1
Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
Understanding Life Systems
Enduring Understandings
•
•
•
•
All living things have basic needs in order to survive.
Living things can be identified by their characteristics and behaviour.
All living things interact with their environment.
All five senses can be used to make observations.
Essential Guiding Questions for Unit Design
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•
•
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What is your favourite lunch? Is it balanced? Why or why not?
How would your life be different without your sense of …?
You just got a new pet. How will you take care of it?
How does the environment change when new houses are built?
Important for Students to Know
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•
•
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that there are differences between living and non-living things;
that living things can be compared and contrasted by their characteristics and behaviour;
that all living things grow and change;
that the basic needs of living things include food, water, air, light, space, warmth, and shelter;
• that patterns exist in nature;
• that body parts and sensory organs have specific names, functions, and locations; and
• that there are four basic food groups, and a balanced meal contains at least one item from
each.
Important for Students to Do
• investigate the needs of a living thing (e.g., a plant) through primary research (i.e., direct
observation.
• examine the basic needs, characteristics and behaviours of living things through research.
Life Systems-Grade 1 - Needs and Characteristics of Living Things
Students investigate the characteristics and basic needs of living things. They explore
movement and behavior in humans and other animals and learn their nutritional requirements.
They also
explore basic aspects of growth in animals and plants.
Teacher Background
Student Vocabulary
Characteristic fig. 1, 2,3
• a feature that distinguishes one thing from another
(texture, color, size, sounds).
Human Body - can be categorized into parts based on
specific function:
• Need to Move (locomotion/transportation) movement of a living organism from place to place
uses special body parts like the foot, muscles, knee.
• Need to be Fueled (circulation):
-Chest (thorax) - the part of the body that contains the
heart and lungs.
- Heart - a muscular pump that forces blood through the
vessels to all parts of the body.
- Veins and Arteries - tubes that transport blood through
the body.
• Need for Food (digestive system)
- Stomach - a food storage site where food is broken
down.
- Intestines - a coiled tube connected to the stomach.
Food is broken down in the small intestine and enters
the blood stream. Waste material collects in the large
intestine and water is removed.
- Liver - has many functions such as the removal of
poisons, control of sugars and fats and makes
proteins.
- Kidneys - organs that filter the blood and control fluid
levels in the body.
- Rectum - an organ that stores solid waste.
• Need to Send and Receive Messages (nervous
system):
- Nerves - a string of connecting cells along which the
body sends messages to and from the brain and to
other parts of the body.
- Brain - an enlarged part of the nervous system that
connects the senses and co-ordinates the body.
• Senses - sight, hearing, touch, smell, taste:
- Sense organs - the five major organs that gather
information from our surroundings. The most important
organs (sight-eyes; hearing-ears; smell-nose; tastetongue) are located in the head close to the brain.
Touch receptors are in the skin, concentrated in areas
where we rely on contact with our environment.
•
Need to Breathe (Respiratory System):
- Lungs - the organ that allows exchange of gas to
take place.
- Nose - warms, moistens, and filters the air.
Bladder - an organ that stores waste as urine.
JK-8 Science & Technology
arms
legs
lungs
nose
limbs
wings
feelers
body
senses
diet
healthy
environment
Cricket Characteristics fig. 1
Eye (thousands of tiny eyes for seeing)
Feeler
(smelling)
Ear (on knee)
Palpi (food taster)
Dog Characteristics fig. 2
Tongue (tasting)
Mouth
(panting-cooling down, eating)
Duck Characteristics fig. 3
Feathers (floating, waterproofing, nesting)
Beak
(sifting, feeding)
Webbed feet
(paddling)
1-6
Basic Concepts
1
Materials, Objects, and Everyday Structures
Understanding Structures and Mechanisms
Enduring Understandings
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•
Shapes and patterns are inherent to all structures.
Objects and structures have distinctive characteristics and purposes.
Essential Guiding Questions for Unit Design
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•
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Why do most chairs have four legs?
How many different kinds of roofs are there? (consider shape, materials, function)
What is the best container for a….?
What is the most common shape you see in structures in the classroom/school/
community? Why?
Important for Students to Know
• that there are different categories of structures: solid (e.g., stone walls), frame (e.g.
bridges, bicycles), shells (e.g. tent, dome);
• that structures can be both similar to and different from each other in form and function;
• that shapes are repeated in various patterns; and
• the names and properties of three-dimensional figures and two-dimensional shapes.
