Curriculum

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 be able to identify and name the body parts of animals and describe how animals use these body parts. They will learn to identify and name body parts of animals such as eyes, ears, nose, mouth, legs, tail, wings, and claws. For example, they will understand that birds use their wings to fly and lions use their teeth to eat meat

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 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 recognize common animal sounds and explore, interact with, and identify a growing number and variety of plants and animals. They will also begin to explore how plants and animals grow and change, such as understanding that baby chicks grow into chickens and puppies grow into dogs.

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 demonstrate knowledge related to living things and their environments. They will notice the similarities and differences among various living things, such as plants and animals. For example, children will be able to identify that both birds and butterflies can fly, but birds have feathers and butterflies have wings with patterns.

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 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.