Elementary Science Curriculum for Grades 3–5: 11 Hands-On Units
An elementary science curriculum for Grades 3–5 should cover life, earth and physical science with hands-on work, and the Elementary Science Curriculum does that in eleven units, from the water cycle and weather to circuits, forces, light and three units on birds. It is meant for classroom teachers and homeschool families who want a year of science from one source. It costs $109.99; the parts total $228.62.
Open the science curriculumThe Elementary Science Curriculum ($109.99) gives Grades 3–5 eleven science units: Water & the Water Cycle; Explore a Forest Ecosystem; Explore Simple Electric Circuits; Observing & Understanding Weather; Meadows, Flowers & Pollination; Exploring Forces & Motion; The Skeleton in Motion; Light, Shadow & Penumbra; and three bird units on traits, the bird year and protection. It suits classrooms and homeschools that want life, earth and physical science from one source.
The resources
Elementary Science Curriculum, Grades 3–5
11 resources in one download: $109.99 instead of $228.62 bought separately.
Start with the first resource; the others are optional add-ons. Open any cover for the full contents and price.
Elementary Science Curriculum | Life, Earth & Physical Science | 11 Units | Grades 3–5
Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle | Rhythm, Singing, Instruments, Color Mixing & Printing | 5 Units | Grades 3–5
Complete Learning Books Bundle | 10 Units: Grammar, Math, Science, History, ESL, Art & Music | Grades 3–6
Environmental Science Units Bundle | Climate Change, Climate Data, Ecosystems, Resources & Climate Ethics | 5 Units | Grades 8–12
The real problem
Why science gets squeezed in Grades 3–5
In upper elementary, science competes with reading and math for time, and it usually loses. Many classroom teachers are generalists who feel confident teaching reading but less sure how to run a lesson on circuits or light and shadow. Kits and textbooks may be old, incomplete or missing. The result is science taught as reading passages, which children find dull and which misses the point: at this age, students learn science by observing, testing and talking about what they saw. Coverage is another problem. A year of science should touch living things, the earth and weather, and physical ideas like forces, electricity and light. Building that balance yourself means researching each topic, finding experiments that work with simple materials and writing questions at a Grade 3 reading level that still stretch a Grade 5 student. Homeschool families face the same issue at the kitchen table, often with children of different ages, and parents who did not enjoy science in school may hesitate to teach it at all. What helps most is a set of units that names the topic, gives children something to do and keeps the explanations clear, so the adult can guide instead of lecture.
Why it fits
How the eleven units cover a year of science
The units spread across the three main areas of elementary science, with an especially strong strand on living things.
- Life science: forest ecosystems, meadows and pollination, the skeleton in motion and three bird units.
- Earth science: water and the water cycle, plus observing and understanding the weather.
- Physical science: simple electric circuits, forces and motion, and light, shadow and penumbra.
- The bird units move from traits, feathers and beaks to nests and migration, then habitats and conservation.
- Observation topics like weather and birds work well outdoors, in a schoolyard or a backyard.
- Each unit is also sold on its own, so you can replace or add a single topic later.
Getting started
One way to spread eleven units across the year
This sequence follows the seasons where it can. Take it as a suggestion and fit it around your school or family calendar.
- Fall: weather and waterStart with Observing & Understanding Weather and keep a class weather record through the year. Follow with Water & the Water Cycle, which builds on what students notice outside.
- Late fall: forest and birdsTeach Explore a Forest Ecosystem while the leaves change, then What Is a Bird? Traits, Feathers & Beaks. Birds Through the Year: Nests, Migration & Winter fits as birds leave.
- Winter: physical science indoorsUse the colder months for Explore Simple Electric Circuits, Exploring Forces & Motion and Light, Shadow & Penumbra. These topics work indoors with simple materials you provide.
- Early spring: the bodyTeach The Skeleton in Motion. It connects to the forces and motion work from winter and gives students a life science topic that is about their own bodies.
- Spring: meadows and bird protectionFinish with Meadows, Flowers & Pollination and Protecting Birds: Habitats, Conservation & Watching, when plants bloom and birds return. Outdoor observation makes a good close to the year.
What to buy
Science set or something broader?
Choose the Elementary Science Curriculum at $109.99 (eleven units, $228.62 bought separately) if science is the gap you need to fill. For Grades 3–6 learners who need practice across several subjects, the Complete Learning Books Bundle ($99.90) has ten units across grammar, math, science, history, ESL, art and music, so science is one subject among many there. The Elementary Art & Music Units Bundle ($74.99) pairs well if you also teach your own arts lessons. For older students in Grades 8–12, the Environmental Science Units Bundle ($69.99) continues with climate change, a climate data lab, ecosystems and resources.
Honest limits
Practical limits
The curriculum is not written for any state and is not aligned to NGSS or any state's science standards; there are no standards codes. Check the units against your state's science standards or your homeschool plan. No experiment kits, batteries, bulbs, wires or other materials are included, so circuit and light lessons need simple supplies you gather yourself. How long it lasts depends on your pacing. For grade-level team use, send Teach Lessons a short message first. If it is not a fit, exchange it within 7 days for store credit of equal value; there is no cash refund.
Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Does it match NGSS or my state's science standards?
No. It is not aligned to, endorsed by or approved under NGSS or any state's science standards, and the units have no standards codes. Topics such as weather, the water cycle, ecosystems, forces, circuits and light are common in Grades 3–5 frameworks, so there may be overlap. Compare the eleven units with your state's standards or your homeschool plan yourself.
Is it really hands-on?
The curriculum is described as hands-on science, and topics like circuits, forces, light and shadow and weather observation lend themselves to experiments and outdoor work. You supply the materials. Check each unit's own page, linked from the bundle page, to see which activities it contains before you write your supply list.
Can a homeschool family use it with two children?
Yes. Homeschool families are one of the groups it is meant for. Children in Grades 3 and 5 can do the same observation or experiment and then answer at their own level. If you plan to pay with ESA or scholarship funds, check your program's rules and vendor list first; Teach Lessons does not claim to be an approved vendor.
Is this a full year of science?
It is intended for teachers and families who want a year of hands-on science from one source, with eleven units across life, earth and physical science. Whether it fills your year depends on how often you teach science and how long you spend on each unit. Some classes will add projects of their own.
Do I need a science background to teach it?
The curriculum is aimed at elementary teachers and homeschool families, not science specialists. Read a unit before teaching it and try any experiment once yourself; circuits are much easier to explain after you have built one. Because each unit focuses on one topic, preparation stays manageable.
When do I get the files?
Right after purchase. The eleven units are digital downloads, with a link sent by email and the files kept in your customer account under Orders. The materials work in print and digital classrooms, so you can project pages for the whole class or print them for a homeschool binder.
A year of science built on what kids can see and test
Open the product page to see all eleven units and plan your first weather or water lesson.
Open the science curriculum