ST. AGATHA SCHOOL
GRADE 5 SCIENCE CURRICULUM

Purpose

In Grade 5, we will continue to expand the concepts of the human body and healthy living, how ecosystems change over time, the changing earth and its valuable resources, the characteristics of living things and how they are classified, and the investigation of matter, motion, and forms of energy.

Science Skills

The students will:

• Ask questions that can be answered by scientific investigations.
• Design and conduct investigations.
• Use appropriate tools and methods to gather, analyze and interpret data.
• Use data to develop descriptions, suggest explanations and make predictions.
• Use logic to make relationships between data and explanations.
• Communicate procedures and explanations.
• Use math to analyze data and construct explanations.
• Take the concepts learned, and understand and apply them to the world around them.

Earth and Space Science

The students will:

• Explore and discuss the formation of rocks and soil.
• Explore and discuss the changing earth and physical and chemical weathering.
• Discuss layers and movement of Earth’s layers.
• Understand the value of the earth’s resources.
• Explore types of pollution, conservation and reclamation.
• Discuss and document weather and climate, the water cycle and the Greenhouse Effect.

Life Science

The students will:

• Explore and discuss the human body including: respiration, the role of oxygen in the body, the roles of the different body systems, diseases, and the importance of healthy living.
• Compare and classify living things.
• Discuss animal and plant kingdoms.
• Explore animal and plant cells.
• Discuss the structures of plants, and explain the behaviors of plants such as how they grow.
• Explore adaptations for land and water.
• Explore and discuss ecosystems.
• Discuss how energy moves through ecosystems.
• Discuss how ecosystems change over time (primary and secondary succession).

Physical Science

The students will:

• Explore and understand the importance of classifying matter.
• Discuss mixtures and solutions.
• Investigate chemical changes.
• Investigate and learn to measure motion.
• Discuss gravity and friction.
• Discuss electricity and circuits.
• Discuss magnetic energy and electromagnets.
• Discuss the productions of sound energy including the rate of vibration to the pitch of the sound.
• Discuss light energy.

Assessments

• Teacher generated tests and quizzes
• Book generated tests and quizzes
• Art projects
• Oral reports
• Science fair projects
• Science and math across the curriculum
• Standardized testing
• End of the year test

Materials Used

• Science: Scott Foresman Copyright 2000 Textbook
• Lab workbook
• Reading support workbook
• Teacher generated worksheets
• Class discussions
• Teacher presentations
• Lab kits
• Numerous teacher resource books
• Hands on science materials
• Review games such as Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune
• Reinforcement videos such as “The Magic School Bus” series