Kindergarten: Animals Two By Two
Content Standard III: Life
Essential Learnings:
What do students need to know and be able to do?
Big Ideas:
1. Experimental Design (observations, question, hypothesis and
design)
Students will…..
2. Scientific testing (conduct investigations, collect and organize
data)
Observe and describe the structure of a variety of common animals and the
basic needs of each.
3. Analysis and Conclusions (analysis trends, and conclusions)
Observe interactions of animals with their surroundings.
4. Principles of heredity and related concepts
5. Relationships between organisms and their physical environment
Compare structures and functions as well as behaviors of different pairs of
animals.
6. Structure and function of cells and organisms
Compare objects that are living and non-living.
Compare life cycles of various organisms.
Essential Vocabulary:
Compare
Fin
Gill
Scale
Tail
Body
Head
Moist
Air
Food
Space
Water
How will we effectively teach to ensure students learn?
 Inquiry
High Yielding Instructional Strategies embedded in each investigation below
Page 1 of 3 Animals 2x2
Investigation 1: Goldfish
and Guppies
Essential Questions:
What are the parts of a goldfish and
what is the function of each?
What do goldfish need to live?
How are guppies and goldfish
different and the same?
What items in the aquarium are
living and what items are nonliving?
Investigation 2: Land
and Water Snails
(Optional)
Essential Questions:
What are the structures and
functions found on the snails?
What are the basic needs of snails?
How does the environment
influence snail behavior?
Investigation 3: Big and
Little Worms
Investigation 5: Eggs
and Chicks (Optional)
Essential Questions:
Essential Questions:
What are the parts of a redworm?
What do eggs and chicks need to
survive?
How are redworms and night
crawlers different and the same?
What is living and what is non-living
in the habitat?
OR
Investigation 4: Pill Bugs
and Sow Bugs
Essential Questions:
What are isopods?
How are pill bugs and sow bugs
different?
How do isopods move?
What do animals need?
What is living and what is non-living
in the habitat?
Page 2 of 3 Animals 2x2
How are the structures of chicks
related to their function?
In what ways do chicks resemble
their parents?
What are the behaviors of chicks?
Part 1: Structure of a Goldfish
Part 1: Land Snails
Part 2: Caring for a Goldfish
Part 2: Snail Races
Part 3: Goldfish Behavior
Part 3: Observing Water Snails
Part 4: Comparing Guppies to
Goldfish
Part 4: Shells
Part 1: The Structure of the
Redworm (3)
Isopod Observations (4)
Part 2: Redworm Behavior (3)
Part 1: Setting the Eggs
Part 2: Watching Eggs Hatch
Part 3: The Structure of Chicks
Part 4: Chick Behavior
Identifying Isopods (4)
Part 3: Comparing Redworms to
Night Crawlers (3)
Isopod Races (4)
Part 4: Animals Living Together (4)
How do we know if students are learning?
Assessment:
Use Assessment section in the FOSS teacher’s manual.
What will we do if students don’t learn or if they are already performing at or above grade level?
Science Extension opportunities provided in teachers manual
Reteaching Strategies
Suggested Time Frame:
Scope and Sequence:
8 – 45 minute investigations (not including optional activities)
Students’ background knowledge would be based on their experience with
pets and other animals.
DRAFT 5/8/2009
Page 3 of 3 Animals 2x2