Systems and System Models

In this unit, students explore science phenomena related to life forms that live on Earth, analyzing the cellular structures that make up complex organisms and how different groups of cells work together to keep the organism functioning properly. In this lesson, students test the effect of sucrose concentration on the heart rate of daphnia, observing how different organ systems work together. This page provides a high-level extract of this lesson.

In this unit, students analyze how living things have specific structures that allow them to function in different environments. They trace how energy flows through a tropical wetland food web, and then test how temperature affects a plant’s ability to transpire through its leaves, affecting its ability to grow. This page is a high-level extract of this lesson on plant structures. 

In this unit, students analyze the phenomena that have shaped Earth’s surface, analyzing how gravitational energy moves glaciers, which have sculpted the land over time. This page showcases elements of the first lesson which focuses on glacier motion.

In this unit, students connect their explorations of Earth and life sciences with physical sciences with an exploration into the science phenomena of magnetism and electricity. They investigate magnetic fields and electromagnets in this lesson. This page showcases key parts of this lesson.

In this unit, students focus on the phenomena of rocky shore ecosystems and the science phenomena of how organisms interact. For this lesson, students analyze how adaptations allow for the survival of different organisms, specifically sea star structures. This is a high-level extract of this lesson.

In this unit, students explore how communication systems transmit information from one person or place to another. In this lesson, students use what they know about the science phenomena of electromagnets and magnetic fields to design a speaker, a common decoding device in many audio technologies. This page highlights key components of this lesson.

In the second unit of Kindergarten, students explore living things and discover what plants and animals need to survive. This page provides a snapshot of lesson five which has students conducting a class experiment with bean plants to observe what they need to live and grow.

In this Life Science unit, students explore living things and discover what plants and animals need to survive and thrive. During this portion of the unit, the focus shifts from plants to animals as students begin to explore animal habitats. 

In this unit, students are introduced to living things on Earth. They begin by exploring the differences between living and nonliving things and then investigate what plants and animals need to survive by watching bean plants grow and observing a cricket in its habitat. They then create a model to show how living things depend on other living things and their environment to survive, and can change their environment to help them get what they need.

In this unit, students analyze the science phenomena of the important role that oceans play in regulating Earth’s climate. In this lesson, they focus on how oceans interact with other Earth systems to distribute water and heat around the planet, resulting in various weather patterns, including hurricanes. This page highlights key components of this lesson.

In this unit, students analyze how matter cycles between the living and nonliving parts of an ecosystem. They compare plant and animal cells, figuring out how internal structures help an organism get energy. Then, in this lesson, students figure out how energy flows and matter cycles through a food web, and investigate the phenomena of how plants convert non-food sources, such as light, air, and water, into food sources. This page showcases key elements of this lesson.

In this unit, students explore the science phenomena of the interdependence of living things and their environment as they analyze how individual organisms are suited to their particular environment. In this lesson, students evaluate how Earth’s biomes have changed over geologic time, studying fossils for clues of the past. 

In this unit, students discover the life cycles of different organisms, tracing how individuals move from birth to growth, reproduction, and death. In this lesson, students analyze the science phenomena of how traits are passed down from parent to offspring. This page provides an overview of all the parts of this lesson. 

In this unit, students explore science phenomena including the processes that shape Earth’s surface. In this lesson, they figure out how weathering and erosion affect different categories of rocks. This page highlights key components of this lesson.

In this unit, students analyze the phenomena of Earth’s interacting systems, focusing on how the hydrosphere interacts with and is influenced by the other systems. In this lesson, students graph and model the distribution of fresh water and salt water on Earth and use a physical model to analyze how fresh water moves and becomes salty. This page showcases each section of this lesson.