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.
Key Science Learnings
Life Science
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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”)
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Earth Science
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Earth Science in 5th and 6th grades is addressed through a yearlong Earth Science course in 6th grade.
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Physical Science and Engineering
*Unless noted units are Project Lead The Way-Launch resources
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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.
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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.
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