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Science Curriculum

Grade Five Unit Three

Living Systems

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Course Description

In unit one, students engage in an engineering challenge to develop habits of mind and classroom practices that will be reinforced throughout the school year. In unit two, students will analyze everyday systems and subsystems as well as analyze food chains and food webs as a way to study the biosphere. They will make and analyze a worm habitat as a decomposition system. Hands-on investigations include exploring the nutrient-getting systems of yeast, plants, and animals, including humans and model transport systems in plants and animals. In unit three, students engage in five investigations that introduce students to fundamental ideas about matter and its interactions. Students come to know that matter is made of particles too small to be seen and develop the understanding that matter is conserved when it changes state—from solid to liquid to gas—when it dissolves in another substance, and when it is part of a chemical reaction. Students have experiences with mixtures, solutions of different concentrations, and reactions forming new substances. They also engage in engineering experiences with separation of materials. In Unit four, students will focus on Earth’s place in the solar system and use models to build explanations regarding the movement of heavenly bodies. They will observe and compare shadows, analyze data observational data to discover the sequence of changes that occur during the Moon’s phase cycle. Students gain experiences that will contribute to the understanding of crosscutting concepts of patterns; cause and e ect; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; and energy and matter.

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Teachers may choose from a variety of instructional approaches that are aligned with 3 dimensional learning to achieve this goal. These approaches include:

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Pacing Chart This pacing chart is based upon 160 minutes of instruction per cycle.

Unit 1 Engineering Challenge 2 weeks

Unit 2 FOSS Sun, Moon & Planets

10 weeks

Unit 3 FOSS Living Systems

11 weeks

Unit 4 FOSS Mixtures & Solutions 11 weeks

Culminating Projects 2 weeks

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Unit Summary

Scientists often view Earth as a dynamic system, or a compilation of interacting parts working together to form a collective whole or entity. On a

colossal level, the Earth system maintains its existence and functions as a whole through the interactions of its parts. At a micro level, the Earth has many small

components that affect our day to day life. Students start by looking at the interactions of four Earth systems or subsystems, on a micro level—the geosphere,

the atmosphere, the hydrosphere, and the biosphere. The focus of the module then turns to the biosphere, on a macro level, as students explore ecosystems

and organisms in terms of their interacting parts.

In this module, students will also think about systems on different scales, allowing them to visualize how our own bodies work as systems. The

nutrient and transport systems within an organism moves matter and provides energy to the individual organism, and allows feeding relationships in

ecosystems to thrive within the environment. Students come to understand through a variety of experiences that plants get the materials they need for growth

primarily from water and air, and that energy in animals’ food was once energy from the Sun. There are many opportunities for students to explore how human

activities in agriculture, industry, and everyday life can have major effects on these systems. Students will also work on creating models to replicate parts of

their own body in order to gain a better understanding of how our bodies function. Students gain experiences that will contribute to the understanding of

crosscutting concepts of patterns; scale, proportion, and quantity; systems and system models; and energy and matter.

This unit is based on 5-PS3-1, 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1, 4-LS1-2, 5-ESS2-1, 5-ESS3-1

Student Learning Objectives

Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.

[Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams, and flow charts.] (5-PS3-1)

Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that

plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.] (5-LS1-1)

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Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on

the idea that matter that is not food (air, water, decomposed materials in soil) is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include

organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include molecular explanations.] (5-LS2-1)

Use a model to describe that animals receive different types of information through their senses, process the information in their brain, and respond to the

information in different ways. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on systems of information transfer.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include

the mechanisms by which the brain stores and recalls information or the mechanisms of how sensory receptors function.] (4-LS1-2)

Develop a model using an example to describe ways the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and/or atmosphere interact. [Clarification Statement: Examples

could include the influence of the ocean on ecosystems, landform shape, and climate; the influence of the atmosphere on landforms and ecosystems through

weather and climate; and the influence of mountain ranges on winds and clouds in the atmosphere. The geosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere

are each a system.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment is limited to the interactions of two systems at a time.] (5-ESS2-1)

Obtain and combine information about ways individual communities use science ideas to protect the Earth’s resources and environment. (5-ESS3-1)

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NJDOE Student Learning Objective

Essential Questions

Content Related to DCI’s Sample Activities Resources

Investigation 1

Everyday Systems

I. Describe the interactions of systems involved in carrying out everyday life activities.

NGSS: 5-ESS2-1

● How can you identify a system?

● A system is a collection of

interacting objects, ideas, and/or

procedures that together define a

physical entity or process.

● A subsystem is a small system

that is inside a larger system.

● Have each group of

students identify and

choose a system.

