The Bosque Education Guide: Education Standards

Science Part 2: 2003 Content Standard, Benchmarks and Performance Standards

A: Kindergarten through Grade Four

Strand II

Strand II: Content of Science

  
Standard I (Physical Science): Understand the structure and properties of matter, the characteristics of energy, and the interactions between matter and energy.
Activity Number*
K-4 Benchmark I: Recognize that matter has different forms and properties.  
K 1. Observe that objects are made of different types of materials (e.g., metal, plastic, cloth, wood). 2, 3, 29
2. Observe that different materials have different properties (e.g., color, odor). 2, 3, 29
1 1. Observe that the three states of matter (i.e., solids, liquids, and gases) have different properties (e.g., water can be liquid, ice, or steam). 13, 30
2. Describe simple properties of matter (e.g., hardness, flexibility, transparency). 30
2 1. Observe that properties of substances can change when they are mixed, cooled, or heated (e.g., salt dissolves in water, ice melts). 26
2. Describe the changes that occur when substances are heated or cooled and change from one state of matter to another (i.e., solid, liquid, and gas). 26
3 2. Separate mixtures based on properties (e.g., by size or by substance; rocks and sand, iron filings and sand, salt and sand). 26, 32
4 1. Know that changes to matter may be chemical or physical and when two or more substances are combined, a new substance may be formed with properties that are different from those of the original substances (e.g., white glue and borax, cornstarch and water, vinegar and baking soda). 26
2. Know that materials are made up of small particles (atoms and molecules) that are too small to see with the naked eye. 26, 30
3. Know that the mass of the same amount of material remains constant whether it is together, in parts, or in a different state. 29, 32
K-4 Benchmark II: Know that energy is needed to get things done and that energy has different forms.  
K 1. Observe how energy does things (e.g., batteries, the sun, wind, electricity). 2, 3
1 5. Recognize that moving objects carry energy (kinetic energy). 13, 26, 32 13, 26, 32
3 2. Know that light travels in a straight line until it strikes an object and then it is reflected, refracted, or absorbed. 2
4 2. Recognize that energy can be stored in many ways (e.g., potential energy in gravity or springs, chemical energy in batteries). 26
K-4 Benchmark III: Identify forces and describe the motion of objects.  
K 1. Observe that things move in many different ways (e.g., straight line, vibration, circular). 7, 8, 13, 20, 26, 30, 32
2. Know that the position and motion of an object (direction or speed) are changed by pushing or pulling it. 26, 32
1 1. Describe ways to make things move, what causes them to stop, and what causes a change of speed, or change of direction. 32
2. Observe that gravity makes things fall to the ground unless something holds them up. 26, 29, 30, 32
2 1. Describe how the strength of a push or pull affects the change in an object’s motion (e.g., how a big or small push affects how high a swing rises). 26
3 4. Describe motion on different time scales (e.g., the slow motion of a plant toward light, the fast motion of a tuning fork). 26
4 1. Know that energy can be carried from one place to another by waves (e.g., water waves, sound waves), by electric currents, and by moving objects. 13
2. Describe the motion of an object by measuring its change of position over a period of time. 26, 32
3. Describe that gravity exerts more force on objects with greater mass (e.g., it takes more force to hold up a heavy object than a lighter one). 26
4. Describe how some forces act on contact and other forces act at a distance (e.g., a person pushing a rock versus gravity acting on a rock). 26
Standard II (Life Science): Understand the properties, structures, and processes of living things and the interdependence of living things and their environments  
K-4 Benchmark I: Know that living things have diverse forms, structures, functions, and habitats.  
K 1. Identify major structures of common living organisms (e.g., stems, leaves, and roots of plants; arms, wings, and legs of animals). 1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 20
2. Observe that differences exist among individual living organisms (e.g., plants, animals) of the same kind. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20
1 1. Know that living organisms (e.g., plants, animals) have needs (e.g., water, air, food, sunlight). 2, 3, 6, 10, 12, 14, 15, 19, 23, 40
2. Know that living organisms (e.g., plants, animals) inhabit various environments and have various external features to help them satisfy their needs (e.g., leaves, legs, claws). 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20, 23, 40
3. Describe the differences and similarities among living organisms (e.g., plants, animals). 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 20
4. Observe that living organisms (e.g., plants, animals) have predictable but varied life cycles. 3, 6, 10, 12, 14, 15
2 1. Observe that diversity exists among individuals within a population. 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19, 20, 23, 40
3 1. Know that an adaptation in physical structure or behavior can improve an organism’s chance for survival (e.g., horned toads, chameleons, cacti, mushrooms). 20
2. Observe that plants and animals have structures that serve different functions (e.g., shape of animals’ teeth). 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20
3. Classify common animals according to their observable characteristics (e.g., body coverings, structure). 2, 3, 7, 8, 15, 20
4. Classify plants according to their characteristics (e.g., tree leaves, flowers, seeds). 2, 3, 6, 10, 12, 20
4 1. Explain that different living organisms have distinctive structures and body systems that serve specific functions (e.g., walking, flying, swimming). 6, 7, 8, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 23
