Welcome to fifth grade science! Science in fifth grade is filled with many exciting topics, projects, and labs.  Our units are Becoming a Scientist,  Chemistry in Our World, The Energy of Life, Earth Systems, and Space Systems. 

The Becoming a Scientist Unit is our first unit.  In this introductory unit students will be introduced to the science and engineering practices they will be using to engage in learning this year, as well as work through the experimental design process. 

Our second unit, and one of my favorites, is Chemistry in Our World.  This is often one of the students' favorite units as there are so many hands on labs as we explore physical and chemical properties, physical and chemical changes,  and how to use those to identify unknown substances.

Our third unit, The Energy of Life focuses on interactions between organisms within food chains, webs, and ecosystems.  We will follow the energy flow through ecosystems from the sun to producers, consumers, and decomposers.  

We then launch into the vastness of space as we explore Earth's place in the solar system in our Space Systems Unit. In this unit we explore the importance of the sun, Earth, moon system in making Earth a habitable planet. 

Lastly we move onto exploring the systems and different spheres of the Earth that allow life to thrive here in our Earth Systems Unit.  This unit allows students a closer look at one of our most  precious resources, freshwater.  Students will explore the reality that usable freshwater resources account for very little of the water on Earth.  They also learn about the distribution of water resources and come to understand that some places do not have access to enough freshwater resources.  Students examine how the different spheres interact to affect life on Earth. 

It will be an amazing year! If you have questions during this time or just want to introduce yourself, please feel free to e-mail me at lsmithling@svcsd.org.