Unit 1

Oct-Dec

• I can develop and use a model of the Sun’s daily pattern of motion to identify the times of the year.

• I can explain why it will be dark when kids walk to and from school during certain times of the year.

• I can explain how different light sources cause objects to be seen in the dark.

Unit 2 

Jan - Feb

• I can use observations of adult plants and animals as evidence that offspring are very similar to, but not exactly like, their parents.

• I can identify information from text, images, video, and a simulation to determine how patterns of behavior help offspring survive.

• I can explore how external parts of plants and animals help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.

• I can design a tool to solve a problem that will mimic external parts of plants and animals.

Unit 3

Mar - Apr

• I can identify the problem of how to send a message a long distance.

• I can identify evidence to build a claim that sound is caused by something vibrating.

• I can design and create an instrument by using different materials to find the ones that make the best one. 

Unit 4

May - Jun

• I can investigate interactions between a beam of light and transparent, translucent, and opaque materials, including the formation of shadows and reflection of light.

• I can identify cause-and-effect relationships and explain observations.

• I can develop information about animal structures that use light to help the animal survive.

• I can design a solution that mimics animal structures and increases student visibility in the dark.