TopicLiving things are made up of a variety of structures. Some of these structures and behaviors influence their survival.
At this grade level, providing exposure through personal observation and stories to a large variety of living things is required. The focus is not on naming the parts of living things, but associating through interaction and observation that living things are made of parts, and because of those parts, living things can do specific things. The scientific explanations of how those parts function will come later. Identify and discuss examples such as birds have wings for flying and beaks for eating. Dogs have eyes for seeing, teeth for chewing and legs for moving. Trees have leaves and trunks. Concrete experiences are necessary to deepen knowledge of the traits and behaviors of living things. Technology can be used to compare data on the number of honeybees observed in the schoolyard with other schools. Additional inquiry investigations include conducting observations of pond water (e.g., using a hand lens, focusing on macroscopic organisms), raising a classroom pet, planting seeds and watching them grow, and noting differences between different types of plants or bird watching. |
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