5-PS1-1

SCUSD NGSS Curriculum Guide


 * 5-PS1-1: Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen. ** [Clarification Statement: Examples of evidence could include adding air to expand a basketball, compressing air in a syringe, dissolving sugar in water, and evaporating salt water.] [//Assessment Boundary: Assessment does not include the atomic-scale mechanism of evaporation and condensation or defining the unseen particles.//]

Science Background for the Teacher:
In this unit, atoms and molecules are generally referred to as "particles." Particles are too small to be seen.

Key Vocabulary:

 * model || matter || particles || dissolve ||
 * solution || mixture || evaporate || condense ||

Possible Assessments (formative and/or summative):
[Description of assessment task]

Key Student Activity:
Each student gets a syringe. Have the students expand the syringe, put their finger over the end, and try to compress. Then, draw what is happening.

"Salt Saturation" FOSS Grade 5, Investigation 2 (Dissolve and evaporate salt into water. Draw a model of what is happening at each stage.)

Total Physical Response Activity: Have students stand up and spread out, wiggling to represent gas. Link arms and wiggle to represent liquid. Squish close together and wiggle to represent solid. This activity demonstrates that all particles move regardless of their state of matter.

Common Student Misconceptions:
That something disappears when it dissolves or evaporates; it does not disappear, it breaks into pieces too small to be seen. Particles move whether they are a solid, liquid, or gas. Even solid particles are moving, just not in the same way that a liquid and gas do.

Things to Avoid/Correct:
[Descriptions of imprecise language or other mistakes related to this topic that might have to be corrected at a higher grade band.]

====Other Resources (text, video, simulations, activities, models, etc..): ====

[Descriptions or links to other resources that would support student understanding of this topic or mastery of this performance expectation.]