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STC™

Meetsthe StandardsSTC Meets

the Standards

S o i l s ■ S o l i d s a n d L i q u i d s ■ C o m p a r i n g a n d M e a s u r i n g ■ T h e L i f e C y c l e o f B u t t e r f l i e s ■ E c o s y s t e m s

An Analysis of the Alignment between theScience and Technology for Children™ Curriculum and the

National Science Education Standards

National Science Resources CenterSmithsonian Institution n National Academy of SciencesNational Academy of Engineering n Institute of Medicine

The STC curriculum is published and distributed byCarolina Biological Supply Company

Sources of Information onthe Science and Technologyfor Children™ Curriculum

STC™ Teacher’s Guides, Student Activity Books, StudentNotebooks, science materials kits, teacher-training videotapes,and Discovery Decks™ are available exclusively from thepublisher, Carolina Biological Supply Company, 2700 YorkRoad, Burlington, North Carolina 27215.

Carolina offers assistance to schools and districts seeking toevaluate or implement STC program materials. Services includeproviding preview and pilot-test materials, presentingprofessional-development workshops, and assisting withdistrictwide adoption and implementation of STC.

For more information, call Carolina Biological Supply Company(1-800-227-1150).

For information about the content of the STC curriculum orother NSRC activities, call the NSRC Outreach Office at 202-287-2064. The NSRC’s World Wide Web address ishttp://www.si.edu/nsrc.

This publication was produced by NSRC staff members CarolO’Donnell, STC research associate, and Linda Harteker,writer/editor. Other contributors include Douglas Lapp,executive director; Patricia K. Freitag, STC project director;Dean Trackman, publications director; Kitty Lou Smith, Scienceand Technology Concepts for Middle Schools project director;Wendy Binder, STC research associate; Christopher Lyon, STCresearch associate; Edward Lee, STC research associate; HeidiM. Kupke, graphic designer; Max-Karl Winkler, illustrator; MattSmith, editorial assistant; Lisa Bevell, STC program assistant;and Sylvia Carter, publications administrative assistant.

Carolina Biological Supply CompanyBurlington, North Carolina 27215 1-800-334-5551

The STC curriculum was developed by theNational Science Resources Center

Washington, D.C.

The STC curriculum is published and distributed byCarolina Biological Supply Company

Burlington, North Carolina

1998

STC™

Meetsthe Standards

An Analysis of the Alignment between theScience and Technology for Children™ Curriculum and the

National Science Education Standards

STC™ Sponsors

The Science and Technology for Children™ (STC) curriculum was developed withmajor funding from the following organizations:

National Science Foundation

John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation

U.S. Department of Defense

The Dow Chemical Company Foundation

U.S. Department of Education

Smithsonian Institution Educational Outreach Fund

Other contributors included:

DuPont Company

Amoco Foundation, Inc.

Hewlett-Packard Company

© 1998 by the National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.

This document is intended for the use of curriculum adoption committees, curriculum supervisors, school administrators, sciencecoordinators, teachers, and parents. It may be photocopied in whole or in part for nonprofit educational purposes.

Additional copies of STC Meets the Standards are available from Carolina Biological Supply Company (1-800-227-1150).

How to Use This Book

The purpose of this publication is to help school administrators, curriculum coordinators,teachers, and members of curriculum adoption committees determine how the Science andTechnology for Children™ (STC ) curriculum aligns with the National Science EducationStandards (NSES) of the National Research Council.

Part 1 summarizes key elements of the STC learning philosophy and goals and how thecurriculum was developed. It describes the components of the STC curriculum and relatedproducts. A chart sets forth the names of the 24 units and the sequence in which they are meantto be delivered. Part 1 also describes the programs of the National Science Resources Center,which developed STC.

Part 2 provides an overview of the NSES content, teaching, and assessment standards. Itexplains how to use the charts and narrative information in this book to identify the alignmentbetween STC and the NSES science content standards. It also provides summary informationabout STC in relation to the NSES teaching and assessment standards.

Parts 3 through 8—one part each for grades 1 through 6, respectively—provide detailed, grade-by-grade information on the 24 STC units. There are four units for each grade level. Each partbegins with a table highlighting the unit titles for that grade. Next, a dot matrix summarizes theNSES science content in each STC unit in that grade level. It then presents the followinginformation on each unit for that grade:

■ A one-page summary of the unit narrative, science content, and assessment strategies

■ Learning goals (presented as concepts, skills, and attitudes)

■ NSES science content standards covered in the unit (including the title ofthe standard and its conceptual organizers and fundamental principles andconcepts). Because the STC units are grade-flexible, information onalignment for fourth- and fifth-grade STC units is presented under both the K–4 and 5–8 NSES categories.

STC Meets the Standards Science and Technology for Children™/NSRC 3

Contents

Part 1. Introduction to the Science and Technologyfor Children Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6OverviewSTC Instructional MaterialsSTC Discovery Decks

STC GoalsThe STC Learning CycleSTC and the Development of Scientific-Reasoning SkillsDevelopment and Distribution of the STC CurriculumOther NSRC Activities and Programs

Part 2. STC and the National Science Education Standards . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10IntroductionNSES Science Content StandardsSTC and the NSES Content StandardsSTC’s Grade-Level FlexibilityNSES Teaching StandardsSTC and the NSES Teaching StandardsNSES Assessment StandardsSTC and the NSES Assessment StandardsSTC Units and K–4 Science Content Standards MatrixSTC Units and 5–8 Science Content Standards Matrix

Part 3. STC First-Grade Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17Organisms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Weather . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Solids and Liquids . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Comparing and Measuring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31

Part 4. STC Second-Grade Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .35The Life Cycle of Butterflies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Soils . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Balancing and Weighing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49

Part 5. STC Third-Grade Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .53Plant Growth and Development . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Rocks and Minerals. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59Chemical Tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Sound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67

4 Science and Technology for Children™/NSRC STC Meets the Standards

Part 6. STC Fourth-Grade Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Animal Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Land and Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80Electric Circuits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Motion and Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93

Part 7. STC Fifth-Grade Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .99Microworlds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 102Ecosystems . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108Food Chemistry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114Floating and Sinking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120

Part 8. STC Sixth-Grade Units . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .126Experiments with Plants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 128Measuring Time. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 132Magnets and Motors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136The Technology of Paper . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 140


OverviewThe Science and Technology for Children (STC ) curriculum offers 24 units for students ingrades 1 through 6. It covers four broad topic areas: life, earth, and physical sciences andtechnological design. The curriculum is flexible with respect to grade level; to meet specificneeds, school districts may offer an STC unit one grade above or below that for which it wasdesigned. STC is an inquiry-based curriculum. Each unit provides students with an opportunityto explore science concepts and phenomena firsthand, to reflect on their observa-tions, to sharethem with classmates, and to apply their learning in new situations.

P A R T 1

Introduction to theScience and Technology for

Children™

Curriculum


Grade Life, Earth, and Physical Sciences and Technology

1 Organisms Weather Solids and Liquids Comparing and Measuring

2 The Life Cycle of Butterflies Soils Changes Balancing and Weighing

3 Plant Growth and Development Rocks and Minerals Chemical Tests Sound

4 Animal Studies Land and Water Electric Circuits Motion and Design

5 Microworlds Ecosystems Food Chemistry Floating and Sinking

6 Experiments with Plants Measuring Time Magnets and Motors The Technology of Paper

STC Instructional MaterialsSTC instructional materials include a teacher’sguide, student activity books or notebooks, andscience materials.

■ The teacher’s guide contains backgroundmaterial on science and pedagogy, guidance onscience materials preparation and setup, anddetailed instructions for facilitating classroomscience investigations. It also contains mastercopies of student record sheets and othermaterials, suggestions for relating science to otherareas of the curriculum, assessment strategies, anda bibliography.

■ Reusable student activity books, for grades 3through 6, contain step-by-step instructions thatguide students through their classroomactivities. Optional student notebooks areavailable for the first- and second-grade units.Since students write in these notebooks, theymust be repurchased each time the unit ispresented.

■ Each STC kit contains the science equipmentneeded to present the unit once to a class of 30students. Kits of expendable materials for refur-bishing the classroom science materials are alsoavailable from Carolina Biological SupplyCompany, the STC publisher.

Carolina Biological Supply Company is nowproducing teacher-training videotapes to accompanythe STC units. In addition, the STC student booksare being translated into Spanish. Spanish editionsof several units are already available.


STC Discovery Decks™

STC is developing Discovery Decks to accompanythe STC units for grades 4 through 6. DiscoveryDecks extend the science content of the STC units.They are particularly useful in enriching learningrelated to the NSES categories of “Science inPersonal and Social Perspectives” and of “Historyand Nature of Science.”

Each Discovery Deck consists of approximately 32large (9 × 12″), attractively illustrated cards thatelaborate on the topics introduced in the unit itaccompanies. Each deck includes cards on history(for example, information on famous people andinventions), problems to solve, and connectionswith students’ everyday world. The cards may beused in the classroom or for home projects.

For more information on the STC Discovery Decks,contact Carolina Biological Supply Company(1-800-227-1150).

STC GoalsThe goals of the STC curriculum are to

■ Make science relevant, interesting, andchallenging for all children.

■ Contribute to children’s conceptualunderstanding of their world.

■ Help children develop scientific-reasoning andproblem-solving skills.

■ Foster the development of scientific attitudes,such as curiosity, respect for evidence,flexibility, and sensitivity to living things.

These goals are reflected in each STC unit, wherethey are expressed as concepts, skills, and attitudes.Each lesson in an STC unit also contains a set ofstudent learning objectives.

The STC Learning CycleEach STC unit is based on a four-stage learningcycle that is grounded in research on how childrenlearn. The four steps in this cycle are Focus,Explore, Reflect, and Apply.

■ First, students focus on what they know about atopic and what they would like to learn about it.In other words, learning begins with thestudent’s existing knowledge and experience.

■ Next, students explore a scientific concept orphenomenon by completing a sequence ofactivities. Classroom explorations are usuallydone in groups of two or four children.

■ To reinforce learning, students reflect on theirfindings, record them in their science journals,and discuss them with their classmates.

■ Finally, students apply their new learning toreal-life situations and to other areas of thecurriculum.

STC and the Development ofScientific-Reasoning SkillsThe creators of the STC curriculum believe thatchildren learn science best when the content isdevelopmentally appropriate. For this reason, STCis structured on the basis of a sequence ofscientific-reasoning skills.

This sequence begins in grade 1, where studentsfocus on observing, measuring, and identifyingproperties. By grade 2, they are able to begin torecognize patterns and cycles. By grade 4, manystudents are able to identify cause-and-effectrelationships. Finally, by grade 6, students can designand conduct their own controlled experiments. Asthey progress through this sequence, students notonly gain an understanding of science concepts andphenomena but also develop critical-thinking skills.


Development and Distributionof the STC CurriculumSTC was developed by the National ScienceResources Center (NSRC), a nonprofit organizationjointly operated by the Smithsonian Institution andthe National Academy of Sciences, NationalAcademy of Engineering, and Institute of Medicine.The NSRC’s offices are in Washington, D.C.

Each STC unit was written by a teacher-developerworking in collaboration with educators, scientists,and evaluators, as well as with science editors andillustrators. All units were pilot-tested in elementaryschools in the Washington, D.C., metropolitan areaand field-tested in demographically diverseclassrooms throughout the United States. Input fromteachers and students who participated in the fieldtests, as well as recommendations provided by anindependent evaluator, were incorporated into thefinal version of the text.

STC is published exclusively by Carolina BiologicalSupply Company, Burlington, North Carolina.Carolina, the nation’s largest distributor ofclassroom science materials, is the only companythat distributes STC science kit materials that havebeen reviewed and approved by the NSRC.


Other NSRC Activitiesand ProgramsIn 1997, the National Science Resources Centerreceived a grant from the National ScienceFoundation to produce a new curriculum, Scienceand Technology Concepts for Middle Schools

(STC/MS ), which will complement STC . It willcontain eight modules that will focus on topicsrelated to the life, earth, and physical sciences andtechnological design. Two professional-developmentmodules for teachers will also be developed.

In addition to developing science curricula, theNSRC publishes books and other documents ofinterest to science educators. Among the NSRC’smost recent publications are Science for All Children:A Guide to Improving Elementary Science Educationin Your School District and Resources for Teaching

Elementary School Science, both of which werepublished by the National Academy Press. Slated forpublication in early 1998 is Resources for TeachingMiddle School Science.

A third area of NSRC activity is leadershiptraining. The NSRC conducts leadership institutesat the national and regional levels to prepare teamsof science teachers, school administrators, andscientists, engineers, and business leaders toorganize science education reform efforts in theircommunities. The NSRC is funded through grantsfrom government agencies, corporations, andphilanthropic foundations.

IntroductionThe National Science Education Standards, published by the National Research Council in 1996,call for a new vision of science literacy for all students. The standards are not prescriptive;rather, they set forth criteria that each school district can use as a basis for designing a scienceprogram that best meets the needs of its students. These criteria cover six areas: science content,teaching methods, professional development, assessment, program design, and science systems.

This publication analyzes the STC curriculum in light of three NSES criteria—science content,teaching methods, and assessment. This chapter provides a brief introduction to the standards inthese three areas.

P A R T 2

STC™

and the NationalScience Education Standards


NSES Science Content StandardsContent standards are the heart of a science program.They describe what students should understand andbe able to do in science from kindergarten throughtheir senior year in high school.

Each NSES content standard has four parts: a title,a stem, a list of conceptual organizers, and a seriesof fundamental concepts and principles.

■ The title is the category of the standard. Thereare eight science content standards: unifyingconcepts and processes in science; science asinquiry; physical science; life science; earth andspace science; science and technology; sciencein personal and social perspectives; and historyand nature of science.

■ The stem is an introductory phrase thatstipulates grade span (that is, K–4, 5–8, or9–12) and learning outcome (for example,“understanding”).

■ The conceptual organizers are comparable tolesson or unit topics. Under the title “PhysicalScience” in the K–4 grade span, for example, theconceptual organizers include “properties ofobjects and materials,” “position and motion ofobjects,” and “magnetism.” By grades 9–12, theconceptual organizers under the same title aremore complex and include “structure of atoms,”“chemical reactions,” and “interactions of energyand matter.”

■ The fundamental concepts and principles arethe scientific principles or concepts that supportthe conceptual organizers. They appear in theNSES publication in paragraph form. Eachconcept is placed under the appropriateconceptual organizer.

STC and the NSES Content StandardsThis publication uses two ways of showing how theSTC units align with the standards: dot matrixesand narrative lists entitled “Fundamental Conceptsand Principles Addressed.”

Dot Matrixes

Two comprehensive dot matrixes appear on pages14 to 16. In addition, grade-specific matrixesappear at the beginning of each chapter (see, forexample, page 18). Two matrixes are provided forthe fourth- and fifth-grade units; one matrix showsalignment with K–4 standards, and the other showsalignment with 5–8 standards.

On the matrixes, the NSES title category appears ingray and the conceptual organizers appear directlybelow it. A dot in the column under the STC unittitle indicates that the conceptual organizer isaddressed in one or more of the lessons or readingselections of that unit.

Fundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed

The pages entitled “Fundamental Concepts andPrinciples Addressed (K–4 or 5–8)” provide moredetailed information than the dot matrixes (see, forexample, page 21). On these pages, the NSEScategory title appears as a bold head. Theconceptual organizers are subheads and appear initalics. The fundamental principles appear asbulleted items. In some cases, the original languagehas been shortened or paraphrased; only languagethat is applicable to the unit has been included. Eachfourth- and fifth-grade unit is analyzed in relationboth to the K–4 standards and the 5–8 standards.

STC’s Grade-Level FlexibilityThe writers of the NSES wanted science learningto be flexible. Learning outcomes are, therefore,set forth by grade span (that is, K–4, 5–8, and9–12) rather than by grade level. Within each ofthese sequences, the science content may bepresented at the grade level that a school districtbelieves is most appropriate.


Like the standards, the STC curriculum is designedto provide maximum flexibility in grade levels.While each unit is designated for use at a particulargrade level, it may be used at the level below orabove the designated grade. Thus, depending on theoverall science program or the abilities of students,The Life Cycle of Butterflies, developed for grade 2,may also be taught successfully at grade 1 or 3. It ishelpful to think of each level of STC units as aband that crosses three grade levels.

This flexibility becomes critical at the interface ofgrades 4 and 5, which cross the NSES grade spans.For this reason, the information in this publicationshows how grade 4 STC units align with 5–8, aswell as K–4, content standards. To complete thepicture, information on grade 5 units shows howthese units align with K–4, as well as 5–8, standards.For example:

■ The 5–8 earth science concept on the water cyclestates that water “falls to earth where it collects inlakes, oceans, soil, and in rocks underground.”This concept expands on the K–4 NSES physicalscience concept “water can change from one stateto another.” Both concepts, however, are coveredin the fourth-grade STC earth science unit Landand Water.

■ The fifth-grade STC unit Food Chemistryaddresses both the K–4 NSES personal healthprinciple “students should understand how thebody uses food and how various foods contributeto health,” as well as the 5–8 concept, “foodprovides energy and nutrients for growth anddevelopment.”

By examining how the fourth- and fifth-gradeunits align with both the K–4 and 5–8 standards,districts may make appropriate decisions aboutwhere to place the unit in their curriculum. Forexample, many districts use Land and Water,designated as a fourth-grade unit, in grade 5. Atthe same time, districts may use the fifth-gradeunit Floating and Sinking in grade 4.

NSES Teaching StandardsThe six NSES science teaching standards describethe actions teachers must take and the knowledgeand skills they need in order to plan for, facilitate,and assess student learning. They focus on thefollowing areas:

■ Tailoring learning opportunities to studentneeds.

■ Facilitating inquiry.

■ Assessing student learning on an ongoing basis.

■ Creating an environment that provides theresources and atmosphere needed for sciencelearning.

■ Encouraging collaboration, respect for diverseideas, and other values that are consistent withscientific inquiry.

■ Working with peers to plan the overallscience program.

STC and the NSES TeachingStandardsSuccessful implementation of the STC curriculumin the classroom and adherence to the NSESteaching standards go hand in glove. Unless ateacher adheres to these standards, he or shecannot facilitate learning in an STC classroom,as illustrated by the following examples.

In an STC classroom, the teacher . . .

■ Selects and adapts the curriculum instead ofusing a “one size fits all” approach. Duringclass brainstorming sessions, generally held atthe beginning of each new unit or learningactivity, students share what they already knowabout a new topic and what they would like toknow. Teachers use this information as a basisfor tailoring learning activities as well as forpost-unit assessments of student learning.

■ Focuses on helping students ask questions,test ideas, and draw conclusions on the basisof evidence instead of focusing on acquiringfactual information.

■ Facilitates discussion and hands-oninvestigation instead of presenting knowledgethrough lectures or teacher demonstrations.


■ Builds students’ skills in cooperative learningand respect for the ideas of others as theyexplore science phenomena with lab partnersand in small groups.

■ Helps students build links between scienceand the real world and between science andother areas of the elementary curriculumthrough the use of extensions, bibliographies,and other supplementary material.

■ Continually assesses student understandingthrough observing students’ daily activities andexamining journals, record sheets, andperformance-based assessments instead of testingstudents for factual information at the end of aunit.

NSES Assessment StandardsNew ways of teaching and learning science demandnew approaches to assessing student progress. In thisnew approach, learning and assessing are closelyrelated. Assessments provide much more than abenchmark for student progress; they are the primaryfeedback mechanism in the science educationsystem. To emphasize the key role of assessment, theNSES contain five criteria against which districtscan judge the quality of their assessment strategies:

■ The consistency of assessments with thedecisions they are designed to inform.

■ The assessment of achievement and opportunityto learn science.

■ Matching the quality of data collected and theconsequences of actions taken on the basis ofthose data.

■ Fairness.

■ The soundness of inferences made from theassessments.

STC and the NSESAssessment StandardsAssessment is a particular strength of the STCcurriculum. In fact, all STC assessment activitieshave been professionally evaluated by researchersfrom the Program Evaluation and Research Groupat Lesley College, Cambridge, Massachusetts. STCassessments are consistent with the NSES standardsin that they are deliberately designed to focus on thescience content and skills that are most importantfor students to learn. Their purpose is to determinestudents’ scientific-reasoning skills as well as theirunderstanding of science concepts. Because of theirvariety, the STC assessments offer opportunities forall students to demonstrate their strengths.

STC assessment strategies include

■ Matched pre- and post-unit assessments thatenable teachers to evaluate student growth.


