Fifth Grade Science
Unit 1: EARTH AND SPACE
Topic: Cycles and Patterns in the Solar System
Time Frame: September-October
Content Statements
Review of Scientific Method
(August)
The solar system includes the sun and all
celestial bodies that orbit the sun. Each
planet in the solar system has unique
characteristics.

The distance from the sun, size,
composition and movement of each
planet are unique. Planets revolve
around the sun in elliptical orbits. Some
of the planets have moons and/or debris
that orbit them. Comets, asteroids and
meteoroids orbit the sun.
Student Expectations
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Recognize that there are eight
major planets in the solar system
and they all orbit the sun.
Compare and contrast these
planets.
Recognize that other celestial
bodies also orbit the sun. These
can include dwarf planets,
comets, asteroids, meteoroids
and comets.
Identify a telescope as a tool that
can be used to magnify the
appearance of objects in the solar
system.
Instructional Strategies

Choose a planet (other than Earth) and research and
develop a plan to colonize the planet with humans.
Evaluate current conditions and what would be needed to
meet the basic requirements for humans to live on Mars.
Make a final recommendation based on the research.
Present to class.

Choose a major planet. Plan and build a scaled model
that can demonstrate the planet size and rotation orbit in
relationship to the sun and the Earth. Conduct the
demonstration and explanation in class.

Make a table, chart or graphic that interprets the
general characteristics of the major planets in the solar
system. Use real data to compare and contrast the
findings.

Research the history of the exploration of the solar
system or a recent space discovery. Make a timeline or
write a report to interpret and clarify the major events, the
tools and technology used, and the discoveries made.
Share findings with class.

The sun is one of many stars that exist in
the universe

The sun appears to be the largest star in
the sky because it is the closest star to
Earth. Some stars are larger than the sun
and some stars are smaller than the sun
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Differentiate between the sun
and red dwarf or blue giant star.
Make a table or chart to
represent the comparison.
Identify the sun as a mediumsized star and the only star in the
solar system.
Suggestions from the State
 Research areas on Earth that receive direct
sunlight. Critique different zones of the Earth.
Evaluate data and make a recommendation to
locate a solar energy facility. Share and defend
recommendation with the class.
 Choose a planet (other than Earth) and research
and develop a plan to colonize the planet with

Most of the cycles and patterns of motion
between the Earth and sun are
predictable
Earth’s revolution around the sun takes
approximately 365 day. Rotation -24 hours-this
makes sun, stars and moon appear to change
position. Earth’s axis is titled at an angle of 23.5
degrees. This tilt affects amount of direct sunlight
that Earth receives throughout year.
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Recall that there are many other
stars in the universe and they are
different sizes, but the sun
appears larger because it is closer
to the Earth.
Represent the sun, moon and
Earth and their orbits graphically
and to scale. Use actual data and
measurements for the
representation.
Recognize that the rotation of
Earth on its axis produces day and
night, which is why the sun, stars
and moon appear to change
position in the sky.
humans. Evaluate current conditions and what
would be needed to meet the basic requirements
for humans to live on Mars. Make a final
recommendation based on the research. Present
to class.

Suggestions from the State
 Research areas on Earth that receive direct
sunlight. Critique different zones of the Earth.
Evaluate data and make a recommendation to
locate a solar energy facility. Share and defend
recommendation with the class.
 Using a simple model, investigate the positions of
the sun, moon and Earth to detect and test the
reasons why the moon and sun appear to change
position in the sky and the phases of the moon.,
Science Inquiry and Applications
Science Inquiry and Application
During the years of grades 5-8, all students must use the following scientific processes, with appropriate laboratory safety techniques, to construct their knowledge and
understanding in all science content areas:
 Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations;
 Design and conduct a scientific investigation;
 Use appropriate mathematics, tools and techniques to gather data and information;
 Analyze and interpret data;
 Develop descriptions, models, explanations and predictions;
 Think critically and logically to connect evidence and explanations;
 Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions; and
Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
Unit 2: Life Science
Topic: Interconnections within Ecosystems
Time Frame: November-February
Content Statements
Student Expectations
 Compare the roles of producers, consumers
Organisms perform a variety of roles in an
and decomposers and explain how they
ecosystem
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Populations of organisms can be categorized
by how they acquire energy
Food webs can be used to identify the
relationships among producers, consumers
and decomposers in an ecosystem

work together within an ecosystem
Given a list of organisms and a description
of their interactions within an environment,
classify them as producers, consumers,
decomposers or by type of symbiotic
relationship (was 7 ) (mutualism,
commensalism and parasitism)_
th
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All of the processes that take place
within organisms require energy

