PI: Science Processes and Inquiry

PI.3: Experimenting is a method of discovering information. It requires making observations and measurements to test ideas. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.

PI.3.3: Design and conduct a scientific investigation.

Effect of Environment on New Life Form
Pendulum Clock

PI.4: Interpreting is the process of recognizing patterns in collected data by making inferences, predictions, or conclusions. Communicating is the process of describing, recording, and reporting experimental procedures and results to others. Communication may be oral, written, or mathematical and includes organizing ideas, using appropriate vocabulary, graphs, other visual representations, and mathematical equations. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.

PI.4.1: Report data using tables, line, bar, trend, and/or simple circle graphs.

Graphing Skills

PI.4.2: Interpret data tables, line bar, trend, and/or simple circle graphs.

Disease Spread
Distance-Time Graphs
Graphing Skills
Prairie Ecosystem

PI.5: Inquiry can be defined as the skills necessary to carry out the process of scientific or systemic thinking. In order for inquiry to occur, students must have the opportunity to ask a question, formulate a procedure, and observe phenomena. The student will accomplish these objectives to meet this process standard.

PI.5.1: Use different ways to investigate questions and evaluate the fairness of the test.

Effect of Environment on New Life Form
Pendulum Clock

1: Describe characteristics of objects based on physical qualities such as size, shape, color, mass, temperature, and texture. Energy can produce changes in properties of objects such as changes in temperature. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

1.1: Matter has physical properties that can be used for identification (e.g., color, texture, shape).

Density Experiment: Slice and Dice
Heat Absorption
Mineral Identification

1.2: Physical properties of objects can be observed, described, and measured using tools such as simple microscopes, gram spring scales, metric rulers, metric balances, and Celsius thermometers.

Mineral Identification
Weight and Mass

1.4: Energy can be classified as either potential or kinetic.

Sled Wars

2: Organisms within an ecosystem are dependent on one another and the environment. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

2.1: Organisms in an ecosystem depend on each other for food, shelter, and reproduction.

2.1.a: Ecosystems include food chains and food webs.

Forest Ecosystem
Prairie Ecosystem

2.1.b: Relationships exist between consumers, producers, and decomposers within an ecosystem.

Forest Ecosystem

2.1.c: Predators and prey relationships affect populations in an ecosystem.

Prairie Ecosystem

2.2: Changes in environmental conditions due to human interactions or natural phenomena can affect the survival of individual organisms and/or entire species.

2.2.a: Earth?s resources can be natural (non-renewable) or man-made (renewable).

Energy Conversions

3: Interaction between air, water, rock/soil, and all living things. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

3.2: Weather exhibits daily and seasonal patterns (i.e., air temperature, basic cloud types ? cumulus, cirrus, stratus, and nimbus, wind direction, wind speed, humidity, precipitation).

3.2.b: Weather maps are used to display current weather and weather predictions.

Weather Maps

3.3: Earth is the third planet from the Sun in a system that includes the moon, the Sun, and seven other planets.

3.3.a: Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion (e.g., phases of the moon).

Comparing Earth and Venus
Phases of the Moon
Solar System

3.3.b: Objects in the Solar System have individual characteristics (e.g., distance from Sun, number of moons, temperature of object).

Solar System

3.3.c: The Earth rotates on its axis while making revolutions around the Sun.

Summer and Winter