Math for 5 graders

Place Value

What each digit in a number is worth, depending on its position (units, tens, hundreds, thousands, up to 1,000,000)

Negative Numbers

Numbers less than zero, written with a minus sign, e.g. -5. They sit to the left of zero on a number line.

Rounding

Changing a number to the nearest 10, 100, or 1000 to make it simpler, based on the digit after the rounding place.

Multiples

The numbers you get when you multiply a number by 1, 2, 3, 4... (multiples of 4: 4, 8, 12, 16...).Multiples of a number are the products obtained by multiplying that number by whole numbers.

Factors

Numbers that divide exactly into another number with no remainder (factors of 10: 1, 2, 5, 10).

Prime Number

A number greater than 1 that has exactly two factors: 1 and itself (e.g. 2, 3, 5, 7, 11)

Number Sequences

A list of numbers following a pattern or rule, e.g. 2, 4, 6, 8 (rule: add 2).

Decimal Numbers

Numbers that include a decimal point to show parts smaller than a whole, e.g. 4.7 or 0.25.

Fractions

A way to show part of a whole, written as numerator (top) over denominator (bottom), e.g. 3/5.

Equivalent Fractions

Meaning: Different fractions that represent the same amount, e.g. 1/2 and 3/6.

Percentages

A number out of 100, shown with the % symbol, e.g. 50% means 50 out of 100.

Ratio

A way of comparing two amounts, written like 3:1, showing how many times bigger one is than the other.

Proportion

How one amount relates to another as they both change together (e.g. if 2 pens cost $4, 4 pens cost $8).

Order of Operations

The correct sequence for solving a calculation: brackets first, then multiplication/division, then addition/subtraction.

The Four Operations

Addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division — the basic ways of working with numbers.

Remainder

The amount left over when a number cannot be divided exactly by another.

2D Shapes

Flat shapes with only length and width, such as triangles, squares, and pentagons.

3D Shapes

Solid shapes with length, width, and height, such as cubes, spheres, and pyramids.

Triangles (equilateral, isosceles, scalene)

Types of triangles classified by their sides — equilateral (all sides equal), isosceles (two sides equal), scalene (no sides equal).

Quadrilaterals

Any 2D shape with exactly 4 straight sides, e.g. squares, rectangles, and trapeziums.

Symmetry

When a shape can be divided into two matching halves that mirror each other.

Rotational Symmetry

When a shape looks exactly the same after being rotated part-way around a central point.

Angles

The amount of turn between two lines that meet at a point, measured in degrees (°).

Acute Angle

An angle that measures less than 90°.

Right Angle

An angle that measures exactly 90°.

Obtuse Angle

An angle that measures more than 90° but less than 180°

Angles on a Straight Line

The rule that angles sitting along a straight line always add up to 180°.

Coordinates

A pair of numbers, like (3, 5), that show an exact position on a grid.

Translation

Moving a shape a certain distance in a straight direction, without rotating or flipping it.

Reflection

Flipping a shape over a line (the mirror line) to make a mirror image.

Position and Direction

Describing where something is or how it moves, using terms like north, south, left, right, or coordinates.

Length

How long or far something is, measured in mm, cm, m, or km.

Mass

Mass

How heavy something is, measured in grams (g) or kilograms (kg)

Capacity

How much liquid something can hold, measured in millilitres (ml) or litres (l).

Perimeter

The total distance around the outside edge of a 2D shape.

Area

The amount of flat space inside a 2D shape, measured in square units like cm².

Time (12-hour and 24-hour)

Reading and comparing clock times, including the 24-hour format (e.g. 15:00 = 3:00 pm).

Time Zones

Different regions of the world set their clocks to different standard times.

Bar Chart

A chart that uses bars of different heights or lengths to show and compare amounts.

Line Graph

A graph that uses a line to show how something changes over time.

Mode

The value that appears most often in a set of data.

Range

The difference between the largest and smallest numbers in a set of data.

Average

A single value used to describe the "typical" number in a set of data (e.g. the mode, or the mean).

Probability

How likely it is that something will happen.

Probability Scale

A scale from 0 (impossible) to 1 (certain) used to show how likely an event is, often described with words: impossible, unlikely, even chance, likely, certain.

Problem Solving

Using maths knowledge and strategies to work through a question or real-life situation to find a solution.

Estimating

Making a sensible guess at an answer before calculating, to check if the final answer makes sense.

Generalising

Finding a rule or pattern that works for many examples, not just checking one case.