Forces and Interactions
In this unit the students will apply previous knowledge of pushes and pulls by planning and conducting investigations in which predictions are made. They will also determine the cause/effect relationships of electrical and magnetic interactions between two objects not in contact with one another.
Weather and Climate
In this unit the students will learn that weather is the minute-by-minute to day-by-day variation of the atmosphere’s condition on a local scale. We will learn that scientists record the patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of weather might happen next. We will learn the difference between weather and climate and learn about typical weather patterns in different parts of the world and at different times of the year.
Inheritance and Variation of Traits
In this unit the students will learn that plants and animals have unique and diverse life cycles that include being born (sprouting in plants), growing, developing into adults, reproducing, and eventually dying. Students will learn that many characteristics of organisms are inherited from their parents, and other characteristics result from individuals’ interactions with the environment, which can range from diet to learning.
Interdependent Relationships in Ecosystems
This unit expands on the students' previous knowledge of survival to include how fossils can tell us why previous populations of organisms existed and how their habitats supported their survival. Environmental changes are included in the extension of the topic of survival. We will study what happens to organisms when their environment changes.