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 move onto exploring the systems and different spheres of the Earth that allow life to thrive here in our Earth Systems Unit.  In this unit we look at most of these systems through a familiar lens - the flooding of the Sauquoit Creek.  This allows students to take what they learned and apply it to a real life situation they are familiar with and one that affects their community.   

Lastly we 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. 

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.