ESS1: The earth and earth materials as we know them today have developed over long periods of time, through continual change processes.

ESS1.1a: describing, comparing, and sorting rocks, soils, and minerals by similar or different physical properties (e.g., size, shape, color, texture, smell, weight, temperature, hardness, composition).

Mineral Identification

ESS1.1b: recording and analyzing observations/data about physical properties (e.g., within a grouping, which characteristics are the same and which are different).

Mineral Identification

ESS1.5b: describing water as it changes into vapor in the air and reappears as a liquid when it's cooled.

Phases of Water

ESS1.5c: explaining how this cycle of water relates to weather and the formation of clouds.

Water Cycle

ESS2: The earth is part of a solar system, made up of distinct parts that have temporal and spatial interrelationships.

ESS2.7a: observing that the sun, moon, and stars appear to move slowly across the sky.

Phases of the Moon

ESS2.7b: observing that the moon looks slightly different from day to day, but looks the same again in about 4 weeks.

Phases of the Moon

ESS2.7c: recognizing that the rotation of the Earth on its axis every 24 hours produces the day/night cycle.

Seasons Around the World
Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun

ESS2.8a: recognizing that: the sun is the center of our solar system; the Earth is one of several planets that orbits the sun; and the moon orbits the Earth.

Eclipse
Phases of the Moon

ESS2.8b: recognizing that it takes approximately 365 days for the Earth to orbit the sun.

Gravity Pitch
Orbital Motion - Kepler's Laws

LS1: All living organisms have identifiable structures and characteristics that allow for survival (organisms, populations, & species).

LS1.1a: citing evidence to distinguish between living and non-living things.

Pond Ecosystem

LS1.2a: observing that plants need water, air, food, light and space to grow and reproduce; observing that animals need water, air, food, and shelter/space to grow and reproduce.

Growing Plants

LS2: Matter cycles and energy flows through an ecosystem.

LS2.6a: demonstrating in a food web that all animals' food begins with the sun.

Forest Ecosystem

LS4: Humans are similar to other species in many ways, and yet are unique among Earth's life forms.

LS4.9a: identifying similarities that are inherited from a biological parent.

Inheritance

LS4.9b: identifying that some behaviors are learned and some behaviors are instinctive.

Reverse the Field

PS1: All living and nonliving things are composed of matter having characteristic properties that distinguish one substance from another (independent of size or amount of substance).

PS1.1a: identifying, comparing, and sorting objects by similar or different physical properties (e.g., size, shape, color, texture, smell, weight, temperature, flexibility).

Mineral Identification
Weight and Mass

PS1.2c: making logical predictions about the changes in the state of matter when adding or taking away heat (e.g., ice melting, water boiling or freezing, condensation/evaporation).

Phases of Water

PS2: Energy is necessary for change to occur in matter. Energy can be stored, transferred, and transformed, but cannot be destroyed.

PS2.4a: experimenting to identify and classify different pitches and volumes of sounds produced by different objects.

Longitudinal Waves

PS2.4d: drawing, diagramming, building, and explaining a complete electrical circuit.

Circuit Builder

PS2.5a: investigating observable effects of light using a variety of light sources (e.g., light travels in a straight line until it interacts with an object, blocked light rays produce shadows).

Basic Prism

PS2.5b: predicting, describing, and investigating how light rays are reflected, refracted, or absorbed.

Basic Prism
Color Absorption
Heat Absorption

PS2.6a: describing how heat moves from warm objects to cold objects until both objects are the same temperature.

Conduction and Convection

PS2.6b: showing that heat moves from one object to another causing temperature change (e.g., when land heats up it warms the air).

Calorimetry Lab
Conduction and Convection
Heat Absorption
Radiation

PS3: The motion of an object is affected by forces.

PS3.8a: using prior knowledge and investigating to predict whether or not an object will be attracted to a magnet.

Magnetism

PS3.8b: describing what happens when like and opposite poles of a magnet are placed near each other.

Magnetism

PS3.8c: exploring relative strength of magnets (e.g., size of magnets, number of magnets, properties of materials).

Magnetic Induction
Magnetism