United Kingdom · National Curriculum Attainment Targets
Year 5 Science
A comprehensive inquiry into the physical laws and biological processes that shape our environment. Students investigate the properties of matter, the mechanics of movement, and the lifecycle of diverse organisms through hands-on experimentation.
Properties and Changes of Materials
Students explore how different materials behave and why we choose specific substances for various tasks based on their physical properties.
Investigating how materials can be grouped based on conductivity, transparency, and response to magnets.
Examining how mixtures are formed and how some substances seem to disappear into liquids.
Distinguishing between changes that can be undone, like melting, and those that create new materials, like burning.
Living Things and Their Habitats
A study of the diverse lifecycles of mammals, amphibians, insects, and birds across the planet.
Comparing the developmental stages of different animal groups from birth to adulthood.
Investigating the sexual and asexual ways that plants produce offspring to ensure species survival.
Exploring the impact of famous scientists like David Attenborough and Jane Goodall on our understanding of nature.
Animals Including Humans
Focusing on the physical and emotional changes that occur as humans grow and age.
Mapping the stages of human growth from gestation through to old age.
Understanding the biological changes that occur during the transition to adolescence.
Earth and Space
Venturing into the cosmos to understand the movement of celestial bodies in our solar system.
Describing the Sun, Earth, and Moon as approximately spherical bodies and their orbital paths.
Using the Earth's rotation to explain the cycle of day and night and the apparent movement of the sun.
Investigating why the moon appears to change shape over the course of a month.
Forces in Action
An investigation into gravity, friction, and the mechanical advantages of simple machines.
Exploring how gravity pulls objects toward Earth and how air and water resistance oppose motion.
Testing how different surfaces affect the movement of objects and the heat generated by contact.
Discovering how levers, pulleys, and gears allow a smaller force to have a greater effect.
Scientific Inquiry and Investigation
Synthesizing skills to plan, conduct, and report on independent scientific experiments.
Learning how to control variables to ensure that scientific results are valid and reliable.
Using tables, bar charts, and line graphs to communicate findings clearly to others.
Reflecting on the limitations of experiments and suggesting improvements for future research.