Science

It's a'MAZE'ing

Students investigate how light, heat, and sound energy are important to everyday life. They build on their understanding of observable properties and patterns of matter in order to classify objects; and predict and identify changes caused by heating and cooling. Students demonstrate and describe how an object can move and its position in relation to location. Through these experiences, students discover the relationship between force, motion, and energy.

Big Ideas:

• Properties and Patterns are used to describe objects, systems, events, and organisms.
• A system is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact.
• Constancy and Change occur in systems, can be measured and observed as patterns, and can be used to make predictions.

Understandings:

Students will understand that…

• Objects have properties and patterns.
• Knowing that objects have properties and patterns helps to build an understanding of the natural world.
• We use force, motion, and energy regularly from walking and talking to riding a bike or playing a game.
• Light, heat, and sound energy are a part of everything we do and are important in our everyday life.
• Energy is the power to change things and do work.
• Objects can be classified by observable properties.
• Objects can move in different ways based on their physical properties and the force that is applied to them.
• Applying a force or hitting a barrier can change an object’s path of motion.

It Depends

In this unit, students classify living and nonliving things and analyze the interdependence between plants and animals through a terrarium environment. Students compare the parts of plants and explore how energy is transferred through the food chain.

Big Ideas:

• A System is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact.
• Constancy and Change occur in systems, can be measured and observed as patterns, and can be used to make predictions.
• The Form and Function of objects, organisms, events and systems interact and affect each other.

Understandings:

Students will understand that…

• Plants and animals have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment.
• Plants and animals depend on each other to survive; this is called interdependence.
• Living things depend on nonliving things in their environment.
• Interdependence exists between living things.
• Plants and animals need living and nonliving things in order to survive.
• Living and nonliving things are found in an environment and are used by plants and animals.

Fur, Feet, Feathers, and Fins

In this unit, students are asked to help a zoo create an exhibit for a new animal. To solve the problem, students investigate the external characteristics of animals and how they are related to where animals live, how animals move, and what animals eat. They will observe and record life cycles of animals and compare ways young resemble their parents.

Big Ideas:

• A System is a collection of cycles, structures, and processes that interact.
• Constancy and Change occur in systems, can be measured and observed as patterns, and can be used to make predictions.
• The Form and Function of objects, organisms, events and systems interact and affect each other.

Understandings:

Students will understand that…

• External characteristics of animals determine how they move, where they live, and what they eat.
• Animals grow and change through predictable stages as a part of their life cycles.
• Organisms have unique external characteristics and processes that help them function in their environment.
• Young animals have some external characteristics that resemble their parents and some characteristics that are different.
• The life cycle of organisms look differently but all involve growing and changing.