Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills
Elementary Science ñ Grade 5
With the implementation of the new Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills, educators have experienced an increased emphasis on science curriculum in the elementary grades. The new elementary science assessment is administered in the fifth grade. To prepare students for this exam, the enclosed resources are provided for fourth and fifth grade teachers. These technology links are useful tools for student discovery and supplemental teachers resources. The links are focused on the four TAKS objectives.
The first objective states that students will demonstrate an understanding of the nature of science. This includes laboratory investigations, collecting and observing, and measuring and analyzing. Students are expected to construct and interpret graphs, tables, maps, and charts to organize and evaluate information. Students should be able to use a variety of tools such as rulers, thermometers, microscopes, magnets, and balances. To address this objective, several websites have been identified that give teachers a database of science activities. Lesson plans and experiments are provided in these sites that give students exposure to these scientific processes. These resources are comprehensive and offer links for many science subcategories.
The second objective states that students will demonstrate an understanding of the life sciences. These concepts include inherited and learned traits, adaptations of members of species, ecosystems, and life cycles of plants and animals. Students should understand the concepts of habitats, needs of living organisms, environmental concerns, cycles, and patterns of change. To address this objective, websites that allow for student exploration of life science concepts are provided.
The third objective states that students will demonstrate an understanding of the physical sciences. Energy, electricity, light, and sound are concepts that students should master. Students should understand forces, physical properties and patterns of change. Teachers can use the websites listed to help students explore the physical science concepts that are addressed on the TAKS.
The fourth objective states that students will demonstrate an understanding of the earth sciences. Students should master concepts such as characteristics of the Earth and moon, erosion, weathering, resources, seasonal changes, and soils. Oceans, planets, earthquakes, and glaciers are earth science concepts that are important for TAKS preparation. Students should understand weather, water cycles, carbon cycles, and systems of change. To ad dress these concepts, websites are listed that students can explore to gain a better understanding of earth science concepts.
Internet resources for the sciences give students access to concepts that may be only briefly covered in the current texts. Teachers can use these websites to enrich the science curriculum and to enhance student exposure to the concepts that are assessed on the elementary science TAKS.
These websites offer lesson plans, experiments, and activities. Most links allow the user to choose categories and grade levels.
http://www.teachers.net/lessons/
http://school.discovery.com/schrockguide/
http://www.eskimo.com/~billb/edu.html
Websites for the following objectives do not contain teacher lesson plans, but are provided for students to gain knowledge of the subcategories of science. Different websites have higher reading levels. Some sites would be good tools for gifted and talented students. Struggling readers may have difficulty with the vocabulary on some links.
TAKS Objective
2: Life Science
http://www.wf.net/~snake/rattlesn.htm (rattlesnakes)
http://www.owlpages.com/physiology/default.htm (owls)
http://endangered.fws.gov/wildlife.html (endangered species)
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/worms/index.html (earthworms)
http://frog.simplenet.com/froggy (frogs)
TAKS Objective 3: Physical Science
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/barrier/ (sound)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/balloon/science/density/ (density)
TAKS Objective
4: Earth Science
http://www.learner.org/exhibits/volcanoes (volcanoes)
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/avalanche/textindex.html (avalanche)
http://mbgnet.mobot.org/salt/index.htm (oceans)
http://www.seaworld.org/infobooks/coral/coralcr.html (coral reefs & oceans)
http://vortex.plymouth.edu/clouds.html (weather)
http://edugreen.teri.res.in (Planet Earth)
http://pbs.org/wgbh/nova/tothemoon (moon)