B: Physical Science

B.1: Physical characteristics of objects can be described using shape, size, and mass whereas the materials from which objects are made can be described using color and texture. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

B.1.1: Matter has physical properties that can be measured (i.e., mass, volume, temperature, color, texture, and density). Physical changes of a substance do not alter the chemical nature of a substance (e.g., phase changes of water and/or sanding wood).

Density Experiment: Slice and Dice
Measuring Volume
Mineral Identification

C: Life Science

C.2: Living systems at all levels of organization demonstrate the complementary nature of structure and function. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

C.2.1: Living systems are organized by levels of complexity (i.e., cells, tissues, organs, and/or systems).

Cell Structure
Circulatory System
Digestive System

C.2.2: Specialized structures perform specific functions at all levels of complexity (e.g., leaves on trees and wings on birds).

Digestive System
Pollination: Flower to Fruit

C.3: Reproduction is the process by which organisms give rise to offspring. Heredity is the passing of traits to offspring. All organisms must be able to grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

C.3.1: Characteristics of an organism result from inheritance and from interactions with the environment.

Inheritance
Mouse Genetics (One Trait)
Mouse Genetics (Two Traits)

C.3.2: Reproduction is essential for species survival. Individual organisms with certain traits are more likely to survive and produce offspring.

Evolution: Mutation and Selection
Evolution: Natural and Artificial Selection
Rainfall and Bird Beaks

C.4: All organisms must be able to grow, reproduce, and maintain stable internal conditions while living in a constantly changing external environment. Behavioral response is a set of actions determined in part by heredity and in part by experience. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

C.4.1: Living organisms strive to maintain a constant internal environment (i.e., temperature regulation).

Human Homeostasis
Paramecium Homeostasis

C.4.2: Living organisms have physical and/or behavioral responses to external stimuli (e.g., hibernation, migration, plant growth).

Human Homeostasis

D: Earth/Space Science

D.5: The earth is mostly rock, three-fourths of its surface is covered by a relatively thin layer of water, and the entire planet is surrounded by a relatively thin blanket of air, and is able to support life. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

D.5.1: Global patterns of atmospheric movement influence local weather such as oceans' effect on climate.

Coastal Winds and Clouds

D.6: The earth is the third planet from the sun in a system that includes the moon, the sun, eight other planets and their moons, and smaller objects, such as, asteroids and comets. The student will engage in investigations that integrate the process standards and lead to the discovery of the following objectives:

D.6.1: Most objects in the solar system are in regular and predictable motion. Those motions explain such phenomena as the day, the year, phases of the moon, and eclipses.

2D Eclipse
3D Eclipse
Comparing Earth and Venus
Moonrise, Moonset, and Phases
Phases of the Moon
Solar System Explorer

D.6.2: Seasons result from variations in the amount of the sun’s energy hitting the surface, due to the tilt of the earth’s rotation on its axis and the length of the day.

Seasons in 3D
Seasons: Earth, Moon, and Sun
Seasons: Why do we have them?
Summer and Winter