The provisions of this written curriculum shall
be implemented
beginning September 1, 1997.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Kindergarten, science introduces the use of
simple classroom and field investigations to help
students develop the skills of asking questions,
gathering information, communicating findings, and
making informed decisions. Using their own senses
and common tools such as a hand lens, students
make observations and collect information.
Students also use computers and information
technology tools to support their investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify
components of the natural world including rocks,
soil, and water. Students observe the seasons and
growth as examples of change. In addition,
Kindergarten science includes the identification
of organisms and objects and their parts. Students
learn how to group living organisms and nonliving
objects and explore the basic needs of living
organisms.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural
world. Students should know how science has built
a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
described by physical, mathematical, and
conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures,
and processes that interact. Students should
understand a whole in terms of its components and
how these components relate to each other and to
the whole. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in terms of space, time, energy,
and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems
and can be observed and measured as patterns.
These patterns help to predict what will happen
next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural
world. Students should understand that certain
types of questions can be answered by
investigations, and that methods, models, and
conclusions built from these investigations change
as new observations are made. Models of objects
and events are tools for understanding the natural
world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are
constantly being modified to more closely reflect
the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(K.1)Scientific processes. The student participates in
classroom and field investigations following home
and school safety procedures. The student is
expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during classroom
and field investigations; and
(B) learn how to use and conserve resources and
materials.
(K.2)Scientific processes. The student develops
abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the
field and the classroom. The student is expected
to:
(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and
events;
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive
investigations;
(C) gather information using simple equipment and
tools to extend the senses;
(D) construct reasonable explanations using
information; and
(E) communicate findings about simple
investigations.
(K.3)Scientific processes. The student knows that
information and critical thinking are used in
making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) make decisions using information;
(B) discuss and justify the merits of decisions;
and
(C) explain a problem in his/her own words and
propose a solution.
(K.4)Scientific processes. The student uses age-
appropriate tools and models to verify that
organisms and objects and parts of organisms and
objects can be observed, described, and measured.
The student is expected to:
(A) identify and use senses as tools of
observation; and
(B) make observations using tools including hand
lenses, balances, cups, bowls, and computers.
(K.5)Science concepts. The student knows that
organisms, objects, and events have properties and
patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) describe properties of objects and
characteristics of organisms;
(B) observe and identify patterns including
seasons, growth, and day and night and predict
what happens next; and
(C) recognize and copy patterns seen in charts and
graphs.
(K.6)Science concepts. The student knows that systems
have parts and are composed of organisms and
objects. The student is expected to:
(A) sort organisms and objects into groups
according to their parts and describe how the
groups are formed;
(B) record observations about parts of plants
including leaves, roots, stems, and flowers;
(C) record observations about parts of animals
including wings, feet, heads, and tails;
(D) identify parts that, when separated from the
whole, may result in the part or the whole not
working, such as cars without wheels and
plants without roots; and
(E) manipulate parts of objects such as toys,
vehicles, or construction sets that, when put
together, can do things they cannot do by
themselves.
(K.7)Science concepts. The student knows that many
types of change occur. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, describe, and record changes in size,
mass, color, position, quantity, time,
temperature, sound, and movement;
(B) identify that heat causes change, such as ice
melting or the Sun warming the air and compare
objects according to temperature;
(C) observe and record weather changes from day to
day and over seasons; and
(D) observe and record stages in the life cycle of
organisms in their natural environment.
(K.8)Science concepts. The student knows the difference
between living organisms and nonliving objects. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify a particular organism or object as
living or nonliving; and
(B) group organisms and objects as living or
nonliving.
(K.9)Science concepts. The student knows that living
organisms have basic needs. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify basic needs of living organisms;
(B) give examples of how living organisms depend
on each other; and
(C) identify ways that the Earth can provide
resources for life.
