Grade 5: Life and Living Curriculum

Plants and Animals on Earth:

- Many different plants and animals
- Inter-dependence
- Animal types

Food Chains:

- Food and feeding

Life Cycles:

- Growth and development

Atom

Atoms

Atoms are the fundamental building blocks of matter, forming the basis of everything in the universe, from the air we breathe to the stars in the sky. These minuscule particles exhibit extraordinary diversity and complexity, yet share common features and properties that govern their behaviour and interactions.

At the heart of every atom lies a nucleus, composed of positively charged protons and neutral neutrons, tightly packed together. Surrounding the nucleus are negatively charged electrons, which orbit the nucleus in distinct energy levels or shells. The number of protons determines the atom's identity and defines its chemical properties, giving rise to the various elements found in nature.

The periodic table of elements organises atoms based on their atomic number, which corresponds to the number of protons in the nucleus. This arrangement reveals patterns and trends in the properties of elements, such as their atomic mass, electronegativity, and reactivity.

Atoms can bond together to form molecules through chemical reactions, where electrons are shared, transferred, or attracted between atoms to achieve stable configurations. These bonds give rise to the countless compounds and substances that make up the world around us, from water and air to minerals and proteins.

Moreover, atoms are constantly in motion, vibrating and colliding with one another in a ceaseless dance of energy exchange. This dynamic behaviour underlies the principles of thermodynamics and kinetics, governing processes such as heat transfer, phase transitions, and chemical reactions.

Understanding atoms is essential for unlocking the mysteries of the physical world and advancing scientific knowledge and technology. It provides insights into the properties and behaviours of matter at the smallest scales, informing fields such as chemistry, physics, materials science, and nanotechnology.

Moreover, studying atoms has practical applications in various industries, including medicine, energy, and electronics. It enables the development of new materials, pharmaceuticals, and technologies, with profound implications for human health, sustainable development, and innovation.

Fungus

Link

Fungi

Fungi are all around us, in the soil, our bodies and the air, but are often too small to be seen with the naked eye. There are 120,000 classified types of fungi. Scientists estimate that there are 2.2 – 3.8 million species in total, including mushrooms, yeast, lichens, rust, and mold.

Fungi are non-motile, heterotrophic (no chlorophyll), unicellular (yeast) or filamentous (fungus), reproduce by means of spores, consist of long thread-like structures known as hyphae that form a mesh-like structure called mycelium.

Some play an important role in the decomposition of organic material and nutrient cycling in nature, while others form symbiotic relationships with plants. Others are plant or animal pathogens or endophytes (living inside a plant). They also serve as a food source for a large variety of organisms, including humans.

They occur in most habitats from the Arctic to Antarctica, from high mountain tops to desert sand. Some even lives in marine and fresh water environments. More than 90% of the estimated 3.8 million fungi in the world are currently unknown to science.

Did you know?
1. A fungus lives in symbioses with algae and this beneficial lifeform is called a lichen.
2. Fungi are in a kingdom of their own but are closer to animals than plants.
3. They have chemicals in their cell walls shared with lobsters and crabs.
4. There is evidence to suggest that yeasts - a type of fungus - were being used to produce the alcoholic drink mead as long ago as 9,000 years ago.
5. Products made from fungi can be used as replacements for polystyrene foam, leather and building materials.
6. DNA studies show that there are thousands of different fungi in a single sample of soil, many of which are unknown and hidden.
7. They are 2-10µm in size.
8. A huge underground fungus that is one of the largest living organisms on the planet. It spanned at least 0.37 square kilometres .It was estimated in 1980 to be at least 1500 years old and weighed at least 100,000 kilograms.
9. Fungi affects every part of your life, what you eat, what you wear, what you do and your mood.
10. Mycorrhizal fungus forms an essential symbiotic relationship with plant roots. Mycorrhizal fungi help tree and shrub roots find water and nutrients. In return, the roots give the fungi carbon, carbohydrates, and other nutrients.
11. Mushrooms and other fungi release an incredible amount of spores into the atmosphere every year, and contributing up to 50 million tonnes of particulates.