■ Embedded assessments that occur naturallywithin a unit and make assessment seamless withlearning.

■ Additional assessments (also called finalassessments) at the end of the unit that offer avariety of opportunities to evaluate studentprogress. Some are performance-basedassessments that challenge students to use theirscience materials to solve new problems. Othersinclude teacher review of student work products,oral presentations, and paper-and-pencil tests.

■ Student self-assessments that allow students andteachers to track progress.


STC Units and K– 4 Science Content Standards MatrixDeveloped for Grades 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3

Unit TitlesSolids Comparing The Life Balancing Plant Rocksand and Cycle of and Growth and and Chemical

Organisms Weather Liquids Measuring Butterflies Soils Changes Weighing Development Minerals Tests Sound

Science as InquiryAbilities necessary to doscientific inquiry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Understandings aboutscientific inquiry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Physical ScienceProperties of objectsand materials ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Position and motion of objects ● ● ● ●

Light, heat, electricity,and magnetism ● ● ● ●

Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ● ● ● ● ●

Life cycles of organisms ● ● ●

Organisms and environments ● ● ● ● ● ●

Earth and Space ScienceProperties of earth materials ● ● ● ● ● ●

Objects in the sky ●

Changes in earth and sky ● ● ● ●

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ● ● ● ●

Understandings about scienceand technology ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Abilities to distinguish betweennatural objects and objectsmade by humans ● ● ● ● ●

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ● ● ● ● ● ●

Characteristics and changesin populations

Types of resources ● ● ● ●

Changes in environments ● ● ● ●

Science and technologyin local challenges ● ● ● ● ●

History and Nature of ScienceScience as a human endeavor ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Evidence, models, and explanation ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Constancy, change,and measurement ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Evolution and equilibrium ● ●

Form and function ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Developed for Grades 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5

Unit TitlesAnimal Land Electric Motion Food FloatingStudies and Water Circuits and Design Microworlds Ecosystems Chemistry and Sinking

Science as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Understandings about scientific inquiry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Physical ScienceProperties of objects and materials ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Position and motion of objects ● ● ●

Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism ● ●

Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ● ● ● ●

Life cycles of organisms ● ● ●

Organisms and environments ● ● ●

Earth and Space ScienceProperties of earth materials ● ●

Objects in the sky

Changes in earth and sky ●

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ● ● ● ●

Understandings about science and technology ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Abilities to distinguish between natural objects and objects made by humans ● ● ● ● ●

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ● ● ●

Characteristics and changes in populations

Types of resources ● ● ● ● ●

Changes in environments ● ● ●

Science and technology in local challenges ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

History and Nature of ScienceScience as a human endeavor ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Evidence, models, and explanation ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Constancy, change, and measurement ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Evolution and equilibrium ● ● ● ● ●

Form and function ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●


STC Units and 5–8 Science Content Standards MatrixDeveloped for Grades 4 4 4 4 5 5 5 5 6 6 6 6

Unit TitlesLand Motion Floating Experiments Magnets The

Animal and Electric and Microworlds Food and with Measuring and TechnologyStudies Water Circuits Design Ecosystems Chemistry Sinking Plants Time Motors of Paper

Science as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Understandings about scientific inquiry ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Physical ScienceProperties and changes of properties in matter ● ● ● ● ● ●

Motions and forces ● ● ● ● ●

Transfer of energy ● ● ● ● ●

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems ● ● ● ●

Reproduction and heredity ● ● ● ●

Regulation and behavior ● ● ● ● ● ●

Populations and ecosystems ●

Diversity and adaptations of organisms ● ● ●

Earth and Space ScienceStructure of the earth system ● ●

Earth’s history ●

Earth in the solar system ● ● ●

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Understandings about science and technology ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ● ● ● ● ● ●

Populations, resources, and environments ● ●

Natural hazards ● ● ●

Risks and benefits ● ● ●

Science and technology in society ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

History and Nature of ScienceScience as a human endeavor ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Nature of science ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

History of science ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Evidence, models, and explanation ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Constancy, change, and measurement ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●

Evolution and equilibrium ● ● ● ● ●

Form and function ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ●










P A R T 3

Science and Technologyfor Children

™

F I R S T - G R A D E U N I T S


First-Grade STC Units and the NSES (K–4)

National Science Education Solids ComparingStandards for Grades K–4 Organisms Weather and Liquids and MeasuringScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●

Understandings about scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●

Physical ScienceProperties of objects and materials ● ● ●

Position and motion of objects ● ●

Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism ●

Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ●

Life cycles of organisms ●

Organisms and environments ● ●

Earth and Space ScienceProperties of earth materials ●

Objects in the sky ●

Changes in earth and sky ● ●

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ●

Understandings about science and technology ● ● ● ●

Abilities to distinguish between natural objectsand objects made by humans ● ●

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ● ●


Types of resources ●

Changes in environments ● ●

Science and technology in local challenges ● ●

History and Nature of ScienceScience as a human endeavor ● ● ● ●

Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization ● ● ● ●

Evidence, models, and explanation ● ● ● ●

Constancy, change, and measurement ● ● ● ●

Evolution and equilibrium

Form and function ● ● ●


Narrative SummaryThis unit provides hands-on experiences that helpstudents develop anunderstanding of and sen-sitivity to living things.Students create and main-tain a woodland habitatcontaining pine seedlings,moss, pill bugs, and Bessbeetles or millipedes.They also set up andobserve a freshwaterhabitat into which theyintroduce elodea andcabomba plants, pondsnails, and guppies. Withboth plants and animalsin each habitat, studentshave the opportunity to observe how these organ-isms coexist. Through studying the needs and char-acteristics of a variety of organisms, the studentsare able to draw conclusions about how plants andanimals are similar and different. In a final lesson,students apply to humans what they have learnedabout organisms, exploring how human beings aresimilar to and different from other living things.

Science ContentIn this unit, students observe and compare livingthings to identify their characteristics and resourceneeds. Students are encouraged to use their ownobservations to support their ideas about the simi-larities and differences between plants and animals.The diversity of living things is introduced throughreadings about interesting and exotic plants andanimals. Students explore life cycles through theirown observations and questions.

AssessmentIn a matched pre- andpost-unit assessment,each student draws a liv-ing thing and writesabout what it needs tolive and be healthy.Students also share whatthey know and want toknow about plants andanimals and how theyare alike and different.Through this matchedassessment, students arelikely to appreciate howmuch they have learnedabout the needs of livingthings. Throughout theunit, students maintain

journals in which they record their observations ofa plant they grow from a seed. Class stories, whichdescribe how seeds grow, and planting cards,which serve as laboratory notebooks, allow forassessment of students’ daily observations. Recordsheets track development of students’ ideas abouttheir classroom organisms. Teachers can use learn-ing goals and progress charts provided to evaluatestudent progress and communicate that progress toparents. Additional assessments at the close of theunit include suggestions on assessing student worksamples, setting up student meetings, and invitingstudents to make presentations that assess con-cepts, skills, and attitudes developed throughoutthe unit.

Organisms


Goals for OrganismsIn this unit, students explore the similarities and differences between plants and animals. Through theirexperiences, students are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ We use our senses to observe the world around us.

■ Organisms have basic needs, such as food, water, air, space, and shelter.

■ Each type of organism has specific needs, such as type of food, amount of water,amount of light, amount of space, and type of shelter.

■ There is a wide diversity of living things on earth.

■ Organisms grow, change, and die over time.

■ Some plants grow from seeds. The roots grow first and then the stem.

■ Plants have similarities, such as the ability to grow and the need for water, light,space, and air.

■ Animals have similarities, such as the ability to move and the need for food, water,space, and shelter.

■ Plants and animals have similarities, such as basic needs, ability to grow and change,and death.

■ Humans are similar to other organisms. Humans have basic needs and also grow,change, and die.

Skills■ Observing and describing the characteristics of seeds and plants.

■ Planting seeds and observing and recording their growth.

■ Observing and describing the characteristics of a variety of plants and animals inwoodland and freshwater environments.

■ Recording observations in words and drawings.

■ Making comparisons among a variety of plants and animals.

■ Communicating ideas through writing, drawing, and discussion.

■ Reading to enhance understanding of the basic needs of organisms and the diversity of life.

■ Applying what students know about plants and animals to what students know aboutthemselves.

■ Maintaining plants and animals outside their natural environments.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in exploring the characteristics of plants and animals.

■ Gaining an awareness of the diversity of life.

■ Developing positive attitudes toward different forms of life.

■ Developing an awareness that humans are similar to other living things.

■ Developing a sensitivity to the needs of living things.

G R A D E 1


OrganismsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)

Science as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry

■ Ask a question about objects, organisms, andevents in the environment.

■ Plan and conduct a simple investigation.

■ Employ simple equipment and tools to gather dataand extend the senses.

■ Use data to construct a reasonable explanation.

■ Communicate investigations and explanations.

Understandings about scientific inquiry

■ Scientific investigations involve asking and answer-ing a question and comparing the answer with whatscientists already know about the world.

■ Scientists use different kinds of investigations,depending on the questions they are trying to answer.

■ Simple instruments, such as magnifiers and rulers,provide more information than scientists obtainusing only their senses.

■ Scientists develop explanations using observations(evidence) and what they already know about theworld (scientific knowledge). Good explanationsare based on evidence from investigations.

■ Scientists make the results of their investigationspublic.

■ Scientists review and ask questions about theresults of other scientists’ work.

Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms

■ Organisms have basic needs. For example, animalsneed air, water, and food; plants require air, water,nutrients, and light. Organisms can survive only inenvironments in which their needs can be met. Theworld has many different environments, and dis-tinct environments support the life of differenttypes of organisms.

■ Each plant or animal has different structures thatserve different functions in growth and survival. Forexample, humans have distinct body structures forwalking, holding, seeing, and talking.

Life cycles of organisms

■ Plants and animals have life cycles that includebeing born, developing into adults, reproducing,and eventually dying. The details of this life cycleare different for different organisms.

■ Animals closely resemble their parents.

Organisms and their environments

■ All animals depend on plants. Some animals eatplants for food. Other animals eat animals that eatthe plants.

■ An organism’s patterns of behavior are related to thenature of that organism’s environment, including thekinds and number of other organisms present, theavailability of food and resources, and the physicalcharacteristics of the environment.

■ All organisms cause changes in the environmentwhere they live. Some of these changes are detri-mental to the organism or the organisms, whereasothers are beneficial.

■ Humans depend on their natural or constructedenvironments.

Science and TechnologyUnderstandings about science and technology

■ People have always had questions about theirworld. Science is one way of answering questionsand explaining the natural world.

■ Scientists and engineers often work in teams withdifferent individuals doing different things thatcontribute to the results.

■ Tools help scientists make better observations andmeasurements. They help scientists see, measure,and do things that they could not otherwise see,measure, and do.


Abilities to distinguish between natural objectsand objects made by humans

■ Some objects occur in nature; others have beendesigned and made by humans.

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesTypes of resources

■ Air, water, and soil are basic resources.

Changes in environments

■ Environments are the space, conditions, and factorsthat affect an individual’s ability to survive.

History and Nature of ScienceScience as a human endeavor

■ Many people choose science as a career. Manypeople derive great pleasure from doing science.

Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization

Evidence, models, and explanation

Constancy, change, and measurement

Form and function


WeatherNarrative SummaryThis unit introduces first-graders to the concept ofweather and how itaffects their lives. Usinga variety of tools, stu-dents observe, discuss,measure, and record dataon cloud cover, precipita-tion, wind, and tempera-ture. They learn how toread a thermometer andconstruct a rain gauge tomeasure precipitation.They also study cloudformations and use awind scale to estimatethe speed of wind. Toapply their new skills andknowledge, students compare their own weatherpredictions with an actual weather forecast and usethe weather data they have collected to form gener-alizations about the weather in their own locale.

Science ContentThroughout this unit, students use science tools toextend their senses. Students engage in scientificinquiry by setting up several simple investigationson the effect color has on temperature and heatabsorption. Math skills are used in context whenstudents apply a scale to their measurements andcreate graphs. Long-term data collection is empha-sized when students take responsibility for collect-ing data, recording it in a class weather calendar,and making reports to their classmates. Studentsuse data to look for patterns and learn to make pre-dictions. Reading selections extend the unit’s con-tent by addressing the career of meteorology andthe history and invention of the umbrella andmackintosh raincoat.

AssessmentIn Lesson 1, studentsobserve the day’s weath-er and then discuss howthey might use thisinformation to decidewhat they will wear toschool. A class graphserves as a means oforganizing informationabout students’ favoritetypes of weather. Thispre-unit assessment,matched to a post-unitassessment followingLesson 16, serves as abasis for assessing stu-dents’ growth in knowl-edge. Throughout the

unit, assessments are incorporated, or embedded,into the lessons. Lesson 8, which serves as anembedded assessment, asks students to apply whatthey have learned about temperature to a new situ-ation. By measuring the temperatures of hot, cold,and mixed hot and cold water, students demon-strate growth in learning to read and record tem-perature. At the close of the unit, students makesense of their data on wind speed, cloud cover, pre-cipitation, and temperature by comparing theirweather predictions with those of a meteorologist.Additional assessments at the end of the unitinclude developing and presenting student-madeweather reports, drawing pictures of different typesof weather, and presenting weather information tovisitors. Students can also revisit a temperatureactivity from earlier in the unit.


Goals for WeatherIn this unit, students’ observations and activities expand their awareness of weather, its features, and itseffects on their daily lives. Their experiences introduce them to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Weather changes from day to day and week to week.

■ Features of weather include cloud cover, precipitation, wind, and temperature.

■ Tools used to measure different features of weather include wind scales, thermome-ters, and rain gauges.

■ Meteorologists are scientists who study, observe, and record information about theweather and who use that information to forecast the weather.

■ Weather affects the decisions people make about the clothing they will wear andabout their outside activities.

Skills■ Observing the weather by using the senses.

■ Discussing and recording information about weather features.

■ Using simple tools to estimate wind speed and measure temperature and rainfall.

■ Observing differences in types of clouds.

■ Conducting experiments and drawing conclusions about appropriate clothing for dif-ferent types of weather.

■ Organizing weather data on graphs and long-term data collection charts.

■ Interpreting and summarizing long-term weather data.

Attitudes■ Increasing awareness of weather.

■ Appreciating how weather affects daily life.

■ Recognizing that measurements and long-term records are useful and help us learnmore about weather.


WeatherFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)








■ Scientific investigations involve asking andanswering a question and comparing the answer towhat scientists already know about the world.

■ Scientists use different kinds of investigations,depending on the questions they are trying toanswer. Types of investigations include describingevents, classifying them, and doing a fair test(experimenting).

■ Simple instruments, such as magnifiers and ther-mometers, provide more information than scien-tists obtain using only their senses.

Physical ScienceProperties of objects and materials

■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, shape, color, and temperature. Theseproperties can be measured using tools, such asthermometers.

■ Objects can be described by the properties of thematerials from which they are made, and thoseproperties can be used to separate or sort a groupof objects.

■ Materials can exist in different states—solid, liq-uid, and gas. Some common materials, such aswater, can be changed from one state to another.

Earth and Space ScienceObjects in the sky

■ The sun, moon, stars, clouds, birds, and airplanesall have properties, locations, and movements thatcan be observed and described.

■ The sun provides the light and heat necessary tomaintain the temperature of the earth.

Changes in the earth and sky

■ Weather changes from day to day and over theseasons. Weather can be described by measurablequantities, such as temperature, wind direction andspeed, and precipitation.

■ Objects in the sky have patterns of movement.



■ People have always had problems and inventedtools and techniques (ways of doing something) tosolve problems.


■ Women and men of all ages, backgrounds, andgroups engage in a variety of scientific and tech-nological work.

■ Tools help scientists make better observations,measurements, and equipment for investigations.They help scientists see, measure, and do thingsthey could not otherwise see, measure, and do.


■ Objects can be categorized into two groups, natur-al and designed.

G R A D E 1


Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesPersonal health

■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from danger, risk, orinjury. Student understandings include followingsafety rules.

Science and technology in local challenges

■ People continue inventing new ways of doingthings, solving problems, and getting work done.New ideas and inventions often affect other people.


■ Science and technology have been practiced bypeople for a long time.

■ Men and women have made a variety of contri-butions throughout the history of science and technology.






Solids and LiquidsNarrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsinvestigate the similaritiesand differences in a vari-ety of common solids andliquids. First, theyobserve, describe, andcompare a collection ofsolid objects, focusing onsuch properties as color,shape, texture, and hard-ness. They also performtests to determine whetherthe objects roll or stackand float or sink, as wellas whether they areattracted to a magnet.Investigations of liquidscenter on how various liq-uids look and feel, their fluidity, how they mix withwater, and their degree of absorption. In a final les-son, students compare the properties of solids andliquids and identify how they are similar and differ-ent.

Science ContentSolids and liquids have observable properties thatcan be described and compared. Some propertiesof solids and liquids are shape, color, texture, mis-cibility, and fluidity or viscosity. These propertiescan be used to sort the solids and liquids studied inthe classroom and to investigate new materials.Physical science concepts studied include motion,magnetism, and buoyancy as they relate to solidsand liquids. Reading selections in the unit addresspollutants, weather, and rocks.

AssessmentIn Lesson 1, students areasked to observe,describe, and comparetwo solids—a spoon anda steel ball. Students’oral descriptions ofthese objects and a writ-ten description of whatthey know about solidsprovide a pre-unitassessment of their skillsin observing anddescribing the propertiesof solids. Lesson 10serves as a pre-assess-ment for the second halfof the unit, in which stu-dents observe and

describe the properties of liquids. FollowingLesson 16 is a post-unit assessment that is matchedto Lessons 1 and 10 and helps determine students’growth in concepts and skills throughout the unit.An activity called “guess my reason” helps inassessing students’ observational skills. This opensup the possibility of many “right” answers.Embedded assessments in Lessons 9 and 15 chal-lenge students to apply what they have learned inthe unit as they conduct tests to learn more abouttwo new solids and liquids. Additional assessmentsat the end of the unit include an investigation inwhich students mix cornstarch and water, sugges-tions for helping students share what they havelearned with visitors, and strategies for reviewingstudent work.


Goals for Solids and LiquidsIn this unit, students expand their awareness of the properties of solids and liquids. Their experiences intro-duce them to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Solids and liquids can be described by their properties.

■ Some properties of solids are color, shape, ability to roll or stack, hardness, magneticattraction, and whether they float or sink.

■ Some properties of liquids are color, tendency to flow, degree of viscosity or fluidity,whether they are miscible with water, and whether they float or sink in water.

■ Tests can be performed to investigate properties of solids and liquids that cannot oth-erwise be observed.

Skills■ Observing and describing the properties of solids and liquids.

■ Conducting tests to investigate the properties of solids and liquids.

■ Sorting solids into groups on the basis of their properties.

■ Comparing similarities and differences among solids.

■ Comparing similarities and differences among liquids.

■ Applying tests to investigate new solids and liquids.

■ Comparing the properties of solids with the properties of liquids.

■ Communicating ideas, observations, and experiences through writing, drawing, and discussion.

Attitudes■ Accepting that there is more than one way to describe solids and liquids.

■ Recognizing the importance of organizing information and results on charts.

■ Developing an interest in investigating the physical world.

G R A D E 1


Solids and LiquidsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)








■ Scientific investigations involve asking andanswering a question and comparing the answerwith what scientists already know about the world.


■ Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, providemore information than scientists obtain using onlytheir senses.

■ Scientists develop explanations using observations(evidence) and what they already know about theworld (scientific knowledge).

■ Scientists make the results of their investigationspublic; they describe the investigations in waysthat enable others to repeat the investigations.



■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, and color.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials, such aspaper, wood, and metal. Objects can be describedby the properties of the materials from which theyare made, and those properties can be used to sepa-rate or sort a group of objects or materials.

■ Materials can exist in different states.

Position and motion of objects

■ The position of an object can be described by locat-ing it relative to another object or the background.

■ An object’s motion can be described by tracing itsposition over time.

■ The position and motion of objects can be changedby pushing or pulling. The size of the change isrelated to the strength of the push or pull.

Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism

■ Magnets attract and repel each other and certainkinds of materials.

Life ScienceOrganisms and their environments

■ When an organism’s environment changes, someplants and animals survive and reproduce, andothers die or move.

■ Humans change environments in ways that caneither be beneficial or detrimental for themselvesand other organisms.

Earth and Space ScienceProperties of earth materials

■ Earth materials include solid rocks. These materialshave different physical properties that make themuseful in different ways.


