Fresno Unified School District

Fifth Grade Science Curriculum Guide

Fifth Grade Science

The California Science Content Standards include Earth Science, Life Science, and Physical Science. Students in grade five will learn about chemical reactions and discover the special (and shared) properties of metallic elements. They will clearly distinguish between molecules and atoms and chemical compounds and mixtures and learn about the organization of atoms on the periodic table of the elements. They can then be shown how particular chemical reactions (e.g., photosynthesis and respiration) drive the physiological processes of living cells. They will add to what they have learned in previous grade levels about the external characteristics and adaptations of plants and animals and learn about some of the fundamental principles of physiology. They will learn about blood circulation and respiration in humans; digestion of food and collection and excretion of wastes in animals; the movement of water and minerals from the roots of plants to the leaves; and the transport of sugar generated during photosynthesis from the leaves to the other parts of the plant. Students in grade five also study the hydrologic cycle (water cycle), the process by which water moves between the land and the oceans. They will learn how the hydrologic cycle influences the distribution of weather-related precipitation and, as a consequence, the types and rates of erosion. They will also study the solar system and learn that it contains asteroids and comets in addition to the Sun, nine planets, and moons. They will learn the composition of the Sun and the relationship between gravity and planetary orbits (CDE, 2000).

Please refer to specific pages in the Harcourt Science Teachers' Edition  and ePlanner on CD for detailed information needed for lesson plan development. These resources will also provide references for recommended best practices and effective strategies to attain mastery of the California Science Content Standards in Fifth Grade Science. 

Grade 5 Science Kit Contents - printable pdf version - Click to download here

Recommended minutes of instruction:  150 per week.

Fifth grade science standards are assessed on the Science Content Standards Test given to students in grade five.