For fifth grade Biology I pulled activities from both the Reader's Digest How Nature Works and How the Body Works books, as well as others. I didn't try to use those books alone, but simply as my spines to start off talking about a subject, then we did more reading on the subject. When we started a new section, my son also outlined from the intro.
I used a lot of worksheets from McGraw Hill's Complete Book of Science 5/6, for written practice, as well as things I pulled from online (Enchanted Learning and other sites). I put them in a big three-ring binder by subject area and he worked on them as follow-up to our reading while he was doing his written work each day.
Week 1
Reader’s Digest How Nature Works: Cells
A World in a Drop of Water
The Smallest Life Around Us, Lucia Anderson
Pertinent portions of Nature in Your Backyard and Pets in a Jar
Usborne Animal World - read about animal cells
Atoms and Cells, Usborne
Experiments:
Enzymes; Testing for Starch, Fat and Protein
looked at a variety of hairs (human and animal), moss, mud and pondwater under the microscope - also looked at prepared slides
Sketches and Reports:
Animal and Plant Cells sketches
Did report on Cells
Timeline:
Add Pasteur and Schwann (All timeline individuals were taken from the How Nature Works or How the Body Works books)
Workbooks:
Microorganisms
enchantedlearning.com: Cross-section labeling of a bacterium cell
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 117-124; brine shrimp, pg. 40; classification, pgs 7-16
Field Trips:
Louisville Science Center - microscopy lab learning how to use high power scopes, how to navigate (using prepared blood slides), did cheek cell smears, compared two types of moss, six different types of human cells and three types of live protists
McConnell Springs - scavenger hunt of native plants and animals, earning Junior Naturalist Award
Saw IMAX film in Louisville on dinosaur archaeology, including new DNA work being done and another on Dolphins and research into their behaviour
Week 2
“Evolution”
read from HNW
pertinent portions of Usborne Animal World (evolution; classification)
pertinent portions of Usborne, What’s Under the Ground? (re: fossils)
read pertinent portions on evolution from Rand McNally's Atlas of Earth Through Time and discussed, using chart I made earlier contrasting to the Biblical account
read and discussed Why Things Change: The Story of Evolution, Jeanne Bendick
Experiments/Activities:
Hatched out and observed brine shrimp
Sketches and Reports:
Did report on bacteria
Sketched a Virus (index of book)
Timeline:
Add Darwin, Linnaeus, and Malthus
Workbooks:
continued with Microorganisms
enchantedlearning.com: label amoeba
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 117-124; brine shrimp, pg. 40; classification, pgs 7-16
Field Trips:
Cincy Museum Early Life and Pre-history displays
Week 3
“Ecology”
read from HNW
continue with Usborne Animal World (re: ecology, food chains and webs, cycles of life and conservation)
A Picture Perfect World, Time-Life (w/ magazine), re: habitats
Magic School Bus Hops Home, re: habitats - independent reading
One Small Square: Backyard - independent reading
Eyewitness Ecology
Experiments/Activities:
Beat out insects from trees to observe
captured insects and stake out others to observe outdoors
Used a Bernese Funnel to look at leaf litter insects
Used poster of composting to discuss decomposer cycle
Sketches and Reports:
Memorized and sketched the water, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen cycles (from Eyewitness Ecology)
Timeline:
Add Haeckel
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 174-186; pgs 155-163 (food chains and webs)
www.tlsbooks.com: classifying worksheet; http://school.discoveryeducation.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/archive/95679972: food chain worksheet
enchantedlearning.com: food chain info and cloze activity
Field Trips:
Floracliff Nature Preserve: Ecology Walk and Talk
Week 4
“Freshwater Life”
read from HNW
Wonders of Rivers, Rae Bains
All About Turtles, Jim Arnosky
Animal Skeletons, pertinent portions, Judith Presnall
Frogs are Fantastic, Robin Robbins - independent reading
One Small Square: Pond - independent reading
Cycles of Life: Matamorphosis, Andres Llamas Ruiz
reviewed work with wildlife posters and completed various associated worksheets
Experiments/Activities:
Stream Survey at the Fish Hatchery
started a stream ecosystem tank with crawfish, snails, moss and larvae covered rocks, rushes, etc.
