Grade 5 · Human Systems Science V
Grade 5 learners reason about interdependence, rates of change, and system feedback. They analyze how multiple variables interact, compare complex solutions, and explain why optimizing one part of a system can create problems in another. Students move beyond tradeoffs to system-level consequences.
Continuing Anchor Ideas
Reframed at higher complexity, these ideas drive analysis of networks, cycles, feedback, and optimization.
Natural and human systems are interdependent networks.
Students map connections, identify leverage points, and explain how changes propagate across the network.
Resources move through cycles that can be accelerated, disrupted, or restored.
Students model cycles and explain how human actions alter cycle speed, balance, and recovery.
Actions create feedback loops that can stabilize or destabilize systems.
Students identify reinforcing and balancing feedback, then predict system behavior over time.
Solutions must be evaluated for efficiency, equity, and sustainability.
Students compare solutions using criteria, including fairness across groups and long-term impacts.
Design involves optimization, not just improvement.
Students justify why an optimized solution may reduce one problem while creating a new constraint elsewhere.
Students reason about interdependence, rates of change, and feedback. They analyze multi-variable interactions, compare complex solutions, and explain system-level consequences, including how optimization in one area can cause failure in another.
What Grade 5 adds to the system: systems are treated as networks with feedback loops, students reason about optimization, equity and sustainability become explicit analytical criteria, and learners are prepared for middle school complexity.
Grade 5 Standards by Domain
Students model networks and cycles, analyze feedback, and optimize solutions using criteria, constraints, equity, and sustainability.
5-HS1
Water Cycles and Human Systems
Clean Water & Sanitation
Cycles
Optimization
- 5-HS1.1 Students model the water cycle and human water systems as interconnected processes.
- 5-HS1.2 Students analyze how human activity alters water cycles.
- 5-HS1.3 Students investigate feedback loops in water systems, such as drought and conservation.
- 5-HS1.4 Students design optimized water management solutions using criteria and constraints.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Cycle simulations, watershed engineering challenges, optimization testing.
5-HS2
Energy Systems and Feedback
Affordable & Clean Energy
Feedback
Equity
- 5-HS2.1 Students model energy systems, including generation, transfer, and use.
- 5-HS2.2 Students analyze feedback loops in energy use, such as demand and efficiency.
- 5-HS2.3 Students compare energy systems based on environmental and social impacts.
- 5-HS2.4 Students design optimized energy solutions under real-world constraints.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Energy grid models, efficiency testing, system optimization challenges.
5-HS3
Health Systems and Population Dynamics
Good Health & Well-Being
Population
Feedback
- 5-HS3.1 Students model how health outcomes are influenced by environmental and social systems.
- 5-HS3.2 Students analyze population-level health patterns.
- 5-HS3.3 Students investigate feedback loops in public health systems.
- 5-HS3.4 Students design public health interventions using evidence and criteria.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Population data analysis, intervention simulations, system modeling.
5-HS4
Infrastructure Systems and Optimization
Industry, Innovation, & Infrastructure
Networks
Bottlenecks
- 5-HS4.1 Students model infrastructure systems as interconnected networks.
- 5-HS4.2 Students analyze how infrastructure design affects resource flow.
- 5-HS4.3 Students investigate system bottlenecks and inefficiencies.
- 5-HS4.4 Students design optimized infrastructure solutions.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Network modeling, bottleneck analysis, optimization challenges.
5-HS5
Sustainable Community Systems
Sustainable Cities & Communities
Integration
Fairness
- 5-HS5.1 Students model communities as systems of interconnected resources and services.
- 5-HS5.2 Students analyze how community decisions affect long-term sustainability.
- 5-HS5.3 Students investigate equity in resource distribution.
- 5-HS5.4 Students design community systems that balance efficiency and fairness.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Urban planning simulations, resource allocation models.
5-HS6
Production Systems and Global Impact
Responsible Consumption & Production
Global systems
Circular
- 5-HS6.1 Students model global supply chains.
- 5-HS6.2 Students analyze environmental and social impacts of production.
- 5-HS6.3 Students investigate circular economy models.
- 5-HS6.4 Students design production systems that reduce waste and inequity.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Supply chain mapping, circular design challenges.
5-HS7
Water Ecosystem Feedback Loops
Life Below Water
Feedback
Cascades
- 5-HS7.1 Students analyze feedback loops in aquatic ecosystems.
- 5-HS7.2 Students investigate cascading effects of ecosystem disruption.
- 5-HS7.3 Students compare restoration strategies.
- 5-HS7.4 Students design ecosystem restoration plans.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Food web modeling, cascade simulations.
5-HS8
Land Ecosystem Feedback Loops
Life on Land
Cascades
Stability
- 5-HS8.1 Students analyze feedback loops in terrestrial ecosystems.
- 5-HS8.2 Students investigate cascading impacts of land-use changes.
- 5-HS8.3 Students compare conservation strategies.
- 5-HS8.4 Students design sustainable land-use plans.
Hands-on STEM expectation
Ecosystem modeling, land-use optimization.
Grade 5 throughline: students model networks and cycles, analyze feedback loops, evaluate equity and sustainability, then optimize solutions using criteria and constraints.
Design and Practice Standards
Applied throughout the year, students frame problems using systems language, analyze multi-variable data, optimize designs, and communicate structured arguments with models and evidence.
- 5-DSP1 Students frame problems using systems language.
- 5-DSP2 Students analyze multi-variable data.
- 5-DSP3 Students optimize solutions using criteria and constraints.
- 5-DSP4 Students communicate reasoning using models, data, and structured argument.
What Grade 5 accomplishes
Systems are understood as networks with feedback loops, optimization replaces simple improvement, equity and sustainability become evaluation criteria, and students are prepared cognitively and conceptually for middle school complexity.