■ Weather changes from day to day and over theseasons.

Science and Technology

Understandings about science and technology


■ Scientists and engineers often work in teams withdifferent things that contribute to the results.



■ Tools help scientists make better observations,measurements, and equipment for investigations.


■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from risk or danger.


■ Changes in environments can be natural or influ-enced by humans. Some changes are good, someare bad, and some are neither good nor bad.Pollution is a change in the environment that caninfluence the health, survival, and activities oforganisms, including humans.


■ People are inventing new ways of doing things,solving problems, and getting work done.


■ Men and women have made a variety of contribu-tions throughout the history of science.





Form and function


Comparingand Measuring

Narrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsexplore the concepts thatunderlie the scienceskills of comparing andmeasuring. The lessonsare based on a develop-mental sequence thatincludes three activities:comparing, matching,and measuring. Initially,students compare lengthsby matching measuringtape to their own heightsand the lengths of theirarms and legs. Theymake the transition frommatching to measuringlength by quantifyingnonstandard units of measure (in this case, theirown feet) and discover that using nonstandardunits of measure produces varied results. Finally,students use standard units of measure, such asUnifix Cubes and measuring strips, to measureheight, width, and distance. In so doing, studentsbegin to understand key measuring concepts, suchas using beginning and ending points, a commonstarting line, and standard units of measure.

Science ContentThis unit emphasizes observation, description, andrelative measurement. It also introduces standardunits. Students use their own height and the size of various parts of their bodies to explore measure-ment concepts and develop systems for compari-son. By comparing body cutouts, students developan awareness of themselves and others. Students

are introduced to simplemeasuring tools andunits. This unit connectseasily with technology,mathematics, measure-ment, and graphing. Itprepares students for theintroduction of formalmeasuring, as well asthe use of standardizedunits commonly used in science.

AssessmentLesson 1 of this unitbegins as students dis-cuss what it means tocompare and measure.This pre-unit assessment

provides insight into students’ knowledge of thekinds of comparisons they make in their lives andthe methods they use to make them. In an embed-ded assessment, students have the opportunity toapply their understanding of measurement andmake comparisons by selecting the appropriate unitof measurement, measuring accurately, and statingreasonable comparisons. This provides the opportu-nity to assess the comparing, matching, and mea-suring skills that students have gained during theunit. Following Lesson 16, a post-unit assessment ismatched to the pre-unit assessment in Lesson 1.Additional assessments, such as the task of wrap-ping a gift, offer students further challenges in comparing, matching, and measuring.


Goals for Comparing and MeasuringIn this unit, students’ observations and activities expand their awareness of comparing and measuring. From their experiences, they are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Comparing involves observing similarities and differences.

■ One way to make comparisons is by matching.

■ Using beginning and ending points and placing units end to end are important factorswhen measuring.

■ Nonstandard units of measure produce varying results.

■ Standard units of measure produce more consistent results than nonstandard units andmake it possible to share information.

■ Different units and tools can be used to measure objects.

■ Long tools make it easier to measure long objects.

■ A common starting line is required to make fair comparisons.

Skills■ Observing similarities and differences among objects.

■ Describing similarities and differences among objects.

■ Placing objects in serial order on the basis of height or length.

■ Communicating observations, ideas, and questions through discussion, drawing, and writing.

■ Organizing information on representational graphs and charts.

■ Making predictions about the relative lengths and sizes of objects.

■ Using standard and nonstandard units of measure.

■ Using groups of tens to quantify large numbers of units.

■ Measuring using beginning and ending points.

■ Interpreting results of measurements.

Attitudes■ Developing an awareness of self and others by comparing height, length of arms

and legs, and body cutouts.

■ Developing an appreciation of the usefulness of measuring in our daily lives.

■ Becoming comfortable using a variety of measuring tools and units of measure.

■ Recognizing the importance of developing strategies for counting large numbers.

■ Appreciating the importance of organizing information on graphs and charts.


Comparingand Measuring

Fundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)








■ Scientific investigations involve asking andanswering a question and comparing the answerwith what scientists already know.


■ Simple instruments, such as rulers, provide moreinformation than scientists obtain using only their senses.





■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size and shape, and can be measured usingtools, such as rulers.

■ Properties can be used to separate or sort a groupof objects.


■ The position of an object can be described by locat-ing it relative to another object or the background.

■ An object’s motion can be described by tracingand measuring its position over time.

■ The position and motion of an object can bechanged by pushing or pulling. The size of thechange is related to the strength of the push or pull.

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design

■ Identify a simple problem.

■ Propose a solution.

■ Communicate a problem, design, and solution.


■ People have always had questions about theirworld. Science is one way of answering andexplaining questions about the natural world.




■ Tools help scientists make better observations,measurements, and equipment for investigation.

G R A D E 1



■ Many people derive great pleasure from doing science.




Form and function


P A R T 4


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S E C O N D - G R A D E U N I T S









Second-Grade STC Units and the NSES (K–4)

National Science Education The Life Cycle BalancingStandards for Grades K–4 of Butterflies Soils Changes and WeighingScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●



Position and motion of objects ●


Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ● ●



Earth and Space ScienceProperties of earth materials ● ●

Objects in the sky


Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ●





Types of resources ●

Changes in environments ●

Science and technology in local challenges ●


Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization ● ● ●



Evolution and equilibrium ●



Narrative SummaryThis unit introduces stu-dents to the concept oflife cycles by invitingthem to investigate oneorganism—the PaintedLady butterfly (Vanessacardui). During an eight-week period, studentsobserve, record, anddescribe the metamor-phosis from caterpillar tochrysalis and fromchrysalis to butterfly. Inmany cases, they watchthe butterfly lay eggs.The butterfly ultimatelydies a natural death,thereby completing stu-dents’ observations of the life cycle. The childrencompare the life cycle of the butterfly with that ofother organisms, an experience that deepens theirunderstanding of the diversity of life and the pat-terns that characterize animal life cycles.

Science ContentCharacteristics of organisms, the life cycle, andorganisms in their environment are the focus ofthis unit. Resource needs for food and habitat areintroduced as students observe the stages in thelife of the Painted Lady butterfly. As the butterflyemerges, students observe the process, identify thebutterfly body parts, and learn how the body partsfunction. Students focus on, explore, reflect on,and communicate about butterflies and their trans-formations during their life cycle. Throughout theunit, emphasis is placed on developing observa-tional and recording skills. Read-aloud storiesabout the discovery and history of silk add to thecontent of this unit.

AssessmentIn a pre-unit assessment,students share their priorknowledge of caterpil-lars and then draw whatthey think a caterpillarlooks like and how itchanges during its life.Matched post-unitassessments give teach-ers evidence of growthin students’ understand-ing of life cycles, obser-vation skills, and abilityto engage in cooperativelearning. Throughout theunit, students’ drawingsand shared observationscan be used to assess

their observational skills and understanding of lifecycles. Midway through the unit, students areasked to reflect on their own progress and to applytheir knowledge of the butterfly’s life cycle to lifecycles of other organisms. Additional assessmentsat the end of the unit allow teachers to comparestudent drawings with similar illustrations done inLesson 1 and to write a story about the butterfly’slife. A teacher’s record chart of student progressprovides teachers with another method for assess-ing student products, learning goals, and generalskills used in the unit.

The Life Cycleof Butterflies


Goals for The Life Cycle of ButterfliesIn this unit, students observe the life cycle of the Painted Lady butterfly. Through their experiences, they areintroduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ The different stages of a butterfly’s life cycle are egg, larva, caterpillar, chrysalis,

and adult.

■ Caterpillars need food, air, and space to live and grow.

■ The caterpillar forms a chrysalis, and a butterfly emerges from the chrysalis.

■ A butterfly needs food to live, but it does not grow after emerging from the chrysalis.

■ A butterfly lays eggs, which hatch into larvae.

Skills■ Observing, describing, and recording growth and change in the larva.

■ Predicting, comparing, and discussing the larva’s appearance and change over time.

■ Communicating observations through drawing and writing.

■ Relating observations of the butterfly’s life cycle to students’ own growth and change.

■ Extending knowledge of butterflies through reading.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in studying insects.

■ Appreciating the needs of living things.

■ Valuing scientific information that has been collected over time.

G R A D E 2


The Life Cycleof Butterflies









■ Scientists use different kinds of investigations,depending on the questions they are trying toanswer. Types of investigations include describingobjects and organisms and classifying them.



■ Organisms have basic needs. For example, animalsneed air, water, and food. Organisms can surviveonly in environments in which their needs can bemet. The world has many different environments,and distinct environments support the life of dif-ferent types of organisms.

■ Each plant and animal has different structures thatserve different functions in growth, survival, andreproduction. For example, humans have distinctbody structures for walking, holding, seeing, and talking.

■ The behavior of individual organisms is influencedby internal cues (such as hunger) and external cues(such as a change in the environment). Humans andother organisms have senses that help them detectinternal and external cues.


■ Animals have life cycles that include being born,developing into adults, reproducing, and eventuallydying. The details of this life cycle are different fordifferent organisms.

■ Plants and animals closely resemble their parents.


■ An organism’s patterns of behavior are related to thenature of that organism’s environment, including thekinds and numbers of other organisms present, theavailability of food and resources, and the physicalcharacteristics of the environment.


■ People have always had questions about theirworld. Science is one way of answering thesequestions and explaining the natural world.

■ Scientists often work in teams with different indi-viduals doing different things that contribute tothe results.

■ Tools help scientists make better observations,measurements, and equipment for investigations.They help scientists see, measure, and do thingsthat they could not otherwise see, measure, and do.



■ Nutrition is essential to health. Students shouldunderstand how the body uses food and how vari-ous foods contribute to health and growth.

Types of resources

■ Resources are things that we get from the livingand nonliving environment to meet the needs andwants of a population.

■ Some resources are basic materials, such as airand water; some are produced from basicresources, such as food; and some are nonmateri-al, such as beauty.


■ Environments are the space, conditions, and factorsthat affect an individual’s and a population’s abilityto survive.



Unifying Concepts and ProcessesEvidence, models, and explanation


Form and function


SoilsNarrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsinvestigate the chief com-ponents of soil—sand,clay, and humus—andexplore the relationshipbetween soil and plantgrowth. Early in the unit,they create their owncompost bags. This activ-ity enables them toobserve the decomposi-tion of different types oforganic materials overtime. Students observeand read about earth-worms to learn abouttheir connection to plantroots and soil. The stu-dents also conduct tests that enable them to observeand compare such properties of soil as odor,appearance, and texture. Phenomena such as set-tling, water content, and soil consistency are alsoexplored. These observations are then related toplant growth, as students plant cucumber seeds in aclear plastic tube. By observing root growth, stu-dents learn about the role of roots in keeping theplant anchored and upright. In a final activity, stu-dents apply what they have learned to investigate asample of local garden soil.

Science ContentSoils are a complex mix of many materials anddifferent-sized particles. Students investigate thephysical properties of three major soil componentsand then extend their investigations to observationsof plant growth in various soil mixtures. In orderto investigate organisms and their environments,students observe plants and animals—includingredworms—within soil samples. Students keeprecords and synthesize information from multiple

investigations. Usingsimple tools, studentsrecord heights of plants.They then pool theirdata and draw conclu-sions about what theirlocal soil contains andits effect on plantgrowth. Reading selec-tions extend the contentof the unit and addresssuch concepts as howpeople of various cul-tures use earth materialsto build homes and otherstructures.

AssessmentPrior knowledge about

soils is assessed through a brainstorming activityin Lesson 1 and revisited throughout the unit andduring a post-unit assessment. Through a series ofinvestigative activities, students learn about thecomponents of soils. Their results and data recordscan be evaluated or observed to determine growthin skills, attitudes, and concepts addressed in theunit. Two embedded assessments challenge stu-dents to apply soil tests used throughout the unit tonew soil samples. In Lesson 8, students use soiltests to analyze an unfamiliar mixture of soil com-ponents. In Lessons 14 and 15, students applythese same tests to a local soil sample. Suggestionsfor additional assessments include guidelines forconducting student conferences, evaluating studentwork products, and encouraging students to sharewhat they have learned with visitors.


Goals for SoilsIn this unit, students investigate the properties of three soil components—sand, clay, and humus—as well astheir own local soil. They also explore the relationship between soil, roots, and plants. From their experi-ences, they are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Soil contains particles of different sizes.

■ Soil may contain animals, plants, and their remains.

■ Over time, dead plants become part of soil.

■ Composting—especially with worms—is an effective way to recycle old plants andother discarded organic matter.

■ Sand, clay, and humus are three of the basic components in soil.

■ Every soil component has unique properties that can be identified using simple tests.

■ Different soils absorb water at different rates.

■ Many factors, including soil, affect plant and root growth.

Skills■ Performing simple tests to describe and identify soil components.

■ Observing, recording, and organizing test results.

■ Interpreting test results to draw conclusions about soil composition.

■ Reflecting on test results to predict how plants will grow in different soils.

■ Assembling laboratory materials for soil experiments.

■ Communicating results and ideas through writing, drawing, and discussion.

■ Applying previously learned concepts and skills to analyze unfamiliar soil samples.

Attitudes■ Developing enthusiasm for investigating soil.

■ Appreciating the importance of soil for plant growth and animal life.

■ Accepting that a range of outcomes is valid.

■ Valuing the importance of recycling.

G R A D E 2


SoilsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)















■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, color, and the ability toreact with other substances.

■ Objects can be described by the properties of thematerials from which they are made, and thoseproperties can be used to separate or sort a groupof objects or materials.

Life ScienceThe characteristics of organisms

■ Organisms have basic needs.

■ Each plant or animal has different structures thatserve different functions.


■ An organism’s patterns of behavior are related tothe nature of that organism’s environment, includ-ing the kinds and numbers of other organisms pre-sent, the availability of food and resources, and thephysical characteristics of the environment.

■ All organisms can cause change in the environmentin which they live. Some of these changes are bene-ficial. Others are detrimental.


■ Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water, andthe gases of the atmosphere. The varied materialshave different physical and chemical propertieswhich make them useful in different ways, forexample, as resources for growing plants.

■ Soils have properties of color and texture, capacity toretain water, and ability to support growth of plants.




■ Implementing proposed solutions.

■ Evaluate a product or design.



■ Science is one way of answering questions andexplaining the natural world.

■ Scientists and engineers work in teams.



■ Tools help scientists make better observations andmeasurements. They help scientists see, measure,and do things they could not otherwise see, mea-sure, and do.



■ Men and women have made a variety of contribu-tions throughout the history of science and tech-nology.




Form and function and measurement


ChangesNarrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsexpand their understand-ing of solids, liquids, andgases by exploringchanges in state. Theyinvestigate freezing, melt-ing, evaporation, and con-densation of water. In asequence of lessons, stu-dents produce a mixtureof two solids and a mix-ture of solids with liquidsand observe the results.They work through sever-al methods to separatemixtures: sieving, filtra-tion, evaporation, andchromatography. The stu-dents set up races thatinvolve sugar dissolving in water and observe theeffects of particle size and water temperature on therate at which the sugar dissolves. They also observecrystals formed as a result of evaporation. Studentsobserve some changes that occur immediately andsome that occur over time, and they begin to recog-nize the characteristics of chemical reactions. Theyinvestigate rusting, and they observe and collect thegas formed by mixing an effervescent tablet in water.Students have several opportunities to practice theirnew skills in lessons in which they devise ways ofseparating a mystery mixture and plan and carry outinvestigations that involve other changes.

Science ContentThis unit focuses on the foundations of scientificinquiry as students conduct simple investigations toobserve everyday changes. Students make and recordobservations, mix substances, and observe the forma-tion of new substances. They explore concepts fromphysical science, such as the ability of objects toreact with other substances and changes of state.

Designing solutions andproblem solving are alsoemphasized as studentstry to find the fastestmethod for melting theirice cubes. Presentingresults to others andcomparing observationsare at the heart of this unit.

AssessmentChanges begins with apre-unit assessment inwhich students sharewhat they know and theirquestions about solidsand liquids and how theyshange. Looking at“Change Cards” that

illustrate everyday scenes, students identify solidsand liquids and predict how the materials picturedmight change over time. Students also make andrecord observations of what happens when a solidand a liquid are mixed. These pre-unit assessmentactivities are matched to a post-unit assessment. Twoembedded assessments provide guidelines forassessing students’ progress. In Lesson 11, studentsapply their experiences from the first 10 lessons toidentify and separate components of a mystery mix-ture. In Lessons 15 and 16, students use the con-cepts and skills learned in the second half of the unitto create their own “recipe” of changes. Studentprogress can be measured individually or in smallgroups by evaluating record sheets and student jour-nal entries; by comparing pre- and post-unit investi-gations; and through class discussions, questions,and investigations. Additional assessments at the endof the unit include a student self-assessment, a lis-tening activity, and suggestions for creating portfolioassessments.


Goals for ChangesIn this unit, students expand their understanding of solids, liquids, and gases and how they change. Throughtheir experiences, students are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Changes occur all the time in the world around us.

■ Some changes happen quickly, and others take place over a period of time.

■ Substances can be classified as solids, liquids, or gases.

■ Solids, liquids, and gases can be described by their properties. These properties includecolor, size, shape, odor, texture, and weight.

■ Water can freeze into a solid and then melt into a liquid again.

■ Water can evaporate into a gas and then condense into a liquid again.

■ Mixtures can be made by combining solids, liquids, or gases, or a combination of these.

■ A substance can change in appearance yet remain the same substance.

■ Some mixtures can be separated using a sieve, a filter, or the processes of evaporation and chromatography.

■ When some solids—such as salt and sugar—are added to water, they dissolve and seem to disappear.

■ Some dissolved solids can be recovered as crystals through evaporation.

■ When a solid is dissolving in a liquid, the size of the solid particles, the temperature of theliquid, and stirring can affect the speed at which the solid dissolves.

■ When two or more substances are mixed, a chemical reaction may occur. Indicators of achemical reaction can include a change in color, a change in temperature, or the productionof a new substance, such as rust or gas.

Skills■ Observing and describing changes that occur in everyday experiences.

■ Observing and describing the properties of solids, liquids, and gases.

■ Observing and describing changes that result from mixing substances.

■ Observing and describing water as it freezes, melts, evaporates, and condenses.

■ Comparing mixtures.

■ Separating mixtures with a sieve, a filter, and the processes of evaporation and chromatography.

■ Performing tests to investigate a mystery mixture.

■ Communicating ideas, observations, and experiences through writing, drawing, discussion,and presentation.

■ Predicting, observing, classifying, and recording results in a journal and on record sheets,class charts, and brainstorming lists.

■ Designing and testing a recipe in which substances are mixed to create a chemical reaction.

Attitudes■ Becoming curious about the changes that occur in the world around us.

■ Developing an interest in investigating changes in the properties of solids and liquids.

■ Developing an appreciation for the importance of recording and organizing information onrecord sheets, science journals, and class charts.

G R A D E 2


ChangesFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)















■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, shape, color, temperature, and the abilityto react with other substances.

■ Materials can exist in different states—solid, liq-uid, and gas. Some common materials, such aswater, can be changed from one state to anotherby heating or cooling.


■ Heat can be produced in many ways, one of whichis by mixing one substance with another.


■ Earth materials are solid rocks, soil, water, and thegases of the atmosphere. These materials have dif-ferent physical and chemical properties.


■ Weather changes from day to day and over the seasons.









■ Scientists and engineers often work in teams inwhich different individuals do different things thatcontribute to the results.




■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from danger, risk, orinjury. Student understanding includes followingsafety rules for home and school.







Balancingand Weighing

Narrative SummaryThis unit introduces stu-dents to the relationshipbetween balance andweight. Experiences witha beam balance introducestudents to the conceptthat amount of weight,position of weight, andposition of the fulcrumaffect balance. Work withan equal-arm balancechallenges students toplace objects in serialorder on the basis ofweight and to appreciatethat weighing is theprocess of balancing anobject against a certainnumber of standard objects. In the final lessons,students turn to a series of problem-solving investi-gations with the equal-arm balance and cupfuls offour different foods. These activities provide anopportunity to explore the relationship betweenweight, density, and volume.

Science ContentThis unit provides students with a variety of experi-ences and materials that help them build conceptualmodels for further investigations in the physical sci-ences. Using a fulcrum and beam, students investi-

gate how the amount,distance, and position ofobjects affect balance.Designing and buildingmobiles gives studentsthe opportunity to applytheir knowledge of ful-crums and equilibrium toa new situation. Studentsbuild on their knowledgeof standard units as theyuse an equal-arm balanceto investigate weight,density, and volume.

