Unit Overview - Tewksbury Township Schools
|Unit Overview |
|Content Area: Science |
|Unit Title: Living and Non-Living Things |
|Target Course/Grade Level: Kindergarten Timeline: Embedded into curricula; ongoing |
|Unit Summary |
|Throughout this life science unit, students will understand that the environment around them is made up of living and non-living things. |
|Through exploration of living and nonliving things, students will sort, record, identify, and manipulate parts of systems of plants and |
|animals. Further understanding of the basic needs of organisms will be observed and identified. |
|Primary interdisciplinary connections: Language Arts, Mathematics, Technology |
|21st century themes and skills: Critical Thinking and Problem Solving; Creativity and Innovation; Collaboration, Teamwork, and Leadership; |
|Cross-Cultural Understanding and Interpersonal Communication |
|Unit Rationale |
|To develop an understanding of the student’s natural world. To provide opportunities for investigation and the acquisition of scientific |
|knowledge. |
|Learning Targets |
|Standards |
|5.1 Science Practices |
|All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model building enterprise that continually |
|extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning skills that students must |
|acquire to be proficient in science. |
|Understand Scientific Explanations: Students understand core concepts and principals of science and use measurement and observation tools to |
|assist in categorizing, representing, and interpreting the natural and designed world. |
|Generating Scientific Evidence Through Active Investigations: Students master the conceptual, mathematical, physical, and computational tools |
|that need to be applied when constructing and evaluating claims. |
|Reflect on Scientific Knowledge: Scientific knowledge builds on itself over time. |
|Participate Productively in Science: The growth of scientific knowledge involves critique and communication, which are social practices that |
|are governed by a core set of values and norms. |
|5.3 Life Science: All students will understand that life science principles are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the complexity, |
|diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical world, |
|and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics. |
|Organization and Development: Living organisms are composed of cellular units (structures) that carry out functions required for life. Cellular|
|units are composed of molecules, which also carry out biological functions. |
|Matter and Energy Transformations: Food is required for energy and building cellular materials. Organisms in an ecosystem have different ways |
|of obtaining food, and some organisms obtain their food directly from other organisms. |
|Interdependence: All animals and most plants depend on both other organisms and their environment to meet their basic needs. |
|Heredity and Reproduction: Organisms reproduce, develop, and have predictable life cycles. Organisms contain genetic information that |
|influences their traits, and they pass this on to their offspring during reproduction. |
|Evolution and Diversity: Sometimes, differences between organisms of the same kind provide advantages for surviving and reproducing in |
|different environments. These selective differences may lead to dramatic changes in characteristics of organisms in a population over extremely|
|long periods of time. |
|9.1 21st Century Life and Career Skills |
|All students will demonstrate the creative, critical thinking, collaboration and problem solving skills needed to function successfully as both|
|global citizens and workers in diverse ethnic and organizational cultures. |
|Content Statements |
|Observations and discussions about the natural world form a basis for young learners’ understanding of life science. |
|Observations and discussions form a basis for young learners’ understanding of the similarities and differences among living and nonliving |
|things. |
|Investigations form a young learners’ understanding of how a habitat provides for an organism’s energy needs. |
|Investigations and observations of the interactions between plants and animals form a basis for young learners’ understanding of |
|interdependence in life science. |
|Observations and developmental changes in a plant or animal over time form a basis for young learners’ understanding of heredity and |
|reproduction. |
|Observations and investigations form the basis for young learners’ understanding of energy in Earth systems. |
|Who, what, when, where, why, and how questions form the basis for young learners’ investigations during sensory explorations, experimentation, |
|and focused inquiry. |
|Observations and investigations form young learners’ understanding of science concepts. |
|Experiment and explorations provide opportunity for young learners to use science vocabulary and scientific terms. |
|Experiments and explorations give young learners opportunities to use science tools and technology. |
|Interacting with peers and adults to share questions and explorations about the natural world builds young learners’ scientific knowledge. |
|Scientific practices include drawing or “writing” on observation clipboards, making rubbings, or charting the growth of plants. |
|Effective communication skills convey intended meaning to others and assist in preventing misunderstandings. |
|CPI # | Cumulative Progress Indicator (CPI) |
|5.1.P.A.1 |Display curiosity about science objects, materials, activities, and longer-term investigations in progress. |
|5.1.P.B.1 |Observe, question, predict, and investigate materials, objects, and phenomena (e.g., using simple tools to crack a nut and|
| |look inside) during indoor and outdoor classroom activities and during any longer-term investigations. |
|5.1.P.B.2 |Use basic science terms and topic-related science vocabulary. |
|5.1.P.B.3 |Identify and use basic tools and technology to extend exploration in conjunction with science investigation. |
|5.1.P.C.1 |Communication with other children and adults to share observations, pursue questions, and make predictions and/or |
| |conclusions. |
|5.1.P.D.1 |Represent observations and work through drawing, recording data, and “writing.” |
|5.3.P.A.1 |Investigate and compare the basic physical characteristics of plants, humans, and other animals. |
|5.3.P.A.2 |Observe similarities and differences in the needs of various living things, and difference between living and nonliving |
