Science STAAR 5th: What You Need To Know

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Science STAAR 5th What You Need To Know
Reporting Category 1 Matter and Energy
Scientific Investigation and Reasoning Skills
Lab Safety wait and follow all directions, use
equipment properly, wear safety equipment (ie.
goggles to protect your eyes), work safely
(waft to detect odors, never taste substances,
keep work area neat and clean), ask teacher for
help with accidents or spills Scientific methods
Plan and conduct investigations
Problem- ask a testable question
Hypothesis make a prediction about the answer to
the question Experiment Plan
the investigation (controlled variables- kept the
same, manipulated variable - changed), select
equipment and use technology to collect,
measure, and analyze data, repeat the trials for
more reliability, organize data into tables
graphs Conclusion explain the results
(what does the information collected mean,
compare results to your hypothesis) Graphs
chart or data table columns and rows to compare
data line graph circle
graph parts of a whole (always adds to 100)
bar graph compares same data for
different things line graph
shows how data changed as time passed
(increased, decreased, or stayed the
same) Measurement Tools Investigation
Tools microscope (enlarges objects),hand lens
(enlarges objects), magnet (attracts iron),
collecting net (capture live specimens), hot
plate (heating), compass (find directions), pan
balance (compare mass of objects), triple beam
balance (mass in grams), Celsius thermometer
(temperature), prism (refracts light), mirror
(reflects light), graduated cylinder (volume in
mL), beaker (volume in mL), meter stick (length
in cm) Key Words draw conclusions, inference,
hypothesis, analyze, interpret, variable, direct
(observable) evidence, Indirect (inferred)
evidence, reliability, valid conclusions,
critique Models Know the limitations of models
used compared to actual objects, organisms, or
events (size, materials, time, etc.).

• Matter takes up space and has mass
• Physical Property of Matter a property that can
  be observed, measured, or changed without
  changing the substance itself
• state of matter (solid, liquid, gas)
• color, texture, odor, temperature, hardness
• magnetism (a force that pulls iron or steel
  across a distance) A magnet has two opposite
  poles (north and south) that exert a force
  causing opposite poles to attract (pull together)
  and like poles to repel (push apart).Magnetism
  can produce electricity.
• mass (the amount of matter in an object or
  substance)
• volume (the amount of space that an object or
  substance takes up)
• solubility (ability of a substance to dissolve
  in another substance)
• solution a mixture of one substance (solute)
  dissolved In another (solvent). The solute
  spreads out evenly and cannot be seen. The
  physical properties are changed. Solutions with
  liquids must be separated by adding heat to
  evaporate the liquid.
• mixture a combination of two or more
  substances that maintain their physical
  properties. The substances can be separated from
  each other easily.
• boiling/condensation point - Temperature at
  which liquid becomes gas or gas becomes liquid -
  a constant property that does not change. Water
  always boils/condenses at 100 degrees Celsius.
  Useful to help identify unknown substances.
• melting/freezing point - Temperature at which
  solid becomes liquid or liquid becomes solid a
  constant property that does not change. Water
  always melts/freezes at 0 degrees Celsius. Useful
  to help identify unknown substances.
• conduction or insulation (of heat, electricity,
  and sound)
• Conductors materials that allow energy to move
  through them easily
• Insulators Materials that do not allow energy
  to move through them easily.

triple beam balance - mass (grams, milligrams)
graduated cylinder - volume (liter, milliliter)
stop watch time(min. or sec.)
ruler or meter stick - distance (meter,cm, mm) OR
volume(cm3)
thermometer temperature (degrees Celsius)
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Reporting Category 2 Force, Motion, and Energy
Reporting Category 1 Matter and Energy

