Ontario · Grade 5
Science and Technology, Grade 5
Ontario’s Grade 5 science course, from STEM Skills and Connections to Conservation of Energy and Resources.
- Units
- 5
- Lessons
- 12
- Skills
- 36
- Provincial exam
- None
- Official curriculum
- Ontario Ministry of Education
Unit by unit
Every skill in the course, with its official code.
Unit 1 · 4 skills
STEM Skills and Connections
Coding: Storing and Processing Data
Coding to store and process data
I can write code that stores and processes data.
Official code: A2.1
Coding, New Technology, and Skilled Trades
How coding and new technology affect life and skilled trades
I can describe how coding and new technology affect everyday life and skilled trades.
Official code: A2.2
Science and Technology in Jobs and Trades
Science and technology in occupations and skilled trades
I can describe how occupations and skilled trades use science and technology.
Official code: A3.1
People Who Help Science Grow
Learning about contributions from many communities
I can analyse how people from many communities help science and technology.
Official code: A3.3
The official wording · 4 outcomes
- A2.1
- write and execute code in investigations and when modelling concepts, with a focus on using different methods to store and process data for a variety of purposes
- A2.2
- identify and describe impacts of coding and of emerging technologies on everyday life, including skilled trades
- A3.1
- describe practical applications of science and technology concepts in various occupations, including skilled trades, and how these applications address real-world problems
- A3.3
- analyse contributions to science and technology from various communities
Key ideas
Code can store data — for example in variables or lists — so a program can use it later.
Coding and new technology change how people live and work.
Many occupations, including skilled trades, use science and technology in their work.
Code can process stored data: sort it, total it, find the largest, or search it.
Skilled trades — like electricians, welders, and machinists — use new technology and coding too.
Watch out for
- Thinking a program forgets data as soon as it is entered.
- Thinking coding only affects office or computer jobs.
- Thinking only scientists use science.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 2 · 7 skills
Human Organ Systems
Life Systems
What Affects Our Health
Social and environmental factors in health
I can assess how social and environmental factors affect health and describe healthy responses.
Official code: B1.1
How technology affects our body systems
I can evaluate how technologies help and harm our health and body systems.
Official code: B1.2
Food literacy and health
I can explain how food literacy supports healthy decisions.
Official code: B1.3
Body Systems and Vital Organs
Systems of the human body
I can identify human body systems and their basic functions.
Official code: B2.1
Vital organs and their functions
I can describe the structure and function of vital organs.
Official code: B2.2
How body systems work together
I can describe how body systems work together.
Official code: B2.3
Diseases, disorders, and the systems they affect
I can identify diseases and disorders and the body systems they affect.
Official code: B2.4
The official wording · 7 outcomes
- B1.1
- assess effects of a variety of social and environmental factors on human health, and describe ways in which individuals can reduce the harmful effects of these factors and take advantage of those that are beneficial
- B1.2
- evaluate beneficial and harmful effects of various technologies on human health and body systems, while taking different perspectives into consideration
- B1.3
- explain how food literacy can support decisions that affect physical and mental health
- B2.1
- identify systems of the human body, and describe their basic function
- B2.2
- describe the basic structure and function of vital organs in various systems in the human body
- B2.3
- describe interrelationships between human body systems
- B2.4
- identify various diseases and medical disorders in humans and the organs and/or body system or systems that they affect
Key ideas
Social factors (like activity and stress) and environmental factors (like air and water quality) affect health.
The body has systems such as the digestive, respiratory, circulatory, nervous, and musculoskeletal systems.
People can reduce harmful effects and take advantage of beneficial ones.
Each system has a basic function — a main job it does for the body.
Technologies can help our body systems (a pacemaker, a hearing aid) or harm them (too much screen time straining eyes).
Watch out for
- Thinking health depends only on what you eat.
- Thinking the body is one single system.
- Not seeing that some factors help health while others harm it.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 3 · 9 skills
Properties and Changes in Matter
Matter and Energy
Making Products and the Environment
Impacts of manufacturing processes
I can assess how manufacturing processes affect society and the environment.
Official code: C1.1
Material choices and reducing harm
I can assess how material choices affect the environment and identify actions to reduce harm.
Official code: C1.2
Exploring Matter and Its Changes
Matter has mass and takes up space
I can describe matter as anything that has mass and takes up space.
Official code: C2.1
States of matter and their properties
I can identify the three states of matter and describe their properties.
