STANDARD COURSE OF STUDY

INTERMEDIATE GRADES 3-5

Number and Operations

Students in the intermediate grades represent whole numbers, fractions,and decimals with concrete objects, pictures, and symbols in a variety of contexts.  A firm understanding and use of the place value system and various properties of numbers is developed.  Students recognize equivalent rational numbers and explain the basis for the equivalence.  Fractions and decimals are compared and ordered.

A variety of tools is used to model operations with whole numbers and fractions, develop and apply different methods of computing, and relate models to standard symbolic expressions and algorithms.  Students learn the order of operations, explore various properties of operations, and are able to estimate reasonable answers to computations.  Students become fluent operating with whole numbers.

Measurement

Students estimate and measure temperature, length, mass, and capacity in both customary and metric units.  They solve problems involving perimeter of plane figures and area of rectangles and develop the basic formulas for computing these quantities.

Geometry

In the intermediate grades, students compare, describe, classify, and analyze two- and three- dimensional figures.  They investigate basic geometric relationships, such as parallelism, perpendicularity, congruence, and similarity, and recognize geometric transformations.  Students plot points and read graphs on a rectangular grid.

Data Analysis and Probability

Students continue working with the process of statistical investigation, as the techniques for data collection become more sophisticated.  The nature and kinds of representations used include tables, bar and circle graphs, and stem-and-leaf plots.  Data are described and compared using median, mode, and range.  Students design experiments and list all possible outcomes and probabilities.

Algebra

Students in the intermediate grades continue to identify and describe patterns in many situations.  Tools, such as calculators and computers, are used to investigate and discover patterns.  Patterns are used in geometry and other mathematics to develop new concepts.  Tables and graphs are made to show relationships and then students verbally describe the patterns.  Patterns are used to extend student data, suggest rules for relationships, and make predictions.  Students begin to use symbols to represent unknown quantities.  They use the symbols in expressions and open sentences when describing relationships and solving problems.  Students begin to identify, describe, and analyze situations with constant or varying rates of change, and compare them.

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