5th Grade STAAR Quick Review Guide – Keep in your journal and review this as much as you can!
Science Investigation & Reasoning
Experimental Design
Safety Rules





Always follow directions.
Report any accident or injury to the teacher.
Always clean up your work area.
Collect all materials before starting a lab.
Wear safety goggles and rubber gloves when
instructed to do so.
Changes
Vocabulary
Physical
Change
Chemical
Change
Definition
A change that alters the
appearance of a
substance but the
substance still remains
the same
A change in matter that
produces a new
substance
Example
Cutting paper
Freezing
water
Burning
Digesting
Food
Physical Properties
Vocabulary
Property
Definition
Anything that has mass
and takes up space
Description
State
Form of matter
Matter
Mass
Weight
States of Matter
State
Solid
Liquid
Gas
Example
Ice
Energy
Low
Liquid
Water
Medium
Steam
High
Shape
Fixed
Shape of
Container
Fills Space
Magnetism
Conduction
Insulation
Vocabulary
Boiling
Point
Freezing
Point
Amount of matter in an
object
Amount of gravity on an
object
Ability to be attracted to
magnets
Ability to carry heat,
electricity or sound
Unable to carry heat,
electricity or sound
Definition
Liquid to gas
Liquid to solid
Example
Water,
steam, ice
Example
Solid, liquid,
gas
Grams
Pounds
Iron, Nickel,&
Cobalt are
magnetic
Metals
Styrofoam,
ice chest
Example
Water boils
at 100°C
Water freezes
at 0°C
5th Grade STAAR Quick Review Guide – Keep in your journal and review this as much as you can!
Forms of Energy & Their Properties
Charts and Tables
Kinetic Energy: Energy that is in motion.
Energy that can be seen.
Potential Energy: Energy that cannot be
seen (stored energy.)
Mechanical
Thermal Electrical
Light
Sound
“heat”
“electron”
“solar”
Camp Fire
“vibration”
“Movement”
microphones
Roller
coasters
5 Steps to Evaluating Charts and Graphs
1.
2.
3.
4.
Look for the title of the chart/graph
Look for the labels (x and y axis names)
Look for a key or legend to help you interpret
Record the totals for each data point on a bar/line
graph
5. Look for patterns on the data represented.
Refraction
(bending light)
Match stick
Complete
Circuits
reflection
megaphones
Circle saw
Evaluating Models
Steps to Examining a Model
1. Does it have all the parts?
2. Does is show almost the correct sizes?
3. Does the model make sense?
4. How can it be improved?
Limitation – What does the model NOT show that
the real thing/object does? Example: The model of
the solar system does not show its real size.
Solutions and Mixtures
Vocabulary
Definition
Mixture
2 or more substances
mixed together but not
chemically combined
Solution
Mixture in which one
substance is dissolved in
another
Example
Marbles and
Sticks
Iron Filings
with Water
Saltwater
Tea
Colored Water
Properties of Light – Reflection – Follows Straight Lines
5th Grade STAAR Quick Review Guide – Keep in your journal and review this as much as you can!
Energy in Motion
Earth Science - Extra
Electrical energy moves in
Energy that is used to
a path. A closed circuit
move things is called
path can be used to do
force.
work.
Push
Pull
Other Force Factor Include:
Gravity – brings
objects down
Friction – can slow or
speed objects on
surfaces
Mass – can affect
speed of objects
Earth’s Resources
Renewable
Resources
Nonrenewable
Resources
Alternative
Resources
Plants
Animals
Water
Oxygen
Soil
Oil
Natural Gas
Coal
Minerals (Rocks)
Petroleum (oil)
Geothermal
Hydroelectric
Bio-fuels
Solar
Wind
Recyclable
Limited!!
Endless
Fossil Fuels form over millions of years. Dead plants
and animals are buried by layers of sediment. Over
time, through heat and pressure, they turn into coal, oil
and natural gas
Sedimentary Rock layers tell a story of the past. They
are formed when layers of soil, sand, sediment and rock
are deposited along with water to form the layers over
time. Fossils can be found here and can also tell us
about the climate from the past.
Soil is a very important renewable resource. Depending
on the type, it can have a different texture, ability to
retain water, and support life.
Solar System
Vocabulary
Definition
Solar
System
Sun, Planets, and all
other objects that
revolve around the
Sun
Planets
Large bodies of rock
that orbit around the
Sun often with ice or
gas
Sun
Alternative Energy is the phrase we use to describe
alternatives to oil, coal and natural gas. We are finding
ways to utilize what we find naturally on earth in a
better and cheaper way.
Alternative Energy
Example
Geothermal – Heat from
Hot Springs, Hot steam
Earth’s Core
from Earth’s core
Hydroelectricity – Water
Dams, watermills
power to produce electricity
Biofuel – energy made from Wood, corn, sugarcane,
dead organisms
manure
Solar – Energy from the Sun Solar Panels, Solar Cars,
Wind – Energy produced by Wind Turbines,
wind
Windmills
Sun Spot
Gravity
Example
Star at the center of
the Solar System.
