Standard Course of Study :: Science — Grade 5

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

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Aligned lesson plans

Nature's checks and balances: This unit introduces students to several essential understandings. They will learn that plants and animals depend on one another for survival and organisms interact within nature to create a balance. They will also learn that humans can influence and manipulate nature.; Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts and Science); By Nicolette Heise.

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.

Archaeobotany: In Intrigue of the Past, page 2.6; Students will use pictures of seeds, an activity sheet, and a graph to identify seven seeds and the conditions in which they grow. They will also infer ancient plant use by interpreting archaeobotanical samples and determine changing plant use by Native North Carolinians by interpreting a graph of seed frequency over time.; Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 and 8 Science and Social Studies)

Resources on the web

Working to Save Endangered Species: Students view an online presentation about endangered species, then role-play a debate about spotted owl protection from the point of view of lumber workers, environmental activists, and government and scientific interests. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Science); Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Why Are Species Endangered?: This lesson introduces and explores the various issues and problems faced by endangered species globally. Following a webquest-style format, students will research the plight of endangered species; create a poster of a selected animal; and present their poster,... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Science); Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

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

What do we know about nurse shark mating?: In this lesson, from Xpeditions, students use National Geographic articles to learn some basic information about nurse sharks and see photographs of scientists conducting nurse shark studies. (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 4–5 Science); Provided by: National Geographic

What did they eat?: Introduces students to the SuperCroc (Sarcosuchus imperator) and its eating habits. Students will also investigate the eating habits of American alligators and Nile crocodiles, drawing pictures and writing paragraphs explaining the similarities and differences... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 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

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

Red Maple takeover: In this Science Update, from Science NetLinks, students hear about the growing preponderance of Red Maples in forests of the eastern United States. (Learn more); Format: activity/lesson plan (grade 3 and 5 Science); Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

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

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

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,... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science); Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science

Mark Twain's cave: Students will learn about the cave described in Mark Twain's famous novel, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. They will read a passage from the book and learn about how the cave has been used throughout history, using the Internet to learn about the... (Learn more); Format: lesson plan (grade 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

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