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Science · Grade 5

Food, Energy and Living Systems

The energy in your breakfast was once sunlight. Learners use models to trace the energy in food back to the sun, then argue from historical and simulated evidence that a plant builds its body mostly from air and water, not soil. Finally they follow energy along food chains and describe how animals use food energy for growth, repair, motion and warmth.

  • 3 lessons
  • About 105 minutes
  • Food, energy and plant growth check: 9 questions
  • Ways to answer: choose an answer, highlight a text, match pairs, type a number, put in order and sort into groups
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What learners will discover

  • Use models to describe that the energy in animals' food was once energy from the sun, captured by plants.
  • Support an argument with evidence that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.
  • Use food chain models to show how energy moves from the sun through organisms, and describe how animals use food energy for growth, repair, motion and warmth.

Lessons

  1. The sun is the source 5 steps3 practiceabout 32 min
  2. Where does a plant's mass come from? 6 steps3 practiceabout 36 min
  3. Energy along food chains 7 steps3 practiceabout 37 min
  4. Food, energy and plant growth check 9 questions at the end

Keep exploring

Games to practice with

  • Marble MountainLay straights, curves, drops and splitters to roll marbles down the mountain.
  • Bridge LabBuild a bridge from beams, brace it with triangles, and stay on budget.
  • Circuit Workshop 3DWire up batteries, bulbs and switches on a 3D workbench.

More 5th grade science

Guide for grown-ups