Students should sketch

out the system, label

the parts and describe

their function.

● Optional reading

Bicycle Heroes

followed by Group

activity: The Bicycle as

a System

● Letter to Family

● Pre-assessment

/survey

[www.FOSSmap.c

om]

● Reading- Science Resources Book: “Introduction to Systems”

● Interactive Whiteboard 1.1 (Promethian)

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The Earth System

II. Explore Earth as a system, focusing on the biosphere where all living things need food, water, a way to dispose of waste, and an environment in which they can live NGSS: 5-ESS2-1

● Is planet Earth a system?

● Earth can be described as the

interaction of four earth systems:

the rocky part (the geosphere), the

atmosphere, the water (the

hydrosphere), and the complexity

of living organisms (the biosphere).

● Food webs are subsystems

within ecosystems. They describe

the transfer of matter and energy

within the system.

● Project a food web on

the smartboard for

students to see, or use

Woods Ecosystem,

Mono Lake or

Monterey Bay Cards.

Circulate and assist

groups in deciding who

will be who in the food

web, and draw a 3-D

model of the food

web.

● Notebook Sheet 1 & 2

● Physical Systems Video

● Reading- Science Resources Book: “Is Earth a System?”

● Interactive Whiteboard 1.2 (Promethian)

III. Kelp Forest Food Web Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.

What organisms are both predators and prey in the kelp forest ecosystem?

● A kelp forest has similarities to a rain forest (vertical layering).

● Phytoplankton are the major producers in most aquatic systems.

● Food webs and competition for resources exist in marine systems

● Kelp Forest Food Web and cut out arrows to

● Science Notebook Entry

● Kelp Forest Food Web

● Science Resources Book

“Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary” “Comparing Aquatic and

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NGSS: 5-LS2-1

Terrestrial Ecosystems” ● Video: Web of

Life: Life in the Sea

Recycling III. Investigate and illustrate the flow of energy through a community.

NGSS: 5-PS3-1

● W

hat happens

when compost

worms

interact with

organic litter?

● Food webs are made up of

producers (organisms that

make their own food),

consumers (organisms that eat

other organisms to obtain

food), and decomposers

(organisms that consume and

recycle dead organisms and

organic waste).

● Each group of students

sets up a red worm

habitat system to

study detritivores.

They record what

organic materials go

into the habitat with

about 15 red worms

and observe changes in

the worm jar.

● Interactive Whiteboard 1.3 (Promethian)

● Notebook Sheet

Three

● Making a Red

Worm Habitat

● Home School

Connection:

Systems

● I Check 1

Nutrient Systems

IV. Design investigations and use scientific instrumentation to collect, analyze, and evaluate evidence as

● What does yeast need to break its dormancy?

● Students design an

investigation to determine the

necessary conditions for

activating dry yeast.

● ● A

ctivating Yeast:

Science Notebook

sheet No. 4

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part of building and revising models and explanations.

NGSS: 5-LS2-1

V. Plant Nutrition

Describe the sources of the reactants of photosynthesis and trace the pathway to the products.

NGSS: 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1

● How do plants get the food they need?

● S

tudents think about how to break

the dormancy of another

organism, the wheat plant. They

plant wheat seeds in containers of

soil and place half of the planters

in a lighted environment and the

other half in a dark environment

Each group is given a container to grow their wheat plant it. Have students customize their containers and place in an area of the classroom where they feel the plant will grow the best. Student responsibility: to water and check on their plant each class.

● S

cience Notebook

Sheet Five

● W

heat Seed

Investigation

Animal Nutrition

VI. Relate the energy and nutritional needs of organisms in a variety of life stages and situations, including stages of development and periods of maintenance.

● H

ow do animals

get the

nutrients they

need?

● Students investigate how animals acquire nutrients for their cells by eating and digesting food. The painted lady butterfly goes through its life cycle, while students observe the larvae and adults eating different food sources. The human digestive system is explored through a video that shows an experiment on chemical

● S

tudents can design a

diorama in groups showing

the life cycle of a butterfly

and its nutrition at

different stages of its life.

Students can use objects

like macaroni, pipe

cleaners, etc.

● S

cience Notebook

Sheets Six, Seven,

Eight and Nine

● H

ome School

Connection: Nutrient

Systems

● L

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NGSS: 5-LS1-1, 5-LS2-1

digestion in the stomach iving Systems

● R

esource: Getting

Nutrients, The

Human Digestive

System

● V

ideo :Experiment in

Chemical Digestion

http://www.fossweb.com/video?videoID=D2881740

● R

esponse sheet:

Investigation 2 I-

check 2

Investigation 3: Transport Systems Plant Vascular Systems VII. Use scientific

● How are

nutrients

transported to

a cell in the

plant?

