Georgia Performance Standards Correlations Twinkling isn t just for stars. From glowing mushrooms and insect larvae to vampire squid and fluorescent corals, Earth is full of fascinating organisms that radiate light. Creatures of Light: Nature s Bioluminescence explores Earth s extraordinary light-producing organisms flickering fireflies found in backyards to glowing deep-sea fish that illuminate the darkest depths of the oceans. Students will explore the diversity of bioluminescence and fluorescence through immersive environments, largerthan-life models and more. Creatures of Light covers a broad range of life science and physical science topics. The themes and interactive components will appeal to Kindergarteners, high school students, and all ages in between. Following are key correlations between the exhibition and Georgia Performance Standards by grade level. Please contact us at justforeducators@fernbankmuseum.org if we can provide further assistance as you integrate the exhibit s content into your curriculum. Kindergarten SKP2. Students will investigate different types of motion. a. Sort objects into categories according to their motion. (straight, zigzag, round and round, back and forth, fast and slow, and motionless) SKL1. Students will sort living organisms and non-living materials into groups by observable physical attributes. a. Recognize the difference between living organisms and nonliving materials. b. Group animals according to their observable features such as appearance, size, motion, where it lives, etc. (Example: A green frog has four legs and hops. A rabbit also hops.) SKL2. Students will compare the similarities and differences in groups of organisms. a. Explain the similarities and differences in animals. (color, size, appearance, etc.) 1
First Grade S1P1. Students will investigate light and sound. a. Recognize sources of light. S1L1. Students will investigate the characteristics and basic needs of plants and animals. b. Identify the basic needs of an animal. 1. Air 2. Water 3. Food 4. Shelter d. Compare and describe various animals appearance, motion, growth, basic needs. Second Grade S2E3. Students will observe and record changes in their surroundings and infer the causes of the changes. a. Recognize effects that occur in a specific area caused by weather, plants, animals, and/or people. S2P2. Students will identify sources of energy and how the energy is used. a. Identify sources of light energy, heat energy, and energy of motion. b. Describe how light, heat, and motion energy are used. S2L1. Students will investigate the life cycles of different living organisms. a. Determine the sequence of the life cycle of common animals in your area: a mammal such as a cat or dog or classroom pet, a bird such as a chicken, an amphibian such as a frog, and an insect such as a butterfly. d. Identify fungi (mushroom) as living organisms. Third Grade S3E1. Students will investigate the physical attributes of rocks and soils. b. Recognize the physical attributes of rocks and minerals using observation (shape, color, texture), measurement, and simple tests (hardness). S3L1. Students will investigate the habitats of different organisms and the dependence of organisms on their habitat. c. Identify features of animals that allow them to live and thrive in different regions of Georgia. d. Explain what will happen to an organism if the habitat is changed. S3L2. Students will recognize the effects of pollution and humans on the environment. a. Explain the effects of pollution (such as littering) to the habitats of plants and animals. 2
Fourth Grade S4L1. Students will describe the roles of organisms and the flow of energy within an ecosystem. a. Identify the roles of producers, consumers, and decomposers in a community. c. Predict how changes in the environment would affect a community (ecosystem) of organisms. S4L2. Students will identify factors that affect the survival or extinction of organisms such as adaptation, variation of behaviors (hibernation), and external features (camouflage and protection). a. Identify external features of organisms that allow them to survive or reproduce better than organisms that do not have these features (for example: camouflage, use of hibernation, protection, etc.). Fifth Grade S5P2. Students will explain the difference between a physical change and a chemical change. c. Investigate the properties of a substance before, during, and after a chemical reaction to find evidence of change. S5L1. Students will classify organisms into groups and relate how they determined the groups with how and why scientists use classification. a. Demonstrate how animals are sorted into groups (vertebrate and invertebrate) and how vertebrates are sorted into groups (fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal). S5L4. Students will relate how microorganisms benefit or harm larger organisms. a. Identify beneficial microorganisms and explain why they are beneficial. Sixth Grade S6E3. Students will recognize the significant role of water in earth processes. a. Explain that a large portion of the Earth s surface is water, consisting of oceans, rivers, lakes, underground water, and ice. S6E6. Students will describe various sources of energy and with their uses and conservation. b. Identify renewable and nonrenewable resources. Seventh Grade S7L3. Students will recognize how biological traits are passed on to successive generations. b. Compare and contrast that organisms reproduce asexually and sexually (bacteria, protists, fungi, plants & animals). S7L4. Students will examine the dependence of organisms on one another and their environments. 3
