• Fifth Grade Science 

    Dear Fifth Grade Families;

    Welcome to the Ann Arbor Public Schools Family Pages. We hope the information you find here assists you in supporting your child while s/he is learning important skills and concepts throughout the fifth grade year.  
     
    The Ann Arbor Public Schools uses Science Companion as its core elementary science learning resource. Science Companion is an inquiry-based program that engages students in hands-on science and the process skills used by scientists. The units of study are aligned with Michigan Science Standards that include a life science and an earth science module at each grade level. Project Lead the Way - Launch resources are used to provide units of study in physical science as well as engineering.   
    To take a deeper look at each unit go to:    Atlas: Fifth Grade Science

    Key Science Learnings 

    Life Science

    Human Body in Motion

    • To move, many parts of our bodies must work together.
    • Muscles move our skeletons by pulling on bones that meet at joints.  
    • Nerves carry signals to our muscles to move parts of our body.
    • Bones are made of unique cells important to movement.
    • To produce energy and function properly, all cells need a constant supply of oxygen, nutrients, and water. 
    • Muscles are made of unique cells important to movement.  
    • To produce the energy needed for movement, muscle cells need a constant supply of oxygen, nutrients, and water.
    • The human body is made up of many different types of cells. Each type of cell has unique characteristics for performing a specific “job.”

     Skill Building Activities

    • Paying attention to the way a particular book is laid out can assist reading comprehension. (“Reading Science Books”)
    • Observation is a powerful tool for learning about something. Detailed and accurate descriptions of your observations help you communicate them to others. (“Observing and Describing”)
    • Scientists plan and design fair tests so they can determine how the one variable being changed affects the results of an experiment. (“Designing a Fair Test”) 

    Earth Science

    Earth Science in 5th and 6th grades is addressed through a yearlong Earth Science course in 6th grade.

     

     

    Physical Science and Engineering 

     

     

    *Unless noted units are Project Lead The Way-Launch resources

    Robotics & Automation: Environmental Clean-up
    Student exploration of robotics includes:

    • ways that robots are used in today’s world
    • the impact of their use on society and the environment
    • learning about a variety of robotic components as they build and test mobile robots that may be controlled remotely
    • working on a design problem that provides an opportunity for students to apply their robotic skills and knowledge to solve a real-world problem related to environmental disaster cleanup.

    Robotics & Automation: Challenge
    Students:

    • expand their understanding of robotics as they explore mechanical design and computer programming.
    • developing skills needed to build and program autonomous robots
    • develop programming skills in a variety of platforms, including tablet applications and browser-based programming environments  
    • apply the robotic knowledge and skills they have developed to build and program an autonomous robot to solve a real-world design problem.