Course Overview
This fifth grade science course deepens students’ inquiry skills and expands their understanding of complex scientific ideas through hands-on exploration and investigation. Students will explore topics such as:
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Ecosystems and biomes, including interactions, carrying capacity, and human impact
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Energy transfer, heat, and thermodynamics, with examples in daily life
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Forces, motion, and simple machines, investigating relationships between mass, force, and acceleration
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Matter: atoms, molecules, mixtures, and chemical reactions
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Earth’s systems — plate tectonics, rock cycle, weathering, erosion, and soil formation
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Weather, climate, and global systems, including climate change
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Astronomy and space science, including the solar system, moon phases, and star life cycles
Through experiments, data collection, modeling, and discussion, students will refine their skills in forming hypotheses, analyzing evidence, drawing conclusions, and communicating results. This course aims to foster curiosity, build confidence in scientific thinking, and prepare students for more advanced science studies.