Got a (decided against trying tadpoles again)
Got a Betta and a Black Moor, read about their background and upkeep
took samples of blue-green algae from hatchery pond and looked at it under a microscope; contrasted differences between this and filamentous algae
used see-through model of a frog to discuss its major, internal organs
Sketches and Reports:
Sketch and label fish
Timeline:
Add White and Pavlov
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: continue pages from last week; pond life, pg 22; amphibs
enchantedlearning.com: label fish anatomy; frog life cycle cloze; frog quiz
Field Trips:
Fish Hatchery Tour
Week 5
“Sea Life”
read from HNW
Exploring an Ocean Tidepool, Jeanne Bendick
When Turtles Come to Town, Cary B. Ziter
At Home in a Tide Pool, Alexandra Wright - independent reading
Sharks, Gibbons - Liam read
I Didn’t Know that Sharks...., Claire Llewellyn - independent reading
National Geographic, Exploring the Seashore - independent reading
Magic School Bus.... Ocean Floor - independent reading
Adventures of the Shark Lady - independent reading
pertinent portions of Animal Skeletons
Experiments/Activities:
Got a hermit crab and red-clawed crab to observe, reading about them in the wild
Looked at seaweed samples
Identified shells using things from our collections and Oceana's Pocket Guide: Shells
Sketches and Reports:
Sketched sea anemone; coral polyps
Did a report on one form of sea life
Timeline:
None
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 24-28
used poster on sealife to review terms: plankton, nekton and benthos
used sea life mobile pieces to review classification
used scavenger hunt from aquarium to review
Field Trips:
Newport Aquarium w/ class on sea turtles, then viewed their freshwater turtle collection; viewed special exhibit on frogs and toads, too
Week 6 - 8
“Insects, etc.”
read from HNW
pertinent portions of Animal Skeletons
Amazing World of Ants, Francene Sabin
read National Geo article "Down on the Ant Farm"
Bug Faces, Darlene Murawski (National Geo)
pertinent portions of Cannibal Animals, Anthony Fredericks
Magic School Bus Inside a Beehive
Life of the Honeybee, Heiderose and Andreas Fischer-Nagel
Micromonsters, Chester Maynard - independent reading
Son read Ranger Rick article "On the Wings of a Butterfly"
I Didn’t Know Some Bugs Glow in Dark, Claire Llewellyn - independent reading
Bugs! Maureen Haughton - independent reading
DK Cub Scout Activity Series: World of Bugs - read and completed
used insect posters and associated worksheets to review
used Science Nature Guide: Butterflies, to look up info on painted ladies
Experiments/Activities:
Observed local Ant colonies out of doors
Used a funnel to find soil life
made a lure for moths
played insect bingo
put together puzzles of butterfly life cycle and garden insects/discussed
Sketches and Reports:
Did a report on one type of insect
Timeline:
Add Fabre and von Frisch
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 17-21
Week 7, pgs 38-39
enchantedlearning.com: bee cloze activity; label generic insect; ant life cycle; label ant anatomy; label cricket anatomy; label beetle anatomy; label life cycle of a mealworm; label mosquito life cycle; various info sheets to read on millipedes, centipedes, pill bugs, whip scorpions, scorpions, and painted lady butterflies; label butterfly; info on silkworm moth and labeling of same
http://insected.arizona.edu/isoinfo.htm: more info on isopods
Field Trips:
Visited a beekeeper
Did insect walk at the arboretum and in other locations - used Golden Guide to Insects to read about bugs we found
Did insect safari and took different soil samples to check for insects (UK dept of entomology for handouts about this)
collected grasshoppers and crickets for closer study
Week 9
“Birds"
read from HNW
pertinent portions of Animal Skeletons
watch bird video, "Winged Migration"
Watching Water Birds, Jim Arnosky
About Birds: A Guide for Children, Cathryn Sill
Son read Ranger Rick article: "Talk About Toucans"
Birds of Prey, Zoobooks
The Book of North American Owls, Helen Sattler