• relative density - The amount of mass in a known
  volume. When 2 substances have the same volume,
  the one with a greater mass has greater density.
• If a wood block is cut into 2
  pieces, its density
• doesnt change.
• Objects that have a density
  less than a fluid will
• float. Objects that have a
  density greater than a
• fluid will sink.
• Objects in a density column
  will layer according to
• their densities. The most dense substance will
  be
• on the bottom and the least
  dense will be on the top.
• Physical change changing from one form to
  another form without turning into a new
  substance.
• changes in state (melting (heat added),
  evaporating (heat added), condensing (heat taken
  away), freezing (heat taken away), boiling (heat
  added)
• dissolving sugar in water
• cracking (such as ice wedging - water seeps into
  rocks, then freezes expands breaking the rock )
• change in color, shape, or size

Light Energy- travels in waves outward in all
directions from a source in a straight
line. It can be absorbed, pass
transmitted, reflected, or refracted.
The colors of light that are
reflected are the colors we see. Refraction
the bending of a wave as it travels from one
medium to another.
Light travels faster through air than through
liquids. Refraction
also occurs when light passes through a curved
surface such as a lens.
(Used in microscopes, telescopes, cameras,
glasses, hand lenses,
binoculars) Reflection the bouncing of a
wave off a surface at the same angle

Refraction
Reflection
Transparent materials allow light to pass
through easily Translucent materials
scatter the light as it passes
through so
objects cannot be seen clearly. Opaque
materials absorb all light. Refracting
(bending) light can separate white
light into different colors (each color
travels at a different speed). prism

less density
more density
Reporting Category 2 Force, Motion, and Energy
Energy the ability to do work. There are many
forms of energy including mechanical, light,
sound, electrical, and thermal. Energy cannot be
created or destroyed, it only changes from one
form to another. Mechanical Energy (energy of
motion or potential for motion) Motion
- the movement of objects from one location to

another. The amount of motion depends on

mass, size, shape, and friction. (Kinetic energy
energy that is in
use and Potential energy stored energy)
Work is done when an object or organism
changes position by a force .
Force (a push or pull) that causes a change
in position or direction of
motion. Some forces act by direct contact, while
some act over a distance
such as a magnetic force and the force of
gravity. Friction is a force that slows
down motion (created when objects rub
together).
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Reporting Category 2 Force, Motion, and Energy
Reporting Category 2 Force, Motion, and Energy

• Electrical energy - (flows in a circuit can
  produce heat, light, sound, motion, and
  magnetism)
• Simple circuit a closed pathway that allows
  electricity to flow through it. It begins and
  ends at a source of electricity.
• Electromagnet a temporary magnet created by
  a flow of electric current around an iron bar.
• Sound energy is a form of energy produced by
  
• vibrating objects
  (back and forth
  
• motion). Sound can
  only move
  
• through matter
  (cannot travel in
  
• outer space).
  Travels faster through
  
• solids.
  
  Vibration Waves
• Heat (Thermal) energy almost always the product
  of other energy changes. Heat is
  generated from the constant motion of
  particles in matter.
• Transfer of heat Transfer of heat is
  the flow of thermal energy from a
• material with a higher temperature to
  a material with a lower temperature.
• 3 ways to transfer thermal energy
• 1.Conduction direct contact ex when
  you burn your hand by touching a hot iron
• conduction can occur in solids, liquids gases,
  but solids are the best
• good conductors (easily conduct heat) of heat
  are metals like aluminum, gold and copper
• good insulators (poorly conduct heat) of heat
  are wood, plastic, and foam

3.Convection transfer of heat through the
motion of fluids
(liquids and gases) which occurs through the

movement of matter in the form of
convection
currents hot water is
less dense than cooler
water and
therefore, rises in a pan while the

cooler water sinks to the bottom where it can

become heated. Also, hot air rises while
the
cooler air sinks creating
convection currents in
rooms or on the
surface of Earth. Convection
Conduction Radiation

Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Landforms result of Constructive
forces - (build up the land) such as earthquakes
(land may rise), volcanoes
(magma pushes to surface and creates new land),
deposition (creating deltas),
movement of plates causing wrinkles,
folds, and faults building up mountains.
Destructive forces - (destroy, break
down and wear away the Earths
surface) such as weathering, erosion,
earthquakes, volcanoes,
glaciers, plant growth


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Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space

