The Root of the Problem (Beta)
The crew will help save an orchard of dying trees by getting to the root of the problem.
The crew will help Anja get to the bottom of why trees in her orchard are starting to die en masse. Teams will each investigate a different type of tree to determine what is causing their tree’s issues by looking at their tree’s rings and leaves. After investigating, each team will work together to write a paragraph explaining their plan for saving their tree before its too late.
Est. time: 45 min
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RF.5.4 Read with sufficient accuracy and fluency to support comprehension.
A. Read grade-level text with purpose and understanding.
B. Read grade-level prose and poetry orally with accuracy, appropriate rate, and expression on successive readings.
C. Use context to confirm or self-correct word recognition and understanding, rereading as necessary.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.2 Determine two or more main ideas of a text and explain how they are supported by key details; summarize the text.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.7 Draw on information from multiple print or digital sources, demonstrating the ability to locate an answer to a question quickly or to solve a problem efficiently.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.9 Integrate information from several texts on the same topic in order to write or speak about the subject knowledgeably.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.5.10 By the end of the year, read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grades 4–5 text complexity band independently and proficiently
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.1 Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacherled) with diverse partners on grade 5 topics and texts, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.
A. Come to discussions prepared, having read or studied required material; explicitly draw on that preparation and other information known about the topic to explore ideas under discussion.
B. Follow agreed-upon rules for discussions and carry out assigned roles.
C. Pose and respond to specific questions by making comments that contribute to the discussion and elaborate on the remarks of others.
D. Review the key ideas expressed and draw conclusions in light of information and knowledge gained from the discussions.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.2 Summarize a written text read aloud or information presented in diverse media and formats, including visually, quantitatively, and orally.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.4 Report on a topic or text or present an opinion, sequencing ideas logically and using appropriate facts and relevant, descriptive details to support main ideas or themes; speak clearly at an understandable pace.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.5.6 Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, using formal English when appropriate to task and situation. (See grade 5 Language standards 1 and 3 on page 28 for specific expectations.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.2 Write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas and information clearly.
A. Introduce a topic clearly, provide a general observation and focus, and group related information logically; include formatting (e.g., headings), illustrations, and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
B. Develop the topic with facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples related to the topic.
C. Link ideas within and across categories of information using words, phrases, and clauses (e.g., in contrast, especially)
D. Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
E. Provide a concluding statement or section related to the information or explanation presented.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development and organization are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.6 With some guidance and support from adults, use technology, including the Internet, to produce and publish writing as well as to interact and collaborate with others; demonstrate sufficient command of keyboarding skills to type a minimum of two pages in a single sitting.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.9 Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
A. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to literature (e.g., “Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or a drama, drawing on specific details in the text [e.g., how characters interact]”).
B. Apply grade 5 Reading standards to informational texts (e.g., “Explain how an author uses reasons and evidence to support particular points in a text, identifying which reasons and evidence support which point[s]”).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.5.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Science and Engineering Practices
Asking Questions and Defining Problems
Ask questions that can be investigated and predict reasonable outcomes based on patterns such as cause and effect relationships.
Make predictions about what would happen if a variable changes.
Ask questions about what would happen if a variable is changed.
Constructing Explanations and Designing Solutions
Use evidence (e.g., measurements, observations, patterns) to construct or support an explanation or design a solution to a problem.
Engaging in Argument from Evidence
Respectfully provide and receive critiques from peers about a proposed procedure, explanation, or model by citing relevant evidence and posing specific questions.
Use data to evaluate claims about cause and effect.
Obtaining, Evaluating, and Communicating Information
Read and comprehend grade appropriate complex texts and/or other reliable media to summarize and obtain scientific and technical ideas and describe how they are supported by evidence.
Combine information in written text with that contained in corresponding tables, diagrams, and/or charts to support the engagement in other scientific and/or engineering practices.
Communicate scientific and/or technical information orally and/or in written formats, including various forms of media as well as tables, diagrams, and charts.
Disciplinary Core Ideas
LS4.C: Adaptation
Particular organisms can only survive in particular environments. Populations of organisms live in a variety of habitats. Change in those habitats affects the organisms living there.