[ML5] Grade 5 -- Curriculum Overview

Learning Objectives:

  • Advanced Concepts: Investigating electrical circuits, chemical reactions, motion, pressure, and energy transformation.
  • Data Skills: Analyzing multi-variable experiments, interpreting live data in graphs, and recognizing complex trends.

Session Grouping:

  • Bootcamp (Sessions 1-2): Reinforcing sensor use and graphing skills.
  • Investigating Physics & Chemistry (Sessions 3-7): Investigating speed, electricity, pressure, and energy transformation through guided experiments.
  • Human Physiology (Sessions 8-9): Investigating heart rate and muscle activity with advanced sensors.
  • Creative Project (Session 10): Design a complex experiment involving multiple variables, collect data, and perform in-depth analysis.

Data Analysis Skills:

  • Complex Graphing: Students work with multi-variable plots, identifying trends, relationships, and drawing more complex conclusions based on their data.

Session 1: Investigating Chemical Reactions

Details:

Students explore exothermic and endothermic reactions by measuring temperature changes during simple chemical reactions using the temperature sensor. By mixing substances like baking soda and vinegar or dissolving salt in water, they observe temperature shifts, linking to concepts of energy transfer in chemical reactions.


Session 2: Exploring Electrical Resistance

Details:

Students build simple circuits with resistors of different values and use MeasureLab to measure voltage and current. They learn how resistance affects current flow and the basics of electrical conductivity.


Session 3: Measuring Speed and Acceleration

Details:

Using photogate sensors, students measure the speed and acceleration of a rolling object down an inclined plane. They record time and distance data, calculate speed and acceleration, and relate their findings to the physics of motion and gravity.


Session 4: Investigating Fluid Pressure

Details:

Students explore how fluid pressure changes with depth using the fluid pressure sensor. By immersing the sensor at different depths in water, they record pressure readings and understand the relationship between depth and pressure in liquids, relating to principles like buoyancy.


Session 5: Energy Transformation—Solar to Electrical

Details:

Students use a solar panel connected to MeasureLab to measure voltage output under different light conditions. They experiment with angles, distances, and light intensity, learning how solar energy is converted into electrical energy and factors that affect efficiency.


Session 6: Human Body Signals—Measuring Heart and Muscle Activity

Details:

Using ECG (electrocardiogram) and EMG (electromyogram) sensors connected to MeasureLab, students measure heart rate and muscle activity at rest and after exercise. They explore how the body generates electrical signals and understand the basics of the circulatory and muscular systems.


Session 7: Air Pressure and Altitude

Details:

Students use the pressure sensor to measure air pressure at different elevations within the school building. They investigate how air pressure changes with altitude and discuss implications for weather patterns and breathing at high altitudes.


Session 8: Heat Transfer and Insulation

Details:

Students test various insulating materials by wrapping containers of warm water and measuring temperature changes over time with the temperature sensor. They learn about heat transfer methods—conduction, convection, and radiation—and evaluate which materials are most effective insulators.


Session 9: Pendulum Period Investigation

Details:

Students construct a simple pendulum and use the photogate sensor to measure the time period of its oscillations. They vary the initial amplitude (the angle from which the pendulum is released) and record the time periods. By analyzing the data, students determine if the initial amplitude affects the period, exploring concepts of harmonic motion and factors influencing pendulum behavior.


Session 10: Designing Automated Systems

Details:

Students integrate sensors and actuators to create a simple automated system, such as a temperature-controlled fan or a light-activated alarm. They use MeasureLab to program logical responses, applying concepts from previous sessions to design and test their systems.