This is the year science gets smaller and more invisible. Students zoom in to see that plants and animals are built from cells too tiny to see without a microscope, and they learn how tiny particles explain water turning to ice or steam. They build simple circuits, test which materials carry electricity, and sort living things into clear groups. By spring, students can wire a working circuit with a battery and bulb and explain what is happening inside.
Students look at how mountains, sand dunes, beaches, and river deltas get built up or worn down over time. They study how wind, water, ice, and even plants and animals reshape the land, and how people use technology to predict floods and storms.
Students mix, separate, freeze, and melt materials to see what counts as a physical change and what counts as a new substance. They learn to spot clues like color shifts, bubbles, smells, and temperature changes that signal something chemically new.
Students build simple circuits with batteries, wires, and bulbs and test which everyday materials let electricity through. They also explore magnets and electromagnets, including how a magnet can pull on objects without touching them.
Students sort animals into groups like fish, reptiles, birds, and mammals, and sort plants by whether they grow from seeds. They also compare traits a living thing is born with to behaviors and skills it picks up over time.
Students use microscopes and images to see that plants and animals are made of tiny cells, and they label the main parts of each. They finish the year looking at how some germs make people sick while others help with things like making bread or keeping soil healthy.
Surface features like mountains, canyons, and beaches form because of forces that build land up or wear it down. Students learn to tell which process shaped each feature.
Students look at landforms like mountains, volcanoes, sand dunes, and river deltas and explain what built them up or wore them down. They back their explanation with real evidence, not just a guess.
Students build simple models, like a sand tray or clay landscape, to show how processes such as erosion or volcanic activity shape the ground over time.
Students learn how scientists use tools like satellites and sensors to warn communities about earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or floods before they happen, and how engineers build structures to reduce the damage those events cause.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to identify surface features on… | Surface features like mountains, canyons, and beaches form because of forces that build land up or wear it down. Students learn to tell which process shaped each feature. | S5E1 |
| Construct an argument supported by scientific evidence to identify surface… | Students look at landforms like mountains, volcanoes, sand dunes, and river deltas and explain what built them up or wore them down. They back their explanation with real evidence, not just a guess. | S5E1.a |
| Develop simple interactive models to collect data that illustrate how changes… | Students build simple models, like a sand tray or clay landscape, to show how processes such as erosion or volcanic activity shape the ground over time. | S5E1.b |
| Ask questions to obtain information on how technology is used to limit and/or… | Students learn how scientists use tools like satellites and sensors to warn communities about earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or floods before they happen, and how engineers build structures to reduce the damage those events cause. | S5E1.c |
Students sort changes into two buckets: ones where the material stays the same (tearing paper, melting ice) and ones where a new substance forms (burning wood, rusting metal). They explain how to tell the difference using evidence.
Students mix, separate, and handle materials like water and dry powders to see how substances can change form without becoming something new.
Heating or cooling water changes whether it flows, freezes, or turns to steam. Students explain that those changes happen because tiny invisible particles speed up or slow down with temperature, and use observations to back up that argument.
Students mix, heat, or combine materials and watch for signs that a new substance formed, like a color shift, bubbles, a new smell, or unexpected heat. Those clues are how scientists tell a chemical change from a physical one.
Students explore how electricity works by reading, testing, and comparing information about circuits, conductors, and energy. They learn what makes a circuit work and what stops it.
Students learn the difference between static electricity (like the shock you feel after shuffling across carpet) and the electricity flowing through outlets and wires that powers a lamp or phone charger.
Students build a working circuit using a battery, wires, and a light bulb or buzzer, then explain what each part does and why the circuit stops working if any piece is missing.
Students test everyday materials like plastic, metal, and wood to find out which ones let electricity flow through (conductors) and which ones block it (insulators).
Students explore how magnets and electricity are connected. They investigate what makes magnets attract or repel objects and discover how that same force can generate an electric current.
Students build an electromagnet out of wire and a battery, then compare what it can and cannot do against a regular magnet. They use their results to explain why each type is useful in different situations.
