Science

We will be following the OpenSciEd story line units in 5th grade. This is the curriculum that is used in Branford 5th - Biology.

Students will start by looking at a phenomena, or an interesting occurrence in the world, and then work together as a class to come to a scientific consensus about what is happening.

Curriculum and Content:

• 1st Trimester - "Dead Things"  In the first trimester, students will be introduced to their first phenomena based unit that centered around the question, “What happens to the body of a dead badger over time?”. Students will make observations, draw models, and will look at evidence to answer their scientific questions.  They will test out their wonders, collect and analyze data to find out what happens to dead things and discover how energy flows through ecosystems.

• 2nd Trimester - "Dirty Water" In the Second trimester, students will be introduced to their second phenomena based unit that centers around the question, “Where does our clean water come from and where does dirty water go?”. Students will make observations, developed and used models, and planned/conducted investigations to answer their scientific questions.  We will develop understandings about earth systems as well as the structure and properties of matter.   

• 3rd Trimester - "Light and Matter" In the final trimester, of science students will be introduced to their third phenomena based unit that centers around the question, “Why do we sometimes see different things when looking at the same object?” Students are tasked to develop and use a model to describe how light is reflected, absorbed, or transmitted through various materials. They also will conduct multiple scientific investigations that use a variety of methods and tools to make measurements and observations.

Students will complete a unit of science and a unit of SS each trimester