Montague Township School District
Science Curriculum Guide
Grade 5
2025-2026
Deb Vigorito · Alexandria Zeim
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Description
This Grade 5 science curriculum encompasses six units that address matter, energy, ecosystems, Earth systems, and Earth-sun-moon interactions. The year progresses from understanding the nature of matter and its properties through investigations of chemical and physical changes, then moves into life science concepts centered on energy flow and matter cycling in ecosystems. Students then study Earth's water systems, the interactions between Earth's four major systems (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere), and finally examine observable patterns created by Earth's position and motion relative to the sun and moon. Throughout the year, students engage in the science practices of developing and using models, planning and carrying out investigations, analyzing and interpreting data, and constructing evidence-based arguments.
Big Ideas
- Matter is made of particles too small to see, and the total amount of matter is conserved when it changes form.
- Energy from the sun flows through ecosystems via food, and matter cycles continuously between living and nonliving components.
- Earth's four major systems (geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere) interact in multiple ways to shape the planet's surface and support life.
- Observable patterns in the sky result from Earth's rotation and orbit around the sun, and the moon's orbit around Earth.
- Human activities affect Earth's resources and environment, but communities can use science to protect and sustain them.
Essential Questions
- How can we describe and identify matter based on its properties?
- What happens to matter when it changes form or mixes with other substances?
- How does energy move through ecosystems and where does it come from?
- How do Earth's major systems interact and change over time?
- What patterns do we observe in Earth's relationships with the sun and moon?
Core Textbook
Mosa Mack Science — Mosa Mack
Crosscutting Concepts
Disciplinary Core Ideas
Science and Engineering Practices
Students use informational texts and digital sources to conduct research, gather evidence, and build knowledge across all science units. They quote accurately from texts, draw inferences, summarize and paraphrase information in science notebooks, write opinion pieces supporting claims with evidence, and incorporate multimedia components into presentations. Reading informational texts and writing research-based explanations are explicitly aligned to science performance expectations throughout all six units.
Students apply mathematical reasoning and computational thinking across all units. They measure and graph physical quantities such as weight, volume, and temperature; use coordinate plane graphing to represent scientific data; convert measurement units within standard systems; and reason abstractly and quantitatively when analyzing data as evidence for scientific explanations. Mathematical practices including modeling with mathematics and using appropriate tools strategically are integrated throughout investigation and data analysis activities.
Assessment throughout the year uses a three-part approach. Formative assessments are embedded in each unit to check understanding of concepts and practices as learning unfolds. These include observations during investigations, data collection and graphing exercises, and argument-building with evidence. Benchmark assessments at the end of each unit measure students' mastery of key performance expectations using written tests, model-building tasks, and data interpretation activities. Alternative assessments include concept maps, presentations with multimedia components, and design challenges that allow students to demonstrate understanding in varied modalities. Accommodations for English language learners, students with special needs, students at risk, and gifted learners are integrated throughout all assessments.
| Unit | Formative | Summative | Benchmark | Alternative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Properties of Matter | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 02Changes to Matter | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 03Energy and Matter in Ecosystems | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 04Water on Earth | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 05Earth Systems | ✓ | ✓ | — | ✓ |
| 06Interactions Within the Earth, Sun, and Moon System | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage | 6/6 | 6/6 | 2/2 | 6/6 |
| Unit | IEP | 504 | MLL | At-Risk | Gifted |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01Properties of Matter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 02Changes to Matter | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 03Energy and Matter in Ecosystems | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 04Water on Earth | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 05Earth Systems | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| 06Interactions Within the Earth, Sun, and Moon System | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Coverage | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 | 6/6 |