Provides most of the
Earth’s energy
Area of lower
temperature and
higher magnetism on
the surface of the Sun
Force of attraction
between 2 objectspulling force
Sun, Planet,
Moons,
Asteroids,
Meteoroids,
Comets
Mercury, Venus,
Earth, Mars,
Jupiter, Saturn,
Uranus, Neptune,
Pluto
Star (the Sun is a
star! )
Objects in orbit
around the Sun
Cycles
Cycle
Time
Earth revolves around Sun
Moon revolves around Earth
Earth rotates on its Axis
365 days = 1 year
29.5 days = ~ 1 month
24 hours = 1 day
Vocabulary
Moon
Tides
Phases
5th Grade STAAR Quick Review Guide – Keep in your journal and review this as much as you can!
Moon
Earth’s Surfaces
Changes affect Earth’s surface over time can occur
Definition
Example
quickly or slowly.
Moon orbits
Natural satellite that
Slow Changes
Picture Example
around Earth
orbits around planets
Weathering
every 29.5 days
Slow change over time that
The up and down
break down rock by wind,
movement of Earth’s
Tides usually
water, ice and growth of plant
oceans caused by
occur twice a day
roots.
gravitational pull of
the Moon and Sun
Erosion
Stages caused by the
Movement of soil, sand, or
Moon’s orbit and
New Moon, 1st
sediment by wind, water or ice.
different views from
Quarter, Full
Deposition
Earth of the Sun’s rays
Moon, Last
Soil, sand & sediment is carried
being reflected on the
Quarter
away and new land is formed.
Moon
Earth
Vocabulary
Axis
Rotation
Revolution
Definition
Example
Imaginary line from the
N to the S pole. Earth is
tilted. This is why we
have seasons.
Earth spinning on its
tilted axis. One
rotation every 24 hours
Orbiting a star or
planet. It takes 365
days (1 year) for Earth
to revolve around the
Sun
Earth
Glaciers
Large sheet of moving ice that
weathers and erodes the
surface as it moves.
Rapid, Fast Changes
Moon
Volcanoes
Adds new layers to Earth’s
surface. Destroys ecosystems
around it.
Earthquakes
Sudden movement of plates
beneath Earth’s surface.
Landslides
Mass movement of land due to
gravity or other conditions that
destabilize the land.
The Water Cycle
Reminder: The Moon revolves around the Earth.
The Earth revolves around the Sun.
Picture Example
5th Grade STAAR Quick Review Guide – Keep in your journal and review this as much as you can!
The Water Cycle
Vocabulary
Accumulation
Evaporation
Condensation
Precipitation
Transpiration
Definition
An area where water is collected,
such as an ocean or a river.
Then water turns into a gas and
rises to the air
Water vapor comes together to form
clouds
Water falling from the sky as rain,
hail, sleet or snow.
When plants give off water due to
heat from the Sun
Climate vs. Weather
Climate
Weather
Describes average
Describes the exact
conditions expected at
conditions at places.
places.
Key words: usually,
Key words: today,
normally, annually
tomorrow, yesterday,
(yearly), average
this week, coming up
Ecosystems
Ecosystems are large scale environments, where
certain animals and plants live. The climate there
determines which organisms are able to survive and
which aren’t. They include: Deserts, Rainforests,
Tundras, Grasslands, & Deciduous Forests
Organisms and Their Environment
Vocabulary
Definition
Prey
Animal that is hunted
Predator
Animal that hunts
Organism that makes
its own food
Producer
Consumer
Decomposer
Herbivore
Carnivore
Omnivore
Example
Lion hunts a
gazelle
Cheetah
Plant, grass,
flower, bush
Animal that eats
organisms for energy.
Bear eats fruit
Organism that breaks
down dead organisms
Plant eating organism
Meat eating organism
Plant and meat eating
Fungi, bacteria,
mushroom
Deer, rabbit
Lion, Vulture
Grizzly Bear
The Carbon and Oxygen Cycle
Marine Food Web
The carbon cycle uses the process of photosynthesis to
take in carbon dioxide, sunlight and water, to produce
oxygen for plants and animals, and food for itself.
Respiration is the process of breathing.
Metamorphosis
Arrows point to what the organism gets eaten by. The
arrow also represents energy flow. The picture shows:
The ring seal is eaten by the polar bear. The herbivorous
zooplankton is eaten by the Minke whale. The capelin
Sand Eel is eaten by the Beluga Whale.
5th Grade STAAR Quick Review Guide – Keep in your journal and review this as much as you can!
The Planets
Adaptations for Survival
Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Vocabulary
Inherited
Trait
Learned
Behaviors
Offspring
Definition
Characteristic that is
passed from parent
to offspring during
reproduction
Behavior that
develops from seeing
or being told what to
do.
New organism that
come from parents
that have reproduced
Example
Hair color height,
weight, fur color,
length of claws,
length of beaks
Catching a ball,
looking out for
predators,
writing, speaking
Baby human,
baby bird,
puppies, cubs
The triple beam balance above reads:
30 + 300 + 5 = 335grams.
Conservation of Resources
Vocabulary
Definition
Example
Soda can be
melted to make a
new one.
Recycle
Convert (waste) into
a reusable material.
Reduce
Become smaller or
less in size or amount
Use less paper
Reuse
Use more than once.
Use plastic bag
again
The beaker on the left
shows how dense
objects are.
The cork is the lease
dense. The water is the
densest.
Water is denser than a
cork.
The graduated cylinder above reads: 36.5 mL