Unit 1: Using Magnetic Force
Students will explain that a force is a push or pull on an object.
Students will differentiate between balanced forces and unbalanced forces.
Students will describe how friction and gravity are examples of forces.
Students will identify objects made of iron or steel as magnetic and explain that magnets can move them without touching them.
Students will demonstrate that a force in any direction can cause an object to move.
What happens when different objects interact?
What are balanced and unbalanced forces?
Can magnets move objects without touching them?
What forces cause motion?
What happens when you push a toy car gently? What happens when you push it hard?
Can you find something in the house that a magnet will stick to? What do you think that object is made of?
When you play tug-of-war, what makes the rope move in one direction?
Why does a ball eventually stop rolling on the floor?
Forces Make Things Move by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley. This book offers a simple introduction to the different kinds of forces, including pushes, pulls, gravity, and friction.
What Makes a Magnet? by Franklyn M. Branley. Part of the "Let's-Read-and-Find-Out Science" series, this book clearly explains what a magnet is, what it attracts, and how it works.
Move It! Motion, Forces and You by Adrienne Mason. This book uses clear text and illustrations to show how forces affect motion in everyday life.
Unit 2: Dealing with Hazardous Weather Worldwide
Students will differentiate between weather and climate.
Students will explain why scientists record weather patterns.
Students will identify various natural hazards and explain that while they cannot be eliminated, people can take steps to reduce their impact.
What information and suggestions can we give the community to help reduce the impact of high-risk weather in the area?
What are the weather patterns and climate in our area?
What types of weather-related disasters happen in our area?
How can a community reduce the impact of high-risk weather?
What do we do at home to prepare for a big storm, like a blizzard or a hurricane?
What is the difference between today's weather and our area's climate?
Have you ever seen a weather report on the news? What information do they share to help people prepare?
What are some natural hazards that happen in different parts of the country or world?
The Kids' Guide to Weather Forecasting by Michael Mogil. This book teaches kids how to read a forecast and understand the science behind weather.
A Tree Is a Plant by Clyde Robert Bulla. This book helps children understand the basic needs of plants and their life cycle.
The Magic School Bus Inside a Hurricane by Joanna Cole. This book takes kids on an exciting trip to learn about how hurricanes form and what they are like.
Unit 3: Life Cycles
Students will identify and describe the stages of an animal's life cycle.
Students will identify and describe the stages of a plant's life cycle.
What are the stages of an animal's life cycle?
What are the stages of a plant's life cycle?
How are plant and animal life cycles similar?
What are the different stages of our pet's life?
Can you find a plant in our yard or house and describe the stages of its life cycle?
Where do you think a butterfly or a frog starts its life?
When you eat a fruit with seeds, what part of the life cycle are you eating?
From Seed to Plant by Gail Gibbons. This book clearly explains the different stages of a plant's life cycle, from a tiny seed to a full-grown plant.
Where Do Chicks Come From? by Amy E. Sklansky. This book shows the life cycle of a chicken with clear, accessible text.
Unit 4: Environments and the Traits of Organisms
Students will explain that organisms inherit traits from their parents.
Students will describe how organisms learn behaviors to help them survive.
Students will explain how organisms adapt to their environment.
Students will explain how changes in an organism's environment affect the organisms living there.
How can an animal adapt to a new environment?
What are the inherited and environmental traits that could help an animal survive?
How can a change in an animal's environment affect its ability to survive?
What are some traits that you share with your parents?
What are some behaviors our family dog or cat has learned that help it get food or stay safe?
If you saw a bird building a nest in a new place, what might it need to adapt to?
Can you think of a time when we have changed the environment around our home, like by building a fence or planting a garden? How might that affect the animals living nearby?
Octopus Escapes a Shark by Michael G. Long. This book shows how an octopus uses its inherited traits, like camouflage, to survive in its environment.
A New Kind of Wild by Fiona Halliday. This story follows a red fox as he learns to adapt to a new, urban environment.
The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins. This biography tells the story of how one person's efforts helped to adapt a desert environment to support trees.
Unit 5: Organisms Change Over Time
Students will explain that fossils provide information about the types of organisms that lived long ago.
Students will describe what fossils can tell us about the environments in which organisms lived.
Students will explain how an organism's characteristics helped it survive and reproduce.
Students will analyze fossils to determine what might have caused an organism to die.
What can a fossil tell us about its life and the environment in which it lived?
How can you tell what a fossil looked like when it was a living organism?
What clues does a fossil give us about the environment where the organism lived and what might have caused its death?
What characteristics did the organism have that helped it survive?
Have you ever seen a fossil? What did it look like? What kind of animal do you think it was?
How are fossils like a puzzle? What clues do the pieces give you?
If a fossil was found in a desert, what might that tell you about what the environment was like a long time ago?
Can you think of an animal that has characteristics that help it survive today, like a giraffe's long neck?
Fossils Tell Stories by Eric Pinder. This book provides a clear introduction to how fossils are formed and what they can tell us about Earth's history.
Curious About Fossils by Kate Waters. This book uses a question-and-answer format to engage young readers and explain what scientists can learn from fossils.
I am a Paleontologist by Jane O'Connor. This book follows a paleontologist on a dig, showing how they find and study fossils to learn about ancient life.