Grade Five Science

Earth and space sciences are investigated in more detail in grade five.  Earth's characteristics, resources and location in the Solar System are identified and those implications explored.  Students also learn about the interrelationship of organisms and ecosystems and simple food chains and food webs. Energy and energy transfer through an electrical current are addressed.  Fifth graders describe and illustrate the design process and describe the positive and negative impacts of human activity and technology on the environment.   Students observe, measure, and collect data when conducting a scientific investigation; students use this information to formulate inferences and conclusions; and students develop skills to communicate the results.

Grade Five Indicators

Earth and Space Sciences

The Universe        

1.   Describe how night and day are caused by Earth’s rotation.

LINK: http://vortex.plymouth.edu/sun/sun1.html (Here Comes the Sun)

2.      Explain that Earth is one of several planets to orbit the Sun, and that the Moon orbits Earth.

LINK: http://seds.lpl.arizona.edu/nineplanets/nineplanets/nineplanets.html (The Nine Planets)

LINK: http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/planets/planets.htm (The Planets)

3.      Describe the characteristics of Earth and its orbit about the Sun (e.g., three-fourths of Earth’s surface covered by a layer of water [some of it frozen], the entire planet surrounded by a thin blanket of air, elliptical orbit, tilted axis, spherical planet).

LINK: http://www.learninghaven.com/science/articles/earth's_orbit.htm (Learning Haven)

4.      Explain that stars are like the Sun, some being smaller and some larger, but so far away that they look like points of light.

LINK: http://www.astro.wisc.edu/~dolan/constellations/ (The Constellations and Their Stars)

LINK: http://imagine.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/science/know_l2/stars.html (Imagine the Universe)

Earth Systems        

5.   Explain how the supply of many non-renewable resources is limited and  can be extended through reducing, reusing and recycling but cannot be extended indefinitely.

LINK: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/whatsenergy.html (Energy Information Administration)

6.      Investigate ways Earth’s renewable resources (e.g., fresh water, air, wildlife and trees) can be maintained.

LINK: http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/whatsenergy.html (Energy Information Administration)

Life Sciences

Diversity and Interdependence of  Life     

1.   Describe the role of producers in the transfer of energy entering ecosystems as sunlight to chemical energy through photosynthesis.

LINK: http://www.planetpals.com/foodchain.html (Planet Pals)

2.      2. Explain how almost all kinds of animals’ food can be traced back to plants.  (e.g. Food Pyramid)

LINK: http://www.planetpals.com/foodchain.html (Planet Pals)

3.      Trace the organization of simple food chains and food webs (e.g., producers, herbivores, carnivores, omnivores and decomposers).

LINK: http://www.planetpals.com/foodchain.html (Planet Pals)

LINK: http://www.cas.psu.edu/DOCS/WEBCOURSE/WETLAND/WET1/main.html (Food Chains)

4.      Summarize that organisms can survive only in ecosystems in which their needs can be met (e.g., food, water, shelter, air, carrying capacity and waste disposal).  The world has different ecosystems and distinct ecosystems support the lives of different types of organisms.

LINK: http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/browse_topics/index.cfm (EcoKids)

5.      Support how an organism’s patterns of behavior are related to the nature of that organism’s ecosystem, including the kinds and numbers of other organisms present, the availability of food and resources, and the changing physical characteristics of the ecosystem.

LINK: http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/browse_topics/index.cfm (EcoKids)

6.      Analyze how all organisms, including humans, cause changes in their ecosystems and how these changes can be beneficial, neutral or detrimental (e.g., beaver ponds, earthworm burrows, grasshoppers eating plants, people planting and cutting trees, and people introducing a new species).

a.  Analyze the impact of human activity on the ecosystems of the earth (logging, mining, commercial fishing, reforestation, fire suppression, farming).

LINK: http://www.ecokidsonline.com/pub/eco_info/browse_topics/index.cfm (EcoKids)

7.      Recognize the five kingdoms of living things.

LINK: http://curie.uncg.edu/~esmith/kingdom.html

LINK: http://waynesword.palomar.edu/trfeb98.htm (Wayne’s Word)

8.      Explore and describe classification systems.

LINK: http://vilenski.org/science/safari/animals/other/classify_animals.html (Life Science Connections)

LINK: http://sln.fi.edu/tfi/units/life/classify/classify.html (The Franklin Institute)

LINK: http://anthro.palomar.edu/animal/default.htm (Palomar)

Physical Sciences

Nature of Energy        

1.   Define temperature as the measure of thermal energy and describe the way it is measured.

2.      Trace how thermal energy can transfer from one object to another by conduction.

3.      Describe that electrical current in a circuit can produce thermal energy, light, sound and/or magnetic forces.

4.      Trace how electrical current travels by creating a simple electric circuit that will light a bulb.

LINK: http://www.galaxy.net/~k12/electric/index.shtml (Galaxy)

