Curriculum Guide 2017
Science 5
Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
Mission Statement
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development
will improve provincial early childhood learning and the K-12
education system to further opportunities for the people of
Newfoundland and Labrador.
MISSION STATEMENT
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 I
II SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
TABLE OF CONTENTS
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 III
Table of Contents
Acknowledgements ..................................................................................................... v
Section One: Newfoundland and Labrador Curriculum
Outcomes Based Education........................................................................................1
Context for Teaching and Learning .............................................................................4
Inclusive Education..................................................................................................4
Literacy ..................................................................................................................10
Learning Skills for Generation Next .......................................................................12
Assessment and Evaluation ......................................................................................15
Section Two: Curriculum Design
Rationale ...................................................................................................................19
Curriculum Outcomes Framework ............................................................................20
Course Overview.......................................................................................................22
Suggested Yearly Plan .............................................................................................. 23
How to use a Four Column Layout............................................................................24
How to use a Strand Overview..................................................................................26
Section Three: Specic Curriculum Outcomes
Unit i: Integrated Skills ..............................................................................................27
Unit 1: Weather .........................................................................................................69
Unit 2: Forces and Simple Machines ......................................................................103
Unit 3: Properties and Changes of Materials .........................................................133
Unit 4: Body Systems .............................................................................................163
TABLE OF CONTENTS
IV SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
The Department of Education and Early Childhood Development for Newfoundland and Labrador
gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the following members of the Science 5 Curriculum
Committee, in the completion of this work:
Alicia Oldford
Bonne Bay Academy
Allison Edwards
Bishop Field School
Allison Hammond
Mary Queen of Peace Elementary
Andrew Power
Paradise Elementary
Anne Marie Brown
CC Loughlin Elementary
Carla Lambert
MacDonald Drive Elementary
Carla McIsaac
Mary Queen of the World Elementary
Carrie Collins
Villanova Junior High
Cynthia Fillier
Beachy Cove Elementary
Darrell Stacey
Sprucewood Academy
Denise Pitts
Octagon Pond Elementary
Elaina Johnson
Catalina Elementary School
Jill Snook
Virginia Park Elementary
Karen Adams
Goulds Elementary
Kim Keating
Holy Trinity Elementary
Naomi Young
Gander Academy
Nicole Blanchard
Amos Comenius Memorial
Patricia Edwards
CC Loughlin School
Ruth Power-Blackmore
Larkhall Academy
Stacie Pardy
J.R. Smallwood Middle School
Tracy Drake
All Hallows Elementary
Todd Woodland
Department of Education and Early Childhood
Development
Acknowledgements
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 V
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
VI SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
There are multiple factors that impact education: technological
developments, increased emphasis on accountability, and
globalization. These factors point to the need to consider carefully
the education students receive.
The Newfoundland and Labrador Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development believes that curriculum design with
the following characteristics will help teachers address the needs of
students served by the provincially prescribed curriculum:
Curriculum guides must clearly articulate what students are
expected to know and be able to do by the time they graduate
from high school.
There must be purposeful assessment of students’ performance
in relation to the curriculum outcomes.
Introduction
General Curriculum Outcomes
(unique to each subject area)
Essential Graduation Learnings
(common to all subject areas)
S p e c i c C u r r i c u l u m O u t c o m e s
(met within each grade level and subject area)
Key Stage Learning Outcomes
(met by end of grades 3,6,9 and 12)
EGLs provide vision for the development of a coherent and relevant
curriculum. They are statements that offer students clear goals and
a powerful rationale for education. The EGLs are delineated by
general, key stage, and specic curriculum outcomes.
Essential
Graduation
Learnings
The K-12 curriculum in Newfoundland and Labrador is organized
by outcomes and is based on The Atlantic Canada Framework for
Essential Graduation Learning in Schools (1997). This framework
consists of Essential Graduation Learnings (EGLs), General
Curriculum Outcomes (GCOs), Key Stage Curriculum Outcomes
(KSCOs) and Specic Curriculum Outcomes (SCOs).
Outcomes Based
Education
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 1
Section One:
Newfoundland and Labrador Curriculum
EGLs describe the knowledge, skills, and attitudes expected of
all students who graduate from high school. Achievement of the
EGLs will prepare students to continue to learn throughout their
lives. EGLs describe expectations, not in terms of individual subject
areas, but in terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes developed
throughout the K-12 curriculum. They conrm that students need to
make connections and develop abilities across subject areas if they
are to be ready to meet the shifting and ongoing demands of life,
work, and study.
Aesthetic Expression – Graduates will be able to respond with
critical awareness to various forms of the arts and be able to
express themselves through the arts.
Citizenship – Graduates will be able to assess social, cultural,
economic, and environmental interdependence in a local and global
context.
Communication – Graduates will be able to use the listening,
viewing, speaking, reading and writing modes of language(s), and
mathematical and scientic concepts and symbols, to think, learn
and communicate effectively.
Problem Solving – Graduates will be able to use the strategies
and processes needed to solve a wide variety of problems,
including those requiring language, and mathematical and scientic
concepts.
Personal Development – Graduates will be able to continue to
learn and to pursue an active, healthy lifestyle.
Spiritual and Moral Development – Graduates will demonstrate
understanding and appreciation for the place of belief systems in
shaping the development of moral values and ethical conduct.
Technological Competence – Graduates will be able to use
a variety of technologies, demonstrate an understanding of
technological applications, and apply appropriate technologies for
solving problems.
Aesthetic
Expression
Spritual
and Moral
Development
Technological
Competence
Problem
Solving
Personal
Development
Communication
Citizenship
Curriculum
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2 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Curriculum outcomes are statements that articulate what students
are expected to know and be able to do in each program area in
terms of knowledge, skills, and attitudes.
Curriculum outcomes may be subdivided into General Curriculum
Outcomes, Key Stage Curriculum Outcomes, and Specic
Curriculum Outcomes.
General Curriculum Outcomes (GCOs)
Each program has a set of GCOs which describe what knowledge,
skills, and attitudes students are expected to demonstrate as a
result of their cumulative learning experiences within a subject area.
GCOs serve as conceptual organizers or frameworks which guide
study within a program area. Often, GCOs are further delineated
into KSCOs.
Key Stage Curriculum Outcomes (KSCOs)
Key Stage Curriculum Outcomes (KSCOs) summarize what is
expected of students at each of the four key stages of grades three,
six, nine, and twelve.
Specic Curriculum Outcomes (SCOs)
SCOs set out what students are expected to know and be able to
do as a result of their learning experiences in a course, at a specic
grade level. In some program areas, SCOs are further articulated
into delineations. It is expected that all SCOs will be addressed
during the course of study covered by the curriculum guide.
Curriculum Outcomes
Subject Area
GCO
EGL
KSCO
SCO
Grades 3, 6, 9
& 12
Course/Level
Outcomes
Focus for
Learning
Teaching and
Assessment
Strategies
Resources and
Notes
4 Column Spreads
EGLs to Curriculum
Guides
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 3
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4 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Valuing Equity and
Diversity
Effective inclusive schools have the
following characteristics: supportive
environment, positive relationships,
feelings of competence, and
opportunities to participate. (The
Centre for Inclusive Education,
2009)
All students need to see their lives and experiences reected in
their school community. It is important that the curriculum reect the
experiences and values of all genders and that learning resources
include and reect the interests, achievements, and perspectives of
all students. An inclusive classroom values the varied experiences
and abilities as well as social and ethno-cultural backgrounds of
all students while creating opportunities for community building.
Inclusive policies and practices promote mutual respect, positive
interdependencies, and diverse perspectives. Learning resources
should include a range of materials that allow students to consider
many viewpoints and to celebrate the diverse aspects of the school
community.
Inclusive Education
Context for Teaching and Learning
Teachers are responsible to help students achieve outcomes.
This responsibility is a constant in a changing world. As programs
change over time so does educational context. Several factors
make up the educational context in Newfoundland and Labrador
today: inclusive education, support for gradual release of
responsibility teaching model, focus on literacy and learning
skills in all programs, and support for education for sustainable
development.
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SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 5
Curriculum is designed and implemented to provide learning
opportunities for all students according to abilities, needs, and
interests. Teachers must be aware of and responsive to the diverse
range of learners in their classes. Differentiated instruction is a
useful tool in addressing this diversity.
Differentiated instruction responds to different readiness levels,
abilities, and learning proles of students. It involves actively
planning so that the process by which content is delivered, the
way the resource is used, and the products students create
are in response to the teacher’s knowledge of whom he or she
is interacting with. Learning environments should be exible
to accommodate various learning preferences of the students.
Teachers continually make decisions about selecting teaching
strategies and structuring learning activities that provide all students
with a safe and supportive place to learn and succeed.
Differentiated
Instruction
Differentiating the
Content
Differentiated instruction is a
teaching philosophy based
on the premise that teachers
should adapt instruction to
student differences. Rather than
marching students through the
curriculum lockstep, teachers
should modify their instruction to
meet students’ varying readiness
levels, learning preferences, and
interests. Therefore, the teacher
proactively plans a variety of
ways to ‘get it’ and express
learning. (Carol Ann Tomlinson,
2008)
Differentiating content requires teachers to pre-assess students to
identify those who require prerequisite instruction, as well as those
who have already mastered the concept and may therefore apply
strategies learned to new situations. Another way to differentiate
content is to permit students to adjust the pace at which they
progress through the material. Some students may require
additional time while others will move through at an increased
pace and thus create opportunities for enrichment or more indepth
consideration of a topic of particular interest.
Planning for Differentiation
present authentic and relevant communication situations
manage routines and class organization
provide realistic and motivating classroom experiences
allow students to construct meaning and connect, collaborate and
communicate with each other in a positive learning community
form essential links between the text and the students
allow students to make relevant and meaningful choices
provide students ownership of learning goals
empower students through a gradual release of responsibility
allow students multiple ways to demonstrate their learning
Create a dynamic
classroom
Vary teaching
strategies
Respond to student
differences
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6 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Teachers should consider the following examples of differentiating
content:
Meet with small groups to reteach an idea or skill or to extend
the thinking or skills.
Present ideas through auditory, visual, and tactile means.
Use reading materials such as novels, websites, and other
reference materials at varying reading levels.
Differentiating the process involves varying learning activities or
strategies to provide appropriate methods for students to explore
and make sense of concepts. A teacher might assign all students
the same product (e.g., presenting to peers) but the process
students use to create the presentation may differ. Some students
could work in groups while others meet with the teacher individually.
The same assessment criteria can be used for all students.
Teachers should consider exible grouping of students such as
whole class, small group, or individual instruction. Students can be
grouped according to their learning styles, readiness levels, interest
areas, and/or the requirements of the content or activity presented.
Groups should be formed for specic purposes and be exible in
composition and short-term in duration.
Teachers should consider the following examples of differentiating
the process:
Offer hands-on activities for students.
Provide activities and resources that encourage students to
further explore a topic of particular interest.
Use activities in which all learners work with the same
learning outcomes but proceed with different levels of support,
challenge, or complexity.
Differentiating the product involves varying the complexity and
type of product that students create to demonstrate learning
outcomes. Teachers provide a variety of opportunities for students
to demonstrate and show evidence of what they have learned.
Teachers should give students options to demonstrate their learning
(e.g., create an online presentation, write a letter, or develop a
mural). This will lead to an increase in student engagement.
Differentiating the
Process
Differentiating the
Product
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SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 7
The learning environment includes the physical and the affective
tone or atmosphere in which teaching and learning take place, and
can include the noise level in the room, whether student activities
are static or mobile, or how the room is furnished and arranged.
Classrooms may include tables of different shapes and sizes, space
for quiet individual work, and areas for collaboration.
Teachers can divide the classroom into sections, create learning
centres, or have students work both independently and in groups.
The structure should allow students to move from whole group,
to small group, pairs, and individual learning experiences and
support a variety of ways to engage in learning. Teachers should
be sensitive and alert to ways in which the classroom environment
supports their ability to interact with students.
Teachers should consider the following examples of differentiating
the learning environment:
Develop routines that allow students to seek help when
teachers are with other students and cannot provide immediate
attention.
Ensure there are places in the room for students to work quietly
and without distraction, as well as places that invite student
collaboration.
Establish clear guidelines for independent work that match
individual needs.
Provide materials that reect diversity of student background,
interests, and abilities.
The physical learning environment must be structured in such a
way that all students can gain access to information and develop
condence and competence.
All students have individual learning needs. Some students,
however, have exceptionalities (dened by the Department of
Education and Early Childhood Development) which impact their
learning. The majority of students with exceptionalities access the
prescribed curriculum. For details of these exceptionalities see
www.gov.nl.ca/edu/k12/studentsupportservices/exceptionalities.html
Supports for these students may include
1. Accommodations
2. Modied Prescribed Courses
3. Alternate Courses
4. Alternate Programs
5. Alternate Curriculum
For further information, see Service Delivery Model for Students
with Exceptionalities at www.cdli.ca/sdm/
Classroom teachers should collaborate with instructional resource
teachers to select and develop strategies which target specic
learning needs.
Differentiating the
Learning Environment
Meeting the Needs
of Students with
Exceptionalities
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8 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Some students begin a course or topic with a vast amount of
prior experience and knowledge. They may know a large portion
of the material before it is presented to the class or be capable
of processing it at a rate much faster than their classmates. All
students are expected to move forward from their starting point.
Many elements of differentiated instruction are useful in addressing
the needs of students who are highly able.
Teachers may
assign independent study to increase depth of exploration in an
area of particular interest;
compact curriculum to allow for an increased rate of content
coverage commensurate with a student’s ability or degree of
prior knowledge;
group students with similar abilities to provide the opportunity
for students to work with their intellectual peers and elevate
discussion and thinking, or delve deeper into a particular topic;
and
tier instruction to pursue a topic to a greater depth or to make
connections between various spheres of knowledge.
Highly able students require the opportunity for authentic
investigation to become familiar with the tools and practices of the
eld of study. Authentic audiences and tasks are vital for these
learners. Some highly able learners may be identied as gifted and
talented in a particular domain. These students may also require
supports through the Service Delivery Model for Students with
Exceptionalities.
Meeting the Needs
of Students who are
Highly Able
(includes gifted and
talented)
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 9
MENTOR
(SharedandGuided)
MONITOR
(Independent)
MODEL
(Modelled)
Modelled
“Idoyouwatch”
Independent
“YoudoIwatch”
Shared
“Ido youhelp”
Guided
“You do I help”
Gradual
Releaseof
Responsibility
Teachers must determine when students can work independently
and when they require assistance. In an effective learning
environment, teachers choose their instructional activities to model
and scaffold composition, comprehension, and metacognition that
is just beyond the students’ independence level. In the gradual
release of responsibility approach, students move from a high level
of teacher support to independent work. If necessary, the teacher
increases the level of support when students need assistance. The
goal is to empower students with their own learning strategies,
and to know how, when, and why to apply them to support their
individual growth. Guided practice supports student independence.
As a student demonstrates success, the teacher should gradually
decrease his or her support.
Gradual Release of
Responsibility
Gradual Release of Responsibility Model
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10 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Literacy is
a process of receiving information and making meaning from it;
and
the ability to identify, understand, interpret, communicate,
compute, and create text, images, and sounds.
Literacy development is a lifelong learning enterprise beginning at
birth that involves many complex concepts and understandings.
It is not limited to the ability to read and write; no longer are we
exposed only to printed text. It includes the capacity to learn to
communicate, read, write, think, explore, and solve problems.
Individuals use literacy skills in paper, digital, and live interactions
to engage in a variety of activities:
Analyze critically and solve problems.
Comprehend and communicate meaning.
Create a variety of texts.
Make connections both personally and inter-textually.
Participate in the socio-cultural world of the community.
Read and view for enjoyment.
Respond personally.
These expectations are identied in curriculum documents for
specic subject areas as well as in supporting documents, such as
Cross-Curricular Reading Tools (CAMET).
With modelling, support, and practice, students’ thinking and
understandings are deepened as they work with engaging content
and participate in focused conversations.
The focus for reading in the content areas is on teaching strategies
for understanding content. Teaching strategies for reading
comprehension benets all students as they develop transferable
skills that apply across curriculum areas.
When interacting with different texts, students must read words,
view and interpret text features, and navigate through information
presented in a variety of ways including, but not limited to
Advertisements Movies Poems
Blogs Music videos Songs
Books Online databases Speeches
Documentaries Plays Video games
Magazine articles Podcasts Websites
Students should be able to interact with and comprehend different
texts at different levels.
Literacy
Reading in the Content
Areas
“Literacy is the ability to identify,
understand, interpret, create,
communicate and compute, using
printed and written materials
associated with varying contexts.
Literacy involves a continuum of
learning in enabling individuals
to achieve their goals, to develop
their knowledge and potential,
and to participate fully in their
community and wider society”.
To be successful, students
require a set of interrelated skills,
strategies and knowledge in
multiple literacies that facilitate
their ability to participate fully in
a variety of roles and contexts
in their lives, in order to explore
and interpret the world and
communicate meaning. (The
Plurality of Literacy and its
Implications for Policies and
Programmes, 2004, p.13)
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 11
There are three levels of text comprehension:
Independent level – Students are able to read, view, and
understand texts without assistance.
Instructional level – Students are able to read, view, and
understand most texts but need assistance to fully comprehend
some texts.
Frustration level – Students are not able to read or view with
understanding (i.e., texts may be beyond their current reading
level).
Teachers will encounter students working at all reading levels in
their classrooms and will need to differentiate instruction to meet
their needs. For example, print texts may be presented in audio
form, physical movement may be associated with synthesizing new
information with prior knowledge, or graphic organizers may be
created to present large amounts of print text in a visual manner.
When interacting with information that is unfamiliar to students, it is
important for teachers to monitor how effectively students are using
strategies to read and view texts:
Analyze and think critically about information.
Determine importance to prioritize information.
Engage in questioning before, during, and after an activity
related to a task, text, or problem.
Make inferences about what is meant but not said.
Make predictions.
Synthesize information to create new meaning.
Visualize ideas and concepts.
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12 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Students need content and skills to be successful. Education
helps students learn content and develop skills needed to be
successful in school and in all learning contexts and situations.
Effective learning environments and curricula challenge learners to
develop and apply key skills within the content areas and across
interdisciplinary themes.
Learning Skills for Generation Next encompasses three broad
areas:
Learning and Innovation Skills enhance a person’s ability to
learn, create new ideas, problem solve, and collaborate.
Life and Career Skills address leadership, and interpersonal
and affective domains.
Literacy Skills develop reading, writing, and numeracy, and
enhance the use of information and communication technology.
The diagram below illustrates the relationship between these areas.
A 21
st
century curriculum employs methods that integrate innovative
and research-driven teaching strategies, modern learning
technologies, and relevant resources and contexts.
Learning Skills for
Generation Next
Generation Next is the group
of students who have not
known a world without personal
computers, cell phones, and the
Internet. They were born into
this technology. They are digital
natives.
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 13
Support for students to develop these abilities and skills is important
across curriculum areas and should be integrated into teaching,
learning, and assessment strategies. Opportunities for integration
of these skills and abilities should be planned with engaging
and experiential activities that support the gradual release of
responsibility model. For example, lessons in a variety of content
areas can be infused with learning skills for Generation Next by
using open-ended questioning, role plays, inquiry approaches,
self-directed learning, student role rotation, and Internet-based
technologies.
All programs have a shared responsibility in developing students’
capabilities within all three skill areas.
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
14 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Sustainable development is comprised of three integrally connected
areas: economy, society, and environment.
Education for
Sustainable
Development
As conceived by the United Nations Educational, Scientic, and
Cultural Organization (UNESCO) the overall goal of Education for
Sustainable Development (ESD) is to integrate the knowledge,
skills, values, and perspectives of sustainable development
into all aspects of education and learning. Changes in human
behaviour should create a more sustainable future that supports
environmental integrity and economic viability, resulting in a just
society for all generations.
ESD involves teaching for rather than teaching about sustainable
development. In this way students develop the skills, attitudes, and
perspectives to meet their present needs without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their needs.
Within ESD, the knowledge component spans an understanding of
the interconnectedness of our political, economic, environmental,
and social worlds, to the role of science and technology in the
development of societies and their impact on the environment.
The skills necessary include being able to assess bias, analyze
consequences of choices, ask questions, and solve problems.
ESD values and perspectives include an appreciation for the
interdependence of all life forms, the importance of individual
responsibility and action, an understanding of global issues as well
as local issues in a global context. Students need to be aware that
every issue has a history, and that many global issues are linked.
Sustainable development is
dened as “development that
meets the needs of the present
without compromising the ability
of future generations to meet
their own needs”. (Our Common
Future, 43)
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 15
Assessment and Evaluation
Assessment
Assessment is the process of gathering information on student
learning.
How learning is assessed and evaluated and how results are
communicated send clear messages to students and others about
what is valued.
Assessment instruments are used to gather information for
evaluation. Information gathered through assessment helps
teachers determine students’ strengths and needs, and guides
future instruction.
Teachers are encouraged to be exible in assessing student
learning and to seek diverse ways students might demonstrate what
they know and are able to do.
Evaluation involves the weighing of the assessment information
against a standard in order to make a judgement about student
achievement.
Assessment can be used for different purposes:
1. Assessment for learning guides and informs instruction.
2. Assessment as learning focuses on what students are
doing well, what they are struggling with, where the areas of
challenge are, and what to do next.
3. Assessment of learning makes judgements about student
performance in relation to curriculum outcomes.
Assessment for learning involves frequent, interactive assessments
designed to make student learning visible. This enables teachers
to identify learning needs and adjust teaching accordingly.
Assessment for learning is not about a score or mark; it is an
ongoing process of teaching and learning:
Pre-assessments provide teachers with information about what
students already know and can do.
Self-assessments allow students to set goals for their own
learning.
Assessment for learning provides descriptive and specic
feedback to students and parents regarding the next stage of
learning.
Data collected during the learning process from a range of tools
enables teachers to learn as much as possible about what a
student knows and is able to do.
1. Assessment for Learning
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16 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Assessment as learning involves students’ reecting on their
learning and monitoring their own progress. It focuses on the
role of the student in developing metacognition and enhances
engagement in their own learning. Students can
analyze their learning in relation to learning outcomes,
assess themselves and understand how to improve
performance,
consider how they can continue to improve their learning, and
use information gathered to make adaptations to their learning
processes and to develop new understandings.
Assessment of learning involves strategies designed to conrm
what students know in terms of curriculum outcomes. It also assists
teachers in determining student prociency and future learning
needs. Assessment of learning occurs at the end of a learning
experience and contributes directly to reported results. Traditionally,
teachers relied on this type of assessment to make judgements
about student performance by measuring learning after the fact
and then reporting it to others. Used in conjunction with the other
assessment processes previously outlined, assessment of learning
is strengthened. Teachers can
conrm what students know and can do;
report evidence to parents/guardians, and other stakeholders,
of student achievement in relation to learning outcomes; and
report on student learning accurately and fairly using evidence
obtained from a variety of contexts and sources.
Students should know what they are expected to learn as
outlined in the specic curriculum outcomes of a course as well
as the criteria that will be used to determine the quality of their
achievement. This information allows students to make informed
choices about the most effective ways to demonstrate what they
know and are able to do.
It is important that students participate actively in assessment by
co-creating criteria and standards which can be used to make
judgements about their own learning. Students may benet from
examining various scoring criteria, rubrics, and student exemplars.
Students are more likely to perceive learning as its own reward
when they have opportunities to assess their own progress. Rather
than asking teachers, “What do you want?”, students should be
asking themselves questions:
What have I learned?
What can I do now that I couldn’t do before?
What do I need to learn next?
Assessment must provide opportunities for students to reect on
their own progress, evaluate their learning, and set goals for future
learning.
2. Assessment as Learning
3. Assessment of Learning
Involving Students in the
Assessment Process
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 17
In planning assessment, teachers should use a broad range of
tools to give students multiple opportunities to demonstrate their
knowledge, skills, and attitudes. The different levels of achievement
or performance may be expressed as written or oral comments,
ratings, categorizations, letters, numbers, or as some combination
of these forms.
The grade level and the activity being assessed will inform the
types of assessment tools teachers will choose:
Anecdotal Records Photographic Documentation
Audio/Video Clips Podcasts
Case Studies Portfolios
Checklists Presentations
Conferences Projects
Debates Questions
Demonstrations Quizzes
Exemplars Role Plays
Graphic Organizers Rubrics
Journals Self-assessments
Literacy Proles Tests
Observations Wikis
Assessments should measure what they intend to measure. It
is important that students know the purpose, type, and potential
marking scheme of an assessment. The following guidelines should
be considered:
Collect evidence of student learning through a variety of
methods; do not rely solely on tests and paper and pencil
activities.
Develop a rationale for using a particular assessment of
learning at a specic point in time.
Provide descriptive and individualized feedback to students.
Provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate the extent
and depth of their learning.
Set clear targets for student success using learning outcomes
and assessment criteria.
Share assessment criteria with students so that they know the
expectations.
Assessment Tools
Assessment Guidelines
SECTION ONE: NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR CURRICULUM
18 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Evaluation is the process of analyzing, reecting upon, and
summarizing assessment information, and making judgements
or decisions based on the information gathered. Evaluation is
conducted within the context of the outcomes, which should be
clearly understood by learners before teaching and evaluation take
place. Students must understand the basis on which they will be
evaluated and what teachers expect of them.
During evaluation, the teacher interprets the assessment
information, makes judgements about student progress, and makes
decisions about student learning programs.
Evaluation
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 19
Section Two: Curriculum Design
Rationale
The vision of science education in Newfoundland and Labrador is
to develop scientic literacy.
Scientic literacy is an evolving combination of the
science-related attitudes, skills, and knowledge students
need to develop inquiry, problem solving, and decision
making abilities; to become lifelong learners; and to
maintain a sense of wonder about the world around
them.
To develop scientic literacy, students require diverse
learning experiences which provide opportunities to explore,
analyze, evaluate, synthesize, appreciate, and understand the
interrelationships among science, technology, society, and the
environment that will affect their personal lives, careers, futures.
Science education which strives for scientic literacy must engage
students in science inquiry, problem solving, and decision making.
Science inquiry involves posing questions and developing
explanations for phenomena. While there is general agreement
that there is no such thing as “the” scientic method, students
require certain skills to participate in the activities of science. Skills
such as questioning, observing, inferring, predicting, measuring,
hypothesizing, classifying, designing experiments, collecting
data, analyzing data, and interpreting data are fundamental to
engaging in science. These skills are often represented as a
cycle which involves the posing of questions, the generation of
possible explanations, and the collection of evidence to determine
which of these explanations is most useful in accounting for
the phenomenon under investigation. Teachers should engage
students in science inquiry activities to develop these skills.
Problem solving involves seeking solutions to human problems.
It may be represented as a cycle consisting of the proposing,
creating, and testing of prototypes, products, and techniques in
and attempt to reach an optimum solution to a given problem. The
skills involved in this cycle facilitate a process which has different
aims and procedures from science inquiry. Students should be
given opportunities to propose, perform, and evaluate solutions to
problem solving or technological tasks.
Decision making involves determining what we should do in a
particular context or in response to a given situation. Increasingly,
the types of problems that we deal with, both individually and
collectively, require an understanding of the processes and
products of science and technology. The process of decision
making involves identication of the problem or situation,
generation of possible solutions or courses of action, evaluation of
the alternatives, and a thoughtful decision based on the information
available. Students should be actively involved in decision making
situations. While important in their own right, decision making
situations also provide a relevant context for engaging in science
inquiry and/or problem solving.
Decision Making
Problem Solving
Science Inquiry
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
20 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Curriculum
Outcomes
Framework
Key Stage Curriculum
Outcomes
The basis of the curriculum outcomes framework are the general
curriculum outcomes (GCOs). Four general curriculum outcomes
have been identied to delineate the four critical aspects of
students’ scientic literacy: science, technology, society, and the
environment (STSE), skills, knowledge, and attitudes. These four
GCOs are common to all science courses.
GCO 1: Science, Technology, Society, and the Environment
Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science
and technology, of the relationships between science and
technology, and of the social and environmental contexts of science
and technology.
GCO 2: Skills
Students will develop the skills required for scientic and
technological inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating
scientic ideas and results, for working collaboratively, and for
making informed decisions.
GCO 3: Knowledge
Students will construct knowledge and understandings of concepts
in life science, physical science, and Earth and space science, and
apply these understandings to interpret, integrate, and extend their
knowledge.
GCO 4: Attitudes
Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support
the responsible acquisition and application of scientic and
technological knowledge to the mutual benet of self, society, and
the environment.
Key stage curriculum outcomes (KSCOs) align with the GCOs and
summarize what students are expected to know and be able to do
by the end of Science 6.
General Curriculum
Outcomes
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 21
By the end of Science 6, students will be expected to
demonstrate that science and technology use specic
processes to investigate the natural and constructed world or to
seek solutions to practical problems
demonstrate that science and technology develop over time
describe ways that science and technology work together in
investigating questions and problems and in meeting specic
needs
describe applications of science and technology that have
developed in response to human and environmental needs
describe positive and negative effects that result from
applications of science and technology in their own lives, the
lives of others, and the environment
By the end of Science 6, students will be expected to
ask questions about objects and events in the local environment
and develop plans to investigate those questions
observe and investigate their environment and record the
results
interpret ndings from investigations using appropriate methods
work collaboratively to carry out science-related activities and
communicate ideas, procedures, and results
By the end of Science 6, students will be expected to
describe and compare characteristics and properties of living
things, objects, and materials
describe and predict causes, effects, and patterns related to
change in living and non-living things
describe interactions within natural systems and the elements
required to maintain these systems
describe forces, motion, and energy and relate them to
phenomena in their observable environment
By the end of Science 6, students will be expected to
appreciate the role and contribution of science and technology
in their understanding of the world
realize that the applications of science and technology can have
both intended and unintended effects
recognize that individuals of any cultural background can
contribute equally to science
show interest and curiosity about objects and events within
different environments
willingly observe, question, explore, and investigate
show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientic
and technological elds
Continued
GCO 1: STSE
GCO 2: Skills
GCO 4: Attitudes
GCO 3: Knowledge
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
22 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Course Overview
The vision of scientic literacy sets out the need for students
to acquire science-related skills, knowledge, and attitudes, and
emphasizes that this is best done through the study and analysis of
the interrelationships among science, technology, society, and the
environment.
Science 5 SCOs are organized into ve units:
Integrated Skills
Weather
Forces and Simple Machines
Properties and Changes of Materials
Body Systems
Note that the Integrated Skills unit is not intended to be taught as a
stand alone unit. As skill outcomes (GCO 2) are encountered in the
content units, teachers will be referred to the Integrated Skills unit
for elaboration of specic outcomes.
consider their own observations and ideas as well as those of
others during investigations and before drawing conclusions
appreciate the importance of accuracy and honesty
demonstrate the perseverance and a desire to understand
work collaboratively while exploring and investigating
be sensitive to and develop a sense of responsibility for the
welfare of other people, other living things, and the environment
show concern for their safety and that of others in planning and
carrying out activities and in choosing and using materials
become aware of potential dangers
Specic curriculum outcomes (SCOs) align with the KSCOs and
describe what students should know and be able to do at the end of
each course. They are intended to serve as the focus for the design
of learning experiences and assessment tasks.
SCOs are organized into units for each course.
Specific Curriculum
Outcomes
GCO 4: Attitudes continued
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 23
Suggested Yearly
Plan
The order in which the units appear in the Science 5 curriculum
guide is the recommended sequence.
Unit 1 - Weather
Unit 2 - Forces and Simple Machines
Unit 3 - Properties and Changes of Materials
Unit 4 - Body Systems
September October November December January February March April May June
Weather Forces and Simple
Machines
Properties and Changes
of Materials
Body Systems
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
24 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How to Use the Four Column Curriculum Layout
Outcomes
Column one contains specic curriculum
outcomes (SCO) and accompanying
delineations where appropriate. The
delineations provide specicity in
relation to key ideas.
Outcomes are numbered in ascending
order
Delineations are indented and
numbered as a subset of the
originating SCO.
All outcomes are related to general
curriculum outcomes.
Focus for Learning
Column two is intended to assist
teachers with instructional planning. It
also provides context and elaboration of
the ideas identied in the rst column.
This may include:
references to prior knowledge
clarity in terms of scope
depth of treatment
common misconceptions
cautionary notes
knowledge required to scaffold and
challenge student’s learning
Sample Performance Indicator(s)
This provides a summative, higher order activity, where the
response would serve as a data source to help teachers assess
the degree to which the student has achieved the outcome.
Performance indicators are typically presented as a task, which
may include an introduction to establish a context. They would
be assigned at the end of the teaching period allocated for the
outcome.
Performance indicators would be assigned when students have
attained a level of competence, with suggestions for teaching and
assessment identied in column three.
32 GRADE 9 MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM GUIDE (INTERIM) 2010
Outcomes
SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
1.2 model division of a given
polynomial expression
by a given monomial
concretely or pictorially
and record the process
symbolically.
Division of a polynomial by a monomial can be visualized using area
models with algebra tiles. The most commonly used symbolic method
of dividing a polynomial by a monomial at this level is to divide each
term of the polynomial by the monomial, and then use the exponent
laws to simplify. This method can also be easily modelled using tiles,
where students use the sharing model for division.
Because there are a variety of methods available to multiply or
divide a polynomial by a monomial, students should be given the
opportunity to apply their own personal strategies. They should be
encouraged to use algebra tiles, area models, rules of exponents, the
distributive property and repeated addition, or a combination of any
of these methods, to multiply or divide polynomials. Regardless of the
method used, students should be encouraged to record their work
symbolically. Understanding the different approaches helps students
develop exible thinking.
Sample Performance Indicator
Write an expression for the missing dimensions of each rectangle and
determine the area of the walkway in the following problem:
The inside rectangle in the diagram below is a ower garden. The
shaded area is a concrete walkway around it. The area of the
ower garden is given by the expression 2x
2
+ 4x and the area of
the large rectangle, including the walkway and the ower garden,
is 3x
2
+ 6x.
x
3x
1.3 apply a personal
strategy for multiplication
and division of a given
polynomial expression
1.0 model, record and
explain the operations of
multiplication and division
of polynomial expressions
(limited to polynomials of
degree less than or equal to
2) by monomials, concretely,
pictorially and symbolically.
[GCO 1]
From previous work with number operations, students should be
aware that division is the inverse of multiplication. This can be
extended to divide polynomials by monomials. The study of division
should begin with division of a monomial by a monomial, progress to
a polynomial by a scalar, and then to division of a polynomial by any
monomial.
GCO 1: Represent algebraic expressions in multple ways
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 25
Suggestions for Teaching and Assessment
This column contains specic sample tasks, activities, and strategies
that enable students to meet the goals of the SCOs and be successful
with performance indicators. Instructional activities are recognized as
possible sources of data for assessment purposes. Frequently, appropriate
techniques and instruments for assessment purposes are recommended.
Suggestions for instruction and assessment are organized sequentially:
Activation - suggestions that may be used to activate prior learning and
establish a context for the instruction
Connection - linking new information and experiences to existing
knowledge inside or outside the curriculum area
Consolidation - synthesizing and making new understandings
Extension - suggestions that go beyond the scope of the outcome
These suggestions provide opportunities for differentiated learning and
assessment.
Resources and Notes
Column four references
supplementary information and
possible resources for use by
teachers.
These references will provide
details of resources suggested in
column two and column three.
