Dr. Michael Kester-Haynes

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 8 (Grade 4 Science): Energy Conversions

Grade 4 engineering unit where students design and test devices that convert energy forms—like electrical to light or motion to sound—using fair tests and improvements.

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 7 (Grade 4 Science): Designing Collision Devices

Grade 4 engineering design unit where students build and test collision-reduction devices—using criteria, constraints, and evidence to protect objects during impact.

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 6 (Grade 4 Science): Collisions & Energy Changes

Grade 4 collisions unit where students ask questions, predict outcomes, and observe how changing speed or mass transfers and changes energy when objects collide.

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 5 (Grade 4 Science): Electric Energy Flow

Grade 4 unit where students build simple circuits to observe electric currents transferring energy—lighting bulbs, spinning motors, and sounding buzzers.

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 4 (Grade 4 Science): Heat Transfer

Grade 4 heat transfer unit where students observe conduction and radiation—heat moving from warmer to cooler objects through contact or from a source at a distance.

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 3 (Grade 4 Science): Energy Transfer—Sound & Light

Grade 4 unit investigating how sound and light transfer energy, causing vibrations, movement, warmth, and visibility through hands-on observations and data.

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Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 2 (Grade 4 Science): Motion & Energy Basics

Grade 4 unit investigating motion: students measure distance and effects to show faster objects have more energy, using data tables and graphs as evidence.

Grade 4 Science Units

Unit Plan 1 (Grade 4 Science): Science Routines & Inquiry

Build Grade 4 science skills with lab safety, accurate measurement, organized data tables, and testable questions that prepare students for engineering design.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 36 (Grade 5 Science): Cumulative Synthesis & Exhibition

Grade 5 cumulative science exhibition where students showcase mastery of matter, ecosystems, Earth systems, water, and space patterns through integrated models and data.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 35 (Grade 5 Science): Space & Earth Systems Project

Grade 5 capstone where students model space patterns, Earth system interactions, and global water distribution in one integrated project explaining key connections.

Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 34 (Grade 5 Science): Engineering Earth Solutions

Students use the engineering design process to solve real environmental challenges—defining problems, building prototypes, testing, and improving solutions that protect Earth’s resources.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 33 (Grade 5 Science): Sustainability & Conservation

Students evaluate sustainable daily habits—reducing waste, saving energy, and conserving water—to protect air, land, and water with realistic action plans.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 32 (Grade 5 Science): Human Use of Earth’s Resources

Students obtain and combine information from multiple sources to show how communities use science ideas to protect air, water, and land—then plan real actions.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 31 (Grade 5 Science): Sunlight & Earth Patterns

Graph sunlight, shadows, and temperature to reveal seasonal patterns—longer summer days and shorter winter days explain changes in weather and warmth.

The Admin Angle

The Admin Angle: Administrators Should Own Parent Calls (So Teachers Can Teach)

Shift parent phone calls to admins with clear triage, SLAs, and scheduling so teachers protect instruction time while families get fast, consistent support.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 30 (Grade 5 Science): Seasonal Star Patterns

Grade 5 unit where students graph seasonal constellation patterns and explain why star visibility changes through the year as Earth orbits the Sun.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 29 (Grade 5 Science): Day/Night & Shadows

Grade 5 unit where students measure and graph shadow changes to reveal daily patterns and explain day/night as Earth rotates and the Sun’s position shifts.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 28 (Grade 5 Science): Stars & Brightness Patterns

Grade 5 unit where students argue that the Sun looks brighter than other stars mainly because it’s much closer to Earth, using models and evidence.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 27 (Grade 5 Science): Earth Systems — Quarter Synthesis

Grade 5 unit connecting Earth systems, water distribution, and community actions through models and graphs to show how humans interact with and protect resources.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 26 (Grade 5 Science): Engineering Water Solutions

Grade 5 engineering unit where students design, test, and improve water filtration or conservation solutions using data, fair tests, and the engineering design process.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 25 (Grade 5 Science): Human Use of Earth’s Systems

Grade 5 unit where students research and explain how communities use science ideas to protect water, air, and land, creating action profiles with real examples.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 24 (Grade 5 Science): Water Cycle Connections

Grade 5 unit modeling evaporation, condensation, and precipitation to show how water moves through Earth’s systems, connecting air, land, and living things.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 23 (Grade 5 Science): Earth Materials & Weathering

Grade 5 unit investigating rocks, soil, weathering, and erosion to model how Earth’s geosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere interact to shape land over time.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 22 (Grade 5 Science): Weather, Atmosphere & Climate Basics

Grade 5 unit where students track sunlight, shadows, and temperature to uncover daily and seasonal sky patterns, connecting Sun’s motion to day/night and constellations.

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Grade 5 Science Units

Unit Plan 21 (Grade 5 Science): Properties of Water

Grade 5 unit exploring how water’s unique properties shape landforms and support life by connecting Earth’s spheres and influencing where living things thrive.