Mrs. Drew
5th Grade Science
Unit Plans February 2017
Life Science Unit
Plants/Ecosystems and Energy
Standards:
LS-1: Compare the life cycles of different plants including germination, maturity, reproduction and death.
LS-2: Relate plant structure to their specific functions (e.g., growth, survival, and reproduction).
LS-3: Classify common plants according to their characteristics (e.g., tree leaves, flowers, seeds, roots and stems).
LS-4: Observe and explore that fossils provide evidence about plants that lived long ago and the nature of the environment at that time.
LS-5: Describe how organisms interact with one another in various ways (e.g., many plants depend on animals for carrying pollen or dispersing seeds).
Vocabulary:
vascular, nonvascular, vascular tissue, xylem, phloem, photosynthesis,
classify, spore, gymnosperm, angiosperm, germinate, fossil, extinction, environment, ecosystem, population, community, biotic, abiotic, diversity, producer, consumer, herbivore, carnivore, omnivore, decomposer, habitat, niche, food chain, prey, predator, food web, energy, pyramid
Essential Questions:
What are some plant types?
How do plants grow?
How do plants reproduce?
How do plants of the past compare with those of today?
What are the parts of an ecosystem?
What factors influence ecosystems?
What are the roles of living things?
How do living things get energy?
Objectives:
Know how plants are classified.
Know the characteristics of vascular and nonvascular plants.
Know the parts of a vascular plant.
Understand the function of roots, stems and leaves.
Know the reproductive structures of some vascular plants such as spores and seeds.
Describe how plant organs work together during the process of photosynthesis.
Explain the life cycle of simple plants.
Know how to compare different seed adaptations, such as cones and fruits.
Know how nature produces fossil plants.
Know about extinct prehistoric plant species.
Construct a model of an ecosystem.
Define population and community.
Explain how biotic and abiotic factors effect ecosystems.
Describe how climate affects ecosystems.
Explain how living things use the energy from sunlight.
Describe how living things relate to each other.
Explain how consumers depend on other living things.
Describe how energy moves though the food chains and food webs.
Assessment:
Vocabulary quiz
Information test
Group participation
Research report
Hands-on experiments
Science Notebook
Teacher conferencing
Teacher observation
This unit is a lengthy, complex unit. Periodically, I will post updates of the progression of the unit. We will also spend time outside when the weather allows working in our “outdoor classroom.”