TERM 4 of 2021 NSTECH BOOKLET FOR LEARNERS,

PARENTS/GUARDIANS AND TEACHERS

GRADE 5 TERM 4 EARTH AND BEYOUND

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Topics and subtopics
Page 1

1. Specific Aims and Process skills 3

2. The Scientific Method 3-4
3. Planet Earth 4-5
4. Activity 1 6
5. The Earth 7
6. Activity 2 & 3 8
7. Revision 9
8. Memorandum 10
9. Surface of the Earth 11
10. Activity 12
11. Activity 1&2 13
12. Activity 3 14
13. Investigation 14-16
14. Topsoil 16-17
15. Revision 17-19
16. Memorandum 19-21
17. Sedimentary rocks 21-22
18. Activity 1 23
19. Activity 2 24-25
20. Memorandum 26-27
21. Activity 28
22. Memorandum 29
23. Activity 2 29
24. Sedimentary Rocks 30
25. Fossils 31
26. Sedimentary Rocks 32-34
27. Revisions 34-35
28. Memorandum 35-36
29. Link to Videos 36
30.
31.
32.
33.

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Specific Aim 1: Doing Science and Technology

Specific Aim 2: Understanding and connecting ideas

Specific Aim 3: Science Technology and Society

Process Skills: 1. Recall information (from lessons previously taught)

2. Measuring (Amount of Time, change in Temperature)

3. Raising questions (this might happen whilst learners

are planning and conducting the investigation or during the observation
stages daily, the teacher must encourage learners to write their down
their questions, teacher guides the learner to answer the questions)

4. Recording information (answering questions)

5. Communication (translating pictures into words, sequencing pictures and graphs)

Many of the activities outlined in this booklet deal with investigations and / or
experiments. It is advised that the educator revises the various steps and procedures
as well as possible safety precautions when using “The Scientific Method”

The Scientific Method

In Natural Sciences and Technology, you get to be a scientist! As a scientist there is a

certain process that you need to follow when you conduct experiments called the Scientific
Method. Below are the steps that outline of what the method looks like.

1. AIM: Why am I doing this experiment? (What do I want to find out?)

2. HYPOTHESIS: What do I think the results of this experiment will be? It should be
an expected answer to the question above (AIM)

3. MATERIALS: All the things/ resources I will need in order to conduct the
experiment. List all the apparatus, equipment, substances and chemicals etc.

4. METHOD: A brief step by step guide of what you need to do in order to complete /
conduct this experiment.
Step 1:
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 Step 2:

Step 3:

Step 4:

Step 5:

5. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: A short statement that answers the AIM

Was the Hypothesis correct? YES NO

6. DISCUSSION: Some questions that may help you with further development

How can the results of the experiment / investigation be used?

What other question/s does the experiment / investigation raise?

TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
Learners must be able to know:
Learners will learn earth movement and planet, surface of the earth, rocks and soil types,
formation of sedimentary rock and fossils.

Planet Earth

New words: orbit, axis, rotation, planet, star, solar system

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 What do the words mean?
Orbit: An orbit is the path of an object around a particular point in space.
Axis: earth spins on its axis once every 24 hours.
Rotation: the spinning of the earth on its axis.
Planet: ball of rock or gas that moves around a star
Star: large ball of very hot, burning gas
Solar System: Group of planets, moons and other objects that move around a star.

The earth moves through space around the sun. It travels very quickly through space and
follows a pathway. The pathway around the sun is called an orbit. The earth also revolves as
it moves around the sun.

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 The Earth has an axis from the North to the South pole.

Activity 1

Answer the following questions

1. How long does it take for the earth to rotate on its own axis?
2. How long does it take for the earth to circle the sun are?
3. Which are the four main season?
4. How are day and night caused?
5. What is rotation?

This is a classroom globe. A globe is a model of the earth.

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The light from the sun only reaches one half of the earth as it rotates. The sun’s rays provide
energy to heat up the earth, especially near the equator, which is at the centre of the
earth. The Northern part of South Africa, which is closer to the equator is warmer than the
Southern part, which is further away. The Polar regions which are far from the equator are
cold.

