NZ Curriculum · Year 5 Science · Primary

Year 5 Science Lesson Plan & Curriculum Map

A full-year Year 5 science lesson plan for the New Zealand Curriculum (Science learning area). 108 lessons across the school year from February to December, set out week by week for 1, 2, 3 or 4 lessons a week, covering survival and adaptations, Earth's changing surface, light and states of matter.

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Year 5 Science learning map

Choose a term, then compare a lighter weekly plan with a more intensive schedule.

1 day/week · steady pace2–3 days/week · guided practice

February · Survival and adaptations

Year 5 Science — February Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Science

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
February 1st week (Science)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts) 2. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts) 2. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation) 3. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen New Zealand animal	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Structural features that help survival (e.g. body coverings, body parts) 2. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation) 3. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen New Zealand animal Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments
February 2nd week (Science)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Behavioural features that help survival (e.g. migration, hibernation)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen New Zealand animal Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments 3. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments 2. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments
February 3rd week (Science)	What Helps Living Things Survive? 1. Practice: identifying a structural and a behavioural adaptation in a chosen New Zealand animal	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments 2. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments 3. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth) 2. Behavioural/functional adaptations in plants (e.g. seed dispersal methods) 3. Practice: explaining how a chosen plant's features help it survive its habitat
February 4th week (Science)	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in hot environments	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments 2. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments	Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth) 2. Behavioural/functional adaptations in plants (e.g. seed dispersal methods) 3. Practice: explaining how a chosen plant's features help it survive its habitat	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Adaptations that help predators catch prey 2. Adaptations that help prey avoid predators (e.g. camouflage, defence mechanisms) 3. Practice: identifying predator/prey adaptations in a real New Zealand example Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Using a scientific model to represent an organism's adaptations

March · Survival and adaptations

Year 5 Science — March Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Science

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
March 1st week (Science)	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in cold environments	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth)	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Adaptations that help predators catch prey 2. Adaptations that help prey avoid predators (e.g. camouflage, defence mechanisms) 3. Practice: identifying predator/prey adaptations in a real New Zealand example	Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Planning a model of a real or imaginary plant or animal, deciding what adaptations to include and why Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Creating the model (real or imaginary organism) showing its adaptations 2. Sharing and explaining the model, justifying why each adaptation would help survival Investigating an Adaptation 1. Developing an investigable question about how an adaptation helps survival
March 2nd week (Science)	Adaptations to Habitat — Hot & Cold Environments 1. Practice: an experiment investigating how blubber/fat insulates against cold	Plant Adaptations 1. Behavioural/functional adaptations in plants (e.g. seed dispersal methods) 2. Practice: explaining how a chosen plant's features help it survive its habitat	Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Using a scientific model to represent an organism's adaptations 2. Planning a model of a real or imaginary plant or animal, deciding what adaptations to include and why Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Creating the model (real or imaginary organism) showing its adaptations	Investigating an Adaptation 1. Planning a safe investigation, including variables to be changed/measured and risks 2. Using equipment to generate data with appropriate precision Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Constructing a representation of the investigation's data 2. Describing patterns and relationships in the data
March 3rd week (Science)	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in aquatic environments	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Adaptations that help predators catch prey 2. Adaptations that help prey avoid predators (e.g. camouflage, defence mechanisms)	Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Sharing and explaining the model, justifying why each adaptation would help survival Investigating an Adaptation 1. Developing an investigable question about how an adaptation helps survival 2. Planning a safe investigation, including variables to be changed/measured and risks	Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Comparing findings with others and identifying possible sources of error Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — structural and behavioural adaptations 2. Revision workshop — modelling adaptations and investigation skills 3. Term 1 assessment: survival and adaptations topic test
March 4th week (Science)	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Adaptations that help living things survive in dry/desert environments	Predator & Prey Adaptations 1. Practice: identifying predator/prey adaptations in a real New Zealand example Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Using a scientific model to represent an organism's adaptations	Investigating an Adaptation 1. Using equipment to generate data with appropriate precision Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Constructing a representation of the investigation's data 2. Describing patterns and relationships in the data	Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Feedback session Weathering 1. What weathering is (breaking down of rock in place) 2. Physical weathering (e.g. temperature changes, ice) 3. Chemical weathering (e.g. water dissolving minerals)

April · Survival and adaptations

Year 5 Science — April Lesson Plan

New Zealand Curriculum · Science

Week	1 Day/Week	2 Day/Week	3 Day/Week	4 Day/Week
April 1st week (Science)	Adaptations to Habitat — Water & Dry Environments 1. Practice: comparing 2 organisms' adaptations to their contrasting habitats	Modelling a Living Thing's Adaptations 1. Planning a model of a real or imaginary plant or animal, deciding what adaptations to include and why Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Creating the model (real or imaginary organism) showing its adaptations	Analysing & Communicating Adaptation Investigation Findings 1. Comparing findings with others and identifying possible sources of error Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Revision workshop — structural and behavioural adaptations 2. Revision workshop — modelling adaptations and investigation skills	Weathering 1. Practice: identifying evidence of weathering in a real rock formation Erosion 1. What erosion is (removal and movement of weathered material) 2. Agents of erosion (wind, water, ice) 3. Practice: an experiment investigating how water erodes a soil/sand model
April 2nd week (Science)	Plant Adaptations 1. Structural adaptations in plants (e.g. leaf shape, root depth)	Creating & Sharing the Model 1. Sharing and explaining the model, justifying why each adaptation would help survival Investigating an Adaptation 1. Developing an investigable question about how an adaptation helps survival	Term 1 Assessment & Consolidation 1. Term 1 assessment: survival and adaptations topic test 2. Feedback session Weathering 1. What weathering is (breaking down of rock in place)	Transportation 1. How weathered/eroded material is transported (carried) by wind, water or ice 2. Practice: predicting how far material would be transported under different conditions Deposition 1. What deposition is (weathered/eroded material being deposited/settled) 2. Real landforms created by deposition (e.g. deltas, sand dunes, beaches)

The learning framework

Anatomy of a focused lesson

Each session moves from a clear focus to guided practice and a quick check for understanding.

10 minutes

Wonder and notice

Begin with something your child can see, hear or touch at home or outside, and turn it into a simple science question.

25 minutes

Explore and try it

Explain the idea with pictures and everyday objects, then observe, sort or test something together and talk about what happened.

10 minutes

Show what you know

Finish with a quick explain-it-back or drawing task that shows what has stuck and what to come back to.

Student learning toolkit

Resources for Year 5 Science

Concept lessons

Clear, visual lessons on each New Zealand Curriculum science topic.

Practice activities

Short questions and checks matched to each week’s focus.

Science inquiry

Observation, investigation and recording skills built up through the year.

Progress notes

A clear record of what your child has mastered and what comes next.

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