(K.10) Science concepts. The student knows that the
natural world includes rocks, soil, and water. The
student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe properties of rocks,
soil, and water; and
(B) give examples of ways that rocks, soil, and
water are useful.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 1, the study of science includes simple
classroom and field investigations to help
students develop the skills of asking questions,
gathering information, making measurements using
non-standard units, with tools such as a
thermometer to extend their senses, constructing
explanations, and drawing conclusions. Students
also use computers and information technology
tools to support their investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify
components of the natural world including rocks,
soil, and natural resources. Students observe that
heat from the Sun or friction, is an example of
something that causes change. In addition,
students identify basic needs of living things,
explore ways that living things depend on each
other, and separate living organisms and nonliving
things into groups. Students identify parts that
can be put together with other parts to do new
things.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural
world. Students should know how science has built
a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
described by physical, mathematical, and
conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures,
and processes that interact. Students should
understand a whole in terms of its components and
how these components relate to each other and to
the whole. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in terms of space, time, energy,
and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems
and can be observed and measured as patterns.
These patterns help to predict what will happen
next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural
world. Students should understand that certain
types of questions can be answered by
investigations, and that methods, models, and
conclusions built from these investigations change
as new observations are made. Models of objects
and events are tools for understanding the natural
world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are
constantly being modified to more closely reflect
the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(1.1)Scientific processes. The student conducts
classroom and field investigations following home
and school safety procedures. The student is
expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during classroom
and field investigations; and
(B) learn how to use and conserve resources and
materials.
(1.2)Scientific processes. The student develops
abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the
field and the classroom. The student is expected
to:
(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and
events;
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive
investigations;
(C) gather information using simple equipment and
tools to extend the senses;
(D) construct reasonable explanations and draw
conclusions; and
(E) communicate explanations about investigations.
(1.3)Scientific processes. The student knows that
information and critical thinking are used in
making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) make decisions using information;
(B) discuss and justify the merits of decisions;
and
(C) explain a problem in his/her own words and
identify a task and solution related to the
problem.
(1.4)Scientific processes. The student uses age-
appropriate tools and models to verify that
organisms and objects and parts of organisms and
objects can be observed, described, and measured.
The student is expected to:
(A) collect information using tools including hand
lenses, clocks, computers, thermometers, and
balances;
(B) record and compare collected information; and
(C) measure organisms and objects and parts of
organisms and objects, using non-standard
units such as paper clips, hands, and pencils.
(1.5)Science concepts. The student knows that
organisms, objects, and events have properties and
patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) sort objects and events based on properties
and patterns; and
(B) identify, predict, and create patterns
including those seen in charts, graphs, and
numbers.
(1.6)Science concepts. The student knows that systems
have parts and are composed of organisms and
objects. The student is expected to:
(A) sort organisms and objects according to their
parts and characteristics;
(B) observe and describe the parts of plants and
animals;
(C) manipulate objects such as toys, vehicles, or
construction sets so that the parts are
separated from the whole which may result in
the part or the whole not working; and
(D) identify parts that, when put together, can do
things they cannot do by themselves, such as a
working camera with film, a car moving with a
motor, and an airplane flying with fuel.
(1.7)Science concepts. The student knows that many
types of change occur. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, measure, and record changes in size,
mass, color, position, quantity, sound, and
movement;
(B) identify and test ways that heat may cause
change such as when ice melts;
(C) observe and record changes in weather from day
to day and over seasons; and
(D) observe and record changes in the life cycle
of organisms.
(1.8)Science concepts. The student distinguishes
between living organisms and nonliving objects. The
student is expected to:
(A) group living organisms and nonliving objects;
and
(B) compare living organisms and nonliving
objects.
(1.9)Science concepts. The student knows that living
organisms have basic needs. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify characteristics of living organisms
that allow their basic needs to be met; and
(B) compare and give examples of the ways living
organisms depend on each other for their basic
needs.
