Curriculum Connection
K-5 Science and/or Social Studies -March
Kindergarten Science
Habitats
Students will learn living things need water, air, and resources from the land, and they live in places that have the things they need. Students will use models to represent the relationship between the needs of different plants or animals (including humans) and places they live.
In this activity, students choose one animal/plant, draws its habitat, and labels how it is meeting its survival needs (food, shelter, water, and air for animal or food, water, and air for a plant.
In this task, the class builds either a terrarium or aquarium for students to observe how different types of habitats meet the needs of plants and animals.
Organisms Impact on Environment
Students learn that plants and animals can change their environment.
Students organize a set of picture cards to show how animals change their environment.
Students design a solution that will block a river, creating a pond that will provided a place for a family of beavers to build a home.
1st Grade Science
Plant Survival
Students learn that an organism's ability to sense and respond to its environment is important to its chance of surviving and reproducing. Plants can respond to external inputs such as the amount of sunlight, the amount of water available, and changing temperatures.
In this investigation, students observe how a plant grows toward the sun.
Students design a solution that helps maximize the collection of solar energy for a building using solar panels.
Animal Survival
Students will learn animals have body parts that capture and convey different kinds of information needed for growth and survival. Animals respond to these inputs with behaviors that help them survive.
In this activity, students use their sense of smell to identify substances that remind them of food versus smells that are unpleasant or dangerous.
This project based learning challenge is to design a bed for an animal that provides comfort and safety. The students create a model of the bed using materials that can be found in the animal habitat.
2nd Grade Science
Properties and States of Matter
Students will learn different kinds of matter exist and many of them can be either solid or liquid, depending on the temperature. Matter can be described and classified by its observable properties.
Student explore unknown objects and substances inside balloons to list their physical properties and determine their state of matter.
Students use their knowledge of physical properties to build a toy that fits the company's criteria.
3rd Grade Social Studies
Economy and Government of Missouri
Students will learn how the economy and local government works in Missouri.
Essential Questions:
- Why is the Missouri Constitution important to the citizens of Missouri?
- Why are the branches of government important to our state?
- I can explain major purposes of the Missouri Constitution.
- I can explain and give examples of how governments balance individual rights with common good to solve local community or state issues.
- I can identify and explain the functions of the three branches of government in the state government.
- I can recognize and explain the significance of Missouri symbols, such as the Gateway Arch, Official state symbols, etc.
4th Grade Social Studies and Science
Social Studies Unit 4: A New Nation
Overview of Unit : In this unit, students will learn what factors influenced conflicts of the past and of the present. With support, students will analyze the text of the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution including the Bill of Rights. Additionally, students will explain the significance of national symbols during this time period, including the Statue of Liberty, bald eagle, Confederate flag, American flag, National Anthem and Liberty Bell.
Essential Questions:
● How did our founding documents shape our nation, resolve conflicts, and establish citizens’ rights?
Enduring Understanding/Big Ideas :
● I can determine the key ideas in the Declaration of Independence including inalienable rights, government by the consent of the governed, and the redress of grievances.
● I can determine the key ideas in the U.S. Constitution including limited government, rule of law, majority rules, minority rights, separation of powers, checks and balances, and popular sovereignty.
● I can explain the purpose of the Bill of Rights and identify some of the basic rights and freedoms.
● I can identify and explain the importance of national symbols.
Science Unit 3: Physical Science: Part 2: Motion Waves
What occurs when rocks are thrown into still water?
Do 1: Disturbing Water
Students drop different objects into a tub of water and make observations.
Do 2: Motion in the Ocean
Students observe what happens to the sand when waves show movement in the ocean.
5th Grade Social Studies and Science
Social Studies Unit 3: Changes in the United States as a Result of Economic Factors
Essential Questions:
● How have economic factors influenced change in the United States?
● How does scarcity, supply and demand, opportunity costs, income, labor, wages and other economic concepts affect our nation’s past, present, and future?
Enduring Understanding/Big Ideas:
● Identify political, economic, and social causes and consequences of the Great Depression
● Explain the factors, past and present, that influence changes in regional economies.
Science Unit 4: Earth and Space Science Part 2: Earth's Systems
How are so many different kinds of animals able to live in the ocean?
Do 1: The Four Spheres of Earth
Students make a diorama of the 4 spheres of the earth.
Do 2: Ocean Ecosystems
Students match organisms to which ocean ecosystem they belong in.
Science Unit 4: Earth and Space Science Part 2: Earth's Systems Interactions
How do volcanic eruptions affect Earth’s systems?
Do 1: Cascade Mountains
Students compare the size of mountain ranges for the effects ocean and weather.
Do 2: The Clash of Earth's Systems
Students create a model to see how different earth spheres interact.
Jennifer Wiley
Email: wileyj@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Website: www.parkhill.k12.mo.us
Location: 7703 Northwest Barry Road, Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone: 816-359-6253
Twitter: @icjenwiley
Kim Fette
Email: fettek@parkhill.k12.mo.us
Website: parkhill.k12.mo.us
Location: 7703 Northwest Barry Road, Kansas City, MO, USA
Phone: 816-359-5750
Twitter: @kimElemCoach