5.      Explore and summarize observations of the transmission, bending (refraction) and reflection of light.

LINK: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~vmck/reflect1.htm (Reflection of Light Simulation)

LINK: http://www.alphalink.com.au/~vmck/refract1.htm (Refraction of Light Simulation)

6.      Describe and summarize observations of the transmission, reflection, and absorption of sound.

LINK: http://www.newman.ac.uk/~k.james.smith/index.html (Investigate Sound)

7.      Describe that changing the rate of vibration can vary the pitch of a sound.

a.  Recognize the basic laws of motion.

b.  Define potential and kinetic energy.

c.  Predict the influence of the motion of some objects on other objects.

d.  Define inertia.

e.  Identify the various elements of motion:  speed, force, friction, and inertia.

f.  Provide examples of transformation and conservation of energy in simple physical systems.

g.  Identify the various elements of motion: speed, force, friction, and inertia.

h.  Provide examples of transformation and conservation of energy in simple physical systems.

Science and Technology

Understanding Technology       

1.   Investigate positive and negative impacts of human activity and technology on the environment.

Abilities To Do  Technological Design      

2.  Revise an existing design used to solve a problem based on peer review.

3.  Explain how the solution to one problem may create other problems.

Scientific Inquiry

Doing Scientific  Inquiry       

1.   Select and safely use the appropriate tools to collect data when conducting investigations and communicating findings to others (e.g., thermometers, timers, balances, spring scales, magnifiers, microscopes and other appropriate tools).

2.   Evaluate observations and measurements made by other people and identify       reasons for any discrepancies.

3.      Use evidence and observations to explain and communicate the results of investigations.

4.      Identify one or two variables in a simple experiment.

5.      Identify potential hazards and/or precautions involved in an investigation.

6.      Explain why results of an experiment are sometimes different (e.g., because of unexpected differences in what is being investigated, unrealized differences in the methods used or in the circumstances in which the investigation was carried out, and because of errors in observations).

Scientific Ways of Knowing

Nature of Science        

1.   Summarize how conclusions and ideas change as new knowledge is gained.

2.      Develop descriptions, explanations and models using evidence to defend/support findings.

3.      Explain why an experiment must be repeated by different people or at different times or places and yield consistent results before the results are accepted.

4.      Identify how scientists use different kinds of ongoing investigations depending on the questions they are trying to answer (e.g., observations of things or events in nature, data collection, controlled experiments).

Ethical Practices        5.   5.    Keep records of investigations and observations that are understandable weeks or months later.

Science and Society        

6.   Identify a variety of scientific and technological work that people of all ages, backgrounds and groups perform.    

Grades 3-5 Science Benchmarks

By the end of the 3-5 program, the learner will:

Earth and Space Sciences

A.   Explain the characteristics, cycles and patterns involving Earth and its place in the Solar System.

B.    Summarize the processes that shape Earth’s surface and describe evidence of those processes.

C.   Describe Earth’s resources including rocks, soil, water, air, animals and plants and the ways in which they can be conserved.

D.  Analyze weather and changes that occur over a period of time.

Life Sciences

A.    Differentiate between the life cycles of different plants and animals.

B.     Analyze plant and animal structures and functions needed for survival and describe the flow of energy through a system that all organisms use to survive.

C.    Compare changes in an organism’s ecosystem/habitat that affect its survival.

Physical Sciences

A.    Compare the characteristics of simple physical and chemical changes.

B.     Identify and describe the physical properties of matter in its various states.

C.    Describe the forces that directly affect objects and their motion.

D.    Summarize the way changes in temperature can be produced and thermal energy transferred.

E.     Trace how electrical energy flows through a simple electrical circuit and describe how the electrical energy can produce thermal energy, light, sound and magnetic forces.

F.     Describe the properties of light and sound energy.

Science and Technology

A.    Describe how technology affects human life.

B.  Describe and illustrate the design process.

Scientific Inquiry

A.    Use appropriate instruments safely to observe, measure and collect data when conducting a scientific investigation.

B.     Organize and evaluate observations, measurements and other data to formulate inferences and conclusions.

C.    Develop, design and safely conduct scientific investigations and communicate the results.

Scientific Ways of Knowing

A.    Distinguish between fact and opinion and explain how ideas and conclusions change as new knowledge is gained.

B.     Describe different types of investigations and use results and data from investigations to provide the evidence to support explanations and conclusions.

C.    Explain the importance of keeping records of observations and investigations that are accurate and understandable.

D.    Explain that men and women of diverse countries and cultures participate in careers in all fields of science.