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Natural Sciences and Technology
Facilitator’s guide
Grade 5
SAMPLE
LESSON ELEMENTS
LEARNING AIMS
What learners should know at the end of the lesson. Taken from CAPS.
IMPORTANT TERMINOLOGY
New terminology to extend understanding of the subject as part of the lesson.
DEFINE
Definitions of concepts to help learners understand the content.
IMPORTANT
A summary or explanation of key concepts explained in the lesson.
TIPS
Information in addition to the content to guide learners through the learning process
FOR THE CURIOUS
Encouragement for learners to do in-depth research about the content on their own.
ACTIVITY
Formative assessment to test learners’ progress and knowledge of the lesson completed.
SAMPLE
EXERCISE
Formative assessment to test learners’ progress and knowledge of the unit completed.
CORE CONTENT
Reinforcement of core of content; in-depth explanation of a specific section of the lesson.
STUDY/REVISION
Demarcation or summary of work to be revised in preparation for tests and examinations.
* All lesson elements are not necessarily used in this guide.
TIMETABLE AND TIME MANAGEMENT
Breakdown of curriculum: Grade 5
1 Plants and animals on Earth *Many different plants and animals *Animal types
2 *Interdependence
There are many different plants and animals living in different habitats on Earth (South Africa has a wide variety of indigenous plants and animals and their habitats).
There are many different kinds of animals, some do not have bones, and some have hard outer “skins” or shells (invertebrates) some have bones (vertebrates).
Plants and animals depend on each other they also depend on the resources (such as air, water, soil, food and places to hide) in their own habitats.
A vertebrate skeleton consists of bones and joints, and is inside the body.
4
3 Animal skeletons *Skeletons of vertebrates *Movement in vertebrates
5 Skeletons as structures *Frame and shell structures
Bones are hard and form a strong frame structure.
Vertebrate animals can move because there are muscles attached to the skeleton joints between the bones.
A vertebrate skeleton is a frame structure (also refer to Grade 4 Matter and materials).
Some invertebrate skeletons are shell structures, such as that of a crab. 6 Food chains *Food and feeding in plants and animals
Plants make their own food and build their branches and stems using water and carbon dioxide from the air, and energy from sunlight. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air and release oxygen into the air.
and development
life cycle
cycle
Animals need food to carry out their life processes (to move, feed, grow, sense the environment, excrete, breathe and reproduce).
All animals depend on plants as their primary source of food (herbivores, carnivores and omnivores).
Plants and animals grow and develop throughout their lives.
A life cycle describes the stages and processes that take place as a plant or animal grows and develops.
A life cycle describes how one generation of a plant or animal gives rise to the next generation through reproduction.
Death can occur at any stage of the life cycle.
energy in fuels *What are fuels?
Energy is stored in fuels (including food). We use fuels as sources of useful energy.
Fuels need heat to set them alight, and air (oxygen) to keep on burning.
Fires can be a threat in our communities.
Energy can be stored in cells and batteries.
A circuit is a system that transfers electrical energy to where it is needed.
*Mains electricity
Electricity from the power station is transferred in a circuit to our homes and back to the power station.
Safety precautions should be taken when using electricity.
We can make things move using stretched or twisted elastic and compressed springs.
When we stretch or twist elastic or compress a spring, we store energy in it.
Vehicles
*The e arth moves
Surface of the e arth *Rocks
*Soil comes from rocks *Soil types
The earth travels in an orbit (pathway) around the sun.
The earth takes about 365 days to travel once around the sun; this is called a year.
The surface of the earth is called the crust, and consists of rocks (even under the oceans), and soil.
Soil, air, water and sunlight support life on Earth.
Soil is usually a mixture of different types of soil grains in different proportions.
Sedimentary rocks *Formation of sedimentary rocks *Uses of sedimentary rocks
Fossils *Fossils in rock *Body and trace fossils *Importance of South African fossils
Sedimentary rocks are formed over a very long time.
Fossils are the remains of ancient plants and animals preserved in rock fossils are found in some layers of sedimentary rock fossils are evidence/a record of the history of life on Earth.
There are two main types of fossils: body fossils and trace fossils.
• Topics that are in bold are of most importance. Ensure that the concepts are completely understood by the learner.
• All topics must be covered before the examination starts.
ASSESSMENT REQUIREMENTS
For all assessments and the mark sheet, see the portfolio book.
