Elementary Science Science
ElementaryScienceCore CurriculumGrades K-4THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORKTHE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENThttp://www.emsc.nysed.gov/ciai/
THE UNIVERSITY O F THE STATE O F NEW YORKRegents of The UniversityCARL T. HAYDEN, Chancellor, A.B., J.D. .DIANE O’NEILL MCGIVERN, Vice Chancellor, B.S.N., M.A., Ph.D. .ADELAIDE L. SANFORD, B.A., M.A., P.D. .SAUL B. COHEN, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.JAMES C. DAWSON, A.A., B.A., M.S., Ph.D. .ROBERT M. BENNETT, B.A., M.S. .ROBERT M. JOHNSON, B.S., J.D. .ANTHONY S. BOTTAR, B.A., J.D. .MERRYL H. TISCH, B.A., M.A. .ENA L. FARLEY, B.A., M.A., Ph.D. .GERALDINE D. CHAPEY, B.A., M.A., Ed.D. .RICARDO E. OQUENDO, B.A., J.D. .ARNOLD B. GARDNER, B.A., LL.B. .CHARLOTTE K. FRANK, B.B.A., M.S.Ed., Ph.D. .HARRY PHILLIPS, 3rd, B.A., M.S.F.S.ElmiraStaten IslandHollisNew RochellePeruTonawandaLloyd HarborSyracuseNew YorkBrockportBelle HarborBronxBuffaloNew YorkHartsdalePresident of The University and Commissioner of EducationRICHARD P. MILLSChief Operating OfficerRICHARD H. CATEDeputy Commissioner for Elementary, Middle, Secondary, and ContinuingEducationJAMES A. KADAMUSAssistant Commissioner for Curriculum, Instruction, and AssessmentROSEANNE DEFABIOThe State Education Department does not discriminate on the basis of age, color, religion, creed, dis ability, marital status, veteran status, national origin, race, gender, genetic predisposition or carrier sta tus, or sexual orientation in its educational programs, services, and activities. Portions of this publica tion can be made available in a variety of formats, including braille, large print or audio tape, uponrequest. Inquiries concerning this policy of nondiscrimination should be directed to the Department’sOffice for Diversity, Ethics, and Access, Room 152, Education Building, Albany, NY 12234.
CONTENTSAcknowledgments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .ivCore Curriculum . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Standard 1: Analysis, Inquiry, and Design . . . . . . . . .5Standard 4: The Physical Setting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Standard 4: The Living Environment . . . . . . . . . . . .17Appendix . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24Elementary Scienceiii
ACKNOWLEDGMENTSThe State Education Department acknowledges the assistance of teachers, school administrators, and science spe cialists at Boards of Cooperative Educational Services from across New York State. In particular, the State EducationDepartment would like to thank:Fred ArnoldRon BensonJulie Kane BrinkmannDenise M. BrownSue CerritoMichael DoyleRonnie FederRita FicoMichael S. FloodJanet HawkesFrances Scelsi HessMichael JabotSandra JenoureSandra LatourelleLaura LehtonenGin Gee MoyV. Dolly Narain KranzSusan RiversElizabeth RoystonDoug SchmidAndrea SheaMichael SimonsCarolyn SmithMary Jean SyrekRose VillaniMonroe 2 Orleans BOCES, SpencerportMill Middle School, WilliamsvilleState University College, New PaltzCommunity School District #27, New York CityGlen-Worden Elementary School, ScotiaCattaraugus-Allegany BOCES, OleanCommunity School District #25, New York CityQueens Multidisciplinary Resource Center, New York CityOnondaga-Cortland-Madison BOCES, SyracuseNew York Agriculture in the Classroom, Cornell UniversityCooperstown High School, CooperstownOneida High School, OneidaCommunity School District #4, New York CityState University College, PlattsburghAlbany-Schoharie-Schenectady-Saratoga BOCES, AlbanyCommunity School District #2, New York CityK–12 Science Consultant, New York StateLincoln Elementary School, ScotiaNassau BOCES, WestburyWestern Suffolk BOCES, SmithtownOgden Elementary School, Valley StreamIthaca City School District, IthacaEnlarged City School District, TroyDr. Charles R. Drew Science Magnet, BuffaloCommunity School District #11, New York CityThe project manager for the development of the Elementary Science Core Curriculum was Elise Russo, Associate inScience Education, with content and assessment support provided by Judy Pinsonnault, Associate in EducationTesting, and Diana K. Harding, Associate in Science Education. Special thanks go to Jan Christman for technicalexpertise and to Mike Simons, Ithaca City School District, for preliminary drafts of the document.Additional thanks go to Jeff Arnold, instructor and Carla Borelli, Monica Mihalacs, Mary Ann Scime, KristinWukovite, and Melissa Krawcyyk, students at Daemen College, for matrix assistance and concept maps.ivElementary Science
ElementaryScienceCore Curriculum
2Elementary Science
