Science Curriculum
Grade K: Unit One
FOSS Animals Two by Two
1|P a g e Course Description
This objective of this course is to introduce students to the conceptual ideas of physical, earth, and life science. Students will be introduced to the
characteristics of land and our Earth. Students will further their exploration and study: classifications of rocks, the air, living and non-living objects,
and natural resources. Students will understand these concepts while learning and connecting the Common Core Literacy Standards.
2|P a g e Pacing Chart
Unit 1
10 Weeks
FOSS Animals Two by Two
Unit 2
8 Weeks
Physical Science
Unit 3
6 Weeks
Earth and Its Resources
Unit 4
8 Weeks
Weather
Culminating Project
3|P a g e 2 Weeks
Educational Technology
Standards
NJCCCS: 5.4.P.F.1; 5.4.2.F.1
Ø Technology Operations and Concepts
Create professional documents (e.g., newsletter, personalized learning plan, business letter or flyer) using advanced features of a word
processing program.
Ø Creativity and Innovation
Synthesize and publish information about a local or global issue or event on a collaborative, web-based service.
Ø Communication and Collaboration
Participate in an online learning community with learners from other countries to understand their perspectives on a global problem or
issue, and propose possible solutions.
Ø Digital Citizenship
Model appropriate online behaviors related to cyber safety, cyber bullying, cyber security, and cyber ethics.
Ø Research and Information Literacy
Gather and analyze findings using data collection technology to produce a possible solution for a content-related or real-world
problem.
Ø Critical Thinking, Problem Solving, Decision Making
Use an electronic authoring tool in collaboration with learners from other countries to evaluate and summarize the perspectives of
other cultures about a current event or contemporary figure.
4|P a g e Career Ready Practices
Career Ready Practices describe the career-ready skills that all educators in all content areas should seek to develop in their students. They
are practices that have been linked to increase college, career, and life success. Career Ready Practices should be taught and reinforced in all
career exploration and preparation programs with increasingly higher levels of complexity and expectation as a student advances through a
program of study.
CRP1. Act as a responsible and contributing citizen and employee
Career-ready individuals understand the obligations and responsibilities of being a member of a community, and they demonstrate this
understanding every day through their interactions with others. They are conscientious of the impacts of their decisions on others and the
environment around them. They think about the near-term and long-term consequences of their actions and seek to act in ways that
contribute to the betterment of their teams, families, community and workplace. They are reliable and consistent in going beyond the
minimum expectation and in participating in activities that serve the greater good.
CRP2. Apply appropriate academic and technical skills.
Career-ready individuals readily access and use the knowledge and skills acquired through experience and education to be more productive.
They make connections between abstract concepts with real-world applications, and they make correct insights about when it is appropriate
to apply the use of an academic skill in a workplace situation.
CRP3. Attend to personal health and financial well-being.
Career-ready individuals understand the relationship between personal health, workplace performance and personal well-being; they act on
that understanding to regularly practice healthy diet, exercise and mental health activities. Career-ready individuals also take regular action to
contribute to their personal financial well-being, understanding that personal financial security provides the peace of mind required to
contribute more fully to their own career success.
CRP4. Communicate clearly and effectively and with reason.
Career-ready individuals communicate thoughts, ideas, and action plans with clarity, whether using written, verbal, and/or visual methods.
They communicate in the workplace with clarity and purpose to make maximum use of their own and others’ time. They are excellent
writers; they master conventions, word choice, and organization, and use effective tone and presentation skills to articulate ideas. They are
skilled at interacting with others; they are active listeners and speak clearly and with purpose. Career-ready individuals think about the
5|P a g e Career Ready Practices
audience for their communication and prepare accordingly to ensure the desired outcome.
CRP5. Consider the environmental, social and economic impacts of decisions.
Career-ready individuals understand the interrelated nature of their actions and regularly make decisions that positively impact and/or
mitigate negative impact on other people, organization, and the environment. They are aware of and utilize new technologies,
understandings, procedures, materials, and regulations affecting the nature of their work as it relates to the impact on the social condition, the
environment and the profitability of the organization.
CRP6. Demonstrate creativity and innovation.
Career-ready individuals regularly think of ideas that solve problems in new and different ways, and they contribute those ideas in a useful
and productive manner to improve their organization. They can consider unconventional ideas and suggestions as solutions to issues, tasks or
problems, and they discern which ideas and suggestions will add greatest value. They seek new methods, practices, and ideas from a variety
of sources and seek to apply those ideas to their own workplace. They take action on their ideas and understand how to bring innovation to
an organization.
