Physical Sciences
1. Energy and matter have multiple forms and can be changed from
one form to another.
As a basis for understanding this concept,
students know:
a. energy comes from the sun to the Earth in the form of
light.
b. sources of stored energy take many forms, such as
food, fuel, and batteries.
c. machines and living things convert stored energy to
motion and heat.
d. energy can be carried from one place to another by
waves, such as water waves and sound, by electric
current, and by moving objects.
e. matter has three forms: solid, liquid
and gas.
f. evaporation and melting are changes that occur
when the objects are heated.
g. when two or more substances are combined a new
substance may be formed that can have properties that
are different from those of the original materials.
h. all matter is made of small particles called atoms, too
small to see with our eyes.
i. people once thought that earth, wind, fire, and water
were the basic elements that made up all matter.
Science experiments show that there are over 100
different types of atoms which are displayed on the
Periodic Table of the Elements.
2. Light has a source and travels in a direction.
As a basis for
understanding this concept, students know:
a. sunlight can be blocked to create
shadows.
b. light is reflected from mirrors and
other surfaces.
c. the color of light striking an object
affects how our eyes see it.
d. we see objects when light traveling
from an object enters our eye.
Life Sciences
3. Adaptations in physical structure or behavior may improve an
organism's chance for survival.
As a basis for understanding this
concept, students know:
a. plants and animals have structures that serve
different functions in growth, survival, and reproduction.
b. examples of diverse life forms in different
environments, such as oceans, deserts, tundra, forests,
grasslands, and wetlands.
c. living things cause changes in the environment
where they live; some of these changes are detrimental
to the organism or other organisms, whereas others
are beneficial.
d. when the environment changes, some plants and
animals survive and reproduce, and others die or move
to new locations.
e. some kinds of organisms that once lived on Earth
have completely disappeared; some of these
resembled others that are alive today.
Earth Sciences
4. Objects in the sky move in regular and predictable patterns.
As a
basis for understanding this concept, students know:
a. the patterns of stars stay the same, although they
appear to move across the sky nightly, and different
stars can be seen in different seasons.
b. how the moon's appearance changes during the
four-week lunar cycle.
c. telescopes magnify the appearance of some distant
objects in the sky, including the moon and the planets.
The number of stars that can be seen through
telescopes is dramatically greater than can be seen by
the unaided eye.
d. the Earth is one of several planets that orbit the sun,
and the moon orbits the Earth.
e. the position of the sun in the sky changes during the
course of the day and from season to season.
Investigation and Experimentation
5. Scientific progress is made by asking meaningful questions and
conducting careful investigations.
As a basis for understanding this
concept, and to address the content the other three strands, students
should develop their own questions and perform investigations.
Students will:
a. repeat observations to improve accuracy, and know
that the results of similar scientific investigations
seldom turn out exactly the same because of
differences in the things being investigated, methods
being used, or uncertainty in the observation.
b. differentiate evidence from opinion, and know that
scientists do not rely on claims or conclusions unless
they are backed by observations that can be confirmed.
c. use numerical data in describing and comparing
objects, events and measurements.
d. predict the outcome of a simple investigation, and
compare the result to the prediction.
e. collect data in an investigation
and analyze them to develop a
logical conclusion.