Orleans Southwest and Lamoille North Science Curriculum (Grade Cluster 3-5) Big Idea: Life Science 1. Structure and Functions 2. Changes in Living Systems 3. Ecosystems and Energy Big Idea: Scientific Inquiry 1. Change 2. Questioning 3. Investigate 4. Conclude Big Idea: Earth and Space Science 1. Patterns and Cycles 2. Structures and Properties 3. Sustainability Big Idea: Physical Science 1. Matter 2. Energy 3. Motion Science Learning Principles 1 Page
Science Learning Principles: 1. Students learn science concepts best when they are actively engaged in an inquiry based process Therefore we will provide opportunities for students to engage with materials, explore through investigation, propose and critique explanations based on evidence, and apply understanding to take the next steps. 2. Students develop deeper understanding when given opportunities to communicate scientifically. Therefore students will be provided the opportunity to construct their understandings through purposeful conversations, multi-media outlets, and writing where students share, evaluate, and defend their ideas. 3. Students learn best when given the opportunity to identify prior knowledge and refine and confront current understandings. Therefore students will be provided the opportunity to formulate new knowledge by modifying and adding to their understanding of concepts that in turn will guide instruction. 4. Students are able to transfer scientific knowledge best when provided the opportunity to relate the big ideas to personal experiences and connect what they learn to the bigger picture for a greater understanding. Therefore students will be provided with curriculum and instruction that is guided by big ideas and will be provided with opportunities to transfer their learning to new contexts. 5. Students gain scientific literacy when provided the opportunity to be taught using common language, skills, and content on a continuum from K-12. Therefore students will be provided the opportunity to be taught a vertically aligned curriculum and instruction. 6. Students develop a deeper understanding of scientific content when assessments are intentional and ongoing. Therefore teachers and students will engage in: ongoing, diagnostic, and formative assessment aligned to enduring understandings and grade level benchmarks. PreK-12 Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions for Scientific Inquiry: 1.1 Students will understand that current scientific knowledge and theory is subject to change based on new evidence. How do questions about our natural world guide our scientific inquiry to help us learn more? How can prior knowledge or misconceptions affect the creation of a hypothesis? 1.2 Students will understand that identifying questions and concepts will guide scientific research. They will understand that they must be able to develop a hypothesis using explanations, models and evidence. How are scientific questions formulated and hypotheses generated? 1.3 Students will understand that they need to collect evidence to answer a question via investigation or research. They will understand how to design and conduct an investigation. Investigations are logically organized and use appropriate tools to gather, organize, represent and summarize data. In what ways can we design and conduct an investigation to test the question? What evidence is necessary to answer a question? 1.4 Students will understand that evidence must be used to analyze and interpret data and develop conclusions about their hypothesis. They will understand it is necessary to communicate scientific findings and be able to generate further question. Students will understand that scientific knowledge gained through investigations can be transferred to other contexts and applied to real world situations. How does your data guide your analysis of an investigation? To what extent does evidence support or refute a hypothesis? How do scientists use their findings to generate alternative explanations and investigations? How do scientists apply their findings to the real world? 2 Page
Inquiry: Grade Cluster 3-5 The study of science has occurred throughout history and has been subject to change. Formulate questions based on observation, investigation and prior knowledge and make a hypothesis. Design and conduct an investigation that includes: a fair test and indicates which variable changes and which stays the same, multiple trials, a list of materials, procedure that lists the steps, and appropriate format for recording data. Identify appropriate evidence that will support or refute a hypothesis. Use data to support and refute your hypothesis. Generalize to other situations. Connect results to real world examples. Recognize data that may not seem accurate. Generate new questions to obtain additional information. Consider all data when developing an explanation or conclusion. Physical Science: PreK-12 EU : 2.1a Students will understand that all objects and substances are composed of matter with physical and chemical properties. PreK-12 EQ : How can characteristic properties be used to distinguish one form of matter from another? Students will understand that objects and substances have characteristic properties. (e.g. weight, mass, volume and density that can be measured.) Students will understand that matter exists in several states: solid, liquid and gas. All matter has mass, volume and other physical properties that can be observed and measured. No matter how large or small the sample has weight. Measure and compare the weight and volume (simple cube objects) of matter. Identify and compare the physical properties of different substances 3 Page Mass is the measure of the amount of matter in an object and weight is a measure of the force of gravity on an object. The relationship between mass and volume is a physical property of matter of a solid and liquid. All matter has mass and volume no matter how small the sample is. Measure, weight and compare the mass and volume of liquids and solids. Explore the relationship between weight and volume with objects that have either the same weight or same volume. All forms and states of matter (solids, liquids and gases) have mass, volume and density that can be measured. Measure and compare the mass and volume gases and compare that to solids and liquids.