CRP7. Employ valid and reliable research strategies.
Career-ready individuals are discerning in accepting and using new information to make decisions, change practices or inform strategies.
They use reliable research process to search for new information. They evaluate the validity of sources when considering the use and
adoption of external information or practices in their workplace situation.
CRP8. Utilize critical thinking to make sense of problems and persevere in solving them.
Career-ready individuals readily recognize problems in the workplace, understand the nature of the problem, and devise effective plans to
solve the problem. They are aware of problems when they occur and take action quickly to address the problem; they thoughtfully investigate
the root cause of the problem prior to introducing solutions. They carefully consider the options to solve the problem. Once a solution is
agreed upon, they follow through to ensure the problem is solved, whether through their own actions or the actions of others.
CRP9. Model integrity, ethical leadership and effective management.
Career-ready individuals consistently act in ways that align personal and community-held ideals and principles while employing strategies to
positively influence others in the workplace. They have a clear understanding of integrity and act on this understanding in every decision.
They use a variety of means to positively impact the directions and actions of a team or organization, and they apply insights into human
6|P a g e Career Ready Practices
behavior to change others’ action, attitudes and/or beliefs. They recognize the near-term and long-term effects that management’s actions and
attitudes can have on productivity, morals and organizational culture.
CRP10. Plan education and career paths aligned to personal goals.
Career-ready individuals take personal ownership of their own education and career goals, and they regularly act on a plan to attain these
goals. They understand their own career interests, preferences, goals, and requirements. They have perspective regarding the pathways
available to them and the time, effort, experience and other requirements to pursue each, including a path of entrepreneurship. They
recognize the value of each step in the education and experiential process, and they recognize that nearly all career paths require ongoing
education and experience. They seek counselors, mentors, and other experts to assist in the planning and execution of career and personal
goals.
CRP11. Use technology to enhance productivity.
Career-ready individuals find and maximize the productive value of existing and new technology to accomplish workplace tasks and solve
workplace problems. They are flexible and adaptive in acquiring new technology. They are proficient with ubiquitous technology
applications. They understand the inherent risks-personal and organizational-of technology applications, and they take actions to prevent or
mitigate these risks.
CRP12. Work productively in teams while using cultural global competence.
Career-ready individuals positively contribute to every team, whether formal or informal. They apply an awareness of cultural difference to
avoid barriers to productive and positive interaction. They find ways to increase the engagement and contribution of all team members. They
plan and facilitate effective team meetings.
7|P a g e Differentiated Instruction
Accommodate Based on Students Individual Needs: Strategies
Time/General
Processing
Comprehension
Recall
•
Extra time for assigned tasks
•
Extra Response time
•
Precise step-by-step directions
•
Teacher-made checklist
•
Adjust length of assignment
•
Have students verbalize steps
•
Short manageable tasks
•
Use visual graphic organizers
•
Timeline with due dates for
reports and projects
•
Repeat, clarify or reword
directions
•
Brief and concrete directions
•
•
Communication system
between home and school
•
Provide immediate feedback
Reference resources to
promote independence
•
Mini-breaks between tasks
•
Small group instruction
•
Visual and verbal reminders
Provide lecture notes/outline
•
Provide a warning for
transitions
•
Emphasize multi-sensory
learning
•
Graphic organizers
•
Reading partners
•
Assistive Technology
Tests/Quizzes/Grading
•
Computer/whiteboard
•
Extended time
•
Tape recorder
•
Study guides
•
Spell-checker
•
Shortened tests
•
Audio-taped books
•
Read directions aloud
8|P a g e Behavior/Attention
•
Consistent daily structured
routine
Organization
•
Individual daily planner
•
Display a written agenda
•
Simple and clear classroom
rules
•
Note-taking assistance
•
Frequent feedback
•
Color code materials
Enrichment
Accommodate Based on Students individual Needs: Strategies
•
Adaption of Material and Requirements
•
Evaluate Vocabulary
•
Elevated Text Complexity
•
Additional Projects
•
Independent Student Options
•
Projects completed individual or with Partners
•
Self Selection of Research
•
Tiered/Multilevel Activities
•
Learning Centers
•
Individual Response Board
•
Independent Book Studies
•
Open-ended activities
•
Community/Subject expert mentorships
9|P a g e Assessments
Suggested Formative/Summative Classroom Assessments
•
Charts, Graphic Organizers
•
Unit Assessments, Chapter Assessments, Quizzes
•
DBQ, Essays, Short Answer
•
Accountable Talk, Debate, Oral Report, Role Playing, Think Pair, and Share
•
Projects, Portfolio, Presentations, Prezi, Gallery Walks
•
Homework
•
Concept Mapping
•
Lab data analysis
•
Glogster to make Electronic Posters
•
Tumblr to create a Blog
10|P a g e NJCCCS:
5.1.P.A.1 Who, what, when, where, why, and how questions form the basis for young learners’ investigations during sensory explorations,
experimentation, and focused inquiry.