Students plan and run a simple experiment to watch what happens when a magnet gets close to a magnetic object, like a paper clip or iron nail. They record what the magnetic field does and how the object responds.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to explain the differences… | Students sort changes into two buckets: ones where the material stays the same (tearing paper, melting ice) and ones where a new substance forms (burning wood, rusting metal). They explain how to tell the difference using evidence. | S5P1 |
| Plan and carry out investigations of physical changes by manipulating… | Students mix, separate, and handle materials like water and dry powders to see how substances can change form without becoming something new. | S5P1.a |
| Construct an argument based on observations to support a claim that the… | Heating or cooling water changes whether it flows, freezes, or turns to steam. Students explain that those changes happen because tiny invisible particles speed up or slow down with temperature, and use observations to back up that argument. | S5P1.b |
| Plan and carry out an investigation to determine if a chemical change occurred… | Students mix, heat, or combine materials and watch for signs that a new substance formed, like a color shift, bubbles, a new smell, or unexpected heat. Those clues are how scientists tell a chemical change from a physical one. | S5P1.c |
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to investigate electricity | Students explore how electricity works by reading, testing, and comparing information about circuits, conductors, and energy. They learn what makes a circuit work and what stops it. | S5P2 |
| Obtain and combine information from multiple sources to explain the difference… | Students learn the difference between static electricity (like the shock you feel after shuffling across carpet) and the electricity flowing through outlets and wires that powers a lamp or phone charger. | S5P2.a |
| Design a complete, simple electric circuit | Students build a working circuit using a battery, wires, and a light bulb or buzzer, then explain what each part does and why the circuit stops working if any piece is missing. | S5P2.b |
| Plan and carry out investigations on common materials to determine if they are… | Students test everyday materials like plastic, metal, and wood to find out which ones let electricity flow through (conductors) and which ones block it (insulators). | S5P2.c |
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about magnetism and its… | Students explore how magnets and electricity are connected. They investigate what makes magnets attract or repel objects and discover how that same force can generate an electric current. | S5P3 |
| Construct an argument based on experimental evidence to communicate the… | Students build an electromagnet out of wire and a battery, then compare what it can and cannot do against a regular magnet. They use their results to explain why each type is useful in different situations. | S5P3.a |
| Plan and carry out an investigation to observe the interaction between a… | Students plan and run a simple experiment to watch what happens when a magnet gets close to a magnetic object, like a paper clip or iron nail. They record what the magnetic field does and how the object responds. | S5P3.b |
Students sort living things into groups based on shared traits, using the same classification system scientists use. They learn why a mushroom isn't a plant and why a whale isn't a fish.
Students sort animals into groups based on shared traits, starting with whether the animal has a backbone. Vertebrates get sorted further into fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals using evidence from more than one source.
Students sort plants into two groups: ones that make seeds and ones that don't. They build a model or diagram to show how those groups differ, using information gathered from books, observations, or other sources.
Some traits, like eye color, are passed down from parents. Others, like a scar or a skill, come from experience. Students learn to tell the difference between traits kids are born with and traits they pick up over time.
Instincts are behaviors animals are born with, like a spider spinning a web. Learned behaviors develop through experience, like a dog sitting on command. Students compare these two types to understand where animal behavior comes from.
Students sort physical traits into two groups: ones passed down from parents (like eye color) and ones that developed from experience or environment (like a scar or a callus). The goal is understanding which traits you're born with and which ones life gives you.
Plant and animal cells share some parts, like a nucleus and membrane, but differ in key ways. Students learn which structures each cell type has and what those structures do.
Students gather evidence to support the claim that living things are made of cells too small to see with the naked eye. They use microscopes or digital tools to observe plant and animal cells up close.
Students draw or build a model of a plant cell and an animal cell, then label the parts of each. They learn which parts both cells share and which parts, like the cell wall and chloroplasts, only show up in plants.
Plant cells have a stiff outer wall and a large central compartment that animal cells don't. Students compare diagrams of both cell types and explain, in writing, what makes each one different.
Microorganisms are too small to see without a microscope, but they affect every living thing. Students learn how bacteria and other tiny organisms can help animals and plants stay healthy or make them sick.
Students build a case, using real scientific evidence, that some microorganisms help larger living things. Think bacteria that aid digestion or fungi that break down dead matter.
