• STEM, Science Technology Engineering Mathematics

  • 5th Grade
  • Earth Systems Unit (6 weeks)   
     
    Within our Earth Systems unit, our students learn about the earth’s spheres: the atmosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere and how they interrelate and affect one another. Students begin learning about each sphere through reading pre-selected articles detailing each sphere and its significance. After establishing basic knowledge of the spheres, we then take our students to Lake Mary where they gain a first hand experience of observing each sphere and how they interrelate alongside local scientists. The students then create their own interconnected model ecosystem in a bottle that conjoins a the concept of each of the earth's spheres in a closed system. 
  • Wellness Policy Unit (2 weeks)
       
       This unit is a prime example of our curriculum integration with Problem-based Learning. In this unit, our students focus on reviewing FUSD's Wellness Policy that restricts the food/drink items allowed in the classroom. While our students are engaged in a real world problem, they also gain an introduction to chemistry. They learn the three common states of matter and are able to identify/differentiate physical and chemical changes through observation and support by local chemists.
       After this introduction to chemistry, the students are given a wide variety of commonly sold drinks to analyze in small groups through undergoing a complex experiment that requires precise measurements and specific procedure protocol to be accurate. In this experiment, our students measure out a specific volume of the drink their team decided on testing and list the drink's initial weight. Once they complete and record their initial measurements, the 5th Graders then place their beaker containing the drink on a hot plate and start a timer. As the drink begins to boil each student takes notes on the various physical and chemical changes observed and list the time where each change occurs. Once the entirety of each liquid is evaporated, the students see the chemicals that were dissolved into each drink and weigh the mass of these solutes.
       As a result our 5th Graders learn what chemicals, including sugar, go into drinks and their final product is a written recommendation and presentation to the FUSD governing board as to what additional drinks could be included in the wellness policy as "acceptable" based on their findings.

  • Grade Links
  • Aligned Standards:
     
    Earth Systems Unit
     
    ELA
    • 5-SL-5-4: Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
    • 5-W-7: Conduct a short research project that uses several sources to build knowledge through investigation of different aspects of a topic.
    Science
    • 5-ESS2-1: Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact.
    • 5-ESS2-2: Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.
    Wellness Policy Unit
     
     
    ELA
    • 5-RI-4: Determine the meaning of general academic and domain-specific words and phrases in a text relevant to a grade 5 topic or subject area.
    • 5-RI-6: Analyze multiple accounts of the same event or topic, noting important similarities and differences in the point of view they represent.
    • 5-W-2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
    • 5-W-8: Recall relevant information from experiences or gather relevant information from print and digital sources; summarize or paraphrase information in notes and finished work, and provide a list of sources.
    • 5-SL-1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
    • 5-SL-3: Summarize the points a speaker makes and explain how each claim is supported by reasons and evidence.
    Science
    • 5-PS1-1: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.
    • 5-PS1-2: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total weight of matter is conserved.
    • 5-PS1-3: Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their properties.
    • 5-PS1-4: Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more substances results ins new substances.