AssessmentA matched pre- andpost-unit brainstormingsession and activity help

teachers assess students’ growth in concepts andskills. An embedded assessment in Lesson 5 and aculminating assessment in Lesson 16 allow teach-ers to assess the knowledge and skills that studentshave attained in previous lessons. Additionalassessments at the end of the unit provide sugges-tions for evaluating student journal entries andclass products. Guidelines for conducting studentconferences are given.


Goals for Balancing and WeighingIn this unit, students expand their understanding of the relationship between balance and weight as theyexplore activities in balancing, comparing, and weighing. Their experiences introduce them to the followingconcepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Balance is affected by the amount of weight, the position of weight, and the position

of the fulcrum.

■ Weighing is the process of balancing an object against a certain number of standard units.

■ The weight of an object is not determined by its size.

■ Equal volumes of different foods will not all have equal weights; equal weights ofdifferent foods will not all have equal volumes.

Skills■ Performing simple experiments with balance.

■ Applying previous experiences with balancing to build mobiles.

■ Using an equal-arm balance to compare and weigh.

■ Predicting the serial order for the weights of objects and foods.

■ Applying strategies for comparing and weighing to solve problems.

■ Recording results on record sheets, bar graphs, line plots, data tables, and Venn diagrams.

■ Communicating ideas, observations, and experiences through writing, drawing, and discussion.

■ Reading to learn more about balancing and weighing.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in investigating balancing and weighing.

■ Appreciating the importance of balancing and weighing in the everyday world.

■ Accepting that a range of results is valid.

■ Valuing the importance of simple scientific tools.

G R A D E 2


Balancingand Weighing









■ Scientists use different kinds of investigationsdepending on the questions they are trying to answer.

■ Simple instruments, like rulers, provide moreinformation than scientists obtain using only their senses.

■ Scientists develop explanations using observationsand what they already know about the world.




■ Objects have many observable properties, includingsize, weight, shape, and color. These properties canbe measured using tools, such as balances.

■ Objects can be described by the properties of thematerials from which they are made, and thoseproperties can be used to separate or sort a groupof objects.


■ The position of an object can be described bylocating it relative to another object.









■ Scientists and engineers work in teams.


■ Tools help scientists make better observations andmeasurements. They help scientists see, measure,and do things they could not otherwise see, mea-sure, and do.

Science in Personal and SocialPerspectivesScience and technology in local challenges

■ People continue inventing new ways of doingthings, solving problems, and getting work done.










Form and function


P A R T 5


™

T H I R D - G R A D E U N I T S









Third-Grade STC Units and the NSES (K–4)

National Science Education Plant Growth Rocks and ChemicalStandards for Grades K–4 and Development Minerals Tests SoundScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●




Light, heat, electricity, and magnetism ● ●

Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ● ●



Earth and Space ScienceProperties of earth materials ● ● ●

Objects in the sky


Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ●


Abilities to distinguish between natural objectsand objects made by humans ● ● ●



Types of resources ● ●


Science and technology in local challenges ● ●





Evolution and equilibrium ●



Narrative SummaryIn this unit, students havethe opportunity toobserve each stage in thelife cycle of a simpleplant. Working withWisconsin Fast Plants™

(Brassica rapa), whichgerminate, mature, andgo to seed within a 40-day period, students plantseeds and watch theseedlings emerge. Later,they thin and transplantseedlings. As they watchtheir plants grow, stu-dents learn that plantsneed nutrients from thesoil, as well as water andlight, to thrive. As the unit expands to focus on theinterdependence of living things, students cross-pollinate the flowers with dried honeybees. Finally,they harvest mature seeds and determine seedyields. These experiences deepen students’ under-standing of the characteristics of living organismsand their relationship with and dependence on theirenvironment.

Science ContentPlant life cycles, resource needs of organisms, andenvironmental changes are investigated withWisconsin Fast Plants™. Each student keeps a labo-ratory notebook to record the many changes, fromseed to flower, of these plants. Students translatetheir findings and measurements into graphs.Measurement in standard units and comparisonsbetween different groups are key to interpretingcause-and-effect relationships. Using the processes

of technological design,students design andbuild models of theBrassica plant and a bee.Students communicatetheir designs in a classpresentation and demon-strate their knowledge ofthe science concepts learned in the unit.

AssessmentStudents begin the unitwith a brainstorming ses-sion in which they sharewhat they know and wantto know about plants.Assessments in this ses-sion and Lesson 10 are

matched with a post-unit discussion that providestools to help evaluate student progress in under-standing the plant’s life cycle and learning about theanatomy of the bee. Throughout the unit, studentnotebooks, graphs, and record sheets can be usedfor assessment and evaluation. Using the recordchart provided, teachers can track each student’sprogress in the unit by evaluating student productsand skills. A sequencing activity using life cyclecards and the evaluation of a student-generatedillustration of a bee are among the additional assess-ments found at the close of the unit.

Plant Growth andDevelopment


Goals for Plant Growth and DevelopmentIn this unit, students observe the life cycle of the Brassica rapa (Wisconsin Fast Plants™). Their experiencesintroduce them to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Many plants follow a life cycle that begins with growth from a seed and proceeds

through the production of seeds.

■ Plants have distinct stages in their life cycle.

■ To live and grow, plants need light, water, and nutrients from the soil.

■ Flowering plants must be pollinated in order to produce seeds.

■ Many plants are pollinated by bees.

■ A flower’s pollen sticks to a bee, but some rubs off when the bee feeds at other flowers.

■ One seed produces one plant; one plant can produce many seeds.

Skills■ Planting and caring for the Brassica rapa.

■ Observing, describing, and recording changes in plants.

■ Comparing and discussing changes occurring in plants over time.

■ Measuring and recording the growth of plants.

■ Using graphs to display and compare growth patterns.

■ Predicting future growth from observations and measurements.

■ Reading to learn more about plants.

■ Communicating results and reflecting on experiences through writing, drawing, and discussion.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in studying the life cycle of plants.

■ Developing sensitivity to the needs of plants.

■ Developing an awareness of the interaction between plants and animals.


G R A D E 3

Plant Growth andDevelopment



■ Ask a question about objects, organisms, andevents in an environment.









■ Scientists develop explanations using observations.




■ Organisms have basic needs; plants require air,water, nutrients, and light. Organisms can surviveonly in environments in which their needs are met.

■ Each plant has different structures that serve differ-ent functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.


■ Plants have life cycles that include developing intoadults, reproducing, and eventually dying.

■ Plants closely resemble their parents.

■ Many characteristics of an organism are inheritedfrom the parents of the organism, but other char-acteristics result from interaction with the environ-ment.


■ All animals depend on plants.

■ An organism’s patterns of behavior are related tothe nature of that organism’s environment. Whenthe environment changes, some plants survive andreproduce, and others die.


■ Earth materials, such as soil and water, are usefulin growing plants.










■ Scientists often work in teams with different indi-viduals doing different things that contribute tothe results.



■ Some objects occur in nature while others havebeen designed by people.


Science in Personal and SocialPerspectivesScience and technology in local challenges



■ Many people choose science as a career anddevote their lives to studying it. Many peoplederive great pleasure from doing science.




Form and function


Rocks and MineralsNarrative SummaryStudents explore the dif-ferences and similaritiesbetween rocks and min-erals by investigatingsamples of these earthmaterials, performing aseries of tests similar togeologists’ field tests,and reading about rocksand minerals and howthey are used. The firstlessons focus on rocks.The students then turntheir attention to a set of12 minerals and testthem to identify proper-ties such as streak color,luster, transparency,hardness, shape, and magnetism. After completingthese observations, students compile them intotheir own “Minerals Field Guide.” In a culminatingactivity, they are challenged to apply their knowl-edge and skills to identify new minerals. They thenreport on how rocks and minerals are used.

Science ContentStudents investigate the properties of earth materi-als using techniques similar to those of a geologist.As part of their investigations of rocks, they readabout how rocks are changed by heat and pressure.Students then explore the color, transparency, crys-tal form, luster, hardness, and magnetism of a setof 12 minerals and, on the basis of these tests,identify the minerals by name. Through a varietyof reading selections, the history and nature of sci-ence are explored in depth as students learn moreabout the origin of common rock and mineralnames and the various uses of minerals over thecenturies. Science in personal and social perspec-tives is addressed as students examine and report

on ways in which miner-als and rocks are used asa resource.

AssessmentDuring brainstormingsessions in Lessons 1 and 5, students sharewhat they know and wantto know about rocks andminerals, respectively.Throughout the unit andfollowing Lesson 16, stu-dents revisit their brain-storming lists to assesstheir prior thinking andaddress misconceptions,if needed. Problem solv-ing and reasoning can be

assessed throughout this unit as students performfield tests to identify minerals. Students’ observa-tions, data collection, and recordkeeping also provideevidence of their understanding. In Lesson 15, stu-dents’ investigations of three “mystery minerals”serve as an embedded assessment and allow theteacher to assess growth in concepts, skills, and atti-tudes developed throughout the unit. Additionalassessments include a class presentation in whichstudents share with visitors what they have learnedin the unit, guidelines for conducting student/teacherconferences in which students share their knowledgeof rocks and minerals, and a paper-and-pencil stu-dent self-assessment that helps students reflect onthe unit.


Goals for Rocks and MineralsIn this unit, students investigate rocks and minerals. Through their experiences, students are introduced tothe following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Rocks are aggregates of minerals, and they may also contain organic matter.

■ Different rocks have different properties.

■ The properties of rocks reflect the way they were formed and the minerals in them.

■ Each mineral is composed of only one substance, and that substance is the same inall samples of the mineral.

■ Minerals differ in color, texture, smell, luster, transparency, hardness, shape, andreaction to magnets.

■ The properties of rocks and minerals determine how they are used.

Skills■ Using senses to observe and describe rocks and minerals.

■ Recording and discussing observations of rocks and minerals.

■ Sorting minerals on the basis of similarities and differences in identified properties.

■ Performing and interpreting results of the following tests on minerals: streak, trans-parency, luster, hardness, and magnetism.

■ Recording and discussing results of tests on minerals.

■ Reading for more information on minerals and rocks.

■ Communicating observations and test results through writing and discussion.

■ Reflecting on experiences through writing and discussion.

■ Applying previously learned concepts and skills to solve a problem.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in investigating rocks and minerals.

■ Recognizing the importance of using multiple tests to create a profile of a mineral.

■ Valuing scientific information that has been collected and verified over time.


G R A D E 3

Rocks and MineralsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)


■ Ask a question about objects, organisms, andevents in an environment.













■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, color, and the ability toreact with other substances. These properties canbe measured using tools.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials.Objects can be described by the properties of thematerials from which they are made, and thoseproperties can be used to separate or sort a groupof objects or materials.


■ Light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object.

■ Magnets attract and repel each other and certainkinds of other materials.


■ Earth materials include solid rocks and soils. Thevaried materials have different physical and chem-ical properties, which make them useful in differ-ent ways, for example, as building materials andas resources for fuel. Earth materials providemany of the resources that humans use.

■ Fossils provide evidence about plants and animalsthat lived long ago and the nature of the environmentat that time.


■ The surface of the earth changes. Some changesare due to slow processes, such as erosion andweathering, and some changes are due to rapidprocesses, such as landslides, volcanic eruption,and earthquakes.








■ Some objects occur in nature; others have beendesigned and made by people.


Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesTypes of resources


■ Some resources are basic materials, such as air,water, and soil; some are produced from basicresources, such as food, fuel, and building materials.

■ The supply of many resources is limited.


■ Some environmental changes occur slowly, andothers occur rapidly.




■ Many people choose science as a career anddevote their entire lives to studying it. Many peo-ple derive great pleasure from doing science.





Form and function


Chemical TestsNarrative SummaryThis unit introducesthird-graders to the sci-ence of chemistry bychallenging them toexplore and determinethe identity of five com-mon household chemi-cals: sugar, alum, talc,baking soda, and corn-starch. Students begin byfocusing on the physicalproperties of color, form,and texture. Next, theyexplore chemical proper-ties by observing how thefive powders interactwith water, vinegar,iodine, and red cabbagejuice. These tests enable them to explore phenome-na such as crystallization and to observe theprocesses of evaporation and filtration. Finally, stu-dents apply their skills and their knowledge of thefive chemicals to identify a variety of “mystery”mixtures. As a result of conducting these investiga-tions, students develop scientific skills such asobserving and recording results, forming conclu-sions on the basis of experience, communicatingresults, and applying their knowledge to solveproblems.

Science ContentThis unit focuses on the properties of materialsthat can be observed and investigated with simplephysical and chemical tests. Students learn aboutchemicals through direct experience with everydaysubstances and observe changes in properties asthey mix one substance with another. Through

investigation, studentsare introduced to solu-bility, filtration, evapora-tion, and acids, bases,and neutrals. Studentsdevelop basic laboratoryskills; strengthen theirability to collect, record,and organize data; andlearn about laboratorysafety.

AssessmentChemical Tests beginswith a pre-unit assess-ment lesson in whichstudents share what theyknow and would like toknow about chemicals.

Students also observe and describe an unknownmaterial. In a matched post-unit assessment, theclass revisits the pre-unit assessment questions andactivity. In Lesson 11, as students review evidencegathered in the unit, teachers can assess students’ability to interpret the importance of specific testresults in identifying unknowns. A set of criteriahelps guide this assessment. An embedded assess-ment in Lesson 16 challenges students to synthe-size and apply what they have learned to identifyunlabeled test liquids. Additional assessments atthe close of the unit include a student self-assess-ment and a performance-based assessment inwhich students analyze the composition ofunknown mixtures they created in Lesson 14.


Goals for Chemical TestsIn this unit, students investigate the properties of a variety of common household chemicals. From theirexperiences, they are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Common household chemicals have different physical and chemical properties.

■ Chemicals undergo changes in form, color, or texture when they are mixed together,separated, or heated.

■ Some chemicals can be identified by their interaction with water, vinegar, iodine, redcabbage juice, and heat.

■ Different types of mixtures, such as solutions or suspensions, are created when solidsare combined with water.

■ Evaporation and filtration are methods for separating mixtures of solids and liquids.

■ Some chemicals can be classified as acids, bases, or neutral substances on the basisof their reactions with red cabbage juice.

Skills■ Observing and describing properties of materials.

■ Learning to perform different physical and chemical tests.

■ Predicting, observing, describing, and recording results of tests.

■ Analyzing and drawing conclusions from the results of tests.

■ Comparing and contrasting test results to define the properties of household chemi-cals so they can be identified.

■ Supporting conclusions with reasons based on experiences.

■ Communicating results and reflecting on experiences through writing and discussion.

■ Applying previously learned knowledge and skills to solve a problem.

■ Reading to enhance understanding of chemistry concepts.

■ Developing proper laboratory techniques to ensure safety and avoid contamination.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in exploring and investigating properties of chemicals.

■ Recognizing the importance of guidelines for experimentation.

■ Developing an awareness of the importance of chemicals in our lives.

■ Developing an appreciation for the safe handling of chemicals.


G R A D E 3

Chemical TestsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)













■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, shape, color, temperature, and the abilityto react with other substances. Those propertiescan be measured using tools.


■ Materials can exist in different states—solid, liq-uid, and gas.


■ Heat can be produced in many ways such as burn-ing or mixing one substance with another.


■ Earth materials are varied and have different phys-ical and chemical properties that make them use-ful in different ways. Earth materials providemany of the resources needed by humans.



■ People have always had problems and inventedtools and techniques to solve them.




■ Some objects occur in nature; others have beendesigned and made by people to solve humanproblems and enhance the quality of life.



■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from danger, risk, or injury.

Types of resources

■ Resources are things we get from the living andnonliving environment to meet the needs andwants of a population.

■ Some resources are basic materials and some areproduced from basic resources.


■ Although men and women using scientific inquiryhave learned much about the objects, events, andphenomena in nature, much more remains to beunderstood.






SoundNarrative SummaryThird-graders use tuningforks, slide whistles,strings, and other sound-producing objects toinvestigate the character-istics of sound. Studentslearn that sound iscaused by vibrations,and they explore howsound travels. They learnabout the relationship ofpitch and volume to thefrequency and amplitudeof vibrations. They dis-cover, for example, thatthey can alter pitch byvarying the length ortension of a string.Constructing simple stringed instruments, they dis-cover how they can increase the volume of thesound produced by the strings. Students investigatethe characteristics of another common sound-pro-ducing mechanism—the human vocal cords—andbuild model vocal cords. They also learn about theanatomy and functioning of the human ear. Theyapply what they learn in the unit by designing andbuilding musical instruments or other sound-pro-ducing devices.

Science ContentStudents investigate objects of differing length,thickness, and tension as they vibrate and producedifferent pitches. Students engage in technologicaldesign as they design and build their own stringedinstruments, develop criteria for comparing differ-ent designs, and investigate sounds using their owninstruments. Investigations of how size, tension,and material affect pitch and volume enable stu-

dents to incorporatethese variables into thedesign of their ownmusical instrument. Bymaking simple modelsof the human eardrumand vocal cords, studentsfurther explore the con-cepts of vibration andpitch.

AssessmentIn a pre-unit assessmentin Lesson 1, studentsdevelop three class chartsin which they generatetheir own ideas aboutsounds they have heard,ways to make sounds,

and questions they have about sound. Studentsrevisit these discussions at the end of the unit. Twoembedded assessments allow teachers to assess stu-dents’ abilities to apply concepts learned in the unitto a new situation. First, in Lesson 7, students areassessed as they design a wind instrument. Then, inLessons 15 and 16, they are challenged to designany type of musical instrument or other device toshow what they have learned about how sound isproduced and changed, how it travels, and how it isreceived by the human ear. Additional assessmentsat the close of the unit include a student self-assess-ment, suggestions for reviewing student products,and guidelines for conducting individual studentmeetings.


Goals for SoundIn this unit, students investigate the phenomenon of sound. Their experiences introduce them to the follow-ing concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Sounds are produced by vibrating objects and vibrating columns of air.

■ Pitch and volume are two characteristics of sound.

■ Changing the way an object vibrates can change the pitch and volume of the sound produced.

■ Pitch is determined by the frequency of the vibrations; volume is determined by theamplitude of the vibrations.

■ Changing the length, tension, or thickness of a string affects the frequency of vibra-tion and, therefore, the pitch of the sound produced.

■ The human ear has a membrane that vibrates when sound reaches it; the ear and thebrain translate these vibrations into the sensation of sound.

■ Sound is produced by the human vocal cords as air moves through the tightened cords.

Skills■ Performing experiments with sound.

■ Describing the results of investigations with sound.

■ Comparing and discussing the volume and pitch of the sounds produced.

■ Communicating results through writing and with graphs.

■ Reflecting on experiences with sound through writing and discussion.

■ Using the results of previous experiments with sound to predict outcomes in new situations.

■ Applying previously learned concepts and skills to design new sound-producing devices.

■ Reading to obtain more information about sound, hearing, and the vocal cords.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in investigating sound.

■ Recognizing the importance of hearing safety.


G R A D E 3

SoundFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)








■ Scientific investigations involve asking andanswering a question.







■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, shape, and the ability to react with othersubstances. Those properties can be measuredusing tools, such as a ruler.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials, suchas paper, wood, and metal. Objects can bedescribed by the properties of the materials fromwhich they are made.


■ An object’s motion can be described.

■ Sound is produced by vibrating objects. The pitchof the sound can be varied by changing the rate of vibration.


■ The behavior of organisms is influenced by inter-nal and external cues. Humans and other organ-isms have senses that help them detect internaland external cues.


■ All organisms cause changes in the environmentin which they live. Some of these changes aredetrimental to the organism or other organisms,whereas others are beneficial.

■ Humans change environments in ways that can beeither beneficial or detrimental for themselves andother organisms.








■ People have always had questions about their world.







■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.


■ People continue inventing new ways of doingthings, solving problems, and getting work done.New ideas and inventions often affect other people.

■ Science and technology have greatly improvedhealth and communication.








Form and function


P A R T 6


™

F O U R T H - G R A D E U N I T S








Note: To accommodate local curriculum specifications and provide grade-level flexibility, fourth-grade STC units havebeen aligned with both the K–4 and 5–8 content standards.