(1.10) Science concepts. The student knows that the
natural world includes rocks, soil, and water. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe a variety of natural
sources of water including streams, lakes, and
oceans;
(B) observe and describe differences in rocks and
soil samples; and
(C) identify how rocks, soil, and water are used
and how they can be recycled.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 2, the study of science includes planning
and conducting simple classroom and field
investigations to help students develop the skills
of making measurements using standard and non-
standard units, using common tools such as rulers
and clocks to collect information, classifying and
sequencing objects and events, and identifying
patterns. Students also use computers and
information technology tools to support their
investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify
components and processes of the natural world
including the water cycle and the use of
resources. They observe melting and evaporation,
weathering, and the pushing and pulling of objects
as examples of change. In addition, students
distinguish between characteristics of living
organisms and nonliving objects, compare lifelong
needs of plants and animals, understand how living
organisms depend on their environments, and
identify functions of parts of plants and animals.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural
world. Students should know how science has built
a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
described by physical, mathematical, and
conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures,
and processes that interact. Students should
understand a whole in terms of its components and
how these components relate to each other and to
the whole. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in terms of space, time, energy,
and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems
and can be observed and measured as patterns.
These patterns help to predict what will happen
next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural
world. Students should understand that certain
types of questions can be answered by
investigations, and that methods, models, and
conclusions built from these investigations change
as new observations are made. Models of objects
and events are tools for understanding the natural
world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are
constantly being modified to more closely reflect
the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(2.1)Scientific processes. The student conducts
classroom and field investigations following home
and school safety procedures. The student is
expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during classroom
and field investigations; and
(B) learn how to use and conserve resources and
dispose of materials.
(2.2)Scientific processes. The student develops
abilities necessary to do scientific inquiry in the
field and the classroom. The student is expected
to:
(A) ask questions about organisms, objects, and
events;
(B) plan and conduct simple descriptive
investigations;
(C) compare results of investigations with what
students and scientists know about the world;
(D) gather information using simple equipment and
tools to extend the senses;
(E) construct reasonable explanations and draw
conclusions using information and prior
knowledge; and
(F) communicate explanations about investigations.
(2.3)Scientific processes. The student knows that
information and critical thinking are used in
making decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) make decisions using information;
(B) discuss and justify the merits of decisions;
and
(C) explain a problem in his/her own words and
identify a task and solution related to the
problem.
(2.4)Scientific processes. The student uses age-
appropriate tools and models to verify that
organisms and objects and parts of organisms and
objects can be observed, described, and measured.
The student is expected to:
(A) collect information using tools including
rulers, meter sticks, measuring cups, clocks,
hand lenses, computers, thermometers, and
balances; and
(B) measure and compare organisms and objects and
parts of organisms and objects, using standard
and non-standard units.
(2.5)Science concepts. The student knows that
organisms, objects, and events have properties and
patterns. The student is expected to:
(A) classify and sequence organisms, objects, and
events based on properties and patterns; and
(B) identify, predict, replicate, and create
patterns including those seen in charts,
graphs, and numbers.
(2.6)Science concepts. The student knows that systems
have parts and are composed of organisms and
objects. The student is expected to:
(A) manipulate, predict, and identify parts that,
when separated from the whole, may result in
the part or the whole not working, such as
flashlights without batteries and plants
without leaves;
(B) manipulate, predict, and identify parts that,
when put together, can do things they cannot
do by themselves, such as a guitar and guitar
strings;
(C) observe and record the functions of plant
parts; and
(D) observe and record the functions of animal
parts.
(2.7)Science concepts. The student knows that many
types of change occur. The student is expected to:
(A) observe, measure, record, analyze, predict,
and illustrate changes in size, mass,
temperature, color, position, quantity, sound,
and movement;
(B) identify, predict, and test uses of heat to
cause change such as melting and evaporation;
(C) demonstrate a change in the motion of an
object by giving the object a push or a pull;
and
(D) observe, measure, and record changes in
weather, the night sky, and seasons.
(2.8)Science concepts. The student distinguishes
between living organisms and nonliving objects. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify characteristics of living organisms;
and
(B) identify characteristics of nonliving objects.
(2.9)Science concepts. The student knows that living
organisms have basic needs. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify the external characteristics of
different kinds of plants and animals that
allow their needs to be met; and
(B) compare and give examples of the ways living
organisms depend on each other and on their
environments.
