Curriculum framework for an inquiry-based, interdisciplinary unit of study

At the conclusion of this unit of study, students will be prepared to provide a research-based, logical answer to this question.

• 
  How do length and direction of shadows or relative lengths of day and night change from day to day and how does the appearance of the stars change with the seasons?
  
• 
  How do the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact?
  
• 
  How much water can be found in different places on Earth?
  

• 
  Weather
  
• 
  SC.5.E.7.1, SC.5.E.7.2, SC.5.E.7.3, SC.5.E.7.4, SC.5.E.7.5, SC.5.E.7.6, SC.4.E.5.1, SC.4.E.5.3, SC.4.E.5.4
  

• 
  Age of Exploration
  
• 
  Economics (funding exploration, why explore?)
  
• 
  Geography
  
• 
  SS.5.A.3.1, SS.5.A.3.2, SS.5.G.1.1, SS.3.G.1.2, SS.5.G.1.4, SS.5.G.4.1, SS.5.G.4.2
  

Students use all the information learned in this unit to compare and contrast the authors' perspective of Columbus' first encounter with Tanio people in Encounter by Jane Yolen and in excerpts from Columbus' journal. After analyzing both texts, students will answer the questions: How did Columbus, his people, and the Tanio people take risks when they met? Who discovered America?

05 Sci LP 095 – What is the Water Cycle?

05 Sci LP 096 – The Water Cycle

05 Sci LP 097 – What Happens During the Water Cycle?

05 Sci LP 104 – What Factors Affect Climate?

05 Sci LP 119 – How Does Drought Affect Plants?

05 Sci LP 099 – It’s a Cloudy Day

05 Sci LP 100 – Wind and Air Pressure

http://myloc.gov/Exhibitions/EarlyAmericas/ExplorationsandEncounters/ColumbusandtheTaino/Pages/SlObjectList.aspx

05 Sci LP 098 – How Do We Measure Weather?

http://legacy.mos.org/oceans/planet/cycle.html

http://www.flocabulary.com/age-of-exploration/#ml_explanation

05 Sci LP 101 – Fronts and Weather Maps

05 Sci LP 102 – Severe Weather and How to Prepare

05 Sci LP 103 – How Can We Observe Weather Patterns

http://museumvictoria.com.au/scienceworks/education/education-kits/planetarium/the-seasons/

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/time/seasons.htm

http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/86

http://science-class.net/Astronomy/Seasons.htm

http://www.kidinfo.com/american_history/explorers.html

http://earth.rice.edu/mtpe/geo/geosphere/geosphere_why.html

http://www.geography4kids.com/files/land_intro.html

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0040-introduction-to-our-atmosphere.php

http://www.science-class.net/Meteorology/Atmosphere.htm

Quarter 3, Weeks 25-26: Weather

Overarching questions for the unit of study.

• 
  How do the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere interact?
  
• 
  How much water can be found in different places on Earth?
  
• 
  How does matter cycle through ecosystems (plants, animals, decomposers and the environment)?
  
• 
  Where does the energy in food come from and what is it used for?
  

• 
  Compare structure and function of plant and animal parts.
  
• 
  Differences between animals and plants allow some to survive better.
  
• 
  Adaptations of plants and animals allow them to survive in different environments.
  
• 
  Impact of plants and animals on the environment.
  
• 
  Energy transfer from the Sun to plants to animals (food chain) from producers to consumers.
  
• 
  Humans need resources, some are renewable and some are nonrenewable.
  
• 
  Sun-Earth connection – applied to seasons and agriculture (e.g., Mayan calendar, pyramids and the equinox and solstice celebrations)
  

• 
  Geography
  
• 
  Native Americans
  
• 
  Agriculture
  
• 
  Astronomy and its importance to agriculture (ancient native American observatories)
  
• 
  SS.5.A.2.1, SS.5.A.2.2, SS.5.A.2.3, SS.5.A.3.3, SS.5.E.1.1, SS.5.G.1.3
  

Identify the big idea performance task.

http://www.kids.esdb.bg/newenergy.html

http://tiki.oneworld.net/energy/energy.html

http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/content/animals/kidscorner/foodchain/foodchain.htm

http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storyCode=6071621

http://www.saps.org.uk/primary/teaching-resources

http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/impacts/effects/ecosystems.html

