5th Grade  Science

5th Grade Science Skills  
  = a site for teachers | = a PowerPoint show | This is an Adobe Acrobat document = Adobe Acrobat document
 

Life Science Standards
Cell Structure and Function
 

(based on  Benchmarks)
Internet Resources
Identify basic structures of plant and animal cells.
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  1. Animal and Plant Cells - first select Similarities and then select Differences from the index on the left at this page.
  2. The Cell Page - Click on the label for any plant or animal cell organelle to find out more about it. (great drawings)
  3. Comparing Animal and Plant Cells - the inside story
  4. Cross Section of a Plant Cell - from Enchanted Learning
  5. Cross Section of an Animal Cell - from Enchanted Learning
  6. - Teaching idea! - Have your students prepare a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting plant and animal cells. Teachnology has an online Venn diagram generator. (scroll past the membership information)
    1. Comparing plant and animal cells - Teachnology has a worksheet to print to help your students get ready for the activity above
  7. Comparison Of Plant & Animal Cells
  8. Mixed Up Cells - identify and explain the differences and similarities between plant and animal organelles (Author - Julie Thompson)
  9. Kids Port.  Great site to assist in all areas
Compare and contrast basic structures and functions of plant and animal cells.
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  1. Review cell structure and function (plant and animal)
  2. Cell Structure and Function Quiz
  3. Inside a Cell - select each part of the cell to see its function
  4. Quiz on Cell Parts - instructions included
Distinguish between single cell and multicellular organisms.
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  1. Amoeba - a tiny, one-celled organism
Interactions Between Living Things and Their Environment
 
Identify environmental changes caused by living things.
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Determine various types of plant and animal relationships within an ecosystem.
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  1. Micro-organisms - explore the benefit, and possible harm, of micro-organisms then take a quiz. This interactive site is from the BBC.
Predict the effects of human actions and/or natural disasters on the environment.
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Food Production and Energy for Life
 
Match plant structures with their functions.
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Identify photosynthesis as the food manufacturing process in plants.
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Identify what plants need (i.e., water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide) to manufacture food.
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  1. Photosynthesis animation
  2. Photosynthesis - a large document with lots of good illustrations
  3. Photosynthesis and Respiration - flashcards to review concepts of photosynthesis and respiration
  4. Photosynthesis Study Guide - No answers, but good review questions to test your knowledge.
  5. Transpiration - transfer of water from plants to the atmosphere
Heredity and Reproduction
 
Compare the traits of parents and their offspring.
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  1. Take a Tour of the Basics of Heredity - from the index at the top of the blue box, select Heredity, then click Next to progress through the windows of this show.
  2. Are you my mother? - Match offspring with their parents
  3. Animals and Their Babies - Drag the words on the right to where they belong.
  4. Farm animals and their babies - Click on the images to learn the proper names for farm animals and their babies, and see pictures of the animals with their babies.
  5. Virtual Petting Zoo - (1.) Touch the Whale image anywhere and you'll get a picture of an Adult animal. (2.) When you move your mouse away, the Baby Animal appears!
  6. Animal Dads - When animals are raised by parents, it's most often the mother who does the rearing. But there are some unusual animal dads
  7. Baby Animals - Do you know the special names of these animal babies?
  8. Baby Animals of the Smoky Mountains
  9. Baby Animals Quiz - How many baby animal names do you know?
  10. Names of Males, Females, Babies, and Groups of Animals - What are the Males, Females, Babies, and Groups of Animals Called? (from Enchanted Learning)
  11. Those Genes - Students are introduced to genetic inheritance. (Author - Carol Rine)
Infer the importance of reproduction to the survival of a species.
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Recognize the difference between complete and incomplete metamorphosis.
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Diversity and Adaptation Among Living Things
 