GRADE 9 MATHEMATICS CURRICULUM GUIDE (INTERIM) 2010 33
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
Teachers may use the following activities and/or strategies aligned
with the corresponding assessment tasks:
Modeling division using the sharing model provides a good
transition to the symbolic representation. For example,
To model this, students start with a collection of three x-tiles and 12
unit tiles and divide them into three groups.
For this example, x + 4 tiles will be a part of each group, so the
quotient is x + 4.
Activation
Students may
Model division of a polynomial by a monomial by creating a
rectangle using four x
2
-tiles and eight x-tiles, where 4x is one of
the dimensions.
Teachers may
Ask students what the other dimension is and connect this to the
symbolic representation.
Connection
Students may
Model division of polynomials and determine the quotient
(i) (6x
2
+ 12x - 3) ¸ 3
(ii) (4x
2
- 12x) ¸ 4x
Consolidation
Students may
Draw a rectangle with an area of 36a
2
+ 12a and determine as
many different dimensions as possible.
Teachers may
Discuss why there are so many different possible dimensions.
Extension
Students may
Determine the area of one face of a cube whose surface area is
represented by the polynomial 24s
2
.
Determine the length of an edge of the cube.
3 +1 2 3
12
3 33
= +.
xx
Authorized
Math Makes Sense 9
Lesson 5.5: Multiplying and
Dividing a Polynomial by a
Constant
Lesson 5.6: Multiplying and
Dividing a Polynomial by a
Monomial
ProGuide: pp. 35-42, 43-51
CD-ROM: Master 5.23, 5.24
See It Videos and
Animations:
Multiplying and Dividing a
Polynomial by a Constant,
Dividing
Multiplying and Dividing a
Polynomial by a Monomial,
Dividing
SB: pp. 241-248, 249-257
PB: pp. 206-213, 214-219
GCO 1: Represent algebraic expressions in multple ways
SECTION TWO: CURRICULUM DESIGN
26 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
K
S
CO
SCOs
GCOs
SCOs
GCO
Current Grade
Next Grade
Previous Grade
At the beginning of each unit there is explanation of the focus for
the unit and a ow chart identifying the relevant GCOs, KSCOs,
and SCOs.
How to use a Unit
overview
The SCOs Continuum
follows the chart to provide
context for teaching and
assessment for the grade/
course in question. The
current grade is highlighted
in the chart.
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 27
Section Three:
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
Unit i: Integrated Skills
INTEGRATED SKILLS
28 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Focus
Students use a variety of skills in the process of answering
questions, solving problems, and making decisions. While these
skills are not unique to science, they play an important role in the
development of scientic understandings and in the application of
science and technology to new situations.
The listing of skills is not intended to imply a linear sequence or to
identify a single set of skills required in each science investigation.
Every investigation and application of science has unique features
that determine the particular mix and sequence of skills involved.
Four broad areas of skills are outlined and developed:
Initiating and Planning skills - These are the skills of questioning,
identifying problems, and developing initial ideas and plans.
Performing and Recording skills - These are the skills of
carrying out action plans, which involves gathering evidence
by observation and, in most cases, manipulating materials and
equipment.
Analyzing and Interpreting skills - These are the skills of
examining information and evidence, of processing and
presenting data so that it can be interpreted, and interpreting,
evaluating, and applying the results.
Communication and Teamwork skills - In science, as in other
areas, communication skills are essential at every stage where
ideas are being developed, tested, interpreted, debated, and
agreed upon. Teamwork skills are also important, since the
development and application of science ideas is a collaborative
process both in society and in the classroom.
Students should be provided with opportunities to develop and apply
their skills in a variety of contexts. These contexts connect to the
STSE component of the curriculum by linking to three processes for
skills application:
scientic inquiry - seeking answers to questions through
experimentation and research.
problem solving - seeking solutions to science-related problems
by developing and testing prototypes, products, and techniques
to meet a given need.
decision making - providing information to assist the decision
making process.
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 29
Outcomes Framework
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop the skills required for scientic and technological
inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating scientic ideas and results, for working
collaboratively, and for making informed decisions.
1.0 propose questions to investigate and practical problems to solve
2.0 rephrase questions in a testable form
3.0 state a prediction and a hypothesis
4.0 dene objects and events in investigations
5.0 identify and control major variables in investigations
6.0 devise procedures to carry out a fair test and to solve a practical problem
7.0 identify appropriate tools, instruments, and materials to complete investigations
8.0 carry out procedures to explore a given problem and to ensure a fair test, controlling
major variables
9.0 select and use tools
10.0 follow procedures
11.0 select and use tools for measuring
12.0 make observations and collect information that is relevant to the question or problem
13.0 estimate measurements
14.0 record observations
15.0 identify and use a variety of sources and technologies to gather relevant information
16.0 construct and use devices for a specic purpose
17.0 classify according to several attributes and create a chart or diagram that shows the
method of classifying
18.0 compile and display data
19.0 identify and suggest explanations for patterns and discrepancies in data
20.0 evaluate the usefulness of different information sources in answering a question
21.0 draw a conclusion that answers an initial question
22.0 suggest improvements to a design or constructed object
23.0 identify potential applications of ndings
24.0 identify new questions or problems that arise from what was learned
25.0 communicate questions, ideas, and intentions, and listen to others while conducting
investigations
26.0 collaborate with others to devise and carry out procedures
27.0 ask others for advice or opinions
28.0 identify problems as they arise and collaborate with others to nd solutions
INTEGRATED SKILLS
30 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCO Continuum
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop the skills required for scientic and technological
inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating scientic ideas and results, for working
collaboratively, and for making informed decisions.
Science K-3 Science 5 Science 7-9
pose questions that lead to
exploration and investigation
identify problems to be
solved
propose questions to
investigate and practical
problems to solve
identify questions to
investigate arising from
practical problems and
issues
rephrase questions in a
testable form
rephrase questions in a
testable form and clearly
dene practical problems
predict based on an
observed pattern
state a prediction and a
hypothesis
state a prediction and
a hypothesis based on
background information
or an observed pattern of
events
dene objects and events in
investigations
formulate operational
denitions of major variables
and other aspects of their
investigations
identify materials and
suggest a plan for how they
will be used
identify and control major
variables in investigations
devise procedures to carry
out a fair test and to solve a
practical problem
design an experiment and
identify major variables
select and use materials
to carry out their own
explorations and
investigations
identify appropriate tools,
instruments and materials to
complete investigations
select appropriate methods
and tools for collecting data
and information and for
solving problems
carry out procedures to
explore a given problem
and to ensure a fair test,
controlling major variables
carry out procedures
controlling the major
variables
use appropriate tools select and use tools
select and use tools for
measuring
use instruments effectively
and accurately for collecting
data
follow a simple procedure follow procedures
estimate measurements estimate measurements estimate measurements
make and record
observations and
measurements
make observations and
collect information that is
relevant to the question or
problem
record observations
organize data using a format
that is appropriate to the task
or experiment
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 31
Science K-3 Science 5 Science 7-9
use a variety of sources of
science information
identify and use a variety of
sources and technologies to
gather relevant information
select and integrate
information from various
print and electronic sources
or from several parts of the
same source
construct and use devices
for a specic purpose
use personal observations
when asked to describe
materials and objects
sequence or group materials
and objects
identify the most useful
method of sorting
classify according to several
attributes and create a chart
or diagram that shows the
method of classifying
use or construct a
classication key
construct and label concrete-
object graphs, pictographs,
or bar graphs
compile and display data compile and display data,
identify the strengths and
weaknesses of different
methods of collecting and
displaying data
identify and suggest
explanations for patterns and
discrepancies in objects and
events
identify and suggest
explanations for patterns and
discrepancies in data
interpret patterns and trends
in data, and infer and explain
relationships among the
variables
identify, and suggest
explanations for,
discrepancies in data
distinguish between useful
and not useful information
when answering a science
question
evaluate the usefulness of
different information sources
in answering a question
apply given criteria for
evaluating evidence and
sources of information
propose an answer to
an initial question or
problem and draw a simple
conclusion
draw a conclusion that
answers an initial question
state a conclusion, based
on experimental data,
and explain how evidence
gathered supports or refutes
an initial idea
compare and evaluate
personally constructed
objects
suggest improvements to a
design or constructed object
evaluate designs and
prototypes in terms of
functionality, reliability,
safety, efciency, use of
materials, and impact on the
environment
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop the skills required for scientic and technological
inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating scientic ideas and results, for working
collaboratively, and for making informed decisions. (continued)
INTEGRATED SKILLS
32 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Suggested Unit Plan
The Integrated Skills unit is not intended to be taught as a stand
alone unit. Rather, when skill outcomes [GCO 2] are encountered in
Units 1-4, teachers should refer to the focus for learning elaborations
and teaching and assessment suggestions provided here.
Skill outcomes have been integrated within Units 1-4 and students
should be provided with opportunities to develop and apply these
skills while engaging in science inquiry investigations, design and
problem solving experiences, and decision making processes.
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop the skills required for scientic and technological
inquiry, for solving problems, for communicating scientic ideas and results, for working
collaboratively, and for making informed decisions. (continued)
Science K-3 Science 5 Science 7-9
identify potential applications
of ndings
identify and evaluate
potential applications of
ndings
pose new questions that
arise from what was learned
identify new questions or
problems that arise from
what was learned
identify problems as they
arise and collaborate with
others to nd solutions
collaborate with others
to devise and carry out
procedures
identify new questions and
problems that arise from
what was learned
collaborate to devise and
carry out procedures, and
troubleshoot problems as
they arise
communicate while exploring
and investigating
communicate questions,
ideas, and intentions,
and listen to others while
conducting investigations
ask others for advice or
opinions
receive, understand, and act
on the ideas of others
September October November December January February March April May June
Integrated Skills
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 33
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
34 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
1.0 propose questions to
investigate and practical
problems to solve
[GCO 2]
Science begins with a question; engineering begins with a problem.
Students are expected to suggest questions to investigate and
identify problems to solve. Respectively, these are the rst stages
of science inquiry and engineering design and problem solving
processes.
This skill was previously addressed in Science 4. It is applied in
new contexts (i.e., weather, forces, simple machines, properties of
materials, changes of materials, meeting basic life needs, maintaining
a healthy body), in Science 5.
Student proposed questions and problems ow from their personal
observations, prior knowledge, and experiences. Students will
experience difculty coming up with them if simply asked to
brainstorm them at the outset. Students should consider whether
proposed questions are testable and problems practical to solve.
Encourage students to willingly observe, question, explore, and
investigate. Where possible, questions investigated and problems
solved should be suggested by students.
To initiate science investigations, students are expected to rephrase
their initial questions in a testable form. Testable questions can be
answered by making measurements and observations. They are
specic, use precise language, and suggest an investigation.
In experiments, testable questions are about changing one variable to
see the affect on another. They have two parts; a variable to test and
a variable to measure or observe:
What is the effect of on ?
What is the relationship between and ?
How does changing affect ?
Students should identify the variable to test as the independent
variable and the variable measured or observed as the dependent
variable.
Initial Question Testable Question
Does it make a difference
where you place a load in
a wheelbarrow?
How does changing the distance
between the load and the fulcrum in
a wheelbarrow affect the effort force
needed to lift the load?
How can we make more
zz?
What is the effect of increasing the
amount of baking soda on the amount
of gas bubbles produced in a reaction
with vinegar?
Why does my heart beat
faster during gym class?
What is the relationship between the
type of exercise and heart rate?
Initiating and Planning Initiating and Planning
2.0 rephrase questions in a
testable form
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 35
Activation
Teachers may
Discuss “What is Science?”, “What is engineering?”, and “What
do scientists and engineers do?” to highlight the importance of
proposing questions and problems to initiate scientic inquiry and
engineering design and problem solving processes.
Prompt students to generate questions and problems using
provocations to spark their curiosity and interest (e.g., artifacts,
children’s literature, demonstrations, eld trips, guest speakers,
introductory hands on activities, nature walks, video clips).
Connection
Teachers may
Model proposing questions from provocations. Combine a seltzer
tablet with water, for example, and propose aloud questions to
investigate (e.g., I wonder what would happen if I used hot water
instead of cold? I wonder what would happen if I broke the seltzer
tablet in pieces rst?)
Model proposing practical problems from observations. Observe
the weather, for example, and wonder aloud if you could
construct an instrument to measure the wind speed and direction,
temperature, or the amount of rainfall/snowfall.
Provide examples of rephrased testable questions. I wonder what
would happen if I broke a seltzer table in pieces before putting it
in water?, for example, could be rephrased as, What is the effect
breaking the seltzer tablet in smaller pieces on the length of time
the bubbling reaction lasts?
Students may
Use a question matrix to generate initial questions.
Record questions on an “I Wonder” wall, KWHL chart, or in their
personal science learning journal. New questions should be
added as they arise.
Determine if questions are testable (i.e., Does the question
suggest an investigation?, Does it have a variable to test?, Does
it indicate a variable to measure or observe?) and, if necessary,
rephrase questions to make them testable.
Identify the independent and dependent variables in testable
questions.
Consolidation
Students may
Identify problems with a constructed weather instrument to solve.
Suggest a testable question related to friction’s affect on an
object.
Initiating and Planning
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
36 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
In Science K-3, students made predictions. In Science 4-6, students
are expected to make predictions and state hypotheses.
Predictions are statements about what will or what might happen
in the future. They are made in relation to testable questions. In
experiments, students predict how a change in the independent
variable will affect the dependent variable. Experimental predictions
may be written as “If..., then...” statements.
Predictions in science are not guesses. They should be based on
prior observations and knowledge. Predictions supported by detailed
reasoning are referred to as hypotheses; they explain predictions.
Hypotheses may be written as “If..., then... because...” statements.
A hypothesis includes a prediction (i.e., “If..., then...”) and an
explanation (i.e., “because...”).
Example:
If articial light is shone on dark coloured soil, light coloured sand,
and water, then the dark coloured soil will heat up faster because
the dark colour absorbs heat.
If we exercise, then our breathing rate goes up because our
muscles need more oxygen.
Investigations test predictions and hypotheses. They are supported
or rejected by the evidence collected. Students whose hypotheses
are rejected may attempt to change them after the fact in order to be
viewed as “correct”. Encourage students to appreciate the importance
of accuracy and honesty in science. In practice, the vast majority of
scientic hypotheses fail. Investigations are considered successful
regardless of whether the evidence supports or rejects a hypothesis
because something has been learned.
Cross curricular connections may be made to the predicting strategy
unit in English Language Arts.
Students are expected to collaboratively dene objects and events,
within investigations, to facilitate effective communication. Students
could, for example, dene
temperature, when using a personally constructed thermometer,
as the height of the coloured water in the straw;
the load and effort force when using a simple machine;
force as the distance the elastic band stretches or the number of
newtons (N) measured using a 25 N spring scale (force meter);
reaction time as the distance a ruler falls before it is grabbed; or
pulse rate as the number of pulses felt on their wrist in 60
seconds or on their neck in 30 seconds.
Use of consistent denitions among groups allows for the comparison
of results.
3.0 state a prediction and a
hypothesis
[GCO 2]
Initiating and Planning
4.0 dene objects and events in
investigations
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 37
Activation
Teachers may
Present relevant texts from the Moving Up with Literacy Place 5:
Predicting Unit and ask students to make predictions before and
during reading. Explicitly connect making predictions in reading to
making predictions in science.
Ask students to make predictions about the weather, the result of
mixing two substances, the force required to move a load, or their
resting pulse rate or reaction time.
Connection
Teachers may
Distinguish between guessing and predicting.
Model making predictions and communicate the reasoning behind
each prediction. Use the “If..., then...” format for predictions and
the “If..., then... because...” format for hypotheses.
Intentionally make predictions that will be rejected by evidence to
illustrate that rejection is not failure; something is still learned.
Ask students to provide a rationale when making predictions. Is
the prediction based on an observed pattern, prior knowledge, or
experience?
Ask students how they are dening objects and events in
investigations. If investigating whether breathing rate is affected
by exercise, for example, ask how they are dening exercise.
Students may
Use “If..., then...” and “If..., then... because...” formats to make
predictions and hypotheses.
Practice making predictions and hypotheses for silly scenarios
(e.g., If I eat too much candy, then ... because ...).
Practice making predictions and hypotheses in relation to testable
questions:
- What affect does shining incandescent light have on the
temperature of water samples dyed with different amounts of
blue food colouring ?
- How does changing the location of the fulcrum affect the
effort needed to lift a load using a rst class lever?
- What affect does practice have on reaction time?
Consolidation
Students may
Predict which surface will have the greatest frictional force when
attempting to slide a brick.
Dene the distances from the fulcrum the effort force will be
applied in investigations using levers.
Initiating and Planning
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Other curriculum resources
Moving Up with Literacy
Place 5: Predicting Strategy
Unit (ELA 5)
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
38 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Initiating and Planning
5.0 identify and control major
variables in investigations
[GCO 2]
Conditions or factors that could affect the results of an investigation
are called variables. Students are expected to identify the
independent, dependent, and controlled variables in investigations.
The independent variable is the variable the experimenter chooses
to test; it is changed by the experimenter. An experiment is a test
to determine if changing the independent variable has an affect on
another variable (i.e., dependent variable). The dependent variable is
observed or measured by the experimenter during the experiment. All
other variables that could affect the result of the experiment must be
controlled (i.e., they need to be kept the same for each test).
Example 1
Pulse rate could be affected by numerous factors. In an experiment
to test if body position (i.e., standing, sitting, lying down) affects
pulse rate, students should identify body position as the independent
variable (i.e., variable to test) and pulse rate as the dependent
variable (i.e., variable to measure). Other variables that could affect
pulse rate (e.g., age, sex, physical tness, activity level, caffeine
intake) must be controlled to know if any affect observed was caused
by the change in position and not some other variable or variables.
Students could suggest the following variables to control:
Test the same person in each body position.
Measure pulse in the same location, using the same instrument
and method each time.
Ensure the person rests for a minute after assuming a new body
position before pulse rate is measured.
Do not allow participants to exercise, eat, or drink prior to
measurements.
Example 2
In an experiment to determine the effect of water temperature on the
time it takes a sugar cube to dissolve, students should identify water
temperature as the independent variable and time to dissolve as the
dependent variable. Controlled variables would include
use the same type and size of sugar cube each time,
use the same volume of water each time,
use an identical container for each test,
add the sugar to the water instead of pouring water on it, and
do not stir or disturb the water.
Students were introduced to variables in Science 4. However,
identifying them in investigations is a new expectation.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 39
Initiating and Planning
Connection
Teachers may
Provide testable questions. Ask students to identify the
independent (IV) and dependent variable (DV) in each question
and at least two controlled variables (CVs).
- What effect does the length of time exercising have on
breathing rate? (IV - time exercising, DV - breathing rate,
CVs - same type of exercise, same intensity, using the same
instrument and method to measuring breathing rate)
- Does age affect reaction time when attempting to catch a
dropped ruler? (IV - age, DV - reaction time measured using
the distance the ruler drops before catching, CVs - same
gender participants, no practising, use the same ruler and
dropping method each time)
- Which material (i.e., water, sand, or potting soil) heats
up faster when placed under an incandescent light? (IV -
material, DV- time for temperature rise a specic number of
degrees, CVs - place materials the same distance from the
light source, same volume of each material, use identical
containers for each material, use identical thermometers)
- Does the length of a screwdriver affect how easy it is to open
a paint can? (IV - screwdriver length, DV - ease of opening,
CVs - same type of screwdriver, how tight the paint can cover
is put on, use same method to open the can)
- Does the size of a screwdriver’s handle (i.e., circumference)
affect the effort needed to insert a screw in wood? (IV- handle
circumference, DV - ease of insertion, CVs - same type and
size of screw, same type and length of screwdriver, same
type of wood)
Students may
Brainstorm controlled variables for investigations.
Create a foldable to differentiate among the independent,
dependent, and controlled variables in investigations.
The foldable could be used as an anchor chart for future
investigations.
Consolidation
Students may
Identify and control major variables when investigating
- the effect of friction on the movement of objects,
- how exercise affects pulse rate,
- how to control the amount of gas bubbles produced by a
reaction, and
- how simple machines affect the force needed to lift a load.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
40 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Students are expected to develop procedures to investigate questions
and solve practical problems. Students should devise procedures with
clear, ordered steps that can be replicated.
Experimental procedures should be devised in a manner such
that, when carried out, they ensure a fair test. Fair testing requires
the identication of all the variables of inuence. The independent
variable is the condition the experimenter chooses to change. The
dependent variable is the condition the experimenter measures or
observes during the investigation. All other conditions that could
inuence the dependent variable are called controlled variables.
These controlled variables must be kept the same for a test to be fair.
Testable
Question
How does changing the type of exercise engaged
in affect pulse rate?
Independent
Variable
Choice of exercise (i.e., variable to test)
Dependent
Variable
Pulse rate (i.e., variable to measure)
Controlled
Variables
Variables that must be kept the same
measure pulse in the same location and using
the same method each time
amount of time that pulse is measured
use the same measuring tool for time
length of time engaging in each exercise
allow pulse to return to resting rate before
testing a different exercise
complete different exercises with the same
intensity
To be a fair test, identical procedures must be uniformly performed,
where only one variable, the independent variable, is changed.
Fair testing also requires investigations to be free of bias (i.e.,
feelings favouring a particular outcome). Personally hoping jumping
jacks increases breathing rate more than running on the spot, for
example, may introduce bias into an investigation. Students should
recognize the potential for bias and devise procedures to eliminate
or reduce it (e.g., random sampling, blind testing, repetition, detailed
measurement procedures).
Planning procedures is equally important in engineering design and
problem solving processes. Once a problem has been identied and
researched, possible solutions generated, and an idea worth trying
selected, students should plan a set of steps to construct a working
model of their solution (i.e., prototype). Devised procedures should
be clear, ordered, able to be replicated, and may include drawings.
To evaluate whether a prototype solves a problem it must be tested.
Students should also devise procedures to fairly test prototypes.
Cross curricular connections may be made to English Language Arts
outcomes related to the creation of procedural texts.
Initiating and Planning
6.0 devise procedures to carry
out a fair test and to solve a
practical problem
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 41
Activation
Teachers may
Have students devise procedures for everyday tasks (e.g.,
sharpening a pencil, measuring air temperature, doing a jumping
jack). Ask specic students to read aloud their procedures
while you attempt to carry out their steps. Act confused when
procedures are unclear, lack detail, are out of order, or fail to
include necessary steps. Provide opportunities for students to
orally revise their procedures.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide students unordered procedural steps and have them
sequence the steps in the appropriate order.
Demonstrate unfair testing procedures (e.g., biased procedures,
procedures with inconsistent methods for different trials,
procedures that contain more than one independent variable)
and ask students to identify the problem with the procedure and
suggest solutions.
Provide testable questions and ask students to identify all the
conditions the procedure would need to keep the same (i.e.,
controlled variables) in order for the test to be fair.
Use question prompts when students are devising procedures:
- Have you omitted any steps?
- Would a diagram or sketch help to explain your procedure?
- Have you controlled all major variables?
- Can your steps be followed by someone else?
Assess written, visual, or oral procedures for clarity, order,
replicability of steps, and fairness (i.e., control of major variables).
Students may
Work in collaborative groups to devise fair procedures. Groups
should exchange procedures and provide feedback with respect
to the clarity, order, replicability of steps, and fairness.
Consolidation
Students may
Devise procedures to
- test how different surfaces absorb articial light;
- construct a weather instrument, catapult, or model of a
human body system;
- determine the affect of increasing or decreasing force on the
motion of objects; and
- determine the force advantage of various simple machines
when moving a load.
Initiating and Planning
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
42 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
In Science K-3, students identied and selected materials,
suggested how the materials could be used, and used them to carry
out explorations and investigations. In Science 4-6, students are
expected to identify the tools, measuring instruments, and materials
needed to conduct investigations.
Sometimes the materials, tools, and instruments needed for
investigations are provided by the teacher. However, to address this
outcome, students should identify and select them.
Tools and instruments used in Science 5 include, but are not limited
to: scientic tools (e.g., beakers, digital camera, electronic scale/
balance, graduated cylinders, metre stick, ruler, spring scale,
stethoscope, timer); weather instruments (e.g., anemometer,
barometer, hygrometer, rain gauge, snow board, thermometer,
weather vane, wind sock), and simple machines (e.g., bottle opener,
can opener, clamps, clothespin, hammer, nail clippers, nutcracker,
pliers, pulleys, scissors, screwdriver, screw jack, tongs).
Students should identify the most appropriate material, tool, or
instrument for a task and provide a rationale for their selection.
This outcome can also be addressed in the context of design and
problem solving experiences.
Initiating and Planning
7.0 identify appropriate tools,
instruments, and materials
to complete investigations
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 43
Initiating and Planning
Activation
Teachers may
Display anchor charts of commonly used scientic, construction,
and household tools, and measurement instruments.
Act out silly situations where an inappropriate tool, measuring
instrument, or material for a task is selected (e.g., trying to
cut cardboard with a hammer, measuring distance with a
thermometer).
Connection
Teachers may
Provide varied materials from which students can select. When
investigating interactions among solids and liquids, for example,
ask students to select the materials they wish to test from a
collection of varied materials.
Provide varied tools and measuring instruments from which
students can select when planning investigations and design
and problem solving experiences. Include appropriate and
inappropriate tools for the tasks.
Prompt students to identify tools, measuring instruments, and
materials by name.
Students may
Compare the tools, measuring instruments, and materials
selected by different groups and critically evaluate their
effectiveness.
Consolidation
Students may
Devise a list of appropriate materials, tools, and measuring
instruments, when investigating
- how articial light affects the temperature of various surfaces,
- the effect of friction on the movement of objects, and
- how exercise affects pulse rate.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
44 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Students are expected to carry out investigative and design and
problem solving procedures in a manner that ensures fair testing and
controls major variables of inuence.
Students should recognize the potential for bias (i.e., favouring a
particular outcome) when carrying out procedures. When testing
paper airplanes, for example, releasing a favoured plane with more
force is biased. All airplanes must be thrown uniformly. Fair testing
requires that identical procedures be uniformly performed. Students
are expected to carry out procedures in a manner that eliminates bias
and controls major variables of inuence.
Multiple trials are recommended to ensure the accuracy and reliability
of results. Students should, when possible, repeat trials at least three
times (more is better). If a variable is changed accidentally, this will
only become evident if further trials are performed and discrepancies
in data identied. Once evident, this error can be corrected in future
trials. Procedures may need to be revised as they are carried out to
ensure fairness.
Whether conducting experiments or testing prototypes, carrying out
procedures to ensure a fair test is important.
In Science K-3, students selected and used tools to make
observations, manipulate materials, and build simple models. In
Science 4-6, students are expected to select and use tools to
complete tasks. Tools include:
scientic tools (e.g., beakers, eye droppers, funnels, graduated
cylinders, magnets, magnication tools, stethoscope);
construction tools (e.g., clamps, crowbars, hacksaws, hammers,
pliers, pulleys, screwdriver, screw jack, wrenches, utility knives);
household tools (e.g., bottle opener, can opener, clothespin,
glue gun, nail clippers, nutcracker, scissors, tongs, toothpicks,
tweezers); and
digital tools (e.g., digital cameras, computer programs, and
mobile device applications).
Sometimes the tools needed to complete a task are provided by the
teacher. To address this outcome, however, students must select the
tools they need. They should use these tools safely and correctly. The
safe and proper use of some tools may require explicit instruction and
adult supervision.
Encourage students to show concern for the safety of themselves and
others when using tools.
Performing and RecordingPerforming and Recording
8.0 carry out procedures to
explore a given problem
and to ensure a fair test,
controlling major variables
[GCO 2]
9.0 select and use tools
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 45
Activation
Teachers may
Act out situations where procedures are not fairly carried out and
ask students to identify the problem.
Review the role of controlled variables in experiments.
Connection
Teachers may
Measure and record their resting heart rate, then repeat the
measurement at least twice more to highlight the importance of
conducting multiple trials.
Assess whether students carry out procedures to ensure a fair
test, using direct observations or digital video.
Students may
Communicate the variables they are attempting to control when
carrying out procedures.
Videotape their group carrying out procedures and review
the video to ensure that identical procedures are uniformly
performed, controlling major variables.
View videos of other groups carrying out procedures and identify
instances where variables were not controlled.
Provide reasons for their tool choice and describe any difculties
encountered while using the tool.
Compare the tools used by different groups and evaluate their
effectiveness for the task.
Consolidation
Students may
Carry out procedures to construct a weather instrument.
Carry out fair-testing procedures when investigating
- human reaction time,
- the effect of exercise on pulse rate, and
- the effect of friction on the movement of objects.
Select and use simple machines to move loads.
Performing and Recording
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
46 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
In Science K-3, students followed simple procedures where
instructions were given one at a time. In Science 4-6, students are
expected to follow complete sets of procedures. Procedures may
be teacher or student devised and be presented in written, visual,
or oral formats. Students should review all procedural steps prior to
beginning an investigation or problem solving experience and clarify
steps that are not understood.
Unless there is a potential safety issue, teachers should not intervene
when students fail to follow procedures. Students will learn more
about the importance of accurately, precisely, and sequentially
following procedures without intervention.
Connections may be made to following procedures in other curricular
(e.g., English Language Arts - Sequencing Unit) and non-curricular
settings (e.g., re evacuation procedures).
Students are expected to select appropriate measuring tools and use
them accurately with the correct unit of measure.
Students should select the best measuring tool from collections that
measure
length (e.g., callipers, laser distance meter, metre sticks, various
rulers, tape measures, trundle wheel);
mass (e.g., bathroom scale, digital mass scale, food scale, pan
balance, spring scales, triple beam balance);
time (e.g., analog clock, mechanical timer, sand timers, digital
stop watches);
volume (e.g., beakers, eye droppers, graduated cylinders,
measuring cups, measuring spoons);
force (e.g., spring scale/force meter); and
weather (e.g., anemometer, barometer, hygrometer, rain gauge,
snow board, thermometers, weather vane, wind sock).
To address this outcome, students should select and use appropriate
measuring tools. They should select, when available, scientic
measurement tools (e.g., select a graduated cylinder rather than a
measuring cup) and use metric or SI units (e.g., meter, gram, litre,°C,
Newton, hertz, decibel).
Encourage students to appreciate the importance of accuracy
in measurement. To ensure accuracy, students should calibrate
instruments prior to use, use consistent measurement techniques,
and take repeated measurements.
Cross curricular connections may be made to Mathematics 5
outcomes related to measurement of length and volume.
Performing and Recording
10.0 follow procedures
[GCO 2]
11.0 select and use tools for
measuring
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 47
Activation
Students may
Play “Simon Says” and barrier games to practice following
procedures accurately.
Connection
Teachers may
Demonstrate the use of various scientic measuring tools (e.g.,
anemometer, force meter, triple beam balance).
Provide students with varied measuring tools (e.g., scientic and
non-scientic, appropriate and inappropriate) to select from when
conducting investigations or constructing and testing prototypes.
Students may
Practice using various scientic measuring tools accurately.
Communicate the reasoning behind their selected measuring tool.
Discuss the appropriateness of their selected measuring tool,
following use, and describe any difculties encountered.
Compare and critically evaluate the effectiveness of measuring
tools used by different groups.
Demonstrate accurate use of scientic measuring tools using the
correct unit measurement.
Consolidation
Students may
Follow teacher-provided procedures to
- explore properties of air, and
- determine whether mass changes when materials change.
Select and use tools to measure
- specic weather conditions,
- the force needed to move a specic object,
- reaction time, and
- pulse rate.
Performing and Recording
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
48 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
12.0 make observations and
collect information that is
relevant to the question or
problem
[GCO 2]
In Science 4-6, students are expected to make observations and
collect information relevant to the question being investigated or the
problem being solved.
Making observations is a critical science and engineering skill that
must be continually developed. Students will have little difculty
making simple observations. Explicit instruction and practice will
be needed, however, to make detailed scientic and technological
observations. Students should use all appropriate senses when
observing and, where applicable, use appropriate physical and digital
tools to measure, observe, and collect information.
Determining what measurements, observations, and information are
relevant to the question or problem should be considered during the
initiating and planning phase. What evidence is needed to answer
the question? What design criteria must be met to solve the problem?
Students should, when appropriate, collect both quantitative and
qualitative data. Quantitative data is measured and is expressed
in numbers (e.g., length, mass, time, volume, force, temperature).
Qualitative data is observed but not measured. It usually describes
characteristics or qualities using words (e.g., buoyancy, cloud cover,
colour, exibility, hardness, strength, texture).
Students have previous experience estimating measurements from
Science K-3.
Estimating measurements helps students select the appropriate tool
for a task. Different spring scales, for example, measure different
capacities (2.5 N, 5 N, 10 N, 20 N, 30 N). If a force is estimated to be
more than 10 N, it can not be measured with a 5 N spring scale. A
larger capacity spring scale (e.g., 20 N) must be selected. Students
will require sufcient measurement practice to reasonably estimate
measurements.
Estimating measurements prior to measuring also helps students
determine the reasonableness of actual measurements. If students
estimate the outside air temperature on an October morning to be
around 5°C and the actual thermometer reading is 34°C, then the
accuracy of the thermometer or the way it is being used should be
questioned.
When using measurement tools, students should be instructed to
estimate the rst uncertain digit. If the reading on a thermometer, for
example, falls between 11°C and 12°C, students should record the
certain digits and estimate the next digit (e.g., 11.3°C or 11.4°C).
Performing and Recording
13.0 estimate measurements
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 49
Activation
Students may
Practice observing and describing weather and forms of matter
using appropriate senses.
Practice measuring length, mass, time, volume, temperature,
and force using appropriate tools; recording all certain digits and
estimating the next digit.
Connection
Teachers may
Differentiate between qualitative observations and quantitative
measurements.
Ask students to make quantitative and qualitative observations
of a focus object (e.g., glass of water) using personally selected
tools and measuring instruments.
Students may
Practice estimating length, mass, time, volume, temperature, and
force using appropriate tools and then measure to determine the
accuracy of the estimate.
Brainstorm relevant measurements, observations, and
information that can be collected to answer a question or solve a
problem.
Classify observations as quantitative or qualitative.
Consolidation
Students may
Make observations and collect information relevant to
- describing weather conditions,
- demonstrating properties of air,
- determining if mass changes when materials change, and
- determining how increasing or decreasing force affects the
movement of objects.
Estimate
- the force needed to move a load to select an appropriate
spring scale, and
- uncertain digits when measuring with barometers, rain
gauges, rulers, spring scales, and thermometers.
Performing and Recording
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
50 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
14.0 record observations
[GCO 2]
Observations capture a moment in time. To be analyzed and
interpreted, observations must be recorded for future use. Records
may take various forms
written descriptions and drawings
digital images, video, and audio recordings captured with mobile
device technology;
two column observational notes (i.e., time and observations); and
charts (tally charts, tables); and
Sometimes, teachers direct students to record their observations a
specic way and provide them with a recording form. Other times,
students should record observations in a format of their choosing
and create their own recording form. They should consider the type
of measurements, observations, and information being collected and
choose an appropriate recording format. Explicit instruction on the
use and appropriateness of common formats may be required.
Qualitative observations may be recorded using written descriptions,
observational notes, drawings, digital photographs, video, or audio
recordings. If exploring how increasing and decreasing a force affects
the movement of objects at the playground, for example, students use
written descriptions or video to record observations. If investigating
the daily activity level of a peer, observational notes could be used.
Quantitative observations may recorded as written descriptions,
however, more structured recording formats (i.e., tables, charts) are
preferred. Tables allow large amounts of data to be neatly organized
into columns and rows and facilitate future interpretation and analysis.