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/plants/plantadaptations/grownups.weml

http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/Homework/adaptation.htm

http://www.dustbunny.com/afk/

http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/geopedia/Maya

http://www.laep.org/target/bridges/mayans_ancient1.html

http://www.kidsgeo.com/geography-for-kids/0020-solstices-and-equinoxes.php

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/science/space-sci/solar-system/equinoxes-sci/

http://www.watchknowlearn.org/Category.aspx?CategoryID=6312

Quarter 4, Weeks 33-34: Adaptation on Land & in Water

Overarching questions for the unit of study.

• 
  When matter changes, does its weight change?
  
• 
  Can new substances be created by combining other substances?
  
• 
  Where does the energy in food come from and what is it used for?
  

• 
  Human body
  
• 
  Food preparation in colonial times (matter properties and chemical/physical changes)
  
• 
  SC.5.L14.1, SC.5.L14.2, SC.5.P.8.1, SC.5.P.8.2, SC.5.P.8.3, SC.5.P.9.1
  

• 
  Human body
  
• 
  Food preparation in colonial times (matter properties and chemical/physical changes)
  
• 
  SC.5.L14.1, SC.5.L14.2, SC.5.P.8.1, SC.5.P.8.2, SC.5.P.8.3, SC.5.P.9.1
  

Identify the big idea performance task.

http://www.chem4kids.com/files/matter_intro.html

http://www.eschooltoday.com/what-is-energy-for-children.html

http://kidshealth.org/kid/htbw/

http://www.kidinfo.com/health/human_body.html

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodcolonial.html#colonialstorage

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/777076

http://www.neok12.com/States-of-Matter.htm

http://www.kids.esdb.bg/basic.html

http://www.learner.org/workshops/energy/workshop5/

Quarter 4, Weeks 29-30: Human Body and the Digestive System

Quarter 4, Weeks 37-38: Playing with Properties: Easy and Fun Experiments

Overarching questions for the unit of study.

• 
  Authentic engineering and problem solving.
  

• 
  Energy
  
• 
  Invention and problem solving used in the businesses and running the JA Biz Town community
  

• 
  JA Biz Town
  
• 
  Economics/Inventions/Technology development
  
• 
  Legal system foundations
  
• 
  SS.5.C.3.6, SS.5.E.1.1, SC.5.E.1.2, SC.5.E.1.3
  

Identify the big idea performance task.

http://www.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=455

http://www.kathimitchell.com/econ.htm

http://www.neok12.com/Economics.htm

http://mom.me/parenting/3937-best-kid-inventions-history/

http://sciencespot.net/Pages/kdzinvent.html

http://pbskids.org/dragonflytv/show/technologyinvention.html

http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/modern_3.htm

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/stem/engineering/

http://education.nationalgeographic.com/education/media/nasa-kids-intro-engineering/?ar_a=1

http://www.eie.org/

Overarching questions for the unit of study.

• 
  Engineering process (Plan, Do, Test, Revise, Test…)
  

• 
  Ben Franklin’s inventions (e.g., Franklin stove, bifocals) and discoveries (e.g., the Gulf Stream) including electrical conductors and insulators
  
• 
  Light energy (e.g., Lights in the North Church)
  
• 
  Energy transformation in all of the above
  
• 
  SC.5.P.10.1, SC.5.P.10.2, SC.5.P.10.3, SC.5.P.10.4, SC.5.P.11.1, SC.5.P.11.2
  

• 
  Role of Slavery
  
• 
  American Revolution – causes and effects
  
• 
  Founding the Nation
  
• 
  Elections
  
• 
  SS.5.A.4.6, SS.5.A.5.1, SS.5.A.5.2, SS.5.A.5.3, SS.5.A.5.4, SS.5.A.5.5, SS.5.A.5.6, SS.5.A.5.7, SS.5.A.5.8, SS.5.A.5.9, SS.5.A.5.10, SS.5.C.1.1, SS.5.C.1.2, SS.5.C.1.3, SS.5.C.1.4, SS.5.C.1.5, SS.5.C.1.6, SS.5.C.2.1, SS.5.C.2.2, SS.5.C.2.3, SS.5.C.2.4, SS.5.C.2.5, SS.5.E.1.3, SS.5.G.1.5
  

Identify the big idea performance task.