Compare how organisms adapt to different environments.
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  1. Adaptation Activity - Learn how animals adapt to their environment while playing this online game about beavers.
  2. Animal Adaptations Game -
  3. Physical Adaptation - We can see some of the results of physical adaptation by comparing the skeletons of different animals.
  4. Flamingos - Adaptations for Their Environment
  5. Plant Adaptations in Arid Environments - The plants that grow in the arid eastern region near the Columbia River and the Columbia Basin have a number of traits which help them to be successful in the desert.
  6. How Cactus survive in the desert
Match the form with the function of structures in living things.
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  1. Bugging You - examine the characteristics of an insect (Author - Carolyn Garner)
Identify adaptations that enhance the survival of organisms in an environment.
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  1. Animal Adaptation E-Safaris - meet some interesting animals to explore how they are adapted to their environments
  2. Dinosaur Habitat and Community - a BBC presentation about these very adaptable animals
  3. Polar Bears' Adaptations - a neat concept map made by Logan, a first grade student
Determine which organisms are likely to survive in a particular environment.
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  1. Threatened and Endangered Plants and Animals - a database posted by the U S Fish and Wildlife Service
  2. Endangered Species - Click on a state for lists of endangered species in that state
  3. Global 200 - some of the richest, rarest, and most endangered terrestrial, marine and freshwater natural areas of the world (a National Geographic site)
  4. The 2004 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species - Photo Gallery
  5. Arkansas Threatened & Endangered Species - from the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission
  6. Wildlife Crime Busters - Super sleuth scientists get the evidence to solve crimes against animals. (a National Geographic site)
  7. World Endangered Species - a Think Quest site
  8. Yahooligans has an endangered species directory
Biological Change
 
Compare the causes that led to the extinction of various organisms.
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  1. The Extinction Files - mass extinction events have occurred in the Earth's history
Analyze how fossils provide information about the past.
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  1. Fossils - Clues to the Past - Fossils provide clues to what life was like in ancient times.
  2. Amber in Nature - Look at pieces of amber to find out what is captured inside and what clues it provides about the ancient ecosystem.
  3. Fantastic Fossil Finds
  4. Recreating extinct animals from fossil evidence is like completing a giant jigsaw puzzle, but without all the pieces.
  5. Match These Fossils With Their Modern Relatives - Match fossil animals to one of the living animals at this page. Click on the highlighted text to check your guesses!
Compare the relative age of fossils in rock layers.
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  1. Geology of the Grand Canyon - The ultimate display of rock layers
  2. Who's On First? - A Relative Dating Activity
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 Earth Science Standards
Earth and Its Place in the Universe
 
Identify and arrange the phases of the moon in the correct sequence.
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  1. Moon Phases Java Applet - Select "both" for the point of view and run the simulation to see the cause of moon phases. Stop the animation and use their chart to see the name of the moon phase.
  2. Virtual Reality Moon Phase Pictures - You can view the phase of the Moon for any date and time [1800-2199 A.D.].
  3. Phases of the Moon - a very good diagram and a listing of the phases in order.
  4. Earth-Moon-Sun system with Moon phases animation - The Sun is to the right of the Earth and Moon. (The animation is near the bottom of this page)
  5. Moon Phase Calendar - shows the moon phases for each day of the current month.
  6. Phases of the Moon Quiz
  7. Phases of the Moon Activity (from Newton's Apple)
  8. Moon Phase Applet - use this page to see the phases of the moon for an entire year (from 1973 to 2107)
  9. Moon Phase - this java applet shows, but does not name, the moon phase for today. You may also look up the moon phase for any day from 1973 to 2104.
  10. The Phases of the Moon - from Enchanted Learning
  11. Phases of the Moon - This is one of the best animations for explaining moon phases. (from the Science Alberta Foundation) 9/18/05
  12. What Our Moon Looks Like During a Complete Lunar Cycle - from the Astronomy Picture of the Day
  13. Phases of the moon from Earth and space - For each phase, examine how the view from Earth is related to the view from space.
Distinguish among the planets according to specific characteristics.
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  1. Learn about the Planets - from KidsAstronomy
  2. Order it up - Measures of size and scale help us understand the magnitude of objects. Play with scales while trying to arrange planets by magnitude of mass, size, temperature, density, distance, gravity or magnetic field. Correctly order the planets and you unscramble a mystery picture! To play, click on the blue link; Play Order it Up: Solar System Edition
  3. Examine the vast distances between planets in the solar system - This animation simulates a voyage from the sun past all nine planets. In this animation, the apparent speed of the viewer is over 300 times the speed of light.
  4. See Earth from Eight Different Perspectives - a fantastic series of animations showing our dynamic atmosphere, seasonal variation in vegetation, and six others.
Identify the force that pulls objects toward the Earth.
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  1. Gravity and what it does - from Our Place in Space
Differentiate between the Earth’s rotation and its revolution.
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  1. Astronomy - Rotation & Revolution - a Quia quiz
Recognize that the appearance of an object in the sky is affected by its size, motion, and distance from the Earth.
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Atmospheric Cycles
 