Official code: C2.2
Changes of state
I can describe changes of state I observe around me.
Official code: C2.3
Physical change
I can describe a physical change.
Official code: C2.4
Chemical change
I can describe a chemical change and spot the signs of one.
Official code: C2.5
Thermal energy and changes of state
I can explain how absorbing or releasing thermal energy changes the state of matter.
Official code: C2.6
Why properties make materials useful
I can explain how a material's properties make it useful for a job.
Official code: C2.7
The official wording · 9 outcomes
- C1.1
- assess the impacts on society and the environment of various processes used in the manufacture of common products
- C1.2
- assess how the use of specific materials in the manufacture of common products affects the environment, and identify actions that society and individuals can take to mitigate negative impacts
- C2.1
- describe matter as everything that has mass and occupies volume
- C2.2
- identify the states of matter, and describe characteristics and properties of solids, liquids, and gases
- C2.3
- describe changes of state of matter observed at home, in the community, or in the natural environment
- C2.4
- describe physical changes in matter as changes of the state, volume, or form of the matter that do not result in the formation of a different substance
- C2.5
- describe chemical changes in matter as changes that result in the formation of different substances, and identify signs that a chemical change has occurred
- C2.6
- explain how changes of state can occur when matter absorbs or releases thermal energy
- C2.7
- explain why specific physical properties of various solids, liquids, and gases make them useful for particular applications
Key ideas
Making common products uses processes that consume energy and materials.
Matter is anything that has mass and occupies volume (takes up space).
These processes have impacts on society and on the environment.
Everything you can touch — solids, liquids, and gases — is made of matter.
The materials chosen for a product affect the environment differently.
Watch out for
- Thinking products appear without a process behind them.
- Thinking gases like air are not matter.
- Not connecting manufacturing to environmental effects.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 4 · 7 skills
Forces Acting on Structures
Structures and Mechanisms
Nature's Forces on Structures
Effects of natural forces on structures
I can analyse how forces from natural phenomena affect structures.
Official code: D1.1
How people protect structures from natural forces
I can assess how people reduce the impact of natural forces on structures.
Official code: D1.2
Forces Acting on Structures
Internal forces on a structure
I can identify internal forces on a structure and describe their effects.
Official code: D2.1
External forces on a structure
I can identify external forces on a structure and describe their effects.
Official code: D2.2
Withstanding forces from natural phenomena
I can describe severe natural forces and the features that help structures withstand them.
Official code: D2.3
Protective features in animals and plants
I can describe how animal and plant features protect them from forces.
Official code: D2.4
Protective equipment for humans
I can describe how protective equipment protects people from forces.
Official code: D2.5
The official wording · 7 outcomes
- D1.1
- analyse the effects of forces from natural phenomena on structures in natural and built environments
- D1.2
- assess various ways in which humans mitigate impacts of forces from natural phenomena on structures in urban, rural, and remote communities
- D2.1
- identify internal forces acting on a structure, and describe their effects on the structure
- D2.2
- identify external forces acting on a structure, and describe their effects on the structure
- D2.3
- describe forces resulting from natural phenomena that can have severe consequences for human-built structures, and identify structural features and materials that can allow such structures to withstand these forces
- D2.4
- describe ways in which physical characteristics of various animal and plant species help to protect them from potentially harmful effects of forces
- D2.5
- describe ways in which protective equipment helps to protect humans from potentially harmful effects of forces
Key ideas
Natural phenomena — earthquakes, wind, floods — put strong forces on structures.
Internal forces act within the parts of a structure — like compression (squeezing) and tension (pulling).
These forces affect structures in both natural and built environments.
These forces affect how a structure holds together.
People design structures and take measures to withstand natural forces.
Watch out for
- Thinking only built structures face natural forces.
- Thinking forces only come from outside a structure.
- Not connecting a natural phenomenon to the force it applies.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Unit 5 · 9 skills
Conservation of Energy and Resources
Earth and Space Systems
Energy Use, Climate, and Conservation
Long-term impacts of energy and resource use
I can analyse the long-term impacts of energy use and suggest ways to reduce them.
Official code: E1.1
Technology and energy consumption
I can evaluate how technologies affect energy consumption and how they can reduce it.
Official code: E1.2
First Nations, Métis, and Inuit energy and resource knowledge
I can analyse how First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities conserve energy and resources.
Official code: E1.3
Energy and Its Conservation
Forms of energy
I can identify forms of energy and how each is used.
