What's Going on in 5th Grade Science? 

How do scientists and engineers work as a team?

Our class is going to begin the year by studying matter. During this module, students will become members of the Matter Mysteries Hotline team, in which they will act as Science Investigators who are responsible for solving seven matter mysteries. Students will explore the properties of matter, what happens when different substances are combined, and compare and contrast different states of matter to form an understanding that substances have different properties and mixing two substances can result in a new substance.

Students will also engage in engineering design projects, and will write scientific arguments and explanations to communicate their findings.

Students’ investigations during this module are designed to help them answer science questions, referred to as Driving Questions.

What's Going on in 6th Grade Science?

The Great Air Race Module

As part of a team, students navigate the skies in a bid to win the Great Air Race. Providing weather reports and routing advice, they strive to reach the next airport in the quickest time… without heading straight into a storm!

LESSON 1 Driving Question: Can we predict if it will rain?

Students explore all stages of the water cycle before learning how the water content in the atmosphere can affect weather and the conditions for flight.

LESSON 2 Driving Question: Can we predict if it will be stormy?

Students learn about atmospheric pressure, and how this interacts with altitude, temperature, and humidity to produce air masses with specific characteristics. Students then learn how the interactions between air masses can produce both wind and fronts, influencing the weather conditions on the available routes of the Great Air Race.

LESSON 3 Driving Question: What effect do landforms have on weather and on flight paths?

Students learn that landforms such as mountains, coastlines, and flat open plains affect the weather by altering the temperature and water content of the air masses and also funneling them in particular directions. They then make weather forecasts using their understanding of all the factors covered in the module, including landforms, ocean currents, air masses, and fronts.