Grade 5
Introducing Models to Elementary School Students
Students learn what a model is by comparing a model of the tongue to their own tongue. They practice asking themselves, "How is this model like the thing it represents, and how is it different?" This format of questioning can be used when using any model in science and can be used to check students' understanding and misconceptions.
View this entire lesson planSheep Heart Dissection
Students observe and dissect a sheep heart. In doing so, they learn about how the heart works and what it really looks like.
While this lesson is adaptable for many grade levels, it is a great fit with California's FOSS 5th grade Living Systems kit and that kit's goal of learning the structures and functions of the circulatory system.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing the Process of Investigative Science Using Worms
Students are introduced to the process of investigative science through a guided inquiry activity. Given a testable question and materials, students as a class make predictions, and design an investigation with guidance from the teacher. Then in pairs, students do the investigation, collect data, draw conclusions, and discuss ways to improve on the investigative design. After this activity, students will be able to develop independent investigations in this and other subject areas.
Students learn that a living thing can sense and respond to its environment.
View this entire lesson planDraw an Alien in its Natural Habitat
This is an extension and assessment activity for the Unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Changes in its Environment?"
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students create Poster presentations explaining their investigations. They use the posters to help them present their investigations to an audience of adults and children at a science fair.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 3 – Collecting Data and Drawing Conclusions
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students work in pairs to carry out their investgations, collect data, and make inferences based on their data.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 2 – Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials and Procedures
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
In this particular lesson, students work in pairs to decide on a testable question, make predictions, choose materials, and plan a procedure.
View this entire lesson planStudent Designed Investigations Part 1 – Observations
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?", that is designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a method for doing their own science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation and findings for a grade level science fair.
In Part 1 of this particular lesson, students work in pairs to observe a living organism and to brainstorm changes in the living thing's environment that would be important for the living organism to sense. They think about what structures their organism can use to sense and respond to its environment.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing Cells
Students learn that all living things are made of cells. They use a microscope to look for evidence of plant cells(from onion) and animal cells(from human cheek).
This lesson is from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to supplement the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planLiving or Non-living?
Students will investigate different objects and discuss whether they are alive or not alive. Students are challenged to provide evidence for their decision and defend their opinion.
This is the second lesson of a unit (What are Living Things and How does a Living thing Respond to Its Environment?) that was designed to precedes teaching the adopted FOSS unit on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a method for doing their own science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation and findings for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planWhat Do Living Things Have In Common?
Students work in teams to discuss the question "What do all living things have in common?" They record their ideas and share their background knowledge. Then the groups come together and try to reach consensus about the characteristics that all living things share by asking each other questions and defending their ideas.
This is the first lesson from the unit, "What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" The unit is designed to supplement the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
View this entire lesson planWhat is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment? - Unit Overview
"What is a Living Thing and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?" is a unit designed to be taught prior to teaching the adopted FOSS curriculum on life sciences. In this unit students are given time to think about and discuss the fundamental question, "What is a Living Thing?" They are also introduced to a process for planning science investigations on the topic of how different living things interact with their environment. The unit ends with students deciding on a testable question, designing an investigation, doing the investigation, collecting data and drawing conclusions. Students then create poster presentations of their investigation for a grade level science fair.
UNIT: What is a Living Thing, and How Does a Living Thing Respond to Its Environment?
Lessons:
1) What Do Living Things Have in Common?
2) Living or Non-living?
3) Introducing Cells
4) Introducing the Process of Investigative Science
5) Student Designed Investigations Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4- A Living Thing Responds to Its Environment
Part 1 - Observation
Part 2 - Testable Questions, Predictions, Materials, and Procedures
Part 3 - Collection Data and Drawing Conclusions
Part 4 - Poster Presentations/Science Fair
6) Extension Activity - Draw an Alien in Its Natural Habitat
View this entire lesson planDetecting Photosynthesis- Analyzing Other Scientists' Data
Students will analyze the results of another scientist's experiment by examining leaves that have been exposed to different treatments, and draw conclusions about the process of photosynthesis.
