NAC389.2939. Third through fifth grades: Science.

By the end of the fifth grade, pupils must understand, know and be able to do everything required in the previous grades for courses in science offered in public schools. Instruction in the third grade through the fifth grade in science must be designed so that pupils meet the following standards by the completion of the fifth grade:

     1. For the area of science inquiry:

     (a) Understand that the study of science involves asking and answering questions and comparing the answers to what scientists already know about the world;

     (b) Know that scientific progress is made by conducting careful investigations, recording data and communicating the results of investigations and data in an accurate manner;

     (c) Know how to compare the results of a scientific experiment to what scientists already know about the world;

     (d) Know how to draw conclusions from scientific evidence;

     (e) Know that graphic representations of recorded data can be used to make predictions;

     (f) Know how to plan and conduct a safe and simple investigation; and

     (g) Know that a model is a tool which can be used to learn about the object or properties the model is designed to resemble.

     2. For the areas of science, technology and society:

     (a) Understand that people from all cultures and levels of education, experience and ability contribute to the fields of science and technology;

     (b) Know that people of diverse cultures have contributed to scientific knowledge and technology throughout history;

     (c) Know that technology has positive and negative impacts on society; and

     (d) Know that there are benefits to working with others in a team and sharing findings.

     3. For the area of matter:

     (a) Understand the properties of objects and materials;

     (b) Know that matter exists in different states which have distinct physical properties, including, without limitation, solids, liquids and gases;

     (c) Know that heating and cooling can change some common materials from one state to another, including, without limitation, water;

     (d) Know that materials can be classified by their observable physical and chemical properties, including, without limitation, magnetism, conductivity, density and solubility;

     (e) Know that a material can be created by combining two or more different materials and that the properties of the newly created material may be different from the properties of the original materials;

     (f) Know that the mass of a material remains constant whether the material is together, separated into parts or changed to a different state or form; and

     (g) Know that materials are composed of certain elements that are too small to be seen without magnification.

     4. For the areas of force and motion:

     (a) Understand that certain forces applied to an object can change the position or motion of the object, including, without limitation, gravitational, electrical and magnetic forces;

     (b) Know that an object will speed up, slow down or move in a different direction if an unbalanced force is applied to the object;

     (c) Know that the strength of a force which is applied to an object and the mass of the object will influence the amount of change in the motion of the object;

     (d) Know that a magnetic force can cause certain objects to attract or repel each other;

     (e) Know that an electrically charged particle can attract or repel another electrically charged particle or material; and

     (f) Know that the gravity of the earth can pull any object toward the surface of the earth without touching the object.

     5. For the area of energy:

     (a) Understand that energy exists in different forms;

     (b) Know that light can be described in terms of simple properties, including, without limitation, color, brightness and reflection;

     (c) Know the wave characteristics of sound;

     (d) Know that heat can be produced as a by-product when one form of energy converts to another form of energy, including, without limitation, the conversion of stored energy to motion through the use of a machine or a living organism;

     (e) Know that heat can transfer from one object to another by conduction and that certain materials conduct heat better than other materials; and

     (f) Know the organization of a simple electrical circuit, including, without limitation, a battery, generator or a wire through which an electrical current can pass.

     6. For the area of heredity:

     (a) Understand that certain characteristics in living things are inherited and certain characteristics are not inherited;

     (b) Know certain physical characteristics and behaviors that are inherited in animals and plants;

     (c) Know that reproduction is an essential characteristic for the continuation of every species;

     (d) Know that the offspring of an animal or plant can:

          (1) Resemble the animal or plant from which the offspring was generated;

          (2) Resemble other offspring of the animal or plant from which the offspring was generated; and

          (3) Exhibit differences in characteristics from the animal or plant from which the offspring was generated;

     (e) Know how to observe and describe differences between different persons of the human population; and

     (f) Know that certain behaviors of animals are learned behaviors.

     7. For the area of the structure of life:

     (a) Understand that living things have specialized structures that perform a variety of life functions;

     (b) Know that plants and animals have structures that enable them to grow, reproduce and survive; and

     (c) Know that living things have predictable life cycles.

     8. For the area of organisms and their environment:

     (a) Understand that there are a variety of ecosystems on the earth and that different organisms interact with one another within their ecosystems;

     (b) Know the organization of simple food webs;

     (c) Know that organisms interact with one another and with the nonliving elements of their ecosystem;

     (d) Know that changes to an environment can be beneficial or detrimental to certain organisms;

     (e) Know that all organisms, including, without limitation, human beings, can cause changes to their environment; and

     (f) Know that plants and animals can adapt in certain ways to survive in certain ecosystems.

     9. For the area of the diversity of life:

     (a) Understand that living things can be classified according to physical characteristics, behaviors and habitats;

     (b) Know that animals and plants can be classified according to their observable characteristics;

     (c) Know that fossils are evidence of past life on the earth; and

     (d) Know that certain differences between each animal or plant within a species can provide the animal or plant with advantages or disadvantages for survival and reproduction.

     10. For the areas of the atmospheric processes and the cycle of water:

     (a) Understand the relationship between the weather and the cycle of water;

     (b) Know that the sun is the main source of energy for the earth;

     (c) Know the processes of the cycle of water and the role of the sun in the cycle of water;

     (d) Know that most of the surface of the earth is covered with fresh water or salt water;

     (e) Know the role of water in various phenomena involving the weather, including, without limitation, the role of water in thunderstorms, snowstorms, floods and droughts; and

     (f) Know that air is a substance that surrounds the earth, takes up space and moves around the earth in the form of wind.

     11. For the areas of the solar system and the universe:

     (a) Understand that there are many components in the solar system, including, without limitation, the earth;

     (b) Know that there are more stars than can easily be counted by the human eye;

     (c) Know that stars are not the same color or brightness and are not scattered evenly throughout the solar system;

     (d) Know that the solar system includes, without limitation, the sun, planets and moons;

     (e) Know that the sun is a star;

     (f) Know that stars other than the sun are so far away from the earth that they look like points of light;

     (g) Know that there are cyclical patterns of observable objects in the solar system; and

     (h) Know that the patterns of stars in the sky stay the same, except that the patterns of stars appear to move across the sky each night and that different stars can be seen in different seasons.

     12. For the area of the composition and structure of the earth:

     (a) Understand that features on the surface of the earth are constantly changed by a combination of slow and rapid processes;

     (b) Know that fossils are evidence of past life;

     (c) Know that water, wind and ice constantly change the surface of the land on the earth through erosion of rock and soil in some geographic locations and the deposit of rock and soil in other geographic locations;

     (d) Know that landforms can be created from:

          (1) Slow processes, including, without limitation, erosion and deposition of rock and soil; and

          (2) Fast processes, including, without limitation, volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides, floods and human activity;

     (e) Know that rock is composed of various combinations of minerals; and

     (f) Know that soil varies from place to place and contains biological and mineral components.

     (Added to NAC by Bd. of Education by R075-99, eff. 11-4-99; A by R041-05, 10-31-2005)—(Substituted in revision for NAC 389.2947)