Fourth-Grade STC Units and the NSES (K–4)

National Science Education Animal Land Electric Motion Standards for Grades K–4 Studies and Water Circuits and DesignScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●



Position and motion of objects ● ●


Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ●




Objects in the sky


Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ● ●


Abilities to distinguish between natural objectsand objects made by humans ● ●

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ●


Types of resources ● ● ●

Changes in environments ● ●

Science and technology in local challenges ● ● ●





Evolution and equilibrium ● ● ●

Form and function ● ● ● ●


Fourth-Grade STC Units and the NSES (5–8)

National Science Education Animal Land Electric Motion Standards for Grades 5–8 Studies and Water Circuits and DesignScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●


Physical ScienceProperties and changes of properties in matter ● ●

Motions and forces ● ●

Transfer of energy ● ●

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems ●

Reproduction and heredity ●

Regulation and behavior ● ●

Populations and ecosystems

Diversity and adaptations of organisms ●

Earth and Space ScienceStructure of the earth system ●

Earth’s history ●

Earth in the solar system ●

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ● ●



Populations, resources, and environments ●

Natural hazards ●

Risks and benefits ●

Science and technology in society ● ● ● ●


Nature of science ● ● ● ●

History of science ● ● ●




Evolution and equilibrium ● ● ●



Animal StudiesNarrative SummaryBy caring for andobserving three animalsfrom different habitats—the dwarf African frog,the fiddler crab, and theland snail—studentslearn about what animalsneed to survive, the pri-mary parts of theiranatomical structure, andthe ways in which theyare suited for life in aparticular environment.Students create andmaintain individual logsin which they recordtheir observations ofeach animal over time.These observations focus on animal behavior,including methods for food getting, movement,and protection. Toward the end of the unit, studentsapply what they have learned about structure, habi-tat, survival needs, and behavior to study a fourthclassroom animal: the human. They also conductan animal research project and decide how theywill present their findings to the class.

Science ContentThis unit enhances students’ sensitivity to andawareness of the diversity of life, the inter-depen-dence of living and nonliving things, and the waysin which creatures are adapted to life in particularenvironments. Understanding the nature of scien-tific investigation and developing skills in observ-ing and recording behavior are key elements of thisunit. Working as scientists do, students investigatethe diversity of three animals from different habi-tats and study the ways that these animals areadapted to life in a particular environment.Students learn through observation that animals

have specific needs,characteristics, andbehaviors. Studentsobserve ways in whichanimals depend on theirenvironment and recog-nize that animals cancause changes in theirenvironment.

AssessmentStudents’ preliminaryideas and questions areassessed through classbrainstorming. Theteacher can use informa-tion gained during thisexercise to tailor learn-ing activities and exten-

sions. Following Lesson 16 is a post-unit assess-ment that is matched to several assessments in thefirst few lessons. Students use animal logs torecord their observations, comparative drawings,and interpretations of each animal’s behavior.These logs document the learning process andshow the relationship between inquiry, investiga-tion, and interpretation of findings. Lesson 12 isan embedded assessment in which students usetheir new knowledge of animals and animal behav-ior to pose a research question, define their obser-vation guidelines, and set up and conduct theirown research. Additional assessments at the end ofthe unit include a student self-assessment, an activ-ity that asks students to determine considerationsto be taken into account when providing a habitatfor a pet, an activity to evaluate students’ under-standing of habitat elements and how animals aresuited to them, and an activity in which studentsidentify the characteristics of a good classroompet.


Goals for Animal StudiesIn this unit, students explore the relationship between an animal and its habitat, as well as some of the waysanimal behaviorists study animals. Through their experiences, students are introduced to the following con-cepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ All the living and nonliving elements that surround an animal—such as other ani-

mals, plants, climate, water, air, and location—affect the life of that animal.

■ One way scientists learn about animals is through close observation over an extendedperiod of time.

■ When conducting animal behavior research, scientists follow guidelines to ensure theaccuracy of results.

■ A habitat is the place where an animal finds the resources—food, water, shelter, andspace—necessary to survive and reproduce.

■ Each type of animal has specific needs, such as type of food, amount of water, andrange of temperature.

■ Certain behaviors and body structures enable animals to survive in a particular habitat.

■ Humans are one of the only animals that can significantly change their behaviors tolive in a variety of habitats.

Skills■ Observing and describing structural characteristics and behaviors of the dwarf

African frog, fiddler crab, and land snail.

■ Recording observations in an animal log.

■ Developing questions and answering them through behavioral observation and research.

■ Comparing and contrasting the dwarf African frog, fiddler crab, land snail, and human.

■ Collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data.

■ Supporting conclusions with reasons that are based on observation and experience.

■ Predicting, observing, and recording the results of a simple experiment to test an ani-mal’s response to a sudden change in its habitat.

■ Communicating ideas through writing and discussion.

■ Reading to enhance understanding of the interaction between an animal and its habitat.

■ Developing proper laboratory techniques that ensure the safety of living things.

■ Maintaining animals outside their natural habitats.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in exploring the characteristics and behaviors of animals.

■ Gaining an appreciation for the variety of behaviors exhibited in the animal kingdom.

■ Recognizing that humans can learn about themselves by learning about other animals.

■ Developing an appreciation for the safe handling and observation of animals.

■ Developing positive attitudes toward different forms of animal life.

■ Appreciating the knowledge gained by observing animals over time.

G R A D E 4


Animal StudiesFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)










■ Simple instruments provide more information thanscientists obtain using only their senses.





■ Organisms have basic needs. Each animal has dif-ferent structures that serve different functions ingrowth and survival.

■ The behavior of individual organisms is influencedby internal cues (such as hunger) and by externalcues (such as change in the environment).


■ Many characteristics of an organism are inheritedfrom the parents of the organism, but other char-acteristics result from an individual’s interactionswith the environment.



■ An organism’s patterns of behavior are related to thenature of that organism’s environment, including thekinds and numbers of other organisms present, theavailability of food and resources, and the physicalcharacteristics of the environment. When the envi-ronment changes, animals survive and reproduce,and others die or move to new locations.

■ All organisms cause changes in the environmentwhere they live. Some of these changes are detri-mental to the organism or other organisms, where-as others are beneficial.

■ Humans depend on their natural and constructedenvironments. Humans change environments inways that can be either beneficial or detrimentalfor themselves and other organisms.













■ Some objects occur in nature; others have beendesigned and made by people to enhance the qual-ity of life.



■ Some resources are basic materials, such as air,water, and soil; some are produced from basicresources, such as food, fuel, and building materi-als; and some resources are nonmaterial, such asquiet places, beauty, security, and safety.


■ Environments are the space, conditions, and factorsthat affect an individual’s and a population’s abilityto survive and their quality of life.

■ Changes in environments can be natural or influ-enced by humans. Some changes are good, someare bad, and some are neither good nor bad.



■ Although men and women using scientific inquiryhave learned much about the objects, events, andphenomena in nature, much more remains to beunderstood. Science will never be finished.



Evidence, model, and explanation



Form and function

G R A D E 4


Animal StudiesFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)


■ Identify questions that can be answered throughscientific investigations.

■ Design and conduct a scientific investigation.

■ Use appropriate tools and techniques to gather,analyze, and interpret data.

■ Develop descriptions, explanations, predictions,and models using evidence.

■ Think critically and logically to make the relation-ships between evidence and explanations.

■ Recognize and analyze alternative explanationsand predictions.

■ Communicate scientific procedures and explana-tions.


■ Different kinds of questions suggest different kindsof scientific investigations. Some investigationsinvolve observing and describing objects, organ-isms, or events; some involve experiments; andsome involve seeking more information.

■ Current scientific knowledge and understandingguide scientific investigations.

■ Scientific explanations emphasize evidence.

■ Asking questions and querying others’ explana-tions is part of scientific inquiry.

■ Scientific investigations sometimes result in newideas for study or generate new methods for inves-tigation.

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems

■ Living systems at all levels of organization demon-strate the complementary nature of structure andfunction. Important levels of organization for struc-ture and function include whole organisms.

Reproduction and heredity

■ The characteristics of an organism can bedescribed in terms of a combination of traits.Some traits are inherited, and others result frominteractions with the environment.

Regulation and behavior

■ All organisms must be able to obtain and useresources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stableinternal conditions while living in a constantlychanging external environment.

■ Behavior is one kind of response an organism canmake to an internal or environmental stimulus.

■ An organism’s behavior evolves through adapta-tion to its environment.

Diversity and adaptations of organisms

■ Species acquire many of their unique characteris-tics through biological adaptation. Biological adap-tations include changes in structures, behaviors, orphysiology that enhance survival.


■ Identify appropriate problems for technologicaldesign.

■ Design a solution or product.

■ Evaluate completed technological designs or prod-ucts.

■ Communicate the process of technological design.


■ Scientific inquiry and technological design havesimilarities and differences. Scientists proposeexplanations for questions about the natural world,and engineers propose solutions relating to humanproblems and needs.

■ Many different people in different cultures havemade and continue to make contributions to science.


■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Sciencedrives technology as it addresses questions thatdemand more sophisticated instruments. Technologyprovides tools for investigation, inquiry, and analysis.


■ Food provides energy and nutrients for growth anddevelopment.

Science and technology in society

■ Science influences society. Scientific knowledgeand the procedures used by scientists influence theway many individuals in society think about them-selves, others, and the environment.

■ Science and technology have advanced throughcontributions of many different people.

■ Scientists and engineers work in many differentsettings.

■ Science cannot answer all questions and technologycannot solve all problems or meet all needs.


■ Women and men of various backgrounds engage inthe activities of science. Some scientists work inteams and some work alone, but all communicateextensively with others.

■ Science requires different abilities, depending onsuch factors as the field of study and type of inquiry.

Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanationsusing observations and experiments.

■ In areas where active research is being pursuedand in which there is not a great deal of experi-mental or observational evidence and understand-ing, it is normal for scientists to differ with oneanother about the interpretation of the evidence ortheory being considered. Different scientists mightdraw different conclusions from the same data.Ideally, scientists acknowledge such conflict andwork towards finding evidence that will resolvetheir disagreement.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate theresults of scientific investigations.





Form and function


Narrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsinvestigate the interac-tions between land andwater. Using a streamtable as their model, stu-dents observe how runoffcauses stream formation;how ground water forms;how soil is eroded, trans-ported, and deposited;and how water shapesland. Students createhills, build dams, andgrow vegetation. Mini-ature valleys, waterfalls,and canyons form in thestream tables as waterflows over the soil. Stu-dents also deepen theirappreciation for the vastness of stream systems bycreating aerial diagrams of their stream tableresults. The stream table also serves as a basis forinvestigations of the water cycle. Through observingthe model, manipulating certain parts of it, and test-ing interactions under various conditions, studentsdiscover how water changes the shape of land andhow land formations, in turn, affect the flow ofwater. They connect the models to real-world exam-ples and apply the concepts they have learned tophotographs of land and water on earth. Throughthese applications, students are encouraged toobserve land and water each day and search for evi-dence of interactions between land and water in theworld around them.

Science ContentModeling complex systems in order to investigate therelationships between the life, earth, and physical sci-ences is at the core of this unit. Stream table modelsprovide students with evidence for land and waterinteractions. Science in personal and social perspec-

tives—including changesin environments—provides the basis forinvestigations. The watercycle, natural hazardssuch as flooding, anddam building are investi-gated in terms of theireffect on society and nat-ural resources. Change,constancy, and measure-ment are central to thisunit. Geological surfacefeatures are describedand characterizedthrough direct observa-tion. Students observephysical properties ofearth materials, collectand measure sediment

moved during erosion, and record the path ofstreams to determine changes in land and water overtime.

AssessmentClassroom brainstorming in Lesson 1 elicits students’prior knowledge of land and water. Students alsoexamine photographs of local and national landscapesand share their thoughts about the interactionsbetween land and water in each shot. The photos andbrainstorming session serve as a pre-unit assessmentof students’ knowledge of interactions between landand water and are matched to a post-unit assessmentfollowing Lesson 16. In an embedded assessment inLessons 15 and 16, students design their own land-scapes and synthesize what they have learned.Additional assessments at the end of the unit includea student self-assessment, an activity that challengesstudents to apply what they have learned to investigatethe path of polluted running water, and a method forobserving the interactions between land and water instudents’ own environments.

Land and Water


Goals for Land and WaterIn this unit, students investigate interactions between land and water. Through their experiences, studentsare introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Water has an important role in shaping the land on earth.

■ Soil is a composite of weathered materials and organic matter at the earth’s surface.Soil components include sand, silt, clay, gravel, and humus. Each soil component hasunique properties.

■ The wearing away and moving of soil and rock is erosion; the settling of erodedmaterials is deposition.

■ The water cycle includes the processes of evaporation, condensation, and precipita-tion and the passage of water over and through land. These processes affect the shapeof the land.

■ Both the flow of water and the slope of the land affect erosion and deposition.

■ Tributaries are branches of streams that converge to form the trunk of a larger stream,or river. Together, they act as a system that drains the land.

■ Land forms, such as canyons and deltas, result from the action of flowing water.

■ Humans can affect erosion and deposition in various ways, including clearing theland, planting vegetation, and building dams.

■ Hills, rocks, plants, and dams may change the direction and flow of water.

■ Aerial photographs are views of land or other surfaces as seen from above.

Skills■ Using stream table materials to investigate the interactions between water and land.

■ Analyzing the materials that make up land and describing these materials on the basisof their properties.

■ Testing the porous and adhesive qualities of earth materials.

■ Comparing the changes in land created by water flowing over and through soil in astream table.

■ Relating stream table results to natural processes.

■ Communicating the results of an investigation through record sheets, oral and writtenobservations, and drawings.

■ Investigating the effects of slope, flow, and natural land formations on erosion and deposition.

■ Creating and labeling aerial drawings.

■ Designing and building models of dams to test the effects of dams on land and water interactions.

■ Designing and building models of landscapes, predicting how a landscape will affect theflow of water, and relating these modeled effects to land and water interactions on earth.

■ Implementing a planned investigation and making and validating predictions.

■ Identifying evidence within a model to support observations and conclusions.


Attitudes■ Recognizing the importance of models for investigating processes too large or com-

plex to study firsthand.

■ Developing an interest in the interactions between land and water and recognizingthese interactions in the real world.

■ Accepting that humans can attempt to control and affect the interactions betweenland and water.

■ Appreciating the role that plants play in curbing erosion and runoff.

■ Recognizing the role humans play in planning and designing landscapes that take intoaccount the natural interactions of land and water.

G R A D E 4


Land and WaterFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)










■ Simple instruments, like rulers and magnifiers,provide more information than scientists obtainusing only their senses.

■ Scientists develop explanations using observationsand what they already know about the world.Good explanations are based on evidence frominvestigations.




■ Objects have observable properties, including size,weight, shape, and color.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials andcan be described by the properties from whichthey are made.

■ Materials can exist in different states—solid, liq-uid, and gas. Some common materials, such aswater, can be changed from one state to another.




Life ScienceOrganisms and their environments

■ When the environment changes, some plants andanimals survive, and others die or move.

■ All organisms cause changes in the environmentwhere they live. Some changes are detrimental tothe organism, others are beneficial.

■ Humans depend on both their natural and theirconstructed environment. Humans change environ-ments in ways that can either be beneficial or detri-mental for other organisms.


■ Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water,and the gases of the atmosphere; these materialshave different physical properties.

■ Soils have properties of color and texture, capacityto retain water, and ability to support the growthof many kinds of plants.


■ The surface of the earth changes through processessuch as erosion, weathering, and landslides.










■ People have always had problems and inventedtools and techniques to solve problems.

■ Scientists and engineers often work in teams withdifferent individuals contributing to the results.

■ Tools help scientists make better observations.


■ Some objects occur in nature while others havebeen designed by people to solve human problems.




■ Some resources include basic materials, such asair, water, and soil.

■ The supply of many resources is limited. If used,resources can be extended through recycling anddecreased use.


■ Changes in environments can be natural or influ-enced by humans.



■ People continue inventing new ways of doingthings and solving problems.

■ Science and technology have greatly improvedhealth. These benefits of science and technologyare not available to all of the people of the world.


■ There is still much more to be understood about science.






Form and function

G R A D E 4


Land and WaterFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)









■ Use mathematics in all aspects of scientific inquiry.



■ Mathematics is important in all aspects of scientif-ic inquiry.


■ Asking questions and querying others’ explana-tions is part of scientific inquiry.


Physical ScienceProperties and changes of properties in matter

■ A mixture of substances (such as soil and water)can often be separated into the original substancesusing one or more of the characteristic properties—such as density.

Motions and forces

■ The motion of an object can be described by itsposition, direction of motion, and speed over time.

Life ScienceRegulation and behavior

■ All organisms must be able to obtain and useresources and grow.

Earth and Space ScienceStructure of the earth system

■ Land forms are the result of a combination of con-structive and destructive forces, including deposi-tion of sediment, weathering, and erosion.

■ Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposedorganic material. Soils are often found in layers,each having a different composition and texture.

■ Water, which covers the majority of the earth’ssurface, circulates through the crust, oceans, andatmosphere in what is known as the “water cycle.”Water evaporates, rises and cools, condenses, andfalls to the earth where it collects in lakes, oceans,soil, and in rocks underground.

■ Clouds form by the condensation of water vapor.

■ Living organisms have played many roles in theearth’s system, including contributing to theweathering of rock.

Earth’s history

■ The earth processes we see today, including erosion,are similar to those that occurred in the past.

Earth in the solar system

■ The sun is the major source of energy for phe-nomena on the earth’s surface, such as growth ofplants and the water cycle.




■ Implement a proposed design.


■ Evaluate completed technological designsor products.



■ Scientific inquiry and technological design havesimilarities and differences. Scientists proposeexplanations for questions; engineers proposesolutions to problems and needs.

■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Technologyalso provides tools for investigation, inquiry, and analysis.

■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All solu-tions have trade-offs, such as cost, efficiency, andappearance.

■ Technological designs have constraints, such asproperties of materials. Other constraints limitchoice in design.

Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesPopulations, resources, and environments

■ Causes of resource depletion vary from region toregion and from country to country.

Natural hazards

■ External processes of the earth system cause nat-ural hazards, such as floods, that can destroyhuman and wildlife habitats.

■ Human activities also can induce hazards throughresource acquisition and land-use decisions. Suchactivities can accelerate many natural changes.

Risks and benefits

■ Risk analysis considers the type of hazard andestimates the number of people that might sufferconsequences.

■ Risks are associated with natural hazards, such as floods.

■ Important personal and social decisions are madebased on perceptions of benefits and risks.






■ Women and men of various backgrounds engagein the activities of science. Some scientists workin teams and some work alone, but all communi-cate extensively with others.

■ Science requires different abilities.

Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanationsusing observations, experiments, and mathemati-cal models.


History of science

■ Many individuals have contributed to the tradi-tions of science.





Form and function


Electric CircuitsNarrative SummaryIn this unit, students arefirst introduced to thebasic properties of elec-tricity as they learn aboutelectric circuits and theparts of a light bulb.Next, students learnabout conductors andinsulators and about thesymbols used to repre-sent the parts of a circuitin circuit diagrams.Students also explore dif-ferent kinds of circuits,learn about switches,construct a flashlight,and investigate the prop-erties of diodes. Finally,students apply their knowledge and skills to wire acardboard house.

Science ContentElectric Circuits builds fundamental concepts inthe physical sciences through direct experiencewith batteries and bulbs and through technologicaldesign projects. Students translate concrete modelsinto the symbolic language of circuit diagrams.Troubleshooting and problem solving are used topique students’ interest in learning more aboutelectricity, insulators, and conductors. The princi-ples of technological design are used when stu-dents design and construct a flashlight and wire acardboard house. Experimenting, confirmingresults, and consulting references are importantaspects of students’ investigations of electricity.

AssessmentElectric Circuits beginswith a brainstormingsession that serves as apre-unit assessment. Amatched post-unitassessment provides stu-dents and teachers withcomparable data thatindicate students’ growthin knowledge and skills.An embedded assess-ment that uses a box thathas hidden circuitswired underneath allowsstudents to apply whatthey have learned aboutcircuits. Lessons 15 and16, in which students

design and wire a cardboard house, also serve asan embedded assessment. Additional assessmentsat the end of the unit include suggestions for dis-playing and evaluating student products, additionalperformance-based assessment suggestions, and apaper-and-pencil assessment in which studentsreflect on concepts and skills addressed in the unit.A teacher’s record chart of student progress isincluded for assessing student products and specif-ic and general skills addressed in the unit.


Goals for Electric CircuitsIn this unit, students expand their understanding of electricity through investigations with wires, batteries,bulbs, and switches. Their experiences introduce them to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ A complete electric circuit is required for electricity to light a bulb.

■ A complete circuit can be constructed in more than one way using the same materials.

