Living Things and Ecosystems: In a forest, you may see trees, birds, insects, ferns, moss, and mushrooms. Some things may be hidden from view like earthworms. All living things, or organisms, live in an ecosystem alongside non-living things. You will read about ecosystems and how they function. You will learn how organisms interact with each other and with nonliving things to meet their needs.
Earth Systems: Suppose you live on an island. On a warm day, you and your family decide to go snorkeling. When you get to the beach, you breathe in the fresh ocean air. Underwater, you see fish swimming and crabs crawling across the sand. You also observe seagrass and coral reefs along the ocean floor. In this unit, you will learn how all of these things are part of systems that make up Earth, and how these systems interact in different ways.
Changes in Matter: Look around you. Perhaps you are sitting on a plastic chair in front of a wooden desk. You may have pencils and paper. All of this is made of matter. Matter is all around you. In this unit you will learn how different materials can be identified, and how different materials can change to become new materials.
The Earth, the Moon, and the Stars: It is a clear summer night. You gaze at the shining stars. You see the Big Dipper and even Orion’s belt. You wonder, what are the other star patterns in the night sky? If you watched the stars throughout the night, they and the moon would all appear to move. In this unit, you will discover how the moon and stars change and move in patterns.
Our Social Studies time will be divided into 4 areas:
Map Skills: where are we in relation to everything else in the world.
Indigenous People since time immemorial and the impact of European Exploration/ Colonization: Native Americans have lived on the North American continent for thousands of years. What was their life like and how did the immigration of Europeans impact their way of life and culture.
American Revolution: See how the Revolution shaped the United States.
Government: There are several levels of the American Government system. Students will learn how the 3 branches of government look at all the different levels from local municipal government to the federal system.