Hands on Habitat
Teacher Resources

How do individuals and groups of organisms interact with each other and their environment? 

Are the interactions beneficial or harmful to the environment?

Grade 5 Science- Eco-Trekkers

O-13 The student will use informational text and analyze data about the survival of organisms to describe the interaction of living organisms with their non-living environment.

• KSI-A Use information from readings and/or investigations to describe the many ways that living things interact with their environment.

O-19 Given examples, the student will identify and describe living and non-living factors that have positive or negative impacts on the environment.

• KSI-A Use information from readings and/or investigations to discuss how the environment is affected by both living and nonliving forces.
• KSI-B Use information from readings and/or investigations to identify positive and negative ways in which they affect the environment.

Maryland State Curriculum for Grade 5 Science
(MSDE)

Topic A- Constructing Knowledge
Indicator 1:
Gather and question data from many different forms of scientific investigations which include reviewing appropriate print resources, observing what things are like or what is happening somewhere, collecting specimens for analysis, and doing experiments.

Objectives:
a. Support investigative finding with data found in books, articles, and databases, and identify the sources and expect others to do the same.

Topic B- Applying Evidence and Reasoning
Indicator 1:
Seek better reasons for believing something than "Everyboyd knows that..." or "I just know" and discount such reasons when given by others.

Objectives:
1. Develop explanations using knowledge possessed and evidence from observations, reliable print resources, and investigations.
2. Offer reasons for their findings and consider reasons suggested by others.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for Reading Key Ideas and Details:
1. Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.

Craft and Structure:
7. Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse formats and media, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.

College and Career Readiness Anchor Standards for WritingText Types and Purposes:
2. Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Production and Distribution of Writing:
4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
6. Use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing and to interact and collaborate with others.

Research to Build and Present Knowledge:
7. Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects based on focused questions, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
8. Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources, assess the credibility and accuracy of each source, and integrate the information while avoiding plagiarism.
9. Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

Range of Writing:
10. Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

National Educational Technology Standards for Students
(ISTE)

1. Creativity and Innovation: Students demonstrate creative thinking, construct knowledge, and develop innovative products and processes using technology.
2. Communication and Collaboration: Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others.
3. Research and Information Fluency: Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information.
4. Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, and Decision Making: Students use critical thinking skills to plan and conduct research, manage projects, solve problems, and make informed decisions using appropriate digital tools and resources.
5. Digital Citizenship: Students understand human, cultural, and societal issues related to technology and practice legal and ethical behavior.

Standards for the 21st-Century Learner
(AASL)