STUDY TIPS AND METHODS
It would be useful for learners to make summaries of all the theory. This will not only improve the learners’ understanding of the key concepts, but they can also use these summaries when studying for tests and examinations Mind maps can also be very helpful When answering the questions in tests and examinations, learners are expected to relay valid information with an interpretative approach.
Invest in a good dictionary so learners can look up the meaning of more difficult words. This helps to expand learners’ vocabulary and also helps them to learn independently.
Take out interesting books from the library for each unit to help learners see the work in practice and therefore understand it better. Where possible, take learners out in the garden or in nature to see things they are learning about. Show them real-life examples. Hands-on experience will encourage a thirst for learning.
The links below will help and guide learners to experience Natural Sciences and Technology to the full extent.
• How deep is the sea and are there animals and plants down there?
• Where is the highest mountain on Earth? Do plants and animals live there?
• Are there living things in a desert?
• What are vertebrates and invertebrates?
• We recommend that facilitators visit this website http://www.iteachbio.com/MarineBiology/marine.html – there are many videos and PowerPoint presentations, graphics and hand-outs for facilitators and learners to use.
• Consider labelling four different posters the classroom for each of the different types of habitats (aquatic, desert, grassland and forest). As you work through the section on each habitat, you can put key words and phrases up under these headings
• Become an expert: Write the four different habitats on pieces of paper and put it in a hat for learners to pick The learners will then become an expert on the habitat which was pulled from the hat. The learners of the same habitat could work together in a group, or individually (as best fits the needs of the class). After you have discussed the different types of habitats in the study guide, they will be required to make a poster of the animals and plants within their specific habitat. They will put up their posters (where you put up the habitat headings) and will have to use the words that you displayed in their work
• If you want to/can combine this with English Home Language, they can present their habitat as a speech to the class (only for fun).
• After the oral presentation, facilitators are encouraged to hold a quiz, with the facilitator asking questions about each habitat. The facilitator calls on learners to answer a question for 3 points.
QUESTIONS
Why is it important to study the biodiversity of our planet? Write down some of the main points from your class discussion or the discussion with your facilitator below.
Facilitators are encouraged to use this opportunity to introduce and/or raise environmental concerns and to emphasise that the more we know about the biodiversity of our planet, the more we will know how to protect it. It is also suggested that facilitators discuss the importance of people who value the diversity of plants and animals on Earth. If we value diversity, we are able to see that each plant and animal that gets driven to extinction is a tremendous loss for the whole planet. Perhaps point out that a plant or animal that has gone extinct might have held the key to curing terrible diseases or teaching us how to combat problems such as soil erosion.
1.1 Many different plants and animals
Aquatic habitats
Facilitators can use the following activity to gauge the learner’s geographical understanding of places in our country. Learners who have not been exposed to maps may not know where they live. Use this opportunity as a teaching activity to give learners a brief overview of South Africa’s map. Also emphasise where north is (which will be important in other subjects, such as Social Sciences).
ACTIVITY 1a: Identifying marine animals and plants
QUESTIONS
SAMPLE
1. Can you imagine how difficult it must be to live on rocks being pounded by waves all day and all night long? Which animals in the above picture live on or near rocks?
Crabs, crayfish, seaweed, mussels
2. Describe at least three different ways in which these animals protect themselves against the pounding waves.
Some have a hard shell such as mussels and clams. Other animals hide under rocks during high tide and only come out in low tide when the sea is calmer. Some organisms, such as snails and seaweed, have very strong suckers with which they stick to rocks and withstand the pounding of the sea.
3. Carefully study all the animals in the pictures and find things that some animals have in common. Classify the animals into groups based on these similarities.
This revises Grade 4 work where learners had to classify and compare animals based on visual differences. Encourage learners to be as creative in their thinking and classifying as possible. Also encourage them to use visual clues
4. Many ecotourists like to visit our country to see the natural sights and attractions. Some tourists like to go on tours where they are in a cage which is lowered into the water. The tour operators often chuck small pieces of meat into the water to attract sharks which then swim around the cage. This is called shark cage diving. Do you think shark cage diving is appropriate? Explain why you think so
Give learners scope (and permission) to differ from popular belief. Let the learners give ideas before they answer this question to discuss differing points of view on this topic. Ideas may be in favour of shark cage diving as it gives opportunities for research and study and makes people appreciate the sharks more. Other ideas may be that tourists might scare sharks out of their natural habitat and teach them not to fear humans and then they are easier to catch.
ACTIVITY 1b: Studying an aquatic habitat
Learner-dependent answer.
