Hands on Activities for every 5th Grade Standard

PROPERTIES OF MATTER

States of Matter - Use songs found online / Discovery Education for students to perform portions of the lyrics to review learned concepts - Dr. Lodge Mccammon, Mr. Parr, They Might Be Giants are a few.

Sum of the parts of the Whole - place a 10g weight on one side of a spring scale while determining the amount of unifix cubes for an equivalent weight.  once found, remove cubes to determine the weight of one cube

create a construct of a set number of cubes while placing the same amount separated on the other side of the scale to understand its equivalency

Physical / Chemical Changes - prepare many situations for students engage to identify and explain whether it is a physical or chemical change.  some may even be extended to determine if its a mixture or a solution

examples include:  nails / rusty nails - chemical, ice melting - physical, sharpening pencils - physical, vinegar and baking soda - chemical / solution, playing with clay - physical, popping balloons with a thumbtack - physical, light a match and using a lighter - chemical, drawing on paper with crayons - physcial, blowing bubbles - physical / solution, eating candy - physical (chewing), chemical (digestion), potted plant - chemical (photosynthesis)

Solution - create tye dye name tags with shaving cream and food coloring.  Stir in the colors into a pattern and place the name tag paper down onto the colored shaving cream.  Scrape off the excess with a ruler

Physical / Chemical Changes with Elements 4d by DAQRI - free app with printable paper cubes when scanned show what the element looks like plus more.  Combine two elements (H and O) and watch it turn to water

Chemical Change / Solution - use the small film containers found in most science kits and TAPE alka seltzer tablets to the lid of the cannister.  Add water, close the lid and flip the canister over, to watch the show.

HEAT TRANSFER

Conduction vs Insulation - gather different types of containers - paper cups, styrofoam cups, soup can, etc and place ice water and very warm water in them for students to feel the outside of the cups to ascertain whether the materials are decent conductors or insulators.  you can extend by measuring the temperature inside and outside the containers to compare.

Conduction / Insulation with Makey Makey - Attach Makey makey to anything in the classroom to identify and explain which materials can conduct and which are good insulators

Transfer of Energy - place ice cubes on top of several different types of materials and time it takes for the cube to melt:  piece of metal, plastic, rubber, fabric (metal will melt the fastest)

WEATHER

Air Pressure - Using a Coke bottle and a quarter, place the bottle in ice for a few minutes while a partner rubs his/her hands together to generate heat from friction.  Place the bottle on the table with a WET quarter you dipped in water, resting on top and keep hold of the bottle with your warm hands.  Watch the quarter move

Air Pressure Hover Tanks -  using balloons, tape, straws and Styrofoam from packaging and create hover crafts.  Attach the straws to to the balloon and tie to ensure no air escapes.  Tie the straws onto the Styrofoam and blow into them to inflate the balloon.  Place the “tanks” onto the ground and let go and watch them move about the room.

Coriolis Effect - using small lazy susans found cheap at bed bath and beyond, cut circles from file folders that match the circumference of the susans.  Students draw straight lines across when it is NOT spinning and try again when it is spinning to demonstrate the effect.  

Coriolis Effect 2 - roll marbles across when not spinning and when it is spinning for same effect.  Try spinning the marble while the susan is spinning for different effects

Severe Storms - place a large map on the floor with some assorted toy trees, houses, people etc. Simulate severe storms using a top and a frisbee.  The top represents the short uncontrollable bursts of a tornado and the frisbee represents the large but predictable direction of a hurricane.  The hurricane can be tossed almost to the same spot repeatedly making tracking by satellites easier as they follow a straight path while tops are very random and impossible to replicate the same results.

FORCE AND MOTION

First Law of Motion - try to drop a bag of beans onto a target as you quickly move past.  figure out when you need to release the bag as you cannot aim and throw, it has to be a dropped.  Law of inertia depicts the bag needs to be dropped prior to approaching the target.  Approach at different speeds to justify.

Second Law of Motion - use double sided tape along a desk in several places and using different types of balls (ping pong, golf, marble), plick a ball across the table using enough force to pass all the strips of tape.  Use less force for the balls to pass the first strip of tape but be stuck on the second or third strip of tape.  Use different balls so students will understand they will need more/less force to complete their tasks

Distance over time / Acceleration / Slopes / Laws of motion - using battery powered thomas trains, have them measure their distance over time as they loop around the pre made track.  Add heavy bolts to their cars and measure the cars weight as you run the trial again.  Create tracks with vertical hills to increase the difficulty and discuss the different laws of motion.

Force and Motion -  Purchase Paperrollercoasters.com templates for students to create their own coasters and explain the concepts learned in class.  Add a theme with decorations and colors with a writing piece to explain their learned concepts and the name/theme of the coaster and how their design supports it.

LIVING SYSTEMS

Systems of the Body - Using butcher paper and the same student volunteer, trace his/her body several times for students to illustrate all of the major organs for each system.  Using the same student and butcher paper assists as you can hang it by a window for it to be transparent and lay a few on top of each other to compare how 2 systems work together to perform tasks.

GENETICS

Animal Traits and learned behavior - Place cards of several common animals along with inherited traits and learned behaviors.  Students match the appropriate ones to those particular animals.  Students can find connections between different animals similar traits and behaviors.

ECOSYSTEMS

Student Energy Pyramid - organize class into a pyramid sitting on the floor.  Teacher is the sun, 9 students are the grass 7 students are grasshoppers, 6 mice, 4 snakes, 2 hawks.  the sun provides energy which is 5 unifix cubes to each blade of grass.  Each layer keeps one cube for their energy while the rest are passed on to the next row as it is consumed.  Observe the amount of energy each layer needs to survive and how energy is transferred.  The hawk dies and decomposes giving its cubes back to the grass to continue the cycle.  - Try variations by adding and removing species due to overpopulation, pollution, and other ideas and determine if everyones needs are met.

Survival of the fittest - Students are different species of birds assigned to pick up as many unifix cubes on the floor within a set time.  Each group of students has a specific beak in which to pick up the cubes.  One can only use two spoons, use cups, file folders, etc.  “Birds” that did not eat enough cubes 2-3 die off.  Those that die become offspring to the most successful bird.  Eventually certain species disappear and the dominant trait survives.  

Biome Tableau - groups of students select a different biome and using their bodies with no moving or sound depict a scene in their biome.  Students standing on chairs with their bodies covering the rest can be canopy trees while another student is on a chair being a monkey while a snake is on the ground, etc.  groups need to justify their choices and explain the different layers of a food web within their community.

VOCABULARY CENTERS

Use 3 index cards for each term.

1. term 2.  definition 3.  example - have students sort all the cards to find their 3 matches

I have, you have - type and print the terms and meanings for a class activity

Have an index card for each term and students randomly select 3 of them to demonstrate how they are all related.  They can draw an image identifying the terms and defining them.  They can physically demonstrate them in a skit or example.

Cooper