This is the year science zooms out to the whole planet and the universe around it. Students learn that everything is made of tiny particles too small to see, and that weight stays the same even when stuff melts, mixes, or cools. They trace energy from the sun into plants and then into the food animals eat. By spring, students can explain why plants grow mostly from air and water, and why the sun looks brighter than other stars.
Students start the year looking closely at what things are made of. They learn that everything has weight and is built from particles too small to see, and they test what happens when substances are mixed, heated, or cooled.
Students explore why dropped objects fall toward the ground. They build an argument that Earth pulls things down, using everyday examples like a ball, a book, or a leaf.
Students trace where energy in food comes from. They learn that plants grow mostly from air and water, not soil, and that the energy in a sandwich or a steak started as sunlight.
Students follow matter as it moves between plants, animals, and the things that break dead material down. They build a model showing how a forest, pond, or backyard keeps recycling the same stuff.
Students look up and track patterns. They graph how shadows change during the day, why some stars look brighter than others, and which stars appear in different seasons.
Students end the year looking at how land, water, air, and living things shape each other. They study where fresh water is found on Earth and how communities work to protect it.
Students learn what matter is made of and how it behaves when mixed, heated, or changed. They look closely at physical and chemical changes to figure out why some are reversible and others are not.
Students learn how forces like gravity and pushes or pulls affect whether objects move, slow down, or stay in place.
Students trace how energy moves through living things, from sunlight absorbed by plants to animals that eat those plants. This standard covers where energy comes from and what happens to it along the way.
Plants and animals are made of parts that work together to keep them alive. Students learn how those parts get food, move materials around the body, and support growth.
Plants, animals, and other living things depend on each other and their surroundings to survive. Students study how energy moves through a food web and what happens when part of an ecosystem changes.
Students study how Earth moves through space, including its orbit around the Sun and how that motion explains the length of a year and the cycle of seasons.
Students study how Earth's air, water, land, and living things work together as connected systems. They look at how energy and matter move between those parts, like how water cycles through clouds, soil, and oceans.
Students study how human activity affects Earth's land, water, and living things, and what communities can do to protect natural resources.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Matter and Its Interactions | Students learn what matter is made of and how it behaves when mixed, heated, or changed. They look closely at physical and chemical changes to figure out why some are reversible and others are not. | 5-PS1 |
| Motion and Stability | Students learn how forces like gravity and pushes or pulls affect whether objects move, slow down, or stay in place. | 5-PS2 |
| Energy | Students trace how energy moves through living things, from sunlight absorbed by plants to animals that eat those plants. This standard covers where energy comes from and what happens to it along the way. | 5-PS3 |
| From Molecules to Organisms | Plants and animals are made of parts that work together to keep them alive. Students learn how those parts get food, move materials around the body, and support growth. | 5-LS1 |
| Ecosystems: Interactions, Energy | Plants, animals, and other living things depend on each other and their surroundings to survive. Students study how energy moves through a food web and what happens when part of an ecosystem changes. | 5-LS2 |
| Earth's Place in the Universe | Students study how Earth moves through space, including its orbit around the Sun and how that motion explains the length of a year and the cycle of seasons. | 5-ESS1 |
| Earth's Systems | Students study how Earth's air, water, land, and living things work together as connected systems. They look at how energy and matter move between those parts, like how water cycles through clouds, soil, and oceans. | 5-ESS2 |
| Earth and Human Activity | Students study how human activity affects Earth's land, water, and living things, and what communities can do to protect natural resources. | 5-ESS3 |
Students learn that everything around them, from water to air to a grain of sand, is made of tiny particles invisible to the naked eye. They build a model, like a drawing or diagram, to show how those particles make up everyday materials.
Students measure and weigh substances before and after heating, cooling, or mixing them to show that the total weight stays the same no matter what changes happen.
Students sort and identify materials by observing and measuring properties like color, hardness, and how they react to heat or water. The goal is to connect what something looks and feels like to what it actually is.