2. Know that humans and other living things have senses to help them detect stimuli, and that sensations (e.g., hunger) and stimuli (e.g., changes in the environment) influence the behavior of organisms. 7, 8, 10, 12, 20, 23
3. Describe how roots are associated with the intake of water and soil nutrients and green leaves are associated with making food from sunlight (photosynthesis). 10, 12, 14, 17
4. Describe the components of and relationships among organisms in a food chain (e.g., plants are the primary source of energy for living systems). 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 19, 20, 40
5. Describe how all living things are made up of smaller units that are called cells. 10
K-4 Benchmark II: Know that living things have similarities and differences and that living things change over time.  
K 1. Observe and describe similarities and differences in the appearance and behavior of living organisms (e.g., plants, animals). 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 19, 23
2. Observe that living organisms (e.g., plants, animals) closely resemble their parents. 10, 12
1 1. Identify differences between living and nonliving things. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6
2. Recognize the differences between mature and immature plants and animals (e.g., trees/seedlings, dogs/puppies, cats/kittens). 2, 3, 6, 10, 12, 14, 15, 20
2 1. Explain that stages of the life cycle are different for different animals (e.g., mouse, cat, horse, butterfly, frog). 7, 8, 15, 19, 20, 23
2. Observe that many characteristics of the offspring of living organisms (e.g., plants or animals) are inherited from their parents. 10, 12, 15
3. Observe how the environment influences some characteristics of living things (e.g., amount of sunlight required for plant growth). 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 23, 40
3 1. Identify how living things cause changes to the environments in which they live, and that some of these changes are detrimental to the organism and some are beneficial. 2, 3, 6, 14, 15, 17, 19, 29, 38, 40
2. Know that some kinds of organisms that once lived on Earth have become extinct (e.g., dinosaurs) and that others resemble those that are alive today (e.g., alligators, sharks). 15, 19, 25
4 1. Know that in any particular environment some kinds of plants and animals survive well, some survive less well, and others cannot survive at all. 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 20, 23, 40
2. Know that a change in physical structure or behavior can improve an organism’s chance of survival (e.g., a chameleon changes color, a turtle pulls its head into its shell, a plant grows toward the light). 7, 8, 15, 20
3. Describe how some living organisms have developed characteristics from generation to generation to improve chances of survival (e.g., spines on cacti, long beaks on hummingbirds, good eyesight on hawks). 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 14, 15, 19, 20, 23, 25
K-4 Benchmark III: Know the parts of the human body and their functions.  
K 1. Use the senses (e.g., sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) to observe surroundings, and describe the observations. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 15, 32
Standard III (Earth and Space Science): Understand the structure of Earth, the solar system, and the universe, the interconnections among them, and the processes and interactions of Earth’s systems.  
K-4 Benchmark I: Know the structure of the solar system and the objects in the universe.  
3 1. Describe the objects in the solar system (e.g., sun, Earth and other planets, moon) and their features (e.g., size, temperature). 25
K-4 Benchmark II: Know the structure and formation of Earth and its atmosphere and the processes that shape them.  
K 1. Observe that changes in weather occur from day to day and season to season. 12, 29
2. Observe that the sun warms the land and water and they warm the air. 3, 12, 29
1 1. Know that simple tools can be used to measure weather conditions (e.g., thermometer, wind sock, hand held anemometer, rain gauge) and that measurements can be recorded from day to day and across seasons. 29
2. Know that there are different climates (e.g., desert, arctic, rainforest). 3, 6, 10, 12, 14, 15, 17, 25, 26, 29
2 1. Know that rocks have different shapes and sizes (e.g., boulders, pebbles, sand) and that smaller rocks result from the breaking and weathering of larger rocks. 13, 26, 32
2. Understand that rocks are made of materials with distinct properties. 26
3. Know that soil is made up of weathered rock and organic materials, and that soils differ in their capacity to support the growth of plants. 3, 10, 12, 14, 17
4. Recognize the characteristics of the seasons. 3, 10, 12, 13, 14, 23, 29
3 1. Know that Earth’s features are constantly changed by a combination of slow and rapid processes that include the action of volcanoes, earthquakes, mountain building, biological changes, erosion, and weathering. 13, 17, 25, 26, 27, 32
2. Know that fossils are evidence of earlier life and provide data about plants and animals that lived long ago. 25, 26
3. Know that air takes up space, is colorless, tasteless, and odorless, and exerts a force. 29
4. Identify how water exists in the air in different forms (e.g., in clouds and fog as tiny droplets; in rain, snow, and hail) and changes from one form to another through various processes (e.g., freezing/condensation, precipitation, evaporation). 12, 13, 17, 29, 30
4 1. Know that the properties of rocks and minerals reflect the processes that shaped them (i.e., igneous, metamorphic, and sedimentary rocks). 25, 26, 27, 32
2. Describe how weather patterns generally move from west to east in the United States. 13, 17, 29
3. Know that local weather information describes patterns of change over a period of time (e.g., temperature, precipitation symbols, cloud conditions, wind speed/direction). 29

 

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