To begin their study of the organisms that make up the living world, students examine microorganisms. They use a microscope to observe single-celled protists and tiny multicellular animals. They compare the movements of different microorganisms and the structures used for movement. Students learn that protists are classified according to how they move. They observe a model of amoeba movement.

Student Resources

• 1.1 Vocabulary
• 1.2 Amoeba
• 1.3 Euglena
• 1.4 Paramecium
• 1.5 Stentor
• 1.6 Spirostomum
• 1.7 Volvox
• 1.8 Hydra
• 1.9 Vinegar Eels
• 1.10 Creating a Microorganism
• 1.11 Section 1 Assessment

Learn by Reading

For additional content-area reading, check out the Houghton Mifflin Science eBook: Grade 5, Unit A, pages 14–18.