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Michael D. Eisner College of Education

California Science Project

5th Grade Science Standards

Physical Sciences

  1. Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter in the world. As a basis for understanding this concept:
    1. Students know that during chemical reactions the atoms in the reactants rearrange to form products with different properties.
      1. vinegar and baking soda
      2. sugar and sulfuric acid
      3. jelly bean combustion
    2. Students know all matter is made of atoms, which may combine to form molecules.
    3. Students know metals have properties in common, such as high electrical and thermal conductivity. Some metals, such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au), are pure elements; others, such as steel and brass, are composed of a combination of elemental metals.
      1. aluminum, copper, brass, steel - check electrical resistance, density
      2. pre-post 1982 pennies
    4. Students know that each element is made of one kind of atom and that the elements are organized in the periodic table by their chemical properties.
    5. Students know scientists have developed instruments that can create discrete images of atoms and molecules that show that the atoms and molecules often occur in well-ordered arrays.
    6. Students know differences in chemical and physical properties of substances are used to separate mixtures and identify compounds.
      1. separate sand and iron with magnet
      2. separate water and salt by boiling
      3. separate salt and sand by dissolving
    7. Students know properties of solid, liquid, and gaseous substances, such as sugar (C6H12O6), water (H2O), helium (He), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and carbon dioxide (CO2).
      1. salt vs. sugar - dissolving and conductivity
      2. properties of carbon dioxide: density, extinguish flames
    8. Students know living organisms and most materials are composed of just a few elements.
    9. Students know the common properties of salts, such as sodium chloride (NaCl).
      1. NaCl electrical conductivity when dissolved
      2. crystal shape

Life Sciences

    1. Students know many multicellular organisms have specialized structures to support the transport of materials.
    3. Students know the sequential steps of digestion and the roles of teeth and the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, and colon in the function of the digestive system.
    4. Students know the role of the kidney in removing cellular waste from blood and converting it into urine, which is stored in the bladder.
    6. Students know plants use carbon dioxide (CO2) and energy from sunlight to build molecules of sugar and release oxygen.
    7. Students know plant and animal cells break down sugar to obtain energy, a process resulting in carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (respiration).

Earth Sciences

    1. Students know most of Earth's water is present as salt water in the oceans, which cover most of Earth's surface.
    3. Students know water vapor in the air moves from one place to another and can form fog or clouds, which are tiny droplets of water or ice, and can fall to Earth as rain, hail, sleet, or snow.
    4. Students know that the amount of fresh water located in rivers, lakes, under-ground sources, and glaciers is limited and that its availability can be extended by recycling and decreasing the use of water.
    5. Students know the origin of the water used by their local communities.

  1. Energy from the Sun heats Earth unevenly, causing air movements that result in changing weather patterns. As a basis for understanding this concept:
    1. Students know uneven heating of Earth causes air movements (convection currents).
    2. Students know the influence that the ocean has on the weather and the role that the water cycle plays in weather patterns.
    3. Students know the causes and effects of different types of severe weather.
    4. Students know how to use weather maps and data to predict local weather and know that weather forecasts depend on many variables.
    5. Students know that the Earth's atmosphere exerts a pressure that decreases with distance above Earth's surface and that at any point it exerts this pressure equally in all directions.

  1. The solar system consists of planets and other bodies that orbit the Sun in predictable paths. As a basis for understanding this concept:
    1. Students know the Sun, an average star, is the central and largest body in the solar system and is composed primarily of hydrogen and helium.
    2. Students know the solar system includes the planet Earth, the Moon, the Sun, eight other planets and their satellites, and smaller objects, such as asteroids and comets.
    3. Students know the path of a planet around the Sun is due to the gravitational attraction between the Sun and the planet.

Investigation and Experimentation

    2. Develop a testable question.
    4. Identify the dependent and controlled variables in an investigation.
    5. Identify a single independent variable in a scientific investigation and explain how this variable can be used to collect information to answer a question about the results of the experiment.