■ Different types of electric circuits show different characteristics.

■ A switch can be used to complete or interrupt a circuit.

■ Some materials conduct electricity; these are called conductors.

■ Some materials do not conduct electricity; these are called insulators.

■ Electricity can produce light and heat.

■ A diode conducts electricity in one direction only.

Skills■ Wiring simple electrical circuits.

■ Predicting, observing, describing, and recording results of experiments with electricity.

■ Drawing conclusions about circuits from the results of experiments.

■ Building and using a simple circuit tester.

■ Using symbols to represent the different parts of an electric circuit.

■ Building a simple switch.

■ Applying troubleshooting strategies to complete an incomplete circuit.

■ Applying information about electric circuits to design and build a flashlight.

■ Applying information about electric circuits to design and wire a house.

■ Reading to learn more about electricity.

■ Communicating results and ideas through writing, drawing, and discussion.

Attitudes■ Appreciating the need for safety rules when working with electricity.

■ Developing an interest in electricity.

■ Developing confidence in being able to analyze and solve a problem.

G R A D E 4


Electric CircuitsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)














■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and theability to react with other substances.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials, such aspaper, wood, and metal. Objects can be describedby the properties of the materials, and those prop-erties can be used to sort a group of objects.


■ Heat can be produced in many ways.

■ Electricity in circuits can produce light and heat.Electrical circuits require a complete loop throughwhich the electrical current can pass.









■ People have always had problems and inventedtools and techniques to solve problems.


■ Tools help scientists make better observations,measurements, and equipment for investigation.


■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from danger, risk, or injury.

Types of resources


■ Some resources are basic materials; some are pro-duced from basic resources (electricity), and someresources are nonmaterial (safety).

■ The supply of many resources is limited. If used,resources can be extended through decreased use.






■ There is still much more to be understoodabout science.

■ Many people derive great pleasure fromdoing science.


Evidence, models, explanation


Form and function

G R A D E 4


Electric CircuitsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)









■ Different kinds of questions suggest different kindsof scientific investigations. Some investigationsinvolve observing and describing objects, organ-isms, or events; some involve experiments; andsome involve seeking more information.



■ Science advances through legitimate skepticism.Asking questions and querying others’ explana-tions is part of scientific inquiry.


Physical ScienceProperties and changes in properties in matter

■ Substances are often placed in categories orgroups if they react in similar ways; metals (andconductors and insulators) are an example of sucha group.

Transfer of energy

■ Energy is a property of many substances and isassociated with heat, light, and electricity. Energyis transferred in many ways.

■ Electrical circuits provide a means of transferringelectrical energy when heat, light, sound, andchemical changes are produced.





■ Evaluate completed technological designs or prod-ucts.



■ Scientific inquiry and technological design havesimilarities and differences. Scientists proposeexplanations for questions about the natural world,and engineers propose solutions relating to humanproblems and needs.

■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Sciencedrives technology as it addresses questions thatdemand more sophisticated instruments.Technology provides tools for investigation,inquiry, and analysis.

■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All tech-nological solutions have trade-offs, such as safety,cost, efficiency, and appearance.

■ Technological designs have constraints. Some con-straints are unavoidable, for example, properties ofmaterials; other constraints limit choices in thedesign, for example, human safety and aesthetics.

■ Technological solutions have intended benefits andunintended consequences. Some consequences canbe predicted, others cannot.



■ The potential for accidents and the existence ofhazards impose the need for injury prevention.Safe living involves the development and use ofsafety precautions.


■ Science and technology have advanced throughcontributions of many different people, at differenttimes in history.






Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanationsusing observations and experiments.

■ Different scientists might draw different conclusionsfrom the same data. Ideally, scientists acknowledgesuch conflict and work towards finding evidencethat will resolve their disagreement.


History of science

■ Many individuals have contributed to the traditionsof science. Studying some of these individuals pro-vides further understanding of scientific inquiryand science as a human endeavor.




Form and function


Motion and DesignNarrative SummaryThis unit invites studentsto explore the physics ofmotion and to apply theseconcepts to technologicaldesign. Using plastic con-struction materials,weights, rubber bands,and propellers, studentsdesign and build vehicles.Students record theirdesigns using technicaltwo-view and three-viewdrawings. They test howfast the vehicles moveand use their findings toredesign the vehicles tomove more efficiently.Cost analysis is one ofthe students’ design requirements. As studentsdesign their vehicles, they intuitively apply con-cepts such as friction and kinetic and potentialenergy. They also explore the effect of gravity onmotion. The unit concludes by challenging studentsto solve a design challenge and to present theirfindings to the class.

Science ContentThis unit emphasizes the application of scientificdata and concepts to technological design. As stu-dents improve on the design of their vehicles—powered by rubber bands, propellers, and droppingweights—they make use of physical science con-cepts of motion and forces, energy transfer, andfriction. Students develop abilities to identify andstate a problem, design a solution, implement asolution, and evaluate the solution. Students learnthat meeting design specifications—includingcost—requires trade-offs in design and function.Science as a human endeavor is central to this unit.

AssessmentIn a pre-unit assessment,students share what theyknow and want to knowabout how vehiclesmove and are designed.Given a set of require-ments, students alsodesign and build theirfirst vehicle usingK’NEX®. These activi-ties are matched to apost-unit assessment fol-lowing Lesson 16. Theunit provides manyopportunities for stu-dents to make, record,and revise designs.Teachers can use these

designs and technical drawings to assess students’understanding of the design process. Embeddedperformance-based assessments, in which studentsmeet design challenges and apply previously col-lected data, are scattered throughout the unit. InLessons 14 through 16, students are asked toreflect on what they have learned and to applytheir knowledge of technological design to a morecomplex problem. Additional assessments at theend of the unit include a student self-assessment,an activity in which students apply conceptualknowledge of motion to design and build a vehicle,an opportunity to evaluate the function and perfor-mance of an actual vehicle, and a review of studentportfolios.


Goals for Motion and DesignThis unit provides students an opportunity to explore the physics of motion and to apply those concepts to techno-logical design. From their experiences, students are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ A force is any push or pull on an object. An unbalanced force is needed to make a

resting object move, to bring a moving object to rest, or to change the direction of amoving object.

■ A force can change the speed of an object. Greater forces can change the speed of anobject faster than smaller forces.

■ Friction is a force that occurs when two surfaces rub together. Friction opposes motion.

■ If the same force is applied to a lighter vehicle and a heavier vehicle, the speed of thelighter vehicle will change more than the speed of the heavier vehicle.

■ Energy can be stored in a rubber band and released to turn an axle or spin a propellerto make a vehicle move.

■ A spinning propeller exerts a force that pushes air back and moves a vehicle forward.

■ Friction must be considered when a vehicle is being designed.

■ Air resistance is a force that can slow the speed of a moving vehicle.

■ Design requirements specify how a vehicle or other product must perform.

■ Cost is often an important consideration in designing a product.

■ Engineers develop, modify, and improve designs to meet specific requirements.

Skills■ Designing, building, testing, and modifying vehicles to meet design requirements.

■ Building vehicles from technical two- and three-view drawings.

■ Recording vehicle designs through drawing.

■ Observing how an object moves and describing its motion and changes in motion.

■ Measuring the time it takes a vehicle to move a given distance.

■ Collecting and recording data and analyzing it to determine representative values.

■ Predicting the effect of an applied force on how a vehicle moves.

■ Recording and comparing distances a vehicle travels under various conditions.

■ Designing a vehicle that is propelled by stored energy.

■ Solving design problems using previously collected data.

■ Communicating results of an investigation through record sheets, written observa-tions, drawings, and class discussions.

Attitudes■ Recognizing the role that technological design plays in daily problem solving.

■ Appreciating how science can be used to solve practical problems.

■ Recognizing the importance of repeating trials to gain valid test results.

■ Valuing the application of test results to future investigations.

G R A D E 4


Motion and DesignFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)










■ Simple instruments, like rulers, provide moreinformation than scientists obtain using only their senses.

■ Scientists develop explanations using observationsand what they already know about the world.




■ Objects are made from one or more materials andcan be described by the materials from which theyare made.












■ Science is a way of answering questions.

■ Scientists and engineers work in teams with differ-ent individuals doing different things.

■ Tools help scientists make better observations.

■ Women and men of all ages, backgrounds, andgroups engage in the varieties of scientific andtechnological work.

Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesScience and technology in local challenges


■ Science and technology have greatly influencedtransportation.











Form and function

G R A D E 4


Motion and DesignFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)








■ Use mathematics in all aspects of scientificinquiry.




■ Technology used to gather data enhances accuracyand allows scientists to quantify results.


Physical ScienceMotions and forces

■ The motion of an object can be described by itsposition, direction of motion, and speed. Themotion can be represented on a graph.

■ An object that is not being subjected to a forcewill continue to move at a constant speed in astraight line.

■ If more than one force acts on an object along astraight line, then the forces will reinforce or can-cel one another, depending on their direction andmagnitude.

Transfer of energy

■ Energy is a property of many substances and isassociated with heat, light, electricity, mechanicalmotion, and sound. Energy is transferred in many ways.








■ Scientific inquiry and technological design havesimilarities and differences. Scientists proposeexplanations for questions; engineers proposesolutions to problems and needs.

■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Technologyalso provides tools for investigation, inquiry,and analysis.

■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All solu-tions have trade-offs, such as cost, efficiency, andappearance.

■ Technological designs have constraints, such asproperties of materials or friction. Other con-straints limit choice in design.


Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesScience and technology in society

■ Technology influences society through its productsand processes.







Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanationsusing observations, experiments, and mathemati-cal models.


History of science






Form and function


P A R T 7


™

F I F T H - G R A D E U N I T S

Note: To accommodate local curriculum specifications and provide grade-level flexibility, fifth-grade STC units have beenaligned with both the K–4 and 5–8 content standards.









Fifth-Grade STC Units and the NSES (5–8)

National Science Education Food Floating Standards for Grades 5–8 Microworlds Ecosystems Chemistry and SinkingScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●



Motions and forces ●

Transfer of energy ●

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems ● ●

Reproduction and heredity ● ●


Populations and ecosystems ●


Earth and Space ScienceStructure of the earth system ●

Earth’s history

Earth in the solar system

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ●


Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ● ● ●

Populations, resources, and environments ●

Natural hazards ●

Risks and benefits ● ●

Science and technology in society ● ● ● ●



History of science ● ● ●



Constancy, change, and measurement ● ● ●




Fifth-Grade STC Units and the NSES (K–4)

National Science Education Food FloatingStandards for Grades K–4 Microworlds Ecosystems Chemistry and SinkingScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●


Physical ScienceProperties of objects and materials ● ● ● ●



Life ScienceCharacteristics of organisms ● ● ●

Life cycles of organisms ● ●

Organisms and environments ●


Objects in the sky

Changes in earth and sky

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ●


Abilities to distinguish between natural objectsand objects made by humans ● ● ●



Types of resources ● ●


Science and technology in local challenges ● ● ● ●




Constancy, change, and measurement ● ● ●




MicroworldsNarrative SummaryIn Microworlds, studentsexamine everydayobjects as well asmicroorganisms with avariety of magnifyingdevices. They begin byinvestigating severalcommon objects with theunaided eye. Using avariety of lenses, includ-ing hand lenses, acrylicspheres, and water drops,they learn that a magni-fying lens must be trans-parent and curved. Next,students use a micro-scope to view inanimateobjects. They learn prop-er focusing and lighting techniques, as well as howto prepare slides. Students prepare a section ofonion skin and observe its cells. Students’ attentionthen turns to living specimens. Using a micro-scope, they view three microorganisms—Volvox,Blepharisma, and the vinegar eel. They study thecell structure of these organisms and observe howthe organisms feed, grow, and multiply. In a finalchallenge, students use the microscope to examinecultures they have grown from hay and grass infu-sions.

Science ContentThis unit provides an experiential introduction tolenses, microscopes, and microorganisms. Studentsobserve components of everyday objects and livingthings using simple tools. Students learn that theimage of an object is magnified as light passesthrough transparent convex lenses. Using varioushand lenses and microscopes, students extend theirobservations. They gain an appreciation for scien-tific tools and the relationships between cells and

organisms. Throughreading selections anddirect observation, stu-dents also learn aboutthe life cycle and habi-tats of microscopicorganisms. As studentsread about RobertHooke and AntonLeeuwenhoek, they areintroduced to the inven-tion of the microscopeand the discovery of thecell.

AssessmentIn Lesson 1, studentsengage in a pre-unitassessment in which they

begin to develop their observational skills by close-ly examining a common object—the penny.Students also discuss what they already know andwant to know about magnification, lenses, andmicroscopes. Following Lesson 16, a post-unitassessment is matched to the activities in Lesson 1.Two embedded assessments allow teachers to eval-uate students’ growth in skills and concepts. First,in Lesson 9, students attempt to identify unknownspecimens—two common crystals and two non-crystals. By doing so, they apply their new skills atmaking well slides and at focusing on surfaces ofthree-dimensional objects. In Lessons 15 and 16, asecond embedded assessment allows teachers toassess students’ progress as students work indepen-dently to observe microbes that have developed inthe hay and grass infusions they set up earlier in theunit. Additional assessments at the end of the unitinclude a rating scale that students can use to evalu-ate themselves and suggestions for evaluating stu-dent products. A teacher’s record chart is included.


Goals for MicroworldsIn this unit, students investigate both living and nonliving specimens with a variety of magnifiers, includingthe microscope. Their experiences introduce them to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ In order to magnify, a lens must be transparent and curved.

n Magnification is directly related to how much a lens is curved.

■ Higher magnification reveals more detail in a smaller area of a specimen being observed.

■ In light microscopes, lenses are combined to focus light and increase magnification.

■ Scientists designed and used early microscopes to extend their observational abilityand to investigate their ideas.

■ Some living organisms are too small to see without magnification.

■ All living things are made of at least one cell.

■ When magnified, all cells have observable structures.

■ Microorganisms are widespread in nature.

■ Bacteria are partly responsible for the decomposition of organic material over time.

■ Some bacteria are eaten by other microorganisms.

■ Like all organisms, microorganisms grow and reproduce.

■ Microorganisms have structures that help them survive in specific environmentalconditions.

■ Changing environmental conditions promote the survival of some microorganismsover others and therefore change microbial communities.

Skills■ Determining which of various objects can magnify.

■ Using magnifiers, including hand lenses and microscopes, to observe living and non-living specimens.

■ Using appropriate equipment and techniques to prepare microscope slides for viewing.

■ Using a microscope to observe basic cell structure.

■ Communicating detailed observations through writing, drawing, and discussion.

■ Making measurements of small objects using hair-widths and millimeters.

■ Exploring ways to slow the movement of living microscopic specimens for closerobservation.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in exploring microscopic specimens.

■ Recognizing that microorganisms have many of the same needs as other living things.

■ Developing an awareness of the diversity and complexity of microbial life.

■ Developing an awareness of the interactions among living things and between livingthings and their environment.

G R A D E 5


MicroworldsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)







■ Different kinds of questions suggest different kindsof scientific investigations. Some investigationsinvolve observing and describing objects, organisms,and events; some involve collecting specimens; andsome involve discovery of new objects.



■ Technology used to gather data enhances accuracyand allows scientists to analyze and quantifyresults of investigations.

■ Science advances through legitimate skepticism.

■ Scientific investigations sometimes result in newideas and phenomena for study, generate newmethods or procedures for an investigation, ordevelop new technologies to improve the collec-tion of data. All of these results can lead to new investigations.

Physical ScienceTransfer of energy

■ Light interacts with matter by transmission(including refraction), absorption, or scattering(including reflection). To see an object, light fromthat object—emitted by or scattered from it—mustenter the eye.

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems

■ Living systems at all levels of organization demon-strate the complementary nature of structure andfunction. Important levels of organization for struc-ture and function include cells and tissues.

■ All organisms are composed of cells—the funda-mental unit of life. Most organisms are singlecells; other organisms are multicellular.

■ Cells carry on the many functions needed to sustainlife. They grow and divide, thereby producing morecells. This requires that they take in nutrients.


■ Reproduction is characteristic of all living sys-tems. Some organisms reproduce asexually.


■ All organisms must be able to obtain and useresources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stableinternal conditions.



■ Millions of species of animals, plants, andmicroorganisms are alive today.


■ Many different people in different cultures havemade and continue to make contributions to sci-ence and technology.

■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Sciencehelps drive technology, as it addresses questionsthat demand more sophisticated instruments.

■ Technology is essential to science, because it pro-vides instruments and techniques that enableobservations of objects and phenomena that areotherwise unobservable due to factors such as size.



■ Science influences society through its knowledgeand world view.


■ Science and technology have advanced throughcontributions of many different people, in differentcultures, at different times in history.


■ Women and men of various social and ethnic back-grounds—and with diverse interests, talents, quali-ties, and motivations—engage in the activities ofscience, engineering, and related fields such as thehealth professions. Some scientists work in teams,and some work alone, but all communicate exten-sively with others.


Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanations ofnature using observation, experiments, and theo-retical and mathematical models.

■ Different scientists might draw different conclu-sions from the same data.

History of science


■ In historical perspective, science has been practicedby different individuals in different cultures.

■ Tracing the history of science can show how diffi-cult it was for scientific innovators to breakthrough the accepted ideas of their time to reachthe conclusions that we currently take for granted.



Form and function

G R A D E 5


MicroworldsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)









■ Scientists use different kinds of investigationsdepending on the questions they are trying toanswer. Types of investigations include describingobjects, events, and organisms.






■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and theability to react with other substances. Those prop-erties can be measured using tools.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials andcan be described by the properties of the materialsfrom which they are made.


■ Light travels in a straight line until it strikes anobject. Light can be reflected by a mirror, refract-ed by a lens, or absorbed by the object.


■ Organisms have basic needs. The world has manydifferent environments, and distinct environmentssupport the life of different types of organisms.

■ Each plant or animal has different structures thatserve different functions in growth, survival, andreproduction.



■ Plants and animals have life cycles that includebeing born, developing into adults, reproducing,and eventually dying.









Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesScience and technology in local challenges


■ Science and technology have greatly improvedfood quality and quantity, transportation, health,sanitation, and communication. These benefits ofscience and technology are not available to all ofthe people of the world.


■ There is still much more to be understood aboutscience.




Form and function


EcosystemsNarrative SummaryStudents begin the unitby setting up a terrariumin which they grow grass,mustard, and alfalfaplants. They then addcrickets and isopods.They also set up anaquarium into which theyintroduce snails, guppies,elodea, algae, and duck-weed. By connecting theterrarium and aquariumbottles to create an “eco-column,” students areable to observe the rela-tionship between the twoenvironments and theorganisms living withinthem. Using test ecocolumns that contain onlyplants, students simulate the effects of pollutants—such as road salt, fertilizer, and acid rain—on anenvironment. Students then use a food chain wheelto make inferences about the effects these pollu-tants might have on their own miniature ecosys-tems. Later, students read about, explore, and dis-cuss the Chesapeake Bay as a model ecosystem.They analyze this ecosystem from the viewpoint ofvarious users—waterman, dairy farmer, land devel-oper, recreational boater, and resident—and presenttheir findings to the class. This activity enables stu-dents to appreciate the trade-offs that must be madeto reach mutually acceptable solutions to environ-mental problems.

Science ContentEcosystems helps students understand the relation-ships between plants and animals and the interde-pendence of living things within an environment.By modeling complex systems, students investigatethe relationships between life and earth scienceswhile simultaneously exploring science in personal

and social perspectives.As students observe thestructure and function ofmodel ecosystems, theygrapple with the effectsof pollutants, overpopu-lation, and natural haz-ards on these systems.Working in teams, stu-dents design and test theeffects of pollutants cre-ated by humans andexamine the roles of peo-ple in a real-worldecosystem—theChesapeake Bay.Unifying concepts andprocesses are central tothis unit as students use

their models as evidence on which to base their con-clusions. Extensive reading selections provide addi-tional information on many of the organisms andconcepts covered in the unit.

AssessmentMatched pre- and post-unit assessments in whichstudents analyze relationships in a riverbankecosystem give teachers information about whatstudents already know about ecosystems and whatthey have learned by the close of the unit. Teachersare given guidance on how to assess students asthey develop and perform experiments, recordobservations, and make presentations. Two self-assessments in the unit allow students to reflect ontheir own learning and examine their attitudestoward the study of ecosystems. Additional assess-ments at the close of the unit allow students toapply their learning to new situations. They includean activity in which students read about an envi-ronmental problem, evaluate the differing points ofview, and take a stand on the issue.