Important for Students to Do
• examine the materials, shapes, patterns and purposes of various structures through experimentation;
• observe and discuss the structures within the classroom and school environment;
• explore the function of shapes and patterns in structures through technological design.
Matter & Materials-Grade 1-Characteristics of Objects & Properties Of Materials
Students learn to make a clear distinction between objects and materials; objects are made from
materials and materials have specific properties.
Students learn to make a clear distinction between objects and materials; objects are made from
materials and materials have specific properties.
Teacher Background
Student Vocabulary
Object - a thing that
can be Background
seen or touched
Teacher
• Characteristic - a feature that distinguishes one thing
Object
thing that
can large,
be seen
or touched
from- aanother
(small,
round,
tall, etc.). fig. 1
• Characteristic - a feature that distinguishes one thing
from another (small, large, round, tall, etc.). fig. 1
Matter - anything that has mass or takes up space
(volume).
Matter - anything that has mass or takes up space
(volume).
Material - the parts or substances of which an object is
made.
Material - the parts or substances of which an object is
made.
Properties
- (i) Physical - characteristics that can be
described using the senses. (ii) Chemical - the way in
Properties
Physical
- characteristics
can be
which
matter- (i)
and
materials
behave underthat
different
described using
theheat,
senses.
(ii) Chemical
- the reaction.
way in
conditions
of light,
pressure,
or chemical
which matter and materials behave under different
conditions
of -light,
heat, pressure,
• Strength
the degree
to which or
anchemical
object is reaction.
able to
withstand pressure.
• Strength - the degree to which an object is able to
• withstand
Malleabilitypressure.
(Flexibility ) - the degree to which it can
bend without breaking.
• Malleability (Flexibility ) - the degree to which it can
breaking.
• bend
Smell-without
the degree
of sweetness or sourness.
••
Smellthe -degree
of sweetness
or sourness.
Hardness
the degree
of firmness.
••
Hardness
- the
degree
of to
firmness.
Absorbency
- the
degree
which an object is able to
take up through heat, light.
Absorbency - the degree to which an object is able to
take up through
heat, -light.
Texture
(Roughness)
not smooth or even, not
polished but course.
Texture (Roughness) - not smooth or even, not
polished but course.
•
•
•
JK-8 Science & Technology
soft
Student Vocabulary
smooth
rough
Distinguishing Objects and Materials
fig. 1
Distinguishing Objects and Materials
fig. 1
Object
Material
Property
1-24
rubber
ball
rubber
soft
and
spongy
pencil
wood
and
lead
hard
solid
Basic Concepts
1
Energy in Our Lives
Understanding Matter and Energy
Enduring Understandings
• All living things depend on some form of energy for survival.
• Things need energy to work.
• Energy comes in many different forms.
Essential Guiding Questions for Unit Design
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What does it mean to say, “You’re full of energy”?
What kinds of energy are used in the classroom?
How can you be more energy-wise?
If you went on a camping trip and couldn’t use electricity, what forms of energy could you
use?
• How could you entertain yourself for a day without using electricity?
Important for Students to Know
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that the sun is the main source of energy (e.g., light, heat);
that food is a source of energy;
that humans are very dependent upon electrical energy;
that energy sources (electrical outlets, the sun, batteries, etc.) can be harmful, so safe practices are essential; and
• that our actions determine how much energy we use.
Important for Students to Do
•
explore the concept of energy through primary research (i.e. direct observation)
Energy and Control-Grade 1 – Energy in Our Lives
Students become aware that they use many different forms of energy and they are responsible
for monitoring and controlling how much they use. They learn that all living things depend on
some form of energy.
Teacher Background
Student Vocabulary
Energy - the quantity of work a system is capable of doing
and overcoming inertia by external forces.
Inertia - property of matter in which things at rest stay at
rest and things in uniform motion stay in motion unless
acted upon by some external force (push or pull). If the
force is balanced nothing will happen. The bigger the
mass, the more inertia present.
electricity
lights
control
input
energy
output
Food - a form of energy. Carbohydrates such as sugar,
fats, proteins and starch are the body’s energy source. The
body requires more than 40 nutrients for energy, growth,
and tissue maintenance.
