NGSS 5-LS1-1

Science5th GradeFrom Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes

The Standard

Support an argument that plants get the materials they need for growth chiefly from air and water.

Next Generation Science Standards

Teacher's field guide

What Students Need to Do: Students use observations and data to explain where a plant’s added mass comes from. They argue that carbon dioxide and water provide most of that matter, then support the claim with evidence.
What Mastery Looks Like: A student can read growth data and reject soil as the source of nearly all added mass. They cite evidence and explain that sunlight supplies energy, while carbon dioxide and water supply matter. They recognize minerals as small inputs.
Common Misconceptions: Students often think plants eat soil or that fertilizer becomes most of the plant. They may treat sunlight as matter instead of energy. Some think air has no mass or that water only prevents wilting.
How to Assess It: Give this exit ticket: “A seedling gains 120 grams while its dry soil loses 2 grams. It receives water, air, and sunlight. Explain the mass gain using evidence.”

Lesson moves

Set up identical bean plants in weighed soil, add measured water, and track plant growth and soil mass for two weeks.
Write a claim for this prompt: A tree gains 50 kilograms, but its soil loses only 1 kilogram. Where did the matter come from?
Sort cards labeled carbon dioxide, water, sunlight, and soil minerals into matter sources, energy sources, and minor inputs.
Examine a hydroponic lettuce system, then explain how plants can gain mass while growing without soil.

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Learning progression

Mastery here sets students up for these next.

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