● Students continue their exploration of plants by observing the veins in leaves. They plant wheat seeds in clear straws to allow detailed observation of the

● S

cience Notebook

Sheets Ten and

Eleven

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principles and models to frame and synthesize scientific arguments and pose theories.

NGSS: 5-LS1-1

development of leaves, and to investigate their functions. Students go outdoors to discover what happens when some foliage of a growing plant is constrained in a clear plastic bag. When moisture condenses inside the bag, students speculate about the source of the water they find.

● W

heat-seed chamber

setup

● T

he Vascular System

review questions

● V

ideo Plant Structures

and Growth Chapters

1-7 and 9-11

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Circulatory System

VIII. Create a model and describe the interactions of the parts of the circulatory system.

NGSS: 4-LS1-2

● How do

humans

transport

nutrients to all

their cells?

● Students see a video showing how blood is delivered to every human cell by a system of vessels connected to a pump, the heart. They read about the structures inside the human heart. Students use simple equipment to assemble a functional model of a circulatory system that can pump blood to the lungs, collect blood from the lungs, and pump it to the body, where it is recycled.

● S

cience Notebook

Sheet Twelve and

Thirteen

● T

he Human Circulatory

System review

questions

● H

uman Heart Model

● V

ideo :Circulatory

http://www.fossweb.com/video?videoID=D2777033

● T

eacher Master No. 6

and No. 7

● C

irculatory System

Model and

Respiratory Systems

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● H

uman Heart Valves

IX. Respiratory Systems

Examine the structure

● Why do

people

breathe?

● Students study the structures and functions of the interacting parts of the respiratory system, learning

● M

easuring Vital

Capacity

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and function of the interacting parts of the respiratory system

NGSS: 4-LS1-2

about the acquisition and distribution of oxygen, and the process of waste removal. They measure their lung volume (vital capacity) and read about the circulatory and respiratory systems of other animals.

● *

The Respiratory

System review

questions

● *

Math extension

Problem of the Week

Teacher Master No. 8

● I

-Check 3 Home

School Connection

Teacher Master No. 9

http://www.fossweb.com/video?videoID=D2777034

Investigation 4 Sensory Systems Stimulus/Response

X. Examine the structure and function

● In dodge

ball, how are

you able to

avoid being

hit?

● Through video and text, students learn about the role of sensory and motor neurons in brain messages. They use a falling cup to investigate the time that elapses

Math: Represent and Interpret Data using Math Extension Activity Sensory Systems Investigation Four Teacher Master Number 10

● S

cience Notebook

sheets sixteen and

seventeen

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of the interacting parts of the nervous system.

NGSS: 4-LS1-2

between a visual stimulus and a response. They compare foot response time to hand-response time.

● I

nvestigate response

time

● S

tructures of the Brain

Review Questions

● V

ideo - Brain and

Nervous Systems

Attention

XI. Actively participate in discussions about student data, questions, and understandings.

NJCCCS: 5.1.4.D.1

● What

features of

organisms

attract

attention?

● Each student chooses attention-getting colors, patterns, and a habitat for an action card. The cards are distributed to other students, who create organisms outdoors to attract the attention of the student who completed the card.

● A

nimal

Communication

review questions

● A

ttention Action Cards

● S

cience Notebook

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Sheets: Eighteen,

Nineteen and Twenty

● R

esponse sheet

● I

nvestigation 4A

X. Model how essential functions required for the well-being of an organism are carried out by specialized structures in animals.

NGSS: 4-LS1-2

● How do

animals use

their sense of

hearing?

● Students go to the schoolyard and pretend to be animals who have poor vision or are active at night. The animals communicate with one unique sound and try to find others of their kind before being “captured” by a predator. After three rounds of this activity, students sit silently to listen to animals in the schoolyard.

● A

nimal Language and

Communication

● S

cience Notebook

Sheet

Twenty-One

XI. Evaluate instinctive and learned behaviors. They study the monarch butterflies and their instinctive migration over several generations.

● What

behaviors are

instinctive,

and what

behaviors are

learned?

● Students learn about instinctive and learned behaviors. They study the monarch butterflies and their instinctive migration over several generations.