The Earth moves in an orbit around the Sun

The Earth moves around the Sun. The Earth moves around the Sun while it is
spinning. It spins round 365 times while it completes one orbit of the Sun. That
means 365 days pass and we call that a year.

The Earth is called a planet. There are 7 other planets also moving around the Sun.
You can see one of the other planets on most evenings, or early in the morning. This
planet is called Venus or iKhwezi or Naledi ya Masa. It is not a star.

than Earth's orbit. Venus takes 225 Earth days to go once around the Sun.
Mars is another planet you can see on some nights. Mars appears as a
small, orange dot in the sky. Mars takes 687 Earth days to go once around
the Sun.

You can also see Mercury, Jupiter and Saturn in the sky, but they are harder to
see than Venus and Mars. All the planets seem to move along the same path that
the Sun and Moon seem to move.

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 The planets move in orbits around the sun. The orbits lie on the same plane, as if
they were on a big flat plate.

Activity 2

1. How many planets are there in the solar system?

2. Mention the 8 planets that we have in our solar system.
3. Which Planet is closest to the sun?
4. Which Planet is furthest from the sun?
5. Do you think it will be warmer or colder on Uranus than on Earth? Explain your answer.
6. Draw and label a sketch to show the earth and other planets get their heat.

Activity 3

1. Which planet takes the shortest time to orbit the sun?

2. Which planet do you think has a longer year? Give reasons.
3. A planet path around the sun is called its.
4. The amount of time that a planet takes to go once around the sun is called
5. What is the centre of our solar system?
6. Is the sun one of the planets?
7. How can we demonstrate the movement of the rotation of the earth around the sun in a
classroom?

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Memorandum

Activity 1

1. 24 hours
2. 365 days
3. Autumn, Winter, spring, summer
4. The rotation of the earth
5. Rotation is the spinning of the earth on its axis.

Activity 2

1. 8 planets
2. Jupiter, Neptune, Venus, Mercury, Uranus, Earth, Saturn, Mars
3. Mercury is the closest planet to the sun.
4. Uranus is the furthest planet from the sun.
5. Colder, on Uranus. Uranus is the further from the sun.
6.
The orbit of the Earth around the sun

Activity 3

1. Mercury takes the shortest time to orbit the sun because I t is closest to the sun.
2. Jupiter has a longer year because Jupiter is further away from the sun.
3. Orbit
4. Year
5. Sun
6. No
7. Use the torch and the globe /any relevant

Revision

1. 24
2. 12
3. 365
4. Once
5. Mercury

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 SURFACE OF THE EARTH

New words: crust soil nutrients subsoil topsoil

Crust: Is the surface of the rock

Soil: Broken down rock particles and decayed plant and animal matter.
Nutrients: Substances that provide food for plants .and animals to grow.
Subsoil: The later of the soil below the topsoil.
Topsoil: The nutrients -rich top layer of soil on the earth’s surface

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 ACTIVITY 1

Search the word block to find the following words about different-sized pieces of the rock.

mountain
cliff
rock
stone
boulder
sand
pebble
grain
B O U L D E R M

S A L T D F C O

S P C U Y O L U

A S X G R A I N

N T E K O B F T

D 0 J R C G F A

M N L W K H S I

P E B B L E A N

Activity 2

Define the following terms (use dictionary)

1. Crust
2. Organic
3. Humus
4. Weathered
5. Particles
6. Texture
7. Fertile

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 Activity 3

1. What is the first layer of the soil to be washed away by heavy rains or floods or blown away
by the wind?
2. What is the second layer of the soil called?
3. Soil in which plants can grow well is called.
4. Explain the decompose.
5. What is soil erosion?
6. The land is made up of ----------------, --------------------- and -------------------.