PREFACEWhy is there a core curriculum?The Elementary Science Core Curriculum has been writtento assist teachers and supervisors as they prepare curric ula, daily instruction, and assessment for the elementarylevel (grades K, 1, 2, 3, and 4) content and skills ofStandards 1, 2, 4, 6, and 7 of the New York State LearningStandards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology.What is the core curriculum?The Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, andTechnology identifies key ideas and performance indica tors. Key ideas are broad, unifying, general statements ofwhat students need to know. The performance indicatorsfor each idea are statements of what students should beable to do to provide evidence that they understand thekey ideas. As part of this continuum, this core curriculumguide presents major understandings that give more spe cific detail to the concepts underlying each performanceindicator.Features: This core curriculum is not a syllabus. The focus is on conceptual understanding in theguide and is consistent with the approaches in theNational Science Education Standards and Benchmarksfor Science Literacy: Project 2061. This is a guide for the preparation of elementarylevel curriculum, daily instruction, and assessment,the beginning stage in a K–12 continuum of scienceeducation. This core curriculum specifically addresses only thecontent and skills to be tested by State examina tions.Applications of the core curriculum: This core curricu lum reflects only a portion of the content to be covered inan elementary science program. It is expected that addi tional content will be supplied locally. This core curricu lum reflects the content that must be addressed at the ele mentary level. Content in this document, especially themajor understandings, can appear on State examinations.A core curriculum allows teachers the flexibility and pro fessional freedom to expand upon and develop instruc tion that addresses the New York State Learning Standardsfor Mathematics, Science, and Technology at the appropriatelevel for their students. Since this core curriculum con tains less than 100% of the content, the time required toteach can vary with the needs of individual students(especially in terms of remediation or acceleration).Elementary ScienceThe elementary science program should emphasize ahands-on and minds-on approach to learning. Studentslearn effectively when they are actively engaged in thediscovery process, often working in small groups.Experiences should provide students with opportunitiesto interact as directly as possible with the natural worldin order to construct explanations about their world. Thisapproach will allow students to practice problem-solvingskills, develop positive science attitudes, learn new sci ence content, and increase their scientific literacy.Children’s natural curiosity leads them to explore thenatural world. They should be provided opportunities tohave direct experience with common objects, materials,and living things in their environments. Less important isthe memorization of specialized terminology and techni cal details. Good instruction focuses on understandingimportant relationships, processes, mechanisms, andapplications of concepts. Future assessments will teststudents’ ability to explain, analyze, and interpret scien tific processes and phenomena more than their ability torecall specific facts. It is hoped that the general nature ofthese statements will encourage the teaching of sciencefor understanding, instead of for memorization. Teachersare encouraged to help their students find concepts thatinterconnect many of the key ideas to each other.It is hoped that the units designed using this core curricu lum will prepare our students to explore the most impor tant ideas about our physical setting and our living envi ronment. Scientifically literate students understand thebasic concepts and processes and can apply them in reallife situations. The science educators throughout NewYork State who collaborated on the writing of this guidebelieve that curricula based on this guide will contributeto the scientific literacy of all students.Investigations: Critical to understanding scienceconcepts is the use of scientific inquiry to develop expla nations of natural phenomena. Therefore, it isrecommended that students have the opportunity todevelop their skills of mathematical analysis, scientificinquiry, and engineering design through investigationson a regular basis in grades K, 1, 2, 3, and 4. Active inves tigations will nurture student curiosity and developpositive attitudes toward science which will last alifetime.3
INQUIRY AND PROCESS SKILLSBASED ON ALL STANDARDSIt should be a goal of the instructor to foster the development of science process skills. The application of theseskills allows students to investigate important issues in the world around them.Inquiry-based units will include many or most of the following process skills. These process skills should beincorporated into students’ instruction as developmentally appropriate.Classifying – arranging or distributing objects, events, or information representing objects or events in classesaccording to some method or systemCommunicating – giving oral and written explanations or graphic representations of observationsComparing and contrasting – identifying similarities and differences between or among objects, events, data,systems, etc.Creating models – displaying information, using multisensory representationsGathering and organizing data – collecting information about objects and events which illustrate a specificsituationGeneralizing – drawing general conclusions from particularsIdentifying variables – recognizing the characteristics of objects or factors in events that are constant or changeunder different conditionsInferring – drawing a conclusion based on prior experiencesInterpreting data – analyzing data that have been obtained and organized by determining apparent patterns orrelationships in the dataMaking decisions – identifying alternatives and choosing a course of action from among the alternatives afterbasing the judgment for the selection on justifiable reasonsManipulating materials – handling or treating materials and equipment safely, skillfully, and effectivelyMeasuring – making quantitative observations by comparing to a conventional or nonconventional standardObserving – becoming aware of an object or event by using any of the senses (or extensions of the senses) toidentify propertiesPredicting – making a forecast of future events or conditions expected to existNote: As an example, these processes are applied in the three key ideas in Standard 1, which outline scientific inquiry. Inquirymay proceed in a cyclical pattern, with students moving from Key Idea 1 to Key Idea 3 and back to 1 again.4Elementary Science