Distinguish between weather and climate.
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  1. Introduction to Climate - Listing the general distinctions between weather and climate
  2. What's the Difference Between Weather and Climate?
Identify the basic features of the water cycle.
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  1. Introduction to the water cycle
  2. Water Cycle
  3. Follow a drip through the water cycle
  4. Create a model of the water cycle
  5. How You Can Make a Model of the Water Cycle - print this to give to your students This is an Adobe Acrobat document 9/15/05
  6. Water Wizard quizzes - Do you have a fountain of knowledge when it comes to water? Well, dive right in and test your knowledge of water with these Water Wizard quizzes.
  7. Water Cycle Quiz
  8. Water Cycle Animation - Observe a raindrop traveling through various paths of the water cycle. In this visualization, the blue raindrop shows where water is. The red arrows show the processes that could move it to another place.
  9. The Water Cycle - US Geological Survey's Water Cycle - one of the most complete explanation of the cycle
  10. The Water Cycle Lesson Plan - this inquiry is actually five activities in one 9/15/05
  11. Water Science - US Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Science for Schools web site! They offer information on many aspects of water, along with pictures, data, maps, and an interactive center where you can give opinions and test your water knowledge.
  12. This is a PowerPoint show Water Cycle - a slide show by Soo Park, Alex Reynolds, Kate Schmidt, Connie Woo, and Christine Zackrison
  13. The Watershed Game - Many things happen in a watershed that affect the quality of the water we rely upon . Examine the issues in each area of the watershed, then see the impacts of your choices. 9/15/05
Predict weather conditions based on an analysis of atmospheric data.
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  1. Reading Weather Maps - In the sections that follow, students will examine features to look for on weather maps to make a forecasts, general methods of preparing a forecast, and more specific tips for specific scenarios.
  2. How to interpret a weather map
  3. Weather Forecasting Using the University of Michigan Weather Underground
  4. Predicting Weather Using Maps - a lesson plan posted by Louisiana teacher Debbie Lopez
  5. Real-time data sources to use in weather forecasting projects
    1. Weather Underground - look up any city in the US and most cities around the world
    2. Intellicast Radar Loop of the last 6 hours covering the contiguous United States. This Doppler radar site indicates clouds, rain and snow with different colors, and refreshes 4 times per hour. They now offer a 12 hour java loop. More importantly, this loop allows you to step forward, or backward, one image at a time.
    3. National Forecast Maps from NOAA
    4. Conditions for the last 24 hours reported by the National Weather Service - Select State from the pull down menu, then select City
  6. Compare and contrast warm and cold fronts - excellent animations of each type of front
  7. Satellite Movies of Air Masses Moving across North America
  8. Weather Quizzes - Weather Vocabulary Practice | Weather Multiple Choice | Atmosphere Vocabulary Practice
Identify how various geographic features affect weather and climate.
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Earth Features
 