(2.10) Science concepts. The student knows that the
natural world includes rocks, soil, water, and
gases of the atmosphere. The student is expected
to:
(A) describe and illustrate the water cycle; and
(B) identify uses of natural resources.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 3, the study of science includes planning
and implementing simple classroom and field
investigations to develop the skills of collecting
information using tools such as a microscope,
making inferences, communicating conclusions, and
making informed decisions. Students also use
computers and information technology tools to
support scientific investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify
the importance of components of the natural world
including rocks, soils, water, and atmospheric
gases. They observe the direction and position of
objects as they are pushed and pulled, and
movement of the Earth's surface as examples of
change caused by a force. Students investigate
magnetism and gravity. In addition, students
explore organisms' needs, habitats, and
competition with other organisms within their
ecosystem.
(3) Science is a way of learning about the natural
world. Students should know how science has built
a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
described by physical, mathematical, and
conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
(4) A system is a collection of cycles, structures,
and processes that interact. Students should
understand a whole in terms of its components and
how these components relate to each other and to
the whole. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in terms of space, time, energy,
and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems
and can be observed and measured as patterns.
These patterns help to predict what will happen
next and can change over time.
(5) Investigations are used to learn about the natural
world. Students should understand that certain
types of questions can be answered by
investigations, and that methods, models, and
conclusions built from these investigations change
as new observations are made. Models of objects
and events are tools for understanding the natural
world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are
constantly being modified to more closely reflect
the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(3.1)Scientific processes. The student conducts field
and laboratory investigations following home and
school safety procedures and environmentally
appropriate and ethical practices. The student is
expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and
laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation
of resources and the disposal or recycling of
materials.
(3.2)Scientific processes. The student uses scientific
inquiry methods during field and laboratory
investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations
including asking well-defined questions,
formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting
and using equipment and technology;
(B) collect information by observing and
measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct
reasonable explanations from direct and
indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and
charts to organize, examine and evaluate
information.
(3.3)Scientific processes. The student knows that
information, critical thinking, and scientific
problem solving are used in making decisions. The
student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific
explanations, including hypotheses and
theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses
using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on information related
to promotional materials for products and
services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and
identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific
thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 3 science concepts with the
history of science and contributions of
scientists.
(3.4)Scientific processes. The student knows how to use
a variety of tools and methods to conduct science
inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect and analyze information using tools
including calculators, microscopes, cameras,
safety goggles, sound recorders, clocks,
computers, thermometers, hand lenses, meter
sticks, rulers, balances, magnets, and
compasses; and
(B) demonstrate that repeated investigations may
increase the reliability of results.
(3.5)Science concepts. The student knows that systems
exist in the world. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and identify simple systems such as a
sprouted seed and a wooden toy car; and
(B) observe a simple system and describe the role
of various parts such as a
yo-yo and string.
(3.6)Science concepts. The student knows that forces
cause change. The student is expected to:
(A) measure and record changes in the position and
direction of the motion of an object to which
a force such as a push or pull has been
applied; and
(B) identify that the surface of the Earth can be
changed by forces such as earthquakes and
glaciers.
(3.7)Science concepts. The student knows that matter
has physical properties. The student is expected
to:
(A) gather information including temperature,
magnetism, hardness, and mass using
appropriate tools to identify physical
properties of matter; and
(B) identify matter as liquids, solids, and gases.
(3.8)Science concepts. The student knows that living
organisms need food, water, light, air, a way to
dispose of waste, and an environment in which to
live. The student is expected to:
(A) observe and describe the habitats of organisms
within an ecosystem;
(B) observe and identify organisms with similar
needs that compete with one another for
resources such as oxygen, water, food, or
space;
(C) describe environmental changes in which some
organisms would thrive, become ill, or perish;
and
(D) describe how living organisms modify their
physical environment to meet their needs such
as beavers building a dam or humans building a
home.
(3.9)Science concepts. The student knows that species
have different adaptations that help them survive
and reproduce in their environment. The student is
expected to:
(A) observe and identify characteristics among
species that allow each to survive and
reproduce; and
(B) analyze how adaptive characteristics help
individuals within a species to survive and
reproduce.
