Quarter 1:
Teacher Checklist
Fifth Grade – Science
First Quarter
Life Science
Criteria / Performance Indicators
1
2 3 4
S5L1 Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with
how and why scientists use classification.
a. Demonstrate how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how
vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal).
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Define vertebrate and invertebrate

Sort animals into vertebrates and invertebrates

Evaluate similarities and differences of animals to group them

Determine criteria of vertebrate groups of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds,
or mammals
Sort vertebrates into fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, or mammals

b. Demonstrate how plants are sorted into groups
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Identify the two main groups of plants

Explain differences between the groups of plants

Demonstrate how plants are sorted into groups
S5L2 Students will recognize that offspring can resemble parents in inherited traits and learned
behaviors.
a. Compare and contrast the characteristics of learned behaviors and of inherited traits.
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Define trait

Explain the difference between a learned behavior and an inherited trait
b. Discuss what a gene is and the role genes play in the transfer of traits.
Teacher note: Be sensitive to this topic since biological parents may be unavailable.
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Define gene

Understand that physical traits are inherited from parents

Understand that genes contain hereditary information which is passed
from parent to offspring
Understand that each parent contributes and equal amount of
hereditary information to the offspring

Credit for Templates:
From Standards to Rubrics in 6 Steps: Tools for Assessing Student Learning, K-8
Written by Kay Burke and published by Corwin Press http://www.corwinpress.com
Troup County Schools 2014
Teacher Checklist Science
1st Quarter
1
Explain how traits of an organism can be predicted by knowing the traits
of the parent
S5L3 Students will diagram and label parts of various cells (plant, animal, single celled, multicelled).
a. Use magnifiers such as microscopes or hand lenses to observe cells and their structure.
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Understand that many cells cannot be seen with the naked eye


Use microscopes or hand lenses to observe cells

Observe the structure of different cells

Use a microscope to observe, illustrate, and label a plant and animal cell
b. Identify parts of a plant cell (membrane, wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplasts) and of an
animal cell (membrane, cytoplasm, and nucleus) and determine the function of the parts.
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Understand that animal and plant cells are structured differently

Compare/contrast the parts of plant/animal cells

Label the membrane, wall, cytoplasm, nucleus, and chloroplasts of a
plant cell
Label the organelles of an animal cell (membrane, cytoplasm, and
nucleus)
Summarize the function of the parts of a plant cell (membrane, wall,
cytoplasm, nucleus, chloroplasts)
Summarize the function of the parts of an animal cell (membrane,
cytoplasm, and nucleus)
Explain the role and function of cells as the basis for all living things
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
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c. Explain how cells in multi-celled organisms are similar and different in structure and function to
single-celled organisms.
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Understand that organisms can be single-celled or multi-celled
Compare/contrast the structure of single-celled and multi-celled
organisms
 Compare/contrast the function of single-celled and multi-celled
organisms
S5L4 Students will relate how microorganisms benefit or harm larger organisms.
a. Identify beneficial organisms and explain why they are beneficial
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Define microorganism


Identify beneficial organisms

Explain how microorganisms can be beneficial
Credit for Templates:
From Standards to Rubrics in 6 Steps: Tools for Assessing Student Learning, K-8
Written by Kay Burke and published by Corwin Press http://www.corwinpress.com
Troup County Schools 2014
Teacher Checklist Science
1st Quarter
2
b. Identify harmful organisms and explain why the are harmful
Prior Learning: This is new learning.
 Identify harmful organisms

Explain how microorganisms can be harmful

Explain how harmful microorganisms can be controlled
Remember to teach the standard until you have dispelled common
misconceptions.
Misconceptions for L1:
MISCONCEPTIONS:
1. Insects are not animals.
PROPER CONCEPTIONS:
1. Insects are part of the animal kingdom
2. All animals in the aquatic (water)
environment are classified as fish.
2. There are aquatic animals that are
classified as mammals, invertebrates, etc.
3. Amphibians and reptiles are part of the
same group.
3. Amphibians and reptiles are grouped
separately because of their characteristics.
Amphibian’s eggs do not have a hard shell
like reptile eggs. Amphibians have thin skin
that has evolved to absorb water through
their skin whereas retiles have a thick, scaly,
dry skin to keep moisture in. Amphibians start
out in the water then move to land. Most
reptiles live all their life on land. Because of
their characteristics, sea turtles are reptiles
not fish or amphibians.
4. Toads and frogs are the same.
4. Warts are caused by human viruses not
from the skin of a frog or a toad.
5. Snakes are not vertebrates.
5. Snakes skeletal structure is composed of
hundreds of vertebrae with a pair of ribs to
go along with each.
6. Human beings are not animals.
6. Human beings are classified as mammals
which are part of the animal kingdom.
7. Mushrooms are plants.
7. Mushrooms are not autotrophs (they do
not make their own food) therefore they are
not part of the plant kingdom.
8. Grass is not a plant.
8. Grass has all of the characteristics of a
plant therefore it is grouped in the plant
kingdom.
Credit for Templates:
From Standards to Rubrics in 6 Steps: Tools for Assessing Student Learning, K-8
Written by Kay Burke and published by Corwin Press http://www.corwinpress.com
Troup County Schools 2014
Teacher Checklist Science
1st Quarter
3
Misconceptions for L2:
MISCONCEPTIONS:
1. Girls get more hereditary information from
mom and boys from their dad.
PROPER CONCEPTIONS:
1. Offspring receive the same amount of
hereditary information from each parent.
2. Personality comes from what you inherit
from your parents.
2. Personality is shaped both by inherited
traits and from your environment.
3. I am the way I am because I inherited all
of my characteristics and behaviors from my
parents.
3. Many characteristics are inherited, but
certain behaviors are learned.
Misconceptions for L3:
MISCONCEPTIONS:
1. Cells are too small and numerous to
observe.
PROPER CONCEPTIONS:
1. Many cells such as onion skin cells and
cheek cells can be viewed with
magnification.
2. Organisms contain cells, such as blood
cells.
2. Organisms are mostly made up of cells
that work together.
3. Cells are too small and numerous to
observe.
3. Many cells such as onion skin cells and
cheek cells can be viewed with
magnification.
Misconceptions for L3:
MISCONCEPTIONS:
1. Microorganisms are non-living.
PROPER CONCEPTIONS:
1. A microorganism is a living single-celled
organism of microscopic size.
2. All microorganisms are harmful.
2. Some microorganisms are harmful, but
some are beneficial. Decomposers are
microorganisms. Many microorganisms are
used in the food-making processes and aid
in human digestion.
3. Bacteria and viruses are the same.
3. Bacteria are the simplest living group of
organisms and inhabit practically all
environments. Viruses are generally
regarded as non living and therefore are
not microbes.
4. Different diseases are caused by the
same germs.
4. Different diseases are caused by different
microorganisms. There are four major types
of germs: bacteria, viruses, fungi, and
protozoa.
Credit for Templates:
From Standards to Rubrics in 6 Steps: Tools for Assessing Student Learning, K-8
Written by Kay Burke and published by Corwin Press http://www.corwinpress.com
Troup County Schools 2014
Teacher Checklist Science
1st Quarter
4