Science Teacher: Abby Branch
Goals of the Course
Our three overall goals for fifth and sixth grade science are 1) Students feel excited
about and confident in science; 2) Students are able to design, execute, and explain
experiments; and 3) Students view science as a process rather than a body of knowledge.
Structure of the Course
In fifth and sixth grade students go to science three times a week for 45 minutes.
Students keep a folder in the science room where they collect handouts, readings,
and lab notes. Students also have science notebooks for recording questions, data,
observations and models.
Skills and habits of mind
During the fifth and sixth grade year we work on developing a range of science skills.
Students work to ask testable questions, design effective experiments, develop record
keeping skills, communicate effectively orally and in writing, create models, and
analyze results. When reading science texts we also work on recognizing key ideas
and evaluating the source of information.
We hope the science curriculum fosters deductive reasoning, critical thinking, and
creativity. We believe successful learning occurs when students can use these skills
to perform meaningful tasks such as decision making, investigation, experimental
inquiry, problem solving and invention and try to incorporate these activities into
science activities (Marzano, 1993).
Magnetism
- What materials are magnetic
- Characteristics of magnets and magnetic fields
- Building electromagnets
- Compass use and investigation of the earth’s magnetic field
- Uses of magnets
Plants
- Plant structures
- Requirements for plant growth
- Designing experiments that effect growth
- Process of pollination
- Photosynthesis
Water and Other Liquids
- of matter
- Density and Buoyancy
- Viscosity
- Surface tension
- Chromatography
Independent Science Project
Starting in early April students will be asked to think of a science experiment
that they would like to work on for about a month. We will encourage students to
pick an experiment related to the content areas we have covered in class, but if
students are eager to pursue an investigation in another content area this will
be an option. During science class students will be able to work on their projects,
but some work may also need to be done outside of school. The project will culminate
with our Kid’s Inquiry Conference during which kids will report on their experiments.
The Kid’s Inquiry Conference will be held in late May.
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