Science phenomena are things that happen in the world (i.e. nature, space, etc.) that cause us to ask questions and ponder the reasons why these things occurred. The NGSS science standards point us to teach science phenomena in our classrooms, whether kindergarten or high school. There are many science phenomena examples that we can explore with our students.
One of the basic ways to begin engaging students in studying cool science phenomena is with a demonstration, image, or video clip. Have the students view the piece you are sharing and ask them think about what they notice and ask questions. Exploring phenomena in science is how we begin the Engage step in the 5E model of teaching that is so closely tied to the NGSS science standards.
Another great way to engage students in the 5E model and in learning about the wonder of science phenomena is looking at vocabulary and mapping out important science vocabulary words. Science vocabulary words for 5th grade are fairly interrelated and we can support our students in discovering connections between the vocabulary terms by creating vocabulary mind maps. Check out a FREE sample mind map at the end of this post!
The 5th Grade NGSS Science Vocabulary Lessons and Mind Maps support you and your students in exploring phenomena by making connections between science vocabulary words that support all the NGSS science standards. These mind maps allow students to explore and make educated guesses about terms and their meaning. They will define the words and can even include illustrations and visuals to support their understanding of the phenomena and connections they see.
There are a set of questions with each specific science vocabulary word list and mind map for you as the teacher to ask your students. These questions will get them to process and think deeper about the terms and the connections. You can use the 5th Grade NGSS Science Vocabulary Lessons and Mind Maps as an introduction activity, in the middle of a unit after teaching some of the terms, or as a review or assessment activity at the end of a unit.
Templates are provided for your students to start making some similar connections between terms, which will guide your questions and student discussion on the NGSS science phenomena that they discover. You can even ask your students what science phenomena in daily life that they experienced and make connections to the vocabulary terms using their background knowledge.
NGSS science vocabulary words for 5th grade are important to display in your classroom. In addition to these vocabulary lessons and mind maps for the NGSS science standards for 5th grade, I have created a multi-use word wall that pairs with the terms. These word wall cards come in color and black/white so that you can easily print, laminate, and display in your classroom. They can also be used in student notebooks.
Click below to download a FREE sample of one of the vocabulary mind maps for your classroom.
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