Kindergarten Life Science
Understandings:
- Plant and animals have basic needs that must be met for survival.
- Plants have identifiable parts and can be sorted by observable characteristics.
- Plants go through observable changes that are part of their life cycle.
- Animals have identifiable parts and can be sorted by observable characteristics.
TEKS:
Content Standards:
- K.9A (S) Differentiate between living and non living things based upon whether they have basic needs and produce offspring
- K.9B (R) Examine evidence that living organisms have basic needs such as food, water, and shelter for animals and air, water, nutrients, sunlight, and space for plants
- K.10A (S) Sort plants and animals into groups based on physical characteristics such as color, size, body covering, or leaf shape
- K.10B (R) Identify parts of plants and animals
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Throughout the year:
- K.8B (R) Identify events that have repeating patterns, including seasons of the year and day and night
- K.8A (S) Observe and describe weather changes from day to day and over seasons
- K.8C (S) Observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as clouds, Moon, and stars, including the sun
- K.10D (S) Observe changes that are part of a simple life cycle of a plant: seed, seedling, plant, flower, and fruit
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Process Standards (ongoing):
- K.1A Identify, discuss, and demonstrate safe and healthy practices as outlined in TEA - approved safety standards during classroom and outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles or chemical splash googles as appropriate, washing hands, and using materials appropriately
- K.1B Demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conserving water and reusing or recycling paper, plastic and metal
- K.2A Ask questions about organisms, objects, and events observed in the natural world
- K.2B Plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations
- K.2C Collect data and make observations using simple tools
- K.2D Record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, and words
- K.2E Communicate observations about simple descriptive investigations
- K.3A Identify and explain a problem such as the impact of littering and propose a solution
- K.3B Make predictions based on observable patterns in nature
- K.3C Explore that scientists investigate different things in the natural world and use tools to help in their investigations
- K.4A Collect information using tools, including computing devices, hand lenses, primary balances, cups, bowls, magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks; timing devices; non-standard measuring items; weather instruments such as demonstration thermometers; and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such as terrariums and aquariums
- K.4B Use the senses as tool of observation to identify properties and patterns of organisms, objects, and events in the environment
- K.10C (S) Identify ways that young plants resemble the parent plant
- K.10D (S) Observe changes that are part of a simple life cycle of a plant: seed, seedling, plant, flower, and fruit
Learning Targets:
- I can name the parts of a plant. (Continued from Earth and Space Unit)
- I can tell how young plants look like adult plants. (Continued from Earth and Space Unit)
- I can observe the life cycle of a plant. (Continued from Earth and Space Unit)
- I can sort animals and plants into groups based off of their physical characteristics
Throughout the year:
- I can observe weather changes. K.8A (S)
- I can tell about weather changes. K.8A (S)
- I can identify events that have repeating patterns. K.8B (R)
- I can observe objects in the sky. K.8C (S)
- I can tell about the objects in the sky. K.8C (S)
- I can illustrate the objects in the sky. K.8C (S)
- I can observe the life cycle of a plant. K.10D (S)
- I can name the parts of an animal.
- I can tell the difference between living and non-living things.
- I can tell the basic needs of plants and animals.
Essential Questions:
- How do you know if something is living or non-living?
- Are all things that move alive?
- What are the basic needs of living things?
- What evidence can be found in the environment of things (living and non-living) that plants and animals need to survive?
- What are the parts of a plant and their purpose?
- How are plants alike and different?
- How do plants change and grow?
- How is a the young plant like the parent plant? How is it different?
- What are some of the body parts that animals have?
- Do all animals have the same characteristics? How are they alike? How are they different?
- What are some characteristics you can use to sort these animals into different groups?
Misconceptions:
- If it moves, it is living.
- Nonliving is the same as dead.
- Seeds are nonliving.
Vocabulary:
New to Grade Level:
Living and NonLiving Things: air, basic needs of animals, basic needs of plants, food, living, living organism, nonliving, nutrients, offspring, shelter, sunlight, space, water
Physical Characteristics of Plants and Animals: animal, basic parts of animals (limb, eye, head, teal, fin, wing, mouth, etc.), basic parts of plants (root, stem, leaf, flower), body covering (fur, feathers, scales, hair, etc.), characteristic, leaf shape, plant, structure, survive
Inherited Traits: parent, plant, resemble, young
Life Cycles: life cycle, plant, plant's life cycle (seed, seedling, plant, flower, fruit)