Investigate how much water the different soil types can hold

Aim: To find out whether the different soil types hold different amounts of water.
Hypothesis:
You will need:
➢ 3 types of soil: loamy, sandy, clayed
➢ 3 beakers
hand lens or magnifying glass
➢ Measuring cylinder
➢ Marker pen
➢ A spade
➢ 3 sheets (15cm by 15 cm) paper towel
➢ Water
➢ Stopwatch
Method:
1.Use the magnifying glass and study the structure of each soil type
7. Label each beaker according to the soil type: clayey soil, sandy soil, loamy soil.
8. Hold a sheet of paper towel tightly over the top of each beaker.
9. Place 125 ml water of soil on the paper towel
10. Slowly pour 125 ml water onto each soil sample. Start the stopwatch.
11. After 3 minutes, use the measuring cylinder to measure and record the amount
Of water (volume) in each beaker.
12. Observe what happened and record your findings.

Observations
1. Describe the structure of the sandy soil (2)

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--------
2. Describe the structure of the clayed soil (2)

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--------
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 3. Describe the structure of the loamy soil (2)

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---------

4. Did the water train at the same rate in all three of the soil samples? (1)

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5. Which soil type trained the fastest? (1)

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6. Which soil type drained the slowest? (1)

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Results:
Complete the table below.
Sandy soil Clayey soil Loamy soil

Amount of water in
beaker after 3 min

Questions
1. Why do you think water drains fastest through sandy soil? (2)
2. Why do you think water drains slowest through clayey soil? (2)
3. Describe the differences in structure and the texture between sandy, clayey and loamy soil (6)

Conclusion

Write the conclusion by completing the sentences

After three minutes, the beaker that had the most water in it was below the --------------------

Soil. This means that the -----------------------------soil holds the ---------------------- water

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 After three minutes, the beaker that collected water from the -----------------------------

Soil had the list water. This means that the -------------------------- soil holds the most water

-------------------------------soil has the most suitable drainage for growing things because

It allows some, but not all the water to drain through.

Topsoil is usually darker than the soil underneath.

Topsoil is very important for life. As you can see in the picture, plants and animals depend on topsoil.

If we dig deeper, we find subsoil. This layer is often sandy and orange in colour. When we dig deeper,
we come to rock. This layer of rock underneath the soil is called bedrock. Look at the illustration and
find the topsoil. Find the subsoil underneath the topsoil and the bedrock at the bottom.

When we dig through the rock, a few hundred metres deep, we may find different layers of rock. We
may even find water in cracks in the rock in some places. We may find coal in a few places.

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Deeper down, about a kilometre deep, we may find oil and gas. Still deeper, we will find very hard rock
and the rock will feel hot to touch. In Gauteng and the Free State, in a very few places, we will find
rock that has gold in it. Look at the picture below. Can you see a hand cutting a slice out of the Earth?

Revision

1. Label the layers of the earth on the following diagram

A
A

C
C
C
C

2. What is the crust of Earth made of?

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Use some words from the word- box to complete the sentences in question 3 to 6.
Write out the whole sentences each time:

Sand, clay, silt, photosynthesis, animals, topsoil, subsoil, food, loam

3. The weathered rock becomes part of the soil. The big and small grains of rock

Mix with parts of dead plants and -----------------.

This mixture is called topsoil. ------------------- can hold water that plants

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 Need.

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4. Loam soil is topsoil. It has a good mixture of ------------------ soil.

----------------------- holds enough water for most plants, not too much
And not too little.

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5. Plants need the nutrients in topsoil to make food by the process of

----------------. Plants are food for most animals. Some of these animals

Are food for meat-eating animals. So, without --------there will be no plants
and no animals.

---------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------

---------------------------------------------------------------

6. We have to stop top-soil washing away when it rains because we need

---------------- to grow--------------------.

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7. What is humus and where would you find it?

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Memorandum

Activity 1

B O U L D E R M

C O

S L U

A S G R A I N

N T O F T

D 0 C F A

N K I

P E B B L E N

Activity 2

1. Topsoil
2. Subsoil
3. Fertile soil
4. Decompose is when a plant or animal dies.
5. Soil erosion is the loss of topsoil that happens when wind blows, or water runs
Over the ground surface.
6. Rock, subsoil, and topsoil

Activity 3

1. Crust is the sur face of the earth.

2. Organic refers to matter that comes from living things or things that once lived.
3. Humus decaying plant and animal material.
4. Weathered broken down into small pieces.
5. Particles is small pieces of grain.
6. Texture how something feels.
7. Fertile soil in which plants can grow well.
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 Investigation

Observation

1. Large particles, with large spaces between them.

2. Small Particles, with small spaces between them.
3. Mixed size particles, with mixed size spaces between them.
4. No, the water drained at different rates.
5. The sandy soil drained the fastest.
6. The clayey soil drained the slowest.