Students build a written argument, backed by scientific evidence, explaining why certain microorganisms cause disease or damage in larger living things.
| Standard | Definition | Code |
|---|---|---|
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to group organisms using… | Students sort living things into groups based on shared traits, using the same classification system scientists use. They learn why a mushroom isn't a plant and why a whale isn't a fish. | S5L1 |
| Develop a model that illustrates how animals are sorted into groups | Students sort animals into groups based on shared traits, starting with whether the animal has a backbone. Vertebrates get sorted further into fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals using evidence from more than one source. | S5L1.a |
| Develop a model that illustrates how plants are sorted into groups | Students sort plants into two groups: ones that make seeds and ones that don't. They build a model or diagram to show how those groups differ, using information gathered from books, observations, or other sources. | S5L1.b |
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information showing that some characteristics… | Some traits, like eye color, are passed down from parents. Others, like a scar or a skill, come from experience. Students learn to tell the difference between traits kids are born with and traits they pick up over time. | S5L2 |
| Ask questions to compare and contrast instincts and learned behaviors | Instincts are behaviors animals are born with, like a spider spinning a web. Learned behaviors develop through experience, like a dog sitting on command. Students compare these two types to understand where animal behavior comes from. | S5L2.a |
| Ask questions to compare and contrast inherited and acquired physical traits | Students sort physical traits into two groups: ones passed down from parents (like eye color) and ones that developed from experience or environment (like a scar or a callus). The goal is understanding which traits you're born with and which ones life gives you. | S5L2.b |
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information to compare and contrast the parts… | Plant and animal cells share some parts, like a nucleus and membrane, but differ in key ways. Students learn which structures each cell type has and what those structures do. | S5L3 |
| Gather evidence by utilizing technology tools to support a claim that plants… | Students gather evidence to support the claim that living things are made of cells too small to see with the naked eye. They use microscopes or digital tools to observe plant and animal cells up close. | S5L3.a |
| Develop a model to identify and label parts of a plant cell | Students draw or build a model of a plant cell and an animal cell, then label the parts of each. They learn which parts both cells share and which parts, like the cell wall and chloroplasts, only show up in plants. | S5L3.b |
| Construct an explanation that differentiates between the structure of plant and… | Plant cells have a stiff outer wall and a large central compartment that animal cells don't. Students compare diagrams of both cell types and explain, in writing, what makes each one different. | S5L3.c |
| Obtain, evaluate, and communicate information about how microorganisms benefit… | Microorganisms are too small to see without a microscope, but they affect every living thing. Students learn how bacteria and other tiny organisms can help animals and plants stay healthy or make them sick. | S5L4 |
| Construct an argument using scientific evidence to support a claim that some… | Students build a case, using real scientific evidence, that some microorganisms help larger living things. Think bacteria that aid digestion or fungi that break down dead matter. | S5L4.a |
| Construct an argument using scientific evidence to support a claim that some… | Students build a written argument, backed by scientific evidence, explaining why certain microorganisms cause disease or damage in larger living things. | S5L4.b |
End-of-grade science assessment in grades 5 and 8, aligned to Georgia's state-adopted science standards.
Four big areas. How land changes from things like rivers, wind, and volcanoes. Physical and chemical changes, electricity, and magnets. Plant and animal cells, classification, inherited versus learned traits, and helpful or harmful microorganisms.
Talk about what students see. Watch a pot of water boil and ask where the steam goes. Look at a rusty bike, a rotting apple, or a puddle drying up and ask if it is a physical or chemical change. Short conversations beat worksheets.
A physical change rearranges the stuff but keeps it the same, like ice melting or salt dissolving. A chemical change makes something new, with clues like bubbles, a new smell, a color change, or heat. Cooking an egg is a classic chemical change.
Most teachers start with Earth science while the weather supports outdoor observation, move into physical science (matter, then electricity and magnetism) in the middle of the year, and finish with life science so cells and classification can build on earlier work with models and evidence.
Telling physical changes from chemical changes trips students up, especially state changes of water. Circuits also need extra time, since students need to build working ones, not just label diagrams. Plant versus animal cell parts often need a second pass with a labeled model.
A lot. Students are expected to plan and carry out investigations, not just read about them. Build a real circuit, test which materials conduct, mix and separate dry and liquid materials, and use a microscope or microscope images to look at cells.
Make it physical. Build a simple circuit with a battery, wire, and bulb from a hardware store. Put a magnet near different objects around the house and sort what sticks. Plant seeds and watch them grow. Doing beats reading at this age.
Students can make a claim, back it with evidence from an investigation, and explain their reasoning. They can model a circuit, a cell, or how a landform changed over time, and they can tell the difference between inherited traits and learned behaviors using clear examples.
Yes. Students learn that some microorganisms help, like the ones in yogurt, bread, and healthy soil, and some cause harm, like the ones that spoil food or cause illness. The goal is for students to back each claim with evidence, not just memorize a list.