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/famous-inventors/10-ben-franklin-inventions.htm#page=0

http://inventors.about.com/od/fstartinventors/ss/Franklin_invent.htm

http://www.brainpopjr.com/science/energy/light/grownups.weml

http://www.energykids.eu/energy-transform

http://www.energyeducation.tx.gov/energy/section_1/topics/energy_transformations/

http://www.history.com/topics/slavery/videos#civil-wars-greatest-myth

http://www.ducksters.com/history/american_revolution.php

http://www.kathimitchell.com/revolt.htm

http://www.pbs.org/ktca/liberty/

http://www.congressforkids.net/Elections_index.htm

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/government/howthepresidentiselected.htm

Quarter 1, Weeks 9-10: Atomic Theory

Quarter 2, Weeks 13-14: Solar Power

Quarter 2, Weeks 15-16: Amendments to the Bill of Rights

Quarter 2, Weeks 19-20: African American History

Quarter 3, Weeks 23-24: American Presidents

Quarter 4, Weeks 35-36: Holocaust

Overarching questions for the unit of study.

• 
  How much water can be found in different places on Earth?
  

• 
  Earth’s materials (relate earth science to matter properties) to review 4^th grade benchmarks – also national parks and how they were formed
  
• 
  Force and motion and Energy related to transportation and communication – then vs. modern technology.
  
• 
  SC.5.P.8.1, SC.5.P.8.2, SC.5.P.8.3, SC.4.E.6.1, SC.4.E.6.2, SC.4.E.6.4, SC.5.P.10.1, SC.5.P.10.2, SC.5.P.10.3, SC.5.P.10.4, SC.5.P.11.1, SC.5.P.11.2, SC.5.P.13.1, SC.5.P.13.2, SC.5.P.13.3, SC.5.P.13.4
  

• 
  Westward Expansion
  
• 
  Transportation then vs. now
  
• 
  Communication then vs. now
  
• 
  SS.5.A.6.1, SS.5.A.6.2, SS.5.A.6.3, SS.5.A.6.4, SS.5.A.6.5, SS.5.A.6.6, SS.5.A.6.7, SS.5.A.6.8, SS.5.A.6.9, SS.5.C.3.1, SS.5.C.3.2, SS.5.C.3.3, SS.5.C.3.4, SS.5.C.3.5, SS.5.C.3.6, SS.5.E.1.3 SS.5.E.2.1, SS.5.G.1.6, SS.5.G.2.1
  

Identify the big idea performance task.

http://ga.water.usgs.gov/edu/earthwherewater.html

http://dnr.wi.gov/eek/earth/groundwater/index.htm

http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/national-parks/early-history/

http://www.great-kids-parks.com/national-parks.html

http://www.neok12.com/Earth.htm

http://library.thinkquest.org/5729/

http://www.northwesthistoryexpress.com/timeline/transportation1800.php

http://www.ducksters.com/history/westward_expansion/

http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/westwardmovement.htm

http://www.kidinfo.com/american_history/pioneers.html

http://www.history.com/topics/westward-expansion

Quarter 4, Weeks 31-32: Westward Expansion

Overarching questions for the unit of study.

• 
  NA
  

• 
  Exploration of the solar system
  
• 
  SC.3.E.5.4, SC.4.E.5.2, SC.5.E.5.1, SC.5.E.5.2, SC.5.E.5.3, SC.5.P.13.1, SC.5.P.8.4
  

• 
  Economics/Inventions/Technology development
  

Identify the big idea performance task.

http://solarsystem.nasa.gov/kids/

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/kids/science-space-kids/solar-system-101-kids/

http://www.manatee.k12.fl.us/sites/elementary/samoset/psgk3ex.htm

http://www.neok12.com/Solar-System.htm

http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/modern_2.htm

http://sciencenetlinks.com/lessons/technology-past-present-and-future/

http://www.geniusstuff.com/blog/list/10-inventions-changed-world/

http://www.kathimitchell.com/econ.htm

http://www.moneyinstructor.com/elementary.asp

Quarter 3, Weeks 27-28: Women’s Contributions