USVI NGSS Science Grade 5 study plan

Classify everyday materials by measurable properties (mass, volume, density, solubility, conductivity) and record them in a data table.

Model solids, liquids, and gases as arrangements of particles and explain observed differences in shape and compressibility.

Distinguish physical changes from chemical changes in eight given scenarios and justify each choice with evidence.

Explain conservation of mass in a closed system using a particle model and a simple mass measurement example.

Design a fair test to separate a two-part mixture (such as salt and sand) and justify each step by a property difference.

Identify whether a described change produces a new substance using evidence such as gas production, color change, or temperature change.

Describe how the hydrosphere, geosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere exchange matter and energy in one local example.

Trace a drop of water through the water cycle and name the process occurring at each step.

Compare the distribution of Earth's water (oceans, ice, groundwater, surface fresh water) using simple percentages.

Explain how the ocean and atmosphere interact to drive weather patterns and produce a written cause-and-effect chain.

Model how wind, water, and ice reshape land surfaces and cite landform evidence for each process.

Interpret a simple weather or climate graph and describe one pattern visible in the data.

Predict and then measure how the strength of a push or pull affects an object's motion using a simple ramp or pull test.

Explain gravity as a downward force and describe qualitatively how it affects objects near Earth and objects in orbit.

Distinguish contact forces from non-contact forces across six examples.

Trace energy transfers in three everyday systems (flashlight, toaster, bouncing ball) from source to useful output.

Explain how roots, stems, and leaves each support a plant's acquisition of water, nutrients, and light.

Describe how animals obtain food energy and how matter from food is rearranged into body growth.

Identify producers, consumers, and decomposers in a local food web and trace the path of energy through it.

Explain how decomposers return matter to the ecosystem and why that matters for plant growth.

Distinguish matter cycling from energy flow in an ecosystem and explain why one recycles and the other does not.

Explain how a change in a physical environment (such as drought or flooding) affects an organism's ability to survive.

Compare the relative sizes and distances of the Sun, Earth, Moon, and planets using a scaled model.

Explain day and night, the seasons, and moon phases using a Sun-Earth-Moon model.

Describe the Sun's apparent motion across the sky and explain how shadow length and direction change during the day.

Identify one way a community can reduce its impact on water, land, or air, and evaluate the trade-offs of that solution.

Apply the engineering design cycle (define, plan, build, test, improve) to one clearly stated problem.

Distinguish a fair test from a biased or poorly controlled one using stated criteria.

Complete one timed, full-length practice set and record results broken out by domain.

Re-teach the two lowest-scoring domains using notes and a fresh self-quiz for each.

Explain in writing how a model or diagram represents a scientific idea in at least three different domains.

Build a final one-page reference sheet of key vocabulary and core ideas for all nine domains.