|
In fifth and sixth grade science classes the students continue
to build on the lessons from earlier grades. While in the second
grade the lesson may have studied vertebrates or mammals, the
older students are ready for the challenge that studying the human
body represents. The experiments are of their choosing and the
students develop and write their own questions to be answered
through experimentation and observation. These science projects
put the students' accumulated knowledge to work as they use mathematics
and language arts lessons to formulate questions and calculate
answers using charts, graphs and diagrams.
Students in fourth grade science may have studied the cells that make up plant
life; in fifth grade they study human cells and how they work
together to form the systems that sustain life. They also may
take the results from their studies in Physical Science that gave
them information on elements, atoms and chemical reactions and
apply them to the study of how the human body uses and stores
energy. They use anatomical models and charts to learn the sequential
steps of the digestive system; circulatory system and they may
do experimentation to discover what effect certain foods have
on the body. In doing so, they have planned a simple investigation
with dependent and controlled variables. As they follow through
with their experiments, they record the data, make observations
and they are able to draw conclusions based on their results.
Fifth grade Physical Science lessons include the study of elements;
chemical reactions and can also include electricity and its properties.
They learn that all matter is made up of atoms and that atoms
form molecules. They study the properties of solids, liquids and
gasses and experiment with chemical compounds they see or use
every day such as sugar or salt. Students study magnets and magnetism,
electricity and electromagnetism. They may build their own compasses
and work with switches and current. This work has them choosing
the appropriate tools and using safety precautions to carry out
investigations. At the end of the unit, students write individual
reports recording their results and what they learned from the
project.
In some sixth grade classes, emphasis is put on Earth Science
and the structure of our planet. The students study plate tectonics,
earth layers and study the effects of major geologic events on
the earth. The students learn about water and its properties,
especially in regard to ecosystems and the water cycle. Students
on both coasts learn how tides and the oceans formed the beaches
and still alter the coastlines. Global warming is currently a
hot button issue and students learn about the effect human activity
has had on our planet.
Children have a natural curiosity and from the moment they have
the chance, they start learning about their environment with a
hands-on approach. Fifth and sixth grade science lets students
take that curiosity, build on it and discover answers to questions
they have formulated based on it. They can choose what problem
or question they have, develop an educated guess they want to
prove or disprove, and use whatever tools they have at their disposal
to perform experiments, gather data and display their results.
The students can choose fieldwork; gathering water samples from
tide pools or backyard streams. Or perhaps a group of students
decides to stay indoors and build a volcano or their own electromagnet.
Sixth grade science provides the experience that students need
to build the confidence in themselves they need to become participants
in a world that is relying more and more on technology and science
each day.
|
