What does a student learn in StateMinnesota,GradeGrade 5,SubjectScience?

Students practice asking clear, testable questions about the physical world, the kind that can actually be investigated with an experiment or observation rather than just looked up.

Students ask questions about what they observe, what they discover from experiments, and what they read. Those questions drive the rest of their science work.

Students ask questions about moving objects that can actually be tested, then predict what will happen to their speed and energy when those objects collide or push against each other.

Students plan and run simple experiments to test a question about the physical world, then record what happened and explain what the results show.

Students design their own experiments to test a question, then collect and organize data to back up what they think is happening. The evidence they gather supports the claim they make about what they observed.

Students mix common materials together (like baking soda and vinegar) and watch for signs that a new substance formed. They record what changed: color, smell, temperature, or bubbles.

Students look at a set of materials and decide which tools or tests to use before an experiment starts. For example, they might choose a scale to compare mass or a magnet to check if something is metal.

Students read charts and graphs from experiments to spot patterns and figure out what the numbers actually mean.

Students record measurements and observations in charts or graphs, then look for patterns that hint at how one thing might be affecting another.

Students look at data from experiments to explain how energy moves from one place to another, whether through sound, light, heat, or electric current. A ringing bell, a lamp, a warm stove, and a circuit are all examples of energy on the move.

Students use numbers and calculations to describe and explain what they observe in science, like measuring how fast something moves or how much force it takes to push an object.

Students use math to describe how physical things behave, like writing an equation to show how speed changes over time. Then they check whether the math actually matches what happens in the real world.

Students measure and weigh substances before and after heating, cooling, or mixing them, then graph the results to show the total weight stays the same no matter what changes happen.

Students build diagrams or physical models to show how something works, like a circuit, a water cycle, or a gear system. The model helps them explain ideas they can't fully see or test in person.

Students build and refine diagrams or physical models to explain how something in nature works, then use those models to ask questions, make predictions, and share their thinking.

Students build and improve a model showing that all matter, like water or air, is made of tiny particles too small to see with the naked eye. The model helps explain why those particles are real even though they're invisible.

Food energy in animals traces back to the Sun. Students use diagrams or models to show how sunlight powers plants, plants become food, and that food fuels an animal's growth, movement, and warmth.

Students look at a problem, use evidence from their investigations to explain what they observed, and then design or improve a solution that fits the constraints they were given.

Students back up a scientific claim with real evidence, then check whether that evidence actually holds up. If a classmate's explanation has a gap or a flaw, students name it and say why.

Students explain, using evidence, why a faster-moving object has more energy than a slower one. Think rolling a slow ball versus a fast one into a stack of blocks.

Students apply science ideas to design a solution to a real problem, then check whether it meets the rules and limits set for the challenge (like cost, size, or materials).

Students design and test a device that changes one kind of energy into another, like turning a hand crank into electrical power, then improve the design based on what they observe.

Students plan and run simple experiments to answer science questions, choosing what to measure and how to record what they find.

Students design their own science experiments to test a question they care about, then collect and organize data to back up their answer. The work happens in class, a lab, or outdoors.

Students design and run an experiment to find out where plants get what they need to grow. The investigation builds evidence that air and water, not just soil, supply most of the materials plants use.

Students build or draw models to show how something in the living world works, then use those models to explain what they observe or predict what might happen next.

Students build diagrams or drawings to show how something in nature works, then update those models as they learn more. The goal is to explain their thinking, not just show a finished answer.

Students build a digital diagram showing how matter moves through a food web, tracing the path from plants to animals to decomposers and back into the soil or air.

Students look at data or observations and make a case for what they think is true, then defend that thinking when someone pushes back.

Students look at data or test results and use what they find to argue why one solution or design works better than another. The reasoning has to come from the evidence, not just an opinion.

Students look at real proposed solutions to problems like habitat loss or invasive species and decide which ones actually hold up. They back their opinion with evidence about how the change affected a plant or animal population.

Students use numbers, measurements, and basic calculations to study Earth and space patterns, like tracking how temperatures change across seasons or comparing distances between planets.

Students use math to describe how things in nature work, like calculating how fast wind moves or how much rain fell. They also follow step-by-step rules to solve real science problems and check whether their numbers match what they actually observe.

Students look at data to find patterns in how shadows grow and shrink through the day, why night follows day, and why certain stars appear only in certain seasons.

Students look at data, observations, or other findings and use them to back up a scientific claim. The goal is to support an argument with real evidence, not just a guess.

Students build a scientific explanation, then defend or revise it when new evidence shows up. They also poke holes in other students' reasoning and explain why a different conclusion makes more sense.

Students use data about distance to argue why the Sun looks so much brighter than other stars. The Sun isn't the biggest or hottest star; it just sits far closer to Earth than any other star does.