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  • 5th Grade

    From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

Students who demonstrate understanding can:

Performance Expectations

  1. Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water. 5-LS1-1

    Clarification Statement and Assessment Boundary

A Peformance Expectation (PE) is what a student should be able to do to show mastery of a concept. Some PEs include a Clarification Statement and/or an Assessment Boundary. These can be found by clicking the PE for "More Info." By hovering over a PE, its corresponding pieces from the Science and Engineering Practices, Disciplinary Core Ideas, and Crosscutting Concepts will be highlighted.

Science and Engineering Practices

Disciplinary Core Ideas

Crosscutting Concepts

By clicking on a specific Science and Engineering Practice, Disciplinary Core Idea, or Crosscutting Concept, you can find out more information on it. By hovering over one you can find its corresponding elements in the PEs.

Planning Curriculum

Common Core State Standards Connections

ELA/Literacy

  • RI.5.1 - Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text. (5-LS1-1)
  • RI.5.9 - Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably. (5-LS1-1)
  • W.5.1 - Write opinion pieces on topics or texts, supporting a point of view with reasons and information. (5-LS1-1)

Mathematics

  • 5.MD.A.1 - 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)
  • MP.2 - Reason abstractly and quantitatively. (5-LS1-1)
  • MP.4 - Model with mathematics. (5-LS1-1)
  • MP.5 - Use appropriate tools strategically. (5-LS1-1)

Model Course Mapping

First Time Visitors

Resources & Lesson Plans

  • More resources added each week!
    A team of teacher curators is working to find, review, and vet online resources that support the standards. Check back often, as NSTA continues to add more targeted resources.
  • Where Do Plants Get the Material They Need?

    Over the course of lessons 4 and 5 (of a 14 lesson unit) students set up experiments comparing the growth of plants under different conditions, then observe their experiments over several weeks, recording observations along the wa ...

  • What Do Plants Need to Grow?

    In this activity, the class will set up an investigation to determine which materials plants need for growth. One of five plants has an appropriate amount of water, light, soil and air. Each of the other four has had one of these& ...

  • Needs of Seeds

    This article provides background and tips for using the “Needs of Seeds” formative assessment probe. Students demonstrate pre-knowledge as to whether or not seeds have needs both similar to and different from mature plants and other ...

  • Beginning Plants Unit

    This Concord Consortium unit utilizes Science, Math, and ELA lessons to teach students about plants' need for sunlight, air and water. Students take an online pre-test, read a story, reflect on their understanding through writ ...

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Planning Curriculum gives connections to other areas of study for easier curriculum creation.