Students should be encouraged to create their data table before
making observations and collecting data. Observations related to the
frequency of an object or event should be recorded in a tally chart.
Encourage students to appreciate the importance of accuracy and
honesty in recording, whether investigating questions or solving
problems.
Performing and Recording
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 51
Connection
Teachers may
Explicitly instruct students on the use and appropriateness of
common recording formats other than written descriptions
- scientic drawings,
- tables,
- tally chart, and
- two column observation notes.
Students may
Consider various methods of recording observations and select
one that is appropriate for the measurements, observations, or
information being collected. Communicate the reasoning behind
the selected format.
Compare and critically evaluate the effectiveness of recording
methods used by different groups.
Consolidation
Students may
Select and use an appropriate format to record observations
related to
- descriptions of daily weather conditions,
- demonstrating the properties of air,
- combining and mixing materials,
- determining the force advantage achieved using a simple
machine, and
- determining reaction time.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
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Science Skills Toolkit
Performing and Recording
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
52 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
15.0 identify and use a variety of
sources and technologies to
gather relevant information
[GCO 2]
Students should, as part of research inquiry, identify and use a variety
of sources and technologies to gather relevant information.
There are many sources of science information:
human resources (e.g., expert interviews, observations)
media (radio, television broadcasts)
online resources (e.g., blogs, digital versions of print resources,
ebooks, multimedia, web pages); and
print resources (e.g., almanacs, encyclopedias, eld guides,
journals, magazines, newspapers, non-ction books, pamphlets,
reports).
Depending on the question being researched, different sources will
be used to gather relevant information. Encyclopedias, for example,
are used when seeking general, background information. Non-ction
books provide detailed information on specic topics. If inquiring
about a current science-related event, magazines, media, and
newspaper articles could provide relevant information.
Finding relevant sources of information involves the use of search
technologies (i.e., search engines). Explicit instruction in the use of
these technologies will help students become better searchers.
Students should be aware of potential dangers of Internet use. Before
using an online source to search for information, they should assess
its validity.
Cross curricular connections may be made to English Language Arts
outcomes related to selecting, interpreting, and combining information
using a variety of strategies, resources, and technologies.
Students are expected to solve practical problems by personally
constructing and using devices (i.e., technology).
As part of an engineering design and problem solving process,
students should construct prototypes of proposed solutions to
problems. Prior to construction, students should review their plan
and design sketches, and make sure they know how to correctly and
safely use all required tools. Materials may be measured and cut in
preparation for construction.
Students should follow their plan when constructing a prototype.
Problems encountered during construction may require changes
to the plan, design, or the tools, instruments, and materials used.
Prototypes rarely work perfectly the rst time. Typically, iterative
design changes and modications, and testing and retesting are
required to improve the prototype. Once satised that the prototype
meets the design criteria, the nal constructed device (i.e., solution)
can be used and shared.
Encourage students to follow safety procedures when constructing
devices and show concern for their safety and that of others.
Performing and Recording
16.0 construct and use devices
for a specic purpose
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 53
Activation
Students may
Observe and manipulate unfamiliar devices and infer for what
purpose they may be used (e.g., carpenter’s pencil, egg yolk
separator, garlic press, letter opener, lint brush, shoe horn).
Brainstorm sources of science information.
Connection
Teachers may
Review potential sources of science information (e.g., eld
studies, surveys, modelling, experiments, prototype testing,
interviews, questionnaires) and technologies (e.g., magnication
tools, measuring tools, mobile device technologies) used to
gather relevant information.
Display an anchor chart of an engineering design and problem
solving process for students to follow.
Model the design and problem solving process in solving a
practical problem.
Students may
Practice collecting measurements, observations, and information
using various magnication tools, measuring tools, and digital
technologies.
Consolidation
Students may
Identify and use a variety of sources and technologies to gather
relevant information
- to construct a weather instrument,
- to predict short-term and long-term weather,
- to improve the efciency of lever designs,
- regarding human body systems,
- regarding human nutritional requirements, and
- regarding the natural source of materials found in objects and
how those natural materials are changed in the production of
the object.
Construct and use a weather instrument to measure and describe
weather conditions.
Performing and Recording
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
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Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
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Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
54 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
17.0 classify according to
several attributes and
create a chart or diagram
that shows the method of
classifying
[GCO2]
Classication involves sorting items into categories or groups
according to similarities and differences in their attributes. In Science
K-3, students sorted items according to a single attribute. In Science
4-6, students are expected to classify items using multiple attributes
at once. Clouds, for example, may be classied by shape (i.e.,
cumulus, cirrus, stratus) and whether they produce precipitation (i.e.,
nimbus). Materials may be classied according to state (i.e., solid,
liquid, gas) and other physical properties (e.g., hardness, exibility).
Classifying using multiple attributes is a challenging skill that requires
explicit instruction and practice.
Classication is a method of analysis and interpretation. Students
should create a chart or diagram to show their classication method
(e.g., tree diagram, Venn diagram, Carroll diagram, table).
This skill pertains to organizing and displaying collected observations,
measurements, and information (i.e., data) from inquiry investigations
and design and problem solving experiences. Compiling and
displaying data makes it easier to identify and communicate patterns
and relationships.
Students are expected to compile and display data in a variety
of formats (e.g., frequency tables, data tables, graphs), by hand,
or using computer or mobile device applications (e.g., Apple
Numbers, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel). Teachers should limit, if
possible, the types of graphs encountered to those addressed in the
Mathematics program (i.e., pictograph, bar graph, double bar graph).
Selecting the most effective format to compile and display data
is challenging. The type of graph used, for example, depends on
the data being displayed. Bar graphs are used to compare data
organized into categories (e.g., the number of mm or rain received
each month). Double bar graphs allow two or more data set to be
displayed on the same graph (e.g., monthly rainfall for two different
locations). Line graphs, addressed in Mathematics 6, are used to
represent continuous data (e.g., changing soil temperature over time).
Cross curricular connections may be made to Mathematics outcomes
in Data Relationship units.
Analyzing and InterpretingAnalyzing and Interpreting
18.0 compile and display data
[GCO2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 55
Activation
Teachers may
Model classifying items according to multiple attributes at one
time (e.g., sorting Lego™ pieces by colour and size).
Students may
Recall methods used to classify rocks in Science 4.
Classify a collection of kitchen tools according to simple machine
type.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide explicit instruction on the use of Venn diagrams, Carroll
diagrams, T-charts, and tables when classifying items.
Introduce items that do not t neatly within student classication
schemes and have them modify their scheme accordingly (e.g.,
adding oobleck to a collection of solids and liquids).
Review how to use frequency tables, data tables, pictographs,
bar graphs, and double bar graphs to display data, by hand
or using computer or mobile device applications (e.g., Apple
Numbers, Google Sheets, Microsoft Excel).
Students may
Practice, in non-science contexts, classifying items according to
several attributes at one time (e.g., gym equipment, library books,
playing cards, trading cards) and create a diagram or chart to
show the method of classifying.
Compile authentic data (e.g., measure and record outdoor air
temperature every 30 minutes) and discuss appropriate formats
to display the data (e.g., frequency table, data table, pictograph,
bar graph, or double bar graph), by hand or with the use of a
computer.
Provide reasons for their selected data display format.
Compare and critically evaluate the effectiveness of formats used
by different groups to compile and display data.
Consolidation
Students may
Classify clouds, simple machines, materials as solids, liquids, and
gases, and changes as reversible and irreversible.
Compile and display data collected from investigations to
determine
- which materials react when combined and mixed, and
- the effect of various surfaces on the amount of friction.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
56 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
19.0 identify and suggest
explanations for patterns
and discrepancies in data
[GCO 2]
In Science K-3, students identied patterns and discrepancies in
objects and events. In Science 5, students are expected to identify
and suggest explanations for patterns and discrepancies in data.
Patterns refer to general trends (e.g., pulse rate increases as the
number of stairs climbed increases, red cabbage juice turns reddish
pink in acids and bluish green in bases). Patterns are not always
immediately obvious. They are easier to identify, however, when data
is compiled and visually displayed in tables and graphs. Students
should identify patterns, describe relationships in words, and suggest
reasonable explanations for them.
Discrepancies refer to unexpected data; observations or
measurements that do not seem to t the expected pattern or trend.
Students should identify discrepancies and suggest reasonable
explanations for them. Most discrepancies can be explained by
procedural and measurement errors, or uncontrolled variables. They
are referred to as sources of error.
Data collected by multiple groups should be compared. Differences
identied provide opportunities for critical analysis. Reection on
the controlled variables, procedures employed, and measurement
tools and techniques used may identify possible sources of error and
provide plausible explanations for identied differences. Reviewing
video recordings of groups carrying out investigative procedures may
aid in the identication of potential sources of error.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 57
Connection
Teachers may
Provide data in tables and graphs for students to identify patterns
and discrepancies and draw conclusions.
Prompt students to reect on their data:
- Is there a pattern in the data you compiled? How would you
describe it? Can you explain why the pattern occurs?
- Did you get the results you expected? Were there any
unexpected results? Can you explain any discrepancies?
- Is your data similar to that of other groups? If not, why not?
- How could you improve the accuracy and reliability of your
data?
Students may
Compare their compiled data with that of other groups, identify
similarities and differences, and explain any discrepancies.
Review digital video of their group carrying out procedures to
formulate explanations for any discrepancies identied in data.
Consolidation
Students may
Analyze and interpret data to identify patterns and discrepancies
when
- investigating the effect of varied surfaces on the amount of
friction,
- measuring and describing weather conditions,
- comparing measurements taken with personally constructed
and commercial weather instruments,
- comparing short- and long-term weather predictions with
personal observations, and
- investigating the effect of exercise on pulse rate.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
58 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
20.0 evaluate the usefulness
of different information
sources in answering a
question
[GCO 2]
Students are expected, as part of research inquiry, to identify and
use varied sources to gather relevant information (i.e., SCO 15.0).
Additionally, students should evaluate the usefulness of sources
(e.g., human resources, media, online resources, print resources) in
answering a question.
To determine the usefulness of a source, students should ask
questions such as the following:
Who is the author or developer of the information? What are their
qualications? Are they knowledgeable experts in their eld?
Who is sponsoring the printed resource or website? Are they well
known companies, organizations, universities, or government
agencies?
Is the information accurate? Can it be corroborated by other
reliable sources?
Is the information current? Does the resource provide a recent
publication date?
Is the information suitable for use by a Grade 5 student? Does
the information make sense? Can it be understood?
Are sources biased? Do all sides of an issue receive equal
treatment? Are there reasons why the information might be
biased? Are important facts left out?
Students should be critical consumers of information. While multiple
sources may provide information relevant to answering a question,
only the most trustworthy sources should be used. Information
about healthy eating, for example, can be gathered from Canada’s
Food Guide, dietitians, family doctors, magazine articles, product
packaging, television commercials, and websites. Students should
critically evaluate these sources and use only the most trusted to
gather relevant information.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 59
Activation
Teachers may
Present students with a set of images and information, such
as the Canada Food Guide, the front of a cereal box, and the
nutritional information from the side of the cereal box. Students
would be asked which source could best answer the question, “Is
this food a good source of nutrition?”
Connection
Teachers may
Present various TV commercials to students, and ask students
what useful information it presents. Alternatively, students could
suggest which questions it could answer, and for which questions
it would be a poor source of information.
Inform students that the class will be receiving a new class pet
and they need to learn how to care for it. Ask them to research
information sources and evaluate the usefulness of each source.
Students may
Evaluate the usefulness of various sources of nutritional
information about foods.
Consolidation
Students may
Evaluate the usefulness of information sources when
- creating short-term and long-term weather forecasts,
- researching how natural resources are modied and changed
in the production of objects, and
- researching nutritional requirements needed to maintain a
healthy body.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
60 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
21.0 draw a conclusion that
answers an initial question
[GCO 2]
In Science K-3, students proposed answers to initial questions and
drew simple conclusions based on observations and research. In
Science 5, students should draw conclusions following the analysis
and interpretation of data.
Conclusions are based on logic and evidence; they answer the initial
question. They include a statement indicating if the data supports
or rejects the hypothesis. This claim should be justied by providing
evidence from the compiled data. If the hypothesis is rejected,
students may choose to repeat the investigation to see if any
mistakes were made or come up with a new hypothesis to test.
When students communicate their results and conclusions to others
they should
be prepared to defend their conclusion,
comment on the fairness of the investigation and identify any
possible sources of error,
suggest how the investigation could be improved,
discuss potential applications of what was learned, and
identify new questions to investigate.
Cross curricular connections may be made to the synthesizing
strategy unit in English Language Arts.
In Science K-3, students compared and evaluated personally
constructed objects with respect to their form and function. In Science
5, students should suggest improvements to a design or constructed
object (i.e., technology).
Engineering design and problem solving processes provide
opportunities for students to design and construct prototypes. Rarely,
is a rst attempt successful. Promising prototypes are continuously
redesigned, modied, tested and evaluated, in an iterative process to
reach an optimal solution.
Prototypes should be evaluated with respect to their function,
reliability, aesthetics, safety, and efcient material use. Based on
these evaluations, student should recommend design changes
and modications to improve the prototype. Suggestions should be
actioned and the prototype should be retested and reevaluated.
Analyzing and Interpreting
22.0 suggest improvements to
a design or constructed
object
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 61
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a focus object (e.g., weather instrument, simple machine)
and ask students to evaluate it with respect to function, reliability,
aesthetics, safety, and efcient use of materials and make
suggestions for improvement.
Provide a collection of similar simple machines (e.g., screw
drivers) and ask students to evaluate them, select their preferred
design, and provide reasons for their choice.
Use the example of WD-40™ to illustrate the iterative nature of
the engineering design and problem solving process; it took 40
attempts to perfect this water displacement technology.
Students may
Reect on the following when drawing conclusions:
- What was the initial question investigated?
- What was the prediction and hypothesis?
- Was there a pattern observed in the data? Does it suggest a
relationship between the variables?
- Does the data support or reject the hypothesis?
- What variables did the procedure control? Are there other
variables that were not initially considered?
- Was the investigation fair? What potential sources of error
were identied?
- How could the procedure be modied for improvement?
- Why are the results of the investigation important? Who might
want to know what was learned?
- What new questions should be investigated?
Participate in a gallery walk to view the design sketches,
prototypes, or nal constructed devices of classmates and
provide TAG feedback (i.e., Tell something you like, Ask a
question, Give a suggestion).
Consolidation
Students may
Draw conclusions when exploring the properties of air and
investigating the effect of varied surfaces on friction and the
absorption of heat from an articial light source.
Suggest improvements to constructed weather instruments,
catapults, toy cars, lever arrangements, and models of human
body systems.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
62 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
23.0 identify potential
applications of ndings
[GCO 2]
Students should come to understand that the ndings of inquiry
investigations have potential applications. Findings may be useful in
designing new technologies,
solving practical problems,
making informed decisions, and
motivating future scientic investigations.
Students should be asked to identify potential applications whenever
communicating the results of investigations and apply those ndings
to real world scenarios. After determining that pulse rate increases
with exercise, for example, students could be asked:
Why is this information important?
What connections can you make between this information and
the real world?
Who might want to know this information?
How might this information help you or others in your community?
What technologies have been or could be developed from this
information?
Students should be encouraged to recognize the role and contribution
of science in their understanding of the world around them.
In Science K-3, students identied new questions that arose from
what was learned. In Science 5, students should identify new
questions and problems.
Science begins with a question; engineering begins with a problem.
Investigating science inquiry questions inevitably leads to new
questions. As students analyze and interpret data, and draw
conclusions to answer initial questions, new questions to investigate
will naturally arise.
Similarly, engineering a technological solution to a problem often
uncovers, or creates, new problems to solve. As students construct,
test, and evaluate prototypes, problems will be encountered. To reach
an optimal solution, prototypes must be redesigned and modied to
overcome these problems. Once an optimal solution is reached, use
of the newly constructed device will naturally lead to the identication
of new problems to solve. No technology ever reaches “perfection”;
it is continuously redesigned and modied to meet ever changing
needs.
When communicating results of inquiry investigations or a constructed
solution to a practical problem, students should routinely be asked to
identify what new questions they would like to investigate next and
what new problems they would like to attempt to solve.
Analyzing and Interpreting
24.0 identify new questions or
problems that arise from
what was learned
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 63
Activation
Teachers may
Present stories of accidental discoveries (e.g., Silly Putty™,
Teon™, Penicillin) as examples of unexpected applications of
ndings.
Connection
Teachers may
Following completion of inquiry investigations and design and
problem solving experiences, ask students to propose new
questions or problems to investigate and solve.
Students may
When communicating the results of inquiry investigations, identify
potential applications of their ndings and new questions that
arise.
Record new questions to investigate in the More column of a
KWLM chart or their personal science learning journal.
When communicating their constructed solution to a problem,
identify new problems that arise from use of the device.
Consolidation
Students may
Identify potential applications of ndings from investigations to
- determine the effect of varied surfaces on friction,
- determine how different surfaces absorb heat energy from an
articial light source,
- determine if mass changes when a material undergoes
changes, and
- determine how exercise affects pulse rate.
Identify new questions arising from investigations of friction,
surface heat absorption, and pulse rate.
Identify new problems identied through use of personally
constructed weather instruments and catapults.
Analyzing and Interpreting
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
64 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
In Science K-3, students communicated their questions, ideas,
and intentions while exploring and investigating. In Science 5, the
expectation is expanded to include “listen to others”.
Science and engineering are social enterprises where people work in
group settings to investigate questions and solve problems. In these
collaborative environments, the ability to listen and communicate so
that others understand is an essential skill.
Where possible, students should work in collaborative groups to
investigate and solve problems. Students should think aloud; orally
communicating their questions, sharing their ideas, and describing
what they are doing or intending to do, using appropriate scientic
and technological terminology. They should also actively listen and
respond to other members of their group. .
Cross curricular connections may be made to English Language
Arts outcomes related to the speaking and listening (e.g., use active
listening strategies, engage in a range of collaborative discussions).
Students should work with group members to collaboratively devise
and carry out investigative procedures and problem solving plans to
nd answers to questions and solutions to problems.
Collaboration requires that group members
understand the required tasks;
determine and assign collaborative and individual roles;
communicate effectively, listen, and respond to the questions,
ideas, and intentions of group members;
be open-minded, accept input from all group members; and
employ collaborative decision making processes.
Encourage students to work collaboratively while exploring,
investigating, and problem solving.
Communication and Teamwork
25.0 communicate questions,
ideas, and intentions,
and listen to others while
conducting investigations
[GCO 2]
26.0 collaborate with others
to devise and carry out
procedures
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 65
Activation
Teachers may
Facilitate team building activities to develop collaborative skills
among students.
Connection
Teachers may
Model appropriate communication, using appropriate scientic
terminology, and listening skills.
Encourage students to think aloud; enabling other group
members to listen and respond to their questions, ideas, and
intentions.
Assign a manager role within student groups to ensure that
members communicate aloud, listen, and respond to each other.
Digitally record group communication for assessment purposes.
Students may
Work collaboratively to investigate and solve problems.
Practice collaboratively devising procedures to carry out everyday
tasks (e.g., brushing their teeth, washing their hands)
Digitally record their group conducting an investigation and
then view the video to self assess their communication and
collaboration skills.
Consolidation
Students may
Communicate with others when investigating how increasing or
decreasing the applied force affects the motion of objects.
Collaborate to devise and carry out procedures to
- investigate how varied surfaces absorb heat energy from an
articial light source,
- investigate how different surfaces affect sliding friction,
- investigate the effect of exercise on pulse rate,
- construct a weather instrument or catapult, and
- construct a model of a human body system.
Communication and Teamwork
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
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Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
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Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
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Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
INTEGRATED SKILLS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
66 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
27.0 ask others for advice or
opinions
[GCO 2]
In Science 5, students collaborate with others to investigate
questions and nd solutions to problems (SCO 26.0 and 28.0).
At times, during these inquiry and problem solving experiences,
students will experience difculty and be unsure how to proceed
(e.g., rephrasing questions in testable forms, dening objects and
events in investigations, devising procedures to carry out fair tests,
compiling and displaying data, suggesting explanations for patterns
and discrepancies in data, suggesting improvements to designs and
constructed objects). During these times, students should seek advice
or opinions from classmates or other knowledgeable individuals.
Teachers may connect students with knowledgeable adults who might
provide expert advise (e.g., engineers, scientists, technologists) by
inviting them to the classroom or through the use of technology.
Encourage students to work collaboratively and to be open minded
when receiving advice and opinions from others.
Students are expected to collaborate with others to carry out
investigative procedures and problem solving plans (i.e., SCO 26.0).
Invariably, in carrying out procedures and plans, problems will be
encountered. Students should collaborate with group members to nd
solutions to the problems that arise. This may involve asking others
for advice and opinions (SCO 27.0).
In identifying and clarifying the problem and generating, trying
out, and evaluating various solutions, the focus should be on
communication and collaboration. Students should communicate their
questions, ideas, and intentions, and listen to other group members
(i.e., SCO 25.0). They should be open-minded, accepting input
from all group members, and employ collaborative decision making
processes.
Encourage students to demonstrate perseverance when collaborating
to nd solution to problems.
Communication and Teamwork
28.0 identify problems as they
arise and collaborate with
others to nd solutions
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 67
Activation
Teachers may
Facilitate a game of Hedbanz™ or Heads Up™ where students
ask questions of others to guess the identity of an object which
they can not see.
Students may
Brainstorm individuals who may be able to provide expert advice
or opinion when questions or problems arise.
Connection
Teachers may
Employ an “Ask 3 Before Me” classroom strategy requiring
students to ask questions of classmates before asking the
teacher.
Present students with incorrect procedures; plans with
inaccuracies or unordered steps (e.g., Lego™ kits with missing
pages of instructions or incorrect pieces). Ask students to
carry out procedures and to collaboratively nd solutions to the
problems they encounter.
Facilitate opportunities for students to contact experts, through
communication technology, to ask for advice or opinions.
Students may
Identify problems encountered during investigations or design
and problem solving experiences and describe how they
collaborated to nd a solution.
Consolidation
Ask others for advice and opinions when constructing weather
instruments, catapults, and models of human body systems.
Identify problems arising during constructing of a weather
instrument, catapult, or model of a human body system and
collaborate with peers to nd solutions.
Communication and Teamwork
Authorized
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
68 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 69
Section Three:
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
Unit 1: Weather
WEATHER
70 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Focus
Outcomes Framework
Weather is an important aspect of daily life. Students should be
provided with opportunities to realize that daily weather conditions
are not the result of random occurrences, but rather are part of larger
systems and patterns that can be predicted on both a short-term
and seasonal basis. An important part of the study of weather is
understanding the characteristics of air, its movement, and its ability
to hold water. Students should study various aspects of weather such
as temperature, wind speed, precipitation and cloud formation, and
begin to recognize the role these aspects play in weather systems.
This unit has both a scientic inquiry and design and problem solving
focus. The unit emphasizes the development of inquiry skills related
to predicting, hypothesizing, selecting and using tools, estimating,
measuring, observing, recording, compiling and analyzing data, and
drawing conclusions, as well as, problem solving skills related to
constructing devices for a specic purpose.
GCO 1 (STSE): Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and technology,
of the relationships between science and technology, and of the social and environmental
contexts of science and technology.
29.0 demonstrate that specic terminology is used in science and technology contexts
31.0 describe examples of tools and techniques that have contributed to scientic discoveries
36.0 identify examples of scientic questions and technological problems addressed in the past
37.0 describe and compare tools, techniques, and materials used by different people in their
community and region to meet their needs
38.0 identify individuals in their community who work in science and technology related areas
40.0 provide examples of how science and technology have been used to solve problems in
their community and region
41.0 consider the positive and negative effects of familiar technologies
43.0 identify scientic discoveries and technological innovations of people from different
cultures
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 71
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will
construct knowledge and understandings
of concepts in life science, physical
science, and Earth and space science, and
apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
30.0 describe weather in terms of
temperature, wind speed and
direction, precipitation, and cloud
cover
32.0 explore and describe situations
demonstrating properties of air
33.0 relate the transfer of energy from the
sun to weather conditions
34.0 identify patterns in indoor and
outdoor air movement
35.0 relate the constant circulation of
water on Earth to the processes
of evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation
39.0 describe and predict patterns of
change in local weather conditions
42.0 describe the key features of a variety
of weather systems
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop
the skills required for scientic and
technological inquiry, for solving problems,
for communicating scientic ideas and
results, for working collaboratively, and for
making informed decisions.
1.0 propose questions to investigate
and practical problems to solve
3.0 state a prediction and a hypothesis
7.0 identify appropriate tools,
instruments, and materials to
complete investigations
11.0 select and use tools for measuring
14.0 record observations
15.0 identify and use a variety of sources
and technologies to gather relevant
information
16.0 construct and use devices for a
specic purpose
17.0 classify according to several
attributes and create a chart or
diagram that shows the method of
classifying
18.0 compile and display data
19.0 identify and suggest explanations for
patterns and discrepancies in data
21.0 draw a conclusion that answers an
initial question
27.0 ask others for advice or opinions
Students are encouraged to:
appreciate the role and contributions of science and technology in their understanding of the world
recognize that individuals of any cultural background can contribute equally to science
show interest and curiosity about objects and events within different environments
show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientic and technological elds
demonstrate perseverance and a desire to understand
work collaboratively while exploring and investigating
show concern for their safety and that of others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing
and using materials
GCO 4 (Attitudes): Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the responsible acquisition
and application of scientic and technological knowledge to the mutual benet of self, society, and the
environment.
WEATHER
72 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCO Continuum
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will construct knowledge and
understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and
Earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
Science 2 Science 5 Science 1206
Air and Water in the Environment Weather Weather Dynamics
explore how air surrounds us,
takes up space, and can be
felt as it moves
explore characteristics of
the three states of water and
investigate how they change
when heated or cooled
explore and investigate
conditions that affect the
location, amount, and form of
moisture
explore changes in air
conditions in indoor and
outdoor environments
explore the effects of weather
and ways to protect objects
under different conditions
describe weather in terms of
temperature, wind speed and
direction, precipitation, and
cloud cover
describe situations
demonstrating that air takes
up space, has weight, and
expands when heated
relate the constant circulation
of water on Earth to the
processes of evaporation,
condensation, and
precipitation
describe and predict patterns
of change in local weather
conditions
identify patterns of indoor and
outdoor air movement
describe key features of
various weather systems
relate the transfer of energy
from the Sun to weather
conditions
describe and explain heat
transfer within the water cycle
describe and explain heat
transfer in the hydrosphere and
atmosphere and its effects on
air and water
describe how the hydrosphere
and atmosphere act as heat
sinks
describe and explain the
effects of heat transfer
within the hydrosphere
and atmosphere on the
development, severity, and
movement of weather systems
analyze meteorological data for
a given time span and predict
future weather conditions using
appropriate methodologies and
technologies.
Suggested Unit Plan
Weather is the Earth science unit of the Science 5 curriculum. It is
positioned at the start of the school year to capitalize on the dramatic
weather-related changes that can be observed during the fall season
and opportunities for outdoor learning.
Aspects of this unit may be addressed throughout the school year as
seasonal weather patterns change.
September October November December January February March April May June
Weather
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 73
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
74 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
29.0 demonstrate that specic
terminology is used in
science and technology
contexts
[GCO 1]
Science and technology have their own language (i.e., terminology,
symbols, diagrams, graphs, and equations). Scientists, engineers,
and technologists use this language to communicate and collaborate.
Students should use specic terminology when communicating in
science and technology contexts. To describe cloud formation, for
example, students should appropriately use the terms water vapour
and condense. Memorizing denitions is not a student expectation.
Terminology should be introduced and dened as the need emerges.
Presenting all terms at the outset of the unit is strongly discouraged.
Science process- and skill-related terminology includes
question, problem, solution;
prediction, hypothesis, procedure, materials, tools, instruments;
observations, measurements, record, classify, data, patterns,
discrepancies, results, conclusion;
fair test, independent variable, dependent variable, controlled
variables; and
design, construct, test, evaluate, prototype, constructed device.
Weather-related terminology includes
weather, climate, atmosphere, temperature, precipitation, wind
speed, wind direction, air pressure, humidity, cloud cover;
thermometer, rain gauge, anemometer, weather vane, wind sock,
barometer, hygrometer;
energy, evaporate, evaporation, condense, condensation, water
vapour, water cycle;
cirrus, cumulus, stratus, nimbus, cumulonimbus, nimbostratus
clouds;
meteorologist, forecast, high pressure system, low pressure
system, thunderstorm, blizzard, hurricane, tornado; and
climate change, greenhouse effect, global warming.
Communicating using specic terminology is a constant expectation
in Science 5. As students progress through the unit their use of
appropriate terminology should increase.
Sample Performance Indicator
As a unit culminating activity, create a weather forecast and present
it as a broadcast. Include both current weather conditions and a
forecast of future weather. The broadcast should include weather-
related graphics, illustrations, and maps.
Communicating About Weather Using Scientific Terminology
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 75
Whenever students are investigating or problem solving, their
use of specic terminology in communication can be assessed.
Assessments (i.e., self, peer, teacher) may include the use of
terminology checklists and audio recordings of collaborative work.
Activation
Teachers may
Pre-assess student use of specic terminology with grafti board
activities using question prompts:
- What is science? What is engineering? What is technology?
- What is science inquiry? and the design and problem solving
process?
- What is weather? What is climate?
Introduce unit terminology through relevant children’s literature
(i.e., ction and non-ction).
Create a class concept map or brainstorming web of weather-
related terminology for use as a student reference.
Create a science word wall and add new words as they are
introduced. Alternatively, science words can be added to an
existing word wall using a different coloured font or background.
Connection
Teachers may
Model the use of scientic and technological terminology and
encourage students to adopt these terms.
Use small collaborative groups to carry out inquiry investigations
and design and problem solving experiences. Encourage
students to think aloud; communicating their ideas, questions,
and intentions with their peers.
Students may
Engage in a book walk through NL Science 5: Weather and
identify unfamiliar weather-related terms.
Create a visual glossary, throughout the unit, using personal
illustrations and denitions.
Keep a personal journal throughout the unit, qualitatively
describing daily weather.
Record weather-related inquiry questions on an “I Wonder” wall.
Starting with the word weather, use Scrabble™ tiles to add as
many weather-related terms as possible.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (Student
Resource [SR])
pp. 1-51, 52-58
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Children’s Literature
Big Idea: Weather by A.
Chapman
Scholastic Discover More:
Weather by P. Arlon
Weather Words and What
They Mean by G. Gibbons
Communicating About Weather Using Scientific Terminology
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
76 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
30.0 describe weather in terms
of temperature, wind speed
and direction, precipitation,
and cloud cover
[GCO 3]
31.0 describe examples of tools
and techniques that have
contributed to scientic
discoveries
[GCO 1]
11.0 select and use tools for
measuring
[GCO 2]
14.0 record observations
[GCO 2]
Students should use weather instruments to observe, measure, and
record daily weather conditions (i.e., temperature, wind speed and
direction, precipitation, cloud cover and characteristics, air pressure,
humidity) and a digital photograph should be taken. This may be
achieved as part of a morning routine; one student measuring and
describing the weather conditions each day throughout the duration
of the unit. Collected daily weather data should be compiled into the
master weather log (i.e., charts and tables). The compiled data will be
used later in the unit to predict changes in weather patterns.
Students should create daily weather reports from the recorded data.
A weather report is a “now cast” of current weather conditions.
Instruments used to measure weather conditions include
anemometers to measure wind speed;
barometers to measure air pressure;
hygrometers to measure humidity (i.e., amount of water in air);
rain gauges to measure the amount of rain that falls;
thermometers to measure temperature in degrees Celsius;
weather vanes to indicate wind direction (i.e., arrow points in the
direction that the wind is coming from); and
wind socks to qualitatively measure wind speed and indicate wind
direction (i.e., the sock points in the direction wind is going).
Students should, to the greatest extent possible, use instruments
to make rst hand measurements. However, second hand
measurements (e.g., mobile device weather application) may be used
when an instrument is unavailable.
The importance of using consistent measurement methods and
measurement accuracy should be stressed when using instruments:
Using a manual anemometer, students should count the number
of rotations per minute. Wind speeds are highly variable;
measuring over an extended time period (i.e., one minute)
mitigates the effect of wind gusts. If the anemometer is spinning
too fast to count, viewing video in slow motion may be helpful.
To measure air pressure with an aneroid barometer, students
should read the position of the needle relative to the scale (scales
and graduations vary). A second conrmation measurement,
possibly carried out by a peer, should always be taken. Quickly
determining if air pressure is rising, falling, or remaining constant
is of great value. To facilitate this, students should adjust
the manual pointer, if present, to the needle, following each
measurement. Subsequent tapping on the glass will cause the
needle to move up or down relative to the pointer.
When using a rain gauge to measure the amount of precipitation,
students should place their eye such that it is level with the
surface of the water. This eliminates parallax error (i.e., lower
than actual readings if viewed from above, higher readings if
viewed from below). Students should record all certain digits from
How Can We Describe Weather?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 77
Activation
Students may
View images depicting different types of weather. Describe the
weather using weather-related terminology.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a collection of weather instruments and ask students to
predict what conditions they measure, and how they work.
Students may
View a local weather report to identify its components, related
terminology, and where applicable, units of measurement.
Look out the class window and describe the weather using only
their senses. Daily observations could be compiled into a weather
journal. Teachers may use the journal to assess student use of
specic terminology.
Use anemometers, barometers, hygrometers, rain gauges,
thermometers, weather vanes, and wind socks to measure
current weather conditions.
Create a daily weather report to describe weather conditions.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (Teacher
Resource [TR])
pp. 8-21
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 6-9
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activities 1 and 2
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Supplementary
Weather Station
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Weather and weather
instrument resources
(websites)
Weather information sources
(websites and mobile device
applications)
Science suppliers (websites)
Children’s Literature
Weather Words and What
They Mean by G. Gibbons
How Can We Describe Weather?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
78 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Can We Describe Weather?
30.0 describe weather in terms
of temperature, wind speed
and direction, precipitation,
and cloud cover
[GCO 3]
31.0 describe examples of tools
and techniques that have
contributed to scientic
discoveries
[GCO 1]
11.0 select and use tools for
measuring
[GCO 2]
14.0 record observations
[GCO 2]
the scale and estimate the rst uncertain digit (e.g., recording
4.25 cm if above 4.2 cm but below 4.3 cm). A second conrmation
measurement should always be taken. Empty the rain gauge
completely after each measurement.
Prior to rst use, a thermometer should be calibrated. Place the
thermometer in ice water and conrm that it measures 0°C. If
there is a discrepancy, students should add or subtract degrees
from all future measurements to account for it. Air temperature
measurements should be taken in the shade, ensuring that the
bulb is not touching any surface. Students should level their eye
with the bottom of the curved liquid surface (i.e., the meniscus)
within the thermometer to avoid parallax error. They should
record all certain digits and estimate the rst uncertain digit. A
second confirmation measurement should be taken.
Wind direction describes the direction air is moving from not
the direction it is moving toward. Wind moving from west to
east, for example, is described as a westerly wind (i.e., it is
moving from the west). Incorrectly identifying wind direction is
a common student error. The arrow of a weather vane points
toward the direction of the prevailing wind, however, wind socks
extend opposite the correct wind direction. Students should use
a compass to ensure that the weather vane is properly aligned
prior to rst use (i.e., north on the weather vane aligns with the
magnetic north on a compass). A compass will also be needed to
determine wind direction using a wind sock.