● S

cience Notebook

Sheets Twenty Two

and Twenty Three

● A

nimal Behavior and

Communication

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NJCCCS: .5.3.4.A.3; 5.3.6.A.1

Review Questions

http://www.fossweb.

com/video?videoID=

D2777043

● V

ideo: How Animals

Educate their Young,

Bugs Chapter 5,

Animal Behavior and

Communication,

Plant and Animal

Adaptations (Science

Clips)

● C

itizen science: Cornell

Lab of Ornithology

● M

onarch Migration

Marine Ecosystems

XII. Describe a marine

● What are

the parts of a

marine

● Students bring their study of decomposers to an end by dismantling the worm-habitat

● S

cience Notebook

Sheet Twenty-Four

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ecosystem to include all of the plant and animal populations and nonliving resources in a given ocean.

NJCCCS: 5.4.6.G.2

ecosystem? system they started 2 months earlier. They study marine ecosystems and are introduced to the importance of the ocean in the carbon cycle.

● N

orth Atlantic

Ecosystem review

questions

● M

ath Extension:

Sensory systems

● S

urvey/Post Test

● V

ideo: Marine

ecosystems

● H

ome School

Connection Teacher

Master 11

Unit Project (Choose 1)

Overfishing project (See Resources Folder)

Deforestation Project (See Resources Folder)

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Community/In class- garden with organic waste

What It Looks Like in the Classroom

In this unit of study, students develop models to describe the interactions that occur within and between major Earth systems and conduct

research to learn how humans protect the Earth’s resources. Foundational to this unit of study is the understanding of a system, its components,

and the interactions that occur within the system. Initially, students may need opportunities to review familiar examples of systems, such as plants

and animals, listing external and internal structures and processes and describing the interactions that occur within the system. Students can then

begin to think about Earth’s major systems, identifying the components and describing the interactions that occur within each. For example: ü The

geosphere is composed of solid and molten rock, soil, and sediments. Some processes that occur between the components of the geosphere

include erosion, weathering, deposition, sedimentation, compaction heating, cooling, and flow. These processes cause continual change to rock,

soil, and sediments. ü The hydrosphere is composed of water in all its forms. Water, unlike the vast majority of earth materials, occurs naturally on

the Earth as a solid, liquid, or gas, and it can be found on, above, and below the surface of the Earth. Some processes that occur in the hydrosphere

include evaporation, condensation, precipitation, run-off, percolation, freezing, thawing, and flow. These processes cause water to change from

one form to another in a continuous cycle. ü The atmosphere is a critical system made up of the gases that surround the Earth. The atmosphere

helps to regulate Earth's climate and distribute heat around the globe, and it is composed of layers with specific properties and functions. The

biosphere comprises living things, including humans. Living organisms can be found in each of the major systems of the Earth (the atmosphere,

hydrosphere, and geosphere). Some processes that occur within the biosphere include transpiration, respiration, reproduction, photosynthesis,

metabolism, growth, and decomposition. As students become more comfortable with describing each system in terms of its components and

interactions, they should begin to think about and discuss the interactions that occur between systems. This should be a natural progression in their

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learning, since students will discover that any interactions that occur within a system affect components of other systems. Students should develop

models that describe ways in which any two Earth systems interact and how these interactions affect the living and nonliving components of the

Earth. Some examples include: The influence of oceans on ecosystems, landform shape, or climate. The impact of the atmosphere on landforms or

ecosystems through weather and climate. The role of living organisms (both plants and animals) in the creation of soils. As a class, students can

brainstorm additional examples. They can use any type of model, such as diagrams or physical replicas, to describe the interactions that occur

between any two systems, and they can choose to enhance the model with multimedia components or visual displays. Once students have an

understanding of the components and interactions that occur within and between Earth’s major systems, they should gather information about the

ways in which individual communities use science ideas to protect Earth’s resources and environment.

Students then move onto understanding the details of how the subsystems within the Earth work together. In every habitat and ecosystem

on Earth, plants and animals survive, grow, reproduce, die, and decay. What happens to the matter and energy that are part of each organism?

Where does it come from and where does it go? In this unit of study, students make observations and use models to understand how energy flows

and matter cycles through organisms and ecosystems. Students should first understand that plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air

and water. As students document plants’ continual need for water and air in order to grow, they recognize that this evidence supports the

argument that plants acquire their material for growth chiefly from air and water (not from soil). In addition, as students observe that plants also

need sunlight, they begin to recognize that plants use energy from the sun to transform air and water into plant matter. Once students understand

that plants acquire material for growth from air and water, they need opportunities to observe animals and plants interacting within an ecosystem.

