Curriculum

Children will use observations to describe patterns of what plants and animals (including humans) need to survive. They will learn that all living things need water to live, and that animals need to take in food while plants do not. Children will understand that different types of animals need different kinds of food, and that plants require light to grow.

Children will make observations at different times of the year to understand how the amount of daylight changes with the seasons. They will learn to compare the amount of daylight during the winter to the amount in the spring or fall. For example, children will notice that the days are shorter and there is less daylight in the winter, while in the spring and fall, the days are longer with more daylight.

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 plan and conduct investigations to understand that vibrating materials can make sound, and that sound can make materials vibrate. They will explore how different objects create sounds through vibrations, such as a tuning fork or plucking a stretched string. Additionally, children will observe how sound can cause materials to vibrate, like holding a piece of paper near a speaker making sound or holding an object near a vibrating tuning fork.

Children will use and share their observations of local weather conditions to describe patterns over time. They will learn to observe and talk about different types of weather, such as sunny, cloudy, rainy, and warm days. For example, children will count the number of sunny days, windy days, and rainy days in a month.

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.

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 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 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 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.