Standard Course of Study :: Science — Grade 5

LEARN NC

K–12 teaching and learning · from the UNC School of Education

Goal 1

The learner will conduct investigations to build an understanding of the interdependence of plants and animals.

Objective 1.02

Identify and analyze the functions of organisms within the population of the ecosystem:

  • Producers.
  • Consumers.
  • Decomposers.

Resources aligned to this objective

Clarification Writing-What Could I Add to the NC Zoo
Students will apply their knowledge of clarification writing and address "What Animal or Plant Would You Add to the NC Zoo." Students must research their plant or animal to determine if the zoo ecosystem could support the species. In addition, the student must provide reasons and explanations to support their choice. This is a follow-up activity to a unit of study on ecosystems/biomes.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Science)
By Connie Johnson.
Decomposition
Students will observe decomposition in a pile of grass clippings and in a compost heap over time.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
By Monica Dubbs.
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 English Language Arts and Science)
By Kelley Turner.
Exploring the Everglades
After reading the book, Everglades, by Jean Craighead George, students will apply basic Internet navigation and computer skills to complete a scavenger hunt about the Everglades. As a culmination activity, students will use a word processing program to type a paragraph detailing what they have learned about the Everglades.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Information Skills, English Language Arts, Social Studies, Computer Technology Skills, and Science)
By Debbie Fox.
Tree-ring dating
In their study of dendrochronology, students use activity sheets and a discussion to apply principles of dendrochronology to determine a tree's age and to recognize climatic variation. They will also analyze and experience how archaeologists can sometimes use tree rings to date archaeological evidence and study past climates.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts, Mathematics, and Science)

Lesson plans on the web

Animal adaptations
Students participate in classroom discussions about animals. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 English Language Arts and Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Antarctica: A cold desert ecosystem
Students will construct a rough map of Antarctic ecosystems and explore relationships among the creatures that populate them. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
Bird beaks
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students explore the relationship between a bird's beak and its ability to find food and survive in a given environment. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Cicada emergence
In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, biologist Keith Clay explains how periodical cicadas know when to emerge. (Learn more)
Format: activity (grade 5 Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Crane Cam: Conservation and community
In this Xpeditions lesson, students examine the intended and unintended consequences of human environmental intervention. They study crane activity in the Platte River Valley and research the effects of human intervention on bird populations. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
Design a regional "eco park"
In this Xpeditions lesson, students use the Internet to find out about the plants and animals that live in their local area. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science and Social Studies)
Provider: National Geographic
Eco-Cycle: Finding the parts of an ecosystem
This lesson from Xpeditions uses the Eco-Cycle Station in National Geographic's Xpedition Hall to introduce students to ecosystems in Hawaii, as well as the plants and animals that make up the ecosystems. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
If a tree falls in the forest...
Students will explore the role that forests play in their own lives by listing everyday products made from trees. Then students will research and categorize less common products that may be less familiar to them. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provider: National Geographic
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)
Provider: 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)
Provider: National Geographic
Owls: Top of a food chain
This lesson will serve as visual proof that owls eat rodents and use this energy to survive. Owls excrete the parts of the rodent that they are unable to digest, leading students to infer that they are recycled in the soil. Using commercial owl pellets, students can try to identify the type of rodent eaten by the owl. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
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 (grade K–5 Science)
Provider: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Pilot whales' place in the ocean
In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students consider why so many whale species can survive within one area of the ocean. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science and English Language Arts)
Provider: National Geographic
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)
Provider: National Geographic
Preservation issues: Competing interests
In this Xpeditions lesson, students learn about National Geographic Emerging Explorer Mark Olson's efforts to identify extinct or nearly extinct plants and consider the issues surrounding conservation efforts in a variety of contexts. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science and English Language Arts)
Provider: National Geographic