Using a wind sock to measure wind speed requires students
record the number of alternating orange and white stripes which
are extended by the wind.
Measurements made using weather instruments enable
meteorologists to accurately describe weather conditions. Other
technologies used by meteorologists include weather balloons,
weather buoys, radar, and satellite. These technologies contribute to
our understanding of weather.
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of skill outcomes.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Use weather instruments to accurately measure and record weather.
Create a written weather report from recorded observations.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 79
How Can We Describe Weather?
Consolidation
Students may
Compare student prepared weather reports with current weather
information found on a website or mobile device application (e.g.,
AccuWeather, Environment Canada, Weather Network).
Extension
Students may
Conduct research to learn how anemometers, barometers, and
hygrometers work.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (Teacher
Resource [TR])
pp. 10-21
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 6-9
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activities 1 and 2
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Supplementary
Weather Station
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Weather and weather
instrument resources
(websites)
Weather information sources
(websites and mobile device
applications)
Science suppliers (websites)
Children’s Literature
Weather Words and What
They Mean by G. Gibbons
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
80 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
1.0 propose questions to
investigate and practical
problems to solve
[GCO 2]
16.0 construct and use devices
for a specic purpose
[GCO 2]
19.0 identify and suggest
explanations for patterns
and discrepancies in data
[GCO 2]
27.0 ask others for advice or
opinions
[GCO 2]
Students should follow an engineering design and problem solving
process to select, construct, and use a specic weather instrument.
Facilitate an open, student-centred experience. Modifying the
experience to make it more teacher directed (e.g., providing design
plans, specifying materials), limits the skill outcomes which can be
developed and assessed. Students have experienced open design
and problem solving activities in previous science courses.
Students should
select an instrument to construct (e.g., anemometer, barometer,
rain gauge, thermometer, weather vane, wind sock) and pose the
problem to solve (e.g., How can we make a thermometer?);
collaborate with group members to conduct research, if
necessary, and develop a construction plan that includes labelled
sketches and a list of required tools and materials;
communicate the plan to others, ask for advice, and make
adjustments, as needed, in response to the advice received;
construct a prototype of the instrument, working collaboratively to
carry out the plan and solve problems as they arise;
test and evaluate the prototype;
suggest improvements to the prototype, make changes, and
retest until an optimal solution is reached; and
use the instrument to measure and record weather conditions.
Students should wear eye protection when building their weather
instrument. Adult supervision may be required for use of some tools.
Some constructed instruments will require a scale and/or calibration:
Constructed weather vanes should be aligned with a compass.
The scale on rain gauges should be added with a metric ruler.
Adding a scale to a thermometer or barometer is more
challenging and might require support. These instruments
should be calibrated against known measures. A constructed
thermometer, for example, could be placed in 0°C ice water and
then a 20°C room. These two graduations could be marked on
the constructed thermometer and other graduations (e.g., 5°C,
10°C, 15°C) added in relation to the two initial marks.
Students should attempt to use their constructed instrument to
measure daily weather and compare their measurements with those
obtained using commercial instruments. Their weather instruments
should be evaluated with respect to their function and reliability.
In addition to outcomes 1.0, 16.0, 19.0, and 27.0, teachers may
choose to address and assess additional design- and problem
solving-related skill outcomes:
devising procedures to solve problems (SCO 6.0),
carrying out procedures to explore a problem (SCO 8.0),
How Can We Construct a Weather Instrument?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 81
Activation
Teachers may
Review the stages of design and problem solving processes.
Connection
Teachers may
Compile a collection of materials for students to use in
constructing their weather instruments. Encourage the use of
found and recycled materials in designs.
Students may
Research how to build various weather instruments.
Contact local meteorologists through social media feeds to
ask weather-related questions and seek advice or opinions on
constructed weather instruments.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Provide ample time for students to revise and improve their
designs and prototypes.
Invite knowledgeable community members to view student
designs and prototypes and offer advice and opinions.
Students may
Participate in a gallery walk to view the construction plans of
classmates. Tag feedback (i.e., Tell something you like, Ask a
question, Give a suggestion) may be used to seek the advice and
opinions of peers.
Document the design and construction process using digital
images or video. Documentation may be used to assess
communication and collaboration skills and the problem solving
process.
Communicate their nal solutions to classmates. Describe any
problems encountered during design and construction and how
the problem was solved.
Use the constructed weather instrument to measure weather and
compare with a commercial instrument.
Evaluate the constructed weather instrument with respect
to function, reliability, aesthetics, safety, and efcient use of
materials.
Identify new questions or problems that arise from use of the
constructed instrument.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 22-23
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 10-11
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 3
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Inquiry and Problem
Solving Continuum
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Constructing weather
instruments resources
(websites)
Science suppliers (websites)
How Can We Construct a Weather Instrument?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
82 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Can We Construct a Weather Instrument?
1.0 propose questions to
investigate and practical
problems to solve
[GCO 2]
16.0 construct and use devices
for a specic purpose
[GCO 2]
19.0 identify and suggest
explanations for patterns
and discrepancies in data
[GCO 2]
27.0 ask others for advice or
opinions
[GCO 2]
make observations and collect information relevant to the
problem (SCO 12.0),
recording observations (SCO 14.0),
identifying and using a variety of sources and technologies to
gather relevant information (SCO 15.0),
suggesting improvements to a design or constructed object (SCO
22.0),
collaborating with others to devise and carry out procedures
(SCO 26.0), and
identifying problems as they arise and collaborating with others to
nd solutions (SCO 28.0).
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these outcomes.
Attitude
Encourage students to show concern for their safety and that of
others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing and
using materials. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Measure temperature using a thermometer you constructed and a
commercial thermometer. Evaluate how well your thermometer works
and suggest reasons for any discrepancies in measurements when
compared to the commercial thermometer.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 83
How Can We Construct a Weather Instrument?
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 22-23
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 10-11
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 3
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Inquiry and Problem
Solving Continuum
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Constructing weather
instruments resources
(websites)
Science suppliers (websites)
Extension
Students may
Research how a specic weather instrument has changed or
evolved over time.
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
84 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
32.0 explore and describe
situations demonstrating
properties of air
[GCO 3]
Students are expected to investigate weather-related properties
of air. Through directed investigations (see Sample Teaching and
Assessment Strategies), students should observe that
air has mass;
air takes up space (i.e., it has volume);
air expands (i.e., takes up more space) when heated; and
air contracts (i.e., takes up less space) when cooled.
Carrying out these directed investigations provides opportunities to
address and assess students’ ability to follow procedures, make and
record observations, draw conclusions, and use scientic terminology
(SCOs 10.0, 12.0, 14.0, 21.0, 29.0, refer to the Integrated Skills unit).
Students should also apply their understanding of air related
properties to explain situations. When taking a deep breath, for
example, students should explain that the space inside their lungs
lls with air. When noting a decrease in the size of an air-lled
balloon after being stored in a freezer, they should explain that the air
contracted.
Several other related properties of air have a signicant relationship
to weather and should be introduced at this time:
Air density is the mass of air per unit volume (i.e., mass/volume).
Air density varies with temperature. When heated, air expands
(i.e., increases volume) decreasing density. When cooled, it
contracts (i.e., decreases volume) increasing density.
Air pressure is the pressure air exerts on everything around it.
Air pressure also varies with temperature. Cooler air has higher
pressure than warmer air.
The effects of these properties of air on weather will be explored as
the unit progresses.
Attitude
Encourage students to
show interest and curiosity about objects and events within
different environments; and
demonstrate perseverance and a desire to understand. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Table tennis balls are air-lled. If dented, submerging the ball in hot
water might restore it to its original form. Explain, using the properties
of air, how this might work.
What Are the Properties of Air?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 85
Activation
Teachers may
Tape a crumpled piece of paper inside the bottom of a transparent
drinking glass. Submerge the glass, upside down, in a container
of water. Ask students why the paper does not get wet. Tilt
the glass to release some air bubbles, then turn it sideways to
release all the air. Ask students to explain their observations.
Connection
Teachers may
Completely ll a drinking glass with water and place an index
card over the top, creating a seal. Ensure no air is inside. Hold
the index card in place while turning the cup upside down, then
release the index card. Ask students to use the properties of air to
explain why the water remains in the glass.
Students may
Measure and compare their chest circumference when they fully
inhale and exhale.
Inate and deate balloons, beach balls, and paper or plastic
bags to observe that air takes up space and exerts pressure.
Stretch the mouth of a balloon over the neck of an empty plastic
bottle. Place the bottle in hot water to observe expansion, then
ice water to observe contraction.
Inate a zip top plastic bag with air. Heat the bag with a hair dryer
and note any changes in air pressure inside the bag.
Explore sports balls (e.g., basketball, exercise ball, football,
soccer ball, volleyball) that require ination. Use a manual
air pump to inate balls and make observations related to air
pressure. The mass of similar inated and under-inated balls
could be compared qualitatively or quantitatively if a scale with
enough sensitivity is available.
Observe that air has mass by suspending and balancing two
empty balloons from a metal clothes hanger using clothespins.
Without changing the location of the clothespins, remove, inate,
and reattach one balloon and observe the effect.
Extension
Students may
Create a comic strip to depict properties of air.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 26-33
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 16-17
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Properties of air resources
(websites)
What Are the Properties of Air?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
86 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
33.0 relate the transfer of
energy from the Sun to
weather conditions
[GCO 3]
Changes in air pressure and temperature, caused by the Sun, have a
signicant affect on weather. Students should explain that
energy from the Sun passes through the atmosphere and is
absorbed by Earth’s surface;
as Earth’s surface warms, it warms the air above it;
this warming air expands, becoming less dense (lower pressure);
cooler, higher pressure air (more dense) moves underneath the
warming air and pushes it upward; and
this movement of air is felt as wind.
This process has great signicance in meteorology (i.e., study of the
atmosphere and atmospheric conditions). High pressure systems
(cooler, denser air masses) move underneath low pressure systems
warmer, less dense air masses) and cause them to rise.
Students should relate the transfer of energy from the Sun to air
temperature, air pressure, and the formation of wind. The Sun’s
relation to cloud cover, precipitation, and humidity will be explored
later in the unit.
Treatment of this outcome should include discussion of the
greenhouse effect and its role in keeping Earth warm. The connection
between the greenhouse effect and climate change will be explored
later in the unit.
Students should explore the movement of air on school grounds using
anemometers and bubbles or use pinwheels. Students may observe,
for example, stronger winds on one side of the school. Questions
arising from exploration may be investigated further.
Students should also observe and record outdoor wind direction daily,
throughout the unit, using a weather vane or wind sock, and compile
records. These observations may comprise part of the morning
routine (p. 76). A weather vane, wind sock, or student-constructed
instrument may be used. Analysis of compiled data should reveal a
prevailing wind pattern.
To identify indoor air movements, students could use bubbles or ne
strips of a light weight material (e.g., ribbon, tinsel, tissue paper).
They should identify air patterns caused by opening a classroom door
or window (e.g., air ows out the window). They should also identify
patterns when all doors and windows are closed.
When on, a baseboard heater warms the air around it (becomes less
dense with lower pressure). Cooler, higher pressure air will move
across the oor, toward the heater, and force the warm air to rise.
As it rises away from the heater, it cools, contracts, and eventually
sinks back to the oor. The transfer of energy creates a pattern of air
movement. Students should observe evidence of this pattern.
The notion that warm air rises because it is lighter is a common
misconception. Warm air rises because it is pushed upward by air
under higher pressure.
What Makes Air Move?
34.0 identify patterns in indoor
and outdoor air movement
[GCO 3]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 87
Connection
Teachers may
Present video clips demonstrating convection currents caused by
energy transfers.
Students may
Brainstorm different ways to detect indoor and outdoor movement
of air.
Blow bubbles outdoors and identify patterns in air movement.
Compare patterns of air movement in varied locations around
the school and at different elevations above the ground, using
commercial or student-constructed anemometers, pinwheels,
weather vanes, and wind socks.
Create a wind spinner by drawing a spiral on a thin paper plate,
cutting along the line, and attaching a thin string to the centre.
Position the spinner above a heat source and observe its motion.
Place the spinner in various locations within the classroom and
observe patterns.
Place their hand above a baseboard heater that has been turned
on, then place their hand along the oor directly in front of the
heater. Describe the movement and air felt.
Consolidation
Students may
Compare patterns of outdoor air movement in varied locations
around the school and at different elevations above the ground,
using commercial or student-constructed anemometers,
pinwheels, weather vanes, and wind socks.
Blow bubbles and create indoor air patterns using fans or hair
dryers, and opening doors or windows. Observe the patterns of
air movement created.
Compare patterns of indoor air movement near open windows in
various locations in the school.
Draw and label a diagram of the pattern of indoor air movement
caused by turning on the baseboard heater in a classroom.
Extension
Students may
Investigate the affect of Earth’s tilt on the transfer of energy from
the Sun.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 34-39
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 18-19
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 4
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Air convection currents
(videos)
Science suppliers (websites)
What Makes Air Move?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
88 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
3.0 state a prediction and a
hypothesis
[GCO 2]
7.0 identify appropriate tools,
instruments, and materials
to complete investigations
[GCO 2]
18.0 compile and display data
[GCO 2]
21.0 draw a conclusion that
answers an initial question
[GCO 2]
Students have learned that solar energy is absorbed by Earth’s
surface and that this energy transfer relates to weather. Students are
now expected to design and carry out a guided inquiry investigation to
determine how well different surfaces absorb energy from an articial
light source. In small collaborative groups, students should
select various surface materials (e.g., asphalt, gravel, potting soil,
sand, sod, water) to test;
devise a procedure to fairly test the temperature changes of
different surface materials when exposed to a light;
identify the tools, instruments, and materials needed;
predict which surface material(s) will have the greatest increase
in temperature and hypothesize a reason;
carry out the procedure fairly, measuring and recording
temperature changes;
compile and display data in data tables and identify patterns and
discrepancies; and
draw a conclusion that answers the initial question and indicate
whether data supports or rejects the prediction and hypothesis.
In addition to outcomes 3.0, 7.0, 18.0, and 21.0, teachers may
choose to address and assess additional science inquiry-related skill
outcomes (e.g., SCOs 6.0, 8.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 19.0, 23.0, 26.0).
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of skill outcomes.
Students should calibrate thermometers prior to use (p. 78)
and account for any discrepancies when measuring. All certain
digits should be recorded and the rst uncertain digit estimated.
Conrmation measurements should always be taken.
Students should recognize that this investigation models the heating
of Earth’s surface by the Sun. They should relate and apply their
ndings to real world situations (e.g., absorption of solar energy by an
asphalt parking lot compared to a grassy eld).
Different surfaces absorb energy at different rates. Unequal heating
causes differences in air temperature and pressure which relates to
weather. Teachers may choose to introduce how unequal heating of
water and land leads to the formation of land and sea breezes.
Attitude
Encourage students to work collaboratively while exploring and
investigating. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
On a calm, sunny day, a gentle breeze is blowing off the lake toward
a farmer’s eld ready for planting. Apply what you have learned to
explain why the air moves from the lake toward the land.
How Does Energy from the Sun Affect Different Surfaces?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 89
Activation
Teachers may
Ask students to recall walking outside, barefoot on a sunny
summer day. How warm did the ground feel when you walked on
asphalt, concrete, grass, sand, soil, and wood?
Ask students to share observations about wearing dark or light
coloured clothing on a warm summer’s day.
Connection
Teachers may
Model devising a fair procedure to determine if construction paper
colour affects how fast an ice cube placed upon it melts, when
placed in a sunny location. Set up the investigation unfairly (e.g.,
starting with different sized ice cubes, placing one set up in sun
the other in shade) and have students identify and explain why
the investigation would be unfair if carried out.
Students may
Carry out an investigation to determine if black construction paper
causes an ice cube placed upon it to melt faster than a similar set
up on white construction paper, when both are placed in a sunny
location.
Record their predictions and hypotheses as “If..., then...” and “If...,
then... because...” statements.
Consolidation
Students may
Carry out a guided inquiry investigation to determine how well
sand, soil, and water absorb energy from a desk lamp. Place
an equal volume of each material in a drinking cup and insert
a thermometer into each cup. Ensure the temperature of each
material is the same before starting. Record the temperature
at ve minute intervals for a 30 minute period and record the
measurements in a data table. Create a bar graph to display the
change in temperature for each material.
Draw conclusions from their investigations and relate what is
learned to the absorption of solar energy by an asphalt parking
lot, a black or white sand beach, an evergreen forest, a grassy
eld, a lake or ocean.
Relate what is learned from investigations to the heating and
movement of air.
View digital recordings of peer groups carrying out their
investigations and assess whether the investigations were fair
tests.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 40-43
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 20-21
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 5
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Inquiry and Problem
Solving Continuum
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Inquiry investigation
resources (websites)
Science suppliers (websites)
How Does Energy from the Sun Affect Different Surfaces?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
90 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
35.0 relate the constant
circulation of water on
Earth to the processes of
evaporation, condensation,
and precipitation
[GCO 3]
Clouds, humidity, and precipitation are weather components that
relate to the water cycle; the constant movement of water from
Earth’s surface to the atmosphere and back to Earth’s surface.
Students should describe the water cycle and relate it to the
processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation:
Evaporation - energy from the Sun heats water on Earth’s
surface, water evaporates forming water vapour.
Condensation - water vapour rises in the atmosphere, cools, and
condenses forming water droplets (i.e., clouds).
Precipitation - when the air cannot hold the water droplets
anymore they fall to Earth’s surface as precipitation.
Students should participate in directed investigations to model the
water cycle and related processes. Students could, for example,
place a small amount of water in a zip top plastic bag, ll it with air,
place it in a sunny location, and make observation after several hours.
Students should explain that the transfer of energy from the Sun to
water on Earth’s surface drives the water cycle. This cycle has a
signicant relationship with weather:
Evaporation of surface water increases humidity.
Warmer air holds more water vapour than cooler air.
Warm humid air, cools and condenses as it rises in the
atmosphere forming water droplets (i.e., clouds).
Wind moves water vapour from where it evaporates to where it
returns as precipitation.
Precipitation type (e.g., rain, snow) depends on air temperature.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Be a drop of water in the ocean and describe your journey through
the water cycle.
Student responses provide evidence to assess SCOs 35.0 and 29.0
(i.e., use of specic terminology).
How Does Earths Water Affect Weather?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 91
Activation
Teachers may
Temporarily use humidiers and dehumidiers in the classroom
and relate to processes of evaporation and condensation.
Soak two paper towels in water and hang both to dry. Place
an electric fan in front of one towel. Ask students to make a
prediction and a hypothesis (i.e., if a fan is placed in front of one
paper towel, then... because...). Discuss how this investigation
relates to the water cycle.
Connections
Students may
Use misting bottles to add moisture to the air. Relate observations
to the processes of the water cycle.
Breathe on a mirror or glass and quickly observe the
condensation and evaporation of moisture.
Place a plastic plate in a sunny location and draw a circle on the
plate with a permanent marker. Use an eyedropper to add water
to the centre of the circle until lled. Make repeated observations,
over time, of the water amount in relation to the outline and relate
to the water cycle.
Place a cold water bottle upon a desk with paper towelling placed
underneath. Observe moisture that forms on the exterior of the
bottle and relate to the water cycle.
Place wet paper towelling inside a zip top plastic bag, ll with
air, and afx to a classroom window with tape. Make repeated
observations of the location and amount of moisture. Relate
observations to the processes of the water cycle.
Consolidation
Students may
Follow a provided procedure to model the water cycle. Place dirty
water (e.g., water with soil added) in the bottom of a large mixing
bowl. Position a heavy drinking glass in the centre of the bowl.
Tightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and place it in a sunny
location. Place a small stone upon the plastic wrap, directly above
the glass. As the water evaporates it will condense on the under
side of the plastic wrap, trickle inward due to the stone, and drop
into the glass. Students should relate their observations to the
water cycle and the processes of evaporation, condensation, and
precipitation.
Creatively present the water cycle and its processes through a
foldable, kinaesthetic movement, or a video.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 44-49
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 22-23
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
The Water Cycle (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 6
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Water cycle resources
(websites and videos)
How Does Earths Water Affect Weather?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
92 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
36.0 identify examples of
scientic questions and
technological problems
addressed in the past
[GCO 1]
In the past, indicators such as cloud characteristics were relied on
to predict the weather. Detailed observations on clouds led to their
classication and naming. Today, more than 20 different categories of
clouds are recognized by meteorologists.
Students should observe clouds daily, throughout the unit, and
compile records of their characteristics (i.e., colour, shape) and
associated weather. These observations may comprise part of the
morning routine (p. 76).
Students are expected to recognize common cloud types and, based
on analysis of their recorded observations, associate them with
particular weather patterns:
Cirrus clouds appear as white, thin, wispy streaks, high in the sky.
They form from ice crystals but do not produce precipitation.
Cumulus clouds are uffy, piled up clouds. They are associated
with fair weather when relatively small and widely spaced.
Cumulonimbus clouds are darker, present in larger numbers,
and are associated with powerful thunderstorms and heavy
precipitation.
Stratus clouds appear as a low layer of cloud covering the sky.
Nimbostratus clouds are associated with precipitation.
Note the term nimbus refers to any cloud that produces precipitation.
Students should classify clouds as cirrus, cumulus, cumulonimbus,
stratus, or nimbostratus, according to their observable characteristics.
Research may identify additional cloud types (e.g., altocumulus,
altostratus, cirrocumulus, cirrostratus, stratocumulus). Teachers may
choose to include these cloud types in classication activities.
Note that fog is classied as a stratus cloud.
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of outcome 17.0 (pp.
54-55).
Attitude
Encourage students to show interest and curiosity about objects and
events within different environments. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Create a eld guide of cloud types and their associated weather.
How Can We Classify Clouds?
17.0 classify according to
several attributes and
create a chart or diagram
that shows the method of
classifying
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 93
To use clouds to predict weather, students must associate cloud
characteristics with specic weather conditions. This requires daily
observations of clouds. Cloud descriptions should be included in
weather reporting from the outset of the unit. Incorporating weather
reporting as part of a morning routine, and compiling the reports into a
master weather log for the duration of the unit is strongly encouraged.
Activation
Teachers may
Demonstrate the formation of a cloud in a jar by following an
online procedure.
Connection
Students may
Describe and record cloud characteristics and associated
weather over an extended period of time. Records may include
digital images.
Analyze recorded weather data from the beginning of the unit.
Identify pattens of association between specic cloud types and
other weather conditions.
View websites related to types of clouds and identify cloud related
terminology.
Search for online cloud identication guides and note the
attributes which are used to classify clouds (e.g., altitude,
appearance, colour, presence of precipitation, size).
Use an age appropriate cloud identication eld guide to classify
clouds or cloud images.
Consolidation
Students may
Create a personal cloud identication guide. Include digital
images of different cloud types.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 50-55
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 24-25
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 7
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Cloud classication
resources (websites)
How Can We Classify Clouds?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
94 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
37.0 describe and compare
tools, techniques, and
materials used by different
people in their community
and region to meet their
needs
[GCO1]
Weather predicting (i.e., forecasting) provides a context to address
numerous STSE, skill, and knowledge outcomes.
Over time, people have developed different ways to predict weather.
In the past, predictions were solely based on observations of the
natural world (e.g., animal behaviour, cloud characteristics, sky
colour). Folklore was often created to pass on these prediction
methods to future generations. Eventually, weather instruments
were developed to make and record observations. Analysis of these
recorded observations led to predictions of greater accuracy.
Students should describe examples of local forecasting methods
used in the past. For example
the use of weather folklore (e.g., Red sky at night, sailors delight;
red sky in the morning, sailors take warning);
predicting changes in weather based on a headache or joint pain;
and
tapping a barometer to determine if pressure was rising or falling
(i.e., rising pressure means weather improving, falling pressure
means weather worsening).
Students should compare the accuracy of these forecasting methods.
Today, meteorologists forecast weather by analyzing data gathered
from various technologies and information sources:
Historical records of past weather reveal patterns.
Radar images indicate precipitation amounts.
Satellites images show the location and movement of clouds.
Weather balloons and sensors on some aircraft collect weather
data in the atmosphere.
Weather stations, ships, and buoys collect weather data on
Earth’s surface.
Collectively, these technologies enable the prediction of future
weather. Considered separately, pieces of the prediction puzzle are
missing. Radar data, for example, does not include information about
cloud cover, it only shows precipitation.
Students should identify a variety of sources and technologies from
which to gather information to use when forecasting.
Attitude
Encourage students to show interest in the activities of individuals
working in scientic and technological elds. [GCO 4]
How Can We Predict Weather?
38.0 identify individuals in
their community who
work in science and
technology related areas
[GCO 1]
15.0 identify and use a variety of
sources and technologies to
gather relevant information
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 95
Activation
Students may
Share personal situations when bad weather changed or altered
their plans.
Distinguish between current weather conditions (i.e., “now cast”)
and a forecast (i.e., prediction of future weather conditions).
Brainstorm individuals who might rely on accurate weather
forecasts for their jobs.
Explore weather predictions printed in farmer’s almanacs and
discuss the potential accuracy of these predictions.
Connection
Teachers may
Direct students to various sources of weather information (e.g.,
digital weather stations, mobile device weather applications,
printed weather maps, websites [historical weather/climate data,
radar, satellite, television weather broadcasts, weather station
data]).
Students may
Compile local weather folklore from a variety of sources (e.g.,
community elders, family members, Internet).
View and interpret current weather conditions and conditions in
the past 24 hours on weather-related websites or mobile device
applications.
View and interpret weather maps printed in daily newspapers.
View and interpret animated radar images from local Environment
Canada radar stations (e.g., Holyrood, Marble Mountain).
View and interpret animated satellite images (IR and visible).
Consolidation
Students may
Measure air pressure repeatedly over a period of days using a
barometer to determine if it is rising or falling. Assess whether
weather improves when air pressure is rising.
View and interpret short and long term forecasts presented on
local television weather broadcasts, weather-related websites and
mobile device applications.
Extension
Students may
Research how to become a meteorologist.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 56-61, 72-75
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 26-29, 36-37
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 8
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Weather folklore resources
(websites)
Weather information sources
(websites and mobile device
applications)
How Can We Predict Weather?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
96 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
39.0 describe and predict
patterns of change in
local weather conditions
[GCO 3]
15.0 identify and use a variety of
sources and technologies to
gather relevant information
[GCO 2]
19.0 identify and suggest
explanations for patterns
and discrepancies in data
[GCO 2]
How Can We Predict Weather?
Students are expected, in small collaborative groups, to create a
weather forecast for the following day. They should analyze and
interpret information gathered from radar, satellite, weather maps,
weather stations, and the master class weather log (SCO 15.0). Their
forecast should make predictions about temperature, winds, cloud
cover, precipitation and air pressure. Their predictions should be
based on trends and patterns identied during data analysis (SCO
19.0). Predictions may be qualitative (e.g., it will be warmer and
windier) in nature.
Students should provide an evidence-based rationale for their
predictions and compare their forecast with actual media forecasts.
The following day, students should evaluate and discuss the accuracy
of their forecast, and if inaccurate, identify reasons why (SCO 19.0).
The accuracy of media forecasts may also be evaluated.
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these skill
outcomes.
Science and technology can be used to solve problems. Everyday,
at a personal, local, and regional level, decisions are made that are
inuenced by the weather (e.g., What should I wear to play outside
today?, Should schools close due to predicted weather?, Should a
forest re advisory be issued to the public?). The ability to accurately
forecast weather plays a signicant role in these and other decisions.
Students should provide additional examples of decisions inuenced
by the weather and explain how different forecasts might impact the
decision making process.
Students should easily recognize the positive effects of accurately
forecasting weather. However, they should also consider the
limitations of weather forecasting.
Students may mistakenly believe that the use of modern technology
makes accurate weather forecasting easy. However, meteorologists’
forecasts are still predictions. Earth’s atmosphere is huge and its
conditions are changing constantly. Forecasting is a complex process
that requires vast amounts of data being analyzed by human-created
computer models. Weather forecasts always carry a degree of
uncertainty (e.g., probability of precipitation).
To illustrate the limitation of current weather predicting technologies,
students should access an online weather information source and
record the predicted short-term and long-term weather (e.g., hourly,
24 hour, 36 hour, 7 day, 14 day forecasts). They should verify the
accuracy of these predictions over time. They will likely note that
shorter term forecasts are often more accurate than longer term
forecasts.
40.0 provide examples of how
science and technology
have been used to
solve problems in their
community and region
[GCO 1]
41.0 consider the positive and
negative effects of familiar
technologies
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 97
How Can We Predict Weather?
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 56-61
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 26-29
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Weather information sources
(websites and mobile device
applications)
As part of an established morning routine, teachers could present
daily weather maps and animated radar and satellite imagery from
weather-related websites to build capacity for student weather
forecasting.
Connection
Students may
View weather-related websites, mobile device applications,
or local television broadcasts for exemplars of what weather
forecasts entail.
Compare short- and long-term forecasts from various weather-
related websites and mobile device applications and note any
differences in their predictions. What might account for these
differences?
Analyze the class data compiled in the master weather log and
identify trends and associations (e.g., wind direction is most often
westerly, precipitation is always associated with cloud cover,
precipitation is associated with low air pressure, southerly winds
are associated with warmer temperatures).
Analyze current weather maps and animated radar and satellite
images to identify trends.
Analyze historic weather/climate data from a weather-related
website for a specic date.
Identify the current air pressure trend (i.e., rising, falling, stable).
Consolidation
Students may
Analyze and interpret weather data to create a next day weather
forecast; making predictions about temperature, winds, cloud
cover, precipitation, and air pressure. Provide an explanation for
predictions.
Compare their next-day forecast to next-day forecasts found
on weather-related websites or mobile device applications and
identify and suggest explanations for discrepancies.
Evaluate the accuracy of their next-day forecast.
Record the hourly, 36 hour, and 7 day predictions of a specic
weather-related website, mobile device application, or local
television broadcast. Evaluate the accuracy of these predictions
over time.
Discuss which information source was most useful when creating
a next-day forecast and why meteorologists use more than one
source or technology to make predictions.
Discuss why short-term forecasts might be more accurate than
long-term forecasts.
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
98 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
42.0 describe the key features
of a variety of weather
systems
[GCO 3]
In meteorology, weather systems refer to large circulating air masses.
Low pressure systems are relatively moist and unstable air masses.
They create strong winds and are associated with precipitation.
High pressure systems are relatively cool and dry air masses. They
are associated with clear skies and light winds. When low and high
pressure systems meet they form a weather front (e.g., cold front,
warm front). It is along these fronts that storms typically form.
Students are expected to
describe the key features of low pressure and high pressure
systems; and
research and describe the key features of blizzards, hurricanes,
Nor’easters, thunderstorms, and tornadoes.
This not intended to be a signicant research project. Tornadoes, for
example, could be described as funnel-shaped clouds, developing
from powerful thunderstorms, that spin in a circle. Their winds can
cause signicant damage and their intensity is measured on the Fujita
scale.
Teachers may use a jigsaw cooperative learning strategy to facilitate
research.
Attitude
Encourage students to demonstrate perseverance and a desire to
understand. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Use a T-chart to compare the characteristics of low pressure systems
and high pressure systems.
How Can We Describe Weather Systems?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 99
Activation
Students may
Share recollections of experiences during extreme weather
events (e.g., blizzards, hurricanes, thunderstorms).
Connection
Teachers may
Model what happens when high pressure and low pressure
systems interact using students to kinaesthetically represent air
particles.
Students may
Search for, view, and share videos of extreme weather events.
Track Atlantic hurricanes through the Canadian Hurricane Centre.
Track potential blizzards using radar and satellite imagery.
Research the important role of hurricane hunter planes in
predicting the track and intensity of hurricanes.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Facilitate a cooperative learning jigsaw by organizing
students into home groups of ve and assigning a different
extreme weather system (i.e., blizzard, hurricane, Nor’easter,
thunderstorm, tornadoes) to each member of the group. Students
then separate, regroup according to weather system (e.g.,
team blizzard), and collaboratively research and record the
key features of their extreme weather event. Once completed,
students return to their home group and share what was learned
in their expert group.
Students may
Create a graphic organizer to describe the key features of high
and low pressure systems and extreme weather events.
Extension
Students may
Research and create an extreme weather preparedness kit.
Research the scale used to describe the intensity of a hurricane
or tornado. Share ndings with classmates.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 62-67
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 30-31
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Weather systems resources
(websites and videos)
Other curriculum resources
Moving Up with Literacy
Place 5 (ELA 5)
- Snowstorm
- Tornadoes
How Can We Describe Weather Systems?
Outcomes
WEATHER
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
100 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
43.0 identify scientic
discoveries and
technological innovations
of people from different
cultures
[GCO 1]
Weather refers to the daily conditions in the atmosphere. Climate
refers to the typical weather over a long period of time.
Adapting to weather conditions and climate is one of the most
essential of human behaviours. Throughout history, people from
different cultures have adapted through the development and use of
innovative technologies.
Equating the term technology with electronic devices is a common
misconception. Technology refers to products, processes, or systems
that are designed to solve a problem. An electric vehicle, wooden
pencil, and a recycling process are all technologies.
Students should recognize the diversity of innovations that have been
developed to adapt to weather and climate. They should explore
technologies such as shelter and clothing developed by people from
different cultures. They could, for example, compare traditional salt
box houses to those used by local indigenous groups (e.g., wigwam),
and other cultures, and contemplate reasons for their unique designs
and material use. Other examples could include hats, or heating and
cooling technologies.
Cross curricular connections may be made to Social Studies 5
outcomes; examine specic ways ancient societies used resources to
meet their needs (e.g., clothing, shelter).
Treatment of this outcome should include scientic discoveries
related to climate change. Students should explore climate change
science (e.g., warming air temperatures, melting of polar ice caps,
changing sea ice patterns, rising sea level, increasing coastal erosion,
warming oceans, more frequent extreme weather events, changing
habitats) and technologies that have been proposed or developed to
reduce greenhouse gas emission and slow climate change.
Students should relate the greenhouse effect to climate change.
Attitude
Encourage students to recognize that individuals of any cultural
background can contribute equally to science. [GCO 4]
How Do We Adapt to Weather and Climate?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 101
Activation
Teachers may
Present images of hats from different cultures (e.g., beret, bush,
cowboy, toque, sombrero, conical Asian, Amish straw, ushanka,
baseball, bowler, Sou’wester, rain bonnet, pang). Ask students
to consider how their design and materials might help someone
adapt to the weather/climate in the region where they are used.
Connection
Teachers may
Invite guest speakers (e.g., Conservation Corps) to present on
local effects of climate change.
Students may
View images of homes from different cultures and discuss how
their design and materials relates to the weather/climate of the
region.
Interpret graphs of average yearly temperatures for local
communities and relate to climate change.
Consolidation
Students may
Create an info-graphic to communicate the effects of climate
change on Newfoundland and Labrador.
Investigate different fabrics to determine which would be the best
to make a hat that is waterproof, windproof, or visible in the fog.
Research and share how the greenhouse effect contributes to
climate change.
Create an information yer to inform community members about
things they can do to help reduce climate change and its affects.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Weather (TR)
pp. 76-89
NL Science 5: Weather (SR)
pp. 38-45
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
St. John’s Average Yearly
Temperature (BLM)
Stephenville Average Yearly
Temperature (BLM)
IWB Activities 8 and 10
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci-5/links/weather.
html
Climate change resources
(websites)
How Do We Adapt to Weather and Climate?
