Science

Increasing Depth

With the expanding minds of fifth graders, the study of science will take students to increasing depths. Many of the science units cover previously learned topics from first through fourth grades. However, each of the topics in those units is expanded to greater complexity and deeper understanding. This is accomplished with more interactive experiments and activities, increased use of textbook reading, learning independent research skills, and culminates with the Science Fair in March.

We begin the year with a focus on Earth Science - the study of Earth, its structures, resources, functions, cycles, and how it changes over time. After that, we focus more on Earth's surface and specifically learn about how the surface changes, what causes it, and how those changes affects us.

Following Earth Science, we move on to Life Science. All of life depends on systems with various parts that work together to keep organisms alive. We begin at the micro level with a short introduction to cells of both plants and animals. We move on to study plant structures and systems, and conclude with a long look at human body systems.

Finally, we conclude the year with a study of Physical Science. We'll review states of matter and discuss the concept of molecules and atoms. We move on to focus more intently on mixtures and solutions, which explores how different states of matter interact with each other.

Following is a list of units of study for fifth grade science.

Weather on Earth

The constant renewal of water on Earth's land surfaces by the activities in the atmosphere is one of the defining characteristics of Earth, the water planet. The Weather on Earth unit provides students with experiences to explore the properties of the atmosphere, energy transfer from the Sun to Earth, and the dynamics of weather and water cycling in Earth's atmosphere. In this unit, students will:

Investigate properties of air.
Describe the atmosphere, using visual displays.
Use weather instruments to measure temperature, atmospheric pressure, humidity, wind direction, and wind speed.
Conduct experiments with heating of earth materials and with solar water heaters to build explanations.
Investigate the conditions that cause condensation and evaporation as part of the water cycle.
Interpret the data displayed on weather maps and look for patterns over time.

Living Systems

Cells

Cells are the building blocks of life. All living things are made up of cells, each type providing different functions. Students will be introduced to the concept of cells and parts of cells. From this unit, they will understand the similarities and differences between plant and animal cells, and understand that cells themselves are systems made up of different parts that help the cell perform a function.

Plants

Plants are living organisms that play a vital role in our ecosystem. They have various structures and systems that help perform the important functions that are needed to sustain life on Earth. From this unit, students will learn to:

Identify different parts of plants and the functions they perform (roots, stems, flowers, leaves).
Identify various types of roots, stems, and leaves and understand their functions.
Identify parts of flowers and the functions they perform.
Understand the reproductive system of plants.
Explain the process of photosynthesis.
Understand different types of tropism and how these contribute to plant survival.

Human Body

The human body is a system itself because it is a collection of systems working together to perform a function, which is life. A system is defined as a collection of parts working together to perform a function. The human body consists of numerous systems without which it could not survive. In fifth grade, students are introduced to the major systems of the body. From this unit, students will understand the parts of each system and what function the system performs. The units we will study and highlights of each are:

Respiratory - upper and lower parts, process of breathing, process of gas exchange
Circulatory - heart, vessels, blood; process of circulation; gas exchange; types of vessels; components of blood
Digestion - movement through alimentary canal; process of digestion; various digestive substances; elimination of waste
Urinary - function of the kidneys; elimination of waste
Skeletal - categories of bones; scientific and informal names of bones; four functions of bones
Muscular - different types of muscles
Nervous - functions of the brain; role of neurons and neural pathways
Reproduction - male and female parts; process of puberty; body changes; fertilization; gestation and birth; genetics

Solid Earth

Earth is made up of different structures that are formed through various processes deep beneath the surface of Earth. The Solid Earth unit focuses on these structures and how changes affect those structures.

In this unit, students will:

Define minerals, identify properties of minerals, and use mineral properties to identify minerals themselves.
Define rocks, identify properties of rocks, and learn how to classify rocks into three categories: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic.
Learn the rock cycle.
Understand various layers of Earth.
Learn how fossils are formed.
Know how various features of Earth's surface are formed and how/why earthquakes occur.
Understand how Earth's surface changes.

Mixtures and Solutions

Chemistry is the study of the structure of matter and the changes or transformations that take place in it. Learning about the makeup of substances gives us knowledge about how things go together and how they can be taken apart. Learning about changes in substances is important for several reasons: changes can be controlled to produce new materials; changes can be used to give off energy to run machines. The Mixtures and Solutions unit has four investigations that introduce students to these fundamental ideas in chemistry. In this unit, students will:

Gain experience with the concepts of mixture and solution.
Gain experience with the concepts of concentration and saturation.
Gain experience with the concept of chemical reaction.
Apply an operational definition to determine the relative concentrations of solutions.
Use measurement in the context of scientific investigations.
Be introduced to the concept that all matter is made of very small particles called atoms and that atoms combine to form molecules.

Spaceship Earth

This unit covers the basics of planet Earth and the different effects of Earth's position in the solar system on daily life. In this unit, students will:

Understand and explain how Earth's rotation causes the day-night cycle and why this occurs.
Students will cite evidence of Earth's rotation (sunrise, sunset, movement of shadows, star trails, etc.
Understand and explain how Earth's revolution around the sun causes seasons and different positions of stars/constellation, and why this occurs.
Understand how the Earth's tilt affects seasonal and climate changes.
Understand and explain gravity and its effect on life on Earth.
Understand the role of the sun and its effect on life on Earth.
Understand that the sun is a star and explain the different types of stars and the star life cycle.
Understand the moon's orbit and its effect on life on earth.
Explain the different types of planets and give examples of each.

Page updated

Report abuse