It is important that students be able to: Identify the living and nonliving components of a system, describe the interactions that occur between the

living and nonliving components of each system, develop models (such as food chains or food webs) that describe the movement of matter among

plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment. As students continue to their investigations, they learn that: The food of almost any kind of

animal can be traced back to plants, organisms are related in food webs in which some animals eat plants for food and other animals eat the

animals that eat plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and bacteria, break down dead organisms (both plants or plant parts and animals) and

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therefore operate as decomposers. Decomposition eventually restores (recycles) some materials back to the soil. A healthy ecosystem is one in

which multiple species of different types are each able to meet their needs in a relatively stable web of life. Organisms can survive only in

environments in which their particular needs are met. ü Matter cycles between the air and soil and among plants and animals as these organisms

live and die. ü Organisms obtain gases and water from the environment and release waste matter (gas, liquid, or solid) back into the environment.

Furthermore, students can conduct research to determine the effects of newly introduced species to an ecosystem. After investigating the

movement of matter in ecosystems, students revisit the concept of energy flow in systems. At the beginning of this unit of study, students learned

that energy from the sun is transferred to plants, which then use that energy to change air and water into plant matter. After observing the

interactions between the living and nonliving components of small ecosystems, students recognize that energy, like matter, is transferred from

plants to animals. Students can use diagrams or flowcharts to describe the flow of energy within an ecosystem, tracing the energy in animals’ food

back to the energy from the sun that was captured by plants.

Modifications

(Note: Teachers identify the modifications that they will use in the unit. See NGSS Appendix D: All Standards, All Students/Case Studies for vignettes and

explanations of the modifications.)

● Structure lessons around questions that are authentic, relate to students’ interests, social/family background and knowledge of their community.

● Provide students with multiple choices for how they can represent their understandings (e.g. multisensory techniques-auditory/visual aids; pictures,

illustrations, graphs, charts, data tables, multimedia, modeling).

● Provide opportunities for students to connect with people of similar backgrounds (e.g. conversations via digital tool such as SKYPE, experts from the

community helping with a project, journal articles, and biographies).

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● Provide multiple grouping opportunities for students to share their ideas and to encourage work among various backgrounds and cultures (e.g. multiple

representation and multimodal experiences).

● Engage students with a variety of Science and Engineering practices to provide students with multiple entry points and multiple ways to demonstrate

their understandings.

● Use project-based science learning to connect science with observable phenomena.

● Structure the learning around explaining or solving a social or community-based issue.

● Provide ELL students with multiple literacy strategies.

● Collaborate with after-school programs or clubs to extend learning opportunities.

● Restructure lesson using UDL principals (http://www.cast.org/our-work/about-udl.html#.VXmoXcfD_UA).

Research on Student Learning

Students can understand simple food links involving two organisms. Yet they often think of organisms as independent of each other but dependent on people to

supply them with food and shelter. Upper elementary-school students may not believe food is a scarce resource in ecosystems, thinking that organisms can

change their food at will according to the availability of particular sources. Students of all ages think that some populations of organisms are numerous in order

to fulfill a demand for food by another population.

Some students of all ages have difficulty in identifying the sources of energy for plants and also for animals. Students tend to confuse energy and other concepts

such as food, force, and temperature. As a result, students may not appreciate the uniqueness and importance of energy conversion processes like respiration

and photosynthesis. Although specially designed instruction does help students correct their understanding about energy exchanges, some difficulties remain.

Careful coordination between The Physical Setting and The Living Environment benchmarks about conservation of matter and energy and the nature of energy

may help alleviate these difficulties.

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Some students of all ages hold misconceptions about plant nutrition. They think plants get their food from the environment rather than manufacturing it

internally, and that food for plants is taken in from the outside. These misconceptions are particularly resistant to change. [6] Even after traditional instruction,

students have difficulty accepting that plants make food from water and air, and that this is their only source of food. Understanding that the food made by

plants is very different from other nutrients such as water or minerals is a prerequisite for understanding the distinction between plants as producers and

animals as consumers.

Students' meaning for “energy,” both before and after traditional instruction, is considerably different from its scientific meaning. In particular, students believe

energy is associated only with humans or movement, is a fuel-like quantity which is used up, or is something that makes things happen and is expended in the

process. Students rarely think energy is measurable and quantifiable. Although students typically hold these meanings for energy at all ages, upper elementary

school students tend to associate energy only with living things, in particular with growing, fitness, exercise, and food (NSDL, 2015).

Prior Learning

● Grade 2

The Earth’s Land and Water: Water is found in the ocean, rivers, lakes, and ponds. Water exists as solid ice and in liquid form. Wind and water can

change the shape of the land.

Relationships in Habitats: Plants depend on water and light to grow. Plants depend on animals for pollination or to move their seeds around.

● Grade 3

Weather and Climate: Scientists record patterns of the weather across different times and areas so that they can make predictions about what kind of

weather might happen next. Climate describes a range of an area’s typical weather conditions and the extent to which those conditions vary over years.