102 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 103
Section Three:
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
Unit 2: Forces and Simple Machines
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
104 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Focus
The study of motion and the forces causing motion help students
build a more sophisticated understanding of forces. Students are
able to move from qualitative to simple quantitative descriptions of
forces acting on objects as they manipulate simple machines. The
effects of friction on the movement of objects are also explored.
The ability of simple machines to accomplish a task with less effort
is a major emphasis as students compare and improve the ability
of these machines to function. Simple machines are used in many
aspects of life, and students should become familiar with their design
and their advantages.
This unit has both a scientic inquiry and a design and problem
solving focus. The unit emphasizes the development of inquiry skills
related to rephrasing questions in a testable form, making predictions
and hypotheses, dening objects and events in investigations,
identifying and controlling major variables, devising procedures
to carry out fair tests, using tools for measuring, estimating
measurements, and identifying new questions arising from what was
learned. Design and problem solving experiences develop the skills
of gathering information from a variety of sources and technologies,
and selecting and using tools.
Outcomes Framework
GCO 1 (STSE): Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and
technology, of the relationships between science and technology, and of the social and
environmental contexts of science and technology.
29.0 demonstrate that specic terminology is used in science and technology contexts
41.0 consider the positive and negative effects of familiar technologies
48.0 describe instances where scientic ideas and discoveries have led to new inventions and
applications
49.0 describe examples of technologies that have been developed to improve living conditions
55.0 identify examples of scientic knowledge that have developed as a result of the gradual
accumulation of evidence
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 105
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop
the skills required for scientic and
technological inquiry, for solving problems,
for communicating scientic ideas and
results, for working collaboratively, and for
making informed decisions.
2.0 rephrase questions in a testable
form
3.0 state a prediction and a hypothesis
4.0 dene objects and events in their
investigations
5.0 identify and control major variables
in investigations
6.0 devise procedures to carry out a fair
test and to solve a practical problem
9.0 select and use tools
11.0 select and use tools for measuring
12.0 make observations and collect
information that is relevant to the
question or problem
13.0 estimate measurements
14.0 record observations
15.0 identify and use a variety of sources
and technologies to gather relevant
information
22.0 suggest improvements to a design
or constructed object
24.0 identify new questions or problems
that arise from what was learned
25.0 communicate questions, ideas, and
intentions, and listen to others while
conducting investigations
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will
construct knowledge and understandings
of concepts in life science, physical
science, and Earth and space science, and
apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
44.0 investigate different kinds of forces
used to move objects or hold them
in place
45.0 observe and describe how various
forces can act directly or from a
distance to cause objects to move
46.0 demonstrate and describe the effect
of increasing and decreasing the
amount of force applied to an object
47.0 investigate and compare the effect
of friction on the movement of an
object over a variety of surfaces
50.0 investigate and compare the force
needed to lift a load manually with
that required to lift it using a simple
machine
51.0 use levers to accomplish tasks and
differentiate between the position of
the fulcrum, load, and effort force
52.0 design the most efcient lever to
accomplish a task
53.0 demonstrate the use of rollers and
wheel and axles in moving objects
54.0 investigate and compare the force
needed to lift a load using a single
pulley system with that needed to lift
it using a multiple pulley system
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
106 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Students are encouraged to:
appreciate the role and contributions of science and technology in their understanding of
the world
realize that the applications of science and technology can have both intended and
unintended effects
recognize that individuals of any cultural background can contribute equally to science
consider their own observations and ideas as well as those of others during investigations
and before drawing conclusions
appreciate the importance of accuracy and honesty
demonstrate perseverance and a desire to understand
work collaboratively while exploring and investigating
show concern for their safety and that of others in planning and carrying out activities and
in choosing and using materials
GCO 4 (Attitudes): Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the
responsible acquisition and application of scientic and technological knowledge to the mutual
benet of self, society, and the environment.
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 107
SCO Continuum
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will construct knowledge and
understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and
Earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
Science 2 Science 5 Science 6
Relative Position and Motion Forces and Simple Machines Flight
investigate patterns of
movement
identify factors that affect
movement
investigate forces used to
move or hold objects in place
describe how forces act
directly or from a distance to
cause objects to move
describe the effect of
increasing and decreasing the
force applied to an object
investigate the effect of friction
on the movement of an object
over various surfaces
investigate the force needed
to lift a load manually
compared with using a simple
machine
use levers to accomplish tasks
and differentiate the position
of the fulcrum, load, and effort
force
design the most efcient lever
to accomplish a task
demonstrate the use of
rollers and wheel and axles in
moving objects
investigate the force needed
to lift a load using a single
pulley system compared with
a multiple pulley system
describe how lift is affected by
the shape of a surface
describe methods for altering
drag in ying devices
describe the role of lift in
overcoming gravity
identify situations which involve
Bernoulli’s principle
describe the means of
propulsion for ying devices
Science 3 Science 8
Invisible Forces Fluids
investigate conditions that
affect the force of magnets
investigate conditions that
affect the force of static
electricity
describe qualitatively the
relationship between mass and
weight
describe the movement of
objects in terms of balanced
and unbalanced forces
dene quantitatively the
relationship between force,
area, and pressure
Suggested Unit Plan
Forces and Simple Machines is the rst of two consecutive physical
science units.
September October November December January February March April May June
Forces and Simple
Machines
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
108 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
44.0 investigate different kinds
of forces used to move
objects or hold them in
place
[GCO 3]
Forces cause objects to start or stop moving, or change direction.
Invisible forces were explored in Science 3. In Science 5, students will
investigate gravity, magnetic force, and mechanical force.
At learning centres, students should apply different kinds of forces on
objects and investigate personal inquiry questions (SCO 1.0):
Gravity centre - Drop objects (e.g., balls, modelling clay, sheets
of paper) to observe the pulling effect of gravity. Investigate,
for example, whether similar objects of different masses hit the
ground at the same time when dropped.
Magnetic force centre - Compare the strength of different
magnets (e.g., bar, disc, fridge, horseshoe). Investigate, for
example, how many paper clips a magnet can attract or how
many sheets of paper a fridge magnet can hold in place.
Mechanical force centre - Move objects (e.g., a coin, table tennis
ball) by directly applying pushing and pulling forces in different
ways. Investigate, for example, how changing the diameter of a
straw affects how far you can blow a table tennis ball.
Students are expected to classify forces as pushes or pulls, and as
gravitational, magnetic, or mechanical forces.
A common misconception is that forces act one at a time. Throw
a paper ball across the room to clarify this misconception. Note
that the ball does not follow a linear path. The initial throwing force
(mechanical) is applied in one direction, however, the force of gravity
(i.e., pulling down) and air resistance (i.e., friction slowing down)
acting on the ball cause it to arc toward the oor.
Students should observe and describe forces that cause objects to
move as contact or non-contact. Contact forces are applied directly
on objects (e.g., mechanical forces), while non-contact forces are
applied from a distance, without contact (e.g., gravity, magnetic
force).
Students are expected to classify forces as contact or non-contact.
Teachers may choose to address outcome 29.0 (i.e., demonstrate
that specic terminology is used in science and technology contexts)
at this time. Refer to the initial elaboration provided on pp. 74-75.
When communicating about forces students should use specic
terminology, which includes: mechanical force, gravitational force,
magnetic force, contact force, and non-contact force.
Sample Performance Indicator
Demonstrate different ways you could move a paper clip through a
maze copied onto construction paper and indicate if it is an example
of a contact or non-contact force.
What Are Forces and How Do They Act on Objects?
45.0 observe and describe how
various forces can act
directly or from a distance
to cause objects to move
[GCO 3]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 109
Activation
Teachers may
Facilitate a force walk around the school to identify forces in
everyday life and ask students to group them in a table with
columns. Students could choose their own headings for groups
(e.g., pushing forces, pulling forces).
Provide a collection of materials (e.g., magnet, metre stick, straw,
string, toothpick) and ask students to use them to move an object
(e.g., block, marble, paper clip) or stop an object from moving.
Demonstrate static electric forces by rubbing a balloon against
their hair and using it to pick up paper confetti and stick to a wall.
Students may
Apply forces to beach balls and observe how they act.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide materials at three centres (i.e., gravity centre, magnetic
centre, mechanical force centre) for students to explore and ask
students to investigate a personal inquiry question at each centre.
Students may
Explore different ways to move a pencil across a desktop and
describe the related forces using appropriate terminology.
View images depicting forces being applied to objects and
classify the forces as pushes or pulls, gravitational, magnetic, or
mechanical, and as contact or non-contact.
Move a table tennis ball through a constructed maze using
different methods (e.g., blowing through a straw, using hand held
fan or water spray bottle, stick handling with a ruler, using pool
strokes with a pencil, repelling with a ruler charged with static
electricity, tilting the maze).
Consolidation
Teachers may
Read Aloud Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas of Leonardo da Vinci, or
a similar title. Ask students to create an inventor’s journal to use
throughout the unit to sketch and record their ideas.
Students may
In small collaborative groups, create a museum display to
represent one type of force. Displays could include objects or
illustrations related to the type of force. During a gallery walk
each group could present their force type to their classmates.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (Teacher
Resource [TR])
pp. 6-17
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (Student
Resource [SR])
pp. 6-11, 56-59
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 1
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Forces (websites and
videos)
Science suppliers (websites)
Children’s Literature
A Crash Course in Forces
and Motion with Max Axiom,
Super Scientist by E. Sohn
Neo Leo: The Ageless Ideas
of Leonardo da Vinci by G.
Barretta
Cleonardo: The Little
Inventor by M. GrandPré
What Are Forces and How Do They Act on Objects?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
110 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
46.0 demonstrate and describe
the effect of increasing and
decreasing the amount of
force applied to an object
[GCO 3]
25.0 communicate questions,
ideas, and intentions,
and listen to others while
conducting investigations
[GCO 2]
Students should investigate and describe the effect of increasing and
decreasing the amount of mechanical force applied to an object. They
should devise and carryout procedures to qualitatively vary the force
applied (e.g., push harder, pull more gently), observe the effect on the
object, and record relevant observations (SCOs 6.0, 8.0, 12.0, 14.0).
Contexts to investigate could include applying push and pull forces to
playground or sports equipment, or using a variable speed hair dryer
to apply force (i.e., a push of air) to a table tennis ball.
Varying the amount of force applied to an object may cause the object
to start or stop moving, speed up, slow down, or change direction.
Students should carry out these investigations in small collaborative
groups to encourage student development of communication and
listening skills. Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of
outcome 25.0 and other skill outcomes.
Introduce the concept of balanced and unbalanced forces. Students
should come to recognize that
objects have more than one force acting on them at any one time;
forces can either be balanced or unbalanced;
when balanced forces are acting on an object, objects at rest
remain still and moving objects continue to move at a constant
speed in the same direction; and
when forces applied to an object are unbalanced (i.e., one force
is stronger than another), objects at rest may start to move and
moving objects may change speed or direction or both.
Students should observe and describe balanced and unbalanced
forces.
Students may mistakenly believe that an object at rest has no
forces acting on it. To clarify, ask them to hold a heavy object in an
outstretched hand, palm up, so that the object is not moving. They
should feel the object pushing down on their hand due to gravity. To
keep it still, their hand is applying an equal, opposite, upward force.
Attitude
Encourage students to work collaboratively while exploring and
investigating. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Demonstrate and describe how the motion of a pinwheel is affected
by blowing air against it:
with a gentle, medium, and strong force, starting from rest;
while it is already in motion; and
from the opposite direction while already in motion.
What Happens When Forces are Increased or Decreased?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 111
Activation
Teachers may
Facilitate a tug of war to demonstrate the concept of balanced
and unbalanced forces. For each tug of war, students should
determine the direction in which the ribbon tied in the centre of
the rope is moving, if at all, and whether the forces are balanced
or unbalanced.
Students may
Construct simple Lego™ cars and investigate how increasing and
decreasing the amount of force applied affects them.
Connection
Students may
Participate in various sporting activities in the gymnasium or play
with equipment at a local playground and note how increasing or
decreasing the applied force affects the movement of objects.
Play 3-coin hockey to explore how mechanical forces affect the
movement of coins.
Afx the long part of a bendable straw to a desktop with the end
extended over the desk’s edge. Bend the shorter end 90° upward
and place a table tennis ball upon it. Vary the force of air blown
through the straw until the ball can be suspended in air. Describe
the forces acting on the ball when rising, falling, and suspended.
Consolidation
Students may
In small collaborative groups, use straws to investigate how
blowing on a table tennis ball affects its motion (i.e., apply
multiple forces on the ball from varied directions, while at rest and
when in motion, and record observations).
Propose personal inquiry questions related to increasing and
decreasing forces and devise and carry out investigations to nd
answers (e.g., How far can a table tennis ball roll when moving air
is applied from a hair dryer set to low medium and high power?).
Create a “how to guide” for riding a skateboard that includes how
to start moving, stop moving, slow down, speed up, and turn.
Extension
Students may
Research how increasing and decreasing forces (i.e., throwing
force and sweeping force) affects the motion of rock in the sport
of curling.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 18-21
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 12-13
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Balanced and unbalanced
forces (websites and videos)
What Happens When Forces are Increased or Decreased?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
112 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
11.0 select and use tools for
measuring
[GCO 2]
12.0 make observations and
collect information that is
relevant to the question or
problem
[GCO 2]
13.0 estimate measurements
[GCO 2]
Students should investigate the amount of force needed to lift
different objects. Forces should initially be measured using elastic
bands with paper clips hooked onto them to attach objects.
In pairs or small collaborative groups, students should
select the number and size of elastics they wish to use,
attach an object to the elastics and pull upward until the object
lifts off the surface,
measure and record the length (cm) of the stretched elastics (the
greater the stretch the greater the force), and then
predict and measure the stretch length needed to lift other
objects.
Introduce spring scales (i.e., force meters) as a tool to measure
force and the newton (N) as the standard unit. Different spring scales
have different capacities (2.5 N, 5 N, 10 N, 20 N, 30 N, 50 N). Direct
instruction on how to use a spring scale may be required.
Students should use spring scales to measure the number of
newtons needed to lift the objects previously tested with elastics.
They should estimate the force needed and select a spring scale with
sufcient capacity to lift the load (e.g., selecting a 20 N spring scale if
estimating that more than 10 N of force is required).
To ensure measurement accuracy, students should calibrate spring
scales to zero prior to use, use consistent measurement techniques,
and take a second conrmation measurement each time. When
reading the scale, all certain digits should be recorded and the rst
uncertain digit estimated.
Note that spring scales can be used to measure both mass and force.
As a result, they are often calibrated in both grams and newtons.
Ensure that students use the newton scale to measure force. If the
available spring scale is not calibrated in newtons, the following
conversion may be used, 100 g = 1 N or 1 kg = 10 N.
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these outcomes.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the importance of accuracy and
honesty. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Predict the amount of force, in newtons (N), needed to lift a notebook,
a binder, and a lunch bag. Select an appropriate spring scale for each
and measure and record the force needed.
How Can You Predict the Force Needed to Move an Object?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 113
Activation
Teachers may
Ask students to brainstorm units of measurement, guide
discussion toward the need for standard units (e.g., gram, litre,
metre), then introduce the newton as the standard unit for force.
Connection
Teachers may
Demonstrate how force meters measure force.
Demonstrate estimation procedures when measuring.
Students may
Construct and use elastic band force meters to predict and
measure the force needed to move (e.g., lift) various objects. The
strength of the force should be equated to the amount of stretch
in the elastic. Stretch should be measured in cm.
Predict how far an elastic band force meter will stretch in order to
lift various classroom objects and test to conrm predictions.
Compare spring scales with different capacities (2.5 N, 5 N, 10 N,
20 N, 30 N, 50 N).
Demonstrate how to calibrate a spring scales to zero.
Use spring scales to lift known masses (e.g., 10 g, 100 g, 1 kg).
Select appropriate capacity spring scales to lift various objects
and test their appropriateness. Measuring a 4 N force with a 2.5
N spring scale stretches the spring beyond the scale. A 4 N force
could be measured with a 50 N spring scale, however, greater
accuracy would be obtained with a 5 N or 10 N spring scale.
Consolidation
Students may
Predict how many newtons of force are required to lift various
objects. Measure the force required with a spring scale to conrm
or refute predictions.
Select four objects from a collection. One object should require
about 5 N to lift it, one should require less than 5 N, and two
should require more than 5 N. Select appropriate spring scales to
test predictions.
Extension
Students may
Research the difference between mass and weight.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 22-25
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 14-15
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 2
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Elastic band force meter -
alternative designs (websites
and videos)
Spring scale suppliers
(websites)
How Can You Predict the Force Needed to Move an Object?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
114 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
47.0 investigate and compare
the effect of friction on the
movement of an object over
a variety of surfaces
[GCO 3]
2.0 rephrase questions in a
testable form
[GCO 2]
3.0 state a prediction and a
hypothesis
[GCO 2]
Friction is the resistance to movement created when two surfaces are
in contact with each other.
Students should, through guided inquiry, investigate how friction
affects the force needed to start or keep a wood block (or similar
object) moving over different surfaces. The amount of force needed to
start an object moving is always greater than the amount needed to
keep an object in motion. Forces should be measured quantitatively
using spring scales. Inserting an eye screw into the end of the wood
block will allow it to attach to a spring scale.
Students should
collaboratively select the surfaces they wish to test (e.g., asphalt,
cardboard, carpet, cotton towel, crushed stone, grass, sandpaper,
tile oor, wood) and decide whether they will investigate the force
needed to start a wood block sliding or keep it sliding;
pose a testable question that includes both the independent and
the dependent variable (e.g., How do different surfaces affect the
amount of force needed to start a wood block sliding?);
predict which surfaces will require the most and least force and
provide explanations for the prediction;
collaboratively devise a procedure, identifying required materials
and measuring instruments, to fairly test each surface;
carry out their procedure to ensuring a fair test, taking repeated
measurements of the force needed to slide the wood block;
record measurements in a table, compare results, and provide
explanations for any patterns or discrepancies noted; and
draw a conclusion, ordering the surfaces from least to greatest
according to the amount of force required to slide the wood.
Students should relate their ndings to the effect of friction. Generally,
the greater the force required to move an object the greater the
friction. To start or keep an object moving, the applied force must
overcome (i.e., be stronger than) the force of friction.
In addition to SCOs 2.0 and 3.0, this guided inquiry investigation
provides an opportunity to address and assess numerous skill
outcomes (e.g., 1.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 8.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 18.0,
19.0, 21.0, 23.0, 24.0, 26.0). Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for
elaboration of these skills.
Attitude
Encourage students to consider their own observations and ideas
as well as those of others during investigations and before drawing
conclusions. [GCO 4]
How Does Friction Affect the Movement of Objects?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 115
Activation
Teachers may
Review the role of independent, dependent, and control variables
in experiments.
Students may
Use prior knowledge to dene friction and describe its effects on
objects.
Play tug of war in the gymnasium wearing sneakers, then replay
again in just their socks to demonstrate role of friction in footwear.
Connection
Teachers may
Present digital images of everyday activities and ask students to
identify where friction is occurring in the images.
Facilitate a friction walk around the school. Ask students to look
for surfaces that are in contact and identify features of those
surfaces that increase or decrease friction.
Investigate if it requires more force to start or keep an object
moving.
Students may
Use magnication devices to view surfaces they perceive as
smooth (e.g., desktop, marble). Alternatively, teachers could
present digital images of “smooth surfaces” taken with high
powered microscopes (e.g., glass, paper). Students should
recognize that these surfaces are not frictionless.
Play 3-coin hockey on varied surfaces (e.g., cardboard, carpet,
cotton towel, oor tiles) and note the amount of force needed to
advance the coins.
Consolidation
Students may
Devise and carry out a fair test to investigate the effect of friction
on the force required to start or keep an object sliding over a
variety of surfaces.
Propose another inquiry question, arising from what was learned,
and devise and carry out an investigation to answer it (e.g.,
How would increasing or decreasing the mass of the object, or
lubricating the surface affect results?).
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 26-33
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 16-19
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 3
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Friction resources (websites
and videos)
How Does Friction Affect the Movement of Objects?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
116 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
48.0 describe instances where
scientic ideas and
discoveries have led to new
inventions and applications
[GCO 1]
Scientic ideas lead to the development of new inventions and
applications. This is an important aspect of the nature of the
relationship between science and technology.
Friction slows down objects and makes objects at rest difcult to
move. Friction also wears down objects (e.g., tires), and produces
heat. The amount of friction between surfaces depends on
surface texture (rougher surfaces generally have more friction),
surface area (larger contact areas generally have more friction),
and
the magnitude of other forces acting on the surfaces (e.g., gravity,
static electricity).
Our scientic understanding of friction and its effects has led to the
development of technologies, both products and processes:
Lubricants (e.g., engine oil, snowboard wax) reduce friction
between moving solid surfaces by eliminating or reducing surface
contact.
Winter tire treads are made from materials that do not stiffen as
much in cold weather allowing for more traction. Adding metal
studs to tires increases friction on icy roads. Under-inating tires
during winter increases surface contact.
Treads on winter boots have deep grooves to increase friction.
Spreading sand on icy roads increases friction by preventing ice
from forming quickly.
Grip tape on stair treads and skateboards increases friction.
Swim caps reduce friction between our hair and water.
Applying what they have learned, students should identify whether
friction-related technologies increase or decrease friction.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Group the following products and processes according to whether
they increase or decrease friction:
brake pads, hockey stick tape, oiling door hinges, ball bearings,
soccer cleats, gymnasts applying powder to their hands, curling
brooms, double layered running socks, adding snow to the pan of
a truck in winter, sanding handrails, waxing snowboards.
How Do We Use Friction?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 117
Connection
Students may
Vigorously rub their hands together to observe some effects of
friction.
Identify and explain real life situations where increasing or
decreasing friction solves a problem:
- adding studs to winter tires (increasing friction),
- spreading sand on icy roads (increasing friction),
- using a crazy carpet for sliding (decreasing friction), and
- adding oil to the piston of an engine (decreasing friction).
Collect a variety of shoe types with different soles (e.g., ballet
shoes, bowling shoes, hiking boots, slippers, sneakers, winter
boots). Attach each shoe individually to an appropriate spring
scale and gently pull it across the oor, ensuring that the sole is
down, and record the force required to move it. Sequence the
shoes according to the amount of force required. Discuss why
different types of shoes require different types of soles.
Predict what will happen to the amount of friction between
surfaces when you put a lubricant (e.g., cooking spray, water,
hand cream) between them. Test the prediction.
Consolidation
Students may
Provide everyday examples of situations when friction is helpful
and harmful.
Suggests methods to increase and decrease the force of friction
(e.g., sanding wood to reduce friction, adding grip tape to
increase friction).
Redesign familiar friction-related products to increase or
decrease the force of friction.
Identify where friction occurs in ice hockey and describe methods
used to increase or decrease the force of friction.
Extension
Students may
Create a cartoon strip to illustrate a problem caused when the
force of friction is increased or decreased too much.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 34-37
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 20-21
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 3
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Friction resources (websites
and videos)
How Do We Use Friction?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
118 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
49.0 describe examples of
technologies that have
been developed to improve
living conditions
[GCO 1]
Technology is the application of science to solve practical problems.
Our human ancestors developed simple technologies to make work
easier. These simple machines are basic tools we continue to use
every day to complete tasks (e.g., change a tire, open a can). They
can increase the force we apply; making work easier to do.
Students should explore the physical relationships that exist in each
of the simple machines below (i.e., Where is effort applied?, In what
direction?, What is the result?), identify key distinguishing features,
and describe some of the benets provided by their use.
A lever is a stiff bar that moves. It moves on a point, called a
fulcrum. Pushing or pulling on the bar helps move an object (e.g.,
opening a paint can with a screwdriver) using less force.
A wheel and axle is a big wheel attached to a smaller wheel (axle)
which move together (e.g., a door knob). Applying a small turning
force on the wheel creates a large output force on the axle.
A pulley is a grooved wheel with a rope that goes around it.
Pulleys move objects up and down, or sideways. Pulleys can
change the direction of and/or multiply an applied force.
An inclined plane is a surface that is slanted (e.g., a ramp).
Inclined planes help to move loads up or down using less force.
A screw is a curved inclined plane that goes around in a circle.
Screws help move loads up and down using less force.
A wedge is a type of inclined plane that pushes things apart using
less force.
Students should identify simple machines in everyday technologies. A
manual can opener, for example, contains a wheel and axle (turning
key attached to the cutting wheel), a wedge (edge of cutting wheel),
and two levers (handles). Students should also consider how hard it
would be to perform tasks without these machines (e.g., How hard
would it be to open a can without a can opener?).
When communicating about forces and simple machines, students
should use specic terminology, which includes
force, mechanical force, gravitational force, magnetic force,
contact and non-contact force, balanced and unbalanced force;
spring scale, newton, friction;
effort force, load, lever, fulcrum, wheel and axle, xed and
movable pulley, inclined plane, screw, wedge, force advantage.
Refer to the previous elaboration provided on pp. 74-75.
Sample Performance Indicator
Find an example of each simple machine within the school or
classroom and describe how they are used to make life easier.
What Is a Simple Machine?
29.0 demonstrate that specic
terminology is used in
science and technology
contexts
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 119
Activation
Teacher may
Ask students to identify simple tools developed by our ancestors
to make work easier and relate to simple machines.
Connection
Teachers may
Present one example of each simple machine to be investigated
(e.g., stapler, doorknob, blind pulley, wheel chair ramp, water
bottle collar and cap, letter opener), identify its key features, and
demonstrate its use.
Create a centre for each type of simple machine. Place related
objects in each centre for students to explore.
Students may
Participate in a simple machines scavenger hunt at school.
Observations should be recorded using a data table or digital
images. Students should group recorded objects according to the
type of simple machine. Note that some objects t into more than
one category (e.g., a staple remover ts with levers and wedges).
Consolidation
Teachers may
Provide a collection of objects related to simple machines and
ask students to record the name of each object in a table and
identify which simple machines it includes (e.g., a cork screw may
contain levers, a screw, a wedge, and a wheel and axle).
Students may
Create a physical collection of objects representing all the simple
machine types.
Create a digital or physical collage of images of simple machines.
Discuss which simple machine type it would be easiest and/or
hardest to live without.
Collaboratively create and illustrate a superhero whose super
powers and/or body features incorporate simple machines.
Challenge students to include all six types of simple machines.
Create a sales advertisement for a simple machine.
Extension
Students may
Research Rube Goldberg machines and sketch a design for one
that incorporates several simple machines to accomplish a task.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 40-45
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 26-31, 56-59
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
IWB Activity 4
Image bank
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Simple machines (websites
and videos)
What Is a Simple Machine?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
120 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Simple machines can provide a force advantage, or mechanical
advantage, when performing tasks. A force advantage refers to the
gain in force achieved when the output force is greater than the input
force, or effort force (e.g., lifting a 10 N load with a movable pulley
using only a 5 N effort force). Achieving a force advantage, however,
requires a trade-off of effort for distance (i.e., less effort applied over
a greater distance). For the example above, lifting the load 1 m will
require pulling 2 m of rope.
Students should, through guided inquiry, devise and carry out
investigations to compare the effort force needed to move a load
manually with that required to lift it using various simple machines.
Students should
choose an object to be the load and select three simple machines
to test (e.g., lever, pulley, inclined plane);
pose their inquiry question identifying the independent variable
(simple machines) and dependent variables (effort force);
consider variables that need to be controlled and devise a
procedure to carry out a fair test for each simple machine;
make predictions, then fairly carry out their procedure;
make and record observations including sketches or
digital images of how the simple machines are set up and
measurements of the effort force needed to lift the load;
draw a conclusion that answers the initial question;
compare results with those of other groups; and
identify and suggest explanations for patterns and discrepancies
in results of different groups.
Students should measure forces using an appropriate spring scale.
The effort force needed to lift the load will vary depending on the
simple machine used and how it is set up (e.g., the proximity of
a lever’s fulcrum to the load, the steepness of the inclined plane,
whether the pulley is xed or movable, wheel circumference in
relation to the axle). This variability will likely result in new questions
for students to investigate further (e.g., How does changing the
fulcrum’s position affect the lever’s force advantage? How does the
steepness of an inclined plane affect its force advantage?).
In addition to SCOs 5.0, 6.0, and 14.0, this guided inquiry
investigation provides an opportunity to address and assess
additional skill outcomes (e.g., 1.0, 2.0, 3.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 11.0, 12.0,
13.0, 18.0, 19.0, 21.0, 24.0, 26.0). Refer to the Integrated Skills unit
for elaboration of these skills.
Sample Performance Indicator
Using a spring scale, load, and a simple machine (e.g., lever, pulley,
inclined plane), provide quantitative evidence to demonstrate that the
simple machine reduces the force needed to lift the load.
50.0 investigate and compare
the force needed to lift a
load manually with that
required to lift it using a
simple machine
[GCO 3]
5.0 identify and control major
variables in investigations
[GCO 2]
6.0 devise procedures to carry
out a fair test and to solve a
practical problem
[GCO2]
14.0 record observations
[GCO 2]
What Is a Force Advantage?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 121
Emphasis should be placed on identifying and controlling variables
and carrying out fair procedures when students are investigating.
Activation
Students may
Attempt to accomplish a difcult or “impossible” task without a
tool (e.g., removing the lid from a tin can), then use a simple
machine (e.g., manual can opener) to accomplish the same task.
Connection
Teachers may
Present and/or sketch the following scenario: a load of concrete
blocks need to be lifted into the back of a pickup truck. Ask
students to sketch different ways simple machines could be used
to accomplish the task. Students should share their ideas and
collaboratively discuss the efciency of each method. Introduce
the concept of force advantage into the discussion.
Students may
In small collaborative groups, devise and carry out a procedure to
investigate and compare how much a lever, pulley, and inclined
plane reduce the amount of force needed to lift a load. Based
on their results, students should identify which simple machines
provided a force advantage, if any. They should then compare
their results with those of other groups. Results might vary widely
depending on the type of lever used and the location of the
fulcrum and effort force, whether a xed or movable pulley was
used, and the slope of the inclined plane. If digital images of each
set up were recorded, students could compare images and note
differences. Students may wish to make changes to the set up of
their simple machines and retest.
Consolidation
Students may
Propose new questions to investigate, arising from what was
learned, and devise and carry out new investigations to nd
answers to their inquiry questions (e.g., investigate how changing
the slope of the inclined plane affects the force advantage
achieved when lifting a load).
Extension
Students may
Research why switchback roads are used on steep slopes.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (Teacher
Resource [TR])
pp. 46-51
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 30-33
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 5
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
What Is a Force Advantage?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
122 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Students should identify the position of the fulcrum, load, and
effort force when investigating everyday levers (e.g., bottle opener,
hammer, hole punch, nail clippers, nutcracker, pliers, scissors, stapler,
tweezers, wheel barrow) and represent their position symbolically on
diagrams (i.e., using a square, triangle, and arrow, to represent the
load, fulcrum, and effort force respectively). Note that levers often
occur in pairs.
Scientists classify levers into three different types:
Class 1 - the fulcrum between the load and effort force (e.g., a
see-saw). The load moves opposite the direction of and a shorter
distance than the applied force. The closer the fulcrum to the
load, the greater the force advantage.
Class 2 - the load between the fulcrum and the effort force (e.g.,
a wheelbarrow). The load moves in the same direction as and a
shorter distance than the applied force. The closer the load to the
fulcrum, the greater the force advantage.
Class 3 - the effort force is between the fulcrum and load (e.g.,
hockey stick). The load moves in the same direction as and a
larger distance than the applied force. Class 3 levers do not
produce a force advantage, they increase speed.
Students should construct models of the different lever classes,
using metre sticks, and observe their different effects on the loads
they move. They should investigate how changing the position of the
fulcrum, load, or effort force, without changing their order, affects the
amount of effort needed to move the load. In addition to SCO 4.0,
skill outcomes 3.0, 9.0, 12.0, 14.0, 19.0, and 21.0 may be addressed.
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these outcomes.
Students should also use everyday levers to accomplish tasks (e.g.,
open paint can lids with a screwdriver, pick up objects with various
types of tongs, punch holes using a single or three hole punch, staple
paper with a stapler, cut materials with scissors, remove nails from
wood with a hammer). They should investigate how changing the
position of the applied force or load affects the effort required to use
the tool (e.g., compare the effort needed to pick up blocks with class 3
tongs when applying effort near the fulcrum, load, and in the middle).
Technologies are never perfect and require improvements. Students
should consider the benets and drawbacks of the everyday levers
explored. A three hole punch, for example, is a useful organizational
tool, however, it may require a signicant effort force, can only punch
a limited number of pages at a time, and frequently jams with use.
The trade off of effort for distance when simple machines achieve a
force advantage could also be considered.
Attitude
Encourage students to demonstrate perseverance and a desire to
understand. [GCO 4]
51.0 use levers to accomplish
tasks and differentiate
between the position of the
fulcrum, load, and effort
force
[GCO 3]
4.0 dene objects and events in
their investigations
[GCO 2]
How Can We Use Levers?
41.0 consider the positive and
negative effects of familiar
technologies
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 123
Activation
Teachers may
Provide a collection tools that contain levers for students to use
and explore. Students should note where effort force is applied.
Connection
Teachers may
Demonstrate the relative position of the fulcrum, load, and effort
for each class of lever:
- Class 1: Balance a metre stick on a student’s nger (fulcrum).
Use an elastic band to hang a load from one end of the metre
stick and push down (effort) on the other end to lift the load.
- Class 2: Tape the end of a metre stick to the edge of a
desk so that it pivots up and down (fulcrum). Hang a load
in the middle of the metre stick and pull up (effort) on the
unattached end to lift the load.
- Class 3: Use the same setup as for a class 2 lever, however,
reverse the location of the load and effort (i.e., hang the load
from the unattached end of the metre stick and pull up in the
middle to lift it).
Students may
Using a ruler (lever), pencil (fulcrum), and eraser (load), construct
a model of each type of lever.
Identify the location of the fulcrum, load, and effort when using
levers (e.g., baseball bat, bottle opener, broom, chop sticks, garlic
press, hockey stick, hole punch, nail clipper, nut cracker, pliers,
scissors, see-saw, stapler, tongs, tweezers, wheel barrow).
Consolidation
Students may
Using the metre stick set ups described above, investigate how
changing the position of the fulcrum, load, and applied force,
affects the effort required to lift the load, for a rst, second, and
third class lever. A spring scale, attached to the metre stick with
an elastic band, should be used to measure effort force and the
position of the fulcrum, load, and effort should be recorded using
the graduations on the metre stick (e.g., 0 cm, 15 cm, 80 cm).
Alternatively, a ruler could be used as the lever.
Demonstrate best practices when using levers to accomplish
tasks (e.g., picking up objects with tongs, cutting materials
with scissors, using a 3-hole punch, opening a paint can with a
screwdriver, removing a nail from wood with a hammer, hitting
a softball with a bat). Where is it best to position the load and/or
fulcrum? Where is it best to apply the effort force?
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 52-55
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 34-37
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 6
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Levers (videos)
Lever investigations
(websites and videos)
How Can We Use Levers?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
124 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Having explored and constructed different classes of levers and
investigated how changing the position of the fulcrum, load, or applied
force affects their use, students should apply their learning to design
the most efcient lever to accomplish a task.
