MCAS Grade 5 Science cheat sheet

Grade 5 Science: Core Concepts and Practices

• Scientific inquiry follows a repeatable cycle: ask a question, form a hypothesis, design a controlled experiment, collect and record data, analyze results, and draw a conclusion that may lead to a new question.

• A controlled experiment changes only one variable (the independent variable) while keeping all other conditions constant; the outcome measured is the dependent variable, and the unchanged setup is the control group.

• A hypothesis is a testable prediction stated before data collection; it is supported or not supported by evidence, never proven absolutely by a single experiment.

• Measurements need appropriate tools and units: length in meters or centimeters with a ruler, mass in grams with a balance, volume in milliliters with a graduated cylinder, temperature in degrees Celsius with a thermometer.

• Repeated trials and multiple observations increase the reliability of results; an outlier is a data point that differs greatly from the rest and should be checked, not automatically deleted.

• Data displays serve different purposes: bar graphs compare categories, line graphs show change over time, and tables organize raw measurements before graphing.

• Earth's major systems interact: the geosphere (rock and land), hydrosphere (water), atmosphere (air), and biosphere (living things); a change in one system, such as a drought, affects the others.

• The water cycle moves water through evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection, driven mainly by energy from the Sun and gravity.

• Organisms are classified by shared characteristics, and structures such as roots, stems, and leaves each perform specific functions that help a plant survive.