● Grade 4

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Weathering and Erosion: Rainfall helps to shape the land and affects the types of living things found in a region. Water, ice, wind, living organisms, and

gravity break rocks, soils, and sediments into smaller particles and move them around Living things affect the physical characteristics of their regions.

Future Learning

Grade 6 Unit 7: Weather and Climate

● Water continually cycles among land, ocean, and atmosphere via transpiration, evaporation, condensation and crystallization, and precipitation, as well

as downhill flows on land.

● The complex patterns of the changes and the movement of water in the atmosphere, determined by winds, landforms, and ocean temperatures and

currents, are major determinants of local weather patterns.

● Global movements of water and its changes in form are propelled by sunlight and gravity.

● Variations in density due to variations in temperature and salinity drive a global pattern of interconnected ocean currents.

● Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create

underground formations. Weather and climate are influenced by interactions involving sunlight, the ocean, the atmosphere, ice, landforms, and living

things. These interactions vary with latitude, altitude, and local and regional geography, all of which can affect oceanic and atmospheric flow patterns.

● Because these patterns are so complex, weather can only be predicted probabilistically.

● The ocean exerts a major influence on weather and climate by absorbing energy from the sun, releasing it over time, and globally redistributing it

through ocean currents.

Grade 7 Unit 8: Earth Systems

● All Earth processes are the result of energy flowing and matter cycling within and among the planet’s systems. This energy is derived from the sun and

Earth’s hot interior. The energy that flows and matter that cycles produce chemical and physical changes in Earth’s materials and living organisms.

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● The planet’s systems interact over scales that range from microscopic to global in size, and they operate over fractions of a second to billions of years.

These interactions have shaped Earth’s history and will determine its future.

● Water’s movements—both on the land and underground—cause weathering and erosion, which change the land’s surface features and create

underground formations.

Grade 8 Unit 3: Stability and Change on Earth

● Humans depend on Earth’s land, ocean, atmosphere, and biosphere for many different resources. Minerals, fresh water, and biosphere resources are

limited, and many are not renewable or replaceable over human lifetimes. These resources are distributed unevenly around the planet as a result of

past geologic processes.

Interdisciplinary Connections

Language Arts:

Students should use information from print and digital sources to build their understanding of energy and matter in ecosystems. As students read, they should

use the information to answer questions, participate in discussions, solve problems, and support their thinking about movement of matter and the flow of

energy through the organisms in an ecosystem. In this unit of study, students are also required to build models to describe the cycling of matter and the flow of

energy in ecosystems. They can enhance their models using multimedia components, such as graphics and sound, and visual displays.

Mathematics:

In this unit students should use appropriate tools in strategic ways when making and recording observations of the living and nonliving components of an

ecosystem. Students will model with mathematics when using tables, charts, or graphs to organize observational data and reason abstractly and quantitatively

when analyzing data that can be used as evidence for explaining how matter cycles and energy flows in systems. In this unit of study, students are also required

to convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a given measurement system and use these conversions to help explain what happens to

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matter and energy in ecosystems.

Unit Vocabulary

Investigation 1: Systems ● aquatic ● atmosphere ● bacteria ● biosphere ● brain ● carbon dioxide (CO2) ● compete ● consumer ● decomposer ● detritivore ● detritus ● ecosystem ● energy ● food chain ● food web ● fungus (fungi) ● geosphere ● hydrosphere ● interact ● mineral ● mouth

Investigation 2: Nutrient Systems ● bolus ● capillary ● carbohydrate ● cell ● chlorophyll ● colon ● digestion ● digestive system ● esophagus ● glucose ● large intestine ● membrane ● multicellular organism ● oxygen ● photosynthesis ● saliva ● small intestine ● stomach ● sugar ● teeth

Investigation 3: Transport Systems ● artery ● blade ● circulate ● circulatory system ● classification ● classify ● cytoplasm ● heart ● left atrium ● left ventricle ● lung ● margin ● palmate ● parallel ● phloem ● pinnate ● respiratory system ● right atrium ● right ventricle ● sap ● transpiration

Investigation 4: Sensory Systems ● central nervous system ● inherited trait ● motor neuron ● neuron ● respond ● sensory neuron ● stimulus ● variable

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● nonliving ● nutrient ● phytoplankton ● producer ● receptor ● system ● terrestrial ● zooplankton

● transport ● vascular bundle ● vascular plant ● vein ● xylem

Educational Technology Standards

8.1.8.A.1, 8.1.8.B.1, 8.1.8.C.1, 8.1.8.D.1, 8.1.8.E.1, 8.1.8.F.1

➢ Technology Operations and Concepts

• Create professional documents (e.g., newsletter, personalized learning plan, business letter or flyer) using advanced features of a word

processing program.