Provide contexts where an efcient lever would be needed to
accomplish a task (e.g., scissors to cut sheets of metal, tongs
to remove hot coals from a re, a hammer to remove nails from
concrete). Students should design the most efcient lever to
accomplish the task. They should make a labelled sketch of their
lever, including estimated dimensions, the location of the fulcrum,
load, and effort, and materials to be used in construction. Students
could evaluate the lever designs of classmates and suggest
improvements (SCO 22.0).
Students should then apply their understanding of levers in a design
challenge. They should construct a catapult capable of launching
a mini-marshmallow. The challenge could initially be to reliably hit
a target, such as a bowl, from a short distance (e.g., 1 m). Once
students have constructed and tested their catapults, they could then
be challenged to modify their design to maximize the distance the
marshmallow is thrown.
Design challenges provide an opportunity to address and assess
design and problem-solving skills. Students should
research catapult designs;
generate possible solutions and choose one to test;
make a labelled sketch of their catapult;
identify appropriate tools and materials to use;
collaborate to devise and carry out a plan to construct their
prototype;
test their prototype, identify problems, and suggest and make
necessary improvements until an optimal solution is reached; and
test and evaluate their nal catapult.
In addition to SCOs 9.0 and 15.0, participating in the design challenge
described above could provide evidence to assess SCOs 6.0, 7.0,
8.0, 12.0, 14.0, 16.0, 22.0, 26.0, 28.0. Refer to the Integrated Skills
unit for elaboration of these outcomes.
Attitude
Encourage students to show concern for their safety and that of
others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing useful
materials. [GCO 4]
52.0 design the most efcient
lever to accomplish a task
[GCO 3]
How Can We Design the Most Efficient Lever?
9.0 select and use tools
[GCO 2]
15.0 identify and use a variety of
sources and technologies to
gather relevant information
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 125
Activation
Students may
Construct a class 1 lever by positioning a pencil underneath the
15 cm mark of a 30 cm ruler and placing a load over the 0 cm.
Push down at the 30 cm mark to lift the load and qualitatively
compare with the effort needed if pushing at the 20 cm mark.
Reposition the pencil at the 10 cm mark and repeat observations.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a collection of slotted screwdrivers of varying lengths.
Ask students to qualitatively compare how the length of the
screwdriver affects the force required to open a paint can.
Present examples of levers (e.g., scissors) and ask students how
they might modify them to make them more efcient.
Students may
Sketch designs for an efcient lever that could lift a heavy load a
small distance and/or lift a small load a great distance.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Provide a collection of tools and materials for students to use in
the construction of their levers (e.g., binder clips, bottle caps, craft
sticks, dental oss, elastic bands, glue, glue gun, hole punch,
Lego™ blocks, medicine cups, paper clips, paper towel rolls,
rulers, spoons, string, tape, toothpicks, wooden dowels).
Students may
In small collaborative groups, research, design, and construct
a catapult to reliably launch a mini-marshmallow into a bowl
positioned 1 m away. Reliability could be determined by recording
the number of times out of ten attempts that the marshmallow hits
the target.
In small collaborative groups, follow an engineering design and
problem solving process to construct a lever capable of launching
a table tennis ball high enough in the air to catch it.
Communicate their design challenge solutions to classmates and
discuss problems encountered and how they solved them.
Reect on and evaluate their group problem solving process.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 56-59
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 38-39
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Design Challenge:
Catapults
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Catapults (websites)
How Can We Design the Most Efficient Lever?
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
126 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
53.0 demonstrate the use of
rollers and wheel and axles
in moving objects
[GCO 3]
22.0 suggest improvements to
a design or constructed
object
[GCO 2]
How Can We Use Rollers and Wheel and Axles?
A wheel and axle produces a force advantage because the
circumference of the wheel is greater than the circumference of the
axle and a complete turn of one results in a complete turn of the
other. Applying a small effort force to the wheel, over a long distance,
creates a larger output force on the axle, over a shorter distance. This
force advantage can be used to move loads.
Prior to the development of wheel and axles, rollers were used to
move heavy loads (e.g., using logs as rollers to move a boat on land).
Rollers reduce the force of friction as objects are moved over them.
Note, that wheels which spin freely around a stationary axle are
actually rollers. To be classied as a wheel and axle, the wheel must
be xed to the axle, such that turning one turns the other.
Students should explore the use of wheel and axles to move objects.
They could
turn the handle (wheel) of classroom pencil sharpeners to rotate
the sharpening blades inside,
turn doorknobs to make the latch move in and out, or
use screwdrivers to insert screws into wood (note that the
screwdriver is the wheel and axle; the screw itself is another type
of simple machine).
Students should also demonstrate the use of rollers to move loads.
They should quantitatively compare the amount of force needed to
move an object across a surface with and without rollers. They could,
for example, use a spring sale to measure the force needed to slide a
brick across a surface and compare with the force needed if the brick
was placed upon numerous wooden dowel rollers.
Students should then apply their learning to design and build a toy
car that uses wheel and axles for power and rollers to reduce friction.
They should
as a class, decide how the cars will be evaluated;
in small collaborative groups, conduct research, if needed,
generate possible solutions, and choose a design for their toy car;
devise a design plan, including sketches and necessary materials
and tools, and construct their prototype;
test and evaluate their car against the established criteria; and
suggest improvements, make changes, and retest, in iterative
cycles, until an optimal solution to the problem is reached.
In addition to skill outcome 22.0, this design and build activity may
be used to address and assess numerous engineering design-
and problem solving-related skill outcomes (i.e., SCOs 6.0, 7.0,
8.0, 9.0,12.0, 14.0, 15.0,16.0, 24.0, 26.0, 27.0, 28.0). Refer to the
Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these outcomes.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 127
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 60-65
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 40-43
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Wheel and axle (videos)
Self-propelled cars (websites
and videos)
How Can We Use Rollers and Wheel and Axles?
Connection
Teachers may
Qualitatively demonstrate the use of rollers by comparing the
effort required to slide a box of paper across the oor with the
effort required to move it atop pool noodles acting as rollers.
Provide a collection of tools that contain wheel and axles for
students to use and explore (e.g., classroom pencil sharpens,
door knobs, faucet handles, keys on wind-up toys, Lego™ wheels
and axles, lock and key assemblies, manual can openers, manual
hand mixers, rolling pin, screw drivers, steering wheels, winch).
Students should compare the effort needed to turn the machine
when the effort is applied to the wheel as opposed to the axle.
Demonstrate the use of rollers and wheel and axles in a bicycle
or go-cart.
Students may
Quantitatively demonstrate the use of rollers by placing a load
upon a square of cardboard and measuring the force needed
to slide the cardboard across a desktop with an attached spring
scale. Then, place the cardboard and load atop a number of
wooden dowels, or similar objects acting as rollers, and repeat
the measurement.
Consolidation
Students may
Participate in a design challenge to personally construct a toy
car that uses wheel and axles for power, and rollers to reduce
friction. Where possible, prototypes should be constructed from
found and recycled materials. Following construction, students
should present their prototype to classmates and give and receive
suggestions for improvement.
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
128 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
54.0 investigate and compare
the force needed to lift a
load using a single pulley
system with that needed to
lift it using a multiple pulley
system
[GCO 3]
24.0 identify new questions or
problems that arise from
what was learned
[GCO 2]
How Can We Use Pulleys?
A pulley, or system of pulleys, can change the direction of a force
used to move a load and help move heavy loads using less force.
Through directed inquiry, students should carry out an investigation
to quantitatively compare the force needed to lift a load using a single
xed pulley, a single movable pulley, and systems of two or more
pulleys. Pulleys can be xed with string to a metre stick laid across
the backs of two chairs.
Students should
measure the effort force required to lift a load without the use of a
pulley, using an appropriate spring scale;
predict the effort force needed to lift the load using each pulley
arrangement;
construct and use each pulley arrangement, noting the direction
the string is pulled to lift the load (i.e., up or down);
measure the effort force needed to lift the load for each pulley
arrangement and record measurements in a table;
lift the load 10 cm off the ground with each pulley arrangement
and measure and record the length the string pulled to achieve
the lift;
analyze and interpret recorded data and draw conclusions;
identify potential applications of ndings; and
communicate what was learned and identify new questions to
investigate that arise (e.g., Does the size of the pulley or the
thickness of the string affect the force advantage of a pulley?).
In addition to skill outcome 24.0, this directed investigation provides
opportunity to address and assess additional inquiry-related skill
outcomes (i.e., SCOs 8.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0,14.0, 16.0, 18.0, 19.0,
21.0, 23.0). Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these
outcomes.
The belief that a single xed pulley provides a force advantage is a
common misconception. A xed pulley provides no force advantage.
It simply changes the direction of the force; allowing us to pull down
instead of up.
Attitude
Encourage students to demonstrate perseverance and a desire to
understand. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Sketch a design for a pulley system to lift a load into a tree house that
provides a force advantage.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 129
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 70-73
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 46-47
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 7
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Design Challenge: Rube
Goldberg Machine
Supplementary
Pulley investigation kits
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Pulleys (videos)
Rube Goldberg machines
(websites and videos)
How Can We Use Pulleys?
Connection
Teachers may
Demonstrate how a xed pulley differs from a movable pulley.
Student may
Explore the use of various pulley arrangements to lift objects. The
pulley and/or string could be attached to a metre stick laid across
the backs of two chairs.
Investigate, in small collaborative groups, how changing the
number of pulleys affects the effort force needed to lift a load.
Force should be measured using an appropriate spring scale.
Investigate, in small collaborative groups, how changing the
number of pulleys affects the length of string that must be pulled
to raise a load 10 cm off the ground.
Consolidation
Students may
Predict the amount of effort force required to lift a 100 N load
using an arrangement of four pulleys.
As a culminating unit activity, design, construct, test, and
present a machine that combines two or more simple machines
to move a load. The machine could be fashioned after a Rube
Goldberg machine. This engineering design and problem solving
experience could provide evidence to assess skill outcomes 6.0,
8.0, 9.0, 16.0, 22.0, 24.0, 26.0, 27.0, and 28.0.
Outcomes
FORCES AND SIMPLE MACHINES
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
130 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
55.0 identify examples of
scientic knowledge that
have developed as a result
of the gradual accumulation
of evidence
[GCO 1]
How Have Simple Machines Changed over Time?
To address this STSE outcome, students should identify methods
used by past cultures to lift and move heavy objects, and relate these
methods to our present knowledge and use of simple machines.
Students should research early historical uses of each simple
machine (i.e., lever, wheel and axle, pulley, inclined plane, screw,
wedge). The Archimedes screw, for example, could be identied as
an early use of a screw. This simple machine was used to lift water
from a river to a higher elevation.
Researching simple machine use provides an opportunity to
readdress SCO 15.0 (i.e., identify and use a variety of sources and
technologies to gather relevant information).
Students should then briey trace the use of each simple machine
through to the present day and come to recognize that while simple
machines are still in use, their materials, designs, and applications
have changed as scientic knowledge and human need have
evolved.
This research activity is not intended to be time consuming. Students
could be divided into teams (e.g., Team levers, Team Wheel and
Axles, etc.) and assigned one type of simple machine to research.
Relevant ndings (e.g., annotated digital images) should be
recorded and communicated, to illustrate how simple machines have
developed.
Teachers could choose to readdress SCO 41.0 (i.e., consider the
positive and negative effects of familiar technologies). As the uses of
simple machines are researched, the positive benets and negative
drawbacks of their use could be considered. The Archimedes
screw, for example, helped move water to other areas for farming,
but it required signicant human or animal power to turn it. Its
widespread use had positive societal effects but could have negative
environmental effects due to the removal of water from rivers.
Attitude
Encourage students to
recognize that
of any cultural background can contribute equally to science; and
realize that the applications of science and technology can have
both intended and unintended effects. [GCO 4]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 131
Authorized
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (TR)
pp. 74-77
NL Science 5: Forces and
Simple Machines (SR)
pp. 48-49
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Historical use of simple
machines (websites)
How Have Simple Machines Changed over Time?
Connection
Teachers may
Present examples of tools used by local indigenous peoples (e.g.,
bow and arrow, canoe, harpoon, kayak, komatik, knives of bone
or stone, snowshoe, travois, ulu). Ask students to identify and
compare modern tools used to accomplish the same tasks. What
are the positive and negative effects of using the modern tool as
opposed to the traditional indigenous tool?
Facilitate a cooperative jigsaw activity to research early historical
uses of each simple machine. Organize students into home
groups of six. Assign each member of the home group a simple
machine. Reorganize students according to simple machine and
ask them to research early use of their simple machine and trace
how its use has changed over time. Once all research has been
completed, students should return to their home group and share
what was learned with other members.
Students may
Create a print or digital display to illustrate how simple machine
use has changed over time.
132 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 133
Section Three:
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
Unit 3: Properties and Changes
of Materials
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
134 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Focus
Outcomes Framework
Materials around us have properties that are important to their
use. By studying materials used in various applications, students
become aware of properties such as strength, exibility, buoyancy,
and they learn the signicance of these properties to particular uses.
Students learn that the form a material takes, including its shape and
structure, can be modied as required. They also learn that material
substances themselves can be changed, and that some changes
involved the production of new materials through reactions that are
non-reversible.
This unit has a science inquiry focus. The unit emphasizes the
development of skills related to phrasing questions in a testable
form, identifying and controlling major variables, collaboratively
devising and carrying out fair procedures, making and recording
observations, classifying, compiling and displaying data, and
identifying applications of ndings.
GCO 1 (STSE): Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and
technology, of the relationships between science and technology, and of the social and
environmental contexts of science and technology.
29.0 demonstrate that specic terminology is used in science and technology contexts
31.0 describe examples of tools and techniques that have contributed to scientic discoveries
36.0 identify examples of scientic questions and technological problems addressed in the past
48.0 describe instances where scientic ideas and discoveries have led to new inventions and
applications
49.0 describe examples of technologies that have been developed to improve living conditions
63.0 demonstrate processes for investigating scientic questions and solving technological
problems
64.0 describe how results of similar and repeated investigations may vary and suggest possible
explanations for variations
66.0 describe the impact of school and community on natural resources
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 135
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop
the skills required for scientic and
technological inquiry, for solving problems,
for communicating scientic ideas and
results, for working collaboratively, and for
making informed decisions.
2.0 rephrase questions in a testable
form
5.0 identify and control major variables
in investigations
6.0 devise procedures to carry out a fair
test and to solve a practical problem
10.0 follow procedures
12.0 make observations and collect
information that is relevant to the
question or problem
15.0 identify and use a variety of sources
and technologies to gather relevant
information
17.0 classify according to several
attributes and create a chart or
diagram that shows the method of
classifying
18.0 compile and display data
23.0 identify potential applications of
ndings
26.0 collaborate with others to devise and
carry out procedures
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will
construct knowledge and understandings
of concepts in life science, physical
science, and Earth and space science, and
apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
56.0 group materials as solids, liquids, or
gases, based on their properties
57.0 identify properties that allow
materials to be distinguished from
one another
58.0 identify changes that can be made
to an object without changing the
properties of the material making up
the object
59.0 describe changes that occur in the
properties of materials when they
interact with each other
60.0 describe examples of interactions
between materials that result in the
production of a gas
61.0 investigate whether mass changes
when materials interact
62.0 identify and describe some changes
to materials that are reversible and
some that are not
65.0 identify the source of the materials
found in an object and describe the
changes to the natural materials
required to make the object
Students are encouraged to:
appreciate the role and contributions of science and technology in their understanding of the world
realize that the applications of science and technology can have both intended and unintended effects
show interest and curiosity about objects and events within different environments
willingly observe, question, explore, and investigate
show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientic and technological elds
consider their own observations and ideas as well as those of others during investigations and before
drawing conclusions
appreciate the importance of accuracy and honesty
show concern for their safety and that of others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing
and using materials
GCO 4 (Attitudes): Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the responsible
acquisition and application of scientic and technological knowledge to the mutual benet of self, society, and
the environment.
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
136 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCO Continuum
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will construct knowledge and
understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and
Earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
September October November December January February March April May June
Properties and Changes
of Materials
Suggested Unit Plan
Properties and Changes of Materials is the second of two consecutive
physical science units.
Science 2 Science 5 Science 7
Liquids and Solids
Properties and Changes of
Materials
Heat and Mixtures and Solutions
investigate and compare the
properties of familiar liquids
and solids
investigate and describe the
interactions of familiar liquids
and solids
identify ways to combine
solids and liquids to make
useful materials
investigate changes that
result from the interaction of
materials and describe how
their characteristics have
changed
describe the characteristics of
the three states of water
group materials as solids,
liquids, or gases
identify properties that allow
materials to be distinguished
from one another
identify changes that can be
made to an object without
changing the properties of the
material making up the object
describe changes that occur
in the properties of materials
when they interact
describe examples of
interactions between materials
that result in the production of
a gas
investigate whether mass
changes when materials
interact
identify and describe some
reversible and non-reversible
changes to materials
identify the source of the
materials found in an object
and describe the changes to
the natural materials required
to make the object
explain temperature using the
particle model of matter
explain how each state of
matter reacts to changes in
temperature
explain changes of state using
the particle model of matter
identify and separate the
components of mixtures
Science 9
Atoms and Elements
investigate materials and
describe them in terms of their
physical properties
describe changes in the
properties of materials that
result from some common
chemical reactions
use models in describing the
structure and components of
atoms and molecules
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 137
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
138 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
29.0 demonstrate that specic
terminology is used in
science and technology
contexts
[GCO 1]
Matter is anything that has mass and volume (i.e., takes up space).
A material is a type of matter that is used to make things (e.g.,
glass, iron, plastic, rock, wood). Students should distinguish objects
(i.e., products) from the materials used to make them. A pencil, for
example, is an object made from wood, graphite, metal, and rubber.
Properties describe how a material looks, feels, tastes, sounds, or
smells, and what it can do. We use properties to identify and group
materials (e.g., colour, texture, hardness, exibility, strength, solubility,
buoyancy, and the ability to conduct heat and electricity). In this
unit, students will use properties to describe, classify, and identify
materials.
When describing the properties and changes of materials, students
are expected to use specic terminology. Terminology should be
introduced and dened as the need emerges. As students’ progress
through the unit their use of specic terminology should increase.
Properties and changes of materials-related terminology includes
matter, mass, volume, object, material, property (e.g., colour,
texture, hardness, exibility, strength, solubility, buoyancy, density,
magnetic, malleability, ductility, viscosity, ammability, melting and
boiling point);
state of matter, solid, liquid, gas, change of state, melting,
solidication (i.e., freezing), evaporation, condensation,
sublimation, deposition; and
reversible change, non-reversible change, natural resource,
product, renewable, non-renewable.
Science inquiry process- and skill-related terminology includes
question, predict, hypothesis, procedure, observe, measure,
record, classify, data, conclude; and
fair test, independent, dependent, and controlled variables.
Communicating using specic terminology is a constant expectation
in Science 5.
Refer to the initial elaboration provided on pp. 74-75.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contributions of
science and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
What Are Properties?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 139
Activation
Teachers may
Collect different materials with a variety of textures (e.g.,
aluminum, bark, exible plastic, hard plastic, rock, sandpaper,
sponge, steel, Velcro™, wood) and place them in a cloth
drawstring bag, or similar opaque bag. Ask a student to reach
into the bag, without looking, and describe one material aloud,
using their sense of touch. Prompt them with questions such as:
What does it feel like? Does the surface feel like metal, plastic,
cloth, or wood? Can you bend it? Can you scratch it? Does it
make a sound when you tap it? Students should, with the help
of classmates, try to guess the identify of the material before
removing it from the bag.
Use physical science-related children’s literature to introduce the
unit and build curiosity.
Students may
Create a concept map, using prior knowledge, for the term matter.
Connection
Teachers may
Present a classroom object, such as a pencil. As part of a
whole class discussion, ask students to identify the different
materials the object is made from and to discuss the function and
properties of each material.
Present spoons made of different materials (e.g., metal, plastic,
wood) and ask students to identify each material, describe its
properties, and consider how the different properties affect the
use of each spoon.
Create an anchor chart of property-related terms. Add new terms
to the chart as they emerge throughout the unit.
Students may
Create a table or graphic organizer to record the different
materials explored and investigated throughout the unit and their
identied properties.
Sort a bag of cleaned recycling based on material type and
properties.
Engage in a science book walk to identify unfamiliar terminology.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (Teacher
Resource [TR])
pp. 8-15
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (Student
Resource [SR])
pp. 6-7, 54-58
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 1
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Properties of Materials
Suggested
Other curriculum resources
From Wax to Crayon
(Science 1 - Science library)
Things People Make
(Science 3 - Science library)
Where Do T-Shirts Come
From? (Science 3 - Science
library)
Where Does Chocolate
Come From? (Science 3 -
Science library)
Where Does Popcorn Come
From? (Science 3 - Science
library)
What Are Properties?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
140 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
56.0 group materials as solids,
liquids, or gases, based on
their properties
[GCO 3]
Matter can be grouped in different ways. Scientists classify matter
as solids, liquids, or gases (i.e., states of matter), according to their
properties:
Solids keep the same shape and the same volume.
Liquids keep the same volume, but they ow and take the shape
of their container.
Gases can change volume and change shape as they expand to
completely ll their container.
Teachers should note that many familiar objects are not uniformly
solid, liquid, or gas. Milk, for example, while outwardly a liquid, may
contain very small suspended solid particles.
Students should classify and group objects and materials as solids,
liquids, or gases, based on observable properties.
Classication involves sorting items into human-created groups,
based on similarities and differences in their properties or attributes.
Students should create a table, chart, or diagram (e.g., Carroll
diagram, tree diagram, Venn diagram) to show how they classied
objects and materials according to their state of matter.
Students should come to recognize that some objects and materials
may be difcult to classify. Salt is a solid, for example, but it pours
like liquids and appears to take the shape of its container. Each tiny
crystal, however, has its own shape that does not change.
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for further elaboration of outcome
17.0 (pp. 54-55).
Particle models of matter may be useful to explain differences in
properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Their use, however, is not an
expectation of Science 5.
Sample Performance Indicator
Group the following items as solids, liquids, or gases, based on their
properties: air inside a soccer ball, apple juice, baby powder, book,
carbon dioxide bubbles in a soda, gasoline, glass, milk, oxygen,
pencil, pepper corns, propane inside a cylinder, salt water, sand,
shampoo, soap, vegetable oil, vinegar, and water vapour.
Name three items you found difcult to classify. Explain why.
How Can We Classify Solids, Liquids, and Gases?
17.0 classify according to
several attributes and
create a chart or diagram
that shows the method of
classifying
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 141
Activation
Teachers may
Provide a class list of student names to introduce the skill of
classication using one or more attributes. Ask students to sort
the names into groups using a personal sorting rule and then,
where possible, subsort initial groups according to another
attribute (e.g., sort by letter of the alphabet, then number of
letters). Once completed, students should create a chart or
diagram to show the method of classifying.
Use a placemat activity to pre-assess student understanding of
mass and volume.
Facilitate a game of “Who am I” using images of different
materials placed on the backs of students. They should ask yes
or no questions, related to properties of materials, until they
are able to guess their material. Once all materials have been
identied, ask students to sort themselves into groups.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a collection of materials for students to sort that include
solids, liquids and gases. Possible materials include: air,
aluminum foil, bark, dish liquid, feathers, honey, paper, pepper,
rocks, salt, shampoo, sugar, and water. Small solids, liquids, and
gases can be placed in zip-top bags. Ask students to sort the
materials using their properties and to communicate their sorting
rule to others. Inform students that one way scientists classify
matter is as solids, liquids, and gases.
Present images of materials from the image bank and ask
students to classify them as solids, liquids, or gases.
Follow a recipe to make fudge, or similar food. Students should
identify the solid, liquid, and gas ingredients and could use
scientic tools to measure their mass and volume. The activity
could also activate discussion regarding changes of state.
Students may
Physically label objects and materials within the classroom as
solids, liquids, or gases.
Consolidation
Students may
Create a three tab foldable to distinguish among solids, liquids,
and gases. Include answers to the following questions:
- Does it change shape when placed in a new container?
- Does it change volume, expanding to completely ll its new
container?
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 16-23
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 8-11
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Solids, Liquids, and Gases
Table (BLM)
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 2
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Teaching and Learning
Strategies
www.k12pl.nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/
sci-5/teaching-and-learning-
strategies.html
- Properties of Materials
Supplementary
Polypropylene beaker and
graduated cylinder sets
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Solids, liquids, and gases
(websites and videos)
Placemat activity (website)
How Can We Classify Solids, Liquids, and Gases?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
142 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
57.0 identify properties that
allow materials to be
distinguished from one
another
[GCO 3]
Scientists use many different properties to describe materials (e.g.,
colour, texture, hardness, exibility, solubility, buoyancy, density,
magnetic, malleability, ductility, viscosity, ammability, melting
and boiling point, the ability to conduct heat or electricity). These
properties are also used to distinguish one material from another.
What properties, for example, could be used to distinguish a plastic
water jug from one made from glass? Classifying properties as either
physical or chemical is not an expectation.
Students should explore properties at hands-on centres (e.g.,
texture, hardness, exibility, solubility, buoyancy, density). At each
centre, include a variety of materials to test. At a solubility centre,
for example, students could test the ability of baking powder, baking
soda, chalk, our, pepper, salt, and sugar to dissolve in water. At a
exibility centre, students could test the ability of cardboard, fabrics,
glass, metals, paper, plastic, rubber, and wood to bend.
Following exploration, students should apply their learning to identify
properties that allow materials to be distinguished from one another.
What properties, for example, would allow you to distinguish between
glass, metal, plastic, and wood;
soda, vegetable oil, vinegar, water;
aluminum, copper, gold, iron, and mercury; or
baking soda, brown sugar, corn starch, ground pepper and salt?
Attitude
Encourage students to willingly observe, question, explore, and
investigate. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Identify properties that allow bricks made from cardboard, clay,
plastic, and Styrofoam™ to be distinguished from one another.
How Can We Identify Materials?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 143
Connection
Teachers may
Revisit the cloth drawstring bag of materials introduced on p. 139.
Ask students to identify one material contained within the bag,
without looking, and indicate which properties were helpful in the
identication process.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Set up centres around the classroom for students to do hands-on
explorations of different properties
- Solubility - Provide a collection of solids, ensuring that it
includes examples of soluble, insoluble, and partially soluble
materials. Ask students to investigate the solubility of the
materials in water.
- Hardness - Provide a collection of solid materials and tools
with which to scratch them (e.g., soft pencil lead, ngernail,
dime, copper, iron nail, butter knife, steel le, mineral streak
plate, sandpaper). Students should attempt to scratch the
materials with the pencil lead. If unable to scratch it with the
pencil, they should choose the next hardest tool in sequence
until the material can be scratched. The more resistant to
scratching the harder the solid.
- Flexibility - Provide a collection of solid materials with varying
degrees of exibility (i.e., the ability to bend without breaking).
Ask students to sequence the materials from most exible to
least exible.
- Strength - Provide a collection of solids materials and
appropriate tools (e.g., hammer, single hole punch, scissors).
Students should explore how resistant materials are to
damage (i.e., breaking, cutting, denting, puncturing, tearing).
- Buoyancy - Provide a collection of solid materials for students
to sort according to whether they oat or sink in water.
Additionally, provide a collection of liquid materials (e.g., corn
syrup, dish washing liquid, food colouring, rubbing alcohol,
vegetable oil, water) for students to combine. While some
combinations of liquids will combine, others will not and one
liquid will oat on the surface of the other.
- Texture - Provide a collection of solid and liquid materials with
different textures for students to explore and describe.
Provide student groups with “mystery materials“ to identify based
on their properties. Materials could include baking powder, baking
soda, our, salt, and sugar, or other similar white powders. This
activity could be set up to resemble a crime scene investigation.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 24-27
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 12-13
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
IWB Activities 3 and 4
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Properties of materials
(websites and videos)
How Can We Identify Materials?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
144 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Objects can be changed in many ways. A wooden object could be
burned, cut, drilled, hammered, painted, sanded, soaked in water,
split, stained, steamed, or waxed. Some of these changes affect one
or more properties of the wood (e.g., steaming the wood makes it
more exible) while other changes do not (e.g., cutting wood does not
change its colour, texture, hardness, density, ammability, exibility,
buoyancy, or inability to conduct electricity). Sometimes changes
result in the formation of a new material.
Through a guided inquiry investigation, students should
select an object to change,
identify the properties of the material making up the object,
propose different ways to change the object,
carry out approved changes to the object, and
determine whether the properties of the material that make up the
object have changed.
Students should consider whether investigated changes formed new
materials.
In conjunction with the investigation, teachers may choose to
reassess skill outcomes 12.0, 14.0, and 21.0 and introduce skill
outcomes 23.0 and 26.0 (Refer to the Integrated Skills unit).
Classifying changes as physical or chemical changes is not an
expectation. Use of these terms should be avoided.
Changes of state should be addressed at this time. Changes of state
always affect one or more proprieties of a material. Students should
identify and provide examples of
melting - changing a solid to a liquid,
evaporation - changing a liquid to a gas,
condensation - changing a gas to a liquid,
solidication (i.e., freezing) - changing a liquid to a solid,
sublimation - changing a solid to a gas, and
deposition - changing a gas to a solid.
Evaporation and condensation were addressed in the Weather unit.
Attitude
Encourage students to show concern for their safety and that of
others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing and
using materials. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Brainstorm three different ways to change a crayon. Explain which
properties of the parafn wax, if any, are affected as a result of
changing the crayon.
58.0 identify changes that can be
made to an object without
changing the properties of
the material making up the
object
[GCO 3]
How Do Changes Affect the Properties of Materials?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 145
Teachers may choose to address outcome 62.0 (p. 150), describing
changes as reversible or non-reversible, at this time.
Activation
Teachers may
Hold up a piece of paper and ask students how the paper could
be changed. After eliciting a number of suggestions, ask which
changes will leave most of the properties of the paper the same
(e.g., folding, tearing) and which change will turn the paper into
something different with different properties (e.g., burning the
paper).
Connection
Teachers may
Fill a transparent plastic cup with water and place an egg in
the water. Students should observe that the egg sinks. Add
a signicant amount of salt to the water until the egg oats.
Students should come to recognize that changing a material (i.e.,
adding salt) can change its properties (i.e., buoyancy) and its
potential uses.
Demonstrate how changing the temperature of soda water affects
the solubility of gases. Gases are less soluble in warmer liquids.
Demonstrate melting (e.g., melt snow), evaporation (e.g.,
breath closely on glass and observe the moisture evaporate),
condensation (e.g., condense water on the surface of a cold
water bottle), solidication (e.g., make ice pops), deposition and
sublimation (e.g., formation and disappearance of frost).
Consolidation
Students may
Choose a material (e.g., aluminum pop can, apple, bread,
chocolate chips, glue, masking tape, milk, modelling clay, plastic
ruler, newspaper, rubber eraser, salt, wood block, wooden pencil)
and devise procedures to make changes to the material. They
should carry out approved changes, using appropriate tools,
and determine whether the change affected the properties of the
material or not. Procedures may include measuring the mass of
materials before and after changes to introduce outcome 61.0.
Extension
Students may
Create a ow chart for the changes of state in the water cycle that
includes deposition and sublimation.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 30-37
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 18-19
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 5
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Changes of state (websites
and videos)
How Do Changes Affect the Properties of Materials?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
146 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
When two or more materials interact, they sometimes react to form
new materials. The properties of these new materials differ from the
properties of the original materials. When wood burns, for example,
the wood interacts with oxygen in the air and forms ash and invisible
gases. The properties of the ash and gases differ completely from the
properties of the wood and oxygen.
Provide students with a collection of materials to combine. Ensure
it contains some materials that will react (e.g., vinegar and baking
soda). Through a guided inquiry investigation, students should,
devise a plan to test different combinations of materials;
select appropriate tools, instruments, and materials to use;
predict which combinations of materials will react;
carry out their procedures;
observe and record whether the combined materials react; and
describe any changes that occur in the properties of the materials
when they react with each other.
This investigation provides an opportunity to readdress and assess
skill outcomes 3.0, 4.0, 7.0, 9.0, 12.0, 14.0, 18.0, 21.0, 24.0, and 25.0
Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these SCOs.
Students may confuse changes of state and dissolving with changes
in which materials react to form new materials. When a material
changes state it is still the same material, even though some of its
properties change. Similarly, when a material dissolves (e.g., salt in
water), a new material has not formed. The salt is still present in the
solution and can be separated out again by evaporating the water.
The use of some materials may require direct adult supervision and/
or the use of personal safety equipment (e.g., gloves, safety glasses,
lab coat).
Use of the terms chemical change and physical change should be
avoided.
Students should identify when materials interact to form something
new. Signs include the formation of bubbles (i.e., gas), colour
changes, and the production of heat or light.
Students should observe and describe examples of interactions that
produce gases (e.g., combining baking soda and vinegar, water and
effervescent tablets, or hydrogen peroxide and yeast, rising of bread
dough, cooking of pancakes).
Sample Performance Indicator
Describe the properties of the steel wool and water provided. Then,
place the steel wool in the water. After several hours, observe
and describe how the properties of the steel wool and water have
changed.
59.0 describe changes that
occur in the properties
of materials when they
interact with each other
[GCO 3]
What Happens When Materials Interact?
60.0 describe examples of
interactions between
materials that result in the
production of a gas
[GCO 3]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 147
Teachers may choose to address outcome 62.0 (p. 150), describing
changes as reversible or non-reversible, at this time.
Activation
Teachers may
Demonstrate an “elephant toothpaste” reaction. Ask students,
What materials are interacting? How can you tell that a new
material is forming?
Burn a mini marshmallow on top of a toothpick anchored in
modelling clay. Ask students, What are the initial properties of the
marshmallow? What materials are interacting when something
burns? How can you tell that a new material forms? Is burning a
change of state?
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a collection of solid and liquid materials (e.g., baking
soda, effervescent tablets, our, pepper, raisins, salt, Skittles™,
sugar, carbonated water, concentrated grape juice, lemon juice,
syrup, vinegar, water) and appropriate tools with which to mix
them. Students should participate in a “Mad Mixology” activity;
combining different materials together to test whether they
interact or not. Alternatively, teachers could assign student groups
a specic set of materials to test. Testing procedures could
include measuring the mass of materials before and after mixing
to address outcome 61.0 (p. 148).
Consolidation
Teachers may
Invite a community elder to class to make homemade bread. Ask
students to describe the changes occurring as materials interact.
What materials are interacting? What evidence of interactions is
observed?
Students may
Communicate combinations of materials that resulted in a
reaction from the “Mad Mixology” activity and identify signs that
indicate an interaction has taken place (e.g., colour change,
bubbles, production of heat).
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 38-43
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 20-23
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 6
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Elephant toothpaste
reactions (websites and
videos)
What Happens When Materials Interact?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
148 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
61.0 investigate whether mass
changes when materials
interact
[GCO 3]
10.0 follow procedures
[GCO 2]
12.0 make observations and
collect information that is
relevant to the question or
problem
[GCO 2]
Students should carry out a guided investigation to determine whether
mass changes when materials interact to form new materials (e.g.,
cream and vinegar). They should
observe and describe the properties of both cream and vinegar;
devise a procedure to measure and compare the mass of the
materials before and after mixing;
identify and select appropriate measurement tools, instruments,
and materials to complete their investigation;
develop a hypothesis to predict and describe what will happen
when the cream and vinegar are mixed;
carry out their procedure, making observations of interaction and
recording total mass, before and after mixing;
record their observations and measurements; and
draw a conclusion that answers the initial question.
Students should come to conclude that the total mass before and
after the interaction is the same (i.e., the law conservation of mass).