View this entire lesson planTesting for Lipids, Proteins and Carbohydrates
Students will test a variety of food samples for the presence of lipids, proteins, simple and complex carbohydrates.
View this entire lesson planProperties of Metals
Students will be able to see the iron filings in breakfast cereal fortified with iron and qualitatively compare the iron content between 2 different cereals. They will also see that as part of a salt solution, some elements give off characteristic colors when placed in a flame.
View this entire lesson planWhat is matter?
This activity is based on a lesson from the Living by Chemistry curriculum developed by the Lawrence Hall of Science (see citation).
During this activity students explore in depth their own understanding of what constitutes "matter" and work together as a group to create a definition for matter.
Students work in pairs to debate how to sort "items" printed on cards into three categories: "matter", "non-matter" and "unsure" and then try to determine what properties all items in each category have in common. A whole class discussion about "tricky" items follows during which students ultimately agree on a definition of matter.
You can choose which cards you would like to use depending on your students' age, abilities, and experiences. As an example, for elementary grades, you might choose not to use the entire set.
View this entire lesson planMeasuring Calories in Food
The lesson introduces the concept of calories and provides examples of high calorie and low calorie foods. Students learn a number of ways to determine how many calories a food item has and discuss how calories influence body weight. Students learn how to measure calories by constructing and using a calorimeter.
View this entire lesson planUnderstanding Air Pressure (a lesson series)
The activitites establish the concepts of atmospheric pressure, differences in pressure, how changing volume affects pressure, and a molecular model of how air pressure arises. Modified from the 5th grade FOSS Water Planet Investigation "The Pressure is On" (Investigation 4, part 3)
The lesson opens with some demonstrations and activities to introduce the properties of air. Moving on to air pressure, the teacher demonstrates how one can pick up liquid in a straw using a finger as a stopper. The students make a barometer, experiment with a bag and a jar, and participate in a straw race. For each activity the question of what is causing each phenomenon is asked. Students then do single and double syringe activity from FOSS Water Planet Investigation #4. After discussion of syringe activities students are asked to go back to initial demonstrations/activities and pick one to explain in a poster format.
View this entire lesson planStates of Matter (lesson five of eight)
Students investigate the difference between ice and dry ice, and review the concept of control and variable. The scientists demonstrate condensation, sublimation, and freezing with a series of object lessons.
View this entire lesson planIntroducing Models to Elementary School Students
Students learn what a model is by comparing a model of the tongue to their own tongue. They practice asking themselves, "How is this model like the thing it represents, and how is it different?" This format of questioning can be used when using any model in science and can be used to check students' understanding and misconceptions.
View this entire lesson planHeating Earth
Students develop an experimental plan to investigate the question how solar energy heats different earth materials (water and land). A container half filled with water and half with soil is exposed to full sun (if doing it outside) or placed under incandescent lights (inside). Students take temperature readings of both materials for 15 minutes and then either bring setups to a shady spot or turn off the lights. Again students record change in temperature in intervals during the next 15 minutes and then graph results. Lesson introduces the concepts energy transfer, solar energy, and heat sink.
View this entire lesson planConducting Controlled Investigations: Example Using Sound
The teacher conducts an investigation to compare the sound produced by two different sized pipes (higher pitch, lower pitch, louder, softer). The teacher conducts the experiment multiple times, each time changing different variables. The students are "directors" and are asked to "cut" the scene when they observe something wrong with the experiment.
View this entire lesson planStrawberry DNA extraction
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Oh Deer! and English Language Learner Writing Extensions
Teacher(s) will describe an ecosystem scenario and ask students to ponder why the population of deer in a particular area fluctates from year to year. Students will research the question through a simulation of deer in nature. The teacher will record data from the activity in the form of a graph. Before analyzing the graph, students will record words they used in the activity and sort others used in the context of ecology. While analyzing the graph and sharing their experiences, students will use these words to create sentences and eventually a paragraph describing the patterns of the data collected.
View this entire lesson planWhat is Life?
Students will investigate different objects and discuss whether they are alive or not alive. Students are challenged to provide evidence for their decision and defend their opinion.
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