PROCESS SKILLSBASED ON STANDARDS 1, 2, 6, AND 7:Science process skills should be based on a series of discoveries. Students learn most effectively when they have acentral role in the discovery process. To that end, Standards 1, 2, 6, and 7 incorporate in the Elementary ScienceCore Curriculum a student-centered, problem-solving approach to intermediate science. The following is anexpanded version of the skills found in Standards 1, 2, 6, and 7 of the Learning Standards for Mathematics,Science, and Technology. This list is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of the content or skills that teachersare expected to incorporate into their curriculum. It should be a goal of the instructor to encourage science processskills that will provide students with background and curiosity sufficient to prompt investigation of importantissues in the world around them.Note: the use of e.g. denotes examples which may be used for in-depth study. The terms for example and such as denotematerial which is testable. Items in paranthesis denote further definition of the word(s) preceding the item and are testable.STANDARD 1—Analysis, Inquiry, and DesignStudents will use mathematical analysis, scientific inquiry, and engineering design, as appropriate, to posequestions, seek answers, and develop solutions.STANDARD 1Analysis, Inquiry,and DesignMATHEMATICALANALYSIS:Key Idea 1:Abstraction and symbolic representation are used to communicate mathematically.M1.1 Use special mathematical notation and symbolism to communicate in mathematicsand to compare and describe quantities, express relationships, and relate mathematics to their immediate environment.M1.1a Use plus, minus, greater than, less than, equal to, multiplication, and divi sion signsM1.1b Select the appropriate operation to solve mathematical problemsM1.1c Apply mathematical skills to describe the natural worldKey Idea 2:Deductive and inductive reasoning are used to reach mathematical conclusions.M2.1 Use simple logical reasoning to develop conclusions, recognizing that patterns andrelationships present in the environment assist them in reaching these conclusions.M2.1a Explain verbally, graphically, or in writing the reasoning used to developmathematical conclusionsM2.1b Explain verbally, graphically, or in writing patterns and relationshipsobserved in the physical and living environmentKey Idea 3:Critical thinking skills are used in the solution of mathematical problems.M3.1 Explore and solve problems generated from school, home, and community situa tions, using concrete objects or manipulative materials when possible.M3.1a Use appropriate scientific tools, such as metric rulers, spring scale, panbalance, graph paper, thermometers [Fahrenheit and Celsius], graduatedcylinder to solve problems about the natural worldElementary Science5
STANDARD 1Analysis, Inquiry,and DesignKey Idea 1:The central purpose of scientific inquiry is to develop explanations of natural phenomenain a continuing, creative process.S1.1 Ask "why" questions in attempts to seek greater understanding concerning objectsSCIENTIFIC INQUIRY:and events they have observed and heard about.S1.1a Observe and discuss objects and events and record observationsS1.1b Articulate appropriate questions based on observationsS1.2 Question the explanations they hear from others and read about, seeking clarifica tion and comparing them with their own observations and understandings.S1.2a Identify similarities and differences between explanations received fromothers or in print and personal observations or understandingsS1.3 Develop relationships among observations to construct descriptions of objects andevents and to form their own tentative explanations of what they have observed.S1.3a Clearly express a tentative explanation or description which can be testedKey Idea 2:Beyond the use of reasoning and consensus, scientific inquiry involves the testing of pro posed explanations involving the use of conventional techniques and procedures and usu ally requiring considerable ingenuity.S2.1 Develop written plans for exploring phenomena or for evaluating explanationsguided by questions or proposed explanations they have helped formulate.S2.1a Indicate materials to be used and steps to follow to conduct the investiga tion and describe how data will be recorded (journal, dates and times, etc.)S2.2 Share their research plans with others and revise them based on their suggestions.S2.2a Explain the steps of a plan to others, actively listening to their suggestionsfor possible modification of the plan, seeking clarification and understand ing of the suggestions and modifying the plan where appropriateS2.3 Carry out their plans for exploring