Earth and Space Sciences

• At the fifth grade level, the Earth and Space Science standard is subdivided into two categories: The Universe and Earth Systems. In the Universe category, students must describe the characteristics of the Earth and its orbit, moon, stars and the sun. In the Earth Systems category, students must define and compare renewable and non-renewable resources and explain the implications of using such resources.
  
  

Life Sciences

• In Life Sciences, students must be able to explain food chains and food webs and their roles, the roles and requirements of survivable ecosystems, the transfer of energy from sunlight to chemical energy, and how behavioral patterns of various organisms are based on the makeup of their distinct ecosystems.
  
  

Physical Sciences

• The Physical Sciences standard encompasses the nature of energy in fifth grade. Students must understand thermal energy, electrical energy, and the properties of light and sound, including transmission, reflection and absorption.
  
  

Science and Technology

• In this standard, fifth graders must both understand technology and its impact on the environment and be able to revise a technological design. They also must be able to explain how solving one problem may create other problems.
  
  

Scientific Inquiry

• In the Scientific Inquiry standard, students must actually perform scientific inquiries using the appropriate tools and resources, make observations, and use evidence to communicate the results of their investigations. They must also identify variables and potential hazards in an experiment and communicate why results may be different when an experiment is performed more than once.
  
  

Scientific Ways of Knowing

• The Scientific Ways of Knowing standard is divided into three categories: Nature of Science, Ethical Practices, and Science and Society. The Nature of Science category encompasses understanding why conclusions change as knowledge increases, developing descriptions, repeating experiments by different people, and what types of investigations must be used to reach an appropriate conclusion. At the fifth grade level, the Ethical Practices category involves recordkeeping that can be understood weeks or months later. The Science and Society category requires the student to identify scientific work that people of all ages, backgrounds and groups perform.