How the world works
An inquiry into rights and responsibilities in the struggle to share finite resources with other people and with other living things; communities and the relationships within and between them; access to equal opportunities; peace and conflict resolution.
Central Idea: Characteristics and behavior of living things determine their survival.
Characteristics of living things (Form & Function)
Behaviors for survival (Connection)
Solving human problems through observing nature (Function/ Connection)
- 1-LS1-1.Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
1-LS1-2.Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
1-LS3-1.Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
- Parts of a Plant and Plant Life Cycle
- Classifying Animals
- Plant Adaptations
- Arctic and Pond Habitats
PowerKnowledge Animal Adaptations for Survival
Pebble Go:
- All animals classification, habitat, behavior and classification
- Heredity
- Plants, parts of a plant, habitat and classification
External Resources
- Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive. 1-LS1-2
Video resources to support read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
Students read a book about Emperor penguins and learn about how parental behavior helps their offspring to survive. Then students use what they have learned to model how Emperor penguins care for the eggs of their young. Note: Teachers need to supply ...
Ultimate Animal Moms - Baby Animals
This is one minute and twenty five second video clip depicts baby animals and their parents. It emphasizes the fact that offspring need to learn a vast amount from their parents. They learn how to communicate, play, kee ...
This two minute and forty eight second video describes Emperor Penguin parents and the obstacles they overcome to help their offspring survive. The obstacles include: starvation, freezing weather, and predators.
This is a short two minute video about the variety of horns that animals have and their importance for protection and breeding rights. The video explains that animals go head-to-head and when the stronger male wins, they are able to pass their genes ...
Books in the iCommons:
1. Leaves by Vijaya Bodach; Summary: Explains why leaves are important for plants and other living things, describes different kinds of leaves, and identifies the parts of a maple tree. (Nonfiction)
2. Who's Hiding by Susan Canizares; Summary: Photographs and simple text depict a variety of camouflaged animals in the Amazon rainforest. (Nonfiction)
3. Arctic Waters by Laura Crawford; Summary: A cumulative story that introduces the different animals that make their homes in the icy waters of the Arctic. Includes facts about Arctic waters, the Inuit people, animal adaptations, and various animals. (Nonfiction)
4. The Beak Book by Pamela Chanko; Summary: Rhyming text describes beaks of various birds and tells what this part of the anatomy can do. (Nonfiction) OR Beaks by Collard, Sneed
5. Carry Me by Susan Stockdale; Summary: Simple text and pictures show the variety of ways in which animal parents transport their young.(Nonfiction)
6. Why do Plants Have Fruits by Louise Spilbury; Summary: Presents a children's book for early readers that describes why plants have flowers, what pollen is, how plants make fruit, and more (Nonfiction)
7. Amazing Armor by Kimberley Jane Pryor ; Summary: Discusses how animals use armor to protect themselves from predators or to catch prey. (Nonfiction)
8. A Parade of Plants by Melissa Stewart ; Summary: Introduces the parts of a plant, life cycles, and how they grow. (Nonfiction)
9. The Emperor Egg by Martin Jenkins; Summary: Describes the parental behavior of Emperor penguins, focusing on how the male keeps the egg warm until it hatches and how the parents care for the chick after it is born. (Nonfiction)
10. What if There Were No Bees by Suzanne Slade; Summary: Discusses the importance of each animal in the grassland ecosystem, and looks at what would happen if bees were to become extinct. (Nonfiction)
11. Plants of the Rain Forest by Ted O'Hare; Summary: Presents an introduction to the rain forest habitat, and looks at a variety of rain forest plants, providing information on how they have adapted to live in the tropical environment. (Nonfiction)
12. Sunflower House by Eve Bunting, Summary: A young boy creates a summer playhouse by planting sunflowers and saves the seeds to make another house the next year. (Fiction)
13. Doing the Garden by Susan Garlandl Summary: Mum and her toddlers shop at the garden center and come home to plant their seeds, flowers, and new tree. (Fiction)
14. Otis and the Tractor by Loren Long; Summary: When a tornado threatens his farm, Otis the tractor must try to save the animals, including an unfriendly bull. (Fiction)
15.I am Going to Save a Panda by Lauren Child; Summary: It's Save an Animal Week at school, and Lola and Lotta are going to raise money to save a panda. To do this, Lola gets sponsored to hop for as long as she can, and Lotta will skip. But then Lola gets the chicken pox. Now how will she save a panda? (Fiction)
16. eBook- Little lost bat
17. A mother's journey Presents a story about how the mother emperor penguin must leave her egg and travel a number of miles in order to bring back food for her new baby chick.