➢ Creativity and Innovation • Synthesize and publish information about a local or global issue or event on a collaborative, web-based service.

➢ Communication and Collaboration

• Participate in an online learning community with learners from other countries to understand their perspectives on a global problem or issue, and propose possible solutions.

➢ Digital Citizenship

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• Model appropriate online behaviors related to cyber safety, cyber bullying, cyber security, and cyber ethics.

➢ Research and Information Literacy

• Gather and analyze findings using data collection technology to produce a possible solution for a content-related or real-world problem.

➢ Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making

• Use an electronic authoring tool in collaboration with learners from other countries to evaluate and summarize the perspectives of other

cultures about a current event or contemporary figure.

Career Ready Practices

Career Ready Practices describe the career-ready skills that all educators in all content areas should seek to develop in their students. They are practices that have been linked to increase college, career, and life success. Career Ready Practices should be taught and reinforced in all career exploration and preparation programs with increasingly higher levels of complexity and expectation as a student advances through a program of study.

CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee Career-ready individuals understand the obligations and responsibilities of being a member of a community, and they demonstrate this understanding every day through their interactions with others. They are conscientious of the impacts of their decisions on others and the environment around them. They think about the near-term and long-term consequences of their actions and seek to act in ways that contribute to the betterment of their teams, families, community and workplace. They are reliable and consistent in going beyond the minimum expectation and in participating in activities that serve the greater good. CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills. Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive. They make connections between abstract concepts with real-world applications, and they make correct insights about when it is appropriate to apply the use of an academic skill in a workplace situation. CRP3. Attend to personal health and financial well-being.

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Career-ready individuals understand the relationship between personal health, workplace performance and personal well-being; they act on that understanding to regularly practice healthy diet, exercise and mental health activities. Career-ready individuals also take regular action to contribute to their personal financial well-being, understanding that personal financial security provides the peace of mind required to contribute more fully to their own career success. CRP4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason. Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas, and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal, and/or visual methods. They communicate in the workplace with clarity and purpose to make maximum use of their own and others’ time. They are excellent writers; they master conventions, word choice, and organization, and use effective tone and presentation skills to articulate ideas. They are skilled at interacting with others; they are active listeners and speak clearly and with purpose. Career-ready individuals think about the audience for their communication and prepare accordingly to ensure the desired outcome. CRP5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions. Career-ready individuals understand the interrelated nature of their actions and regularly make decisions that positively impact and/or mitigate negative impact on other people, organization, and the environment. They are aware of and utilize new technologies, understandings, procedures, materials, and regulations affecting the nature of their work as it relates to the impact on the social condition, the environment and the profitability of the organization. CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation. Career-ready individuals regularly think of ideas that solve problems in new and different ways, and they contribute those ideas in a useful and productive manner to improve their organization. They can consider unconventional ideas and suggestions as solutions to issues, tasks or problems, and they discern which ideas and suggestions will add greatest value. They seek new methods, practices, and ideas from a variety of sources and seek to apply those ideas to their own workplace. They take action on their ideas and understand how to bring innovation to an organization. CRP7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies. Career-ready individuals are discerning in accepting and using new information to make decisions, change practices or inform strategies. They use reliable research process to search for new information. They evaluate the validity of sources when considering the use and adoption of external information or practices in their workplace situation. CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.

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Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to solve the problem. They are aware of problems when they occur and take action quickly to address the problem; they thoughtfully investigate the root cause of the problem prior to introducing solutions. They carefully consider the options to solve the problem. Once a solution is agreed upon, they follow through to ensure the problem is solved, whether through their own actions or the actions of others. CRP9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management. Career-ready individuals consistently act in ways that align personal and community-held ideals and principles while employing strategies to positively influence others in the workplace. They have a clear understanding of integrity and act on this understanding in every decision. They use a variety of means to positively impact the directions and actions of a team or organization, and they apply insights into human behavior to change others’ action, attitudes and/or beliefs. They recognize the near-term and long-term effects that management’s actions and attitudes can have on productivity, morals and organizational culture. CRP10. Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals. Career-ready individuals take personal ownership of their own education and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these goals. They understand their own career interests, preferences, goals, and requirements. They have perspective regarding the pathways available to them and the time, effort, experience and other requirements to pursue each, including a path of entrepreneurship. They recognize the value of each step in the education and experiential process, and they recognize that nearly all career paths require ongoing education and experience. They seek counselors, mentors, and other experts to assist in the planning and execution of career and personal goals. CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity. Career-ready individuals find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve workplace problems. They are flexible and adaptive in acquiring new technology. They are proficient with ubiquitous technology applications. They understand the inherent risks-personal and organizational-of technology applications, and they take actions to prevent or mitigate these risks. CRP12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence. Career-ready individuals positively contribute to every team, whether formal or informal. They apply an awareness of cultural difference to avoid barriers to productive and positive interaction. They find ways to increase the engagement and contribution of all team members. They plan and facilitate effective team meetings.

