Dear Parents,
During the 3rd 9 weeks, students will be able to recognize natural patterns of change, characteristics of the earth, moon and sun, differences in weather, and interactions of organisms within the environment.

The concepts students are expected to master for Earth Rotation & Sun Movement: Students are expected to demonstrate that Earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours causing the day/night cycle and the apparent movement of the Sun across the sky. Students will also be expected to identify and compare the physical characteristics of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.

  1. The day and night cycle occurs every 24 hours due to the rotation of the Earth.
  2. We can demonstrate that the rotation of the Earth causes the day and night cycle.
  3. The Sun appears to move across the sky each day due to the rotation of the Earth.
  4. We can identify and compare the physical characteristics of the Sun, Earth, and Moon, such as surface, temperature, geological features, composition, and size.
  5. The Sun is made of gases while the Earth and Moon are made largely from rock.
  6. The Sun and Earth have very different atmospheres, while the Moon does not have a significant atmosphere. Only the Earth has liquid water.

The concepts students are expected to master for weather and climate: In the unit Weather & Climate, students are expected to differentiate between weather and climate and be able to explain how the Sun and the ocean interact in the water cycle.

  1. Weather refers to the daily environmental conditions we experience around us. It is also used to describe the condition of the atmosphere in a place at a certain time.
  2. Climate refers to the average conditions in a place over a longer period of time.
  3. Weather can be observed each day, whereas climate must be observed over time.
  4. The Sun provides the energy that evaporates water on Earth.
  5. While evaporation can be used to separate solutions, water that evaporates from the ocean does not contain salt.
  6. Much of the water cycle begins when the Sun’s energy evaporates water from oceans, which collectively cover approximately 71% of the Earth’s surface.

The concepts students are expected to master for interdependency, food webs and food chains: The concepts of Independency, Food Webs, Environments, and the carbon/oxygen cycle are our next focus in science. Students will be expected to observe the way organisms live and survive in their ecosystem by interacting with the living and nonliving elements. They need to describe how the flow of energy derived from the Sun, used by producers to create their own food, is transferred through a food chain and food web to consumers and decomposers. Students will be expected to predict the effects of changes in ecosystems caused by living organisms, including humans, such as the overpopulation of grazers or the building of highways and expected to identify the significance of the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle to the survival of plants and animals.

  1. Organisms interact with both living and nonliving things to survive in their ecosystems.
  2. Plants interact with living things such as animals and other plants in complex ways that also require nonliving things, such as carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight.
  3. Animals depend on other living things, such as plants and other animals, and nonliving things, such as air and water, to survive. All energy transferred through food chains and webs is derived from the Sun.
  4. Producers use the Sun’s energy to create their own food through photosynthesis.
  5. Consumers and decomposers get their energy from producers or other consumers.
  6. The different parts of a food web are producers, consumers, and decomposers.
  7. Changes to the environment made by organisms can affect other organisms.
  8. We can predict the effects of changes to the environment caused by organisms.
  9. People and animals exhale carbon dioxide during respiration.
  10. Plants use carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight to produce their own food, releasing oxygen as a waste product.
  11. In order to survive, people and animals inhale the oxygen released by plants.

If you have any questions, please contact your fifth grade team.

Sincerely, your fifth grade team.