Fifth graders are beginning a new science unit using the FOSS Living Systems Module. We will be investigating transport systems in multicellular organisms that provide each cell with food, water, gas exchange, and waste removal. Students will learn about the structures, functions, and interactions of the circulatory, respiratory, digestiveand excretory systems in humans. They will learn about the vascular system in plants, and they will compare that system for moving water, minerals, and sugar to the transport system in humans. They will also be introduced to the chemical process of photosynthesis and how sugar is broken down in cells during cellular respiration.
Students will be designing and conducting controlled experiments to investigate some of these systems (water movement in plants and use of sugar by yeast cells). We kindly ask you to send small samples of breakfast cereals to school for us to use in an experiment dealing with metabolism of sugar by yeast. And we will be discussing food in terms of its nutrients—fats, carbohydrates, proteins, and water. You might find as a result of our study that your family’s dinner conversation will actually focus on the meal!
Watch for the problem of the week we will posting soon. These suggest ways for the whole family to investigate interesting aspects of our life science study.
In addition, here are some on line resources with instructional activities, interactive simulations, and resources related to this unit:
Readings:
Videos:
- the digestive system - brainpop
- circulatory system - brainpop
- The circulatory system
- The respiratory system- brainpop
- Circulatory & Respiratory Systems - CrashCourse Biology #27
- Digestion Crash Course
- Introducing variables and controls in an experiment
- Digestive System Crash Course
Games:
If you have any questions or comments, or have family or cultural traditions involving food that you would like to share with the class, please drop us a note or come in and visit our class.
We are looking forward to many weeks of exciting investigations.
Ms Murphy and Ms Sanchez
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