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Appendix A: NGSS and Foundations for the Unit

Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. [Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on the idea that

plant matter comes mostly from air and water, not from the soil.] (5-LS1-1)

Develop a model to describe the movement of matter among plants, animals, decomposers, and the environment.[Clarification Statement: Emphasis is on

the idea that matter that is not food (air, water, decomposed materials in soil) is changed by plants into matter that is food. Examples of systems could include

organisms, ecosystems, and the Earth.] [Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include molecular explanations.] (5-LS2-1)

Use models to describe that energy in animals’ food (used for body repair, growth, motion, and to maintain body warmth) was once energy from the sun.

[Clarification Statement: Examples of models could include diagrams, and flow charts.] (5-PS3-1)

The performance expectations above were developed using the following elements from the NRC document A Framework for K-12 Science Education:

Science and Engineering Practices Disciplinary Core Ideas Crosscutting Concepts

Engaging in Argument from Evidence • Support an argument with evidence, data, or a model. (5-LS1-1) Developing and Using Models • Develop a model to describe phenomena. (5-S2-1) • Use models to describe phenomena. (5-PS3-1)

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy

Flow in Organisms

• Plants acquire their material for growth

chiefly from air and water. (5-LS1-1)

LS2.A: Interdependent Relationships in

Ecosystems

Energy and Matter • Matter is transported into, out of, and within systems. (5-LS1-1) • Energy can be transferred in various ways and between objects. (5-PS3-1) Systems and System Models • A system can be described in terms of its

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• The food of almost any kind of animal can be

traced back to plants. Organisms are related in

food webs in which some animals eat plants for

food and other animals eat the animals that eat

plants. Some organisms, such as fungi and

bacteria, break down dead organisms (both

plants or plants parts and animals) and

therefore operate as “decomposers.”

Decomposition eventually restores (recycles)

some materials back to the soil. Organisms can

survive only in environments in which their

particular needs are met. A healthy ecosystem

is one in which multiple species of different

types are each able to meet their needs in a

relatively stable web of life. Newly introduced

species can damage the balance of an

ecosystem. (5-LS2-1)

LS2.B: Cycles of Matter and Energy Transfer in

Ecosystems

• Matter cycles between the air and soil and

among plants, animals, and microbes as these

organisms live and die. Organisms obtain gases,

components and their interactions. (5-LS2-1) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Connections to the Nature of Science Science Models, Laws, Mechanisms, and Theories Explain Natural Phenomena • Science explanations describe the mechanisms for natural events. (5-LS2-1)

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and water, from the environment, and release

waste matter (gas, liquid, or solid) back into the

environment. (5-LS2-1)

PS3.D: Energy in Chemical Processes and

Everyday Life

• The energy released [from] food was once

energy from the sun that was captured by

plants in the chemical process that forms plant

matter (from air and water). (5-PS3-1)

LS1.C: Organization for Matter and Energy

Flow in Organisms

• Food provides animals with the materials

they need for body repair and growth and the

energy they need to maintain body warmth and

for motion. (secondary to 5-PS3-1)

English Language Arts Mathematics

Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and

when drawing inferences from the text. (5-LS1-1) RI.5.1

Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (5-LS1-1), (5-LS2-1) MP.2

Model with mathematics. (5-LS1-1), (5-LS2-1) MP.4

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Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the

ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.

(5-LS2-1), (5-PS3-1) RI.5.7

Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or

speak about the subject knowledgeably. (5-LS1-1) RI.5.9

Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and

information. (5-LS1-1) W.5.1

Include multimedia components (e.g., graphics, sound) and visual displays in

presentations when appropriate to enhance the development of main ideas or

themes. (5-LS2-1), (5-PS3-1) SL.5.5

Use appropriate tools strategically. (5-LS1-1) MP.5

Convert among different-sized standard measurement units within a

given measurement system (e.g., convert 5 cm to 0.05 m), and use these

conversions in solving multi-step, real world problems. (5-LS1-1)

5.MD.A.1

Rubric(s):

Field Trip Ideas:The Meadowlands Environmental Center, The Great Falls National Park, The Paterson Museum, Liberty

Science Center, Bronx Zoo, American Museum of Natural History