Scope and sequence · Science
Grade 5 Life Science: The Human Body
A year of true stories about the body God made, from Robert Hooke’s slice of cork and Vesalius’s great book of anatomy to William Harvey’s beating heart, William Beaumont’s window into a living stomach, Edward Jenner’s milkmaids and Joseph Lister’s clean surgery, each one taken apart to see how it was figured out and then tested at the kitchen table with a stopwatch, a tape measure, a balloon and a notebook.
School Launch is a free helpful tool, not an accredited school or curriculum provider. It does not issue credits, transcripts, diplomas or grades of record. Parents and schools are responsible for meeting their own state or local requirements. More
What to cover
32 of 36 lessons are MUST COVER. They are tested on the unit tests and exams, or are skills the SAT/ACT relies on. OPTIONAL lessons are enrichment. Do them if time allows. The course is complete when the MUST COVER lessons are done.
Unit 1: Cells (first look)
- MUST COVER 1.1 Hooke’s Cork (1665) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.2 Cheek Cell Slide · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.3 Tissues and Organs · unit test
- MUST COVER 1.4 “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made” · unit test
Unit 2: Skeleton and Muscles
- MUST COVER 2.1 Vesalius and the Fabrica (1543) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.2 206 Bones · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.3 Joints · unit test
- MUST COVER 2.4 Muscles in Pairs · unit test
Unit 3: Heart and Blood
- MUST COVER 3.1 William Harvey and the Circulation of the Blood (1628) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.2 Take Your Pulse ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.3 Blood Cells · unit test
- MUST COVER 3.4 “The Life of the Flesh Is in the Blood” (Leviticus 17:11) · unit test
Unit 4: Lungs
- MUST COVER 4.1 Model Lung in a Bottle ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.2 Lung Capacity · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.3 Exercise and Breath · unit test
- MUST COVER 4.4 Smoke and the Lungs · unit test
Unit 5: Digestion
- MUST COVER 5.1 William Beaumont and Alexis St. Martin (1822) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.2 Teeth ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.3 The 9-Meter Path · unit test
- MUST COVER 5.4 Nutrition (with Cooking & Food) · unit test
Unit 6: Brain and Nerves
- MUST COVER 6.1 Reflexes ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.2 Left and Right: The Two Halves of the Brain · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.3 Memory · unit test
- MUST COVER 6.4 Sleep · unit test
Unit 7: Senses
- MUST COVER 7.1 The Eye: Looking Inside a Cow’s Eye ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.2 The Ear · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.3 Taste and Smell · unit test
- MUST COVER 7.4 Touch Map · unit test
Unit 8: Health and Medicine
- MUST COVER 8.1 Jenner’s Smallpox Vaccine (1796) ★ · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.2 Pasteur’s Germs · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.3 Lister’s Clean Surgery · unit test
- MUST COVER 8.4 Washing and First Aid · unit test
Unit 9: Bonus: Nature Lab OPTIONAL unit
- OPTIONAL 9.1 Nature Journal Walk
- OPTIONAL 9.2 Backyard Survey
- OPTIONAL 9.3 Zoo, Farm or Museum Visit
- OPTIONAL 9.4 Specimen Collection
36-week pacing calendar
From the course’s own 36-week pacing guide, with catch-up and review weeks added to fill a 36-week (180-day) year.
| Week | Plan | Done | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wk 1 | Session 1: Lesson 1.1 Hooke’s Cork (1665): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 2 | Session 1: Lesson 1.2 Cheek Cell Slide: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 3 | Session 1: Lesson 1.3 Tissues and Organs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 4 | Session 1: Lesson 1.4 “Fearfully and Wonderfully Made”: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 1.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 1 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 5 | Session 1: Lesson 2.1 Vesalius and the Fabrica (1543): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 6 | Session 1: Lesson 2.2 206 Bones: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 7 | Session 1: Lesson 2.3 Joints: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 8 | Session 1: Lesson 2.4 Muscles in Pairs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 2.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 2 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 9 | Session 1: Lesson 3.1 William Harvey and the Circulation of the Blood (1628): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 10 | Session 1: Lesson 3.2 Take Your Pulse: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 11 | Session 1: Lesson 3.3 Blood Cells: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 12 | Session 1: Lesson 3.4 “The Life of the Flesh Is in the Blood” (Leviticus 17:11): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 3.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 3 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 13 | Session 1: Lesson 4.1 Model Lung in a Bottle: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 14 | Session 1: Lesson 4.2 Lung Capacity: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 15 | Session 1: Lesson 4.3 Exercise and Breath: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 16 | Session 1: Lesson 4.4 Smoke and the Lungs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 4.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 4 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 17 | Session 1: Lesson 5.1 William Beaumont and Alexis St. Martin (1822): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 18 | Session 1: Lesson 5.2 Teeth: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 19 | Session 1: Lesson 5.3 The 9-Meter Path: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 20 | Session 1: Lesson 5.4 Nutrition (with Cooking & Food): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 5.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 5 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 21 | Session 1: Lesson 6.1 Reflexes: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 22 | Session 1: Lesson 6.2 Left and Right: The Two Halves of the Brain: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 23 | Session 1: Lesson 6.3 Memory: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 24 | Session 1: Lesson 6.4 Sleep: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 6.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 6 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 25 | Session 1: Lesson 7.1 The Eye: Looking Inside a Cow’s Eye: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 26 | Session 1: Lesson 7.2 The Ear: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 27 | Session 1: Lesson 7.3 Taste and Smell: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 28 | Session 1: Lesson 7.4 Touch Map: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 7.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 7 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 29 | Session 1: Lesson 8.1 Jenner’s Smallpox Vaccine (1796): warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 30 | Session 1: Lesson 8.2 Pasteur’s Germs: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 31 | Session 1: Lesson 8.3 Lister’s Clean Surgery: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 32 | Session 1: Lesson 8.4 Washing and First Aid: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 8.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 8 review and unit project | ||
| Wk 33 | Session 1: Lesson 9.1 Nature Journal Walk: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.1 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 34 | Session 1: Lesson 9.2 Backyard Survey: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.2 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 35 | Session 1: Lesson 9.3 Zoo, Farm or Museum Visit: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.3 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook | ||
| Wk 36 | Session 1: Lesson 9.4 Specimen Collection: warm-up, video, teaching and picture study Session 2: Lesson 9.4 experiment, worked examples, practice and notebook Session 3: Unit 9 review and unit project |
Grading: Experiments (prediction, careful measuring, a fair test and the explain-it step) 30%, Nature notebook (dated pages, labeled diagrams and tables, honest records) 20%, Unit quizzes (eight quizzes of 50 points each) 30%, Unit projects 20%. Scale: A 90–100, B 80–89, C 70–79, D 60–69. Below 60: redo the experiment or quiz with help.