• Changes to surface of Earth
• Rapid Changes - Movement of plates in
  Earths crust can cause rapid
• changes such as volcanoes,
  earthquakes, or tsunami (giant wave in
• ocean from underwater
  earthquake) mudslides, or floods. The plates
• slowly slide past, collide,
  or move away from each other.
• Slow changes Weathering (the breaking
  down and wearing away of
• rock) caused by
  glaciers(pulled by gravity, friction wears away
  land),
• growth of plants, erosion
  (the movement of weathered materials by
• water, wind, or ice),
  dissolving, or deposition (the dropping of
• weathered materials in a new
  place).
• Landforms created - These processes
  create new landforms such as deltas
• (by deposition of sediment),
  canyons (by moving water weathering
• and eroding land), and sand
  dunes (by wind carrying and depositing
• sediments).

• Layers of soil
• humus dead, decaying plants and animals
• topsoil loose rich soil near top with lots of
  humus and minerals
• subsoil has many minerals and might find
  clay(smallest particles of rocks )
• rock large pieces of weathered rock
• Sedimentary Rocks Formed by the following
  process
• Weathered pieces of sediment are deposited on
  the ocean floor.
• Layers of sediment pile up over time and squeeze
  together as new layers are added building up
  pressure.
• Heat from the Earth and increased pressure
  eventually turn these layers into sedimentary
  rocks.
• Fossils Fossils are evidence of past living
  organisms. There are many types of fossils
  organism remains replaced in the same shape with
  minerals, impressions and molds of their physical
  form in sedimentary rocks, and traces or markings
  of their activities created in the sediment
  before it became a solid rock.
• What happened before Past events shaped
  present day land features. Studying fossils and
  rock layers tell the order of events that
  happened in the past as well as the climate. Most
  recent events are in the top layers, oldest
  events in the bottom layers. Fossils give clues
  to the type of environment and history of an
  organism. The deeper the fossil in the rock
  layers, the older it is.

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Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Renewable Resources Resources that can be
replenished in a short amount of
time. (Examples plants, animals, water, air)
Alternative Energy Resources (considered
renewable resources) Wind The
kinetic energy of wind can be transformed to
create mechanical or
electrical energy using windmills or wind
turbines (which
create electricity). A group of wind turbines is
called a wind
farm. Solar Uses the Suns
energy to create electricity with curved mirrors
(heat creates steam
that turns turbines and creates electricity) or
solar cells that
directly create electricity.
Hydroelectric The kinetic energy in moving or
falling water can be
transformed into electricity. Hydro means
water, so
hydroelectric is creating electricity with
waterpower. Dams are
built to control the flow of water over
turbines that spin to
create the electricity.
Geothermal Hot water or steam from under the
Earths surface is
used in a geothermal power plant to create
electricity. Geo
means Earth and thermal means heat, so
geothermal is
Earths heat. The steam or hot water spins a
turbine creating
electricity. Biofuels - These
are fuels that come from biomass. One type of
biomass is dead
organisms trees, yard clippings, wood chips,
etc. that are burned
to generate steam which will spin a turbine
creating electricity.
Decomposing organisms and waste give off
methane gas that can be
collected and burned to generate
energy too.

Nonrenewable Resources Resources that form so
slowly that they take millions
of years to
create. Fossil Fuels Oil
and Natural Gas - formed from dead
microorganisms buried under
oceans. As sediments piled up, pressure and heat
increased creating oil and natural gas. Fossil
fuels contain stored chemical energy from dead
organisms. 1.
Diatoms (tiny

sea creatures


size of pin head) 3. Heat and
pressure buried
create oil and natural gas
2.Rock under pressure
Coal - forms
when land plants in swamps and marshes are buried
under sediments.
Heat and pressure over time creates
coal. Ancient swamp Water Dead plant
remains Sediments
Peat (partially decayed plant matter)
Sedimentary rocks
Coal Path of Energy from Fossil Fuels
Sun - plants-dead plants and animals
fossil fuels burned as heat energy