Digestion

Guinness World Record

Human Digestive System

Your digestive system turns the food you eat into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair. The digestion process starts in your mouth. Biting and chewing breaks the food into pieces that are more easily digested, while saliva mixes with food to begin the process of breaking it down into a form your body can absorb and use.

The throat (pharynx) is a muscular valve that controls airflow into the lungs and directs solids and liquids towards the stomach through the oesophagus.

The oesophagus is a muscular tube extending from the throat to the stomach. The oesophagus delivers food to the stomach through a series of contractions, called peristalsis. Just before the connection to the stomach, there is a "zone of high pressure", called the lower oesophageal sphincter which prevents food from passing back into the oesophagus.

The stomach is a sac-like organ with strong muscular walls. In addition to holding the food, it's also a mixer and grinder. The stomach secretes acid and powerful enzymes that continue the process of breaking down the food. When it leaves the stomach, food is the consistency of a liquid or paste. From there, the food moves to the small intestine.

The liver filters the blood coming from the digestive tract before it passes to the rest of the body. The liver also detoxifies chemicals and metabolises drugs. The liver secretes bile via the gallbladder back to the intestines.

The pancreas plays an essential role in converting the food we eat into fuel for the body's cells. It has two main functions—the exocrine function that helps digestion, and a vital endocrine function that regulates blood sugar.

The small intestine is a 6m long tube, loosely coiled in the abdomen, made up of three segments, the duodenum, jejunum, and ileum. The small intestine continues the process of breaking down food using segmentation (bi-directional peristaltic contractions) and enzymes released by the pancreas and bile from the liver. Bile aids in the digestion of fat and eliminates waste products from the blood. The duodenum is mainly responsible for breaking down food, with the jejunum and ileum being mainly responsible for the absorption of nutrients into the bloodstream.

The final stage of the journey for solids is through the large intestine to the rectum for final discharge through the anus.

Fungus

Link

Fungi

Fungi are all around us, in the soil, our bodies and the air, but are often too small to be seen with the naked eye. There are 120,000 classified types of fungi. Scientists estimate that there are 2.2 – 3.8 million species in total, including mushrooms, yeast, lichens, rust, and mold.

Fungi are non-motile, heterotrophic (no chlorophyll), unicellular (yeast) or filamentous (fungus), reproduce by means of spores, consist of long thread-like structures known as hyphae that form a mesh-like structure called mycelium.

Some play an important role in the decomposition of organic material and nutrient cycling in nature, while others form symbiotic relationships with plants. Others are plant or animal pathogens or endophytes (living inside a plant). They also serve as a food source for a large variety of organisms, including humans.

They occur in most habitats from the Arctic to Antarctica, from high mountain tops to desert sand. Some even lives in marine and fresh water environments. More than 90% of the estimated 3.8 million fungi in the world are currently unknown to science.

Did you know?
1. A fungus lives in symbioses with algae and this beneficial lifeform is called a lichen.
2. Fungi are in a kingdom of their own but are closer to animals than plants.
3. They have chemicals in their cell walls shared with lobsters and crabs.
4. There is evidence to suggest that yeasts - a type of fungus - were being used to produce the alcoholic drink mead as long ago as 9,000 years ago.
5. Products made from fungi can be used as replacements for polystyrene foam, leather and building materials.
6. DNA studies show that there are thousands of different fungi in a single sample of soil, many of which are unknown and hidden.
7. They are 2-10µm in size.
8. A huge underground fungus that is one of the largest living organisms on the planet. It spanned at least 0.37 square kilometres .It was estimated in 1980 to be at least 1500 years old and weighed at least 100,000 kilograms.
9. Fungi affects every part of your life, what you eat, what you wear, what you do and your mood.
10. Mycorrhizal fungus forms an essential symbiotic relationship with plant roots. Mycorrhizal fungi help tree and shrub roots find water and nutrients. In return, the roots give the fungi carbon, carbohydrates, and other nutrients.
11. Mushrooms and other fungi release an incredible amount of spores into the atmosphere every year, and contributing up to 50 million tonnes of particulates.