Results

Answers will vary. The beaker marked sandy soil should have the most water and the
beaker marked clayey soil should have the list water.

Sandy soil Clayey soil Loamy soil

Amount of water in 10 ml 25 ml
beaker after 3 min 45 ml

Questions

1. Sandy soil has large (air) spaces between particles through which water can easily pass.
2. Clayed soil has small (air) spaces between particles through which water cannot easily pass.
3. Sandy soil - course, large grained
Loamy soil – smooth, mixed grain size
Clayey soil – smooth, small grained

Conclusion

After three minutes, the beaker that had the most water in it was below the sandy soil. This
means that the sandy soil holds the least water. After three minutes, the beaker that collected
water from the clayey soil had the least water. This means that the clayey soil holds the most
water.

Loamy soil has the most suitable drainage for growing things because it allows some, but not
All the water to drain through.

REVISION
1. A - Crust
B - Mantle
C– Core
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 2. Rocks
3. Animals, Sub soil

SEDIMENTARY Rocks

New word: Deposit compact sandstone shale

Deposit: drop or put down in a certain place

Compact: press together tightly
Sandstone: a kind of sedimentary rock made from sand
Shale: kind of sedimentary stone made from clay

Sedimentary rock covers almost three quarters of earth’s surface and most of the ocean floor.
Sedimentary rocks are made from layers of material from broken down rocks that have been
deposited and have been pressed together very hard. Sedimentary rocks are made mainly
out of sand grains. There are even the remains of dead plants and animals in the rock.
Sedimentary rocks are formed over a very long period of time.

A large valley is forming due to soil

erosion Soil erosion due to water

When wind or water move the pieces away from the rock, we call the erosion. The wind
and water erode the rock as they carry away the sand.

When the wind and water put the sand grains down, we call this deposition. The wind and
water deposit the sand.

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 The wind is depositing sand in this corner of the school.
Deposition is happening here

Deposition is happening here.

Sandstone rock in the Layers of limestone sedimentary

Cederberg in the rock.
Western Cape.

Can you see the difference coloured? Look at these layers in this
Layers in this sedimentary sedimentary rock known as
shale

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 Activity 1

1. See how manty times you can find the names of the sedimentary rocks above in the following
word block. Use three different colours, to colour each rock name

S A N D S T O N E S L

S A S H A L E A H H I

H L N O N J Z R S A M

A W T D D M S H A L E

L I M E S T O N E E S

E E S P T T W C N S T

T L L H O E O E M H O

L A D E N O H N V A N

S H A L E T N X E L E

F S A N D S T O N E N

E H L I M E S T O N E

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 Activity 2

1 Name the uses of the different types of sedimentary rocks including Shale, limestone and
Sandstone.

Complete the following sentence choose the correct word from the word box below:

Sandstone limestone deposits compact sedimentary shale

When broken bits of rock are dropped by wind and water they form --------------------------.

The broken bits of rock collect and harden to form ---------------------------- rock.

------------------------------ is a rock made from sand that has been deposited in layers.

-------------------------------- is a rock made from the shells of dead sea creatures.

Cement is made from ---------------------------- and --------------------------.

The layers on top push down on the underneath ones, they -------------------- the lower layers
This is what you might see if you dig down
In a river-bed

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Layers of in the sedimentary rock in the Grand Canyon

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 Activity 1

S A N D S T O N E S L

S A S H A L E H I

H N N A M

A D D S H A L E

L I M E S T O N E E S

E E T T S T

L O O H O

A N N A N

S H A L E E L E

S A N D S T O N E

L I M E S T O N E

Activity 2

Sandstone limestone deposits compact sedimentary shale

When broken bits of rock are dropped by wind and water they form --deposits------.

The broken bits of rock collect and harden to form --------sedimentary------ rock.

------Limestone------------ a rock made from sand that has been deposited in layers.