For ecosystems, the major source of energy is
sunlight
Energy entering ecosystems as sunlight is
transferred and transformed by producers into
energy that organisms use through the
process of photosynthesis. That energy then
passes from organism to organism as
illustrated in food webs.
In most ecosystems, energy derived from the
sun is transferred and transformed into energy
that organisms use by the process of
photosynthesis in plants and other
photosynthetic organisms.
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Science Inquiry and Applications
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Explain ways that humans can improve the
health of ecosystems (e.g., recycling wastes,
establishing rain gardens, planting native
species)
Given a list of common organisms and a
description of their environmental
interactions, draw a food web using arrows
to illustrate the flow of energy. Properly
identify the producers and consumers.
Instructional Strategies
Suggestions from the State:
 Design and build a self-sustaining
ecosystem (e.g., terrarium, bottle
biology) Consider size of container,
location, light, humidity and
organisms that will support one
another.
 Investigate change in an established
model of an ecosystem over time.
 Design experiments to observe what
happens when on species is changed.
Suggestions from the State:
 Design and build a self-sustaining
ecosystem (e.g., terrarium, bottle
biology) Consider size of container,
location, light, humidity and
organisms that will support one
another.
 Investigate change in an established
model of an ecosystem over time.
Science Inquiry and Application
During the years of grades 5-8, all students must use the following scientific processes, with appropriate laboratory safety techniques, to construct their knowledge and
understanding in all science content areas:
 Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations;
 Design and conduct a scientific investigation;
 Use appropriate mathematics, tools and techniques to gather data and information;
 Analyze and interpret data;
 Develop descriptions, models, explanations and predictions;
 Think critically and logically to connect evidence and explanations;
 Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions; and
 Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.
Unit 3: Physical Science
Topic: Light, Sound and Motion
Time Frame: March-May
Content Statements
The amount of change in
movement of an object is
based on the mass of the
object and the amount of
force exerted

Movement can be measured
by speed

Earth pulls down on all objects
with a gravitational force
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Any change in speed or
direction of an object requires
a force and is affected by the
mass of an object and the
amount of force applied. (was
8 and 9 )
th
th
Light and sound are forms of
energy that behave in
predictable ways
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Light travels and maintains its
direction until it interacts with
an object or moves from one
medium to another and then it
can be reflected, refracted or
absorbed.
Sound is produced by vibrating
Student Expectations
Instructional Strategies
 Recognize that increasing the force acting on an
Suggestions from State:
 Plan and implement a scientific experiment that
determines how the mass of an object (or amount of
force acting on a object) affects how the motion of an
object changes. Analyze the data to determine trends.
Formulate a conclusion. Represent the data graphically.
o Clarify specifically how data will be measured
and how it will be used to determine the speed
of the car.
 Design a system by which police officers could make
observations from an airplane to determine the speed of
a car. Give an example of how the speed could be
calculated from the measurements.
 Compare and rank the relative change in motion for
three objects of different masses that experience the
same force.
object will result in greater changes in motion.
 Recognize that objects with greater mass will
change their motion less than objects with less
mass.
 Predict what will happen to the motion of an
object. Provide the speed and direction of motion
and a force diagram on the object. Explain the
prediction.
 Recall the mathematical relationship between
distance, time and speed.
 Identify what factors must be measured to
determine speed.
 Identify three ways the motion of object can be
changed (e.g., speed up, slow down, change
direction)
 Identify two factors that influence the amount of
change in motion of an object.
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Recognize that the angle that light
approaches a reflective surface
affects the direction in which the
light is reflected.
Recognize that refraction involves
bending of light when passing into a
new medium.
Recognize that longer tubes produce
lower pitches and shorter tubes
Suggestions from State
 Design a mirror system to use when building a periscope.
 Draw a picture of the periscope design and trace the
path of light as it travels from the object to the eye.
 Plan and implement a scientific investigation to
determine the ideal angle to place a reflective surface to
bend light through a right angle.
 Plan and implement a scientific experiment to
investigate what happens when light enters a new
medium
 Pictorially represent the path light takes when traveling
objects and requires a medium
through which to travel. The
rate of vibration is related to
the pitch of the sound.
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produce higher pitches
Draw a picture of a pencil halfsubmerged in water. Trace the path
of light as it travels from a
submerged part of the pencil to the
eye. Use this picture to explain why
the pencil appears to be bent or
broken when placed in water.
Recall that increasing the rate of
vibration can increase the pitch of a
sound
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from one medium to another
Design two different musical instruments, one using
blowing and one using plucking that can create the
same three notes.
Plan and implement a scientific investigation to
investigate how the length of PVC tubing affects the
pitch of the sound. Summarize the data in a way the is
clear and easy to understand.
Science Inquiry and Applications
Science Inquiry and Application
During the years of grades 5-8, all students must use the following scientific processes, with appropriate laboratory safety techniques, to construct their knowledge and
understanding in all science content areas:
 Identify questions that can be answered through scientific investigations;
 Design and conduct a scientific investigation;
 Use appropriate mathematics, tools and techniques to gather data and information;
 Analyze and interpret data;
 Develop descriptions, models, explanations and predictions;
 Think critically and logically to connect evidence and explanations;
 Recognize and analyze alternative explanations and predictions; and
 Communicate scientific procedures and explanations.