(3.10) Science concepts. The student knows that many
likenesses between offspring and parents are
inherited from the parents. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify some inherited traits of plants; and
(B) identify some inherited traits of animals.
(3.11) Science concepts. The student knows that the
natural world includes earth materials and objects
in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the importance of earth
materials including rocks, soil, water, and
gases of the atmosphere in the local area and
classify them as renewable, nonrenewable, or
inexhaustible resources;
(B) identify and record properties of soils such
as color and texture, capacity to retain
water, and ability to support the growth of
plants;
(C) identify the planets in our solar system and
their position in relation to the Sun; and
(D) describe the characteristics of the Sun.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 4, the study of science includes planning
and implementing field and laboratory
investigations using scientific methods, analyzing
information, making informed decisions, and using
tools such as compasses to collect information.
Students also use computers and information
technology tools to support scientific
investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify
components and processes of the natural world
including properties of soil, effects of the
oceans on land, and the role of the Sun as our
major source of energy. In addition, students
identify the physical properties of matter and
observe the addition or reduction of heat as an
example of what can cause changes in states of
matter.
(3) Students learn the roles of living and nonliving
components of simple systems and investigate
differences between learned characteristics and
inherited traits. They learn that adaptations of
organisms that lived in the past may have
increased some species' ability to survive.
(4) Science is a way of learning about the natural
world. Students should know how science has built
a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
described by physical, mathematical, and
conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
(5) A system is a collection of cycles, structures,
and processes that interact. Students should
understand a whole in terms of its components and
how these components relate to each other and to
the whole. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in terms of space, time, energy,
and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems
and can be observed and measured as patterns.
These patterns help to predict what will happen
next and can change over time.
(6) Investigations are used to learn about the natural
world. Students should understand that certain
types of questions can be answered by
investigations, and that methods, models, and
conclusions built from these investigations change
as new observations are made. Models of objects
and events are tools for understanding the natural
world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are
constantly being modified to more closely reflect
the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(4.1)Scientific processes. The student conducts field
and laboratory investigations following home and
school safety procedures and environmentally
appropriate and ethical practices. The student is
expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and
laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation
of resources and the disposal or recycling of
materials.
(4.2)Scientific processes. The student uses scientific
inquiry methods during field and laboratory
investigations. The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive investigations
including asking well-defined questions,
formulating testable hypotheses, and selecting
and using equipment and technology;
(B) collect information by observing and
measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct
reasonable explanations from direct and
indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and
charts to organize, examine, and evaluate
information.
(4.3)Scientific processes. The student uses critical
thinking and scientific problem solving to make
informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific
explanations, including hypotheses and
theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses
using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on information related
to promotional materials for products and
services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and
identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific
thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 4 science concepts with the
history of science and contributions of
scientists.
(4.4)Scientific processes. The student knows how to use
a variety of tools and methods to conduct science
inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect and analyze information using tools
including calculators, safety goggles,
microscopes, cameras, sound recorders,
computers, hand lenses, rulers, thermometers,
meter sticks, timing devices, balances, and
compasses; and
(B) demonstrate that repeated investigations may
increase the reliability of results.
(4.5)Science concepts. The student knows that complex
systems may not work if some parts are removed. The
student is expected to:
(A) identify and describe the roles of some
organisms in living systems such as plants in
a schoolyard, and parts in nonliving systems
such as a light bulb in a circuit; and
(B) predict and draw conclusions about what
happens when part of a system is removed.
(4.6)Science concepts. The student knows that change
can create recognizable patterns. The student is
expected to:
(A) identify patterns of change such as in
weather, metamorphosis, and objects in the
sky;
(B) illustrate that certain characteristics of an
object can remain constant even when the
object is rotated like a spinning top,
translated like a skater moving in a straight
line, or reflected on a smooth surface; and
(C) use reflections to verify that a natural
object has symmetry.