Grassland habitat
QUESTIONS
SAMPLE
List some of the animals which you think live in grasslands.
Kudu, nyala, impala, zebra, buffalo, lions, leopards, other small mammals, etc
Forest habitat
• Identify an area where you can take the learner to study animals and plants before starting with the lesson. Ideally this can be within a nature reserve, park or school garden, where different types of habitats can be studied.
• If you are going to walk to a location, ensure there are no dangers and make the learner aware if there are any dangers
• Study the area before the day of this activity. Make sure that you avoid areas with lots of litter and dangerous sharp or rusty items that might injure learners.
• Carefully take note of the main plants and animals in that area. If possible, take samples of these plants. Display the plant with its name next to it in your class. Show these plants to the learners, one by one, before you go on the walk.
• Encourage the learners to invite one or two people/parents who have knowledge about local plants and animals to come along on this nature walk to walk between pairs and help them with identifying different plants and animals.
• Prepare learners for this activity in advance. Explain that they are going to count the plants and animals inside their marked area. Tell learners that they may only count the plants and animals that are actually INSIDE the marked area or flying directly above it. They may not coax or carry animals into their marked area or take others that they don’t like out of it Learners must be careful as to not disturb the animals.
• They must distinguish between plants based on the size and shape of their leaves, flowers or fruit. If you were able to arrange for other adults to escort you, the learners may ask them for help to identify which plants are in their area.
ACTIVITY 1c: Counting plants and animals
After learners have identified the plants and animals in their areas, ask them to collect some flowers and seeds if there are any. Learners can then make presses of the flowers by placing them between two sheets of paper and then stacking a pile of books on top of the paper. They have to leave them to press for several days. Once they are pressed, learners can stick the flowers onto pieces of paper along with the seeds they collected and provide the names of the flowers.
1.2 Interdependence in an ecosystem
Introducing this topic:
SAMPLE
• The following BBC website is an excellent resource to read before starting this lesson: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/adaptations/Pollinator#intro
• This website provides two PowerPoint slide shows – although they are far too advanced for learners at this level, they provide an excellent introduction to ecosystems and interdependence: http://www.magistralearning.com/samples/
QUESTIONS
Do you think you are connected to plants and rivers? Discuss this with your facilitator.
Facilitators can use this question to assess the pre-knowledge and understanding of learners regarding ecological interdependence.
We say that animals, plants and their habitats are interdependent. That means they depend on each other to survive. If one part is left out, for example water during a drought, then the rest of the habitat, including plants and animals, might be destroyed.
Interdependence between living organisms
QUESTIONS
Bees are not the only animals that can pollinate flowering plants. What animals do you think can pollinate a tree's flowers? Look at the pictures below.
Birds, beetles, wasps, ants, honey eaters, etc.
Facilitators are encouraged to let learners discuss the type of animal that can pollinate a tree’s flowers based on their physical characteristics. Perhaps ask if they think a tortoise or a bat is more likely to pollinate a tree’s flowers. Then discuss why they say so. Also include a question that makes them think about the tree’s adaptations to let, for example, the fruit bats pollinate it – the flowers need to be open during the night, for example to attract bats and therefore they won’t need to have bright petals, but the petals will need to be bigger to allow the bat to find it using eco-location
Watch the video about pollinators with the learners – it is done very well and explains everything at a Grade 4/5 level with illustrations. The quality of the video isn’t great so it wouldn’t work to stream it on a large screen, or on a computer with the learners.
ACTIVITY 1d: The honey badger and the honeyguide
QUESTIONS
1. Why can't the honeyguide just eat some of the larvae without waiting for the honey badger?
The bird cannot break open the hive by itself. It will also be stung to death by the bees.
SAMPLE
2. How does the honey badger break open the hive?
It uses its legs, claws and teeth
3. Why does the honey badger not get stung by the bees?
It has a very thick skin which the bee stings cannot get through
4. Explain in your own words how this is an example of interdependence between three animals.
Assess learners’ ability to rephrase and explain this scenario in terms of interdependence. Both animals benefit as they are unable to get the honey without one another. Without the bird, the badger would not find the honey and without the badger the bird would not be able to get to the larvae. Without the bees, the honey badger would not have larvae to eat and the honeyguide would not have honey to eat
Interdependence between living and non-living organisms
QUESTIONS
Have you ever wondered how water ends up in the clouds if it runs in rivers and streams? Do you remember the water cycle you learned of in Grade 4?
