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Classroom » Curriculum Standards
Science — Grade 5
Goal 1: The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.
Objective 1.01. Describe and compare several common ecosystems (communities of organisms and their interaction with the environment).
Additional related resources
We’re in the process of aligning our content for students to the Standard Course of Study. As we do, you’ll find it here.
General resources
- Find additional resources for teaching Science — Grade 5.
Aligned lesson plans
- Habitat photo album
- Students will use digital cameras and explore the outdoors searching ecosystems for opportunities to take pictures of different habitats and the components that go into them.
- Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Information Skills and Science)
- By Colleen Buchauer and Lesley Brooks.
- Ecosystem problem solving
- Students will apply their knowledge of ecosystems and the interdependence of plants and animals to creatively solve problems.
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- By Kelley Turner.
Resources on the web
- What's so key about a keystone species?
- In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about tiger sharks through Web sites such as National Geographic's "Filming Tiger Sharks" site. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- What's happening to the emperor penguins?
- In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students learn about emperor penguins' habitat and behaviors through Web sites such as National Geographic's "Creature Feature." (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- The water column: Where do ocean animals belong?
- In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about three broad ocean habitats-the intertidal zone, the open ocean, and the abyss-and find out about some specific adaptations animals have made in each of these regions. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- Using photography to help save the oceans
- Students will learn about the importance of ocean conservation and how photography can help humans understand the impact they are having on the oceans. They will choose one endangered animal to study in depth. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- Teaching science through picture books: A rainforest lesson
- In this lesson from ReadWriteThink, a study of the tropical rainforest is introduced through the picture book Welcome to the Green House by Jane Yolen. This science lesson, which incorporates reading, writing, and technology, is a template... (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 English Language Arts and Science)
- Provided by: ReadWriteThink
- Social trade-offs
- The purpose of this lesson, from Science NetLinks, is to make and evaluate decisions by weighing the benefits and drawbacks of each alternative. In the lesson, students practice the skill of decision-making through role-playing. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Science)
- Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
- The significance of private forests in the U. S.
- The significance of Private Forests in the U.S. has students study the history of private forests and the values these lands have to the United States . Students will also examine family forests in America , and take a closer look at the challenges facing... (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5–7 Science and Social Studies)
- Provided by: The Forest History Society
- Prairie-chicken pageant
- Students will study the habits of prairie-chickens and learn about what is being done to save them and to conserve the areas in which they live. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- Pond life
- The purpose of this lesson is to investigate familiar and unfamiliar ecosystems using Internet resources; to explore how various organisms satisfy their needs within their environments; to study the kinds of relationships that exist between organisms within... (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
- Provided by: Science Netlinks
- Poison ivy
- This lesson focuses on plant defense mechanisms, helping students gain a greater understanding of poison ivy's chemical defenses. (Learn more)
- Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 3 and 5 Science)
- Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
- People and African animals
- In this Xpeditions lesson, students explore the ways that human activities impact African animals and their habitats. Activities in this lesson engage students in online learning, whole class discussion, and creation of an artistic project. Students... (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
- Provided by: Xpeditions
- Paperbag paleontology
- Cornell Paleontologist John Chiment enlists the aid of younger school children in sorting through materials collected at a dig site and, in the process, demonstrates that anyone can “do science.” (Learn more)
- Format: activity/lesson plan (grade K–5 Science)
- Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
- The ocean and human medicine
- In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about two species of marine animal--Bugula neritina and the horseshoe crab and their medical benefits. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- Life in a drop of pond water
- In this Science NetLinks lesson, the second in a two-part series on microorganisms, students observe microscopic organisms found in pond water using a hand lens, 30x magnification, and 100x magnification. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Leopard seals and penguins: A delicate balance
- In this lesson from Xpeditions, students consider the factors that could contribute to the disruption of the delicate balance between leopard seals and penguins in the Antarctic. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
- Killer windows
- In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about a study of migratory bird deaths conducted by Field Museum scientists. (Learn more)
- Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
- Introducing biodiversity
- In this Science NetLinks lesson, students use online resources to identify the basic components necessary for biodiversity and the critical and countless benefits of habitats, as well as the serious present and future threats to their ongoing existence. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 3–5 Science)
- Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
- The geography of ascent
- Students will explore what it would be like to climb one of the Seven Summits, the highest mountains on each continent. They will become familiar with the world's biomes and learn that biomes change not only with latitude but also with elevation. (Learn more)
- Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
- Provided by: National Geographic
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