a. Demonstrate in a food web that matter is transferred from one organism to another and can recycle between organisms and their environments. c. Recognize that changes in environmental conditions can affect the survival of both individuals and entire species. d. Categorize relationships between organisms that are competitive or mutually beneficial. e. Describe the characteristics of Earth s major terrestrial biomes (i.e. tropical rain forest, savannah, temperate, desert, taiga, tundra, and mountain) and aquatic communities (i.e. freshwater, estuaries, and marine). S7L5. Students will examine the evolution of living organisms through inherited characteristics that promote survival of organisms and the survival of successive generations of their offspring. a. Explain that physical characteristics of organisms have changed over successive generations (e.g. Darwin s finches and peppered moths of Manchester). b. Describe ways in which species on earth have evolved due to natural selection. c. Trace evidence that the fossil record found in sedimentary rock provides evidence for the long history of changing life forms. Eighth Grade S8P1. Students will examine the scientific view of the nature of matter. e. Distinguish between changes in matter as physical (i.e., physical change) or chemical (development of a gas, formation of precipitate, and change in color). S8P2. Students will be familiar with the forms and transformations of energy. c. Compare and contrast the different forms of energy (heat, light, electricity, mechanical motion, sound) and their characteristics. S8P4. Students will explore the wave nature of sound and electromagnetic radiation. c. Explain how the human eye sees objects and colors in terms of wavelengths. d. Describe how the behavior of waves is affected by medium (such as air, water, solids). High School Biology SB1. Students will analyze the nature of the relationships between structures and functions in living cells. b. Explain how enzymes function as catalysts. SB4. Students will assess the dependence of all organisms on one another and the flow of energy and matter within their ecosystems. 4
f. Relate animal adaptations, including behaviors, to the ability to survive stressful environmental conditions. SB5. Students will evaluate the role of natural selection in the development of the theory of evolution. d. Relate natural selection to changes in organisms. Ecology SEC1. Students will analyze how biotic and abiotic factors interact to affect the distribution of species and the diversity of life on Earth. a. Characterize the biotic and abiotic components that define various biomes and aquatic life zones. d. Relate the role of natural selection to organismal adaptations that are specific to their habitats and describe some examples of coevolution. SEC3. Students will explore and analyze community interactions. a. Compare and contrast species interactions (e.g. predation, parasitism, mutualism, commensalism, and competition) and adaptations that have evolved in response to interspecific selective pressures. c. Identify dominant, keystone, foundation, and endangered species and their roles in ecosystems and communities, locally and globally. Entomology SEN1. Students will identify and analyze the roles of insects in ecosystems. a. Illustrate the important function(s) of insects in diverse terrestrial and freshwater food webs (i.e., as herbivores, predators, and scavengers). SEN2. Students will investigate the reasons for insect success. b. Explain advantages of different insect life cycles (e.g., complete vs. incomplete). d. Compare and contrast how insect structure and function are integrated and reflect evolved adaptations to different environments. Environmental Science SEV2. Students will demonstrate an understanding that the Earth is one interconnected system. d. Characterize the components that define fresh-water and marine systems. Abiotic Factors to include light, dissolved oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, ph and substrate. Biotic Factors plant and animal adaptations characteristic to that system. SEV3. Students will describe stability and change in ecosystems. d. Explain how biotic and abiotic factors influence populations. 5
e. Describe interactions between individuals (i.e. mutualism, commensalisms, parasitism, predation, and competition). Oceanography SO5. Students will analyze how the unique attributes of seawater determine the types of marine organisms and the ecology of marine food webs. b. Identify adaptations of marine organisms that allow them to live in seawater rather than on land. c. Describe patterns and relationships between biotic and abiotic factors among marine ecosystems, including estuaries, coral reefs, open waters, and the deep ocean. Physical Science SPS7. Students will relate transformations and flow of energy within a system. a. Identify energy transformations within a system (e.g. lighting of a match). SPS9. Students will investigate the properties of waves. a. Recognize that all waves transfer energy. b. Relate frequency and wavelength to the energy of different types of electromagnetic waves and mechanical waves. Zoology SZ2. Students will explain the evolutionary history of animals over the geological history of Earth. b. Explain the concepts evolution, adaptation, natural selection, convergence, and speciation. SZ3. Students will compare form and function relationships within animal groups (clades) and across key taxa. b. Compare and contrast taxa based on morphological and genetic characters. c. Relate important structural changes to key functional transitions. SZ4. Students will assess how animals interact with their environment including key adaptations found within animal taxa. a. Discuss morphological and physiological adaptations relative to ecological roles. b. Relate animal adaptations, including behaviors, to the ecological roles of animals. c. Explain various life cycles found among animals (e.g., polyp and medusa in cnidarians; multiple hosts and stages in the platyhelminthe life cycle; arthropod metamorphosis; egg, tadpole, adult stages in the amphibian life cycle). 6