PUBLIC SCHOOLS OF EDISON TOWNSHIP
DIVISION OF CURRICULUM AND INSTRUCTION
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Length of Course:
Term _
Elective/Required:
Required
School:
Elementary
Student Eligibility:
Grade 2
Credit Value:
N/A
Date Approved:
11/22/10
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Statement of Purpose ……………………………………………………………………
3
Introduction ………………………………………………………………………………..
5
Unit One: Penguins …………………………………………………………………….
7
Unit Two: Treasures From Earth ……………………………………………………..
12
Unit Three: Heat, Light and Sound …………………………………………………….
16
Framework for Essential Instructional Behavior (Draft 14) ......................................
19
Modifications will be made to accommodate IEP mandates for classified students.
3
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
SCIENCE CURRICULUM GUIDE
KINDERGARTEN TO GRADE FIVE
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
The purpose of this Science Curriculum Guide for Kindergarten to Grade Five is to provide
experiences for our elementary students to build a deeper understanding of the natural world
around them. These experiences are developed through the students‟ reading and
observations, interaction with technology, and hands-on inquiry-based experiences.
As stated in the New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards for Science, “Scientific Literacy
assumes an increasingly important role in the context of globalization. The rapid pace of
technological advances, access to an unprecedented wealth of information, and the pervasive
impact of science and technology on day-to-day living require a depth of understanding that can
be enhanced through quality science education. In the 21 st century, science education focuses
on the practices of science that lead to a greater understanding of the growing body of scientific
knowledge that is required of citizens in an ever changing world.”
Three topics of study have been identified as mandated for each grade level to ensure a greater
depth of understanding of Life Science, Earth Science, and Physical Science. The units in this
guide were based on the 2009 New Jersey Core Curriculum Content Standards and contentspecific Cumulative Progress Indicators have been identified for each topic. Standard 5.1
Science Practices embody practical application of science knowledge and include
understanding scientific explanations, generating scientific evidence, reflecting on scientific
knowledge, and participating productively in science. Science content is presented in Physical
Sciences, standard 5.2, Life Science, standard 5.3, and Earth Systems, standard 5.4. This
guide was designed to provide a well balanced and focused science program in the elementary
grades building a strong foundation in the three areas of science. The use of the scientific
method is the basis for all inquiries and experiments so that students engage in hands-on
investigations and learn to record their findings in lab reports in the upper elementary grades.
In order to address the concepts and skills in each unit, teachers should select from the
suggested activities and instructional strategies. Grade appropriate lab report guidelines and
templates included for Grades Three to Five have been correlated to the format used in the
middle school and can be adapted to meet the students‟ needs. On-going assessment of
learning should be formal and informal. Examples of unit assessments have been provided;
however, teachers may adapt or create assessments to measure the students‟ understanding of
the unit objectives and essential questions.
These grade level units have been revised and updated by:
Kindergarten to Grade 3, 2008
Lynne Chonka #9
Laura Floursch #8
Aimee Petagna #14
Lynn Scherer #18
Douglas Stokes #16
Kindergarten to Grade 2, 2010
Christine Beni #10
Patricia Norman #11
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SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Lynn Scherer #18
Kelly Wojcik #18
Grades 4 to 5, 2008
Pamela Aurilio, #16
Anne Diehl, #17
Tori Kowalsky #17
Douglas Stokes #16
Grades 3 to 5, 2010
Dina O‟Brien #8
Donna Abatemarco #9
Patricia Norman #11
Denise Adams #14
Allyson Price #14
Douglas Stokes #16
Donald Plavoet #17
Under the direction of Lois Hagie and Mary Mavroudas, Elementary Supervisors
Developing Partnerships to Support Science Understandings, Articulation between Elementary
and Middle School Science 2009 -2010
Dina O‟Brien #8
Donna Abatemarco #9
Julie Uchitel #10
Kim Plodzien #11
Kelly Amabile #13
Yvonne Abrams #13
Allyson Price #14
Amy Fuentes #15
Fran Perilo #16
Donald Plavoet #17
Amy Marzano #18
Susan Kinahan JAMS
Magdalena Zaremba JAMS
Donna Kohut TJMS
Regina Arnold TJMS
Bronwyn Glor WWMS
Janice Perlin WWMS
Judy Freifeld HHMS
Jill Sotsky HHMS
Under the direction of Lois Hagie and Mary Mavroudas, Elementary Supervisors, and Laura
Darrah and Peter Skarecki, Science Supervisors
5
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Introduction
The most precious resource teachers have is time. Regardless of how much time a
course is scheduled for, it is never enough to accomplish all that one would like.