Students mix everyday materials together and observe whether they can be separated again or have turned into something new. This is how scientists tell the difference between a mixture and a chemical reaction.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be… | Students learn that everything around them, from water to air to a grain of sand, is made of tiny particles invisible to the naked eye. They build a model, like a drawing or diagram, to show how those particles make up everyday materials. | 5-PS1-1 |
| Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of… | Students measure and weigh substances before and after heating, cooling, or mixing them to show that the total weight stays the same no matter what changes happen. | 5-PS1-2 |
| Make observations and measurements to identify materials based on their… | Students sort and identify materials by observing and measuring properties like color, hardness, and how they react to heat or water. The goal is to connect what something looks and feels like to what it actually is. | 5-PS1-3 |
| Conduct an investigation to determine whether the mixing of two or more… | Students mix everyday materials together and observe whether they can be separated again or have turned into something new. This is how scientists tell the difference between a mixture and a chemical reaction. | 5-PS1-4 |
Students build a case for why objects fall toward the ground rather than sideways or up. They use examples like dropped balls or falling rain to show that Earth's gravity always pulls things in the same direction.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Support an argument that the gravitational force exerted by Earth on objects is… | Students build a case for why objects fall toward the ground rather than sideways or up. They use examples like dropped balls or falling rain to show that Earth's gravity always pulls things in the same direction. | 5-PS2-1 |
Students trace the energy in food back to the sun. They use diagrams or models to show how that solar energy moves through plants and into animals, powering growth, movement, and warmth.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Use models to describe that energy in animals' food | Students trace the energy in food back to the sun. They use diagrams or models to show how that solar energy moves through plants and into animals, powering growth, movement, and warmth. | 5-PS3-1 |
Plants don't grow mainly from soil. Students gather evidence to explain that plants pull what they need to grow mostly from air and water.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly… | Plants don't grow mainly from soil. Students gather evidence to explain that plants pull what they need to grow mostly from air and water. | 5-LS1-1 |
Students diagram how matter cycles through a food web: plants pull nutrients from soil and air, animals eat plants or other animals, and decomposers break dead things back down so the cycle can start again.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals… | Students diagram how matter cycles through a food web: plants pull nutrients from soil and air, animals eat plants or other animals, and decomposers break dead things back down so the cycle can start again. | 5-LS2-1 |
Students argue, using evidence, that the sun looks brighter than other stars because it is much closer to Earth, not because it is actually bigger or more powerful than every star in the sky.
Students graph how shadows, daylight, and visible stars shift over time to find the patterns those changes make across a day or a season.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Support an argument that differences in the apparent brightness of the sun… | Students argue, using evidence, that the sun looks brighter than other stars because it is much closer to Earth, not because it is actually bigger or more powerful than every star in the sky. | 5-ESS1-1 |
| Represent data in graphical displays to reveal patterns of daily changes in… | Students graph how shadows, daylight, and visible stars shift over time to find the patterns those changes make across a day or a season. | 5-ESS1-2 |
Students draw or build a model showing how land, living things, water, and air affect each other. For example, they might show how rain soaks into soil and helps plants grow.
Students look at where Earth's water actually sits: oceans, glaciers, rivers, and groundwater. They read and build graphs showing how little of that water is fresh and ready to use.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere… | Students draw or build a model showing how land, living things, water, and air affect each other. For example, they might show how rain soaks into soil and helps plants grow. | 5-ESS2-1 |
| Describe and graph the amounts and percentages of water and fresh water in… | Students look at where Earth's water actually sits: oceans, glaciers, rivers, and groundwater. They read and build graphs showing how little of that water is fresh and ready to use. | 5-ESS2-2 |
Students research how real communities use science to protect water, soil, and air. They combine what they find from multiple sources to explain what's working and why it matters.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science… | Students research how real communities use science to protect water, soil, and air. They combine what they find from multiple sources to explain what's working and why it matters. | 5-ESS3-1 |
Students study four big areas: matter and how it changes, forces like gravity, energy from the sun moving through food and plants, and Earth topics like water, stars, and shadows. Expect a lot of measuring, graphing, and building simple models to explain what is happening.
Cook together and talk about what changes when things heat, cool, or mix. Step outside at the same time each week and notice shadows, the moon, or the stars. Ask students to draw what they think is happening, then explain the drawing out loud.
Students can explain that matter is made of tiny particles too small to see, that weight stays the same when substances mix, and that energy in food traces back to the sun. They can also build a simple model and back up a claim with evidence.
Many teachers start with properties of matter and mixing, since those skills set up careful measurement and graphing. Energy and ecosystems fit well in the middle once students can track matter. Earth and space topics often land in spring when outdoor observation is easier.
Conservation of weight when substances mix or change state is the stickiest idea. Students also struggle with the fact that plants build themselves mostly from air and water, not soil. Plan extra hands-on time and short follow-up checks for both.
Memorizing definitions is not the goal. Students should be able to use words like matter, energy, gravity, and ecosystem in a sentence that explains something real. If a student can describe the idea in their own words, the vocabulary will follow.
Most units should include at least one investigation where students measure, graph, or build a model from their own data. Short ten-minute observations, such as tracking a shadow or weighing a sealed bag before and after mixing, count and add up across the year.
A student is ready when they can ask a clear question, plan a simple test, record data in a table or graph, and explain results using evidence. Comfort with models and arguments matters more than remembering every fact from the year.