Grade 5

PALS - Playground Activity Leaders in Schools

Playground Activity Leaders in Schools (PALS) is a student leadership program for elementary schools, developed by Peel Region. It provides opportunities to help foster a sense of belonging and inclusion among students, while engaging them in physical activity in the school yard.  The program motto is “There’s always room for one more.”

Program content has been revised in 2023 to include equity and inclusion, accessibility, mental health promotion and physical activity. 

For program resources, see drop-down menu under Grade 4:  Active Living

RoadSMARTS E-cademy (by Ottawa Safety Council)

RoadSMARTS E-cademy, from the Ottawa Safety Council, is a free online resource for educators teaching  pedestrian and cycling safety to students from JK to Grade 6. Interactive lessons help students build safe habits and prevent injuries. Each course takes  20 to 40 minutes, making it easy to integrate into the classroom.

Looking for more?

Additional resources that are not grade-specific but still appropriate for this grade can be found in the Additional Resources page.

All About Food Allergy Program 

This program by Food Allergy Canada provides educators with a comprehensive overview of food allergy and anaphylaxis, and how to be a food allergy ally. Includes modules, guides, activities, assessments resources and guided learning experiences. 

Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Expectations (2019):  

• D1.1 - Supports – injury prevention, emergencies, bullying, violence
• D2.1 - Nutrition fact tables, food labels
• D2.2 - Strategies – threats to personal safety
• D2.4 - Self-concept, sexual orientation
• D2.5 - Emotional, interpersonal stresses – puberty
• D2.6 - How to help others, when to seek help
• D3.4 - Stigma awareness

The All About Food Allergy program is designed with cross-curricular integration in mind so that the program is an easy, ready-to-use resource that checks off multiple learning standard requirements. By choosing to teach all four modules within this program, many multi-disciplinary outcomes will be met.

Curriculum links provides additional details on curriculum objectives addressed in this program, by grade level and region.

Looking for more?

Additional resources that are not grade-specific but still appropriate for this grade can be found in the Additional Resources page.

BrightBites

BrightBites.ca is a trusted, evidence-based website created by Ontario Dietitians in Public Health. It’s designed to help educators create a positive, inclusive school environment where students can develop healthy relationships with food and their bodies.

Explore:

• Curriculum-aligned activities for Grades K–12
• Ideas and tools to create supportive school food environments
• Practical guides for navigating sensitive situations with care 

BrightBites empowers you to talk positively about food, promote body inclusivity, and respect the roles of families, educators, and students in eating. Whether you're planning a lesson or leading a school initiative, BrightBites is here to support you.

Watch our “Welcome to BrightBites!” video to learn more about this resource and download this one-page overview of BrightBites to share with your school community! 

Human Development and Sexual Health Lessons

This new resource supports educators with engaging, interactive lessons tailored to meet curriculum needs. Designed to empower educators, it includes comprehensive, ready-to-use materials that foster meaningful classroom discussions and support diverse learners. Each lesson includes activities, reference documents, and a Google Slides presentation with vibrant images and visuals to capture students' attention. These resources make teaching easier and more inclusive, ensuring all students feel supported and engaged.   

Lessons:

• Lesson 1: Puberty review (PDF)
• Lesson 2: The Journey of an Egg (PDF)
• Lesson 3: The Journey of a Sperm (PDF)
• Lesson 4: Reproduction (PDF)
• Slideshow (Google Slides)

Supporting documents:

• Ground Rules (PDF)
• Instructional Methods (PDF)
• Inclusive Language (PDF)
• Responding to Student Questions / Question Box (PDF)
• Glossary (PDF)

Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Expectations (2019): 

• D1.5 - Puberty – changes; emotional, social impact   
• D1.3 - Parts of the reproductive systems
• D1.4 - Processes of menstruation, spermatogenesis, reproduction

Frequently Asked Questions by Students

A list of frequently asked questions by students on human development and sexual health-related topics compiled by Public Health Nurses. Answers include definitions, detailed explanations, and prevention messaging.

You will find questions and evidence-based answers on:

• General topics related to puberty and sexual health
• Menstrual cycle, erections and ejaculation
• Gender identity, gender expression and sexual orientation
• Pregnancy 

Looking for more?

Additional resources that are not grade-specific but still appropriate for this grade can be found in the Additional Resources page.

Healthy Transitions

Healthy Transitions is a program designed to promote mental health in young adolescents while meeting expectations from the Ontario Curriculum. Through interactive activities, videos and group discussions, students will learn skills and attitudes important for positive mental health and resilience, including where and how to ask for help.   

Healthy Transitions offers one session for grade 5 students. This session includes a detailed outline and directions for facilitating the session, student worksheets and optional Google Slides presentation to be used in the session.

• Session #1: Emotions and Stigma

Getting Started! 
Grade 5 Facilitator Guide 
Grade 5 Student Activity Sheets
Grade 5 Presentation (Google Slides) 

*These documents are intended to be used as print resources or classroom presentations and are not in an accessible format.

Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Expectations (2019): 

• D1.1 - Supports
• D2.6 - How to help others, when to seek help 
• D3.4 - Stigma awareness

PALS (Playground Activity Leaders in Schools)

Playground Activity Leaders in Schools (PALS) is a student leadership program for elementary schools, developed by Peel Region. It provides opportunities to help foster a sense of belonging and inclusion among students, while engaging them in physical activity in the school yard.  The program motto is “There’s always room for one more.”

Program content has been revised in 2023 to include equity and inclusion, accessibility, mental health promotion and physical activity. 

For program resources, see drop-down menu under Grade 4: Active Living.

Wayfinder

The School Mental Health Ontario Wayfinder provides a clear framework for mental health learning in the classroom from kindergarten to grade 12. It includes a digital guide of lessons and activities by grade level with easy-to-follow instructions and ready-to-use communication materials to foster home-school connections. By using the Wayfinder, educators can have confidence that their approach is aligned with the Ontario curriculum, based on the latest mental health evidence and is identity-affirming and culturally responsive.  

Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Expectations (2019): 

• The curriculum expectations are listed within each lesson plan.

Looking for more?

Additional resources that are not grade-specific but still appropriate for this grade can be found in the Additional Resources page.

Alcohol

This module is to be used along with the facilitator guide and provides the educator with a lesson that covers multiple areas related to alcohol and its use including how it affects the body, alcohol strength, alcohol poisoning/overdose, and other potential health risks. Recovery, harm reduction and stigma are also discussed.  

• Module (Google Slides)
• Facilitator Guide (PDF) - 869 KB

Ontario Health and Physical Education Curriculum Expectations (2019):

• D1.2 - Short- and long-term effects of alcohol use 
• D2.3 - Refusal skills – alcohol use and other behaviours 
• D3.3 - Decision to drink alcohol, use cannabis; influences 

Interactive Learning Guide

This guide includes interactive activities designed to support teachers in engaging students in meaningful discussions and learning about substance use health. These activities complement the substance use health modules developed by Ottawa Public Health found on School Health Online.   

• Interactive Learning Guide (PDF) - 1 MB

Looking for more?

Additional resources that are not grade-specific but still appropriate for this grade can be found in the Additional Resources page.