Grade Five

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Introduction

The fifth grade is the beginning of a student’s middle school years. The curriculum for Grade 5 is designed as a foundation of knowledge and skills that students will build upon in each successive grade. Likewise, within grade 5 each unit builds upon skills and knowledge from the previous units. The Variables unit lays the groundwork for all subsequent projects that students will do from grades 5-8 and gives students an understanding of one of the ways that scientists work. The units on Mixtures and Solutions and Food and Nutrition introduce concepts that will be critical to understanding more complex ideas in the later grades. 

VARIABLES-

The Variables module introduces students to the concept of a variable. Students identify variables, control variables, and conduct controlled experiments using a variety of multi-variable systems: pendulums, airplanes, boats, and catapults.

MIXTURES AND SOLUTIONS-
The Mixtures and Solutions module introduces students to basic chemistry concepts. They experience mixture, solution, concentration, saturation, evaporation, and chemical reaction.

FOOD AND NUTRITION-

The Food and Nutrition module provides students with the means for testing foods for acid content, Vitamin C content, fat content, and sugar content. Following these activities, they use their knowledge and nutritional information from product ingredients to plan and evaluate lunch menus.

MST Standards:
Living Environment
Key Idea 5: Organisms maintain a dynamic equilibrium that sustains life.
Physical Setting
Key Idea 3: Matter is made up of particles whose properties determine the observable characteristics of matter and its reactivity.

NYC Science Performance Standards:  
The student produces evidence that demonstrates understanding of:  
S1a. Properties and changes of properties in matter, such as density and boiling point; chemical reactivity; conservation of matter.
S4c. Health, such as nutrition, exercise, and disease; effects of drugs and toxic substances; personal and environmental safety; and resources and environmental stress.

Performance Indicators:  
Living Environment
Fifth grade students will be able to:  
5.2: Describe the importance of major nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in maintaining health and promoting growth and explain the need for a constant input of energy for living organisms.
Physical Setting
 Fifth grade students will be able to:  
3.1: Observe and describe properties of materials such as density, conductivity, and solubility.
3.2: Distinguish between physical and chemical changes.

CORE OBJECTIVES

CONTROLLED EXPERIMENT PROJECT- 

In a controlled experiment, students will propose and test their own explanations of common phenomena. Projects should be integrated into your instructional planning and the other core objectives. See Appendix A for more details. In a controlled experiment students will:

  1. Formulate questions independently in a search for explanations of everyday observations.

  2. Identify appropriate references to investigate a question.

  3. Refine and clarify questions so that they are subject to a controlled experiment.

  4. Formulate a hypothesis.

  5. Identify independent variables, dependent variables, and constants, and design a procedure.

  6. Carry out procedure.

  7. Make observations and collect quantitative/qualitative data.

  8. Organize results using appropriate graphs, diagrams, and data tables to show relationships.

  9. Interpret the organized data to answer the question.

  10. Present findings in a written and an oral report.  

VARIABLES-

This unit is an in-depth exploration of science process skills contained in Standard 1 of the New York State Core Curriculum (See Appendix C). This unit is specifically matched with the controlled experiment project requirement. Students should perform a simple controlled experiment of their own design as a culminating activity for this unit. Teachers will need to introduce the terms independent variable, dependent variable, and hypothesis. At least one other more formal controlled experiment project should be done as part of the Mixtures and Solution unit or the Food and Nutrition unit. A science project is the perfect way to integrate math, science, communication arts, and social studies standards.

MIXTURES AND SOLUTIONS-

*Review the concept of solids and liquids learned in grade 2. This unit introduces the concept of a gas. You may also introduce simple chemical formulas such as H2O (water), CO2 (carbon dioxide), & NaCl (table salt).

  1. Substances have characteristic properties. Some of these properties include color, odor, phase at room temperature, and solubility. Metric rulers, balances, graduated cylinders, and spring scales can be used to measure many of these properties.

  2. Solubility can be affected by the nature of the solute and solvent, temperature, and pressure. The rate of a solution can be affected by the size of the particles, stirring, temperature, and the amount of the solute already dissolved.

  3. Characteristic properties can be used to separate a mixture of substances into its component parts. For example, iron can be removed from a mixture by means of a magnet. An insoluble substance can be separated from a soluble substance by means of such processes as filtration, settling, and evaporation.

  4. Mixtures are physical combinations of materials and can be separated by physical means.
    *The FOSS unit “Mixtures and Solutions” introduces the idea of a chemical change. The unit does not mention the term physical change. It makes more sense, however, to teach these ideas side-by-side. You only need to introduce these concepts, which students will learn in greater depth in grade 8.

  5. During a physical change a substance keeps its properties. Examples of physical changes include freezing, melting, condensation, evaporation, tearing, and crushing.
    *When you mix various combinations of calcium carbonate, baking soda, citric acid, and water, chemical changes may result. Focus on the fact that observable changes occur and new materials (CO2 gas, solid precipitate) are formed that did not exist before the substances were combined.

  6. During a chemical change (chemical reaction), new substances are formed that have different properties than the original substances. Examples include burning paper, rusting iron, cooking an egg, souring of milk.

FOOD AND NUTRITION-

  1. Food provides nutrients that serve as fuel and building material for all organisms. All living things, including plants, must release energy from their food, using it to carry out their life processes.

  2. Food contains a variety of substances, which include carbohydrates, fats, vitamins, proteins, minerals, and water. Each substance is vital to the survival of the organism. Indicators can be used to determine the presence of some substances in food, e.g., acids, sugars, etc.

  3. Metabolism is the sum of all the chemical reactions in an organism. Metabolism can be influenced by hormones, exercise, diet, and aging.

  4. Energy in foods is measured in Calories. The total caloric value of each type of food varies. The number of Calories a person requires varies from person to person.

  5. In order to maintain a balanced state, all organisms have a minimum daily intake of each type of nutrient based on species, size, age, sex, activity, etc. An imbalance of the nutrients may result in weight gain, weight loss, or a diseased state.

  6. Some dietary habits may interfere with one’s dynamic equilibrium. The effects of some of these habits are immediate; others may not be apparent for years. 

 TEACHER RESOURCES

ACTIVITY-BASED UNITS- 

NYC RESOURCES-

INTERNET RESOURCES-

Go to the Links page. 

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