Identify forces that cause geological change.
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  1. Animations Plate Tectonics animation (Warning!: These animated gifs, including the smallest files, load slowly)
  2. Animations in the form of PowerPoint shows are available from the PLATES project at the University of Texas.
  3. History - Plate Tectonics: The Rocky History of an Idea
  4. How the Plates Move - a lesson from Volcano World
  5. Mechanisms
  6. Paleomap Earth History maps
  7. Paleomap VR animations
  8. Pangea to the Present - a study of the history of the Earth's tectonic plates.
  9. Plate Tectonics presented by NASA's Observatorium
  10. Plate Tectonic Reconstruction Service. In this section you can calculate plate tectonic reconstructions of any age back to 150 My.
  11. Science Odyssey: You Try It: Plate Tectonics - A hands-on exercise about plate tectonics and earthquakes from PBS. (requires Shockwave plug-in)
  12. Observe the break up of Pangaea - This animation shows how the locations of continents and islands have changed over the past 150 million years.
  13. Observe animations of processes that occur along plate boundaries (transform, convergent and diverging)
Recognize that the age of Earth materials can be determined by their position in rock layers.
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  1. Principal of Uniformitarianism - states that the processes affecting Earth today are the same ones that affected it in the past.
  2. Principle of Superposition - in a sequence of undisturbed sedimentary layers or lava flows, the oldest layers are at the bottom. (includes an animation)
Identify characteristics of the earth’s layers.
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  1. A Cross-Section Globe - from Canon's Bubble Jet Printer Creative Park
  2. Abundances of the elements in the Earth's crust - data for students to enter into Excel.
  3. Chemical Make-up of the Earth's Crust - This site includes a neat looking pie chart. (Unfortunatly the state filter blocks the MIStupid site)
  4. Earth's Interior & Plate Tectonics - covers the following: The Earth's Interior, The Lithosphere & Plate Tectonics, Oceanic Lithosphere, Continental Lithosphere and Plate Tectonics.
  5. Inside the Earth : Label the Inside of the Earth (from Enchanted Learning)
  6. Layers of the Earth
  7. Structure of the Earth - features a globe with a removable section
  8. Earth’s Interior Structure - a cool lesson plan from Explorations in Earth Science!
  9. This is a PowerPoint show Journey to the Center of Earth - a slide show on layers of the earth by Kelly Kupferschmid
  10. This is a PowerPoint show Earth’s interior layers
Earth Resources
 
Select a diagram that illustrates the most appropriate use of an earth material.
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Select the soil characteristics that best support plant growth.
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  1. Ask the Answer Worm! - It’s a dirty job but someone has to do it - S.K.Worm, the official annelid, or worm, of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service answers students questions about soil.
Recognize the impact of society's use of nonrenewable resources over time.
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  1. Energy Kids Page - renewable and nonrenewable resources
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  Physical Science Standards  
Forces and Motion
 
Identify the effect that gravity has on objects found on or near the earth’s surface.
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  1. Gravity and what it does - from Our Place in Space
Determine the effect of slope and friction on the speed of an object.
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  1. Forces and Motion - Use this BBC interactive site to experiment with various factors, then take a Quiz
  2. Friction - Investigate friction on a variety of surfaces, then take a quiz.
  3. Forces in Action - from the BBC
Match simple machines with their uses.
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  1. Simple Machines Activities: Learn about simple and compound machines while you explore the House and Tool Shed at E-Heads!
  2. Simple Machines - An excellent overview from the Franklin Institute On-Line
  3. Machines Make Life Easier - a set of lessons and activities about simple machines
  4. Lever - attach a new mass piece or put it to another place with pressed mouse button
  5. Move Our Principal - Students learn about the six simple machines then use their knowledge to assist their principal. (Author - Sandi King)
  6. Pulley - Investigate mechanical advantage of a pulley with this interactive java applet
  7. Pulley System - (raise or lower the load with the mouse) If you click on the mouse button, a spring balance will appear showing the tension in the string.
  8. Inclined Plane - This Java applet demonstrates a motion on an inclined plane with constant velocity and the corresponding forces.
  9. Simple Machines game from Harcourt School
  10. Simple Machines Made Simple - an introduction to the six simple machines (Author - Sandi King)
  11. This is a PowerPoint show Sunken Millions - a Simple Machines review game
  12. This is a PowerPoint show Simple Machines
Structure and Properties of Matter
 
