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.
01Properties 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 through hands-on tests.
Observing and describing the distinct characteristics of solids, liquids, and gases, and how they can change state.
Investigating the processes of melting and freezing, focusing on temperature changes and reversibility.
Exploring how liquids turn into gases (evaporation) and gases turn back into liquids (condensation), linking to the water cycle.
Examining how mixtures are formed and how some substances seem to disappear into liquids, focusing on solutes and solvents.
Investigating various techniques like filtering and sieving to separate different components of insoluble mixtures.
Exploring evaporation as a method to separate a dissolved solid from a liquid, such as salt from water.
Distinguishing between changes that can be undone, like melting or dissolving, and exploring examples.
02Living Things and Their Habitats
A study of the diverse lifecycles of mammals, amphibians, insects, and birds across the planet.
Learning to group animals based on observable characteristics using classification keys, focusing on vertebrates and invertebrates.
Exploring different ways to classify plants (flowering/non-flowering) and introducing the concept of microorganisms.
Comparing the developmental stages of mammals and birds from birth/hatching to adulthood.
Investigating animals that undergo metamorphosis, such as amphibians and insects, and their distinct stages.
Exploring the life cycle of flowering plants, including pollination, seed formation, and dispersal.
Comparing the life cycles of non-flowering plants (e.g., ferns, mosses) with those of flowering plants.
Exploring how living things are adapted to suit their environment in different ways, and how these adaptations help them survive.
Understanding the flow of energy through ecosystems by constructing and interpreting simple food chains.
03Animals Including Humans
Focusing on the physical and emotional changes that occur as humans grow and age.
Identifying and describing the main stages of human growth from birth to old age, focusing on observable physical changes.
Understanding the biological changes that occur during the transition to adolescence, including hormonal roles.
Learning about the basic function of the heart as a pump and the role of blood in carrying oxygen and nutrients around the body.
Exploring ways to keep the heart and circulatory system healthy through diet, exercise, and lifestyle choices.
Investigating the process of breathing and identifying the main organs involved, such as the lungs and windpipe.
Understanding factors that affect respiratory health, including air quality and the effects of smoking.
Exploring the functions of the skeleton for support, protection, and movement, and identifying major bones.
Investigating how muscles work in pairs to create movement at joints and the importance of exercise for muscle strength.
Understanding the importance of a balanced diet and the basic process of digestion.
04Earth 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 around the Sun.
Understanding the relative sizes and movements of the Sun, Earth, and Moon.
Using the Earth's rotation to explain the cycle of day and night and the apparent movement of the sun.
Understanding how the Earth's tilt and orbit around the Sun cause the different seasons.
05Forces in Action
An investigation into gravity, friction, and the mechanical advantages of simple machines.
Defining what a force is and identifying different types of forces acting on objects.
Exploring how gravity pulls objects toward Earth and its effects on falling objects.
Investigating how air resistance opposes motion and how shape affects its impact.
Testing how different surfaces affect the movement of objects and the heat generated by contact.
Exploring practical applications of friction, including ways to reduce it (lubrication) and increase it (treads).
Discovering how levers allow a smaller force to have a greater effect, making work easier.
Investigating how pulleys and gears change the direction or magnitude of force, and their uses in machines.
Investigating how water pushes back on objects and why some objects float while others sink.
Exploring the properties of magnets, identifying magnetic and non-magnetic materials, and understanding magnetic forces.
Visualizing and understanding the invisible magnetic fields around magnets and their direction.
06Light and Sound
Exploring the properties of light and sound, how they travel, and how we perceive them.
Identifying different sources of light and investigating how light travels in straight lines.
Understanding how light reflects off surfaces and how mirrors work.
Understanding how shadows are formed when opaque objects block light, and how shadow size and shape can change.
Classifying materials based on how much light they allow to pass through and relating this to shadow formation.
Investigating how sounds are made by vibrations and how they travel through different materials to our ears.
07Scientific Inquiry and Investigation
Synthesizing skills to plan, conduct, and report on independent scientific experiments.
Learning to formulate testable questions and develop hypotheses based on observations.
Learning how to control variables to ensure that scientific results are valid and reliable.