Draft Proposed Revisions, Texas Essential Knowledge And .

DRAFT Proposed RevisionsTexas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)Science, Kindergarten – Grade 2Prepared by the State Board of Education Science TEKS Streamlining CommitteesFirst Draft, September 2016These draft proposed revisions reflect the changes to the science Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) that have been recommended by State Board of Educationappointed TEKS streamlining committees for Kindergarten - Grade 2. Proposed deletions are shown in red font with strikethroughs (deletions). Text proposed to bemoved from its current student expectation is shown in purple font with strikethrough (moved text) and is shown in the proposed new location in purple font withunderlines (new text location). Recommendations to clarify language are shown in blue font with underlines (clarifying language).Comments in the right-hand column provide explanations for the proposed changes. The following notations were used as part of the explanations:CRS—information added or changed to align with the Texas College and Career Readiness Standards (CCRS)ER—information added, changed, or deleted based on expert reviewer feedbackMV—multiple viewpoints from within the committeeVA—information added, changed, or deleted to increase vertical alignmentKINDERGARTEN - GRADE 2, SCIENCE DRAFT RECOMMENDATIONS TABLE OF CONTENTSKindergarten. pages 2 - 5Grade 1 . pages 6 - 9Grade 2 . pages 10 - 14

§112.11. Science, Kindergarten, Beginning with School Year 2010-2011.Committee CommentsTEKS with edits(a)Introduction.Science, as defined by the National Academy of Sciences, is the "use of evidence to constructtestable explanations and predictions of natural phenomena, as well as the knowledge generatedthrough this process."(2)Recurring themes are pervasive in sciences, mathematics, and technology. These ideas transcenddisciplinary boundaries and include patterns, cycles, systems, models, and change and constancy.(3)The study of elementary science includes planning and safely implementing classroom and outdoorinvestigations using scientific processes, including inquiry methods, analyzing information, makinginformed decisions, and using tools to collect and record information, while addressing the majorconcepts and vocabulary, in the context of physical, earth, and life sciences. Districts are encouragedto facilitate classroom and outdoor investigations for at least 80% of instructional time.(4)In Kindergarten, students observe and describe the natural world using their five senses. Students doscience as inquiry in order to develop and enrich their abilities to understand scientific concepts andprocesses. Students develop vocabulary through their experiences investigating properties ofcommon objects, earth materials, and organisms.(A)A central theme throughout the study of scientific investigation and reasoning; matter and energy;force, motion, and energy; Earth and space; and organisms and environment is active engagement inasking questions, communicating ideas, and exploring with scientific tools. Scientific investigationand reasoning involves practicing safe procedures, asking questions about the natural world, andseeking answers to those questions through simple observations and descriptive investigations.(B)Matter is described in terms of its physical properties, including relative size and mass, shape, color,and texture. The importance of light, heat, and sound energy is identified as it relates to the students'everyday life. The location and motion of objects are explored.(C)Weather is recorded and discussed on a daily basis so students may begin to recognize patterns in theweather. Other patterns are observed in the appearance of objects in the sky.AFRConsistency: ‘Five’ was removed to beconsistent with changes made in the SEs.Mass was removed from the SE as it is notdevelopmentally appropriate. Seecomments for K(5)(A)D(D)T(1)In life science, students recognize the interdependence of organisms in the natural world. Theyunderstand that all organisms have basic needs that can be satisfied through interactions with livingand nonliving things. Students will investigate the life cycle of plants and identify likenesses betweenparents and offspring.Science, Kindergarten2

Knowledge and skills.(1)Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student conducts classroom and outdoor investigationsfollowing home and school safety procedures and uses environmentally appropriate andresponsible practices. The student is expected to:(A)identify and demonstrate safe practices as described in the Texas Safety Standards during classroomand outdoor investigations, including wearing safety goggles, washing hands, and using materialsappropriately;(B)discuss the importance of safe practices to keep self and others safe and healthy; and(C)demonstrate how to use, conserve, and dispose of natural resources and materials such as conservingwater and reusing or recycling paper, plastic, and metal.(A)(B)Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student develops abilities to ask questions and seekanswers in classroom and outdoor investigations. The student is expected to:AF(2)T(b)ask questions about organisms, objects, and events observed in the natural world;plan and conduct simple descriptive investigations such as ways objects move;(C)collect data and make observations using simple equipment such as hand lenses, primary balances,and non-standard measurement tools;(D)record and organize data and observations using pictures, numbers, and words; and(E)communicate observations with others about simple descriptive investigations.(B)(C)R(A)Redundant: ‘With others’ is not neededScientific investigation and reasoning. The student knows that information and critical thinkingare used in scientific problem solving. The student is expected to:identify and explain a problem such as the impact of littering on the playground and propose asolution in his/her own words;Clarification: ‘On the playground’ islimiting language, needs to be broader forall SEs; ‘In his/her own words’ is redundantSurvey Recommendedmake predictions based on observable patterns in nature such as the shapes of leaves; andClarification: too narrow, process standardsneed to be broad to cover all SEsD(3)Clarification: too narrow / limited scope,need to broaden to support all SEsexplore that scientists investigate different things in the natural world and use tools to help in theirinvestigations.Science, Kindergarten3

