SC.5.3.4.a: Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in…
Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.
The Colorado Academic Standards for Science (2020) outcome SC.5.3.4.a (Earth and Space Sciences) for Grade 5 says: “Describe and graph the amounts of salt water and fresh water in various reservoirs to provide evidence about the distribution of water on Earth.” This Fieldbook unit teaches it hands-on, with everyday materials and a printable teacher guide and student sheet for every lesson. Official wording: Colorado Academic Standards for Science (2020).
The Water Cycle, Start to Finish Grades 3–6
A water-drop journey game around eight stations of the room, a 100-square model of where all of Earth's water really is, from USGS data, and a sealed bag of water on a sunny window that shows the Sun driving the whole cycle. Two of the three lessons need nothing but printed sheets.
- Where is all of Earth's water? 45–60 min
Teams shade two 100-square grids from real USGS data to show how much of Earth's water is salty, frozen, underground or in lakes and rivers, then the whole class becomes a human model of all the water on Earth. Students graph the amounts and explain why fresh, liquid water is so precious.
Printable practice for SC.5.3.4.a
- The Water Cycle, Start to Finish workbook included with the unit
1 word wall, 1 English-support page, 1 practice page, 1 reading, 1 unit review, 1 unit test, with answer keys.
Need just this outcome? Build a custom pack from these pages, with its answer key, in about a minute. Custom packs come with All-access and school licences.
Compared with NGSS: 5-ESS2-2.
More Colorado Grade 5 science outcomes we teach
Every Colorado Grade 5 science standards outcome we teach
Every unit matched to Colorado's curriculum · All places and curricula
Three full lessons, free
Make a free account and download any three Fieldbook lessons as printable PDFs. No card needed.