Kindergarten ∴ Quarter 4 ∴ Relationships in Ecosystems
What Your Child Will Learn in Kindergarten Science: Quarter 4
In the fourth quarter, students will investigate animals and plants, and their interactions with
their environments as they live and grow. The students will learn the difference between a need
and want, determine what animals and plants need to survive, and explore how animals
(including humans) and plants impact their environment. Students will also find out how the
choices they make impact the environment around them and create solutions to reduce their
impact on the environment.
Target Statements:
• Distinguish between needs and wants.
• Determine that animals require food and water to live and grow.
• Determine through investigation that plants need light and water to live and grow.
• Observe that animals live in areas that have the resources to meet their needs.
• Explain how plants and animals impact (change) their environment to meet their
needs.
• Explain how human choices impact the environment, both in positive and negative
ways.
• Develop a solution to reduce negative human impact on the land, air, water, and/or
other living things.
Vocabulary:
• human
• live
• investigation
• natural resource
• action
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•
•
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plant
grow
need
impact
reduce
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•
animal
observe
want
change
reuse
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survive
observation
resource
solution
recycle
Home Connections (optional):
• Take a nature walk and help your child to make observations. Look for evidence of
plants and animals getting what they need to survive.
• Keep a journal while playing outside or taking a nature walk and draw/label plants
and animals that are observed.
• Plant seeds. Discuss why you are planting them in a specific location, and discuss
steps you should take to help the plant live and grow.
• If you have a pet, discuss what you need to do for the pet to be happy and healthy.
• Visit the zoo or aquarium and talk to the people who work with the animals about
their needs. Visit a farm or garden and discuss food sources.
• Have your child help you recycle, donate items for reuse, or think of ways to
reduce environmentally unfriendly choices.
Materials to be collected:
Everyday items will often be used to support students’ scientific investigations. In this
unit, we will require a large number of:
• a clean recyclable item
• two-liter plastic bottle
If possible, please send in this item with your child when requested by the teacher.
© Elementary Science Office • Howard County Public School System • 2014-2015
Kindergarten ∴ Quarter 4 ∴ Relationships in Ecosystems
The eight Scientific and Engineering Practices describe the behaviors and habits of
mind that are necessary to make students’ knowledge of content more meaningful. The
term “practices,” instead of a term such as “skills,” is used to stress that engaging in
scientific inquiry requires coordination both of knowledge and skill simultaneously. Acquiring
skills in these practices supports a better understanding of how scientific knowledge is
produced and how engineering solutions are developed. Such understanding will help
students become more critical consumers of scientific information.
Practice
Asking Questions
(Scientist) and
Defining Problems
(Engineer)
What This “Looks Like” for a Kindergarten Student
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Ask simple descriptive questions, based on observations, which can be
tested to find more information about the natural and/or designed
world(s).
Define a simple problem that can be solved through the development of a
new or improved object or tool.
Distinguish between a model and the actual object, process, and/or
events the model represents.
Use and develop models (i.e., diagram, drawing, physical replica,
diorama, dramatization, or storyboard) that represent concrete events or
design solutions.
Developing and
using Models
•
Planning and
Carrying Out
Investigations
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With guidance, plan and conduct simple investigations, based on fair
tests, which provide data to support explanations or design solutions.
Analyze and
Interpret Data
•
Collect, record, and share observations to describe patterns and/or
relationships in the natural and designed world(s) in order to answer
scientific questions and solve problems.
Use Mathematics
and Computational
Thinking
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Describe, measure, and/or compare quantitative attributes of different
objects and display the data using simple graphs.
Use quantitative data to compare two alternative solutions to a problem.
Constructing
Explanations
(Scientist) and
Designing Solutions
(Engineer)
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Engaging in
Argument from
Evidence
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Obtaining,
Evaluating, and
Communicating
Information
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Make observations (firsthand or from media) to construct an evidencebased account for natural phenomena.
Generate and/or compare multiple solutions to a problem.
Identify and construct arguments that are supported by evidence.
Analyze why some evidence is relevant to a scientific question and some
is not.
Distinguish between opinions and evidence in one’s own explanations.
Obtain information using various grade-appropriate texts, text features,
and other media that will be useful in answering a scientific question
and/or supporting a scientific claim.
Communicate information or design ideas and/or solutions with others in
oral and/or written forms
Source: NGSS Appendix F (2013) – Science and Engineering Practices in the NGSS
© Elementary Science Office • Howard County Public School System • 2014-2015