Shale
-------------------------------- is a rock made from the shells of dead sea creatures.

Cement is made from ------sand---------------------- and ----stone----------------------.

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The layers on top push down on the underneath ones, they -------------------- the lower layers
This is what you might see if you dig down
In a river-bed

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Sedimentary rocks are also eroded and broken down into grains of sand again.

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 Memorandum
Activity 1

S A N D S T O N E S L
S A S H A L E H I
H N N A M
A D D S H A L E
L I M E S T O N E E S
E E T T S T
L O O H O
A N N A N
S H A L E E L E
S A N D S T O N E
L I M E S T O N E

Activity 2
1 Name the uses of the different types of sedimentary rocks including Shale, limestone and
sandstone
Shale is used to make clay pots
Sandstone is used as building material.
Limestone is used to make cement.
Complete the following sentence choose the correct word from the word box below:

Sandstone limestone deposits compact sedimentary shale

When broken bits of rock are dropped by wind and water they form --------------------------.

The broken bits of rock collect and harden to form ---------------------------- rock.

------------------------------ is a rock made from sand that has been deposited in layers.

-------------------------------- is a rock made from the shells of dead sea creatures.

Cement is made from ---------------------------- and -------------------------- .

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The layers on top push down on the underneath ones, they -------------------- the lower layers

This is what you might see if you dig down

In a river-bed .

Sedimentary rocks are also eroded and broken down into grains of sand again.

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New words: fossils ancient preserved body fossils trace fossils imprint evidence

Fossils: the remains or signs of animals or plants that lived many thousand years ago
And that have been preserved in rock.
Ancient: from a very long time ago.
Preserved: did not rot away.
Body fossils: hard parts of the body, such as bones, that form fossils.
Trace fossils: preserved signs of animals such as footprint.
Imprint: pattern or outline
Evidence: findings or information that is used to prove something.

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A sculpture made from limestone.

Glass is made from molten sand, and limestone is mixed with the sand to make the glass
stronger. Farmers use limestone to improve their soil, if the soil is too acidic.

Limestone is even used in some medicines and cosmetics and as a white pigment in
toothpaste, paints and plastics!

Sandstone
Sandstone has been a popular building material since ancient times, especially in houses
and cathedrals around the world. This is because it is quite soft and easy to carve.
Houses in Lesotho and the Free State were built from sandstone blocks.

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 Paving blocks made from sandstone.

Shale
Shales is also used in buildings, especially as a raw material to make bricks. Shale also
splits very easily into thin sheets and is therefore used as tiles for floors and roofs.
Shale is used for floors in some houses in South Africa.

Revision

1. Why is the cradle of humankind famous?

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2. Explain why you think it is called “The cradle of Humankind”.

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3. Give the names of two of the most famous hominid fossils that have been found at the
cradle of Humankind.

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4. Explain why you think the fossils at Maropeng are protected by the country’s law.

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 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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5. Which of the following is not one of the fossils sites in the cradle of Humankind?
Tick it.

• Sterkfontein
• Cango Caves
• Swartkrans
• Bolts Farm

6. What does Maropeng mean?

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Memorandum

1. Why is the cradle of humankind famous?

It’s a world heritage side

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2. Explain why you think it is called “The cradle of Humankind”.

Tracing human origin

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3. Give the names of two of the most famous hominid fossils that have been found at the
cradle of Humankind.

Mrs Ples and little foot

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4. Explain why you think the fossils at Maropeng are protected by the country’s law.

It was declared a world heritage side by UNESCO in 1999

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 5. Which of the following is not one of the fossils sites in the cradle of Humankind?
Tick it

• Sterkfontein √
• Cango Caves
• Swartkrans √
• Bolts Farm√

6. What does Maropeng mean?

Returning to the place of origin
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Clastic sedimentary rocks are made up of pieces of pre-existing rocks. Pieces of rock are
loosened by weathering, then transported to basin or depression where sediment is trapped.
If the sediment is buried deeply, it becomes compacted and cemented, forming sedimentary
rock.

Access to videos & workbook

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1J5PV-kTWY3-s6Xq86L7V8U_VXVN7tSTg

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