Curriculum

Children will understand that all living things grow, change, and go through life cycles. They will learn about the life cycle of plants by observing how a plant grows and changes over time. For example, children will see that a plant starts as a seed, then sprouts into a small plant, and eventually grows into a mature plant with leaves, flowers, or fruits.

Children will make observations to understand that young plants and animals are similar to, but not exactly like, their parents. They will learn to notice patterns and features that plants or animals share with their parents. For example, children will see that leaves from the same kind of plant have the same shape but can be different sizes. They will also observe that a particular breed of dog looks like its parents but is not exactly the same.

Children will recognize that all plants and animals, including humans, share some similarities but also have differences. They will learn that all living things have special parts inside and outside their bodies that help them stay alive, grow, and have babies

Children will develop a basic understanding of where various animals live. They will observe and explore a variety of plants and animals and their environments, such as rabbits, birds, ladybugs, hermit crabs, eggs, butterflies, and bugs in the garden.

Children will explore and learn about the basic life cycles of animals. They will observe how animals grow and change throughout their lives, such as understanding that animals can hatch from eggs and grow into adults. For example, they will learn that baby chicks hatch from eggs and grow into chickens. Additionally, they will explore basic life cycles in the plant kingdom, such as how plants grow from seeds.

Children will be able to define the terms "herbivore," "carnivore," and "omnivore," and identify different animals that fall into each category. They will learn that herbivores are animals that eat plants, carnivores are animals that eat meat, and omnivores are animals that eat both plants and meat. For example, children will recognize animals like cows, rabbits, and deer as herbivores, lions and tigers as carnivores, and bears and humans as omnivores. They will also begin to understand the differences between these three types of animals by exploring examples of each.

Children will classify and arrange objects of nature, particularly focusing on leaves. They will discover the structure and function of the layers of a leaf. Children will distinguish between different types of leaves and label the parts of a leaf. For example, they will learn to identify the stem, veins, and edge of a leaf and understand how each part helps the leaf function.

Children will begin to distinguish between living and non-living things. They will learn to identify characteristics that define living things, such as the ability to grow, change, and move, as well as needing food and water. For example, children will understand that a plant is a living thing because it grows and needs water, while a rock is non-living because it doesn't grow or need food. Through observation and discussion, children will understand the differences between living and non-living things in their environment.

Children will use a model to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants and animals (including humans) and the places they live. They will learn that different plants and animals need specific things to survive and how these needs are met by their habitats. For example, children will understand that deer eat buds and leaves, so they usually live in forests, and that grasses need sunlight, so they often grow in meadows.

Children will learn to identify and name basic parts of the body (such as head, arms, legs, hands, and feet). They will also begin to understand simple functions of each body part (for example, hands are for holding, legs are for walking)