Unit 1: Structure, Function and Information Processing of Plants and Animals

This unit will cover animal and plant classifications, animal and plant parts, animal and plant growth and survival and animal communication. Children will…

• learn about offspring, parents and inherited traits of animals through pictures and observation

• learn about and recreate the lifecycle of a plant

• learn the parts of a seed by dissecting a lima bean

• label and write about the parts of a plant

• learn and conduct experiments about external body parts of animals (eyes, feet, beaks) and how these help each species survive

• learn about the different animal classifications (mammals, birds, amphibians, fish, insects and reptiles) and the characteristics of each group

• learn how and why animals communicate

Unit 2: Space

This unit will cover the patterns of the sun, moon and Earth, day and night, moon phases and seasons. Stars, planets and space exploration will also be covered. Children will learn…

• that the sun is a star

• about the rotation of the earth and how this creates day and night through demonstration

• how the orbit of the earth relates to the seasons

• about things in the night sky such as stars, planets, and constellations

• about space exploration including the moon, astronauts, and rockets

Unit 3: Sound and Light

Children will use inquiry, observation and exploration to understand sound and light energy. Children will learn…

• how vibrations cause sound through experimentation

• how to measure sound and how sound travels

• how vibrations help us communicate

• about light waves

• what light travels through(transparent, translucent, opaque)

• how light makes shadows and reflections

• how we use light to communicate

Engineering and Design (throughout)

The children will…

• ask questions, make observations, and gather information about a situation people want to change to define a simple problem that can be solved through a new object or tool

• develop a sketch or model to illustrate how the shape of an object helps it function to solve a problem

• analyze data by testing two objects designed to solve the same problem to compare the strengths and weaknesses of how each performs