LEARN NC

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

Science — Grade 5

Goal 4: The learner will conduct investigations and use appropriate technologies to build an understanding of forces and motion in technological designs.

Objective 4.06. Build and use a model to solve a mechanical design problem.

  • Devise a test for the model.
  • Evaluate the results of test.

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

Aligned lesson plans

Stay still
In this lesson students will learn about stability. They will design and build an earthquake-proof house that takes into account the forces acting upon it and the materials with which it will be built. The house will be tested in a “shake table.” Students will be assessed by the product itself as well as their analysis of the results of the test.
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
By Erin Denniston.
Solving problems using simple machines
This lesson uses the familiar story of the three pigs and the big bad wolf to explore how the wolf could have used simple machines to catch the three pigs. By reading, analyzing, and evaluating the wolf's use of simple machines in The 3 Pigs and the Scientific Wolf by Mary Fetzer, the students will design and justify their own machine to help the wolf catch those pigs!
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 English Language Arts, English Language Development, and Science)
By Allison Buckner and Maria Tanner.

Resources on the web

Systems, Up, Up and Away!
This single lesson is designed to allow students to explore how changing parts or amounts will impact the properties of a system. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Simple Machines
Students use Internet resources to explore the parts of a system and develop students understanding of the interactions between those parts (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Seeing around corners
In this lesson, from Science NetLinks, students explore the concept of line of sight by recording the conditions under which they can and can't see an object. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Does soap float?
In this lesson, from Science NetLinks, students form hypotheses and carry out an investigation in order to answer a central question: Does soap float? They then demonstrate their understanding of the topic through oral or written reports. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5–6 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Collecting the rays
In this lesson, from Illuminations, students explore how variations in solar collectors affect the energy absorbed. They make rectangular prisms that have the same volume but different linear dimensions. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 3 Mathematics and Science)
Provided by: National Council of Teachers of Mathematics
Buoyant boats
The purpose of this Science NetLinks lesson is to design and construct a boat that takes into account factors such as buoyancy, the properties of materials, and design constraints. (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science
Break it down!
In this Science NetLinks lesson, students explore the everyday implications of system failure and are challenged to identify the causes. There are two prerequisite lessons for this lesson: Systems 1: Simple machines and Systems 2: Systems, Up, Up, and Away! (Learn more)
Format: lesson plan (grade 5 Science)
Provided by: American Association for the Advancement of Science