Embedded Files
Reasons for Change
In kindergarten, students build on early experiences observing the world around them as they continue to make observations that are more quantitative in nature and help them identify why some changes occur. Students begin to learn to use these observations as evidence to support a claim through growing language skills.
They learn that all animals and plants need food, water, and air to grow and thrive and that the fundamental difference between plants and animals is a plant’s ability to make its own food.
Students build their quantitative knowledge of temperature in relation to the weather and its effect on different kinds of materials.
They observe that the amount of sunlight shining on a surface causes a temperature change and they design a structure to reduce the warming effects of sunlight.
They investigate motions of objects by changing the strength and direction of pushes and pulls.
They provide examples of plants and animals that can change their environment through their interactions with it.
In kindergarten science, students begin to identify reasons for changes in some common phenomena.
What this looks like in the classroom:
Students learn about the animals that live in New England, and what they do to survive the winter- hibernation, migration to a warmer climate, animal homes. They explore why the season changes, and look at winter constellations that are visible early in the evening. In spring, they begin nature journals, and watch the changes to beans and sunflower seeds as they sprout, and eventually plant them outside. They draw flowers and their parts, learn about pollinators such as bees and hummingbirds, and dig to discover the creatures that live in the soil.(Ashley Metz)
ESS2. Earth’s Systems: Weather and Climate
ESS2. Earth’s Systems: Weather and Climate
K-ESS2-1. Use and share quantitative observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time.
Clarification Statements:
Examples of quantitative observations could include numbers of sunny, windy, and rainy days in a month, and relative temperature.
Quantitative observations should be limited to whole numbers.
K-ESS3-2. Obtain and use information about weather forecasting to prepare for, and respond to, different types of local weather.
ESS3. Earth and Human Activity
ESS3. Earth and Human Activity
K-ESS2-2. Construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment.
Clarification Statement:
Examples of plants and animals changing their environment could include a squirrel digging holes in the ground and tree roots that break concrete.
K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions to reduce the amount of natural resources an individual uses.*
Clarification Statement:
• Examples of solutions could include reusing paper to reduce the number of trees cut down and recycling cans and bottles to reduce the amount of plastic or metal used.
Below: Hydroponic garden made from recycled soda bottles; sculpture made from recycles cardboard and plastic.
What this looks like in the classroom:
Recycling bin sorting: Set up different recycling bins for plastic, paper, metal, and glass, and provide a selection of items for the children to sort into the appropriate bins. Talk to the children about the importance of recycling and how it helps to protect the environment.
Upcycling art: Provide a selection of recycled materials such as cardboard boxes, paper tubes, bottle caps, and egg cartons. Encourage the children to use their creativity and imagination to create art projects such as sculptures, collages, and mobiles.
Papermaking: Collect old newspapers, magazines, and paper scraps, and use them to make new paper. The children can tear the paper into small pieces, soak them in water, and then blend them into a pulp. They can then press the pulp into a mold to create their own recycled paper.
Bottle planters: Collect plastic bottles and cut off the top to create a planter. The children can decorate the bottle with paint or markers and fill it with soil and a plant. This activity teaches children the importance of reusing materials and can also help them learn about gardening and caring for plants.
Junk modeling: Collect a variety of recycled materials such as cardboard, plastic, and metal, and encourage the children to use them to create their own models. They can use glue, scissors, and other tools to create structures such as buildings, vehicles, and robots.
These activities are not only fun and creative, but they also help to teach children about the importance of recycling and upcycling, and how they can make a positive impact on the environment by reusing materials.
LS1. From Molecules to Organisms: Structures and Processes
K-LS1-1. Observe and communicate that animals (including humans) and plants need food, water, and air to survive. Animals get food from plants or other animals. Plants make their own food and need light to live and grow.
K-LS1-2(MA). Recognize that all plants and animals grow and change over time.
What this looks like in the classroom:
Planting Seeds: Have the students plant seeds in cups or pots and observe their growth over time. Discuss how plants need soil, water, air, and sunlight to grow.
Animal Habitat Dioramas: Have the students create dioramas of different animal habitats, such as a forest or a pond. Discuss how animals need shelter, food, and water to survive in their habitats.
PS1. Matter and Its Interactions
PS1. Matter and Its Interactions
K-PS1-1(MA). Investigate and communicate the idea that different kinds of materials can be solid or liquid depending on temperature.
Clarification Statements:
Materials chosen must exhibit solid and liquid states in a reasonable temperature range for kindergarten students (e.g., 0–80°F), such as water, crayons, or glue sticks.
Only a qualitative description of temperature, such as hot, warm, and cool, is expected.
What this looks like in the classroom:
Making batik prints with melted wax
Making ice cubes
Make chocolate candies using a mold
Fastening items with hot glue guns
Watch a 3D-printer make objects
PS2. Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
PS2. Motion and Stability: Forces and Interactions
K-PS2-1. Compare the effects of different strengths or different directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.
Examples of pushes or pulls could include a string attached to an object being pulled, a person pushing an object, a person stopping a rolling ball, and two objects colliding and pushing on each other.
Comparisons should be on different relative strengths or different directions, not both at the same time.
Non-contact pushes or pulls such as those produced by magnets are not expecte
What this looks like in the classroom:
Playground physics- sports and forces; swings, slides, ramps
Art connection -Building Mobiles (Design IT/Zubrowski)
Students design, build, and test spinning tops(Design IT/Zubrowski)
Students design, build, and test desktop pinball machines (Design IT/Zubrowski)
Explore forces in the classroom with NGSS-aligned lessons like these:
Push and Pull and Push, Pull and Weight (Kindergarten)
Push and Pull Forces: What Makes Things Move? (Video lesson; Kindergarten)
Skydive Into Forces (Grade 3)
The Wee Engineer curriculum provides everything you need to engage your youngest learners in STEM.
The program includes 4 unique design challenges that can be taught in any order and follow a consistent structure that builds student confidence and mastery. Each challenge relates to common centers and themes and encourages children to us familiar materials to figure out how to make something that solves a specific problem.
Noisemakers: Children create a loud noisemaker for a surprise party.
Fans: Children create a fan that can produce enough wind to move a ball.
Wrecking Balls: Children create a wrecking ball that can knock over a stack of blocks.
Rafts: Children create a raft that can support the weight of a toy.
Seeds of STEM is a year-long, standards-aligned, integrated STEM curriculum for preschool and pre-K classrooms.
The curriculum was developed by a team of teachers and researchers, through funding from the US Department of Education (IES, grant #R305A150571).
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