K-1 Crosscutting Concepts and Abilities
Content Standard:
Performance Expectations:
Enabling Knowledge:
K-1 SYSA Living and nonliving things
are made of parts. People give names to
the parts that are different from the name
of the whole object, plant, or animal.
Name at least five different parts, given
an illustration of a whole object, plant,
or animal.
Compare a part of an object with the
whole object, correctly using the words
“whole” and “part.”
Students will understand that all
objects, living or nonliving, are
made up of identifiable parts.
Identify which of several common
objects may be taken apart and put
back together without damaging them
(e.g., a jigsaw puzzle) and which
objects cannot be taken apart without
damaging them (e.g., books, pencils,
plants, and animals).
Students will understand that all
things are made of parts and pieces.
Students will understand that a part
is something that belongs to a whole
object like a plant or animal.
(Enduring Understanding: Identify
parts of living and non-living systems.)
K-1 SYSB Some objects can easily be
taken apart and put back together again
while other objects cannot be taken apart
without damaging them (e.g., books,
pencils, plants, and animals).
(Enduring Understanding: Identify
parts of living and non-living systems.)
Students will understand that some
objects can be taken apart and put
back together.
Students will understand that some
objects are hurt or destroyed if they
are taken apart.
Sample Tasks:
K-1 INQA
Scientific investigations
involve asking and trying to answer a
question about the natural world by
making and recording observations.
K-1 INQB Many children’s toys are
models that represent real things in some
ways but not in other ways.
Ask questions about objects,
organisms, and events in their
environment.
Follow up a question by looking for an
answer through students’ own activities
(e.g., making observations or trying
things out) rather than only asking an
adult to answer the question.
Observe patterns and relationships in
the natural world, and record
observations in a table or picture graph.
Students will understand that it is
natural to ask questions about things
that go on around them.
Given a child’s toy that is a model of an
object found in the real world, explain
how it is like and unlike the object it
represents.
Students will understand that a
model is a representation of
something larger or smaller than the
original object.
Students will understand that they
can investigate their questions using
the inquiry process.
Students will understand that when
an investigation is done, making and
recording observations throughout it
will lead to very good scientific
results.
Students will understand that the
model may be very realistic in its
appearance.
(Enduring Understanding: Answer
questions by explaining observations
of the natural world.)
K-1 INQC Scientists develop
explanations using recorded
observations (evidence).
Describe patterns of data recorded,
using tallies, tables, picture graphs, or
bar-type graphs.
Participate in a discussion of how the
recorded data (evidence) might help to
explain the observations.
Students will understand that careful
observations of any investigation or
experiment need to be recorded so
other scientists can use it to create
explanations.
Report observations of simple
investigations, using drawings and
simple sentences.
Listen to and use observations
(evidence) made by other students.
Students will understand that
scientists need to use all forms of
communication to explain their
investigations and experiments.
(Enduring Understanding: Answer
questions by explaining observations
of the natural world.)
K-1 INQD Scientists report on their
investigations to other scientists, using
drawings and words.
(Enduring Understanding: Answer
questions by explaining observations
of the natural world.)
Students will understand that
discussions centered around
observations help to understand the
evidence more thoroughly.
Students will understand that simple
drawings and written sentences are
just a couple of ways to
communicate a scientists findings.
K-1 INQE Observations are more
reliable if repeated, especially if repeated
by different people.
State verbally or in writing a need to
repeat observations (evidence) to be
certain the results are more reliable.
Students will understand that
scientists rely on each other to make
good observations of the things they
do in order for their work to be
reliable. (everyone believes in what
they have done)
(Enduring Understanding: Answer
questions by explaining observations
of the natural world.)
K-1 INQF All scientific observations
must be reported honestly and
accurately.
(Enduring Understanding: Answer
questions by explaining observations
of the natural world.)
Students will understand that the
more often that observations are
repeated, the more people will
believe them.
Record observations (evidence)
honestly and accurately.
Students will understand that
writing and recording everything,
you as a scientist observes, must be
done accurately and honestly.
Students will understand that just
telling stories about something and
expecting others to believe it
usually does not work, that evidence
is usually needed to make things
believable.
K-1 APPA Common tools can be used
to solve problems.
Use simple tools and materials to solve
a simple problem (e.g., make a paper or
cardboard box to hold seeds so they
won’t get lost).
Students will understand that young
scientists use simple tools to help
solve problems and as they get older
they use more complex tools.
(Enduring Understanding: Use simple
tools and materials to solve problems
in creative ways.)
K-1 APPB Different materials are more
suitable for some purposes than for other
purposes.
(Enduring Understanding: Use simple
tools and materials to solve problems
in creative ways.)
Students will understand that
scientists use tools of all kinds to
help them do their investigations
and experiments.
Choose a material to meet a specific
need (e.g., cardboard is better than
paper for making a box that will stand
up by itself) and explain why that
material was chosen.
Students will understand that we use
all forms of materials to create and
make things work for us.
Students will understand that some
materials work better in some
circumstances than others (paper
does not work too well when water
is involved, but plastic works very
well).
K-1 APPC A problem may have more
than one acceptable solution.
Develop two possible solutions to solve
a simple problem (e.g., design a
napping place for a favorite stuffed
animal; decide on the best food to eat
for lunch).
Students will understand that when
solving a problem there is usually
more than one way to solve it.
Apply the abilities of counting,
measuring, and classifying to solving a
problem (e.g., Is that enclosure big
enough for a pet to stand up in? What
types of food can it eat? How much
food should I put into the enclosure for
my pet?).
Students will understand that using
certain skills can help one solve a
problem: like being able to count,
being able to put things that are the
same in boxes, and being able to see
how long or short something is
using a ruler.
Students will understand that careful
thought and communication with
others can often find more that one
solution to a problem.
(Enduring Understanding: Use simple
tools and materials to solve problems
in creative ways.)
K-1 APPD Counting, classifying, and
measuring can sometimes be helpful in
solving a problem.
(Enduring Understanding: Use simple
tools and materials to solve problems
in creative ways.)