CONTENT STANDARDS

GOAL 1 - Nature of Science

Students will explore, evaluate, and communicate personal and scientific investigations to understand the nature of science.

Indicator 1: Understand the nature, values, and application of scientific knowledge.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

1. Actively participate in science activities
2. Observe and ask questions about the world around them
   Example: Where does rain come from?

3. Show an interest in and willingness to investigate unfamiliar

First Grade:

1. Recognize that people contribute to scientific knowledge

2. Ask questions and explore the world around them

3. Use investigations in science to produce knowledge

Second Grade:

1. Understand that scientific inquiry has produced much knowledge about the world and that much is still unknown

2. Investigate scientific contributions made by people everywhere in the world

3. Use investigations in science to answer different questions

Indicator 2: Demonstrate understanding and use a variety of processes for scientific investigations.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

4. Use scientific thinking skills
   Example: observing, communicating, and comparing

First Grade:

4. Use scientific thinking skills
   Example: observing, communicating, and comparing

Second Grade:

6. Use scientific thinking skills
   Example: observing, communicating, and comparing

Goal 3 - LIFE SCIENCE

Students will describe structures and attributes of living things, processes of life, and interaction with each other and the environment.

Indicator 1: Understand the fundamental structures, functions, and mechanisms found in living things.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

1. Sort living from non-living things

2. Describe the basic needs of living organisms

3. Recognize similarities and differences in diverse species

4. Compare size, shape and structure or living things

   Example: grasses to trees, birds to mammals

5. Describe changes that are part of common life cycles

   Example: seed to flower to fruit to seed

First Grade:

1. Describe life needs of animals, including people

   Example: food, air, water, place to live

2. Classify animals according to physical characteristics

   Example: body shape, appendages

3. Trace and compare the life cycle of various organisms

   Example: frogs, grasshoppers, dogs

1. Describe similarities and differences of animals
2. Compare plants and animals in their immediate surroundings with those in other habitats
3. Classify and analyze living things by structure and function
   Example: bird's beak and what the bird eats

Indicator 2: Analyze various patterns and products of natural and induced biological change.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

1. Recognize that offspring of plants and animals are similar, but not identical to their parents or one another

   Example: pets and/or plants

2. Explore ways in which organisms react to changing conditions

   Example: animals' coats change in the winter; people sweat in hot weather and shiver in cold weather

First Grade:

1. Describe physical similarities and differences between traits of parents and their offspring

Second Grade:

1. Describe how some animals (frogs and butterflies) go through distinct stages during their lives while others generally resemble their parents through most of their lives

2. Identify behavioral and physical characteristics of plants and animals that help them survive in their habitat

Indicator 3: Analyze how organisms are linked to one another and the environment.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

1. Describe the flow of energy in a simple food chain

2. Describe ways that plants and animals depend on each other

3. Explore the habitat

First Grade:

1. Describe how seasonal changes impact life processes of plants and animals

2. Identify characteristics of plants and animals that allow them to live in specific environments

3. Describe a variety of habitats

Second Grade:

1. Explain how living things are part of a system

   Example: examine owl pellets

2. Describe how green plants produce oxygen and food, provide useful products, and benefits in the environment

3. Describe how seasonal changes affect plants, animals, and their surrounding

   Example: migration, hibernation, camouflage, adaptation, dormancy

4. Identify factors that may cause habitats to change over time

COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
K-2

Goal 2 - WRITING

Students will write effectively for different audiences and specific purposes.

Indicator 1: Students will use appropriate mechanics, usage, and conventions of language.

Grade Level Standards

First Grade:

1. Write complete sentences for a specific purpose
2. Use the writing process to create short stories, paragraphs, and poems
3. Begin sentences with capital letters and use ending punctuation in final copies
4. Use descriptive words when writing about people, places, things, and events

Second Grade:

1. Distinguish between complete and incomplete sentences.
2. Use correct grammar in a variety of sentence structures.
3. Use appropriate vocabulary and descriptive words in written work.
4. Use correct spelling of frequently used words in final copies.
5. Examine personal work and the work of others for capitalization and punctuation.

Indicator 2: Students will use appropriate style, organization, and form in technical, transactional, creative, and personal writing.

Grade Level Standards

First Grade:

2. Identify the difference between reports and stories.

Second Grade:

1. Use the writing process to generate various forms of writing, e.g., notes, letters, stories.

2. Write to accomplish different purposes, e.g., share, inform, invite.

Indicator 4: Students will write to clarify and enhance understanding of information.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

1. Gather information from pictures, books, and videos to enhance writing.

2. Create illustrations which represent information, e.g., a personal trip.

3. Create sentences or word representations to explain events.

4. Retell or restate what has been heard or seen.

First Grade:

1. Write to organize information and ideas.

2. Write to clarify what is known about different places, customs, and traditions.

3. Use writing to demonstrate understanding of various topics in science, social studies, and mathematics.

4. Use books and other media to gather information to write about life situations.

Second Grade:

1. Use information from various texts to support conclusions drawn.

2. Make judgments about information gathered.

3. Write to explain key concepts and relationships with other concepts in various subject areas.

4. Condense, combine, and order new information in written work.

COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARD
K-2

Goal 3 - LISTENING AND VIEWING

Students will use critical listening and viewing skills in various situations and for a variety of purposes.