Their learning should lead to new questions to investigate (e.g., Does
mass change when materials change state? Does mass change
when a solid dissolves in a liquid? Does mass change when an
interaction produces a gas?).
When measuring mass, consideration must be given to the mass
of any containers used. This mass should be accounted for when
comparing initial and nal masses.
These investigations provide an opportunity to address and assess
numerous skill outcomes 3.0, 7.0, 9.0, 11.0, 13.0, 14.0, 18.0, 21.0,
24.0, and 25.0. Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of
these SCOs.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the importance of accuracy and
honesty. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
An empty beaker with a mass of 60 g is placed on a scale. 20 g of
material A and 100 g of material B are added to the beaker. The
materials interact and form new materials with different properties.
What mass should the scale read following the reaction? How might
the reading be different if one of the new substances was a gas and
the beaker was left uncovered?
Does Mass Change When Materials Interact?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 149
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 44-45
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 24-25
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Conservation of mass
(websites and videos)
Connection
Students may
Practice using scales and/or balances to measure the mass of
objects. When reading mechanical scales and balances, students
should record the certain digits and estimate the rst uncertain
digit. If the reading falls between 32 g and 33 g, for example,
students should record the certain digits (i.e., 32) and estimate
the next digit (e.g. 32.2 g, 32.6 g).
Explore whether mass changes when
- paper is crumpled into a ball,
- an ice pop melts,
- sugar is dissolved in water, and
- vegetable oil and water are mixed.
Consolidation
Students may
Investigate whether mass changes when two materials (e.g.,
cream and vinegar) interact. Students should make an “If...,
then... because...” hypothesis and devise a procedure to test
their hypothesis. The initial and nal mass of materials should
be measured using a scale or balance. When measuring, all
certain digits should be noted and the rst uncertain digit should
be estimated. Measurements could be recorded in a table and
observations recorded in words or sketches. Students should
recognize that the materials interacted to produce new materials
(e.g., curdled cream) and that the total mass before and after
the interaction remained the same. New questions to investigate
should be proposed based on what was learned.
Consider the following problem. The total mass of an opened
bottle of Diet Coke™ and a Menthos™ candy are measured.
The candy is added to the soda and an interaction takes place.
The total mass after the interaction, however, is less than it was
before. Does this disprove the law conservation of mass?
Add some vinegar in an Erlenmeyer ask, or similar shaped
container, and place the ask on a scale or balance. Add baking
soda to a balloon and carefully attach the mouth of the balloon
over the neck of the ask. Note and record the total mass of the
set up. Carefully upend the balloon causing the baking soda to
fall into the ask with the vinegar and initiating an interaction that
produces a gas. Compare the total mass after the interaction to
the measurement taken before the interaction.
Does Mass Change When Materials Interact?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
150 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
62.0 identify and describe some
changes to materials that
are reversible and some
that are not
[GCO 3]
Students have observed changes to materials. Some of these
changes are reversible; meaning they can be changed back. Other
changes are non-reversible; they can not be undone.
Students should
determine whether changes made to materials are reversible or
non-reversible changes;
identify and describe changes of state (i.e., condensation,
deposition, evaporation, melting, solidication, sublimation) as
reversible changes;
identify and describe dissolving as a reversible change; and
recognize that some interactions between materials are
reversible, however, most (e.g., baking, burning, rotting) are non-
reversible.
Teachers may choose to address this outcome when previously
investigating changes that could be made to an object without
affecting the properties of the material and changes that occur when
materials interact.
Attitude
Encourage students to consider their own observations and ideas
as well as those of others during investigations and before drawing
conclusions. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Identify whether the following changes are reversible or non-
reversible:
chocolate melting,
paper burning,
water boiling,
sugar dissolving in water,
iron rusting,
eating a sandwich,
chopping a carrot, and
mixing oil and water.
Are All Changes Reversible?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 151
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 46-49
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 26-27
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Types of Changes Cards
(BLM)
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activities 7 and 8
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Reversible and non-
reversible changes
(websites and videos)
Activation
Teachers may
Discuss two changes from everyday life, one that is reversible,
such as freezing water, and one that is non-reversible, such as
burning wood. Ask students to compare the two changes. How
are they similar to each other? How are they different?
Connection
Students may
Carry out hands-on changes to explore whether changes are
reversible or non-reversible:
- toast a slice of bread,
- melt an ice cube or freezie,
- add a spoonful of baking soda to a cup of purple grape juice,
- dissolve some salt in water,
- add lemon juice to cream,
- write on a piece of paper with “invisible ink” (lemon juice and
water) and hold it a safe distance over a candle ame,
- add an effervescent tablet to water,
- mix salt and pepper,
- observe a birthday candle burning, and
- add steel wool to water.
Students should attempt to reverse each change. The mass
of materials before and after changes could be measured and
compared.
Compare digital images of materials taken before and after the
change.
Consolidation
Students may
Wrap several pennies in a paper towel and place it in the bottom
of a container (e.g., beaker). Pour vinegar over the pennies to
saturate the paper towel and leave some excess in the container.
Predict if/how the pennies will change and if the change will be
reversible or not. Examine the pennies periodically over a couple
of days and describe any observed changes.
Are All Changes Reversible?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
152 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Can We Control the Gas Produced by an Interaction?
63.0 demonstrate processes
for investigating scientic
questions and solving
technological problems
[GCO 1]
2.0 rephrase questions in a
testable form
[GCO 2]
5.0 identify and control major
variables in investigations
[GCO 2]
6.0 devise procedures to carry
out a fair test and to solve a
practical problem
[GCO 2]
18.0 compile and display data
[GCO 2]
64.0 describe how results
of similar and repeated
investigations may vary
and suggest possible
explanations for variations
[GCO 1]
Students should use science inquiry processes to investigate factors
that may affect the gas produced by an interaction.
Students should
observe a teacher demonstrated interaction between two
materials that produce a gas (e.g., baking soda and vinegar,
effervescent tablet and water);
identify factors that could be changed prior to the interaction
(i.e., potential independent variables) and factors that could
be observed or measured during the interaction (i.e., potential
dependent variables);
select one independent variable and one dependent variable, and
pose a testable question to investigate;
devise and carry out a fair procedure which controls for all the
unselected, potential independent variables;
compile and display their results in a data table; and
draw a conclusion which answers their initial question.
This investigation provides a signicant opportunity to address and
assess additional outcomes from the Integrated Skills unit (e.g.,
SCOs 1.0, 3.0, 4.0, 7.0, 8.0, 11.0, 12.0, 13.0, 14.0, 18.0, 19.0, 21.0,
23.0, 24.0, 25.0, 26.0).
Interactions between materials are affected by many factors. The
reaction between baking soda and vinegar, for example, may be
affected by the
volume, temperature, and age of the baking soda, as well as
whether it is in powdered or tablet form (i.e., surface area);
volume, temperature, and concentration of the vinegar;
method and speed of combining;
shape and capacity of the container in which they interact; and
presence of other materials.
Consequently, simply combining baking soda and vinegar may yield
varied results. When designing their investigation, students must
ensure that only one variable (i.e., the independent variable) is tested
(i.e., changed) and all other variables of inuence are controlled (i.e.,
kept the same). When investigations are fair, patterns identied in
the results can logically be attributed to changes in the independent
variable. When investigations fail to control variables of inuence,
conclusions cannot be drawn.
Repeating the investigation should yield the same results each time
(i.e., reliability). Variation in repeated results should cause the student
to reect on the design of their investigation and whether a variable of
inuence remained uncontrolled.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 153
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 50-51
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 28-29
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Fair testing and variables
(websites and videos)
How Can We Control the Gas Produced by an Interaction?
Connection
Teachers may
As a initial demonstration, add a whole Alka-Seltzer™ tablet
to 100 mL of tap water to produce a gas. Allow the students to
observe all aspects of the set up and resultant interaction. Once
completed, ask students to brainstorm things they could observe
or measure about the interaction (e.g., production of gas, length
of time bubbles are produced, amount of gas produced, length
of time until the tablet completely dissolves, change in water
temperature). These are potential dependent variables (i.e.,
responding variables). Then, ask students to brainstorm things
they could change about the initial setup that might affect the
interaction (e.g., size of container used, amount of water, water
temperature, number of tablets, surface area of tablet - whole,
halved, crumbled, or crushed). These are potential independent
variables (i.e., manipulated variables).
Consolidation
Students may
In small collaborative groups, select one independent variable
and one dependent variable from the brainstormed lists in the
activation strategy above and create a testable question to
investigate (e.g., What is the affect of water temperature on the
time it takes the tablet to dissolve? What affect does surface area
of the tablet have on the amount of time bubbling occurs?).
Collaboratively devise a procedure to test how changing
their independent variable affects the dependent variable. As
part of their procedure, they should operationally dene their
independent and dependent variables. If they are going to change
the temperature of the water, for example, what temperatures are
they going to test? If they are going to measure tablet dissolving
time, what measuring tool and scale will they use? When will they
start timing? When will they stop timing? To ensure a fair test the
procedure must also control for the non-selected independent
variables which could also affect the interaction.
Repeat their investigation to compare results to the initial test and
suggest possible explanations for any variation observed.
Construct data tables to collect the results of their investigations
and, if appropriate, display their data on a bar graph.
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
154 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
65.0 identify the source of the
materials found in an object
and describe the changes
to the natural materials
required to make the object
[GCO 3]
Every object that we use is made of materials. Some objects are
made of a single material. Others are made of two or more different
materials.
All materials come from natural sources (e.g., animals, minerals,
plants, petroleum). Even synthetic materials, such as plastic and
nylon are made from natural resources (i.e., petroleum). While some
materials are used in their raw form, almost all materials undergo
some form of processing before use. During processing, materials
are rened and changed in ways to make them more useful. These
changes often involve a change in the properties of the material.
Students are expected to use research inquiry to identify the source
of materials found in familiar objects and describe the changes those
materials undergo to make the object. Students could, for example,
identify that a towel is made from cotton and research the source
of the cotton and the manufacturing processes cotton undergoes to
produce a useful fabric. Common materials used in the production
of many objects include glass, leather, metals, paper, plastic, rubber,
and wood.
Researching how materials are changed to make useful objects
provides an opportunity to revisit knowledge outcomes 58.0, 59.0,
and 62.0.
Teachers may choose to address the impact that product use has on
natural resources at this time (SCO 66.0, p. 164).
As part of their research process, students should identify and use
a variety of sources and technologies to gather relevant information
about the source of materials found in objects and the changes they
undergo. Information may be gathered from
print resources (e.g., encyclopedias, ingredient lists on
packaging, magazines, non-ction literature, textile labels);
online resources (e.g., digital versions of print resources, how it’s
made videos, web pages); and
observations from eld trips to manufacturing plants or interviews
with plant workers.
Attitude
Encourage students to show interest and curiosity about objects and
events within different environments. [GCO 4]
Where Do Materials Come From?
15.0 identify and use a variety of
sources and technologies to
gather relevant information
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 155
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 54-59
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 34-37
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 9
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Other curriculum resources
Science Library (Science 3)
- Where Do T-Shirts
Come From?
- Where Does Chocolate
Come From?
- Where Does Popcorn
Come From?
Activation
Teachers may
Ask students to imagine they are stranded on a deserted island.
Create a list of survival needs (e.g., food, cooking pots and
containers, water, shelter, clothing, bedding, tools, transportation)
and the kinds of materials needed to meet those needs. Next,
guide a discussion about the comfort of our lives compared with
life on a deserted island. Highlight that this is because we change
materials to make them into the things we need.
Connection
Teachers may
Facilitate a brainstorming session to identify Newfoundland and
Labrador’s natural resources (e.g., agricultural products, sh, iron
ore, nickel, oil, wood) and products made from these materials.
Students may
Brainstorm lists of products made from glass, leather, metal,
paper, plastic, and wood.
Explore garment labels (i.e., tags) on various items of clothing to
compile a list of the different materials used (e.g., cotton, nylon,
modal, polyester) in their production.
Explore ingredient lists found on the packaging of various food
items.
Consolidation
Students may
Select an object and use research inquiry to identify the source of
one or more materials found in the object and describe changes
the materials undergo during processing. Prior to initiating
research, they should brainstorm possible sources of information
and use some of these sources in conducting their research.
Once their initial questions have been answered, they should
share what they have learned with classmates.
Where Do Materials Come From?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
156 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
36.0 identify examples of
scientic questions and
technological problems
addressed in the past
[GCO 1]
Processing materials to make them more useful provides a context to
address STSE outcomes.
To identify technological problems addressed in the past, students
should consider the challenges faced by indigenous peoples and
early settlers of our province. What products and materials were
necessary for their survival? Products and materials related to food,
clothing, shelter, tools, and transportation could be considered.
Where did the objects and materials come from? How were materials
changed to produce useful objects? How did they help to solve
problems?
Technologies, both products and processes, are developed to solve
problems and meet human needs. Students are expected to describe
examples of the development of technologies that improved living
conditions. The production of soap is one example. Historically, soap
in Newfoundland and Labrador was produced from animal fat or oil
(e.g., cod, seal, whale) which was boiled with lye. Today, soaps and
other detergents are made from materials separated from crude
oil. The use of soap greatly improved living conditions; improving
sanitation and preventing illness.
Petroleum (i.e., crude oil) is a mixture of many materials. These
include bitumen, fuel oil, diesel, kerosene, naphtha, gasoline,
and gases. These materials may be used directly as fuels or as
petrochemicals used in the production of a wide variety of products
we use daily in our homes, schools, and communities (e.g., asphalt,
tar, roong tiles, parafn wax, lubricating oils, detergents, plastics,
and synthetic bres - rayon, nylon, vinyl).
To separate the crude oil into its various materials, oil reneries
use a process called fractional distillation. Distillation is a common
separation and rening technique used in materials science and its
use has contributed to scientic discoveries. Distillation involves two
changes of state. Materials are heated causing liquid materials to
evaporate and change to a gas. The gas is then collected, cooled,
and condensed to change it back to a liquid. Since crude oil is
a mixture of many materials, heating it to different temperatures
causes different materials to evaporate. Gasoline, diesel, and home
heating oil all have different boiling points and evaporate at different
temperatures. Through distillation the many different materials in
crude oil can be separated out from each other.
Students should describe the process of distillation in the production
of materials from crude oil.
Students may be familiar with aspects of the distillation process from
their study of the water cycle in Science 5. The evaporation and
condensing of water is a distillation process that puries water.
How Do We Change Materials for Our Use?
49.0 describe examples of
technologies that have
been developed to improve
living conditions
[GCO 1]
31.0 describe examples of tools
and techniques that have
contributed to scientic
discoveries
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 157
Activation
Teachers may
Facilitate exploration of different soaps (e.g., body wash, dish
soap, hand soap, laundry detergents, shampoo). Apply stains
(e.g., grass, permanent marker, soil, tomato sauce) to pieces
of cotton fabric and ask students to attempt to remove the stain
using different types of soap and water. Explain that soap is made
of lye (i.e., a type of mineral salt) and fat or oil. Ask students to
describe how the properties of minerals, salt, fat, oil, and soap
are different. Highlight that soap is one example of how materials
are changed to make them more useful and improve our lives.
Connection
Students may
Consider how Newfoundland and Labrador’s indigenous peoples
changed materials obtained from natural sources (e.g., birch
trees, caribou, seals, whales) to make useful objects.
Investigate how water treatment plants change water to make it
safer to drink.
Investigate how sewage treatment plants change wastes to make
them less harmful to the environment.
View videos related to the extraction and rening of crude oil.
Consider the properties of gasoline and diesel fuel. How have
these petroleum materials improved living conditions?
Consolidation
Students may
Use the Crude Oil Rening Process BLM as a reference to
explain the process of distillation in the separation of crude oil.
Extension
Students may
Create a “Mystery Object” game by developing clues regarding
the source of materials and changes to the materials required
to make their mystery object. Classmates can use the clues to
guess the mystery object.
How Do We Change Materials for Our Use?
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 60-63
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 38-39
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Crude Oil Rening Process
(BLM)
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 10
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Soap production (websites
and videos)
Oil exploration, extraction,
and distillation resources
(websites and videos)
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
158 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Materials science involves designing and testing new materials to
help solve problems. Students should participate in an engineering
design and problem solving experience to modify a material to make
it more useful. Students could, for example, modify cotton fabric;
changing its properties to make it waterproof.
As part of the design and problem solving process, students should
clarify the problem to be solved and, if needed, conduct research;
collaborate with others to brainstorm possible ways to modify the
material to make it more useful;
select a promising solution to try, devise a plan to modify the
material, and make a list of all required tools and materials;
carry out the plan and test the solution, making observations and
collecting information relevant to the problem;
if testing results are promising, suggest additional changes that
could be made to improve the solution;
if testing results are not promising, abandon the idea and select
another possible way to modify the material;
carry out design changes and retest until an optimal solution is
reached; and
communicate the solution to others and submit the modied
material for evaluation.
Modication plans devised by students should be approved to ensure
student safety. Some plans may require direct adult supervision.
This design and problem solving experience provides an opportunity
to address and assess numerous skill outcomes related to problem
solving (e.g., SCOS 1.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 12.0, 14.0, 22.0, 24.0,
27.0, 28.0). Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration of these
outcomes.
Following any inquiry investigation or design and problem solving
experience, students should identify potential applications of their
ndings. With respect to the design and problem solving experience
above, students should identify potential uses of their modied
material based on its changed properties. What could waterproof
cotton fabric, for example, be used for?
Materials scientists often look to nature for ideas for new materials.
Velcro™, for example, was developed based on observations of
burdock burrs. Students should describe examples of new materials
that were inspired by the specic shape or texture of natural materials
(e.g., sticky slug slime inspired the development of surgical glues).
Attitude
Encourage students to show interest in the activities of individuals
working in scientic and technological elds. [GCO 4]
63.0 demonstrate processes
for investigating scientic
questions and solving
technological problems
[GCO 1]
26.0 collaborate with others
to devise and carry out
procedures
[GCO 2]
How Can We Change Materials to Solve Problems?
23.0 identify potential
applications of ndings
[GCO 2]
48.0 describe instances where
scientic ideas and
discoveries have led to new
inventions and applications
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 159
Activation
Teachers may
Review with students the typical stages of an engineering design
and problem solving process.
Connection
Students may
Examine and describe the properties of our, salt, and water.
Then, combine 60 mL of salt, 125 mL of our, and 60 mL of water
in a mixing bowl to make play dough. Describe the properties of
the play dough and compare to those of the original materials.
Use a recipe to make “ooblek” or “silly putty”. Describe how the
properties of the initial materials change.
Consolidation
Students may
Participate in a design challenge to modify a material to change
its properties and make it more useful. Students could choose
their own materials to waterproof cotton fabric cut into 15 cm
squares (e.g., rubbing with warmed wax, soaking in an oil and
blotting off the excess, covering with glue and allowing to dry) and
seek approval before making modications. They should test both
the modied material and an unmodied piece of material used
as a control. Testing could involve spraying the fabrics with water
from a spray bottle and measuring the number of sprays needed
to soak the material. Once an optimal solution has been reached,
students should describe their design and how effective it was
for waterproong. They should consider potential applications for
their modied fabric based on its new properties.
Compare the results of their waterproong modications with
those obtained using commercial waterproong products.
Research one of the materials below to determine what natural
thing it imitates, how it works, and what problem it solves:
- fastskin
- geckskin
- biosteel
- surgical glue made from mussels or slugs.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 64-69
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 40-45
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem-Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 11
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Waterproong fabrics
(websites and videos)
How Can We Change Materials to Solve Problems?
Outcomes
PROPERTIES AND CHANGES OF MATERIALS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
160 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Does Using Materials Affect Our Environment?
66.0 describe the impact of
school and community on
natural resources
[GCO 1]
The production, use, and disposal of products and materials can have
a host of negative environmental impacts.
Students should consider how their collective use of products and
materials affects the environment. They should describe the impacts
of
extracting natural resources (e.g., minerals);
pollution caused by use of materials and products (e.g., use of
pesticides and fertilizers, burning of fuels for home heating or
transportation); and
pollution caused by the disposal of materials and products (e.g.,
ocean micro-plastics, pollution from landlls or incinerators).
Students should
distinguish between renewable and non-renewable resources,
recognize that use of non-renewable resources causes more
negative environmental affects,
recognize that changing how we use materials and products can
help protect the environment, and
suggest ways to reduce their personal impact on the environment.
Attitude
Encourage students to realize that the applications of science and
technology can have both intended and unintended effects. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Over the course a school day, collaboratively record the different
products and materials thrown into a school garbage can. Analyze the
list of discarded products and materials. How might disposal of these
products and materials affect the environment? How might these
negative effects be reduced?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 161
How Does Using Materials Affect Our Environment?
Activation
Teachers may
Display images by Edward Burtynsky of industrial waste. Ensure
students understand what they are viewing. Ask them how each
image shows the affect of humans on the environment and how it
relates to our use of materials.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a sample of liquid soap that contains micro-beads. Direct
students to soak up the liquid using paper towels, leaving the
micro-beads behind. Ask students where the beads go when the
soap is used.
Discuss the terms renewable and non-renewable, ask students
to identify examples of materials made from both, and discuss
differences in how materials made from renewable and non-
renewable resources affect the environment.
Students may
Consider the properties of phosphates, micro-beads, and plastic
that make them useful, identify the natural source of these
materials, and explain how they may harm the environment and
what could be done to prevent it.
Consolidation
Students may
Explore the use of different packing materials (e.g., bubble wrap,
foam peanuts, newspaper, popcorn, rags, shredded paper,
straw) to protect an egg in a box when dropped. Students should
compare the properties, advantages, and disadvantages of each
material, including usability and environmental impact. Packing
materials could be tested by dropping the box from an initial
height, then systematically increasing the height until the egg
breaks. Results should be compiled and displayed in a bar graph.
Based on their ndings, students should identify the most
effective and environmentally friendly packing material.
Identify products made from recycled materials.
Extension
Students may
Research the environmental concerns caused by ocean plastics
and share what is learned with classmates.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (TR)
pp. 70-75
NL Science 5: Properties and
Changes of Materials (SR)
pp. 46-47
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Environmental affects of
material and product use
(websites and videos)
162 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 163
Section Three:
Specific Curriculum Outcomes
Unit 4: Body Systems
BODY SYSTEMS
164 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Focus
Outcomes Framework
Students can develop the understanding that the body has
organs and systems that function together to help humans and
other animals meet their basic needs. Students should have the
opportunity to explore major internal organs through the use of
models and simulations, and know where they are located in the
body. It is important for students to recognize that many things may
affect a healthy body. The body has its own defences against germs,
but students should understand that they must meet their bodies’
requirements for nutrition and physical activity.
This unit has both a scientic inquiry and a design and problem
solving focus. Inquiry investigations provide opportunities for
students to propose and rephrase testable questions, dene objects
and events, carry out procedures to ensure a fair test, and evaluate
the usefulness of different information sources. Design and problem
solving experiences to build working models of body systems enable
students to identify problems as they arise and collaborate with
others to nd solutions.
GCO 1 (STSE): Students will develop an understanding of the nature of science and
technology, of the relationships between science and technology, and of the social and
environmental contexts of science and technology.
31.0 describe examples of tools and techniques that have contributed to scientic discoveries
36.0 identify examples of scientic questions and technological problems addressed in the past
37.0 describe and compare tools, techniques, and materials used by different people in their
community and region to meet their needs
38.0 identify individuals in their community who work in science and technology related areas
40.0 provide examples of how science and technology have been used to solve problems in
their community and region
43.0 identify scientic discoveries and technological innovations of people from different
cultures
48.0 describe instances where scientic ideas and discoveries have led to new inventions and
applications
49.0 describe examples of technologies that have been developed to improve living conditions
63.0 demonstrate processes for investigating scientic questions and solving technological
problems
74.0 provide examples of Canadians who have contributed to science and technology
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 165
GCO 2 (Skills): Students will develop
the skills required for scientic and
technological inquiry, for solving problems,
for communicating scientic ideas and
results, for working collaboratively, and for
making informed decisions.
1.0 propose a question to investigate
and practical problem to solve
2.0 rephrase questions in a testable
form
4.0 dene objects and events in their
investigations
8.0 carry out procedures to explore a
given problem and to ensure a fair
test, controlling major variables
9.0 select and use tools
14.0 record observations
18.0 compile and display data
19.0 identify and suggest explanations
for patterns and discrepancies in the
data collected
20.0 evaluate the usefulness of different
information sources in answering a
question
28.0 identify problems as they arise
and collaborate with others to nd
solutions
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will
construct knowledge and understandings
of concepts in life science, physical
science, and Earth and space science, and
apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
67.0 describe how body systems help
humans meet their basic needs
68.0 describe the structure and function
of the major organs of human body
systems
69.0 demonstrate how the skeletal,
muscular, and nervous systems
work together to produce movement
70.0 describe the role of the skin
71.0 describe the body’s defenses
against infections
72.0 relate bodily changes during puberty
to growth and development
73.0 describe nutritional and other
requirements for maintaining a
healthy body
Students are encouraged to:
appreciate the role and contributions of science and technology in their understanding of the world
recognize that individuals of any cultural background can contribute equally in science
show interest and curiosity about objects and events within different environments
willingly observe, question, explore, and investigate
show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientic and technological elds
consider their own observations and ideas as well as those of others during investigations and before
drawing conclusions
appreciate the importance of accuracy and honesty
demonstrate perseverance and a desire to understand
work collaboratively while exploring and investigating
show concern for their safety and that of others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing
and using materials
become aware of potential dangers
GCO 4 (Attitudes): Students will be encouraged to develop attitudes that support the responsible
acquisition and application of scientic and technological knowledge to the mutual benet of self, society, and
the environment.
BODY SYSTEMS
166 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
September October November December January February March April May June
Body Systems
SCO Continuum
Suggested Unit Plan
GCO 3 (Knowledge): Students will construct knowledge and
understandings of concepts in life science, physical science, and
Earth and space science, and apply these understandings to interpret,
integrate, and extend their knowledge.
Body Systems is the nal unit in the Science 5 curriculum. The
knowledge outcomes addressed in this life science unit are
prerequisite for understanding concepts in the Science 8 Cells,
Tissues, Organs, and Organ Systems unit.
Science 2 Science 5 Science 8
Animal Growth and Changes Body Systems
Cells, Tissues, Organs, and
Organ Systems
describe changes in humans
as they grow
identify constant and change
traits in organisms as they
grow and develop
identify the basic food
groups, and describe actions
and decisions that support
healthy lifestyles
describe how body systems
help humans meet their
basic needs
describe the structure and
function of the major organs
of human body systems
demonstrate how the
skeletal, muscular, and
nervous systems work
together to produce
movement
describe the role of the skin
describe the body’s defenses
against infections
relate bodily changes during
puberty to growth and
development
describe nutritional and other
requirements for maintaining
a healthy body
explain structural and
functional relationships
between and among, cells,
tissues, organs, and organ
systems
relate the needs and
functions of various cells
and organs to the needs
and function of the human
organism as a whole
describe basic factors that
affect the functions and
efciency of the human
respiratory, circulatory,
digestive, excretory, and
nervous systems
describe examples of the
interdependence of various
systems of the human body
Science 1
Needs and Characteristics of
Living Things
describe the different ways
that humans move to meet
their needs
recognize that humans
depend on their environment,
and identify personal actions
that can contribute to a
healthy environment
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 167
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
168 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
67.0 describe how body systems
help humans meet their
basic needs
[GCO 3]
The human body is comprised of many different organs. Each has a
specic function or job to do. Some organs work together in systems
to perform their functions.
Inform students that there are ten organ systems in the human body:
the nervous, muscular, skeletal, respiratory, digestive, excretory, and
circulatory systems (which are addressed in detail in this unit) and the
endocrine, reproductive, and lymphatic/immune systems.
Note that some science information sources classify skin as a
separate body system (i.e., integumentary system). In this unit, skin is
classied as an organ.
Students should describe how each of the following body systems
helps humans meet their basic life needs:
The nervous system helps the body gather information from the
environment, make decisions, and react to stimuli. The nervous
system tells the muscles to move.
The muscular system works with the skeletal system to help the
body move. This system also helps humans breathe, digest food,
and circulate blood.
The skeletal system supports the body and helps it move. Bones
such as the skull and ribs provide protection to internal organs.
The respiratory system provides the body with oxygen and
removes carbon dioxide waste.
The digestive system takes in food and water, processes most of
it into required nutrients, and gets rid of what remains.
The excretory system removes waste from the body.
The circulatory system transports blood around the body. It
carries needed oxygen and nutrients and removes carbon dioxide
and other wastes.
Students should recognize that body systems work together to
maintain human health.
While not a Science 5 expectation, teachers may nd it useful to
dene cells and tissues and describe their relationship to organs and
organ systems.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
What Are Body Systems?
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 169
Activation
Teachers may
Collect non-ction literature related to health and body systems
to display at a curiosity centre with relevant physical objects and
materials (e.g., reex hammer, stethoscope).
Assess students’ prior knowledge of organ systems by asking
them to name any body systems they are already familiar with.
Direct students to complete a task (e.g., blink, breathe deeply,
feel their pulse, stand, swallow, wave) and ask them to identify
which body system(s) might be involved.
Students may
Brainstorm body functions required for life (e.g., breathing,
moving); writing each function on a separate sticky note. They
should then collaboratively attempt to group functions according
to the body system involved.
Connection
Teachers may
Ask students to collaboratively discuss why a human body needs
a nervous, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, digestive, excretory,
and circulatory system.
Students may
Physically model the concept of body systems using unit cubes
or Lego™ blocks to represent cells, and joining them to form
tissues, organs, and organ systems.
Individually brainstorm a list of organs and other parts of the
human body, then combine their list with classmates to compile a
class list. They should then attempt to group the organs and parts
according to body system.
Consolidation
Students may
Compare and contrast organs and body systems using a Venn
diagram. Cells and tissues could also be compared.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(Teacher Resource [TR])
pp. 8-13
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(Student Resource [SR])
pp. 6-7
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Term Box (BLM)
IWB Activity 1
Image bank
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Body systems resources
(websites and videos)
What Are Body Systems?
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
170 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Do Our Nerves, Muscles, and Skeleton Work Together?
68.0 describe the structure and
function of the major organs
of human body systems
[GCO 3]
68.1 describe the structure
and function of the
major organs of the
nervous, muscular, and
skeletal systems
Students should describe the structure and function of the major
organs in the nervous, skeletal, muscular, respiratory, digestive,
excretory, and circulatory systems. Structure refers to the organization
of organs in a body system (i.e., What are the major organs? How are
they arranged?). Function refers to the activities or processes of the
organ (i.e., What does the organ do? Why is it part of this system?).
Rather than address all body systems at once, the unit groups
systems and treats them separately. Students should describe the
nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems as follows:
The nervous system is the control system of the human body. It
includes the brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sense organs. Nerves
send information to the brain along the spinal cord. The brain
processes this information and returns messages to the body.
The muscular system works with the skeletal system to help the
body stand and move. It includes more than 600 muscles (e.g.,
abdominal, biceps, calf) and tendons which connect the muscles
to bones. Muscles also help the body breathe and digest food.
The skeletal system gives the body its shape and helps it move. It
includes 206 bones (e.g., skull, spine, ribs) and ligaments which
connect the bones together. Where one bone meets another
at a joint, the skeleton can be moved. The skeletal system also
protects the organs in the body (e.g., the skull protects the brain,
ribs protect the heart and lungs).
Students should recognize that these three systems work together
to produce movement. To demonstrate how they work together, they
should carry out a directed investigation of reaction time.
In groups, one student should hang their hand over the edge of their
desk, holding their thumb and index nger apart. A partner should
dangle the end of a ruler between the open thumb and index nger
and drop it without warming. Reaction time should be dened as the
distance the ruler drops before it is pinched. This procedure can be
repeated multiple times and the results recorded in a table.
Students should recognize that the eye senses when the ruler starts
to move and sends information to the brain through nerves. The brain
receives, processes, and sends a message back through the spinal
column and nerves to the muscles of the hand. The muscles of the
hand pull on the attached bones causing the ngers to close and
grasp the falling ruler.
In addition to skill outcomes 4.0 and 14.0, teachers could address and
assess outcomes 3.0, 8.0, 10.0, 11.0, 13.0, and 24.0 (Refer to the
Integrated Skills unit for elaboration).
Sample Performance Indicator
Identify the body systems involved when reacting to touching
something very hot or very cold. How do these systems work together
to produce movement?
69.0 demonstrate how the
skeletal, muscular, and
nervous systems work
together to produce
movement
[GCO 3]
4.0 dene objects and events in
their investigations
[GCO 2]
14.0 record observations
[GCO 2]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 171
How Do Our Nerves, Muscles, and Skeleton Work Together?
Activation
Teachers may
Review sense organs and the type of information they send to the
brain.
Provide images of colour words depicted using the wrong font
colour (e.g., the word green in blue font). Ask students to shout
out the font colour for each image word and discuss how the
brain might process the information it receives.
Show images of facial expressions and ask students to use the
muscles of their face to mimic the expression.
Ask students to lean their head back and using only their facial
muscles, try to move a cracker placed on their forehead down
and into their mouth.
Show images of skeletons in various positions and ask students
to create the position with their body.
Connection
Teachers may
Facilitate a game of “Who Am I” by placing the names and
representations of major organs or body parts of the nervous,
muscular, and skeletal systems (include sense organs and names
of familiar bones and muscles) on index cards and attaching one
card to the back of each student. Students should ask yes/no
questions of classmates until they can identify the organ then sort
themselves according to system.
Use a reex hammer to introduce the concept of reexes.
Facilitate a discussion regarding how such automatic reactions
might help the body.
Read How You’re Different From a Sea Star on pages 8-9 of Dive
In! (ELA 5) and identify differences in their respiratory systems.
Students may
Create a tower from ten inverted cups (i.e., four cups for the base
followed by three, then two, then one). They should start with
all cups stacked together and time how long it takes. Students
should continue to practice the activity to determine if practice
improves their time.
Consolidation
Students may
Carry out the reaction time investigation Drop It! on pages 12-13
in Gear Up! (ELA 5).
Measure reaction time using online reaction time tests.
Represent the structure of the skeletal system using pasta,
Q-tips™, stir sticks, or toothpicks as bones.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems (TR)
pp. 14-19
NL Science 5: Body Systems (SR)
pp. 8-11
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
How Quickly Can You React?
(BLM)
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric builder
(BLM)
IWB Activity 2
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.nl.ca/
curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-links.
html
Nervous, muscular, and
skeletal system resources
(websites and videos)
Reaction time tests (websites)
Other curriculum resources
Moving Up with Literacy Place
5 (ELA 5)
- Drop It! in Gear Up!
- How You’re Different From
a Sea Star in Dive In!
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
172 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Can You Build a Model of a Body System?
69.0 demonstrate how the
skeletal, muscular, and
nervous systems work
together to produce
movement
[GCO 3]
8.0 carry out procedures to
explore a given problem
and to ensure a fair test,
controlling major variables
[GCO 2]
9.0 select and use tools
[GCO 2]
28.0 identify problems as they
arise and collaborate with
others to nd solutions
[GCO 2]
Modelling is a scientic activity undertaken to make something easier
to understand or visualize. The use of modelling is suggested in
multiple places within this unit.
At this time, students should follow an engineering design and
problem solving process to construct a model of a human joint
that shows how the muscular and skeletal systems work together.
Common joints to model are the elbow and ngers.