Therefore, it is imperative that teachers utilize the time they have wisely in order to
maximize the potential for all students to achieve the desired learning.
High quality educational programs are characterized by clearly stated goals for student
learning, teachers who are well-informed and skilled in enabling students to reach those
goals, program designs that allow for continuous growth over the span of years of
instruction, and ways of measuring whether students are achieving program goals.
The Edison Township School District Curriculum Template
The Edison Township School District has embraced the backward-design model as the
foundation for all curriculum development for the educational program. When reviewing
curriculum documents and the Edison Township curriculum template, aspects of the
backward-design model will be found in the stated enduring understandings/essential
questions, unit assessments, and instructional activities. Familiarization with backwarddesign is critical to working effectively with Edison‟s curriculum guides.
Guiding Principles: What is Backward Design?
Design?
What is Understanding by
“Backward design” is an increasingly common approach to planning curriculum and
instruction. As its name implies, “backward design” is based on defining clear goals,
providing acceptable evidence of having achieved those goals, and then working
„backward‟ to identify what actions need to be taken that will ensure that the gap
between the current status and the desired status is closed.
Building on the concept of backward design, Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe (2005)
have developed a structured approach to planning programs, curriculum, and
instructional units. Their model asks educators to state goals; identify deep
understandings, pose essential questions, and specify clear evidence that goals,
understandings, and core learning have been achieved.
Program based on backward design use desired results to drive decisions. With this
design, there are questions to consider, such as: What should students understand,
know, and be able to do? What does it look like to meet those goals? What kind of
program will result in the outcomes stated? How will we know students have achieved
that result? What other kinds of evidence will tell us that we have a quality program?
These questions apply regardless of whether they are goals in program planning or
classroom instruction.
The backward design process involves three interrelated stages for developing an entire
curriculum or a single unit of instruction. The relationship from planning to curriculum
6
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
design, development, and implementation hinges upon the integration of the following
three stages.
Stage I: Identifying Desired Results: Enduring understandings, essential questions,
knowledge and skills need to be woven into curriculum publications, documents,
standards, and scope and sequence materials. Enduring understandings identify the
“big ideas” that students will grapple with during the course of the unit. Essential
questions provide a unifying focus for the unit and students should be able to answer
more deeply and fully these questions as they proceed through the unit. Knowledge
and skills are the “stuff” upon which the understandings are built.
Stage II: Determining Acceptable Evidence: Varied types of evidence are specified to
ensure that students demonstrate attainment of desired results. While discrete
knowledge assessments (e.g.: multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, short answer, etc…) will
be utilized during an instructional unit, the overall unit assessment is performancebased and asks students to demonstrate that they have mastered the desired
understandings. These culminating (summative) assessments are authentic tasks that
students would likely encounter in the real-world after they leave school. They allow
students to demonstrate all that they have learned and can do. To demonstrate their
understandings students can explain, interpret, apply, provide critical and insightful
points of view, show empathy and/or evidence self-knowledge. Models of student
performance and clearly defined criteria (i.e.: rubrics) are provided to all students in
advance of starting work on the unit task.
Stage III: Designing Learning Activities: Instructional tasks, activities, and experiences
are aligned with stages one and two so that the desired results are obtained based on
the identified evidence or assessment tasks. Instructional activities and strategies are
considered only once stages one and two have been clearly explicated. Therefore,
congruence among all three stages can be ensured and teachers can make wise
instructional choices.
At the curricular level, these three stages are best realized as a fusion of research, best
practices, shared and sustained inquiry, consensus building, and initiative that involves
all stakeholders. In this design, administrators are instructional leaders who enable the
alignment between the curriculum and other key initiatives in their district or schools.