5.1.P.B.1 Observations and investigations form young learners’ understandings of science concepts.
5.1.P.C.1 Interacting with peers and adults to share questions and explorations about the natural world builds young learners’ scientific knowledge.
5.1.P.D.1 Science practices include drawing or “writing” on observation clipboards, making rubbings, or charting the growth of plants.
5.3.P.A.1 Observations and discussions about the natural world form a basis for young learners’ understanding of life science.
5.3.2.A.1 Living organisms exchange nutrients and water with the environment, reproduce and grow and develop in a predictable manner.
5.3.2.D.2 Organisms have predictable characteristics at different stages of development.
5.3.2.E.2Plants and animals have features that help them survive in different environments.
11|P a g e Grade: KDG
Unit: Three
10 Weeks
Topic: Life Science Animals Two by Two Kit
Description: Students will understand the
various characteristics of life and compare
structures of various organisms.
New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards (NJCCCS): 5.1.P.A.1, 5.1.P.B.1, 5.1.P.C.1, 5.1.P.D.1, 5.3.P.A.1, 5.3.2.A.1, 5.3.2.D.2, 5.3.2.E.2
Common Core State Standards (CCSS): K.2, K.3, K.6, K.7, K.10 Reading Informational Text: K.2, K.6, K.7, K.10 Reading Foundational
Skills:K.1a, K.1b, K.1c, K.2a, K.2b, K.2c, K.3a, K.3c Writing: K.1, K.2, K.6, K.7 Language: K.1a, K.1b, K.1c, K.1d, K.1e, K.5a, K.5c, K.6 Speaking
and Listening: K.1a, K.1b, K.2, K.3, K.4, K.5
The Animals Two by Two Module provides early-childhood students with close and
personal interaction with some common land and water animals. Appropriate classroom
habitats are established, and students learn to care for the animals. In four investigations,
animals are studied in pairs. Students observe and care for one animal over time, and then
they are introduced to another animal similar to the first but with differences in structure
and behavior. The firsthand experiences are enriched with close-up photos of animals;
some related to animals that students have observed in class and some to animals that are
new. This process enhances observation, communication, and comparison.
Kit Objectives:
Handle animals carefully, and participate in the care and feeding of
classroom animals.
Observe and describe the structures of a variety of common animals—
fish, birds, snails, earthworms, and isopods.
Compare structures and behaviors of different pairs of animals.
12|P a g e Communicate observations and comparisons orally and through words
and drawings.
Observe interactions of animals with their surroundings.
Describe properties of objects, compare them, and sort them by
properties.
NJDOE Student
Learning Objective
Investigation 1: Students
observe the structures and
behaviors of Goldfish.
NJCCCS:5.1.P.A.1,
5.1.P.B.1, 5.1.P.C.1,
5.1.P.D.1, 5.3.P.A.1,
5.3.2.A.1, 5.3.2.D.2
Essential Questions
•
•
Sample Activities
Can we analyze the
identifiable structures
that fish have?
§
Do fish behave
according to their
environment?
Resources
Interdisciplinary
Connections
Observe two aquatic
animals.
FOSS Science Stories:
Animals Two by Two
• Create science journals.
§
Compare the structures
of two fish.
Learning about Animals
• Obtain other fish food.
Goldfish and Guppies
§
Communicate
observations of fish
structure and behavior
• Train the goldfish.
A Fish out of Water by
Helen Palmer
• Identify animals that eat
fish.
• Play a camouflage game.
• Write about fish.
•
• Make your room an
aquarium.
What are some of the
fish basic needs?
• Count the fish in the tank.
•
Investigation 2: Students
observe the structures and
behaviors of land snails.
13|P a g e • Do fish arithmetic.
Do all fish have the
same types of
behaviors?
•
Would you agree that all
animals deserve respect
and care?
•
Do Snails have
identifiable structures?
•
Do Snails have senses?
•
Are Snails influenced by
• Make a fish collage.
