Inquiry and Innovation

Unit 3  Patterns and Systems

Students will independently 

• Students will independently use their learning to construct an explanation, design a solution, and/or explain their role/impact in  their community.

Students will understand that …

• How well we can imagine what someone else is going through, what they may be

thinking or feeling is at the heart of empathy.

• Sharing compassion with others  different than us is often where the biggest 

difference can be made. 

• Critical thinking is objective and should not be influenced by personal feelings or 

opinions. 

• Knowing how to think, not what to think is the heart of critical thinking.

Students will keep considering …

• What effect do people have on the environment?

• How can we best understand the world around us?

• How do innovators think about their thinking?

Students will know …

• The uniqueness and perspectives of others can be appreciated and celebrated.

• Culture is the way of life for a group of people. 

• People celebrate their culture in different ways. 

• Critical thinkers rely on their past experiences and knowledge to evaluate 

• information and inform new ideas.

• natural resources provide living organisms with things they need in order to live and include plants and animals, water, air, rocks, and soil.

• natural resources are useful and must be conserved.

• changes in the environment, like temperature and precipitation, can cause organisms to respond.

• all living things have special structures and behaviors that help them survive in their environment.

Students will be skilled at …

• Formulating questions & seeking answers about organisms, objects, people and their contributions, and events

• Using age-appropriate tools and models to investigate the world

• Collecting & comparing data using pictures, numbers, and words

• Making predictions based on observable patterns  

• Communicating/Expressing ideas based on knowledge, experiences, and observations and provide reasons  

• Defining  a problem and designing a solution.

Inquiry and Innovation Standards

Calendar Connection ll Earth Day, Memorial Day, & Independence Day (22-23 Calendar and Calender Resources)

SCI 2.1 Scientific Investigation and Reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigations following home and school safety procedures. The student is expected to: 

(B) identify and demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conserving water and reuse or recycling of paper, plastic, and metal

SS 2.1 History. The student understands the historical significance of landmarks and celebrations in the community, state, and nation. The student is expected to: 

(A) explain the significance of various community, state, and national celebrations such as Veterans Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Thanksgiving

Micro Inquiry A

SC 2.9 Organisms and environments. The student knows that living organisms have basic needs that must be met for them to survive within their environment. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the basic needs of plants and animals

(B) identify factors in the environment, including temperature and precipitation, that affect growth and behavior such as migration, hibernation, and dormancy of living things

(C) compare the ways living organisms depend on each other and on their environments such as through food chains

SC 2.10 Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and have structures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expected to:

(A) observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics and behaviors of animals help them meet their basic needs

(B) observe, record, and compare how the physical characteristics of plants help them meet their basic needs such as stems carry water throughout the plant

(C) investigate and record some of the unique stages that insects such as grasshoppers and butterflies undergo during their life cycle

Micro Inquiry B

SC 2.7 Earth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials. The student is expected to:

(A) observe, describe, and compare rocks by size, texture, and color

(C) distinguish between natural and manmade resources

SS 2.4 Geography. The student understands the location of places in their community, state, country, and the world. The student is expected to:

(A) identify major landforms and bodies of water, including each of the continents and each of the oceans, on maps and globes

SS 2.5 Geography. The student understands how humans use and modify the physical environment. The student is expected to:

(A) identify ways in which people have modified the physical environment such as clearing land, building roads, using land for agriculture, and drilling for oil

(B) identify consequences of human modification of the physical environment 

(C) identify ways people can conserve and replenish Earth’s resources

Micro Inquiry C

SS 2.12 Culture. The student understands ethnic and/or cultural celebrations. The student is expected to:

(A) identify the significance of various ethnic and/or cultural celebrations

(B) compare ethnic and/or cultural celebrations