Facilitators can use this as an opportunity to discuss learners’ preconceptions of the water cycle and to ascertain what they know or misunderstand in order to address this in the following section
ACTIVITY 1e: The water cycle
Learner-dependent answer.
QUESTIONS
You can change the water vapour you exhale into water drops again! Find a window or mirror and breathe on it. What do you see on the window?
See condensation on the window. Facilitators can reinforce the concept that as soon as the mirror or glass warms up slightly, the water drops on it will evaporate again.
ACTIVITY 1f: Describing interdependence
Introducing this activity: After studying the interdependence of living and non-living things in their environment, this activity requires learners to identify interdependence between living organisms and their environment. If possible, collect books and information about the sets of animals in the photos in this activity.
Picture
Answer
DDescription of interdependence
A: Clownfish and anemones. Clownfish are not hurt by the poison from the anemone. The clownfish feed on small creatures living in the anemone. These creatures can harm the anemone. Not only does the clownfish remove these creatures, but the anemone uses its waste for nourishment. The anemone’s poisonous stings protects the clown fish from predators
ASAMPLE
EB: Earthworms in soil. Earthworms are dependent on the soil for a place to live. If the earthworm is exposed to air for too long, its skin will dry out. That is why they need rich, moist soil to live in. As earthworms dig through the soil, they also excrete droppings back into the soil which makes it more fertile for other plants and animals. Their digging helps to aerate the soil by creating tunnels.
C: Weaver bird building its nest. Many birds need trees and plants to build their nests in so they can raise their young. The weaver uses young, green reeds to build its nest. These reeds are flexible and bend easily. When they dry out, they become harder and make a stable, stronger nest.
BD: Rhino and oxpecker. The oxpecker eats the ticks that are on the rhino’s skin. The oxpecker feeds on these ticks and the rhino is freed from the pests. Oxpeckers have the same relationship with zebra, giraffe, buffalo, etc.
QUESTIONS
CE: Anatolian Shepherds and the herd of sheep they are protecting from predators. Anatolian puppies are placed with a flock of sheep at an early age and they become attached to the flock. When a predator (like a cheetah) comes near the flock, the Anatolian Shepherd will chase the predator away. When a flock is protected by an Anatolian Shepherd, the predators (for example, cheetahs) are also indirectly protected, because the farmers will not need to kill them in order to protect their sheep.
1. In the pictures above, which interdependent relationship is between an animal and a plant?
The weaver and the reeds it makes its nest from.
2. In the pictures above, which interdependent relationship described is between an animal and the non-living things in its environment?
The earthworm and the soil.
3. Which example in the pictures involves the interdependence between three animals, and what are they?
The Anatolian Shepherds, the sheep and the cheetahs
1.3 Animal types
Introducing this topic:
SAMPLE
This topic explores the different kinds of animals grouped into two main groups: vertebrates and invertebrates. CAPS refers to animals with bones and those without bones. The vertebrate groups are: mammals, birds, reptiles, frogs (amphibians) and fish. The invertebrate group are those without bones such as worms, millipedes, insects, spiders, scorpions and crabs.
Presentation hints:
1. Start the lesson with a class discussion comparing the different animals from the previous activity.
2. Ask learners to group the animals listed in only TWO groups. Let them come up with ways to classify the animals. Some might group according to size (small or large) or on physical features such as limbs and body covering
3. Explain the concepts vertebrate and invertebrate using the words bones and without bones. Make a table showing animals that have bones inside their body and animals
that don’t have bones inside their bodies. Then ask learners to write the names of the animals in the correct column.
4. Discuss how accurately they were able to classify the animals.
5. If possible, make a poster for the wall displaying the animals that have bones inside their bodies and those that do not.
6. Ask the learners to feel their own bones, specifically their backbone (the line of bones down the middle of the back, made up of vertebrae). Ask them in which group they would be classified.
Grouping animals
ACTIVITY 1g: Classifying animals
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Animals that are vertebrates:
Dolphin, dog, seagull
2. Look at the X-rays of the crab and the grasshopper. Can you see a backbone in their bodies? Why do you think this is?
They do not have bones inside their bodies. Instead, they have a hard, bony outer skeleton.
3. What do we call animals such as the grasshopper and the crab?
Invertebrates
4. Study the animals from Activity 1f. Decide if they are vertebrates with bones inside their bodies, or invertebrates without bones inside their bodies.
Learner-dependent answer
5. Write the name of each animal in the correct column below. Vertebrates
