Grade 5
The Amplify Science grade 5 program progressively builds students’ abilities to meet all the grade-level performance expectations through a three-dimensional instructional sequence. The following is an overview of the sequence of units, a description of the progression of student learning across the year, and a summary of how the sequence meets the performance expectations for grade 5.
Sequence of units
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- Patterns of Earth and Sky
- Modeling Matter
- The Earth’s System
- Ecosystem Restoration
Patterns of Earth and Sky
An ancient artifact depicts what we see in the sky at different times — the sun during the daytime and different stars during the nighttime — but it is missing a piece.
Playing the role of astronomers, students help a team of archaeologists figure out what the missing piece of a recently discovered artifact might have depicted. As they learn about the sun and other stars and the movement of Earth, students can explain what is shown on the artifact and what might be on the missing piece.
- 5-PS2-1: Gravity
- 5-ESS1-1: Apparent Brightness of Stars
- 5-ESS1-2: Patterns of Daily and Seasonal Changes
Modeling Matter
Chromatography is a process for separating mixtures. Some solids dissolve in a salad dressing while others do not. Oil and vinegar appear to separate when mixed in a salad dressing.
In the role of food scientists working for Good Food Production, Inc., students are introduced to the idea that all matter is made of particles too small to see, and that each different substance is made of particles (molecules) that are unique. They are then challenged to solve two problems: One problem requires them to separate a mixture, and the other requires them to make unmixable substances mix. Students are challenged to use the particulate model of matter to explain their work to the CEO of the company.
- 5-PS1-1: Matter is made of Particles
- 5-PS1-2: Matter and its Interactions
- 5-PS1-3: Properties of Materials
- 5-PS1-4: Mixing Substances
- 3-5-ETS1-2: Developing Possible Solutions
The Earth System
East Ferris, a city on one side of the fictional Ferris Island, is experiencing a water shortage, while West Ferris is not.
The cities of East Ferris and West Ferris are located on different sides of a mountain on the fictional Ferris Island. East Ferris is having a water shortage while West Ferris is not. As water resource engineers, students learn about the Earth system to help figure out what is causing the water shortage problem and design possible solutions, including freshwater collection systems and proposals for using chemical reactions to treat wastewater.
- 5-ESS2-1: Interaction of Spheres
- 5-ESS2-2: Distribution of Water on Earth
- 5-ESS3-1: Protecting Earth
- 5-PS1-1: Matter is Made of Particles
- 5-PS1-2: Conservation of Matter
- 5-PS1-4: Mixing Substances
- 3-5-ETS1-1: Defining Problems
- 3-5-ETS1-2: Developing Possible Solutions
- 3-5-ETS1-3: Improving Solutions
- 5-LS2-1: Ecosystems: Interactions
- 5-PS1-3: Properties of Materials
Ecosystem Restoration
The jaguars, sloths, and cecropia trees in a reforested section of a Costa Rican rain forest are not growing and thriving.
Students engage as ecologists as they figure out why the plants and animals in a failing area of the Costa Rican rain forest ecosystem aren’t growing and thriving. They use what they know about matter and energy flows in ecosystems to make arguments about the cause of the problems in the ecosystem and to make recommendations for ecosystem restoration.
- 5-LS1-1: Plant Materials from Air and Water
- 5-LS2-1: Matter Flows
- 5-ESS3-1: Protecting Earth
- 5-PS1-1: Matter is Made of Particles
- 5-PS3-1: Use and Origin of Energy in Food
- 5-PS1-4: Matter and Its Interactions
- 3-5-ETS1-1: Defining the Problem
- 3-5-ETS1-2: Developing Possible Solutions