Science

**Science as Inquiry**
Research shows that young students work well in a cooperative learning environment. Students should be actively involved in exploring phenomena in the natural world posing questions and seeking answers as they arise. Students develop simple skills of observation, measurement and number sense as they actively participate in simple investigations. During investigations, students must have opportunity to use tools such as magnifiers, thermometers, rulers, or balances to gather data and extend their senses. They must have ample time to talk about their observations and compare their observations with those of others. They should be encouraged to employ oral language, drawings and models to communicate results and explanations of investigations and experiments. In a cooperative learning environment, students learn that when people give different descriptions of the same thing, it is better to make new observations instead of debating about who is correct. Students must always use appropriate safety procedures, including listening skills, when conducting simple investigations.

Essential Standard **2.P.1** **Understand the relationship between sound and vibrating objects.**

 * Clarifying Objectives**
 * 2.P .1.1** Illustrate how sound is produced by vibrating objects and columns of air.
 * 2.P .1.2** Summarize the relationship between sound and objects of the body that vibrate – eardrum and vocal cords.

Possible Activities: || __**Sound and Hearing**__  __**(Interactive Site)**__

__**Changing Sounds**__ __**(Interactive Site)**__ || **Matter: Properties and Change**

Essential Standard 2.P.2 **Understand properties of solids** **and liquids and the changes they undergo.**

 * Clarifying Objectives:**
 * 2.P.2.1** Give examples of matter that change from a solid to a liquid and from a liquid to a solid by heating and cooling.
 * 2.P.2.2** Compare the amount (volume and weight) of water in a container before and after freezing.
 * 2.P.2.3** Compare what happens to water left in an open container over time as to water left in a closed container.

Possible Activities: || __**Characteristics of Materials (Interactive Site)**__ __**Float or Sink**__ __**(Interactive Site)**__

__**Solids and Liquids (Interactive Site)**__ ||

**Essential Standard** **2.E.1 Understand patterns of weather** **and factors that affect weather.**
• Temperature •Wind direction •Wind speed • Precipitation
 * Clarifying Objectives:**
 * 2.E.1.1** Summarize how energy from the sun serves as a source of light that warms the land, air and water.
 * 2.E.1.2** Summarize weather conditions using qualitative and quantitative measures to describe:
 * 2.E.1.3**Compare weather patterns that occur over time and relate observable patterns to time of day and time of year.
 * 2.E.1.4** Recognize the tools that scientists use for observing, recording, and predicting weather changes from day to day and during the seasons.

Possible Activities:

|| //(Sun energy, tools for measuring temperature, wind and precipitation, patterns day to day, season to season)//

__**Make Rain indoors (experiment)**__ __**Tiny Tornados (experiment)**__ __**Weather Quiz (Interactive Site)**__ __**Weather Watch (Observing clouds and weather- lessons and quiz)**__ __**Weatherlizard Quiz**__ || **and Functions of Living Organisms**

**Essential Standard** **2.L.1 Understand animal life cycles.**
2.L.1.1 Summarize the life cycle of animals: • Birth •Developing into an adult • Reproducing •Aging and death 2.L.1.2 Compare life cycles of different animals such as, but not limited to, mealworms, ladybugs, crickets, guppies or frogs.
 * Clarifying Objectives**

Possible Activities: || __**The Incredible Egg**__  __**(experiment)**__ __**Insects Quiz (Interactive Site)**__ __**All About Insects (Index- each slide has narration)**__ __**Insect Activity Ideas**__ __**Eggs and Life Cycles**__ __**(Unit/Activity Guide)**__ __**Tadpole Transformation (Lesson Plan and Reproducible)**__ __**A penguin grows up (reproducible)**__ ||

Essential Standard **2.L.2** **Remember that organisms differ from or are similar to their parents based on the characteristics of the organism.**

 * Clarifying Objectives:**
 * 2.L.2.1** Identify ways in which many plants and animals closely resemble their parents in observed appearance and ways they are different.
 * 2.L.2.2** Recognize that there is variation among individuals that are related.