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Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Weather and Climate Weather is the conditions
of the atmosphere in a certain time and place. It
includes temperature, wind, air pressure,
humidity (amount of water vapor in the air), and
precipitation. Weather changes from day to day or
hour to hour. Climate is the general pattern of
weather in a certain part of the world over many
years. For example, a location may usually be
hot and dry in the summer, while another location
may be warm and rainy each year. Climate is
useful for predicting weather, because climates
do not often change. Changes in Weather As
the Sun radiates heat, the water in the oceans
takes longer to heat and cool than land does.
This uneven heating and cooling creates wind and
weather. Differences in air pressure cause wind.
Air warms and expands, becomes lighter (less
dense, less pressure) and rises. Air cooling
becomes heavier (more dense, more pressure) and
sinks moving to fill in empty spaces. Wind from
over the ocean keeps the temperature on land more
constant and provides more rainfall to coastal
lands. Air masses have different
temperatures and moisture. These different
temperatures and air pressure (weight of air
pressing on everything around it from all sides)
cause them to move in patterns. Weather can be
predicted by changes in air pressure (falling
stormy weather, rising fair weather) and the
types of clouds present.
Predicting Weather Weather maps allow us to see
what is happening in the atmosphere at various
locations on Earth. Meteorologists analyze the
patterns of weather movement to predict future
weather and how long it will take to reach a
particular location. Weather maps use symbols.
Some symbols are easy to understand while others
need a key to explain what they stand for.
Symbols for warm fronts and cold fronts show the
direction they are moving Water Cycle
is the continuous movement of water on, above,
and below the surface of the Earth. The Sun,
which drives the water cycle, heats the water in
the oceans causing evaporation (water vapor).
Water vapor also comes from transpiration from
the leaves of plants. As the water vapor rises,
it cools and condenses back to water drops
forming clouds and fog. This is called
condensation. When the droplets are large enough,
they fall as precipitation. On the Earths
surface, the precipitation will either be surface
run-off flowing into rivers, streams, or lakes
or it will soak into the ground (called
infiltration as it soaks into the ground and
percolation as it moves down through the
ground). The Suns Energy Drives The Water
Cycle
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Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Reporting Category 3 Earth and Space
Lunar Cycle - It depends on position of Earth,
Moon, and Sun. The Moon does not produce light,
it reflects light from the Sun. The appearance of
the Moon changes through a sequence of phases as
the Moon rotates and revolves around the Earth
about once every month (so we always see the same
side). Waxing sunlit part becoming
larger, Waning sunlit part becoming smaller
Seasonal Cycle - Suns energy reaching
Earth is not the same everywhere, because the
Earth is tilted on its axis (an imaginary line
passing through Earths center from North Pole to
South Pole). When the northern hemisphere of the
Earth is tilted toward Sun as it revolves, it is
summer. When tilted away from the Sun it is
winter. Tide Cycle - The rise and
fall of oceans in a regular pattern twice a day
due to pull of Moons gravity on Earth. There
are 2 high tides and 2 low tides each day.
Low Tide