PreK-12 EU : 2.1b Students will understand that matter can change form or state but will always be conserved. PreK-12 EQ : In what ways can matter be changed while being conserved? Students will understand that matter can change state between solid, liquid and gas and matter is conserved. When a liquid or solid undergoes a phsical change, mass is conserved. Measure mass before and after a physical change. Energy gain and/or loss (heating and cooling) cause change in the states and properties of matter. When the state changes the mass is conserved. Physical changes are reversible and the type of matter stays the same. Identify the cause of a change of state for a given substance. Predict, observe and measure the effects of heating and cooling on the physical state and mass of a substance. Explain and demonstrate a reversible physical change 4 Page
PreK-12 EU : 2.2 Students will understand that energy exists in multiple forms and is conserved. PreK-12 EQ : What are the different forms of energy and how do they behave? How can energy be changed and conserved? Students will understand that different forms of energy (i.e. light, thermal, electricity) have specific characteristics. Students will understand that energy can transfer to or from an object and can transfer from one form to another. Energy is the movement of particles which causes a change. There are different forms of energy. (See light, electricity and heat) Light is a form of energy that travels in a straight line from a light source. When light hits an object it can be reflected, refracted, absorbed, or pass through. Give evidence that light travels in a straight line from a light source and can be blocked. Investigate with different light sources and describe how light rays behave when they hit different objects. Heat energy only flows from high temperature to lower temperature in order to reach the same temperature. Heat can move from one object to another by conduction. Electricity is a form of energy that requires a complete circuit to flow through. Electricity can flow through materials called conductors and cannot flow through materials called insulators. Static electricity is an unbalanced charge which produces a potential for a flow of electricity. Unbalanced charges will move toward equilibrium because like charges repel and opposite charges attract. Design and conduct an experiment to prove that heat energy flows from high temperature to low. Experiment, observe and describe how heat moving from one object to another can cause temperature. Build a complete circuit, draw a diagram of it and explain why electricity does or does not flow through the circuit. Identify conductors and insulators of electricity. Explain via examples (lightning, balloons and hair) how opposite charges attract. Investigate and explain how electricity is transferred to heat and light. 5 Page
PreK-12 EU : 2.3 Students will understand that motion is affected by energy or force. PreK-12 EQ : In what ways can matter move? How do forces effect motion of matter? How can forces change the motion of matter? Students will understand that the motion of an object can be described by its speed and direction. Students understand that a reference point is necessary to observe motion. Students understand that changes in motion are related to the strength of the force applied to objects, and the mass of the objects. A force can affect the motion and direction of an object. Friction is a force that often opposes motion. The greater the force the greater the change of motion. Investigate different forces and the effect they have on the motion and direction of an object. Predict, compare and contrast the effects of different surfaces on the movement of an object (friction). Investigate and describe how different amounts of force can change the direction and speed of an object (additional magnets attract objects from a further distance,) A force can act on an object by both direct contact or by indirect contact. (magnetism, gravity ). Gravity is the force that holds objects to the earth s surface. The greater the mass, the greater the force needed to move it. Know that the force of friction is proportional to mass. Investigate and determine the forces that act on an object. Predict and make observations about the amount of force needed to move or stop objects of different masses. 6 Page
Life Science: PreK 12 EU: 3.1 Students will understand that all living organisms have certain needs and structures with unique functions that allow them to survive. PreK 12 EQ: What do living organisms need to survive? How does an organism s physical structure enable it to survive? Organisms have structures that help them find what they need to survive. Organisms are sorted into categories based on their structures. An organism has internal and external structures that allow it to meet its needs and survive. To survive an organism or species needs to protect itself, obtain food and water, reproduce and eliminate waste. Organisms can be grouped based on structural similarities and differences (deciduous vs. coniferous trees). Observe and determine how a structure allows an organism to meet its needs and survive Classify different organisms based on their structures and explain why they did so. Structural similarities and differences between main groups of animals. 7 Page
PreK 12 EU: 3.2a Students will understand that species have changed, are changing and will continue to evolve over time. PreK 12 EQ: How do species change over time? 3-5 Enduring Understanding : Individuals of the same kind differ in their characteristics and sometimes the differences give individuals an advantage in survival and reproduction. For any particular environment, some kinds of plants and animals survive well, others don t. Organisms that are well suited to their environment are most likely to survive. There is variation among organisms within a group. Identify characteristics of an organism which have allowed it to survive. There is variation among organisms within a group. Sometimes the variation allows organisms to survive better than others and then reproduce. All environments present challenges to survival. Identify and explain how a variation in a characteristic (trait) enables an organism to survive in an environment. PreK 12 EU: 3.2b Students will understand that all living organisms have life cycles and reproduce. PreK 12 EQ: How do living organisms change and reproduce throughout their life cycles? Although all organisms have common stages of development, details of a life cycle are different for different organisms. All organisms have a particular life cycle. Investigate and describe a variety of life cycles. Compare similarities. 8 Page