(4.7)Science concepts. The student knows that matter
has physical properties. The student is expected
to:
(A) observe and record changes in the states of
matter caused by the addition or reduction of
heat; and
(B) conduct tests, compare data, and draw
conclusions about physical properties of
matter including states of matter, conduction,
density, and buoyancy.
(4.8)Science concepts. The student knows that
adaptations may increase the survival of members of
a species. The student is expected to:
(A) identify characteristics that allow members
within a species to survive and reproduce;
(B) compare adaptive characteristics of various
species; and
(C) identify the kinds of species that lived in
the past and compare them to existing species.
(4.9)Science concepts. The student knows that many
likenesses between offspring and parents are
inherited or learned. The student is expected to:
(A) distinguish between inherited traits and
learned characteristics; and
(B) identify and provide examples of inherited
traits and learned characteristics.
(4.10) Science concepts. The student knows that
certain past events affect present and future
events. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and observe effects of events that
require time for changes to be noticeable
including growth, erosion, dissolving,
weathering, and flow; and
(B) draw conclusions about "what happened before"
using fossils or charts and tables.
(4.11) Science concepts. The student knows that the
natural world includes earth materials and objects
in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) test properties of soils including texture,
capacity to retain water, and ability to
support life;
(B) summarize the effects of the oceans on land;
and
(C) identify the Sun as the major source of energy
for the Earth and understand its role in the
growth of plants, in the creation of winds,
and in the water cycle.
(a) Introduction.
(1) In Grade 5, the study of science includes planning
and implementing field and laboratory
investigations using scientific methods, analyzing
information, making informed decisions, and using
tools such as nets and cameras to collect and
record information. Students also use computers
and information technology tools to support
scientific investigations.
(2) As students learn science skills, they identify
structures and functions of Earth systems
including the crust, mantle, and core and the
effect of weathering on landforms. Students learn
that growth, erosion, and dissolving are examples
of how some past events have affected present
events. Students learn about magnetism, physical
states of matter, and conductivity as properties
that are used to classify matter. In addition,
students learn that light, heat, and electricity
are all forms of energy.
(3) Students learn that adaptations can improve the
survival of members of a species, and they explore
an organism's niche within an ecosystem. Students
continue the study of organisms by exploring a
variety of traits that are inherited by offspring
from their parents and study examples of learned
characteristics.
(4) Science is a way of learning about the natural
world. Students should know how science has built
a vast body of changing and increasing knowledge
described by physical, mathematical, and
conceptual models, and also should know that
science may not answer all questions.
(5) A system is a collection of cycles, structures,
and processes that interact. Students should
understand a whole in terms of its components and
how these components relate to each other and to
the whole. All systems have basic properties that
can be described in terms of space, time, energy,
and matter. Change and constancy occur in systems
and can be observed and measured as patterns.
These patterns help to predict what will happen
next and can change over time.
(6) Investigations are used to learn about the natural
world. Students should understand that certain
types of questions can be answered by
investigations, and that methods, models, and
conclusions built from these investigations change
as new observations are made. Models of objects
and events are tools for understanding the natural
world and can show how systems work. They have
limitations and based on new discoveries are
constantly being modified to more closely reflect
the natural world.
(b) Knowledge and skills.
(5.1)Scientific processes. The student conducts field
and laboratory investigations following home and
school safety procedures and environmentally
appropriate and ethical practices. The student is
expected to:
(A) demonstrate safe practices during field and
laboratory investigations; and
(B) make wise choices in the use and conservation
of resources and the disposal or recycling of
materials.
(5.2)Scientific processes. The student uses scientific
methods during field and laboratory investigations.
The student is expected to:
(A) plan and implement descriptive and simple
experimental investigations including asking
well-defined questions, formulating testable
hypotheses, and selecting and using equipment
and technology;
(B) collect information by observing and
measuring;
(C) analyze and interpret information to construct
reasonable explanations from direct and
indirect evidence;
(D) communicate valid conclusions; and
(E) construct simple graphs, tables, maps, and
charts using tools including computers to
organize, examine, and evaluate information.