These leaders demonstrate a clear purpose and direction for the curriculum within their
school or district by providing support for implementation, opportunities for revision
through sustained and consistent professional development, initiating action research
activities, and collecting and evaluating materials to ensure alignment with the desired
results. Intrinsic to the success of curriculum is to show how it aligns with the
overarching goals of the district, how the document relates to district, state, or national
standards, what a high quality educational program looks like, and what excellent
teaching and learning looks like. Within education, success of the educational program
is realized through this blend of commitment and organizational direction.
7
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Penguins (Life Science)
Targeted Standards:
Standard 5.1 (Science Practices) All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building
enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning
skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.
STANDARD 5.3 (Life Science) All students will understand that life science principals are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of the
complexity, diversity, and interconnectedness of life on Earth. Order in natural systems arises in accordance with rules that govern the physical
world, and the order of natural systems can be modeled and predicted through the use of mathematics.
Unit Objectives/Conceptual Understandings: Students will understand that an organism‟s basic needs are met through their natural
environment. Students will understand that penguins are complex animals that adapt in varying ways to their environment.
Essential Questions: How are penguins able to survive in some of the harshest weather conditions on Earth? What specific characteristics
enable penguins to survive the cold, maneuver on ice, and swim in water?
Unit Assessment: Teacher-developed assessment that will demonstrate student understanding of the unit objectives, and the essential questions
related to this unit. One example might be: an informational report stating specific characteristics, habitat, and other facts for one of the eighteen
types of penguins.
Core Content Objectives
Instructional Actions
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment
Check Points
5.3.2.A Organization and
Development
1. Group living and nonliving
things according to the
characteristics they share.
Penguins are flightless birds
with feathers, wings, and a
beak.
Exploration of freezing, melting,
and floating through hands-on
investigation of ice and water
Demonstrate the properties of
solids, liquids, and gases as they
apply to this unit of study.
Journal Response
A penguin‟s body has solid
heavy bones, and wings that
are too small, flat, and stiff for
flight.
Explore solids, liquids, and
gases as they relate to this unit
of study
Demonstrate the impact of heat
on ice.
5.3.2.B Matter and Energy
Transformation
2. Compare how different
animals obtain food and water.
Explore impact of heat on ice
Penguin‟s webbed feet are
suited for swimming, not
walking.
Compare and contrast the
penguin with other types of birds
Read aloud children‟s non-fiction
books related to penguins in their
natural habitat.
View the documentary March of
the Penguins
Lab Investigations/
Reports
Informal
Assessments
Formal
Assessments
1. Quizzes/Tests
2. Unit
Assessments
3. Performance
Assessments
8
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Penguins (Life Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Instructional Actions
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
5.3.2.C Interdependence
1. Describe the ways in which
organisms interact with each
other and their habitats in order
to meet basic needs.
To move quickly across land,
penguins slide on their bellies
known as “tobogganing.”
Compare and contrast different
species of penguins
Read non-fiction Big Book,
Penguin Rescue as a whole group
shared reading. Discussion of the
following topics:
Wildlife recues after a
natural or man-made
disaster
Oil spills at sea and their
impact on wildlife
Implications of danger to
flightless birds during an
oil spill
2. Identify the characteristics of a
habitat that enable the habitat to
support the growth of many
different plants and animals.
3. Communicate ways that
humans protect habitats and/or
improve conditions for the
growth of the plants and animals
that live there, or ways that
humans might harm habitats.
5.3.2.D Heredity and
Reproduction
1. Record the observable
characteristics of plants and
animals to determine the
similarities and differences
between parents and their
offspring.
2. Determine the characteristic
changes that occur during the
life cycle of plants and animals
by examining a variety of
species, and distinguish
between growth and
development.
Penguin wings are called
flippers which are used as
paddles to propel through the
water.
Penguins live below the
equator in various islands off
South America, South Africa,
New Zealand, Australia, and
the Galapagos Islands.
Antarctica is a continent and is
the coldest place on Earth.
Penguins have a thick layer of
blubber to help keep them
warm.
Penguins eat krill, squid, and
fish.
Penguins are social animals
that live and play together in
colonies called rookeries.
Penguin mothers transfer a
newly laid egg to its father
while she goes to feed in the
sea for about two months.