PreK 12 EU: 3.2c Students will understand that the characteristics of organisms are influenced by heredity and environment. PreK 12 EQ: How do heredity and environment affect living organisms? Most traits are passed on and inherited from parents to offspring Organisms have some characteristics that are inherited and others that are learned. Identify characteristics that are inherited from biological parents as compared to those that are learned. 9 Page
PreK 12 EU: 3.3 All living organisms depend on each other and their environment to meet their survival needs. Energy is transferred through interdependent systems within an organism and throughout ecosystems. PreK 12 EQ: How do organisms obtain energy to survive? How does energy flow within an organism and throughout ecosystems? How do organisms interact with each other and their environment? Organisms interact and are interdependent in various ways, including providing food and shelter to one another. Organisms can survive only in environments in which their needs are met. Students will understand that energy within an ecosystem originates from the sun From food, organisms obtain fuel (ie. energy) and materials for body repair, growth and reproduction. Over the whole earth, organisms are growing, dying, and decaying, and new organisms depend on materials from other organisms. All energy within all ecosystems originates from the sun. Plants use sunlight to make food (producers). Animals are consumers getting their energy from both plants and animals. Organisms rely upon each other to meet their needs. Decaying organisms provide nutrients for plants. Develop a model that shows how the flow of energy from the sun is transferred to organisms as food. Identify producers, consumers, and decomposers within an environment. Research and/or design a habitat and explain how it meets the needs of the organisms that live there. 10 Page
Earth and Space Science: PreK-12 EU : 4.1a Students will understand that patterns, cycles and movement govern the universe. PreK-12 EQ : What are some observable patterns and cycles in the solar system and how does it affect life on earth? What evidence can be used to show the universe has changed over time? Students will understand the relationship of the planets and the sun in the solar system. Students will understand what causes the patterns of day and night Planets orbit the sun in our solar system. The daily rotation of planets on their axis produces day and night. The moon orbits earth. Model the solar system to scale. Model and explain the rotations of a planet in the solar system to show the day and night cycle. Model the orbit of the moon. PreK-12 EU : 4.1b Students will understand that the relationship between the earth and sun creates changes over time encompassing the water cycle, climate, weather and seasonal patterns. PreK-12 EQ : How does the sun create and affect the water cycle, climate and weather patterns on Earth? Student will understand that the Sun s energy influences Earth s systems 11 Page The sun is the source of energy that drives the water cycle. Weather can be described by measurable quantities (temperature, wind direction and speed, precipitation) Model the water cycle and understand the how it relates to cloud formation and precipitation. Collect quantitative data and analyze patterns and trends
PreK-12 EU: 4.2 Students will understand that forces shape the Earth and the Earth is made up of basic materials. PreK-12 EQ: In what ways has Earth changed throughout its history AND what evidence can be shown to support it? How do natural forces shape and change the Earth? What are the basic materials that make up the Earth and how have they changed over time? Student will understand that forces that shape the earth, happen at different rates (weathering, erosion, land slides, glaciers, etc.) Students will understand that rocks have unique characteristics and are composed of a variety of minerals. The earth s land surface by shaped and reshaped by weathering and erosion. Weathering is the breakdown of rock. Erosion is the movement of rock/soil. Rocks, minerals and soil basic earth materials. Soil is made partly from weathered rocks, plant remains and also contains many living organisms. Rocks have distinct physical properties which allow us to classify them (color, texture, hardness.) Predict, and demonstrate the effects of weathering and erosion (e.g. sediment deposition using a stream table, mechanically rubbing rocks together, freezing of water ) Cite examples of short and long term erosion on our planet and compare and contrast different sites. Identify earth materials. Make observations and draw conclusions about the composition of soils. Investigate the physical properties of a set of rocks and summarize your findings. 12 Page
PreK-12 EU: 4.3 Students will understand that humans depend on the earth for different resources and human activities can affect the earth s systems. PreK-12 EQ: How has life changed the planet over time? How have humans influenced earth s changes? Students will understand that soils, air, water, and rocks are useful to humans because of their inherent properties. Students will understand that human activity can cause pollution of the land, air and water, and small changes in behavior can reduce a) Earth provides living and non-living resources. b) Some of these resources are limited. c) Human behavior impacts earth s resources in many different ways (e. g. conserve, renew, recycle, reuse, reduce, pollute, deplete,...) Identify resources and their uses. Recognize which resources are limited and the reasons why. Investigate ways in which a resource can be conserved for the benefit of the environment (e.g. turning off water while brushing teeth, recycling paper, composting.). 13 Page