Elements and their Composition; Forces & Energy

Overview

 

This is a 5^th grade unit that will address several of the Physical, Earth and Space, and Technology/Engineering Sciences Standards. The focus of the unit is Elements and their Composition; Forces and Energy. Within this theme, there are opportunities for the students to explore electrical circuits, electromagnetism, weather, and simple machines. There are only 4 Physical Science standards that all Newton 5^th grade teachers are responsible for and these appear in this unit. Also included are 2 essential lessons that deal with concepts that appear in the 5^th grade “Weather” unit. There is also the potential to use the electromagnetism lesson to include the 7 necessary Technology/Engineering standards necessary to our grade level (Elementary 1.2, 1.3, 2.2, 2.3, Middle 1, 2, and 3).

There is not an official “Putting Circuits to Work” unit. Instead, there are 4 essential standards or concepts that you must communicate to the students. You may choose to use the lessons that are included hereafter in the Elements and their Composition; Forces and Energy unit as your means of communication. You might decide to create your own lessons that address the 4 standards. Should you create your own lessons, please feel encouraged to share your lessons with your peers.

This unit will hopefully be useful to you, even if only to refresh or strengthen your own knowledge of the concepts that support the essential lessons. Some of the other lessons in the unit reinforce the standards that have been taught by 4^th grade teachers in their “Energy Forms” unit. A 5^th grade teacher may decide that it is not necessary to review these concepts at this time. You also may not have time to use this entire unit or you may have developed something that you prefer. In either case, you are still responsible for the following 4 standards that have been assigned to our grade level:

 

                                                “Putting Circuits to Work”

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) Properties of Objects and Materials

 

1. Differentiate between properties of objects (e.g., size, shape, weight) and properties of materials (e.g., color, texture, hardness).

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) Electrical Energy

 

6. Recognize that electricity in circuits requires a complete loop through which an electrical current can pass, and that electricity can produce light, heat, and sound.

 

7. Identify and classify objects and materials that conduct electricity and objects and materials that are insulators of electricity.

 

8.     Explain how electromagnets can be made, and give examples of how they can be used.

 

5^th Grade teachers are also responsible for the following Earth and Space essential concepts/standards that are included in this unit:

 

“Weather”

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) States of Matter

 

2. Compare and contrast solids, liquids, and gasses based on the basic properties of each of these states of matter.

 

·      Describe how water can be changed from one state to another by adding or taking away heat.

 

In addition, the Elements and their Composition; Forces and Energy unit reinforces the following standards that the 4^th grade teachers are responsible for:

 

“Weather”

 

Earth and Space Science- Elementary (3-5) The Water Cycle

 

10. Describe how water on earth cycles in different forms and in different locations, including underground and in the atmosphere.

 

Earth and Space Science- Elementary (3-5) The Earth in the Solar System

 

14 Recognize that the earth revolves around (orbits) the sun in a year’s time and that earth rotates on its axis once approximately every 24 hours. (…Make connections between the rotation of the earth and day/night, and the apparent movement of the sun, moon, and stars across the sky.—not covered here)

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) Forms of Energy

 

4. Identify the basic forms of energy (light, sound, heat, electrical, and magnetic.) Recognize that energy is the ability to cause motion or create change.

 

5. Give examples of how energy can be transferred from one form to another.

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) Magnetic Energy

 

9.     Recognize that magnets have poles that repel and attract each other.

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) Sound Energy

 

11. Recognize that sound is produced by vibrating objects and requires a medium through which to travel. Relate the pitch of vibration to the pitch of the sound.

 

Physical Science- Elementary (3-5) Light Energy

 

Elements and their Composition; Forces and Energy

 

Lesson 1: Water Cycle; States of Matter	Anticipated Time = 3 classes
Lesson 2: Elements and Atoms	Anticipated Time = 2 classes
Lesson 3: Forces and Energy	Anticipated Time = 1 class
Lesson 4: Static Electricity	Anticipated Time = 2 classes
Lesson 5: Safety	Anticipated Time = .5 class
Lesson 6: Series/Parallel Circuits	Anticipated Time = 10 classes (?)
Lesson 6.5: Insulators/Conductors	Anticipated Time = included in above
Lesson 7: Electromagnetism	Anticipated Time = 3 classes
Lesson 8: Possible Weather Extension
Lesson 9: Light
Lesson 10: Sound

 

Three of the 4 essential Physical Science standards (numbers 6, 7, and 8) are addressed in Lessons 6.0 and 6.5. The fourth essential standard (number 1) is addressed in Lesson 2. There are 2 essential Physical standards (numbers 2 and 3) that relate to states of matter and they are explored in Lesson 1. The essential standards from Technology/Engineering are all found in Lesson 7, which asks the students to design and

build a crane.