Electricity - a type of energy involving electrons or similar
particles with an electrical charge. In an electric circuit
electrons flow from the negative terminal of the battery to
the positive one. This is called electric current.
Light - the form of radiant energy that acts on the retina, A
form of energy that consists of visible electromagnetic
waves. Other types of electromagnetic waves, are radio
waves and X-rays which are not visible; microwaves (can
heat up water molecules) and ultra violet rays. Light travels
in straight lines.
Control - the way in which a mechanism is regulated. fig. 1
• Input - anything that is put into a system. Sources of
input include people, materials, and energy, supplied
for the purpose of producing an output of some kind.
•
fig. 1
Control Input/Output
Object
Input
Output
Hair Dryer
Electricity
Heat
Fan
Electricity
Moving Air
Output - the actual result obtained from a system (e.g.,
the light that comes on when the light switch on an
electrical system is pressed). For example, for a hair
dryer, the input is electricity and the output is the heat.
JK-8 Science & Technology
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1– 1
Basic Concepts
1
Daily and Seasonal Cycles
Understanding Earth and Space Systems
Enduring Understandings
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Changes often occur in cycles (e.g., day/night, seasons).
All living things are affected by these changes.
Essential guiding Questions for Unit Design
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What things happen over and over in your life and in the world around you?
What seasons do you like best, and why?
What sports/activities can be done all year long?
What is the warmest time of the day? What is the coldest? Why?
Important for Students to Know
• that the sun is a consistent source of heat and light;
• that there are four seasons and each has specific characteristics (e.g., temperature, precipitation, length of day/night);
• that physical factors affecting change include temperature, light and wind;
• that living things adapt to and/or prepare for cyclical changes; and
• that units of time are related to the earth’s cycles (e.g., days, months, seasons).
Important for Students to Do
•
investigate daily and seasonal changes over time, through primary research (i.e. direct
observation).
Earth and Space Systems-Grade 1 – Daily and Seasonal Cycles
Students learn about physical changes such as temperature, wind, and light and the changes
that occur in plants and animals. They begin to recognize cyclical patterns and as a result
discover the relationships among events in their environment and between the environment and
themselves.
Teacher Background
Student Vocabulary
Characteristics - special qualities or features which
distinguishes one thing from another.
Seasonal changes - In the summer, the earth is tilted
toward the sun. In the winter the earth is tilted away from
the sun. The first day of fall and spring mark the halfway
point. This change of the tilt of the earth on its axis causes
changes in the following.
•
Length of day - In the winter the Northern Hemisphere
is tilted away from the sun. After Sept. 21, nights
become longer than days in the Northern Hemisphere.
In the winter the cooler temperature in the Northern
Hemisphere is caused by the increased distance from
the sun and the angle at which the sun’s rays hit the
Northern Hemisphere. After March 21 days become
longer than nights and the earth is tilted toward the
sun.
•
Temperature - In the winter the increased distance and
the angle at which the sun’s rays hit the Northern
Hemisphere causes cooler temperatures. In the
summer, the sun brings on warmer temperatures. In
the fall and spring the climate is between the extremes
of winter and summer.
•
Shadows - occur when opaque objects block the sun’s
rays. Light rays travel in straight lines, therefore, the
angle at which the rays strike the object, determines
the length of the shadow. With each passing morning
hour, the length of shadow decreases as the earth
spins. With each passing afternoon hour, the length of
the shadow increases as the earth spins. In the winter,
shadows in the Northern hemisphere are longer
because the sun is lower in the sky.
•
Plants - seasonal changes in temperature, light, length
of day, precipitation etc. effect the time of year that
plants will grow during particular times of the day. By
observing flowers during the day and over a period of
time, students begin to see that the intensity of the
sun’s rays impacts on plants. (the head of some
flowers will close with darkness or stems move to
reach toward the sun).
•
characteristics
time
precipitation
day
month
cycles
season
buds
temperature
problem
shadow
solution
flowers
seeds
clothing
Animals - there are both structural and behavioral
changes that occur which are seasonal but are also
genetic.
- Color - the rabbit’s brown fur turns white in winter to
protect it from prey.
- Mass - the bear grows in mass because it stores fat
to have nourishment for the winter.
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Basic Concepts