Grade 5
Describe basic plant and animal structures and their functions.
Students will:associate specific structures with their functions in the survival of the organism. For example, the colorful petals of a flower serve to attract insects, which aid in the reproduction of the plant.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
2. Coloration
correlate specific basic sensory needs with their associated structures. For example, animals may sense danger through their eyes, ears, or nose.
NatureWorks Episodes
3. Natural Communication
draw comparisons between structures that are functionally equivalent in plants and animals. For example, the root system in plants and the circulatory system in animals both serve the function of transporting nutrients to the organism.
Describe the basic needs of living things.Students will:distinguish between basic and nonessential needs of an organism.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
5. Habitat
describe how a plant or animal grows when its needs are met.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
5. Habitat
Describe the relationship between characteristics of specific habitats and the organisms that live there.Students will:draw a series of food chains for specific habitats.
NatureWorks Episodes
6. Marine Communities
7. Fresh Water Communities
8. Terrestrial Communities
9. The Wildlife Web I
10. The Wildlife Web II
11. Decomposers/Scavengers
identify the producers, consumers, and decomposers and predator-prey relationships in a given habitat.
NatureWorks Episodes
6. Marine Communities
7. Fresh Water Communities
8. Terrestrial Communities
9. The Wildlife Web I
10. The Wildlife Web II
11. Decomposers/Scavengers
explain if and why each of the living and nonliving elements present within a closed environment (such as an aquarium) is needed. For example, rocks are needed for shelter and plants provide oxygen for fish.
NatureWorks Episodes
5. Habitat
6. Marine Communities
7. Fresh Water Communities
8. Terrestrial Communities
9. The Wildlife Web I
10. The Wildlife Web II
11. Decomposers/Scavengers
14. Niche
recognize how all animals depend upon plants whether or not they eat the plants directly.
NatureWorks Episodes
9. The Wildlife Web I
10. The Wildlife Web II
11. Decomposers/Scavengers
identify the living and nonliving resources unique to a specific habitat and the adaptations of organisms to that habitat. For example, the desert habitat has sun and dry sandy soil (nonliving resources) that the cactus has adapted to by developing thick skin and shallow roots to gather and conserve water.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
2. Coloration
3. Natural Communication
4. Migration
5. Habitat
6. Marine Communities
7. Fresh Water Communities
8. Terrestrial Communities
9. The Wildlife Web I
10. The Wildlife Web II
11. Decomposers/Scavengers
14. Niche
describe how animal behavior can improve the chance of survival. Examples might include mutually beneficial relationships such as ramoras cleaning the parasites from fish gills; communication such as scent to mark territory or warning calls by birds; social behaviors in insects, birds, and mammals.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
2. Coloration
3. Natural Communication
4. Migration
Describe how adaptations help an organism survive in its environment.
Students will:identify how an organism's fur, color, shape, size, etc, adapt to its specific environment.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
2. Coloration
3. Natural Communication
4. Migration
identify how and why unique animal and plant structures and behaviors are adaptive. Examples might include a plant developing thorns for protection from birds and larger herbivores; an octopus copying the color and texture of its surroundings for camouflage; vultures spreading their wings toward the sun to kill bacteria acquired when feeding on carrion.
NatureWorks Episodes
1. Adaptation
2. Coloration
3. Natural Communication
4. Migration
describe changes to the environment that have caused some species to become endangered.
NatureWorks Episodes
12. Population Dynamics
15. Invasive Species
16. Life at Risk 