read from Winged Migration book and listened to accompanying CD of bird calls, Stephane Durand, et al
Common Birds and Their Songs - used CD to listen to birds we know
Son read Zoobooks: Eagles for his report
reviewed work with bird posters and mobile
Experiments/Activities:
Candled egg
Looked at a bird’s nest and took it apart
took apart owl pellet
Sketches and Reports:
Did a report on one type of bird
Sketched and labeled Egg
Son sketched birds of his own accord
Drew plans for turning his fort into a bird blind
Timeline:
Add Lorenz
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pg 32
enchantedlearing.com: label external bird anatomy; label chicken egg; label 10 day old egg; label 72 hour old embryo
Field Trips:
Visited local Pet store w/ emphasis on them talking about their exotic birds and the trade in those
Visited McConnell Springs for Animals of the Bluegrass walk and talk, primarily covering birds
Week 10
“Reptiles”
read from HNW
pertinent portions of Animal Skeletons
Where’s That Reptile - independent reading
All About Rattlesnakes, Jim Arnosky
Son read Zoobooks: Snakes and Zoobooks: Turtles and Tortoises
reviewed work with posters and worksheets
Experiments/Activities:
Obtained anole
looked at turtle carapace
Sketches and Reports:
None
Timeline:
None
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pg 23
(someone else printed these two for me, so I'm not sure if they can be accessed by anyone)
Field Trips:
Reptile Zoo in Slade
Week 11 - 14
“Mammals”
read from HNW
pertinent portions of Animal Skeletons
Incredible Skeleton Secrets, Angela Wilkes
Foxes for Kids, Judy Schuler
Fox, Caroline Arnold
The Best Book of Wolves and Wild Dogs, Christiane Gunzi
Wolves for Kids, Tom Wolpert
read KY wildlife pamphlet on Black Bears in KY
read Scolastic News article on bats
read American Cave Adventures article on bats, particularly those of KY
read article on bats from Nature Friend
read story about hibernation from Nature Friend
read Scholastic News circular on Gophers
read Louisville Zoo Waves newsletter articles on Meerkats
read through Cincinnati Zoo booklet on Manatees
Kid's Discover: Dogs
Eyewitness Explorers: Mammals
Gorillas, Seymour Simon
Jane Goodall, With Love (re: chimps)
Son read:
Little Porcupine’s Winter Den, Susan Thompson-Hoffman
Tassel’s Mission, Susan Thompson-Hoffman
Scamper, A Gray Tree Squirrel, Edna Miller
Animals and Their Hiding Places, Jane McCauley
The Eyes of Gray Wolf, Jonathan London
National Geographic Explorer article "Feast for a Beast" (anteaters)
Magic School Bus Explores the World of Animals
Animals in Dangerous Places, Clare Oliver
The Polar Bear, Master of the Ice, Valerie Tracqui
Mice are Amazing, Robin Robbins
Saving Our Animal Friends, Susan McGrath
Wonders of the Forest, Francene Sabin
There's Still Time, The Success of the Endangered Species Act, Mark Galan
How do Animals Talk? Usborne
Cats, Big and Little, Beatrice Fontanel
read Ranger Rick article "Two Little Lions"
Bears for Kids, Jeff Fair
Creatures of the Woods, Toni Eugene
I See Animals Hiding, Jim Arnosky
Wild and Swampy, Jim Arnosky
Time to Sleep, Denise Fleming
Possum's Harvest Moon, Anne Hunter
Wonders of Swamps and Marshes, Stephen Caitlin
Amazing World of Night Creatures, Janet Craig
Wonders of the Desert, Louis Sabin
used posters and worksheets to review mammal info
used posters of desert, arctic tundra, rainforest, and grasslands to talk about biomes
did wrap-up classification activity using mobiles
Experiments/Activities:
looked at models of skeleton, eyeball, brain and heart when studying those portions of the body
Did tooth staining experiment
Measured muscles
Did breath test
Did dominant eye test and peripheral vision test
Mapped sense of touch
Did heat habituation
Did tongue mapping and taste threshold
Did hearing without ears test
Used Africa Wild book and game that goes with it
Sketches and Reports:
Sketched nerve, tooth and eyeball; also embryo
Timeline:
Add Galvani
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 29-31; 33-37
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/archive/95391245 - reviews all animals