Identify some of the long term
effects of a natural or man-made
disaster on the animals in the
region
Demonstrate an oil spill using
cooking oil
Create a time-line based on the
factual events described in the Big
Book, Penguin Rescue
Compare and contrast the 2000 oil
spill disaster off the coast of South
Africa with the 2010 oil spill
disaster on the Gulf Coast
Assessment Check
Points
Homework
9
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Penguins (Life Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
5.3.2.E Evolution and
Diversity
1. Describe similarities and
differences in observable traits
between parents and offspring.
Penguin fathers nestle their
egg on the tops off their feet or
under their “brood” pouch for
warmth and safety and await
hatching of their chick.
2. Describe how similar
structures found in different
organisms (e.g., eyes, ears,
mouths) have similar functions
and enable those organisms to
survive in different
environments.
Upon return, penguin mothers
feed their chick with food held
in a stomach called a “crop,”
until the chick becomes an
adult and can hunt for food on
its own.
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment
Check Points
Penguin chicks are born with
brown/gray “downy” feathers
which molt as they grow their
sleek, black and white adult
feathers.
Resources:
Penguins and Their Young, LHS Gems: Great Explorations in Science and Math
Penguin Rescue –Big Book and student books for small group instruction
Instructional Adjustments: Modifications,
difficulties, possible misunderstandings
student
Consult IEP‟s and 504 plans to differentiate instruction
based on individual needs.
Recommended Resources:
Assign roles or specific tasks for group projects.
Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Provide study guides.
Video:
March of the Penguins, National Geographic
Utilize peer tutors.
Related Literature:
Curriculum compacting for Gifted and Talented
A Mother‟s Journey, Sandra Markle
Provide support for independent study for Gifted and
Talented.
10
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Penguins (Life Science) (cont.)
Antarctica, Allan Fowler
A Penguin Pup for Pinkerton, Steven Kellogg
Do Penguins Get Frostbite? Questions and Answers About Polar Animals, Melvin and Gilda Berger
Emperor Penguins, Roberta Edwards
Fluff and Feathers, Spikes and Skin, Nancy Finton
Little Penguin, Patrick Benson
Little Penguin‟s Tale, Audrey Wood
Magic School Bus Chapter Book, Penguin Puzzle, Vol. 8, Joanna Cole
March of the Penguins, National Geographic
Mr. Popper‟s Penguins, Richard & Florence Atwater
100 Things You Should Know About Penguins, Camilla de la Bedoyere
Penguin Chick, Betty Tatham
Penguins, Gail Gibbons
Penguins, Jane P. Resnick
Penguins ABC, Kevin Schafer
Penguins: From Emperor to Macaronis, Erin Pembrey Swan
Penguin‟s Big Surprise, Susie Jenkin-Pearce
Penguins Through the Year, Robin Bernard
Plenty of Penguins, Sonia W. Black
Polar Animals, Sally Morgan
Tacky the Penguin, Helen Lester (Series)
The Emperor‟s Egg, Martin Jenkins
The Penguin Book: Birds in Suits, Dr. Mark Norman
Without You, Sarah Weeks and Suzanne Duranceu
Internet Resources
(General Information)
www.lawrencehallofscience.org/gems/
(Facts, photos, activities on various species)
http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/penguins/index.html
(Developmentally appropriate books, lessons, and other resources) See CRT
http://www.scienceA-Z.com
(Kid friendly information about penguins.)
http://42explore.com/penguin.htm
(Penguin video)
http://www.brainpop.com
(Penguin photos)
Differentiate products/presentations to accommodate
multiple intelligences and Gifted and Talented.
11
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Penguins (Life Science) (cont.)
http://www.articphoto.co.uk
(New Jersey site, web-cam, adopt-a-penguin)
http://www.jenkinsons.com
(conservation/adoption)
http://www.defenders.org
(teacher resource/printables)
http://www.enchantedlearning.com
(kid friendly/quiz/on-line scavenger hunt for penguin information)
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/west/proj/penguins/main.html
(photos, videos, links, facts, activities)
http://www.kevinschafer.com/penguinplanet
12
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Treasures From Earth (Earth Systems Science)
Targeted Standards:
Standard 5.1 (Science Practices) All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building
enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands encompass the knowledge and reasoning
skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.
STANDARD 5.4 (Earth Systems Science) All students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex, dynamic, and interconnected
systems, and is a part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.
