Curriculum

Children will learn to manage their thoughts and impulses, enabling them to resist temptations, distractions, and automatic responses. They will practice pausing to think before acting, ignoring irrelevant information, and focusing on what is important.

Children will be introduced to the names of different dinosaurs and their meanings. They will understand that the size of dinosaurs ranged from very small to very large. This will help children understand the differences between dinosaurs and other animals.

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 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 explore the human skeletal system and its functions. They will discover the different bones of the system, learn how many bones are in the human body, and understand the role of bones and joints in movement. Through hands-on activities and observations, children will learn how the skeletal system supports the body and enables movement, providing protection for various organs.

Children will investigate and understand that plants have basic life needs and functional parts and can be classified according to certain characteristics. Plants need nutrients, air, water, light, and a place to grow.

Children will use materials to design a device that solves a specific problem by mimicking how plants or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs. For example, children might create protective clothing or equipment by mimicking the hard shells of turtles or the scales of animals.

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 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 construct an argument supported by evidence for how plants and animals (including humans) can change the environment to meet their needs. They will learn about examples such as a squirrel digging in the ground to hide its food, or tree roots breaking concrete.