Indicator 2: Students will interpret and evaluate ideas/information from various oral/visual sources.

Grade Level Standards

Kindergarten:

1. Recognize the difference between true and false information.

2. Identify various sources of factual information.

First Grade:

1. Distinguish between true and false information.

2. Explore ways to find factual information, e.g. encyclopedias, CD-ROM, Discovery Channel.

Second Grade:

1. Compare related information from different sources, e.g., television, videos.

2. Describe the impact of true and false information.

3. Find and use different types of information, e.g., CD-ROM, audiocassettes, Internet.

FINE ARTS STANDARD

K-2

Goal 3: VISUAL ARTS

STANDARD ONE:

Students will understand and use visual arts as means for creative self-expression and interpersonal communication.

K-2 Students will:

1. Understand that art tells stories, expresses moods, or conveys ideas.
2. Explore a variety of media to create artwork to reflect personal ideas, objects or events.
3. Explore how art is used in other activities and events.

SCIENCE STANDARDS
3-5

Goal 1 - NATURE OF SCIENCE

Students will explore, evaluate, and communicate personal and scientific investigations to understand the nature of science.

Indicator 1: Understand the nature, value, and application of scientific knowledge.

Third Grade:

2. explore characteristics of scientific ways of thinking.
3. understand that science involves asking and answering questions and comparing the results to what is already known.

Fourth Grade:

1. Use investigations in science to serve different purposes. (example: verifying previous results)

2. Identify characteristics of scientific ways of thinking.

3. Identify men and women who have revolutionized scientific thinking.

4. Explore the scientific process as identifying a problem, developing a hypothesis, experimenting, collecting data, drawing conclusions.

Fifth Grade:

1. Use investigations in science to serve different purposes. (example: comparing results)

2. Identify and model characteristics of scientific thinking.

Goal 3 - LIFE SCIENCE

Students will describe structures and attributes of living things, processes of life, and interaction with each other and the environment.

Indicator 1: Understand the fundamental structures, functions, and mechanisms found in living things

Grade Level Standards

Third Grade:

2. Identify basic structures and functions of animals.

Fourth Grade:

3. Differentiate between vertebrates and invertebrates.

Fifth Grade:

2. Use distinguishing characteristics of organisms to understand the five kingdoms     of living things. 
4. Invent classification systems that serve specific purposes.

Indicator 2: Analyze various patterns and products of natural and induced biological change.

Grade Level Standards

Third Grade:

1. Explain how behavioral and physical adaptations allow animals to respond to life needs. (example: finding shelter, defending themselves, hibernation, and camouflage)
2. Describe similarities and differences of offspring within families.

Fourth Grade:

1. Describe behavioral and structural adaptations plants and animals make to survive in a given environment.

2. Explain how a size of a population is dependent upon the available resources within its community.

Fifth Grade:

1. Associate physical characteristics with family lineage. (example: height, hair color, eye color)

FINE ARTS STANDARD

3-4

Goal 3: VISUAL ARTS

STANDARD ONE:

Students will understand and use visual arts as means for creative self-expression and interpersonal communication.

3-4 Students will:

1. Describe how visual arts tell stories or express moods or ideas*.
2. Use selected media* and processes* to express ideas or personal topics of interest.
3. Describe how visual arts media and processes can be used in other disciplines.

COMMUNICATION/LANGUAGE ARTS STANDARDS
3-5

Goal 2 - WRITING

Students will write effectively for different audiences and specific purposes.

Indicator 1: Students will use appropriate mechanics, usage, and conventions of language.

Grade Level Standards

1. Use vocabulary appropriate for the content.
2. Use grammar concepts and spelling patterns in writing, e.g., verb forms, singular/plural nouns, compounds, blends.
3. Edit final copies for capitalization and punctuation, e.g., proper nouns, end marks, commas.
4. Revise writing for clarity and focus on central ideas.
5. Use complete sentences in writing.

Indicator 3: Students will use various strategies and techniques to improve writing quality

Grade Level Standards

Third Grade:

1. Model the use of descriptive words and patterns to stimulate reader interest, e.g., rhymes, repetition.
2. Model the use of different elements of style, e.g., word choice, voice, sentence structure.
3. Examine the organization of different types of writing, e.g., short stories, plays, poems.
4. Use various types of technology for sharing, revising, and editing written work.
5. Conference with others to revise selected drafts for coherence and logical progression of ideas.
6. Use the writing process to improve written work.
7. Maintain a personal writing journal or folder.

Indicator 4: Students will write to clarify and enhance understanding of information.

Grade Level Standards

Third Grade:

1. Record and write about information gathered from interviews, videos, and cassette recordings.
2. Organize and write about information according to topic.
3. Prepare written texts which explain main ideas in information collected.
4. Write to explain what is known about selected topics