5th Grade Science LITHOSPHERE

WEEK OF:  9/28 - 10/2

Welcome to 5th Grade Science!

Teacher:  Rhonda Clark

To all 5th grade students and their families, I want to extend a warm welcome to the Selwyn 5th Grade Science Class.  I have been a  Selwyn educator since 2021, and I have taught many different grade levels and subjects.  Science is one of my favorite subjects to teach, and I am very excited about teaching Earth Science (specifically the Lithosphere) to the incoming 5th graders.  

The Lithosphere is the solid, outer part of  our planet, Earth.  Throughout the year, we will study the 4 layers of the Earth, rocks and minerals, fossils, landforms, plate tectonics, the rock cycle, soils, conservation, and many more Earth Science topics.  It's going to be a great year!

A typical day in our science class will include the following types of activities:

• Activities designed to build science/STEM skills

• Cornell note-taking and/or science journaling 

• Activities for the different phases of the 5E Model (Engage, Explore, Explain, Elaborate, and Evaluate):

  • Engage activities are pre-assessments

  • Explore activities are typically hands-on experiments or observational in nature

  • The Explain phase is the teacher-led portion of the unit.  A variety of books, lectures, videos, and other software usage increases the student's knowledge and understanding of the subject matter.

  • The Elaborate phase is when the students must show what they have learned.  The may do additional experiments, create posters, give presentations, work on group projects, or showcase their knowledge in some other manner.

  • Evaluate activities are the final assessments for the unit of study (tests, written assignments, presentations, etc.)

Throughout the year, you will do more than learn facts. You will think like a scientist by asking questions, observing Earth’s patterns, using evidence, building explanations, and revising your ideas as you learn more. Together, we will explore the Geosphere and discover how rocks, minerals, soil, landforms, and Earth’s changing surface tell the story of our planet. I’m looking forward to a year of discovery, exploration, and figuring out how Earth works!