Unit Objectives/Conceptual Understandings: Students will understand that rocks and soils have different properties that make them useful in
different ways. Students will understand that weathering and erosion change Earth‟s surface. Students will understand that f ossils provide clues
about plants and animals that lived in the past. Students will understand that people use natural resources and that people can conserve natural
resources. Students will understand that people can change the environment in harmful and helpful ways.
Essential Questions: What can we learn about earth by examining rocks? What are rocks and soil composed of? What causes changes in rocks
and soil? How can people conserve natural resources?
Unit Assessment: Teacher-developed assessment that will demonstrate student understanding of the unit objectives, and the essential questions
related to this unit. One example might be: Students can research non-fiction resources to learn how wind, water, and plants can cause
weathering of the Earth‟s surface and create a presentation of their findings. This informational presentation can be in written, oral, pictorial, or
three-dimensional form.
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
5.4.2.C. Properties of Earth
Materials
1. Describe Earth materials
using appropriate terms, such
as hard, soft, dry, wet, heavy,
and light.
5.4.4.C. Properties of Earth
Materials
1. Create a model to represent
how soil is formed.
Concepts
What students will know
The surface of the Earth is
made of different kinds of solid
materials.
A rock is made of one or more
minerals.
Soil is made of minerals and
humus.
A mineral is a nonliving solid
found in nature
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Compare rocks and soils.
Describe different uses of rocks
and soils.
Describe weathering and
erosion.
Explain how weathering and
erosion change Earth‟s surface.
Describe fossils.
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment
Check Points
Read “Let‟s Go Rock Collecting”
pages C2 to C3, Treasures form
Earth. Discuss/write about places
where rocks can be found and
what they look like.
Journal Response
Observe rocks and soils and
record how each sample looks
and feels.
Compare and contrast what rocks
and soil are made of.
Lab Investigations/
Reports
Informal
Assessments
Formal
Assessments
1. Quizzes/Tests
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SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Treasures From Earth (Earth Systems Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
2. Categorize unknown
samples as either rocks or
minerals.
5.4.2.G. Biogeochemical
Cycles
2. Identify and use water
conservation practices.
3. Identify and categorize the
basic needs of living organisms
as they relate to the
environment.
4. Identify the natural resources
used in the process of making
various manufactured products.
Concepts
What students will know
Humus is made from living
things.
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Explain how fossils provide
clues about plants and animals
that lived in the past.
Use models of hillsides to observe
how water causes soil to move.
2. Unit
Assessments
Make a model of a fossil and trade
with another student and then infer
what objects were used to make
the model.
3. Performance
Assessments
Weathering wears away and
breaks apart rock.
Identify natural resources.
Rocks and soil are carried from
place to place by erosion.
Describe uses of natural
resources.
Earth‟s surface is always
changing.
Define the word environment.
Weathering is the wearing away
and breaking apart of rock.
Erosion is the carrying of
weathered rock from place to
place.
Gravity is a pull toward the
center of Earth.
Wind, water, and plants can
cause weathering.
A glacier can slowly move rocks
and soil down a mountain.
Fossils form in different ways
and give clues about plants and
animals that lived long ago.
A fossil is the remains of
something that was once living.
Instructional Actions
Explain how people change the
environment.
Describe ways that people can
conserve natural resources.
Identify materials that can be
recycled.
Make a pinwheel to observe how
wind makes objects move.
Model a leaking faucet to
determine how much water it
wastes over a period of time.
Assessment
Check Points
Homework
14
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Treasures From Earth (Earth Systems Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment
Check Points
An imprint is the shape of a
living thing found in rock.
Fossils can tell us the size of an
animal that lived long ago.
A natural resource is something
found in nature that people
need or use.
When people use natural
resources, they cause changes
to the environment.
People can help save
resources when they conserve,
recycle, and reuse.
Resources:
Treasures From Earth, Houghton Mifflin 2007 (Teacher Guide, student books, resource kit)
Unit C Earth Science
Recommended Resources:
Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Instructional Adjustments: Modifications,
difficulties, possible misunderstandings
student
Consult IEP‟s and 504 plans to differentiate instruction
based on individual needs.
Utilize science support readers in small group settings.
