Curriculum

Children will be able to investigate how sunlight affects different surfaces and use their observations to explain how sunlight impacts the natural world. They will make observations to determine the effect of sunlight on Earth’s surface, focusing on surfaces like sand, soil, rocks, and water.

Children will determine the effect of placing objects made with different materials in the path of a beam of light. They will learn the differences between transparent, translucent, opaque, and reflective materials. For example, children will explore how light passes through clear plastic (transparent), is partially blocked by wax paper (translucent), is completely blocked by cardboard (opaque), and is reflected by a mirror (reflective). They will understand how each material interacts with light.

Children will understand that all living things are interconnected and share the same resources in the world. Through observation and exploration, they will learn about the different kinds of food needed by various types of animals, the requirement of plants to have light, and that all living things, including humans, need water to survive. For example, they will observe how different animals eat different foods, how plants grow towards the light, and how all living things need water to live.

Children will explore the concept of recycling as a key part of protecting the environment. They will learn how recycling saves natural resources like trees and helps reduce waste that can harm land, water, and air. Through more structured activities, such as sorting materials and discussing real-life examples, students will begin to understand the impact of human actions on the planet and suggest solutions like reusing items and recycling cans and paper. The goal is for children to recognize how their choices can positively affect the environment, fostering a deeper sense of responsibility for taking care of the Earth.

Children will describe the water cycle in simple terms. They will learn about the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipitation. For example, they will understand that water from ponds, lakes, and oceans gets heated by the sun and turns into vapor (evaporation). They will learn that this vapor cools and forms clouds in the sky (condensation). Finally, they will understand that the water falls back to Earth as rain, snow, or sleet (precipitation).

Children will be introduced to the concept that Earth is one of the many planets in our solar system. They will learn the names of the planets and some distinguishing characteristics of each (e.g., Mars is red, Jupiter is large and has many moons, Saturn has rings). Children will understand that all these planets orbit the sun and that each planet has its unique position in the solar system.

Children will explore and understand the basic relationships between the sun and Earth. They will learn that the sun rises in the east in the morning and sets in the west in the late afternoon. Children will also understand that the sun provides us with heat and light and how it creates daytime and nighttime. By observing the sky, children will be able to describe and predict the positions of the sun, moon, and stars.

Children will learn about the moon, including basic facts and its importance as Earth’s natural satellite. They will explore how the shape of the moon appears to change over time, understanding that these changes, known as phases, are the result of temporal changes in the moon's position relative to Earth and the sun

Children will understand that a force is a push or a pull, and it's what makes things around us move or stop.
Children will be able to explain that the strength or direction of a push or pull (force) can change the motion of an object (speed, direction, distance).

Children will be able to identify and describe different types of motion, including straight line, zigzag, back-and-forth, round-and-round, fast, and slow. They will understand that the way an object moves depends on how it is pushed or pulled. Children will provide real-life examples of different kinds of motion and will plan and conduct investigations to compare the effects of different strengths or directions of pushes and pulls on the motion of an object.