(5.3)Scientific processes. The student uses critical
thinking and scientific problem solving to make
informed decisions. The student is expected to:
(A) analyze, review, and critique scientific
explanations, including hypotheses and
theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses
using scientific evidence and information;
(B) draw inferences based on information related
to promotional materials for products and
services;
(C) represent the natural world using models and
identify their limitations;
(D) evaluate the impact of research on scientific
thought, society, and the environment; and
(E) connect Grade 5 science concepts with the
history of science and contributions of
scientists.
(5.4)Scientific processes. The student knows how to use
a variety of tools and methods to conduct science
inquiry. The student is expected to:
(A) collect and analyze information using tools
including calculators, microscopes, cameras,
sound recorders, computers, hand lenses,
rulers, thermometers, compasses, balances, hot
plates, meter sticks, timing devices, magnets,
collecting nets, and safety goggles; and
(B) demonstrate that repeated investigations may
increase the reliability of results.
(5.5)Science concepts. The student knows that a system
is a collection of cycles, structures, and
processes that interact. The student is expected
to:
(A) describe some cycles, structures, and
processes that are found in a simple system;
and
(B) describe some interactions that occur in a
simple system.
(5.6)Science concepts. The student knows that some
change occurs in cycles. The student is expected
to:
(A) identify events and describe changes that
occur on a regular basis such as in daily,
weekly, lunar, and seasonal cycles;
(B) identify the significance of the water,
carbon, and nitrogen cycles; and
(C) describe and compare life cycles of plants and
animals.
(5.7)Science concepts. The student knows that matter
has physical properties. The student is expected
to:
(A) classify matter based on its physical
properties including magnetism, physical
state, and the ability to conduct or insulate
heat, electricity, and sound;
(B) demonstrate that some mixtures maintain the
physical properties of their ingredients;
(C) identify changes that can occur in the
physical properties of the ingredients of
solutions such as dissolving sugar in water;
and
(D) observe and measure characteristic properties
of substances that remain constant such as
boiling points and melting points.
(5.8)Science concepts. The student knows that energy
occurs in many forms. The student is expected to:
(A) differentiate among forms of energy including
light, heat, electrical, and solar energy;
(B) identify and demonstrate everyday examples of
how light is reflected, such as from tinted
windows, and refracted, such as in cameras,
telescopes, and eyeglasses;
(C) demonstrate that electricity can flow in a
circuit and can produce heat, light, sound,
and magnetic effects; and
(D) verify that vibrating an object can produce
sound.
(5.9)Science concepts. The student knows that
adaptations may increase the survival of members of
a species. The student is expected to:
(A) compare the adaptive characteristics of
species that improve their ability to survive
and reproduce in an ecosystem;
(B) analyze and describe adaptive characteristics
that result in an organism's unique niche in
an ecosystem; and
(C) predict some adaptive characteristics required
for survival and reproduction by an organism
in an ecosystem.
(5.10) Science concepts. The student knows that
likenesses between offspring and parents can be
inherited or learned. The student is expected to:
(A) identify traits that are inherited from parent
to offspring in plants and animals; and
(B) give examples of learned characteristics that
result from the influence of the environment.
(5.11) Science concepts. The student knows that
certain past events affect present and future
events. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and observe actions that require time
for changes to be measurable, including
growth, erosion, dissolving, weathering, and
flow;
(B) draw conclusions about "what happened before"
using data such as from tree-growth rings and
sedimentary rock sequences; and
(C) identify past events that led to the formation
of the Earth's renewable, non-renewable, and
inexhaustible resources.
(5.12) Science concepts. The student knows that the
natural world includes earth materials and objects
in the sky. The student is expected to:
(A) interpret how land forms are the result of a
combination of constructive and destructive
forces such as deposition of sediment and
weathering;
(B) describe processes responsible for the
formation of coal, oil, gas, and minerals;
(C) identify the physical characteristics of the
Earth and compare them to the physical
characteristics of the moon; and
(D) identify gravity as the force that keeps
planets in orbit around the Sun and the moon
in orbit around the Earth.