In small collaborative groups, students should
decide whether they will construct a model of an elbow joint,
ngers, or some other joint;
briey research their joint to see how the bones and muscles
connect;
select the materials they will use for the different parts, decide
how to arrange and join the parts, and identify any tools needed;
devise and carry out a plan to construct the prototype;
test the prototype to determine if it moves as planned; and
suggest and carry out modications to improve the function of the
prototype.
Use of some tools may require adult supervision.
Students could be challenged to incorporate paired muscles into their
design, similar to biceps and triceps, that allow the joint to bend and
unbend when pulled.
During construction of the model, problems with materials, joiners,
and joining methods, as well as problems with the functioning
of the model will likely arise. Students should be encouraged to
persevere when encountering problems, to generate alternatives, and
collaborate to nd a solution.
Students should be expected to orally describe their model,
demonstrate how it works, and communicate problems their group
encountered during construction and how they solved them.
In addition to skill outcomes 8.0, 9.0, and 28.0, teachers may choose
to assess additional design and problem solving skills (e.g., 4.0, 6.0,
7.0, 12.0, 15.0, 16.0, 22.0, 26.0). Refer to the Integrated Skills unit for
elaboration.
Attitude
Encourage students to show concern for their safety and that of
others in planning and carrying out activities and in choosing and
using materials. [GCO 4]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 173
How Can You Build a Model of a Body System?
Activation
Teachers may
Present familiar objects that could be considered models of actual
objects (e.g., dolls, Lego™ structures, stuffed animals, toy cars).
Ask students what information about the object can be learned
from the model and what the limitations of the model are.
Connection
Teachers may
Provide a collection of “bone and muscle” materials (e.g.,
cardboard, card stock, dental oss, elastic bands, pipe cleaners,
stir sticks, paper or plastic straws, string, wool), joining materials
(e.g., brass paper fasteners, glues, tapes, twist ties, wire), and
construction tools (e.g., glue gun, scissors, single hole punch) for
students to select and use in constructing their models.
Consolidation
Students may
Construct a working model of a human joint to demonstrate how
bones and muscles work together to create movement. Digital
images may be captured to document the procedures followed,
problems that arose, and solutions found. Students should be
able to compare the workings of their model to an actual joint and
describe the limitations of their model.
Brainstorm medical conditions of the skeletal, muscular, or
nervous systems (e.g., arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome,
multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, osteoporosis, paralysis,
Parkinson’s disease, tendinitis) and discuss how they may affect
movement and other body functions.
Extension
Students may
Apply what they have learned to construct a model of a different
joint (e.g., grasshopper’s leg, snake’s jaw).
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems (TR)
pp. 20-21
NL Science 5: Body Systems (SR)
pp. 12-13
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
174 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Does Our Respiratory System Help Us Breathe?
68.0 describe the structure and
function of the major organs
of human body systems
[GCO 3]
68.2 describe the structure
and function of the
major organs of the
respiratory system
Students are expected to describe the structure and function of the
major organs of the respiratory system.
Students should describe the respiratory system as the body system
that provides the body with the oxygen it needs. The system includes
the nose, mouth, trachea (windpipe), lungs, and diaphragm. Air
comes into the body through the nose and mouth and travels through
the trachea into the lungs. This is made possible by the movement
of the diaphragm and muscles attached to the ribs. As the chest
expands, air is drawn into the body. Within the lungs, oxygen present
in the air passes to the blood and carbon dioxide waste present in
the blood passes to the air (i.e., gas exchange). Relaxation of the
diaphragm and the muscles attached to the ribs cause the chest
cavity to contract and squeeze the lungs. This forces the waste air out
of the body.
The air expelled from the body has more carbon dioxide and less
oxygen than the air breathed in. Inhaled air has about 21% oxygen,
78% nitrogen, and 1% other gases. Exhaled air contain 16% oxygen,
78% nitrogen, 5% carbon dioxide, and 1% other gases.
Students should also carry out an activity to measure their lung
capacity. Students could, for example, exhale into an empty plastic
bag and twist the bag shut. Measured amounts of water could be
added to an identical plastic bag to obtain a relative measurement of
air volume. Students should repeat their lung volume measurement to
ensure they are getting relatively consistent results.
The activity could lead to new questions for students to investigate
(e.g., Does age affect lung capacity?, SCO 24.0).
Attitude
Encourage students to show interest and curiosity about objects and
events within different environments. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Identify the major organs of the respiratory system in a provided
diagram and describe how those organs function to help us breathe.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 175
How Does Our Respiratory System Help Us Breathe?
Activation
Teachers may
Create a model lung and diaphragm. Stretch a cut balloon over
the bottom of a cut 2 L bottle, and tape the balloon in place.
Stretch a second balloon over the mouth of the bottle. Push and
pull on the bottom balloon (diaphragm) to suck the top balloon
(lung) into and out of the bottle.
Students may
Measure their respiration rate (i.e., breathing rate) by counting the
number of breaths they take in one minute.
Connection
Teachers may
Ask students to focus on the movement of their diaphragm and
the muscles attached to their ribs as they breathe normally,
breathe deeply, breathe through a straw, and cough.
Students may
Sketch the structure of the respiratory system and describe how
air enters and is expelled from the body.
Design and carry out an investigation to identify the affect of
exercise on respiration rate.
Read How You’re Different From a Shark on pages 8-9 of Work It!
(ELA 5) and identify differences in their respiratory systems.
Consolidation
Students may
Carry out a procedure to determine their personal lung capacity.
Students could fully exhale into a plastic bag, twist it shut, and
measure the volume. Students could compare their capacities
with classmates which may lead to new questions to investigate
(e.g., Do synchronized swimmers have larger lung capacities? Do
taller students have larger lung capacities?).
Discuss how the functioning of the respiratory system relies on
the muscular and skeletal systems.
Brainstorm respiratory-related medical conditions (e.g., allergies,
asthma, pneumonia, respiratory tract infections) and discuss how
they may affect the functioning of the respiratory system.
Extension
Students may
Research and explain what hiccups are and how they relate to
the respiratory system.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 22-25
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 14-15
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 3
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Respiratory system
resources (websites and
videos)
Other curriculum resources
Moving Up with Literacy
Place 5 (ELA 5)
- How You’re Different
From a Shark in Work It!
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
176 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Do Our Digestive and Excretory Systems Work?
68.0 describe the structure and
function of the major organs
of human body systems
[GCO 3]
68.3 describe the structure
and function of the
major organs of the
digestive and excretory
systems
Students are expected to describe the structure and function of the
major organs of the digestive and excretory system.
Students should describe the digestive system as the system that
provides the body with water and nutrients. The major organs of the
system include the mouth, esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large
intestine, and rectum. For the purpose of this course, inclusion of
the pancreas, gallbladder, and liver is optional. Food enters the body
through the mouth where it is broken down and moistened. When
swallowed, food enters the esophagus and is pushed to the stomach.
Stomach muscles, acids, and other chemicals liquefy the food. In the
small intestine nutrients are removed and enter the blood stream.
Water is removed in the large intestine and what remains is turned
into solid waste. The waste is stored in the rectum and eventually
pushed out through the anus.
To aid student understanding of the structure and function of the
digestive system, students should, follow an engineering design
process to construct a model of the system. This modelling activity
provides another opportunity to assess numerous skill outcomes
(e.g., 4.0, 6.0, 7.0, 8.0, 9.0, 15.0, 16.0, 22.0, 26.0, 28.0). Refer to the
Integrated Skills unit for elaboration.
Students should describe the excretory system as the system that
cleans the body’s blood and gets rid of waste. The major organs
include the kidneys and bladder. When the body uses the nutrients
provided by the digestive system, waste is created and carried away
by the blood. As the blood circulates through the kidneys, waste (i.e.,
urea) and excess water are removed, and urine forms. Urine is stored
in the bladder until it can be released.
Students should also recognize that both the digestive and excretory
systems rely on other body systems to achieve their function. The
nervous, skeletal, muscular, and circulatory systems, for example, all
have roles to play in digestion. Similarly, the digestive and circulatory
systems work together with the excretory system.
Attitude
Encourage students to work collaboratively while exploring and
investigating. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Using a model of the digestive system as a visual prompt, describe
the process of digestion, from mouth to anus. Include the names and
function of major organs in the description.
Describe the function of the kidneys in the excretory system.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 177
How Do Our Digestive and Excretory Systems Work?
Teachers may choose to address the circulatory system (SCO 68.4,
p. 178) before addressing the digestive and excretory systems.
Activation
Teachers may
Ask students to consider and discuss why their body needs food
and why they need to urinate.
Connection
Students may
Model the digestive functions of the mouth by placing a cracker
inside a sealed zip top bag. They should squeeze the bag
with their ngers (teeth and tongue). Students could continue
squeezing, after a small amount of water (saliva) has been
added, using an eyedropper, to moisten the food.
Model food digestion by following the procedure found in Digest
It! on pages 12-13 of Dive In! (ELA 5).
Model the ltration function of the kidneys by pouring red
coloured water (blood) mixed with a solid (e.g., ground coffee or
pepper, sand) through a lter (e.g., coffee lter, lter paper). The
material captured by the lter represents cellular wastes.
Model the dilution of urea and formation of urine by mixing one
drop of yellow food colouring into a larger volume of water.
Read How You’re Different From a Cow on pages 8-9 of Take Off!
(ELA 5) and identify differences in their digestive systems.
Consolidation
Students may
Construct, in small collaborative groups, a model of the human
digestive system.
Create a multi-tab foldable to communicate the main function of
the parts of the major organs of the digestive system.
Brainstorm digestive and excretory-related medical conditions
(e.g., acid reux, Crohn’s disease, colitis, kidney failure, kidney
stones, ulcers, urinary tract infections) and discuss how they may
affect the functioning of these systems.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 26-33
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 16-21
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Design and Problem Solving
rubric builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 4
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Digestive and excretory
system resources (websites
and videos)
Other curriculum resources
Moving Up with Literacy
Place 5 (ELA 5)
- How You’re Different
From a Cow in Take Off!
- Digest It! in Dive In!
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
178 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Does Our Circulatory System Work?
68.0 describe the structure and
function of the major organs
of human body systems
[GCO 3]
68.4 describe the structure
and function of the
major organs of the
circulatory system
Students are expected to describe the structure and function of the
major organs of the circulatory system.
Students should describe the circulatory system as the system that
carries blood around the body, delivering oxygen, nutrients, and
water to cells. The circulatory system includes the heart, arteries,
veins, and capillaries. The right side of the heart pumps blood to the
lungs, where it picks up oxygen. The blood returns to the left side of
the heart, which then pumps the oxygen-rich blood through arteries
to all other parts of the body. Veins carry oxygen-poor blood back to
the right side of the heart. This blood is high in carbon dioxide waste.
Arteries and veins connect through microscopic capillaries which
carry blood to and from every cell of the body. As blood moves from
arteries through the capillaries, oxygen, nutrients (obtained from the
small intestine), water (obtained from the large intestine), and other
substances pass into the cells and waste passes into the blood. This
waste-lled blood then travels back through veins to eventually reach
the lungs and kidneys for waste removal.
Additional functions of the circulatory system include
temperature regulation (i.e., carrying heat through the body); and
carrying the cells (i.e., white blood cells) and antibodies of the
immune system to ght infections (While not a focus of SCO 38.0,
aspects of the immune system are explored later in the unit).
Students are expected to be able to locate and measure their own
pulse. They should understand that a pulse is felt as blood is pushed
through an artery. Each pulse is one heartbeat. The importance of
accuracy and honesty when measuring and recording pulse should
be discussed. Discourage students from “making up” data when they
lose their pulse during measurement or when their measured pulse is
not what they expected or hoped for. Teachers should monitor for this
type of measurement bias. Bias may be evident if student data falls
outside average values (i.e., 60-100 beats/minute for ages 10 and up)
or if their repeated measurements vary signicantly.
Students should recognize that the circulatory system works with all
other body systems.
Attitude
Encourage students to willingly observe, question, explore, and
investigate. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Describe how the heart, arteries, veins, and capillaries work together
as a system to provide the cells of the body what they require to
function.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 179
How Does Our Circulatory System Work?
Activation
Students may
Use a stethoscope to listen to their heart beat.
Connection
Teachers may
Ask students to observe the veins which may be visible on their
forearms. Some veins are close to the surface of the body and
appear blue in colour.
Ask students to locate their pulse using two ngers placed on
their inner wrist or below their ear and describe what they are
feeling.
Practice measuring their pulse for 15, 20, 30, or 60 seconds and
calculating pulse rate.
Determine their resting pulse rate. Multiple measurements
should be taken to conrm the rate. Discrepancies identied in
measurements should be discussed.
View a sphygmomanometer being used to measure blood
pressure and collaboratively discuss how it might work and what
it might measure.
Read How You’re Different From a Grasshopper on pages 8-9
of Gear Up! (ELA 5) and identify differences in their circulatory
systems.
Consolidation
Students may
List the materials that are transported around the body by the
circulatory system and identify which other body systems each
material involves.
Discuss ways in which the circulatory system helps other body
systems.
Brainstorm circulatory-related medical conditions (e.g., aneurysm,
atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease, heart attack, high blood
pressure, stroke) and discuss how they may affect the circulation
of the blood.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 34-37
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 22-23
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Image bank
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Circulatory system resources
(websites and videos)
Other curriculum resources
Moving Up with Literacy
Place 5 (ELA 5)
- How You’re Different
From a Grasshopper in
Gear Up!
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
180 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
Does Physical Activity Affect Our Heart Rate?
68.0 describe the structure and
function of the major organs
of human body systems
[GCO 3]
68.4 describe the structure
and function of the
major organs of the
circulatory system
63.0 demonstrate processes
for investigating scientic
questions and solving
technological problems
[GCO 1]
1.0 propose a question to
investigate and practical
problem to solve
[GCO 2]
2.0 rephrase questions in a
testable form
[GCO 2]
4.0 dene objects and events in
their investigations
[GCO 2]
14.0 record observations
[GCO 2]
18.0 compile and display data
[GCO 2]
19.0 identify and suggest
explanations for patterns
and discrepancies in the
data collected
[GCO 2]
Students are expected, in small collaborative groups, to carry out
an open inquiry investigation to determine the effect of physical
activity on heart rate. Open inquiry allows students to demonstrate
prociency in applying science inquiry processes and related skills to
nd answers to their questions.
Students should
propose their own question to investigate and phrase it in a
testable form;
state a prediction and a hypothesis;
dene physical activity (e.g., Will the test subject do push ups,
jumping jacks, or climb stairs?, How long will they exercise? How
many times will they repeat the activity?) and heart rate (e.g., Will
pulse be found on the neck or wrist? Will it be measured for 30 or
60 seconds? What unit of measure will be used?);
identify the major variables (i.e., independent, dependent, and
control variables);
devise and carry out procedures to ensure a fair test, controlling
major variables;
select and use tools for measuring time and pulse rate;
record observations;
compile and display the data;
identify and suggest explanations for patterns and discrepancies
in their data; and
draw a conclusion that answers the initial question.
These investigations provide an opportunity to readdress the concept
of fairness in scientic testing (e.g., Were activities done at the same
speed or intensity? Was pulse rate always measured as soon as the
subject stopped exercising? Was pulse allowed to return to normal
before a second trial was completed? What was done if pulse could
not be found immediately or was “lost” during measurements?).
While students may already be aware that physical activity causes
an increase in heart rate, they may not understand the relationship
between exercise and the oxygen demand of muscle cells, and the
role of the circulatory system to provide the oxygen.
In addition to SCOs 1.0, 2.0, 4.0, 14.0, 18.0, and 19.0, teachers could
assess SCOs 3.0, 5.0, 6.0, 8.0, 11.0, 12.0, 21.0, 24.0, and 26.0. Refer
to the Integrated Skills unit for elaboration.
Attitude
Encourage students to
work collaboratively while exploring and investigating,
consider their own observations and ideas as well as those of
others during investigations and before drawing conclusions, and
appreciate the importance of accuracy and honesty. [GCO 4]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 181
Does Physical Activity Affect Our Heart Rate?
Connection
Teachers may
Revisit the concept of fairness by acting out unfair tests (e.g.,
measure resting pulse rate then measure active pulse rate after
putting on a winter coat, intensely exercising for one trial and
slowing down for a second trial).
Discuss the importance of multiple trials in science testing to
ensure the reliability of measurements.
Students may
Keep a daily activity/pulse rate journal. They should measure
their pulse at various times during the day, and record it along
with a description of the activity in which they were engaged
(e.g., eating lunch, playing outside, reading, singing, walking).
Inquiry questions to investigate could arise from analysis of their
completed journal.
Determine their resting pulse rate, if not previously done. Multiple
measurements should be taken to conrm the reliability of their
measurement. Resting pulse rate may be used for comparison
when investigating the effects of physical activity on heart rate.
Consolidation
Students may
View video of group members carrying out investigations to
determine if procedures were fairly carried out over multiple trials.
If the testing was not fair, identify the variable(s) that was not
controlled, modify the procedure, and repeat the investigation.
Create before and after bar graphs to compare their resting pulse
rate with their active pulse rate.
Present to their classmates; communicating the question
investigated, procedures followed, problems encountered, and
conclusions drawn.
Discuss other factors that may affect pulse rate and propose new
questions to investigate.
Extension
Students may
Devise and carry out open inquiry investigations to determine the
effect of other factors (e.g., age, body temperature, gender, time
since last meal) on pulse rate.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 38-41
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 24-25
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
182 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
What Does Our Skin Do?
70.0 describe the role of the skin
[GCO 3]
1.0 propose a question to
investigate and practical
problem to solve
[GCO 2]
Students should describe skin as an organ covering the entire body.
Skin has many functions:
Skin is a sense organ. It sends information to the brain regarding
pain, pressure, temperature, and the texture of surfaces.
Skin protects the body from injury. It produces a pigment
(melanin) to block harmful UV rays and produces vitamin D (an
essential nutrient for health).
Skin helps regulate body temperature. When cold, skin triggers
shivering to increase blood ow. When warm, glands in the skin
release sweat which have a cooling effect.
Skin helps the body remain hydrated by keeping water inside.
Skin is the rst line of defense against infection.
To enhance awareness and understanding of some of these
functions, students should, in small collaborative groups, propose,
devise, and carry out investigations to test how various conditions
affect peeled and unpeeled apples. The apple peel is a model for
human skin.
Students could choose to
place a peeled and unpeeled apple in fresh water, salt water,
vinegar water, or water coloured with food colouring;
place the apples under direct, articial lighting or in different
temperature environments; or
gently rub the apples with sand paper or drop them repeatedly.
Depending on the condition chosen, observations could be made
immediately or over a period of one or more days. Observations may
be quantitative (e.g., change in mass) or qualitative (e.g., esh of the
apple absorbs the food colouring).
In addition to SCO 1.0, teachers could assess SCOs 2.0, 3.0, 4.0,
5.0, 6.0, 8.0, 12.0, 14.0, 18.0, 21.0, 24.0, and 26.0. Refer to the
Integrated Skills unit for elaboration.
Students should also recognize, through a directed inquiry
investigation, that the sensitivity of the skin varies. Some parts of our
skin are more sensitive than others.
Attitude
Encourage students to demonstrate perseverance and a desire to
understand. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Predict what skin-related roles might be affected if a person suffers
large burns to their body.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 183
What Does Our Skin Do?
Connection
Teachers may
Have students place a small drop of hand lotion, vegetable oil,
and water onto a paper towel, wax paper, and their forearm. Ask
them to observe the drops without disturbing them and compare
the results for different materials. What can be learned about our
skin from these observations?
Encourage students to hypothesize how Band-Aids™ help protect
infections and encourage healing.
Students may
Place a drop of rubbing alcohol on their skin or wipe with an
alcohol swab and describe how their skin feels. This activity
models the evaporative cooling effect sweat has on the body.
Model the UV blocking role of the skin by rubbing sunscreen into
the front of their hands and carefully placing them palm down
onto a piece of dark coloured construction paper. When placed
in sunlight, UV light will cause the colour of the construction
paper to fade in untouched areas. While skin contains natural UV
protection, the routine use of sunscreen is recommended when
outdoors.
Model the skin’s role in maintaining hydration by covering a slice
of bread in plastic wrap and comparing with an unwrapped slice.
Consolidation
Students may
Propose questions to investigate or problems to solve related to
the ability of an apple skin to protect the apple, keep materials
out, and keep moisture in.
Devise and carry out guided inquiry investigations, to determine
how various conditions affect peeled and unpeeled apples.
Devise and test procedures to prevent apple slices from losing
moisture and decomposing.
Discuss how skin-related technologies (adhesive bandages,
articial skin, skin care products, skin grafts, stitches, sunscreen)
may help meet needs and solve problems.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 46-53
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 30-33
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
IWB Activity 5
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Skin resources (websites
and videos)
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
184 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
What Are Our Body’s Defenses?
71.0 describe the body’s
defenses against infections
[GCO 3]
Students should describe the body’s two primary lines of defence
against infection:
The rst line of defense consists of physical and chemical
barriers. Skin provides a physical barrier. Tears, ear wax, saliva,
mucus, and stomach acids are some of the liquids the body
produces to protect vulnerable surfaces. These liquids either trap
and sweep germs away or contain chemicals which destroy them.
The second line of defense is the body’s immune system. White
blood cells detect germs that get past the rst line of defence and
make antibodies which attach to and destroy them.
Note that “germ” is used in this curriculum to represent infection
causing organisms (e.g., some bacteria and viruses).
Students should describe active immunity; the ability of the
immune system to rapidly respond to a reinfection by a previously
encountered germ. The antibodies made by white blood cells to
destroy a specic germ, remain in the blood long after the infection.
As a result, the body retains a “memory” of the specic germ. This
enables rapid response to reinfection by the same germ.
Student understanding of active immunity should be applied to
explain how vaccines work. Vaccines contain partially destroyed
germs that are incapable of causing illness. When inoculated with
them, the body makes and retains “memories” of antibodies to
destroy. If the body is ever infected by these live germs, the immune
“knows” how to destroy them and rapidly responds.
Students should engage in a directed activity to model how easily
germs can spread. Small amounts of different coloured glitter, for
example, could be placed on the hands of selected students. These
“infected” students could then be asked to shake hands with three
classmates. Those classmates could shake hands with three other
students, and so on, until all students have participated. All students
should examine their hands and record the different colours present
prior to washing the glitter off.
Cross curricular connections can be made to Health outcomes related
to personal hygiene and prevention of disease.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
Sample Performance Indicator
Describe how skin, mucus, stomach acid, and white blood cells
affect germs.
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 185
What Are Our Body’s Defenses?
Activation
Teachers may
Ask students to share experiences when they had an infection
and infer how they developed it.
Connection
Teachers may
Facilitate a discussion regarding possible routes germs may enter
the body (e.g., abrasions and cuts in the skin, ear canal, eyes,
mouth, nasal passages) and the physical (e.g., skin, membranes
of the digestive and respiratory systems) and chemical barriers
(e.g., ear wax, mucus, saliva, stomach acids, tears) which
prevent infection.
Present the function of white blood cells as a ow chart
Students may
Collaboratively discuss and infer how tears, ear wax, mucus, and
saliva may help defend against infections.
Describe how the body defends against germs ingested with
food.
Describe how the immune system “remembers” germs that
previously entered the body.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Provide examples of and discuss diseases covered by
vaccinations available in Newfoundland and Labrador.
Students may
Brainstorm practices that may help prevent the spread of germs
(e.g., avoid touching eyes, nose, and mouth, clean surfaces,
wash hands, get vaccinated).
Represent a white blood cell as an infection ghting “superhero”.
Annotate a sketch of their superhero with a description of its
superpowers.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 54-57
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 34-37
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Skills and Processes for
Scientic Inquiry rubric
builder (BLM)
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Immune system resources
(websites and videos)
Vaccination resources
(websites and videos)
germs enter the
inner body
white blood cells detect
germs and make antibodies
antibodies travel
through blood stream
antibodies attach to germs
and destroy them
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
186 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Does Our Body Change?
72.0 relate bodily changes
during puberty to growth
and development
[GCO 3]
Body systems, working together, allow the human body to grow and
develop.
The human body grows and develops in a relatively uniform way
until the onset of puberty. This period of change is triggered and
controlled by the endocrine system. The endocrine system produces
hormones which act on different parts of the body, causing a variety
of developmental changes.
Students should relate growth spurts, changes in body shape, nal
development of reproductive organs, development of pubic, body, and
facial hair, deepening of the voice, and the onset of body odour and
acne, as body changes typical of puberty.
Teachers should treat this topic with sensitivity and relate to students
that the onset of puberty and the rate of change is unique to each
individual.
Cross curricular connections may be made to Health outcomes
related to growth, development, puberty, reproduction, body image,
and mental health.
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 187
How Does Our Body Change?
Connection
Students may
Discuss how their body systems have changed since they were
an infant.
- How has your nervous system changed?
- How has your skeletal system changed?
- How has your muscular system changed?
- How has your respiratory system changed?
- How has your digestive system changed?
- How has your circulatory system changed?
- How has your immune system changed?
Students could be divided into small groups with each group
discussing a different question and reporting back the main points
of their conversation.
Analyze bar graphs depicting how an individual’s height changed
with age from birth to adulthood. Identify periods of rapid change
in height (i.e., growth spurts) and the age at which height stopped
changing.
Connection
Students may
Identify typical body changes that occur during puberty.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 58-61
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 38-39
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Image bank
Supplementary
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Puberty resources (websites
and videos)
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
188 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Can We Keep Our Body Systems Healthy?
73.0 describe nutritional and
other requirements for
maintaining a healthy body
[GCO 3]
20.0 evaluate the usefulness
of different information
sources in answering a
question
[GCO 2]
The digestive system provides the body with the nutrients it requires
to grow, develop, and maintain health:
Carbohydrates (starchy and sweet foods) provide energy to cells.
Proteins (from meat, beans, and dairy) are needed for important
cell functions and are a major component of muscles.
Fats and oils (from both plants and animals) provide energy to
the body, are used to build new cells, and are important for brain
growth and development.
Vitamins (e.g., vitamin D) perform many functions, however, they
are only needed in small amounts.
Minerals (e.g., calcium, iron) are important for bone growth and
the operation of muscles and nerves.
Water is required for the functioning of every cell, tissue, and
organ in the body.
Some nutrients are needed in large amounts and some in very small
amounts. To meet these nutritional requirements, students should
recognize that they need to eat a variety of foods from different
food groups (i.e., vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and
alternatives, meat and alternatives). Students should review healthy
eating recommendations from different information sources, including
Canada’s Food Guide, and evaluate their usefulness.
In addition to balanced nutrition, students should identify physical
activity, adequate sleep, good hygiene, and personal injury protection,
as other requirements to maintain a healthy body.
Cross curricular connections may be made to Health outcomes
related nutrition, active living, self care, injury prevention and safety,
and mental health.
Students should brainstorm and describe examples of technologies,
both products and processes, used in their community or region to
help people maintain their health (e.g., breast feeding, u shots,
hand sanitizer, iodized salt, medical checkups, nutritional drinks,
medications, personal protective equipment, sports safety equipment,
seat belts, soap dispensers, sunblock, vaccines, water bottle relling
stations, water treatment and uoridation).
Students should identify careers that help people maintain their
health. Students should be encouraged to identify as many relevant
careers as possible.
Attitude
Encourage students to
show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientic
and technological elds,
become aware of potential dangers. [GCO 4]
37.0 describe and compare
tools, techniques, and
materials used by different
people in their community
and region to meet their
needs
[GCO1]
38.0 identify individuals in
their community who
work in science and
technology related areas
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 189
How Can We Keep Our Body Systems Healthy?
Connections
Teachers may
Present objects from a mystery box (e.g., apple, bag of potato
chips, salt, children’s vitamins, skipping rope, video game, bar of
soap, pillow). Ask students to suggest how the objects relate to
keeping body systems healthy.
Present the Canada’s Food Guide as a source of nutritional
information that recommends the number of servings of
vegetables and fruit, grain products, milk and alternatives, and
meat and alternatives.
Students may
Identify and locate age-appropriate sources of information
related to nutrition. They should evaluate the usefulness of
different resources in helping answer the question, “What are the
recommended food choices and number of servings for someone
my age?”.
Collaboratively brainstorm products and processes used in their
community to help people maintain their health.
Collaboratively brainstorm a diverse list of individuals in their
community or region whose career helps people to maintain their
health.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Present daily food intake information for ctitious individuals.
Ask students to analyze and compare the information with
recommended servings from the Canada’s Food Guide, and
make recommendations for improvement.
Invite a community member with a health-related career to
present to class; sharing what they do and the tools, techniques,
and materials they use in their job.
Students may
Keep a journal of foods eaten and the number of servings for one
day and compare with recommendations from the Canada’s Food
Guide.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 62-65
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 40-43
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
IWB Activities 6 and 7
Image bank
NL Science 5: Online Student
Centre
Science Skills Toolkit
Suggested
Resource Links: www.k12pl.
nl.ca/curr/k-6/sci/sci-5/resource-
links.html
Nutritional resources
(websites)
Other curriculum resources
Good Enough to Eat,
(Science 3 Science Library)
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
190 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Do We Use Science and Technology to Stay Healthy?
36.0 identify examples of
scientic questions and
technological problems
addressed in the past
[GCO 1]
Students should be introduced to traditional, local remedies for
common aliments (e.g., cough drops made from kerosene, ginger,
liniment, and molasses, bread poultice for infected cuts and sores,
mustard plaster for chest congestion). They should recognize that,
in the past, people turned to materials in their kitchen cupboards
and local environment to nd cures for health-related problems. The
technologies used in the past to address these aliments are likely
very different from those used today.
Students should recognize that science and technology have
a reciprocal relationship; technologies contribute to scientic
discoveries and these discoveries lead to new inventions and
applications. Students should describe how technologies such as
the microscope, stethoscope, x-ray, surgery, and dissection have
contributed to medical knowledge and discoveries. They should also
describe how scientic knowledge led to various new inventions
and applications such as exercise machines, hearing-related
technologies, and prosthetic limbs.
Students should recognize that these scientic discoveries and
technological innovations can be made by individuals of different
cultures. They should provide examples of
Canadians who have made signicant contributions to health
science (e.g., Charles Banting and Frederick Best developed
insulin to treat diabetes, Wilfred Bigelow was the rst surgeon
to use hypothermia as a procedure during heart surgery and his
work led to the development of cardiac pacemaker);
contributions by non-Canadians (e.g., Alexander Fleming
discovered penicillin, Chinese acupuncture, Louis Pasteur
discovered the principles of vaccination, Wilhelm Röntgen’s
research led to the development of the x-ray machine); and
contributions by indigenous peoples (e.g., use of willow bark to
treat pain and fever which led to the development of Aspirin, use
of leaves and bark of evergreen trees in teas to prevent illnesses
caused by vitamin C deciencies).
Attitude
Encourage students to
appreciate the role and contribution of science and technology in
their understanding of the world,
recognize that individuals of any cultural background can
contribute equally to science, and
show interest in the activities of individuals working in scientic
and technological elds. [GCO 4]
31.0 describe examples of tools
and techniques that have
contributed to scientic
discoveries
[GCO 1]
48.0 describe instances where
scientic ideas and
discoveries have led to new
inventions and applications
[GCO 1]
74.0 provide examples of
Canadians who have
contributed to science and
technology
[GCO 1]
43.0 identify scientic
discoveries and
technological innovations
of people from different
cultures
[GCO 1]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 191
How Do We Use Science and Technology to Stay Healthy?
Connection
Teachers may
As part of a cooperative jigsaw activity, present student groups
with familiar health-related problems (e.g., allergic reaction,
broken bone, cough and cold, infected cut, sunburn, toothache,
vision problem) and ask them to brainstorm how these problems
might have been addressed in the past (research may be
involved). Students should then identify modern technologies
(i.e., products and processes) that could be used to address the
same problems today.
Present images of old medical tools and ask students to predict
what they might have been used for. Then, present images of
modern medical tools for comparison.
Present time lines that depict how medical technologies has
evolved over time.
Students may
List medical technologies they are familiar with, explain what they
do, and how they help people stay healthy.
Choose a health-related profession and brainstorm technologies
(i.e., tools and techniques) they might use in treating clients or
patients.
Consolidation
Students may
Discuss what scientic knowledge and discoveries may have
resulted from development of antibiotics, blood pressure
monitors, blood tests, clinical thermometers, eye charts,
microscopes, ophthalmoscope, otoscopes, reex hammer,
stethoscopes, ultrasound, and x-rays.
Brainstorm signicant medical-related discoveries and/or
inventions and debate which one has had the greatest impact on
helping people stay healthy.
Brainstorm a tool that could lead to new scientic discoveries, if
engineers could design and build it.
Create trading cards of signicant contributors to health science.
Design a backpack that addresses health and safety concerns
related to student use of heavy backpacks.
Extension
Students may
Research alternative medicines (e.g., ancient Chinese medicine,
Ayurvedic medicine, homeopathy, traditional medicine)
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 66-67
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 44-47
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
IWB Activity 8
Image bank
Outcomes
BODY SYSTEMS
Focus for Learning
Students will be expected to
192 SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017
How Can Technologies Improve Living Conditions?
40.0 provide examples of how
science and technology
have been used to
solve problems in their
community and region
[GCO 1]
49.0 describe examples of
technologies that have
been developed to improve
living conditions
[GCO 1]
Students should explore and provide examples of technologies used
in their community, or by members of their community, to solve health-
related problems or improve quality of life.
Examples may include, but should not be limited to,
chiropractic medicine, massage therapy, physiotherapy;
diagnostic imaging (e.g., X-ray, MRI, CT or PET scanners);
dental devices and procedures;
dialysis, insulin pumps, pace maker;
dietetics, feeding tubes, nutritional supplements;
rst aid kits and training, medical alert bracelets, automated
external debrillator;
hearing technologies (e.g., cochlear implants, hearing aids, sign
language);
mental health counselling;
mobility aids (e.g., accessible transportation, grab bars, orthotics,
prosthetics, lifts, walkers, wheelchairs);
physical activity equipment;
prescription medications, EpiPens™;
public health programs (e.g., vaccinations), telemedicine;
surgery, joint replacement, organ transplant; and
vision correction (e.g., contacts, glasses, laser surgery).
Attitude
Encourage students to appreciate the role and contribution of science
and technology in their understanding of the world. [GCO 4]
Sample Teaching and Assessment Strategies Resources and Notes
SECTION THREE: SPECIFIC CURRICULUM OUTCOMES
SCIENCE 5 CURRICULUM GUIDE 2017 193
How Can Technologies Improve Living Conditions?
Connection
Teachers may
Provide ctitious examples of individuals with different health-
related problems (e.g., a person with kidney failure). Then, create
a list of technologies each individual may use to help solve
their problem or improve their quality of life. Ensure the list of
technologies includes both devices and processes.
Compile a master list of health-related technologies.
Invite the public health nurse to present to the class on current
public-health issues and the technologies available to help solve
the problem or improve conditions.
Students may
Consider a health-related problem of a family or community
member and list technologies used to help solve their problem.
Classify technologies according to the body system they support.
Consolidation
Teachers may
Provide a short list of unfamiliar health-related technologies (e.g.,
compression stockings, kinesio tape). Ask students to select and
research one technology to determine the health-related problem
it addresses.
Authorized
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(TR)
pp. 68-71
NL Science 5: Body Systems
(SR)
pp. 48-49
NL Science 5: Online Teaching
Centre
Image bank
September 2017
ISBN: 978-1-55146-653-8