Fifth Grade Programs

Essential Questions: What is a wetland? What are the basic functions of a wetland? 

Description: This lesson is all about wetlands and the basic functions they have. The students will focus on the three S’s of a wetland: Soak, Strain, Sustain. Students will hike to a wetland on Grace College campus and learn about these different functions using tools to visually explain how a wetland soaks, strains, and sustains. Students will also have time at the end to talk about why we need wetlands and ways we can protect them from pollution. 

Standards:
HS-ENV4-1: Use a model or simulation to support and revise explanations based on evidence about factors affecting biodiversity and populations in ecosystems of different scales.
5.CC.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.
4. 5.DM.3: Evaluate reasonableness of observations, results, and solutions throughout processes.

Essential Question: What are plankton? How do organisms interact with one another in an aquatic ecosystem?

Description: Students will begin by observing a jar with lake water. They are pushed to make observations on what they see in the water. They will learn about phytoplankton and zooplankton that live in the water along with the terms consumer and producer. The students are going to watch a video over phytoplankton and zooplankton to go over what they have already learned. Lastly they are going to each get a microscope to look at different types of phytoplanktons and zooplanktons. They will have a sheet that they record their observations with and will be able to share what they observed.

Standards:
5-LS2-1: Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.
5.CC.1: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) on grade-appropriate topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing personal ideas clearly.
5.CC.2: Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.

Essential Question: What is topography? How do you read a topographic map?

Description: Students will go over what topography means and what a topographical map is.  They will have a basic understanding of how to read a topographic map and know what it is used for. Students will be split in half for their activity so everyone can have a clear view. Half the students will use the AR Sandbox to see a topographic map in action. They will move the sand to make different landforms and see how the map changes as well as seeing the higher and lower elevations. The other half of the students will be playing a topographical game testing their map reading skills. This will give the students a chance to work together to understand how to read different types of maps. The students will switch locations and work with either the map game or the Sandtable. At the end of the lesson the students should be able to read a topographical map as well as understand why we use them.

Standards:
HS-ENV3-1: Construct an explanation based on evidence for how natural Earth hazards, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, and hurricanes, affect the environment and human activity on both a short-term and long-term scale.
CC.4: Systems and System Models : A system can be described in terms of its components and their interactions.
5.CC.1: Collect and document evidence to share information with others in charts, tables, presentations, or text.

Essential Question: How are lakes formed? How do the geological forces impact the lakes and topography in an area?

Description: Students are introduced to the geological forces of weathering and erosion through a video. They will then review the video they watched by brainstorming how chemical and mechanical weathering are different. The students will then demonstrate chemical and mechanical weathering through an activity. Their activity will consist of mechanically and chemically weathering a sugar cube so the students can see what this process entails. From this activity students will brainstorm where they see these types of weathering and any ways they could prevent it from happening.