Scientific Investigation, Reasoning, andLogic

Scientific Investigation embedded within units

• 2.1 The student will conduct investigations in which
• a) observation is differentiated from personal interpretation, and conclusions are drawn based on observations;
• b) observations are repeated to ensure accuracy;
• c) two or more attributes are used to classify items;
• d) conditions that influence a change are defined;
• e) length, volume, mass, and temperature measurements are made in metric (centimeters, meters, liters, degrees Celsius, grams, kilograms) and standard English units (inches, feet, yards, cups, pints, quarts, gallons, degrees Fahrenheit, ounces, pounds);
• f) pictures and bar graphs are constructed using numbered axes;
• g) unexpected or unusual quantitative data are recognized; and
• h) simple physical models are constructed.

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Force, Motion and Energy

The Physics of Toys

• 2.2 The student will investigate and understand that natural and artificial magnets have certain characteristics and attract specific types of metals. Key concepts include

• a) magnetism, iron, magnetic/nonmagnetic, poles, attract/repel; and
• b) important applications including the magnetic compass.

Matter

Learning Though Nature – currently taught in first grade

• 2.3 The student will investigate and understand basic properties of solids, liquids, and gases. Key concepts include
• a) mass and volume; and
• b) processes involved with changes in matter from one state to another (condensation, evaporation, melting, and freezing).

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Life Processes

Animals & Their Environments

• 2.4 The student will investigate and understand that plants and animals undergo a series of orderly changes in their life cycles. Key concepts include
• a) some animals (frogs and butterflies) undergo distinct stages during their lives while others generally resemble their parents; and
• b) flowering plants undergo many changes from the formation of the flower to the development of the fruit.

Living Systems

Animals & Their Environments

• 2.5 The student will investigate and understand that living things are part of a system. Key concepts include
• a) living organisms are interdependent with their living and nonliving surroundings; and
• habitats change over time due to many influences.

Interrelationships in Earth/Space Systems

Learning Through Nature – currently taught in first grade

Animals & Their Enviornments

• 2.6 The student will investigate and understand basic types, changes, and patterns of weather. Key concepts include
• a) temperature, wind, precipitation, drought, flood, and storms; and
• b) the uses and importance of measuring and recording weather data.

Earth Patterns, Cycles, and Change

Animals & Their Environments

• 2.7 The student will investigate and understand that weather and seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surroundings. Key concepts include
• a) effects on growth and behavior of living things (migration, hibernation, camouflage, adaptation, dormancy); and
• b) weathering and erosion of the land surface.

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Resources

Animals & Their Environments

• 2.8 The student will investigate and understand that plants produce oxygen and food, are a source of useful products, and provide benefits in nature. Key concepts include
• a) important plant products (fiber, cotton, oil, spices, lumber, rubber, medicines, and paper);
• b) the availability of plant products affects the development of a geographic area; and
• c) plants provide homes and food for many animals and prevent soil from washing away.