http://school.discoveryeducatoin.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/archive/95434387 - animal environments
http://school.discoveryeducation.com/teachingtools/worksheetgenerator/archive/95757408 - matching worksheet
Field Trips:
Began study of plants at this time through doing tree walk to gather fall seeds and nuts, leaves and bark at the Lexington Cemetary (National Arboretum); had a fall fun day at an area apple farm prior to Halloween, w/ a tour of their cider press; did program at Raven Run on Tracks, Scat and other Signs (all types of animals)
Week 15 - 19
“Flowering Plants”
read from HNW
use pertinent portions of Inside Guides: Incredible Plants, Barbara Taylor (DK)
read from Eyewitness Visual Dictionary of Plants
read from Usborne Mysteries and Marvels of Plant Life
How Do Apples Grow? independent reading
How Does it Grow? From Seed to Sunflower, Ian Smith - independent reading
Trees, Sarah Woolard - independent reading
Discovering Trees, Keith Brandt - independent reading
The Oak, Andrienne Soutter-Perrot - independent reading
Why do Leaves Change? Betsy Maestro
A Tree for All Seasons, National Geo, Robin Bernard
read through Autumn Colors poster put out by US Forestry Service
read through Forestry pamphlets on various trees of KY
used posters on plant life cycle and wildflowers, trees, wood products, edible plants, etc. for review
reviewed handouts from arboretum class
week 19, begin Human Body study with:
“What Makes a Body?” (These are the topic spreads from How the Body Works)
My Body Book, read You and Your Body, pg 2-3
Human Body Revealed, pg 6-7
Easy Make and Learn Human Body, pg 7-10 and 14-17
Experiments/Activities:
Did plant pigment experiment and craft learned through arboretum
Did gas from plants; tested for potato starch; leaves in light and dark; searching for light; growing with gravity; dissect a flower; preserve flowers?
Did transpiration experiment
Did germination and growth rate experiment
looked at pinecones for seeds
week 19, did Mirror Image Faces; Finding Limits; and Improving Ability
Sketches and Reports:
Did flower cross-section sketch
Sketched fruit in cross-section
Sketched a plant embryo
Timeline:
Add Mendel
week 19, add Galen and Vesalius
Workbooks:
For Human Body, week 19, Complete Book of Science: pgs 42-43
Field Trips:
Visited Michler's Greenhouses, historic properties in our city that are over 100 years old - talked about changes in the business, how the greenhouses work, plant propagation, etc.
Got arboretum to do a short class on plants in association with UK (4 hours)
Week 20
“Body’s Building Blocks; Cells”
pertinent parts of Atoms and Cells
My Body pgs 6-7
Cells are Us, Fran Balkwill
Experiments/Activities:
Easy Make and Learn pgs 11-13
Did Diffusion, Selective Barrier and Osmosis experiments
Sketches and Reports:
Sketch Cell
Timeline:
Add Hook and Golgi
Week 21
“Skin”
Human Body Revealed 36-37
Body thru Microscope pgs 6-7
Earthlings, beginning - 12; 12-15 hair and nails
Experiments/Activities:
Easy Make and Learn pgs 41-43; 44-46
Earthlings, do experiment with grip on page 11; do nail growth experiment, page 14
Did skin experiment; skin cell experiment; skin texture experiment; skin color experiment; and sebum experiment
Did hair strength experiment
Week 22
“Skeleton and Joints”
Body thru Microscope, pgs 8-9
Human Body Revealed, pgs 34-35
My Body, pgs 4-5
Earthlings, pgs 36-41
Bones: Our Skeletal System, Seymour Simon
Experiments/Activities:
Practiced memorizing bones
Played Body Game
Earthlings bone experiment, pg 30
Sketches and Reports:
None
Timeline:
Add Rontgen
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 44-47; 50-51
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 47-54
Field Trip:
Visited local hospital for a talk about joints and the skeletal system by the head of their Radiology department. Also visited the Physical Therapy department where they showed everyone various types of treatments used and then played a jeopardy style game with the kids concerning the body.