Goals for EcosystemsIn this unit, students explore the web of relationships that link organisms to each other and to their naturalenvironment. From their experiences, they develop an understanding of the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ An ecosystem is a community of organisms and its interaction with its environment.

■ Organisms can be categorized by the functions they serve in an ecosystem: produc-ers, consumers, or decomposers.

■ Organisms in an ecosystem have dependent and interdependent relationships, whichcan be illustrated by food webs.

■ Factors that affect growth and reproduction of organisms in an ecosystem includelight, water, temperature, and soil.

■ Natural and human-made events can “disturb” an ecosystem.

■ A pollutant is anything that can harm living organisms when too much of it isreleased into an ecosystem. Pollution is the condition that results when pollutantsinteract with the environment.

■ Pollutants can affect the stability of an ecosystem; solutions can be developed to min-imize or alleviate the effects of pollutants.

■ Model ecosystems can be used to learn more about the complex relationships thatexist on earth.

Skills■ Using a hand lens, pH paper, measuring devices, and other testing equipment appro-

priately.

■ Conducting, recording, and organizing daily observations.

■ Planning, implementing, and analyzing experiments and drawing conclusions from the results.

■ Making and testing predictions.

■ Identifying ecosystems as stable or disturbed and recognizing whether the causes of adisturbed ecosystem are natural or human-made.

■ Reading for more information about ecosystems and pollution.

■ Communicating information through writing, drawing, and discussion.

■ Applying previously learned information to analyze a problem and suggest solutions.

Attitudes■ Developing sensitivity toward living things and understanding that human behavior

can positively or negatively affect them.

■ Respecting evidence from an experiment and recognizing that evidence can inform a decision.

■ Developing an interest in investigating ecosystems.

■ Recognizing the importance of repeating experiments to get valid test results.

G R A D E 5


EcosystemsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)











■ Different kinds of questions suggest differentkinds of scientific investigations.



■ Scientific explanations emphasize evidence, havelogically consistent arguments, and use scientificprinciples, models, and theories.


■ Scientific investigations sometimes result in newideas and phenomena for study, generate newmethods or procedures for an investigation, ordevelop new technologies to improve the collec-tion of data.

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems■ Living systems at all levels of organization demon-

strate the complementary nature of structure andfunction, including the structure of ecosystems.

■ Most organisms are single cells; other organismsare multicellular.

Reproduction and heredity■ Reproduction is characteristic of all living systems

and is essential to the continuation of the species.

Regulation and behavior■ All organisms must be able to grow, reproduce,

and maintain a relatively stable internal environ-ment while living in a constantly changing exter-nal environment.


Populations and ecosystems■ A population consists of all individuals of a species

that occur together in a given place and time. Allpopulations living together and the physical factorswith which they interact compose an ecosystem.

■ Populations of organisms can be categorized bythe function they serve in an ecosystem. Plantsand some microorganisms are producers—theymake their own food. All animals, includinghumans, are consumers, which obtain food by eat-ing other organisms. Decomposers, primarily bac-teria and fungi, are consumers that use wastematerials and dead organisms for food. Food websidentify the relationships among producers, con-sumers, and decomposers in an ecosystem.

■ For ecosystems, the major source of energy is sun-light, which passes from organism to organism infood webs.

■ The number of organisms an ecosystem can sup-port depends on the resources available and abiot-ic factors, such as quantity of light and water,range of temperatures, and soil composition.



■ Soil consists of weathered rocks and decomposedorganic material from dead plants, animals, and bacteria.

■ Water is a solvent. As it passes through the watercycle, it dissolves minerals and gases and carriesthem to the oceans.

■ Living organisms have played many roles in theearth system.


■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist; all solu-tions have trade-offs.

■ Technological designs have constraints.

■ Technological solutions have intended benefitsand unintended consequences.


■ Safe living involves the development and use ofsafety precautions and the recognition of risk inpersonal decisions.

■ Natural environments may contain substances thatare harmful to human beings. Maintaining envi-ronmental health involves establishing or monitor-ing quality standards related to use of soil, water,and air.

Population, resources, and environments

■ When an area becomes overpopulated, the envi-ronment will become degraded due to theincreased use of resources.

■ Causes of environmental degradation and resourcedepletion may vary.

Natural hazards

■ Human activities can induce hazards throughresource acquisition, urban growth, land-use deci-sions, and waste disposal. Such activities canaccelerate many natural changes.

Risks and benefits

■ Students should understand the risks associated withnatural hazards, with chemical hazards (such as pol-lutants), and with social hazards (transportation).

■ Risks and benefits relate directly to personal andsocial dimensions.

■ Important personal and social decisions are madebased on perception of benefits and risks.


■ Science influences society through its knowledgeand world view. Scientific knowledge and the pro-cedures used by scientists influence the way manyindividuals in society think about themselves, oth-ers, and the environment.

■ Societal challenges often inspire questions for sci-entific research.

■ Science cannot answer all questions and technolo-gy cannot solve all human problems or meet allhuman needs.


■ Some scientists work in teams, and some workalone, but all communicate extensively with one another.

■ Science requires different abilities, human qualities,and habits of the mind.

Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanationsusing observation, experiments, and models.Scientists do and have changed their ideas whenled to do so by experimental evidence.

■ Different scientists might publish conflictingexperimental results or might draw different con-clusions from the same data.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate the resultsof investigations, experiments, observations, models,and explanations proposed by other scientists.





Form and function

G R A D E 5


EcosystemsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)









■ Scientists use different kinds of investigationsdepending on the questions they are trying toanswer.

■ Simple instruments, such as magnifiers, thermome-ters, and rulers, provide more information than sci-entists obtain using only their senses.





■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, color, temperature, and theability to react with other substances.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials andcan be described by the properties from whichthey are made.

Life ScienceThe characteristics of organisms

■ Organisms have basic needs. For example, animalsneed air, water, and food; plants require air, water,nutrients, and light.

■ Each plant or animal has different structures thatserve different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.



■ Plants and animals have life cycles that includebeing born, developing into adults, reproducing,and eventually dying.

■ Plants and animals closely resemble their parents.

■ Many characteristics of an organism are inheritedfrom the parents of the organism, but other char-acteristics result from an individual’s interactionswith the environment.



■ An organism’s patterns of behavior are related tothe nature of that organism’s environment, includ-ing the kinds and numbers of other organisms pre-sent, the availability of food and resources, andthe physical characteristics of the environment.When the environment changes, some plants andanimals survive and reproduce, and others die ormove to new locations.

■ All organisms cause changes in the environmentwhere they live. Some of these changes are detri-mental to the organism or other organisms, where-as others are beneficial.


■ Humans depend on their natural and constructedenvironments. Humans change environments inways that can be either beneficial or detrimentalfor themselves and other organisms.


■ Earth materials are solid rocks and soils, water,and the gases of the atmosphere; these materialshave different physical properties. Earth materialsprovide many of the resources that humans use.

■ Soils have properties of color and texture, capacityto retain water, and ability to support the growthof many kinds of plants.

















■ Some resources include basic materials, such asair, water, and soil; some are produced from basicresources; and some resources are nonmaterial,such as quiet places and beauty.

■ The supply of many resources is limited. If used,resources can be extended through recycling anddecreased use.


■ Environments are the space, conditions, and factorsthat affect an individual’s and a population’s abilityto survive and their quality of life.

■ Changes in environments can be natural or influ-enced by humans.











Form and function


Food ChemistryNarrative SummaryIn Food Chemistry, stu-dents explore basic con-cepts related to food andnutrition. They set uptheir own classroom labo-ratory and perform physi-cal and chemical tests toidentify the presence ofstarch, glucose, fats, andproteins in commonfoods. Some of the testsare relatively simple andproduce “yes-or-no”results; others requiremultiple steps. Still othertests, such as the glucosetest, produce results thatrequire interpretation.Through readings, students discover how proteins,fats, and carbohydrates, as well as vitamins, arerelated to good health. They also learn how to inter-pret food labels. In a final challenge, students applytheir knowledge and skills to analyze the nutritionalcomponents of a marshmallow.

Science ContentThis physical science unit allows students toexplore chemistry in a familiar context. The unitemphasizes the transfer of energy in biological sys-tems and the nutrition of common foods. Studentshave opportunities to gather, organize, and interpretdata throughout this unit. They discover that scien-tific inquiry can provide useful information aboutnutrients and foods. Through making predictions,conducting tests, analyzing results, and discussingfindings with classmates, students become engagedin processes that encourage problem solving andfoster the understanding that scientific conclusions

must be justified by evi-dence. Reading selec-tions about vitaminsreveal both their impor-tance in nutrition and inthe history of health andscience.

AssessmentLesson 1 serves as apre-unit assessment. Bybrainstorming what theyknow and want to knowabout foods and dis-cussing foods they eatfor specific meals, stu-dents begin to considerthe relationship of nutri-tion to health. In the

post-unit assessment, the class revisits these ques-tions, providing the teacher with two sets of com-parable data that indicate students’ growth inknowledge and skills. Lesson 16 is an embeddedassessment in which students apply the testingtechniques they have learned in the unit to deter-mine the nutritional value of a marshmallow.Additional assessments at the close of the unitinclude a student self-assessment, a performance-based assessment in which students identify mys-tery foods using tests from the unit, and an activityin which students read and interpret sample foodlabels.


Goals for Food ChemistryIn this unit, students investigate the basic nutrients found in a variety of common foods. From their experi-ences, they are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Foods contain starches, sugars, fats, and/or proteins.

■ Specific chemical and physical tests can be used to determine whether a food con-tains starches, sugars (in this unit, glucose), fats, or proteins.

■ Iodine can be used to test for starches, test strips for glucose, brown paper for fats,and Coomassie blue for proteins.

■ Varying amounts of starches, sugars (in this unit, glucose), fats, and proteins arefound in foods.

■ Starches and sugars are carbohydrates.

■ Glucose is one kind of sugar.

■ Carbohydrates, fats, proteins, water, vitamins, and minerals are nutrients.

■ Nutrients are essential to human health.

Skills■ Learning to perform four chemical and physical tests to identify the presence or

absence of nutrients in foods.

■ Predicting the nutrient content of foods.

■ Conducting independent research on nutrients.

■ Observing, recording, and organizing test results.

■ Interpreting a range of test results to draw conclusions about the kinds and amountsof nutrients in foods.

■ Developing laboratory techniques to avoid contamination of the test samples.

■ Communicating results in writing and through discussion.

■ Reflecting on experiences in writing and through discussion.


Attitudes■ Developing an interest in investigating the nutritional content of food.

■ Recognizing the importance of repeating tests to validate results.

■ Recognizing that nutritional information can be used to make informed decisionsabout the foods we eat.

G R A D E 5


Food ChemistryFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)












■ Technology used to gather data enhances accuracyand allows scientists to analyze and quantifyresults of investigations.





■ A substance has characteristic properties, suchas solubility.

■ Substances react chemically in characteristic wayswith other substances.



■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Sciencehelps drive technology, as it addresses questionsthat demand more sophisticated instruments andprovides principles for better instrumentation andtechnique. Technology is essential to science,because it provides instruments and techniquesthat enable observations of objects and phenome-na that are otherwise unobservable due to factorssuch as quantity. Technology also provides toolsfor investigations, inquiry, and analysis.


■ Regular exercise is important to the maintenanceand improvement of health. The benefits of physi-cal fitness include maintaining healthy weight,having energy and strength for routine activities,good muscle tone, bone strength, strong heart/lungsystems, and improved mental health.

■ Food provides energy and nutrients for growth anddevelopment. Nutrition requirements vary with bodyweight, age, sex, activity, and body functioning.


Risks and benefits

■ Risk analysis considers the type of hazard andestimates the number of people that might beexposed and the number likely to suffer conse-quences. The results are used to determine theoptions for reducing or eliminating risks.

■ Students should understand the risks associatedwith chemical hazards (food), biological hazards(viruses, bacteria), and with personal hazards (diet).

■ Individuals can use a systematic approach tothinking critically about risks and benefits.

■ Important personal and social decisions are madebased on perceptions of benefits and risks.



■ Societal challenges often inspire questions for sci-entific research.

■ Technology influences society through its productsand processes. Technology influences the qualityof life and the ways people act and interact.


■ Scientists and engineers work in many differentsettings, including colleges and universities, busi-nesses and industries, research institutes, and gov-ernment agencies.



■ Women and men of various social and ethnicbackgrounds—and with diverse interests, talents,qualities, and motivations—engage in the activi-ties of science, engineering, and related fieldssuch as the health professions.


Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanations ofnature using observation and experiments.

■ It is normal for scientists to differ with one anoth-er about the interpretation of the evidence.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate theresults of scientific investigations, experiments,observations, and the explanations proposed byother scientists.

History of science


■ In historical perspective, science has been prac-ticed by different individuals in different cultures.





Form and function

G R A D E 5


Food ChemistryFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)












■ Scientists make the results of their investigationpublic.



■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, shape, color, temperature, and the abilityto react with other substances. Those propertiescan be measured using tools.



■ Organisms have basic needs, such as foodand water.








■ Some objects occur in nature; others have beendesigned and made by people to solve humanproblems and enhance the quality of life.



■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from danger, risk, orinjury. Student understandings include followingsafety rules for home and school, preventingneglect, and avoiding injury.

■ Individuals have some responsibility for theirown health.

■ Nutrition is essential to health. Students shouldunderstand how the body uses food and how variousfoods contribute to health. Recommendations forgood nutrition include eating a variety of foods, eat-ing less sugar, and eating less fat.

■ Students should understand that some substances,such as prescription drugs, can be beneficial, butthat any substance can be harmful if used inappro-priately.

Types of resources


■ Some resources are basic materials and some areproduced from basic resources, such as food.



■ Science and technology have greatly influencedfood quality.




■ Although men and women using scientific inquiryhave learned much about the objects, events, andphenomena in nature, much more remains tobe understood.





Form and function


Floating and SinkingNarrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsinvestigate the phenome-non of buoyancy. Theybegin by making a springscale with which theyweigh various objects.They make clay boats,test their boats’ buoyan-cy, and discover thataltering the shape of theboats affects buoyancy.Students are then chal-lenged to design a boatthat has a certain loadingcapacity. These experi-ments allow them to wit-ness several surprisingphenomena; for example,some “floaters” are heavier than some “sinkers,”and large objects are not always heavier thansmaller objects. Students then turn their attentionto differences between objects placed in freshwater and in salt water. They construct a hydrome-ter that compares the levels at which objects floatin both types of water.

Science ContentThis unit emphasizes the unifying concepts of evi-dence, models, and measurement. Model buildingallows students to engage in the process of techno-logical design. Using models, the students havemultiple opportunities to investigate floating andsinking. These experiences introduce students tophysical science concepts such as buoyancy andforce. Structured and open-ended explorations pro-vide meaningful experiences and data for studentsto evaluate as they continue to explore and refinetheir models. The model-building processes notonly help students improve their understanding offloating and sinking but also enrich their under-

standing of the processof scientific inquiry.

AssessmentDuring a pre-unit assess-ment in Lesson 1, stu-dents share what theyknow and want to knowabout why objects sinkor float. They thenobserve an object in twocontainers of water, onein which the objectfloats and the other inwhich the object sinks.Students record theirobservations and ideasabout how this couldhappen. To assess

growth in understanding, students revisit this samequestion and investigation in a post-unit assess-ment. In an embedded assessment, students con-struct a scientific instrument—the hydrometer—and compare the level at which it floats in graduat-ed cylinders of fresh water and salt water. Byobserving students doing this activity, teachers canassess students’ understanding of buoyant forceand displacement. In a final embedded assessment,students make and test predictions about anunknown “mystery cylinder.” In doing so, they arechallenged to apply what they have learned fromtheir previous experiences with buoyancy.Additional assessments at the end of the unitinclude a student self-assessment, a questionnairefor students on why objects float or sink, and aperformance-based assessment in which studentsare challenged to make a cylinder with unknowncontents float.


Goals for Floating and SinkingIn this unit, students investigate the phenomenon of buoyancy. From their experiences, they are introducedto the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Several variables affect the buoyancy of an object.

■ Water pushes up on both floating and submerged objects with a buoyant force;objects push down on the water.

■ The buoyant force on large objects is greater than the buoyant force on smaller objects.

■ The amount of water an object displaces is directly related to the object’s volume.

■ Because of buoyant force, objects appear to weigh less when they are submerged.

■ Objects that weigh more than the same volume of water sink; objects that weigh lessthan the same volume of water float.

■ Salt water weighs more than an equal amount of fresh water.

■ The buoyancy of an object varies with the density of the liquid.

Skills■ Observing, recording, and organizing test results.

■ Applying previous experiences to make predictions.

■ Creating and analyzing graphs.

■ Calibrating a spring scale and using it to measure the magnitude of a force.

■ Reading science materials for information.

■ Communicating results through writing and discussion.

■ Solving a problem that requires the application of previously learned concepts and skills.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in investigating floating, sinking, and related phenomena.

■ Recognizing the importance of repeating a test or measurement and comparing results.

G R A D E 5


Floating and SinkingFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)


■ Identify questions that can be answered throughscientific inquiry.









■ Different kinds of questions suggest differentkinds of scientific investigations. Some investiga-tions involve observing and describing objects ororganisms; some involve experiments; and someinvolve discovery of new objects.




■ A substance has characteristic properties, such asdensity, a boiling point, and solubility, all of whichare independent of the amount of the sample.

Motion and forces

■ If more than one force acts on an object along astraight line, then the forces will reinforce or can-cel one another, depending on their direction andmagnitude.







■ Scientists propose explanations for questionsabout the natural world, and engineers proposesolutions relating to human problems, needs,and aspirations.


■ Science and technology are reciprocal. Sciencehelps drive technology, as it addresses questionsthat demand more sophisticated instruments andprovides principles for better instrumentation andtechnique.

■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist; all solu-tions have trade-offs.


■ Safe living involves the development and use ofsafety precautions and the recognition of risk inpersonal decisions. Injury prevention has personaland social dimensions.





■ Women and men of various social and ethnicbackgrounds—and with diverse interests, talents,qualities, and motivations—engage in the activi-ties of science, engineering, and related fields.Some scientists work in teams, others alone, butall communicate with one another.

■ Science requires different abilities, depending onsuch factors as the field of study and type ofinquiry. Science is very much a human endeavorand relies on human qualities and habits of the mind.

Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanations of nature using observation, experiments, and the-oretical and mathematical models. Scientistschange their ideas when led to do so by experi-mental evidence.

■ Different scientists might draw different conclu-sions from the same data.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate theresults of scientific investigations, experiments,and observations.

History of science

■ Many individuals have contributed to the traditionsof science.






Form and function

G R A D E 5


Floating and SinkingFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (K–4)










■ Simple instruments, such as rulers, provide moreinformation than scientists obtain using onlytheir senses.





■ Objects have many observable properties, includ-ing size, weight, shape, color, and the ability toreact with other substances. Those properties canbe measured using tools, such as rulers and bal-ances.

■ Objects are made of one or more materials andcan be described by the properties of the materialsfrom which they are made.















■ Safety and security are basic needs of humans.Safety involves freedom from danger, risk, orinjury. Student understandings include followingsafety rules for home and school.




■ Science and technology have greatly improvedtransportation and health. These benefits of sci-ence and technology are not available to all of thepeople of the world.




■ Much more remains to be understood about sci-ence. Science will never be finished.

■ Many people derive great pleasure fromdoing science.





Form and function


P A R T 8


™

S I X T H - G R A D E U N I T S









Sixth-Grade STC Units and the NSES (5–8)

National Science Education Experiments Measuring Magnets The TechnologyStandards for Grades 5–8 with Plants Time and Motors of PaperScience as InquiryAbilities necessary to do scientific inquiry ● ● ● ●



Motions and forces ● ●

Transfer of energy ● ●

Life ScienceStructure and function in living systems ●

Reproduction and heredity ●


Populations and ecosystems



Earth’s history

Earth in the solar system ● ●

Science and TechnologyAbilities of technological design ● ● ●

Understandings about science and technology ● ● ●

Science in Personal and Social PerspectivesPersonal health ●

Populations, resources, and environments

Natural hazards ●

Risks and benefits

Science and technology in society ● ● ●



History of science ● ● ● ●

Unifying Concepts and ProcessesSystems, order, and organization ● ● ●






Experiments with PlantsNarrative SummaryIn this unit, studentsapply the knowledge andskills they have gained inearlier STC™ life scienceunits to investigate someof the variables that affectplant growth and devel-opment. The main objec-tive of the unit is toenable students to designand conduct a controlledexperiment. They beginby studying the key vari-ables that affect the life,health, and reproductionof the Wisconsin FastPlant™ (Brassica rapa)and how they can manip-ulate these variables. Working in teams, studentsformulate a question about the plant and carry out acontrolled experiment designed to answer that ques-tion. During the ensuing weeks, they observe theplants and record their data. Each team then sharesits results with the class. Final activities entail ger-minating seeds that students have gathered from theplants and exploring tropisms.