Pull of gravity


High Tide
High Tide Moon
Low Tide The Suns pull
of gravity can also affect how high the tides
occur.
Solar System Characteristics of Sun
Earths nearest star made of hot gases layers
wind atmosphere gravitational pull produces
heat and light energy, rotates, orbits solar
system Characteristics of Earth layers, made of
rock, soil, craters, mountains, plains,
gravitational pull, atmosphere, wind, water,
weather, weathering and erosion, quakes, life,
orbits Sun, rotates Characteristics of Moon
layers, made of rock, soil, craters, mountains,
plains (maria), gravitational pull (weaker than
Earth), quakes, orbits Earth, rotates Gravity
The force of attraction between any two objects.
The greater the mass of an object, the greater
its gravitational force. Gravity keeps the
planets in orbit around the Sun and the Moon in
orbit around the Earth. Weight A force caused
by gravitys pull on an objects mass. Objects on
other planets with less gravity would have less
weight, but the mass would stay the
same. Cycles Rotation of Earth - 1
rotation in 24 hrs. creates day and night
Revolution of Earth around Sun - once in 365
days (1 year) Shadows Objects that block light
create shadows. Shadows have a pattern of change
that occurs depending on the location of the
light source. As the Sun appears to move across
the sky, shadows change their shape, size, and
location. Shadows are always created on the
opposite side of the object from the light
source.
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Reporting Category 4 Organisms and Environments
Reporting Category 4 Organisms and Environments
Organism a living thing such as plants and
animals that have basic needs of food, water,
air, and an environment to live in (space,
shelter, and the right climate). Adaptations
for survival (to stay alive) and reproduction (to
make more organisms of the same kind)
Animals External characteristics - structures
(body parts) that do a certain job (function)
such as movement, defense, eating, building
shelter, and camouflage (coloring blends in with
environment), Inherited traits
physical characteristics (offspring look like
parents) instinctive behaviors (born
knowing these behaviors)
migration(seasonal movement of animals from
one place to another)
protecting their young
hibernation(a deep sleeplike state)
building
webs, hives, etc. Learned Behaviors animal
develops by observing other animals or by being
taught (hunting or using tools)
Interdependence plants and animals depend on
each other to survive (trees provide shelter for
animals, bees help flowers pollinate) Ecosystem
the living and nonliving things in an environment
that affect or interact with each other ( desert,
rainforest, ocean, etc.) A change in the balance
of an ecosystem by adding or taking away an
organism will affect all the other organisms.
Humans affect the balance of ecosystems when they
cut down trees, build roads and cities, or allow
pollution into the air and water. Natural hazards
such as floods, fire, drought, earthquakes,
volcanoes, and landslides can also change
environments. These changes may be harmful at
first, but can also be helpful (such as creating
new soil or new shelters with fallen trees).
Physical Characteristics of Ecosystems
Different environments have unique physical
characteristics that provide for the needs of
living organisms. The physical characteristics
include landforms, type of soil, temperature,
precipitation, and proximity of the environment
to a body of water. The quantity and type of
plant life in the environment may also be
included as a characteristic.

• Plants
• External characteristics
  Structures that do a certain function
• leaves - make food through photosynthesis
• stem - moves food, water, and supports the
  plant
• roots - take in water and nutrients, holds the
  plant in place , and stores extra food.
• Inherited traits - All plant
  behaviors are inherited (direction of growth
  toward light or moisture - in dry areas roots
  grow shallow and wide)
• Photosynthesis
  Leaf Cell
• The process Carbon Suns
• in which leaves Dioxide Plants Energy
• make food for Food
• the plant. (Glucose)
• Water
  Oxygen
• Life cycle The different stages of growth and
  development that organisms go
• through .
• animal either looks like parents and grows
  larger, or changes form during
  their life cycle (insect
• 
  metamorphosis)

(plants food)
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Reporting Category 4 Organisms and Environments
Reporting Category 4 Organisms and Environments
Producers (plants) get their energy from the
Sun. Through the process of photosynthesis,
plants use the energy to produce food. Consumers
(animals) get their energy by eating other
organisms (predators eat other animals, prey are
the animals eaten) 3 type of consumers
Herbivore eats plants
Carnivore eats meat Omnivore
eats plants animals Decomposers get energy
by feeding on dead materials and wastes
(earthworms, centipedes, pill bugs, molds,
mushrooms, and bacteria) Carbon cycle the
movement of carbon dioxide and oxygen between
organisms and nonliving parts of our environment.
It is essential to the survival of plants and
animals. Animals use the oxygen and plants use
the carbon dioxide to help meet their needs.
Carbon Dioxide-Oxygen Cycle

• Incomplete Metamorphosis has 3 stages egg,
  nymph, and adult. These insects do not go through
  major structural change. They resemble their
  parents with some slight differences.
• Competition Plants and animals with similar
  needs compete with each other for resources
  (oxygen, water, food, and space). Over time, the
  stronger plants and animals will survive while
  the weaker smaller organisms will perish (die).
• Food chains the flow of energy through
  ecosystems (arrows show direction of energy flow)

Plants release carbon dioxide during respiration.
Plants take in oxygen to carry on respiration.