Ireland · NCCA Curriculum Specifications
5th Class Scientific Inquiry and the Natural World
A comprehensive exploration of biological systems, physical forces, and environmental stewardship. Students engage in hands-on investigation to understand the mechanics of the world around them through the lens of the Irish Primary Science Curriculum.
01The Living World: Systems and Survival
Investigating the complex structures of plants and animals and how they adapt to their environments.
Exploring the fundamental structure and function of plant and animal cells, identifying key organelles.
Investigating the organs and processes involved in breathing and gas exchange.
Exploring the heart, blood vessels, and blood components, understanding their roles in nutrient and oxygen transport.
Tracing the journey of food through the digestive tract and identifying organs responsible for nutrient breakdown and absorption.
Investigating the brain, spinal cord, and nerves, understanding how they transmit signals and coordinate body functions.
Examining the roles of roots, stems, leaves, and flowers in plant survival and reproduction.
Delving into the chemical process by which plants convert light energy into chemical energy.
Investigating sexual and asexual reproduction in plants, including pollination and seed dispersal.
Understanding the interactions between living organisms and their environment, including producers, consumers, and decomposers.
Examining structural, physiological, and behavioral adaptations that allow animals to thrive in specific environments.
Introducing the concept of natural selection as the driving force behind evolutionary change.
Exploring the variety of life on Earth and the systems used to classify organisms.
Investigating the world of bacteria, fungi, and viruses, understanding their roles in health and disease.
02Energy, Forces, and Motion
Discovering the invisible laws of physics that govern movement, friction, and electricity.
Defining different types of forces (gravity, friction, magnetism) and their effects on objects.
Investigating the factors affecting friction and its practical applications and disadvantages.
Exploring the concept of gravity, its effect on objects, and the difference between mass and weight.
Investigating the properties of magnets, magnetic poles, and the concept of magnetic fields.
Understanding the basic components of a circuit (power source, wires, load, switch) and their functions.
Classifying materials based on their ability to conduct or insulate electricity.
Comparing the characteristics and applications of series and parallel circuits.
Investigating the phenomena of static charge, attraction, and repulsion.
Identifying natural and artificial sources of light and understanding their properties.
Exploring how light bounces off surfaces, focusing on mirrors and the law of reflection.
Investigating how light bends when passing through different mediums, such as water or lenses.
Discovering that white light is composed of different colors and how we perceive color.
Exploring how sound is produced by vibrations and travels through different mediums.
03Materials and Their Properties
Analyzing the characteristics of raw and synthetic materials and how they change state.
Investigating the distinct characteristics of solids, including shape, volume, and particle arrangement.
Exploring the characteristics of liquids, such as indefinite shape, definite volume, and fluidity.
Investigating the characteristics of gases, including indefinite shape and volume, and particle movement.
Observing and explaining the processes of melting and freezing, and the role of temperature.
Investigating the processes of evaporation and condensation and their importance in the water cycle.
Exploring the less common phase changes where solids turn directly into gases and vice versa.
Identifying and describing physical changes where the substance's identity remains the same.
Learning to identify observable signs that a chemical reaction has occurred.
Introducing the concepts of acids and bases and using indicators to test their pH.
Investigating burning as a chemical reaction involving oxygen and the release of energy.
Understanding that matter is neither created nor destroyed during a chemical reaction.
Identifying different types of natural resources and their importance to human society.
Exploring the principles of waste management and their environmental benefits.
04Earth and Space Systems
Examining Earth's place in the solar system and the atmospheric processes that create weather.
Exploring the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets within our solar system.
Understanding how Earth's movements cause day and night, and the cycle of seasons.
Investigating the different appearances of the Moon and its gravitational influence on Earth's tides.
Exploring the different layers of Earth's atmosphere and the gases that compose it.
Tracing the continuous movement of water on, above, and below the surface of the Earth.
Investigating factors that influence weather, such as air pressure, temperature, and humidity, and how weather is forecast.
Differentiating between short-term weather events and long-term climate patterns.
Classifying rocks based on their formation processes and identifying their characteristics.
Understanding the continuous process by which rocks are formed, broken down, and reformed.
Investigating the components of soil (minerals, organic matter, water, air) and how soil is formed.
Exploring the processes that shape Earth's surface, including the movement of weathered materials.
Introducing the theory of plate tectonics and its role in earthquakes, volcanoes, and mountain formation.
Investigating the causes and effects of volcanic activity and seismic events.
05Engineering and Environmental Design
Applying scientific principles to solve real world problems and protect biodiversity.
Understanding the iterative process of identifying problems, brainstorming solutions, and creating prototypes.
Exploring how engineers and designers draw inspiration from natural forms and processes to solve human problems.
Investigating the principles of solar energy and designing systems to harness sunlight.
Exploring the mechanics of wind turbines and the factors affecting their efficiency.
Understanding how the movement of water can be harnessed to produce electricity.
Identifying the benefits that humans receive from ecosystems, such as clean air and water, and pollination.
Investigating major threats to biodiversity, including habitat loss, pollution, and climate change.