research, and creative expression, while mathematics emphasizes higher-level problem-solving, fractions, and multi-step operations. Science and social studies expand students’ understanding of the world through experiments, projects, and explorations of history and geography. Beyond academics, fourth graders take on greater leadership opportunities, collaborate across subjects, and build the confidence needed to succeed in the upper grades.
Fourth Grade Curriculum Overview
View The Core Educational Offerings Canton Country Day Offers To Our Fourth Grade Students
Topics of study within Grammar include prepositions, verbs, subjects, compound subjects, nouns, types of sentences, conjunctions, interjections, adjectives, adverbs, pronouns, addressing an envelope, capitalization, punctuation, and items in a series. Students will learn about non-fiction current events and close reading practice, readers theater, and class novels for instruction. Topics of study will include elements of a story, inference skills, and research skills. Students will practice writing formally and informally
Key skills include mastery of operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), number sense, fractions, measurement (length, mass, volume), geometry, and data analysis. Students will build on prior knowledge, integrating interactive lessons, problem-solving, and assessments to support their learning. CCDS math curriculum is carried out through Sadlier Math with a goal of building a deep conceptual understanding and reinforcing skills through balanced practice and theory.
Fourth grade Social Studies focuses on the early development of Ohio and the United States. Students learn about the history, geography, government and economy of their state and nation. Foundations of U.S. history are laid as students study prehistoric Ohio cultures, early American life, the U.S. Constitution, and the development and growth of Ohio and the United States. Students begin to understand how ideas and events from the past have shaped Ohio and the United States today.
The Earth’s surface is a significant focus of fourth grade science and students will discover that the Earth’s surface has specific characteristics and landforms that can be identified, the surface of Earth changes due to weathering, erosion and deposition.
Students will also study conservation of matter, environmental influence on organisms and vice versa, and the progression of organism body structure. All topics are taught through problem-based learning.
Students are provided a school issued Chromebook used to develop skills in browsing, keyboarding, creating various documents, presentations, and videos using Google Docs, Canva and Google Slides. Technology topics include an introduction to online research, internet safety, coding, and Google Docs/Slides/Sheets. Using one of the School’s 3D printers, students will learn how to create and print their own 3D designs with TinkerCAD.
Spanish lessons will cover a variety of themes that will include vocabulary for greetings, numbers, colors, calendar, weather, the body, animals, family and holidays. Students will be introduced to Spanish language and Hispanic culture through communicative games, songs, rhymes, children’s literature, and physical activity.
Our students also have Art, Library, Physical Education, Music, Movement, Health, Wilderness. Information about those classes can be found on their respective pages.
Fifth grade marks an important milestone as students prepare to transition from the Intermediate School to Middle School. At Canton Country Day, fifth graders apply their strong academic foundation to more complex reading, writing, and math challenges, developing advanced skills in critical thinking, problem-solving, and communication. Science and social studies encourage inquiry and analysis through hands-on experiments, research projects, and group collaboration. Students also take on greater leadership roles within the school community, modeling responsibility and teamwork for younger peers. By the end of fifth grade, students are confident, capable, and ready to embrace the opportunities and challenges of Middle School.
Fifth Grade Curriculum Overview
View The Core Educational Offerings Canton Country Day Offers To Our Fifth Grade Students
Topics of study include prepositions, pronouns, helping verbs, compound subjects, compound verbs, conjugating “to be”, contractions, verb phrases, sentence structure, irregular verbs, verb tenses, linking verbs, subject-verb agreement, plural and singular nouns, noun determiners, possessive nouns, direct and indirect nouns, predicate nominatives, descriptive adjectives, limiting adjectives, proper adjectives, and adverbs. Students will learn about non-fiction current events and close reading practice, readers theater, and class novels for instruction. Topics of study will include elements of a story, inference skills, and research skills. Students will practice writing formally and informally.
In fifth grade math, concepts include mastery of operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division), number sense, fractions, measurement (length, mass, volume), geometry, and data analysis. Students will build on prior knowledge, integrating interactive lessons, problem-solving, and assessments to support their learning. CCDS math curriculum is carried out through Sadlier Math with a goal of building a deep conceptual understanding and reinforcing skills through balanced practice and theory.
In Social Studies we will study the Western Hemisphere (North and South America) including its geographic features, early history, cultural development and economic changes. Students learn about the early inhabitants of the Americas and the impact of European exploration and colonization. The geographic focus includes the study of contemporary regional characteristics, the movement of people, products and ideas, and cultural diversity. Students develop their understanding of the relationship between markets and available resources.
In fifth grade STEM classes, students explore our solar system and Earth’s relationship with the Sun. Learners will also dissect Newton’s Second Law of Motion (F=MA) by learning about force, mass, and acceleration. Students will investigate energy carried by waves, and the roles of organisms in an ecosystem, all through experiential learning.
Students are assigned a school issued Chromebook and consistently develop skills in browsing, keyboarding, creating various documents, presentations, and videos using google docs, Canva and Google Slides. Technology topics include an introduction to online research, internet safety, coding, and Google Classrooms/Docs/Slides/Sheets. Using one of the School’s 3D printers, students will learn how to create and print their own 3D designs with TinkerCAD.
Our students also have Art, Library, Physical Education, Music and Movement. Information about those classes can be found on their respective pages.
Our students also have Art, Library, Physical Education, Health, Music and Movement. Information about those classes can be found on their respective pages.
INSTITUTIONS OF CCDS ALUMNI