(4)Scientific investigation and reasoning. The student uses age-appropriate tools and models toinvestigate the natural world. The student is expected to:(B)use senses as a tool of observation to identify properties and patterns of organisms, objects, andevents in the environment.(5)Matter and energy. The student knows that objects have properties and patterns. The student isexpected to:observe and record properties of objects, including relative size and mass, such as bigger orsmaller, heavier or lighter shape, color, and texture; and(B)observe, record, and discuss how materials can be changed by heating or cooling.AF(A)(6)(B)explore interactions between magnets and various materials;(C)observe and describe the location of an object in relation to another such as above, below, behind, infront of, and beside; and(D)observe and describe the ways that objects can move such as in a straight line, zigzag, up and down,back and forth, round and round, and fast and slow.Ruse the five senses to explore different forms of energy such as light, heat, and sound;(C)D(B)Clarification: students do not need to tasteforms of energyEarth and space. The student knows that the natural world includes earth materials. The student isexpected to:observe, describe, and compare, and sort rocks by size, shape, color, and texture;(A)Clarification: ‘Mass’ is not developmentallyappropriate; moved to third grade.Force, motion, and energy. The student knows that energy, force, and motion are related and are apart of their everyday life. The student is expected to:(A)(7)Clarification: clocks and timers areredundant; examples for non-standardmeasuring items not needed; wind socksneeded in 1st grade not kindergartenSurvey recommended to removewindsocks.T(A)collect information using tools, including computers, hand lenses, primary balances, cups, bowls,magnets, collecting nets, and notebooks; timing devices, including clocks and timers; non-standardmeasuring items such as paper clips and clothespins; weather instruments such as demonstrationthermometers and wind socks; and materials to support observations of habitats of organisms such asterrariums and aquariums; andClarification: moved to 2nd grade to create aprogression of higher rigor. This will notaffect current instructional resources.Survey recommended this change.observe and describe physical properties of natural sources of water, including color and clarity; andgive examples of ways rocks, soil, and water are useful.Science, Kindergarten4

(8)Earth and space. The student knows that there are recognizable patterns in the natural world andamong objects in the sky. The student is expected to:(A)observe and describe weather changes from day to day and over seasons;(B)identify events that have repeating patterns, including seasons of the year and day and night; and(C)observe, describe, and illustrate objects in the sky such as the clouds, Moon, and stars, including the Sun.(A)Organisms and environments. The student knows that plants and animals have basic needs anddepend on the living and nonliving things around them for survival. The student is expected to:T(9)differentiate between living (including once living) and nonliving things based upon whether theyhave basic needs and produce offspring; andexamine evidence that living organisms have basic needs such as food, water, and shelter for animalsand air, water, nutrients, sunlight, and space for plants.(10)Organisms and environments. The student knows that organisms resemble their parents and havestructures and processes that help them survive within their environments. The student is expectedto:(A)AF(B)sort plants and animals into groups based on physical characteristics such as color, size, bodycovering, or leaf shape;Ridentify parts of plants such as roots, stem, and leaves and parts of animals such as head, eyes, andlimbs;(D)D(B)(C)Clarification: to reduce misconceptionsbetween alive/dead vs. living/non-livingSurvey recommended a clarificationMultiple Viewpoints: discussion aboutkeeping the ‘such as roots, stem, andleaves’ statement; one view is that theexamples are not needed and implied in theSE; another view is that it maintains focuson the basics and provides direction for theteacher. The majority of the committeeagreed to strike through the ‘such as’statement.The strike through of the ‘such as’statement for animals was agreed upon bythe whole committee because it is notneeded for clarification.identify ways that young plants resemble the parent plant; andobserve changes that are part of a simple life cycle of a plant: seed, seedling, plant, flower, and fruit.Science, Kindergarten5