Official code: E2.1
The law of conservation of energy
I can explain the law of conservation of energy.
Official code: E2.2
Stored energy and transformation
I can describe how potential energy is stored and transformed.
Official code: E2.3
Energy dissipation
I can explain that energy transformations release some energy to the environment.
Official code: E2.4
Renewable and non-renewable energy sources
I can identify renewable and non-renewable energy sources.
Official code: E2.5
Fossil fuels and climate change
I can explain how burning fossil fuels changes the atmosphere and drives climate change.
Official code: E2.6
The official wording · 9 outcomes
- E1.1
- analyse long-term impacts of human uses of energy and natural resources, on society and the environment, including climate change, and suggest ways to mitigate these impacts
- E1.2
- evaluate effects of various technologies on energy consumption, and describe ways in which individuals can use technology to reduce energy consumption
- E1.3
- analyse how First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities use their knowledges and ways of knowing to conserve energy and resources
- E2.1
- identify a variety of forms of energy, and describe how each form is used in everyday life
- E2.2
- demonstrate an understanding of the law of conservation of energy, including how energy cannot be created or destroyed but can only be transformed from one form to another
- E2.3
- describe how energy is stored as potential energy and transformed in a given device or system
- E2.4
- demonstrate an understanding that when energy is transformed from one form to another, some energy may dissipate into the environment in the form of heat, light, and/or sound energy
- E2.5
- identify renewable and non-renewable sources of energy
- E2.6
- explain how the use of energy derived from fossil fuels changes the composition of the atmosphere and how these changes contribute to climate change
Key ideas
Using energy and natural resources has long-term impacts on society and the environment, including climate change.
Energy comes in forms such as thermal, electrical, light, sound, chemical, and mechanical.
We can suggest ways to reduce these impacts.
Each form is used in everyday life.
Some technologies use a lot of energy; others are designed to save it.
Watch out for
- Thinking energy use has only short-term effects.
- Thinking there is only one kind of energy.
- Believing nothing can reduce these impacts.
Every skill’s key ideas, worked examples and checks are in MapleMind.Practise this unit
Plan the term
Pick your term and the days you study. Each unit gets its share of the weeks and comes back a week later for a review. The last two weeks go over the whole course.
The official curriculum
This page follows Ontario’s own curriculum for Science and Technology, Grade 5.
Textbooks
The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Science and Technology, Grade 5:
- STEM NOW Grade 5
From the Trillium List, read October 27, 2026. ontario.ca
Strands
| Strand | Outcomes | Taught in |
|---|---|---|
| ASTEM Skills and Connections | Outcomes 4 | Taught in Unit 1 |
| BLife Systems | Outcomes 7 | Taught in Unit 2Human Organ Systems |
| CMatter and Energy | Outcomes 9 | Taught in Unit 3Properties and Changes in Matter |
| DStructures and Mechanisms | Outcomes 7 | Taught in Unit 4Forces Acting on Structures |
| EEarth and Space Systems | Outcomes 9 | Taught in Unit 5Conservation of Energy and Resources |
Study it in MapleMind
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Course Companion
Your year in one workbook
A fun way to keep Science and Technology, Grade 5 organized, get to know your child better and see early when they need a hand. Fill it in on a screen, or print it.
- Pages
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- 1,554
- Price
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Questions about Science and Technology, Grade 5
What is Science and Technology, Grade 5?
Ontario’s Grade 5 science course: 5 units and 36 skills, from STEM Skills and Connections to Conservation of Energy and Resources.
What units are in Science and Technology, Grade 5?
1. STEM Skills and Connections, 2. Human Organ Systems, 3. Properties and Changes in Matter, 4. Forces Acting on Structures and 5. Conservation of Energy and Resources.
Is there a provincial exam for Science and Technology, Grade 5?
No. Ontario gives no provincial exam for Science and Technology, Grade 5.
What textbook does Science and Technology, Grade 5 use?
The textbooks Ontario Ministry of Education lists for Science and Technology, Grade 5: STEM NOW Grade 5, GTK Press.
What comes after Science and Technology, Grade 5?
Science and Technology, Grade 6.
Can MapleMind help with Science and Technology, Grade 5?
Yes. MapleMind teaches every skill of Science and Technology, Grade 5, step by step, with practice and checks, and its tutor answers questions about any of them. It’s free with daily limits, on iPhone, Android and the web.
Get ready for Science and Technology, Grade 5
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