Primary Project Labs

Grade 5 Project

Grade 5 - The System Explorer

In Grade 5, learners begin to see how things connect. A fact is no longer just a fact. It becomes part of a pattern, a process, a cause, or a system. Learners start asking how one thing affects another, and how the pieces fit together. It is less about collecting more information, and more about understanding how the world works.

A systems-thinking wall of maps, diagrams and connected notes

Planned thirty-six-week learning arc

This arc is under review. Individual Labs will return only after their six-day design, field depth and required closing reflection pass the current academic gate.

Term 1 · weeks 1–9

  1. 01Mapping Our WorldCan you find any place on Earth using nothing but a grid and a set of conventions?
  2. 02Sorting LifeCould you build a key that lets a stranger name a living thing they have never seen before?
  3. 03Skeletons as StructuresHow do three completely different body plans all solve the same problem of standing up?
  4. 04Food Chains and WebsWhat happens to a whole web of living things when one strand is pulled out?
  5. 05First People of Southern AfricaHow do you find out about people who left almost nothing written behind?
  6. 06Big Numbers, Real DataBefore you believe a number, what do you need to know about where it came from?
  7. 07Investigate and ExplainCan you run a real investigation and write it up so somebody could repeat it exactly?
  8. 08Patterns and PlaceCan you state a rule so exactly that it works as words and as a number sentence?
  9. 09Investigators' ShowcaseCan you put your evidence in front of people and defend what it shows?

Term 2 · weeks 10–18

  1. 10Metals and Non-MetalsHow would you tell a metal from a non-metal if nobody told you which was which?
  2. 11Why We Use MetalsWhy is that exact metal in that exact object, and not a cheaper one?
  3. 12Measuring and Comparing LengthHow exact does a measurement have to be before you can trust a comparison built on it?
  4. 13The Shape of South AfricaWhy is this country shaped the way it is, and what does its shape decide about the people living in it?
  5. 14Fractions in Real LifeWhen is a fair share not an equal share, and who decides?
  6. 15The First FarmersWhat changed forever when people stopped following food and started growing it?
  7. 16Water: Our Most Important ResourceWhy is water the one thing nobody can do without, and what happens when a town runs out?
  8. 17Cause and Effect in WritingHow do you write about why something happened without claiming more than you can show?
  9. 18Cause and Effect ShowcaseCan you present an investigation and hold your ground when somebody pushes back?

Term 3 · weeks 19–27

  1. 19Energy in FuelsWhere is the energy hiding in a lump of coal, and what does using it cost?
  2. 20Electric CircuitsWhy does a circuit have to be a complete loop, and what can you build once you know that?
  3. 21Systems That Move ThingsHow can a small push move a heavy load, and what do you give up to get it?
  4. 22Measuring to BuildWhy does a thing that looks right on paper so often not fit?
  5. 23Weather, Climate and What GrowsWhy does the Cape smell of fynbos and the Lowveld of thorn trees?
  6. 24The River That Built a CountryHow did one river in a desert hold a civilisation together for three thousand years?
  7. 25Fair and Lasting ChoicesWho pays for a cheap thing, and how long can a good idea keep working?
  8. 26Design a Better SolutionCan you build something that solves the problem you chose, and prove that it works?
  9. 27The Designers' ShowcaseCan you show your work so clearly that a stranger understands it without you standing there?

Term 4 · weeks 28–36

  1. 28Solids, Liquids and GasesWhat is really happening when ice becomes water, and water becomes air?
  2. 29The Water CycleThe water in your glass has been here for millions of years. Where has it been?
  3. 30Shape, Symmetry and PatternWhy do so many made things and grown things end up symmetrical?
  4. 31Earth, Sun and MoonWhat is actually moving when the Sun rises and the Moon changes shape?
  5. 32Food Chains and SurvivalPull one animal out of a food web. What happens to everything else?
  6. 33What South Africa Digs UpA city grew on top of a gold reef. What happens when the reef runs out?
  7. 34Ask, Count, ShowHow do you ask a question in a way that gives you an answer worth trusting?
  8. 35Your Own ProjectGiven a free choice and one week, what do you want to find out or build?
  9. 36The Year ShowcaseA whole year of work. What does it add up to, and what will you carry into next year?

Grade 5 is in academic review

The full-year System Explorer journey remains the design target, but no learner-facing Lab is active until the engine, content, scaffolding, JSON and Portal gates have been passed.

Tell us about your family, school or centre and we will let you know when reviewed Labs become available.

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