§
Observe the structure
and behavior of land
and water snails.
§
Compare two kinds of
• FOSS Science Stories:
• Go on a schoolyard field
Animals Two by Two, “Land trip.
and Water Snails”
• Compare slugs to snails.
• The Snail’s Spell by Joanne • Measure how far a snail
NJDOE Student
Learning Objective
NJCCCS:5.1.P.A.1,
5.1.P.B.1, 5.1.P.C.1,
5.1.P.D.1, 5.3.P.A.1,
5.3.2.A.1, 5.3.2.D.2
Essential Questions
Sample Activities
their environment?
•
Do snails have basic
needs?
•
Is there diversity among
the snail population?
snails.
§
Resources
Ryder
Communicate
observations of two
kinds of snails.
Interdisciplinary
Connections
moves in 1 minute.
• Test for surface
preferences.
• Use shells for addition
and subtraction.
• Use shells to make
patterns.
• Divide the shells into sets.
• Observe snail trails.
Investigation 3: Students
dig for red worms, rinse
them off, and look at their
structures.
•
Do worms have
identifiable structures?
•
Are worms behavior
influenced by their
environment
NJCCCS:5.1.P.A.1,
5.1.P.B.1, 5.1.P.C.1,
•
Do worms have basic
needs?
5.1.P.D.1, 5.3.P.A.1,
5.3.2.A.1, 5.3.2.D.2
•
Are all worms the same
or different?
Investigation 4: Students
begin by observing
structures of the two kinds
of isopods.
•
Do Isopods have
identifiable structures
and behaviors?
§
Is Isopod behavior is
§
14|P a g e •
§
Observe structure and
behavior of two kinds
of worms.
• FOSS Science Stories:
Animals Two by Two, “Big
and Little Worms”
• Make a worm observation
terrarium.
§
Compare redworms
and night crawlers.
• It Could Still Be a Worm
by Allan Fowler
• Take a schoolyard field
trip.
§
Communicate
observations of the
structure and behavior
of the worms.
• Look at earthworm paths.
• Compare the lengths of
worms.
• Set up a vermicompost
system.
Observe the structure
and behavior of
isopods.
• FOSS Science Stories:
Animals Two by Two,
“Isopods”
Communicate
• A Pill Bug’s Life by John
• Go on a schoolyard field
trip.
• Make a classroom mural.
NJDOE Student
Learning Objective
Essential Questions
influenced by conditions
in the environment?
§
NJCCCS:5.1.P.A.1,
5.1.P.B.1, 5.1.P.C.1,
5.1.P.D.1, 5.3.P.A.1,
5.3.2.A.1, 5.3.2.D.2
Investigation 5: Students
monitor the incubation of
fertilized eggs for 21 days
until they hatch.
NJCCCS:5.1.P.A.1,
5.1.P.B.1, 5.1.P.C.1,
5.1.P.D.1, 5.3.P.A.1,
5.3.2.A.1, 5.3.2.D.2,
5.3.2.E.2
•
•
15|P a g e Do chicks have
identifiable structures
and behaviors?
Do Eggs and chicks
require certain
environmental
conditions to survive?
•
Do chicks resemble their
parents?
•
Do all animals deserve
respect and gentle care?
Sample Activities
Resources
observations.
Himmelman
Compare the two kinds
of isopods.
• Animals Two by Two by
Larry Lowery
§
Observe several kinds
of animals living
together
§
Observe chicks
hatching from eggs.
§
Observe the changes of
structure and behavior
of growing chicks.
§
Communicate
observations.
Interdisciplinary
Connections
• FOSS Science Stories:
Make a classroom chick
Animals Two by Two, “Eggs journal.
and Chicks”
• Make math sentences.
• Chickens Aren’t the Only
• Research animals and
Ones by Ruth Heller
their young.
Unit Vocabulary
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Environment
Aquatic
Structure
Behavior
Senses
Basic Needs
Observations
Incubation
Snails
Worms
16|P a g e Mammal
Invertebrate
Goldfish
Isopods
Pill bugs
Chicks
Observe
Compare
Unit Project (Choose 1)
Project (Suggested)
See FOSS Investigation Guide for suggested culminating projects.
Rubric(s): See FOSS Investigation Guide.
Field Trips: Bronx Zoo, Turtleback Zoo, Meadowlands Environmental Center, Camden Aquarium, NY Aquarium, Jenkinson’s
Aquarium, Van Saun Park Zoo
17|P a g e