Science, Grade 5

Unit 1: Scientific Skills and Inquiry

The hands-on doing of science in Grade 5 - selecting instruments to observe and measure in SI units, building and evaluating graphs, and constructing a prototype.

• Selecting instruments to measure
• Measuring in SI units

• Building and evaluating graphs
• Building a prototype

Unit 2: Maintaining a Healthy Body

Nutrition and food labels, the body's major systems and how they work together, the body's defences, and the choices that keep a body healthy.

• Words for human health
• Reading food labels
• Nutrients and what they do
• Evaluating a daily menu
• Evaluating prepared foods

• The digestive system
• Skeleton, muscles, and nerves
• Skin and the integumentary system
• The body's defences against infection
• Breathing and blood systems
• How the body removes waste
• Systems working together

• Keeping a healthy body
• Judging health messages in the media
• How choices and environment affect health

Unit 3: Properties of and Changes in Substances

Properties of substances, matter and the three states, mass and changes of state, reversible and non-reversible changes, physical versus chemical change, and using chemicals safely.

• Words for substances and changes
• Telling substances apart by properties
• How substances change when they interact
• What matter is
• Properties of the three states of matter

• Mass in liquid and solid states
• Mass of the whole equals the parts
• Changes of state are reversible

• Reversible and non-reversible changes
• Physical versus chemical change
• Classifying changes
• Using chemicals safely
• Evaluating household chemicals
• Turning raw materials into products

Unit 4: Forces and Simple Machines

Forces on objects, levers, wheels and axles, gears and pulleys, the six simple machines, their advantages, and designing a machine system.

• Words for forces and simple machines
• Diagramming forces on an object
• The three classes of levers

• Wheels and axles around us
• Gears turn other gears
• Devices with pulleys and gears
• How a two-gear system works
• Pulley systems and force
• Improving pulley and gear systems

• The six simple machines
• Why simple machines help
• Comparing machines for a task
• Devices that vary a simple machine
• Designing a machine system

Unit 5: Weather

Weather and its effects, properties of air, air masses and fronts, weather instruments and reports, forecasting, and how the Sun, clouds, and climate shape our weather.

• Words for weather
• How weather affects living things
• Properties of air
• Air masses and fronts

• Building a weather instrument
• Measuring local weather over time
• Reading a weather report
• Features of weather phenomena
• Severe weather safety

• Ways of predicting weather
• Short- and long-term forecasts
• Technology that improves forecasting

• The Sun drives the weather
• Clouds and the water cycle
• Common cloud types
• Weather versus climate
• What influences Manitoba's weather and climate
• Climates are always changing