Matter and Ecosystems for Grade 5: Particle Models to Food Webs
Matter and ecosystems for Grade 5, from particles to food webs
Fifth graders meet a big idea in this unit: matter is conserved, whether it sits in a jar of mixed solids or moves through a forest. The Matter and Ecosystems unit follows matter from particle models to plants, food webs and decomposers in eight lessons.
See the unit and bundleIn short: Teach Grade 5 matter and ecosystems as one connected idea: describe matter by its properties, explain it with particle models, measure before and after, then trace where plants get matter, how food webs connect organisms and how decomposers return matter to a cycle. The Matter and Ecosystems unit does this across eight lessons, with a food-web model page and a teacher guide with answers. It is written with NGSS in mind, with no claim of approval or alignment.
Matter
Start with properties and particles
Lesson 1 of the Matter and Ecosystems unit describes matter by its properties, and Lesson 2 introduces particle models for things too small to see. The models are the tool students will reuse for the rest of the unit, so give them time to draw and explain rather than copy.
Lesson 3 asks students to measure before and after a change. This is where you build the idea that a change in appearance does not always mean a change in amount. Keep a class table of measurements on the board so students see the numbers as well as hear the claim.
Mixtures
Mixtures and ways to separate them
Lesson 4 works with mixtures and ways to separate them. It is a practical lesson, and it is a good moment to ask what stays the same when a mixture is separated. Students who say "it disappeared" after dissolving something need the particle model from Lesson 2 and the measurements from Lesson 3 to revise that idea.
Ask each group to write the claim, the evidence and the particle explanation on the case card. Doing so links three lessons in one short piece of writing.
Ecosystems
Plants, food webs and decomposers
Lesson 5 traces where plants get the matter they use. Many students believe plants take in most of their matter from the soil, so make the question explicit and let the evidence from the lesson answer it.
Lesson 6 reads and builds food webs. The unit includes a food-web model page that focuses on the direction of the arrows, one of the most common points of confusion. Ask students to say each arrow in a full sentence, such as "the matter goes from the plant to the animal that eats it", before they trust the diagram.
Lesson 7 follows matter through decomposers and cycles. Return to the particle idea here: matter is passed on, broken down and reused, not lost.
Evidence
Using evidence to explain change in a system
Lesson 8 asks students to use evidence to explain change in a system. By this point they have a vocabulary of properties, particles, producers, consumers and decomposers, and the task is to put these together in an explanation they can defend.
A short routine helps: state what changed, say what stayed the same, and give one piece of evidence for each. Students who can do that for a closed jar can usually do it for a pond. Keep the sentence frames on the board for the whole week, because students who start with a frame write fuller explanations than students who start with a blank page.
Teacher support
What the guide and extras give you
The 13-page teacher guide contains a teaching concept, sequence and preparation notes, answers and teaching notes for each lesson, an assessment key with feedback, and a differentiation and observation chapter. The unit also includes editable DOCX text editions, a 17-slide presentation, two vocabulary pages, a learning check, and a project with a record and reflection page.
Physical science and life science sit in one unit, so you can teach matter first and ecosystems second without switching resources.
Plan
A suggested lesson-by-lesson pacing
The material gives no timings. This plan assumes one lesson per period, with the case card inside the period. Mixtures and food webs often benefit from a second period.
| Lesson | Focus | Suggested pacing |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Matter has properties | 1 period |
| 2 | Particles too small to see | 1 period |
| 3 | Measure before and after | 1 period |
| 4 | Mixtures and separation | 1 to 2 periods |
| 5 | Plants obtain matter | 1 period |
| 6 | Food webs | 1 to 2 periods, using the food-web model page |
| 7 | Decomposers and cycling | 1 period |
| 8 | System change and evidence | 1 period, then the learning check and project |
Resources
The unit, its bundle and related science resources
The unit comes first, then the bundle that includes it, then a sibling unit and related life science resources.
Matter and Ecosystems | 8 Lessons, Case Cards & a Project | Grade 5
Elementary Science Bundle | Energy and Waves, Matter and Ecosystems, Life Cycles & Earth | 4 Units | Grades 3–5
Energy and Waves | 8 Lessons, Case Cards & a Project | Grade 4
Explore a Forest Ecosystem | Habitat, Forest Layers, Food Webs & Decomposers | Life Science Unit | Grades 5–7
Elementary Life Science Bundle | Ecosystems, Pollination, Skeleton, Birds, Frogs & Plants | Grades 3–7
Elementary Science Curriculum | Life, Earth & Physical Science | 11 Units | Grades 3–5
What you get
What you can do this week
- Open with Lesson 1 and ask students to sort objects by properties
- Use the particle drawings from Lesson 2 as a reference chart for the whole unit
- Print the food-web model page and practise saying each arrow as a sentence
- Use the case card as a short written exit ticket in each lesson
- Edit the DOCX text edition to match your class vocabulary
- Use the 17-slide presentation to introduce or review a lesson
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Questions
Frequently asked questions
Which standards does this unit fit?
It is written for Grade 5 science with NGSS in mind. No alignment or approval by any state, district or standards body is claimed, so compare the lessons with your own standards.
Are answers included?
Yes. The separate teacher guide has answers and teaching notes for all eight lessons, case guidance and an assessment key with feedback.
How long does the unit take?
The material gives no timings. Plan by lesson, usually one period each, and allow extra time for the learning check and project.
Can I edit the student pages?
Yes. The unit includes editable DOCX text editions of the classroom material and the teacher guide. The PDF is the print reference.
Is TeachLessons connected to a state or ministry?
No. TeachLessons is independent and is not endorsed by any department, ministry, state or exam board.
Who is the unit for?
Grade 5 science teachers who want a closed unit on matter and ecosystems, and homeschool families who want printable lessons with a separate answer guide. In the UK and Australia it sits at roughly Year 6.
Four elementary science units in one bundle
The Elementary Science Bundle includes Matter and Ecosystems, Energy and Waves, Life Cycles and Inherited Traits, and a fourth unit on how Earth's surface changes. It costs $59.99 against $89.96 for the four separately.
See the science bundle