| |things. |
|5.3.P.B.1 |Observe and describe how plants and animals obtain food from their environment, such as observing the interactions between|
| |organisms in a natural habitat. |
|5.3.P.C.1 |Observe and describe how natural habitats provide for the basic needs of plants and animals with respect to shelter, food,|
| |water, air and light (e.g., dig outside in the soil to investigate the kinds of animal life that live in and around the |
| |ground). |
|5.3.P.D.1 |Observe and record change over time and cycles of change that affect living things (e.g., use baby photographs to discuss |
| |human change and growth, observe and photograph tree growth and leaf changes throughout the year, monitor the life cycle |
| |of a plant). |
|5.3.P.E.1 |Explore the effects of sunlight on living and nonliving things. |
|9.1.4.A.1 |Recognize a problem and brainstorm ways to solve the problem individually or collaboratively. |
|9.1.4.A.2 |Evaluate available resources that can assist in solving problems. |
|9.1.4.A.5 |Apply critical thinking and problem-solving skills in classroom and family setting. |
|9.1.4.D.2 |Express needs, wants, and feelings appropriately in various situations. |
|Unit Essential Questions |Unit Enduring Understandings |
|How are living things different from non-living things? |Food is required for energy. |
|What do living things need to survive? |Living things need certain things to grow and change. |
|How do living things adapt? |Living things reproduce, develop, and have predicable life cycle. |
|How do the parts of living things help them survive? |Plants and animals live in many places and need one another. |
|What enables an organism to change with the seasons? |Explain that living things pass through cycles of life that help |
|Is everything that moves alive? |continue the species existence. |
|How can we communicate the results of our experiments to other people?|Animals each have different structures that assist in its survival. |
|Why are safety rules important in science? |Seasonal changes in the environment prompt changes in the animal |
|How do we organize our work to behave like a scientist? |kingdom. |
| |Scientists ask questions and then investigate to find answers. |
| |Scientists use the world around them to explore and observe to learn. |
| |Science tools can help us investigate. |
|Unit Learning Targets |
|Students will ... |
|Name the basic needs of living things and recognize nonliving things do not have needs. |
|Compare and contrast essential characteristics that distinguish living from nonliving things. |
|Determine if things are living or nonliving (plants, animals, objects). |
|Explain what needs a plant, human, animal has for survival. |
|Explain how plants and animals are needed for human survival. |
|Identify the parts of a plant and describe the function of that part for the plants survival. |
|Observe and describe the stages in the life cycle of a plant and tree. |
|Compare the life cycle of a plant to another living thing and determine the similarities. |
|Infer what can happen in the environment of a plant that can hinder its healthy growth. |
|Identify trees as living things because they need air and water; trees can grow. |
|Synthesize the climatic seasonal changes to a tree’s annual cycle (apple tree). |
|Describe the seasonal structural changes that occur in a tree’s year (apple tree). |
|Identify the ways animals move. |
|Classify things as living and non-living. |
|Describe characteristics of living and non-living things. |
|Identify the major structures of common plants. |
|Evidence of Learning |
|Summative Assessment (suggestions) |
|Draw in sequence a series of pictures showing a plant’s sequence of growth. |
|Create a resource to be used by others to inform them of the needs of plants and how to care for plants so they can survive. |
|Equipment needed: green bean seeds, paper towel, and plastic bag; flower seeds, apple, apple seeds, science journals |
|Teacher Instructional Resources: |
|FOSS Science Kit |
|Trade books: |
|How a Seed Grows by Helene J. Jordan |
|Jack’s Garden by Henry Cole |
|One Little Seed by Elaine Greenstein |
|Animal Dads by Sneed B. Collard |
|DK First Animal Encyclopedia by Penelope Arlon |
|What Do You Do with a Tail Like This? by Robin Page and Steve Jenkins |
|Formative Assessments (suggestions) |
|Observe and record the life cycle of a plant (green bean) throughout|Sort living and non-living things using various offered pictures |
|each stage-daily |Create a living and non-living collage |
|Create a K-W-L of living and nonliving things |Compare, sort, and label animals that are the same classification: body |
|Animal Parade: act out various animal movements |covering, etc. |
|Create animal habitat mobiles |Create animal riddles |
|Animal “match-up”: match animals to their type of home/shelter |Match the animal offspring to its mother |
| | |
| |
|Integration of Technology |
|SMARTBoard, ELMO, Flip camera, laptop, art supplies, various materials |
|Technology Resources |
|Click the links below to access additional resources used to design this unit: |
| |
| |
|Teachers’ Domain provides lesson plans and other multimedia resources (video clips and simulations) that support this CPI. |
| |
| |
| |
|Opportunities for Differentiation |
|utilizing pairing and grouping of activities |
|deliver instruction in a variety of modalities |
|opportunities provided to express learning through written assignments and art |
|express understanding through role playing scenarios |
|express understanding through the use of problem solving situations |
|Teacher Notes: |
|Investigate some familiar groups of animals such as: mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. Explore various animals and their|
|body coverings: scales, feathers, fur, and skin. Living things need: air, food, water; can grow, move, and make more things like themselves. |
|Non-living things do not need: air, food, water; cannot grow or make more of themselves. Plants: flower, plant, grass, shrub, tree; light, |
|soil, water, leaves, roots, seed, stem. |
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related searches
- wyoming township and range map
- wyoming section township map
- north dakota township range map
- wyoming township and range
- wyoming range township section maps
- wyoming township map
- ocean township monmouth county new jersey
- brick township hospital
- wyoming township shapefile
- brick township hospital brick nj
- genesee township genesee county mi
- utah township and range map