Select a material according to a description of its physical properties.
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Recognize the law of conservation of matter.
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Recognize how heat loss or gain is associated with a change in the state of matter.
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  1. States of Matter - Quiz 1 - Definite shapes and definite volumes, solids, liquids and gases
  2. States of Matter - Quiz 2 - Condensation, freezing, evaporation, vapor
  3. States of Matter - Quiz 3 - What takes the shape of the container it is in?, melting points
  4. States of Matter - Quiz 4 - Condensation point, freezing, melting points
Determine the appropriate metric unit of measurement for specific properties of matter.
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Interactions of Matter
 
Distinguish between physical and chemical changes.
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Compare the effect of physical and chemical changes on matter.
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  1. Sciencegy Game Board - Physical and Chemical Change Answers
  2. What is the difference between chemical and physical change?
  3. Physical vs Chemical change - an interactive lesson
  4. Physical and Chemical Changes - Quiz 1 - The difference between physical and chemical changes
Identify a substance as an acid (i.e., vinegar or lemon juice) or a base (i.e., soap or baking soda).
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  1. Acids and Bases - (an introduction) Near the bottom of this page you will find a great table showing the range of pH from most acidic to most basic.
Energy
 
Identify the poles of a magnet.
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  1. Magnetic Field of a Bar Magnet - The magnetic field of a bar magnet can be investigated with this compass needle applet. 9/25/05
Recognize how various materials conduct heat.
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  1. Keeping Warm - investigate how well various materials insulate
Identify the description of a magnetic field.
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  1. Field lines round a magnet from BBC physics
  2. Magnetic Field of a Bar Magnet - The magnetic field of a bar magnet can be investigated with this compass needle applet. 9/25/05
Identify ways that energy is transferred.
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Differentiate between potential and kinetic energy.
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  1. Potential Energy - excellent diagrams and 3 practice questions
  2. Kinetic Energy - more good diagrams and 4 practice problems
  3. QuickTime movie showing the motion of a roller coaster car down a vertical drop, through two vertical loops, over a small hill, and to the end of the track. The animation portrays the relative amounts of kinetic energy, potential energy, and total mechanical energy of the car as it moves along the track.
Distinguish between series and parallel circuits.
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  1. Series and Parallel circuits illustrated by BBC Physics
  2. Circuits and Conductors - an interactive site from the BBC
  3. Electricity and Magnetism - the basics of circuits
  4. Investigate a complete circuit at BBC
  5. What Is a Circuit? - This introduction is followed by an interactive page, and then a quiz
  6. Measuring voltage - the most common activity in electronics. Use the links at the bottom of the page to move to other activities related to measuring voltage.
  7. Measuring Current - Circuits require the correct amount of voltage and current in order to work. Use the links at the bottom of the page to move to other activities related to measuring voltage.
Select the illustration that depicts how lenses refract light.
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  1. The anatomy of a lens
    1. Refraction by Lenses
    2. Image Formation Revisited
    3. Ray Diagrams (converging lenses)
    4. Object-Image Relations
    5. Ray Diagrams (diverging lenses)
    6. Object-Image Relations
    7. The Mathematics of Lenses
  2. An index of ray optics animations from the Physics Classroom
  3. Thick Lens java applet which allows your students to manipulate the variables
Review Help
Practice Tests!
  1. Virginia State Standards of Learning - Select Science 5, and then select 10, 20, or 40 questions.
  2. On-line end-of-year Science tests from Texas - 2003 | 2004

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