After learning how plants grow by the process of photosynthesis, students can examine the variety of plants living around them. Using an illustrated guide of plant life in your region, have students peruse the different looks of plants. Students can collect leaves from a variety of plants. After they've collected about a dozen, have them chronicle their finds on a chart, including information like each plant's habitat, description and formal scientific name.
A constructive way to apply a fifth-grader's lessons in plant biology is to help her grow a thriving garden of her own. From tilling and nurturing a nutrient-rich soil to proper seeding, feeding and placement to optimize sunlight, students can also learn to become more responsible by having to water their gardens every day. The result will be a better knowledge of the natural world that will translate into better nutrition for the whole family. A variation of this project involves making two gardens, one that's completely organic and the other that employs various pesticides or herbicides. See what yields result in each garden.
One of the more striking gestation periods in biology occurs when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly after a small pupal period in a cocoon, or chrysalis. Find a cocoon on a branch outside and transfer it inside to an aquarium or jar with holes poked in the lid, or find colorful caterpillars in spring and bring them and some leafy branches to the aquarium to watch the entire metamorphosis take place. Observe the caterpillars eating the leaves you bring to determine their preferred food source, and mist the aquarium sporadically so there's enough water for them to survive. The caterpillars should do the rest in due time.
In addition to learning about basic atomic and cellular structure, fifth-graders start to explore ways that different substances, when brought together, can form different substances. For instance, with baking soda and vinegar combined in a glass jar, students can observe the creation of carbon dioxide.