Science ContentThe key concepts of this life science unit are iden-tifying, controlling, and manipulating variables inexperimentation. The unit emphasizes how to for-mulate questions, use scientific methods and pro-cedures, analyze findings, and report results.Students learn about the structure and function ofplants and plant ecology, and they conduct experi-ments involving germination and tropism. The ger-mination experiments are designed to help studentsappreciate the continuous nature of the life cycle.Throughout the unit, students are encouraged to

find their own answersby experimenting andusing resource materials.Mathematics in science,the abilities necessary tolong-term scientificinquiry, and the natureof science are integral tothis unit.

AssessmentThis unit begins with apre-unit assessment inwhich students brain-storm what they knowabout carrying out anexperiment. To enableteachers to evaluate stu-dents’ knowledge of

controlling variables, students also discuss what itmeans to have a fair race. In the final part of thepre-unit assessment, students create labeled draw-ings of flowering plants. These activities arematched to a post-unit assessment followingLesson 16. Throughout the unit, students have sev-eral opportunities to evaluate and revise their ownwork in planned investigations before they designand carry out their own study. Their final projectin written or oral form can be used as a culminat-ing embedded assessment. Additional assessmentsat the end of the unit include a teacher’s recordchart of student progress. It allows teachers toassess each student’s work products, concepts, andskills developed in the unit. Students can use a rat-ing scale to conduct a self-assessment.

Goals for Experiments with PlantsIn this unit, students plan and conduct experiments to determine how different variables affect the growthand seed production of rapid-cycling Brassica rapa (Wisconsin Fast Plants™). Their experiences introducethem to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Plants need soil nutrients, light, and water.

■ Plant growth is affected by the quantities of nutrients, light, and water available.

■ Controlling variables enables the effect of each to be identified and studied.

■ Flowering plants must be pollinated in order to produce seeds.

■ Bees are effective pollinators.

■ One seed has the potential to produce one plant.

■ The number of seeds produced by a single plant is affected by such variables as nutri-ents, light, water, and the extent of pollination.

■ The orientation of a plant’s growth is affected by gravity and light.

Skills■ Planting and caring for plants.

■ Predicting how changing one variable might affect the outcome of an experiment.

■ Planning and conducting experiments in which variables are controlled.

■ Observing, measuring, describing, and recording changes in plant growth.

■ Communicating results through graphs, drawings, and group presentations.

■ Interpreting and analyzing how different variables affect the growth and changeof plants over time.

■ Reflecting on experiences through writing and discussion.

■ Reading and researching to learn more about plants.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in investigating plant growth.

■ Appreciating the need for careful and precise design of experiments.

■ Appreciating the need for detailed recordkeeping during experimentation.

■ Valuing scientific data that has been collected over time.


G R A D E 6


Experiments with PlantsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)
















■ Scientific investigations sometimes result in newideas and phenomena for study, generate newmethods or procedures for investigation, or developnew technologies to improve the collection of data.

Life ScienceStructure and function of living systems

■ Living systems demonstrate the complementarynature of structure and function.

■ Cells carry on many functions needed to sustainlife. Cells take in nutrients, which they use to pro-vide energy or make the materials that a cell or anorganism needs.


■ Reproduction is characteristic of all living systemsand is essential to the continuation of every species.

■ Plants reproduce sexually with the egg and spermproduced in the flowers of flowering plants.

■ The characteristics of an organism can bedescribed in terms of a combination of traits.Some traits are inherited and others result frominteractions with the environment.


■ All organisms must be able to obtain and useresources, grow, reproduce, and maintain stableinternal conditions while living in a constantlychanging external environment.



■ Biological evolution accounts for the diversity ofspecies developed through gradual processes overmany generations. Species acquire many of theirunique characteristics through biological adaptation,which involves the selection of naturally occurringvariations in populations.


Earth and Space ScienceEarth in the solar system

■ The sun is a major source of energy for such phe-nomena as growth of plants.


■ Some scientists work in teams, others alone, butall communicate with one another.

■ Science requires different abilities, human qualities,and habits of the mind.

Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanations ofnature using observation, experiments, and models.Scientists change their ideas when led to do so byexperimental evidence.

■ Different scientists might publish conflicting experi-mental results or might draw different conclusionsfrom the same data. Ideally, scientists acknowledgesuch conflict and work towards finding evidencethat will resolve their disagreement.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate theresults of scientific investigations, experiments,observations, models, and explanations proposedby other scientists.

History of science





Form and function

Measuring TimeNarrative SummaryIn the first part of thisunit, “Keeping Time withthe Sun and the Moon,”students explore the useof natural phenomena,such as the phases of themoon, to keep time. Inthe second section,“Investigating InventedClocks,” students con-duct experiments usingsome of the instrumentsthat have been used tokeep time throughout thecenturies. They build andexperiment with a waterclock and investigate thecharacteristics of thependulum. Finally, they apply what they havelearned to assemble and evaluate a clock escape-ment and modify the device in order to make itmore accurate. The unit provides students with anopportunity to learn how to measure time, to inves-tigate machines, to explore concepts such as ener-gy and motion, and to learn about the science ofastronomy.

Science ContentStudents engage in active and extended scientificinquiry as they construct water clocks; assemble,troubleshoot, and improve a working clock escape-ment; and engage in other activities related to mea-suring time. Students learn that time can be mea-sured by observing the cycles of the sun andmoon, and that mechanical devices can be con-structed to measure intervals of time. The process-es of technological design are addressed as stu-dents design, implement, evaluate, and communi-cate the processes of designing a water clock, pen-

dulum, clock escape-ment, and one-minutetimer. Classroom investi-gations enable them toappreciate that the accu-racy of such instrumentsdepends on an appropri-ate design. Students planand conduct experimentsinvolving controlledvariables and experiencethe challenges typicallyfaced by scientists andengineers. Readingselections and lessonobjectives demonstratethe degree to which thehistory of timekeeping isintegral to the unit.

AssessmentAssessment strategies include examination ofmatched student pre- and post-unit assessments,written student self-assessments, and studentrecord sheets, graphs, and drawings, as well asobservations of growth in scientific skills and con-tributions to class discussions. An embeddedassessment in Lesson 16, in which students designand build their own one-minute timer, providesinformation on students’ ability to apply what theyhave learned about timekeeping devices. Addi-tional assessments at the end of the unit challengestudents to respond, orally or in writing, to ques-tions that are based on unit investigations of clocksand to make predictions about the changingappearance of the moon.


Goals for Measuring TimeIn this unit, students investigate the history of timekeeping and experiment with various timekeepingdevices. From their experiences, they are introduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Time can be measured by observing the natural cycles of the sun and the moon.

■ Shadows cast by the sun can be used to measure and predict the passage of time dur-ing a day.

■ The phases of the moon follow a cycle that can be used to measure and predict thepassage of time during a month.

■ Mechanical devices can be constructed and used to measure specific intervals oftime consistently.

■ The accuracy of mechanical clocks is dependent on their design, the materials fromwhich they are constructed, and their energy source.

Skills■ Observing and recording information about the natural cycles of the sun and the moon.

■ Learning to plan and conduct experiments in which variables are controlled.

■ Predicting and testing how changing a variable affects the outcome of an experiment.

■ Interpreting test results to draw conclusions about how changing variables affects theoutcome of an experiment.

■ Communicating results through writing in notebooks; organizing information incharts, tables, and graphs; and discussion.

■ Reading and researching science materials for more information.


Attitudes■ Developing an interest in exploring and investigating time.

■ Recognizing the importance of repeating tests to validate results.

■ Appreciating the advances people have made in measuring time and explaining natur-al phenomena.


G R A D E 6

Measuring TimeFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)

















Physical ScienceMotions and forces

■ The motion of an object can be described by its posi-tion, direction of motion, and speed. That motion canbe measured and represented on a graph.

Transfer of energy

■ Energy is a property of many substances. It is, forexample, associated with mechanical motion.

■ The sun is a major source of energy. The sun losesenergy by emitting light. A tiny fraction of thatlight reaches the earth, transferring energy fromthe sun to the earth. The sun’s energy arrives aslight and consists of visible light, infrared, andultraviolet radiation.

Earth and SpaceEarth in the solar system

■ Most objects in the solar system are in regular andpredictable motion. Those motions explain suchphenomena as the day, the year, phases of themoon, and eclipses.









■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All solu-tions have trade-offs.








■ Women and men of various backgrounds engagein the activities of science. Some scientists workin teams and some work alone, but all communi-cate extensively with others.

■ Science requires different abilities. Science is verymuch a human endeavor, and the work of sciencerelies on basic human qualities and scientifichabits of mind.

Nature of science


■ Different scientists might draw different conclu-sions from the same data. Ideally, scientistsacknowledge such conflict and work towards find-ing evidence that will resolve their disagreement.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate theresults of scientific investigations, experiments,observations, theoretical models, and the explana-tions proposed by other scientists.

History of science


■ In historical perspective, science has been prac-ticed by different individuals in different cultures.





Form and function

Magnets and MotorsNarrative SummaryMagnets and Motors,which builds on theknowledge that studentsgained in the STC™

Electric Circuits unit,offers students the oppor-tunity to explore theproperties of magnetsand the magnetic proper-ties of electric currents.The unit includes infor-mation on the historicaldevelopment of scien-tists’ understanding ofthe use of magnetism,electricity, and electro-magnetism. Studentsbegin by studying mag-nets and making a compass. They then investigatethe relationship between magnetism and electricity,as they explore the characteristics of switches andcircuits. Finally, students experiment with threedifferent motors. Applying their learning and expe-rience, they dismantle, experiment with, andreassemble a manufactured motor.

Science ContentStudents explore systems, organization, form, andfunction through their investigations of electricmotors. These investigations encourage students todevelop an appreciation for technology. Theprocesses of technological design are addressed asstudents build and test a working electric generator.Physical science concepts include motions andforces and transfer of energy. Reading selectionsexpand on the unit goals and cover such topics ashow the earth’s magnetic field affects some animals’movements. The unit mirrors the historical develop-ment of our understanding and use of magnetism,electricity, and electromagnetism and progresses

through these phenome-na in the same order thatpeople discoveredthem—magnets andcompasses, electricityfrom batteries, and elec-tromagnetism (electro-magnets, motors, andgenerators).

AssessmentLesson 1 providesopportunities for stu-dents to take part in apre-unit assessmentbrainstorming sessionand write and talk aboutwhat they already knowabout magnets and

motors. It is complemented by a matched post-unitassessment. In several lessons, students producemodels or diagrams or record observations that canbe used to assess progress and understanding. Anembedded assessment in Lesson 16 allows studentsto participate in an investigation that uses theirnew knowledge to produce a working electric gen-erator. Additional assessments at the close of theunit include an investigation in which studentsbuild and demonstrate an electric current detectorand a journal-writing exercise in which studentsexpress their ideas about how a spinning coilmotor functions. Also included is an activity inwhich students are challenged to devise methods tomeasure the strength of a magnet. A teacher’srecord chart of student progress is included. It is aconvenient way to keep a record of the progress ofindividual students and track the work studentsproduce as well as the skills they develop.


Goals for Magnets and MotorsIn this unit, students explore magnets, electromagnets, and motors. Through their experiences, students areintroduced to the following concepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Magnets attract and repel each other; this attracting and repelling can be used to

cause motion.

■ A compass can be constructed by suspending a magnet so that it is free to rotate.

■ A compass will move in response to a magnet that is placed near it.

■ An electric current moving through a wire produces magnetism; a coil of copper wireconducting an electric current becomes an electromagnet.

■ A steel bolt placed inside a coil of wire conducting an electric current increases thestrength of the electromagnet.

■ A simple motor can be made from an electromagnet and a rotating armature.

■ An electric current can be generated by placing a rotating coil of wire near a magnet.

Skills■ Observing, describing, and recording the results of experiments.

■ Learning to plan and conduct experiments in which variables are controlled.

■ Predicting and testing how changing a variable affects the outcome of an experiment.

■ Interpreting the results of experiments to draw conclusions.

■ Applying troubleshooting strategies to investigations with compasses, electromagnets,and motors.

■ Reading and researching to learn more about electricity and motors.

■ Communicating results through writing, drawing, and discussion.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in experimenting with the technology of motors.

■ Appreciating advances made in the use of magnets, electricity, and motors.

■ Recognizing the importance of validating results through repeated testing.


G R A D E 6

Magnets and MotorsFundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)








■ Use mathematics in all aspects of scientificinquiry.




■ Scientific explanations use evidence, have logicallyconsistent arguments, and use scientific principles,models, and theories.


■ Scientific investigations sometimes result in newideas and phenomena for study, generate newmethods or procedures for investigation, or developnew technologies to improve the collection of data.


■ Substances, such as metals, are often placed incategories or groups if they react in similar ways.

Motions and forces

■ The motion of an object can be described by itsposition, direction of motion, and speed.

■ An object that is not being subjected to a forcewill continue to move at a constant speed.

■ If more than one force acts on an object, then theforces will reinforce or cancel one another.

Transfer of energy

■ Energy is a property of many substances and isassociated with heat, light, electricity, and mechan-ical motion. Energy is transferred in many ways.

■ Electrical circuits provide a means of transferringelectrical energy when heat, light, sound, andchemical changes are produced.

Life ScienceRegulation and behavior

■ Behavior is one kind of response an organism canmake to an internal or environmental stimulus.Behavioral response is a set of actions determinedin part by heredity and in part from experience.





■ Many different people have made and continue tomake contributions to science and technology.

■ Science and technology are reciprocal.

■ Perfectly designed solutions do not exist. All solu-tions have trade-offs.




■ The potential for accidents and the existence ofhazards impose the need for injury prevention.Safe living involves the development and use ofsafety precautions and the recognition of risk inpersonal decisions. Injury prevention has socialand personal dimensions.




■ Science and technology have advanced throughcontributions of different people at different timesin history.


■ Some scientists work in teams, and some workalone, but all communicate extensively with others.


Nature of science

■ Scientists formulate and test their explanations ofnature using observations, experiments, and models.

■ It is normal for scientists in certain situations todiffer with one another about the interpretationof evidence.

■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate the result ofscientific investigations, experiments, observations,models, and explanations proposed by others.

History of science


■ Tracing the history of science can show how diffi-cult it was for scientific innovators to breakthrough the accepted ideas of their time to reachconclusions we currently take for granted.




Form and function

The Technologyof Paper

Narrative SummaryThis unit gives studentsan opportunity to explorethe properties of paper,to make paper by hand,and to understand howthe properties of paperrelate to how it is used.By testing six types ofpaper for smoothness,tear-resistance, opacity,water-resistance, and inkreceptivity, studentsdeepen their understand-ing of the relationshipbetween the properties ofa certain type of paperand its intended uses.Students read aboutindustrial papermaking and explore hand paper-making. Using the class hand-papermakingprocess, students investigate the role of additivesand of embedding and embossing in the creating ofpaper with a variety of properties. In a final activi-ty, students apply their learning and experience towork through a four-step technological designprocess as they create their own recycled-paperproduct.

Science ContentThis unit fosters understanding about science,technology, and society. Students design and con-duct controlled tests and support their conclusionswith evidence. The activities, which culminate inan extended opportunity to use a technologicaldesign process, challenge and broaden students’skills and abilities in these areas. This unit appliesthe history and nature of science to the study ofcommon papers. Students investigate the physicalproperties and uses of paper and apply this knowl-edge to design, make, and evaluate their own recy-

cled paper product, mak-ing scientific inquiryand technological designintegral to this unit.

AssessmentLesson 1 serves as apre-unit assessment ofstudents’ knowledge ofthe properties and usesof paper and allows stu-dents to share what theyknow and want to knowabout paper. A matchedpost-unit assessmentcomplements this activi-ty. An embedded assess-ment in Lesson 5 givesstudents an opportunityto share test results and

write a performance summary for the papers theyhave tested. A student self-assessment in Lesson 8and another at the close of the unit allow studentsto reflect on their experiences. Embedded assess-ments, in which students apply their knowledgeand skills by experimenting with the class paper-recycling process and designing and making theirown recycled paper product, are also included.Additional assessments at the close of the unitinvite students to apply the hand-papermaking andtechnological design process to a new situation,demonstrate their awareness of the value of prod-uct testing and of what constitutes a “fair test,” andshow their understanding of the design process.


Goals for The Technology of PaperIn this unit, students explore the properties of paper and the science of papermaking and apply these con-cepts through technological design. Through their experiences, students are introduced to the following con-cepts, skills, and attitudes.

Concepts■ Paper is made from plant fibers such as wood, cotton, and linen.

■ Some properties of paper are how opaque, absorbent, tear-resistant, and smooth it is.

■ The desired use of a paper determines the importance of, and quality specificationsfor, each property.

■ Steps in hand and machine papermaking include preparing the fiber, beating andpreparing pulp, sheet forming, pressing and drying, and finishing.

■ People from different cultures have made and continue to make contributions to thescience and technology of paper.

■ Paper is a major renewable resource.

■ Steps needed to make paper from recycled paper include collecting, sorting, remov-ing contaminants, cleaning, and deinking.

■ Additives are mixed with refined pulp to give paper special properties.

■ Papermaking variations include embedding and embossing.

■ Steps in technological design include identifying needs and opportunities, generatinga design, planning and making the product, and testing and evaluating the product.

■ Technological designs have constraints that can limit design choices. Constraints caninclude time and availability of materials.

■ Design requirements specify how a designed object must perform.

■ Product designers continually modify their design specifications in order to improvethe products.

Skills■ Learning to perform class paper-property tests.

■ Observing, describing, and recording test results and the structural, optical, andabsorptive properties of paper.

■ Collecting, analyzing, and drawing conclusions from data.

■ Learning to plan and conduct tests with controlled variables.

■ Predicting how changing a variable affects the outcome of a controlled test.

■ Supporting conclusions with reasons that are based on observation and experience.

■ Developing the ability to consider different aspects of a need by researching existingproducts and the desires of potential users.

■ Applying previously learned concepts and skills to new situations, such as designinga paper product that meets a specific need.

■ Studying products and systems to develop an understanding of technology.

■ Generating and comparing design ideas in light of product requirements.


■ Organizing and using materials and resources to test the properties of paper, recyclepaper, and design and implement a plan to make a paper product.

■ Evaluating products on the basis of how well they meet design requirements and sug-gesting modifications to better meet the products’ design specifications.

■ Communicating ideas and the process of technological design through writingand discussion.

■ Reading to enhance understanding of the history and technology of papermaking.

Attitudes■ Developing an interest in exploring technological design through work with everyday

materials.

■ Developing an understanding of and appreciation for the importance of paper in our lives.

■ Developing an understanding of and appreciation for the benefits of controlled prod-uct testing.

■ Appreciating the importance of recycling paper.

■ Appreciating how science is applied to solve practical problems.


G R A D E 6

The Technologyof Paper

Fundamental Concepts and Principles Addressed (5–8)









■ Mathematics is used in all aspects of scientificinquiry.









■ A substance has characteristic properties.








■ Scientific inquiry and technological design havesimilarities and differences.


■ Science and technology are reciprocal.

■ Perfect design solutions do not exist. All techno-logical solutions have trade-offs, such as safety,cost, efficiency, and appearance.

■ Technological designs have constraints.

■ Technological solutions have intended benefitsand unintended consequences.



Science in Personal andSocial PerspectivesNatural hazards

■ Human activities can induce hazards throughresource acquisition, urban growth, land-use deci-sions, and waste disposal.




■ Scientists and engineers work in many differentsettings, including colleges and universities, busi-nesses and industries, research institutes, and gov-ernment agencies.



■ Women and men of various social and ethnic back-grounds—and with diverse interests, talents, quali-ties, and motivations—engage in the activities ofscience, engineering, and related fields.


Nature of science


■ It is part of scientific inquiry to evaluate theresults of scientific investigations, experiments,observations, theoretical models, and the explana-tions proposed by other scientists.

History of science




Unifying Concepts and ProcessesEvidence, models, and explanation


Form and function

Documents

STCâ„¢ Meets the Standards - Carolina Curriculum