phenomena through direct observation andthrough the use of simple instruments that permit measurement of quantities, such aslength, mass, volume, temperature, and time.S2.3a Use appropriate "inquiry and process skills" to collect dataS2.3b Record observations accurately and conciselyKey Idea 3:The observations made while testing proposed explanations, when analyzed using conven tional and invented methods, provide new insights into phenomena.S3.1 Organize observations and measurements of objects and events through classifica tion and the preparation of simple charts and tables.S3.1a Accurately transfer data from a science journal or notes to appropriategraphic organizerS3.2 Interpret organized observations and measurements, recognizing simple patterns,sequences, and relationships.S3.2a State, orally and in writing, any inferences or generalizations indicated bythe data collectedS3.3 Share their findings with others and actively seek their interpretations and ideas.S3.3a Explain their findings to others, and actively listen to suggestions forpossible interpretations and ideasS3.4 Adjust their explanations and understandings of objects and events based on theirfindings and new ideas.S3.4a State, orally and in writing, any inferences or generalizations indicated bythe data, with appropriate modifications of their originalprediction/explanationS3.4b State, orally and in writing, any new questions that arise from theirinvestigation6Elementary Science
STANDARD 1Analysis, Inquiry,and Design:ENGINEERINGDESIGN:Elementary ScienceKey Idea 1:Engineering design is an iterative process involving modeling and optimization (findingthe best solution within given constraints); this process is used to develop technologicalsolutions to problems within given constraints.T1.1 Describe objects, imaginary or real, that might be modeled or made differently andsuggest ways in which the objects can be changed, fixed, or improved.T1.1a Identify a simple/common object which might be improved and state thepurpose of the improvementT1.1b Identify features of an object that help or hinder the performance of the objectT1.1c Suggest ways the object can be made differently, fixed, or improved withingiven constraintsT1.2 Investigate prior solutions and ideas from books, magazines, family, friends,neighbors, and community members.T1.2a Identify appropriate questions to ask about the design of an objectT1.2b Identify the appropriate resources to use to find out about the design of anobjectT1.2cDescribe prior designs of the objectT1.3 Generate ideas for possible solutions, individually and through group activity;apply age-appropriate mathematics and science skills; evaluate the ideas and deter mine the best solution; and explain reasons for the choices.T1 3a List possible solutions, applying age-appropriate math and science skillsT1.3b Develop
Core Curriculum a student-centered, problem-solving approach to intermediate science. The following is an expanded version of the skills found in Standards 1, 2, 6, and 7 of the Learning Standards for Mathematics, Science, and Technology.
Atascocita Springs Elementary Elementary School Bear Branch Elementary Elementary School Deerwood Elementary Elementary School Eagle Springs Elementary Elementary School Elm Grove Elementary El
Stephen K. Hayt Elementary School Helen M. Hefferan Elementary School Charles R. Henderson Elementary School Patrick Henry Elementary School Charles N. Holden Elementary School Charles Evans Hughes Elementary School Washington Irving Elementary School Scott Joplin Elementary School Jordan Community School Joseph Jungman Elementary School
Coltrane-Webb Elementary School Cone Elementary School Cox Mill High School Creedmoor Elementary School . Creswell Elementary School D. F. Walker Elementary School Dixon Elementary School Drexel Elementary School East Albemarle Elementary School East Arcadia Elementary School East Robeson Primary
P-3 Any Science covering -3, K6, P 12 0460 03 Elementary Science (Grade 3) Generalist: Any Science covering elementary/ primary school setting Elementary Kindergarten/Primary Science Endorsement (1-9) Any Science covering elementary/ primary school setting Elementary Generalist K-6 Early Childhood Education P-3 Any
Oct 18, 2008 · Jack Gordon Elementary Goulds Elementary Gulfstream Elementary Miami Heights Elementary Pine Lake Elementary South Miami Heights Elementary Dr. Edward Whigham Elementary Whispering Pines Elementary Cutler Bay Senior
high, john c riley elementary, kate sullivan elementary, killearn lakes elementary, lawton m chiles senior high, lcsb facilities, maintenance & construction compound, leon senior high, lewis m lively technical . bond elementary school, buck lake elementary, canopy oaks elementary, chaires elementary, chaires elementary pre-kindergarten .
Oak Park Elementary School Henry C. Cowherd Middle School C. I. Johnson Elementary School John Gates Elementary School L.D. Brady Elementary School Mabel O'Donnell Elem. School Rose E. Krug Elementary School W.S. Beaupre Elementary School Aurora West USD 129 Freeman Elementary School Greenman Elementary
g. holmes braddock senior high school middle schools w.r. thomas middle school paul bell middle howard mcmillan middle elementary schools bent tree elementary greenglade elementary royal green elementary zoral neal hurston elementary ethel k. beckham elementary joe hall elementary vil
