Course Objectives

5th Grade Science Syllabus 2012/2013

Teacher: Ms. Lannon

Email: hrlannon@cps.edu

Course Goals:

a)      Matter

i)        Any type of matter can be divided into parts too small to see, but just because we can’t see it doesn’t mean it no longer exists. 

ii)      Matter too small to see can still be measured by various means.

iii)    Matter has various properties (hardness, reflectivity, density, etc.) and those properties can help us identify different materials.

b)      Chemical Reactions

i)        Chemical reactions create new substances based on substances mixed and their temperatures.

ii)      When chemical reactions occur, the weight of the new substances is the same as the original weight of the substances combined.

c)       Earth’s major Systems

i)        There are 4 major systems: Geosphere, Hydrosphere, Atmosphere, and Biosphere.

ii)      These systems interact (Ocean affects climate and shapes landforms; winds affect weather, which shapes landforms; human actions affect atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere).

(1)    Human activities often lead to degradation of various Earth systems.

d)      Hydrosphere

i)        Water is found nearly everywhere on Earth – if not on the surface, then under the surface or in the atmosphere.

ii)      Water cycle

iii)    Freshwater available for drinking is comparatively rare and many people lack fresh water

e)      Biosphere

i)        Almost all energy for life comes from the sun

(1)    Plants use light energy to make food from air and water.

(2)    Animals eat plants or other animals to provide themselves with the energy needed to live and grow.

ii)      Conservation of Matter in Living things

(1)    Matter cycles between air, soil, and among plants and animals and microbes as these organisms live and die.

(2)    Organisms obtain gases, water, and minerals from the environment and release waste matter back into the environment. 

iii)    Organisms need particular conditions in their environment in order to survive and thrive.  Healthy ecosystems generally have many species that have achieved a balance in order to ensure the continuation of each species.

(1)    Effects of Alien Species

f)       Astronomy

i)        Stars and the sun

ii)      How Earth moves and resultant effects (day/night, shadows, moon phases, etc.)

iii)    Objects that can be seen with naked eye and their apparent movements.

iv)    Gravitational force of Earth pulls an object near Earth’s surface toward its center.

v)      Models can be used to explain and predict apparent motion of the stars, sun, planets, and moon.

vi)    Tides, eclipses, and movement of planets can be explained with models.

vii)  Composition of the solar system and how it is held together by gravity

g)      Light

i)        Light is reflected, absorbed, or goes through an object, depending on the particular material and the frequency of the light.

ii)      Light travels in straight lines except when it hits the surface of a transparent material which causes it to bend (refract).

iii)    Lenses can be used to magnify images due to the fact that they can bend light beams.

(1)    By understanding how light bends at the surface of differently shaped lenses, instruments such as telescopes, microscopes, and eyeglasses can be made to enhance what can be seen.

h)      Engineering

i)        What engineers do to improve our lives through technology.

6th Grade Science Syllabus 2012/2013

Teacher: Ms. Lannon

Email: hrlannon@cps.edu

Course Goals:

a)      Geology

i)        Fossils

(1)    How fossils form

(2)    How fossils provide clues to an organism’s past.

(3)    The fossil record

(a)    Fossil record is incomplete due to specialized conditions required for fossils to form.

ii)      Earth’s interior processes

(1)    Tectonic plates

(a)    Formation of new crust

(b)   Historic movement pattern

(2)    Interior produces energy which results in energy flow and matter cycling.

(a)    Cycling causes physical and chemical changes to Earth and its organisms.

(3)    Rock cycle

(4)    Predictability of volcanoes and earthquakes.

(5)    Geologists use seismic waves and their reflections to learn about Earth’s interior.

iii)    Earth’s surface processes

(1)    Soil is produced by interactions among rocks, sediments, water, air, and organisms.

(2)    Water cycle is driven by sunlight and gravity

iv)    Earth’s History

(1)    Layering of rocks tells us much about Earth’s history

(2)    Earth’s systems interact on very large and very small scales, and operate over periods from fractions of a second to billions of years.

b)      Atmosphere

i)        Weather

(1)    Effects of water, wind, ocean temperatures and currents, landforms, sunlight, ice, and organisms on weather

(2)    Effects of latitude and altitude

(3)    There are too many variables to reliably predict weather beyond the short-term

(4)    Different absorption and release rates of heat by oceans and land have a major effect on weather.

(a)    This factor, along with Earth’s rotation and the patterns of continents and oceans, controls atmospheric and oceanic circulation.

(5)    Monitoring of weather patterns helps us predict weather hazards.

c)       Food Webs

i)        Matter and energy transfer between producers, consumers, and decomposers.

ii)      Small changes in ecosystems can have large effects on populations.

d)      Cells

i)        Cell parts and functions

ii)      Cell membrane, osmosis, and active and passive transport

iii)    Cells need food, water, a way to dispose of waste, and a suitable environment.

iv)    In a body, cells form tissues, organs, and organ systems

v)      Sense receptors use nerve cells to transmit environmental information to the brain.

vi)    The information sent to the brain is processed resulting in immediate behaviors or memories.

e)      Engineering

i)        Carefully defining criteria and constraints of a design problem is critical to success.

(1)    Scientific principles must be well understood in order to recognize restraints.

ii)      Designs are generally tested; then modified based on test results.

iii)    Systematic processes are used to evaluate effectiveness of a design.

iv)    Comparing identical designs could involve running them through identical tests to see which performs better.