Grade 5
Sun energy in food, plant growth materials, producers, consumers, decomposers, and matter movement.
Trace energy from the Sun into food.
Most food energy can be traced back to the Sun. Plants use sunlight to make food, and animals get energy by eating plants or other animals.
Plants, algae, and some microorganisms are producers because they make their own food using energy from sunlight.
Identify where plant matter comes from.
Plants get materials they need for growth mostly from air and water. They use sunlight energy to make sugars and build plant materials.
Soil provides minerals and support, but most of a plant's matter comes from carbon dioxide in air and water.
Model how matter cycles among organisms and the environment.
Producers make food. Consumers eat producers or other consumers. Decomposers break down dead organisms and wastes.
Matter moves from air, water, and soil into plants, then into animals, and eventually back to the environment through waste and decomposition.