Week 23
“Muscles and Movement”
Earthlings, pgs 42-45
Human Body Revealed, pgs 32-33
My Body, skeleton and muscle fold-outs
Experiments/Activities:
Did tightening tendon and relaxing finger experiments
Did stuck finger and changing muscle teams experiment
Did tired muscles, tricking muscles, muscle habits and testing muscle strength experiments
Did precise work experiment
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 52-54
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 55-57
Week 24
“Lungs and Breathing”
Human Body Revealed, pgs 22-23
Body thru Microscope, pgs 12-13
Earthlings, pgs 52-59
Oxygen Keeps you Alive - independent reading
Experiments/Activities:
Did lung surface model
Did using oxygen; moist breath; and breath temperature experiments
Did fast breath and deep breaths experiments
Did experiment on pages 56-57 of Earthlings
Timeline:
Add Lavoisier
re: botany, Add Fleming
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 60-64
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 58-64
Week 25
“Eating and Digestion”
Earthlings, pgs 30-35
Body thru Microscope, pgs 14-15
My Body, pgs 8-9
Human Body Revealed, pgs 28-29
Timeline:
Add Beaumont
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 48-49; 65-71; 73
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 72-79
Week 26
“Circulatory System”
Earthlings, pgs 46-51
Human Body Revealed, pgs 16-21
My Body, pgs 6-7; blood and digestion chart
Body thru Microscope, pgs 10-11
Timeline:
Add Harvey and Landsteiner
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 55-59
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 65-71
Week 27
“Internal Environment: Hormones, Blood Cleansing, Balancing Body Fluids”
Body thru Microscope, pgs 16-17
My Body, pgs 12-13
Looking into My Body - independent reading
Human Body Revealed, pgs 26-27
Experiments/Activities:
Did “always in a sweat”, cooling sweat, and what’s warmest experiments
Sketches and Reports:
None
Timeline:
Add Malpighi, Starling, and Bernard
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 72-?; 82-83
Week 28 - 29
“Brain and Nerves”
Phineas Gage
Human Body Revealed, pgs 8-11
My Body, pgs 10-11
Body thru Microscope, pgs 18-19
Earthlings, pgs 16-19
Look Inside Your Brain - independent reading
Really Good Memory Book
Understanding Your Brain
Brain Surgery for Beginners
Experiments/Activities:
Did blinking and knee jerk reflex experiments
Did react-o-ruler experiment
Did sensory memory experiment
Did relearning to write and learning to pour experiments
Sketches and Reports:
None
Timeline:
Add Descartes and Gage
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 74- 81
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 18-24
Week 29
Continue from last week
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 164- 173 re: nutrition
Week 30
“Senses: Eyes” - thru page 151
Magic School Bus Inside the Human Body - independent reading
Now You See it, Now You Don’t
Understanding Your Senses, beginning - 9
Experiments/Activities:
Did magnifying lens eye experiment
Did holey hand experiment
Did keep your eye on the ball, which finger and writing without seeing experiments
Sketches and Reports:
None
Timeline:
Add Helmholtz
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 84- 85; pgs 90-91
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 25-27
Week 31
“Senses: Eyes and Ears” - pgs 152-157
Understanding Your Senses, pgs 10-13
Human Body Revealed, pgs 12-13
Body thru Microscope, pgs 20-21
Experiments/Activities:
Did sound mix-up, hearing thru solids and losing balance experiments
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 88- 89; 92
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 28-30
Week 32
“Senses: Ears and Nose” - 158-159
Magic School Bus Explores the Senses - independent reading
Experiments/Activities:
Did “tell by smelling” and smelling threshold experiments
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pg 87
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 34-36
Week 33
“Senses: Taste and Touch”- 160-167
Earthlings, pgs 20-29 and 60-end
Understanding Senses, pgs 14-end
Human Body Revealed, page 14-15
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pg 86
Easy Make and Learn, pgs 31-33; 37-40
Week 34 - 36
“Reproduction, Growth and Aging”
My Body, pgs 14-16
Human Body Revealed, pgs 24-25, 30-31
Body thru Microscope, pgs 22-23
Eyewitness Epidemic
How You are Changing
Outside and Inside You, Sandra Markle
Why Does My Nose Run? Joanne Settel and Nancy Baggett
Timeline:
Add Leeuwenhoek, de Graaf, Crick and Watson
Workbooks:
Complete Book of Science 5/6: pgs 98-99
week 35: pgs 100-102 (body review)
week 36: pgs 103-115 (genetics)
We joined some friends to do more botany work in the spring using Kym Wright's Botany Study, so we didn't end up doing nearly as much with the human body.