Rocks and Minerals (Eye Wonder Series), 2004
Rocks and Minerals by Neil Morris, 1998
Rocks and Minerals by Ann Squire, 2002
Rocks and Minerals (Our Planet Earth Series) by Anna Prokos, 2004
Eyewitness Rocks and Minerals by R.F. Symes, 2008
The Best Book of Fossils, Rocks, and Minerals by Chris Pellant, 2007
Rocks by Chris Pellant, Helen Pellant, 2008
Rocks by Natalie Rosinsky, Matthew John, 2002
Let‟s Go Rock Collecting, Roma Gans, Gans, Holly Keller, 1997
Utilize audio student books.
Assign roles or specific tasks for group projects.
Provide study guides.
Differentiate products/presentations to accommodate
multiple intelligences and Gifted and Talented.
15
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Treasures From Earth (Earth Systems Science) (cont.)
Internet Resources:
Utilize peer tutors.
http://eduplace.com/science
http://eduplace.com/science/hmsc/2/c/cricket/ckt_2c.shtml Cricket connections activity
“Made of Mud”
http://eduplace.com/science/hmsc/2/c/simulation/sim_2c.shtml discover simulations “When
can you see through rocks?”
http://eduplace.com/science/hmsc/2/c/organizer/unit_2c.html graphic organizers
http://eduplace.com/science/hmsc/2/c/investigate/inv_2c.html investigate records for labs
http://eduplace.com/science/hmsc/2/c/vocabgames/vcb_2c.html vocabulary resources
Curriculum compacting for Gifted and Talented
(Developmentally appropriate books, lessons, and other resources) See CRT
http://www.scienceA-Z.com
Provide support for independent study for Gifted and
Talented.
16
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Heat, Light, & Sound (Physical Science)
Targeted Standards:
STANDARD 5.1 (Science Practices) All students will understand that science is both a body of knowledge and an evidence-based, model-building
enterprise that continually extends, refines, and revises knowledge. The four Science Practices strands that encompass the knowledge and
reasoning skills that students must acquire to be proficient in science.
STANDARD 5.2 (Physical Science) All students will understand that physical science principals, including fundamental ideas about matter, energy,
and motion, are powerful conceptual tools for making sense of phenomena in a physical, living, and Earth systems science.
STANDARD 5.4 (Earth Systems Science) All students will understand that Earth operates as a set of complex, dynamic, and interconnected
systems, and is a part of the all-encompassing system of the universe.
Unit Objectives/Conceptual Understandings: Students will understand that heat, light, and sound are forms of energy with the ability to change.
Essential Questions: What affects heat and how can heat change an object‟s state of matter? How does the sun‟s light affect the stars and the
moon? How do vibrations produce sound and what is responsible for variation in pitch?
Unit Assessment: Teacher-developed assessment that will demonstrate student understanding of the unit objectives, and the essential questions
related to this unit. One example might be: journal responses and lab investigation reports.
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
5.1.4.B Generate Scientific
Evidence Through Active
Investigation
1. Design and follow simple
plans using systematic
observations to explore
questions and predictions.
2. Measure, gather, evaluate,
and share evidence using tools
and technologies.
Concepts
What students will know
Heat, light, and sound are
forms of energy.
Heat is the energy that causes
changes in states of matter.
Temperature is a measure of
thermal energy, how warm or
cold something is, and is
measured with a thermometer.
Heat moves from warmer
objects to cooler objects and
can move through objects.
Instructional Actions
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment Check
Points
Place ice in three different
conditions (shade, sun, warm),
wait periods of time, and record
changes made to the ice.
Observe and record
constellations.
Journal Response
Measure temperature in three
different conditions (cold water,
hot water, ice) and record.
Predict and record findings to
which kind of container will feel
warm first (foam, paper, or
metal).
Research shapes and names
of constellations.
Lab Investigations/
Reports
Informal Assessments
Use the sun, stars, and moon
as inspiration for writing stories
and poetry.
Observe and record the phases
of the moon.
Formal Assessments
1.Quizzes/Tests
2.Unit Assessments
3.Performance
Assessments
Homework
17
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Heat, Light, & Sound (Physical Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
5.1.4.D Participate
Productively in Science
1. Actively participate in
discussions about student data,
questions, and understandings.
3. Demonstrate how to safely
use tools, instruments, and
supplies.
Most of the Earth‟s heat and
light comes from the sun‟s
energy. The sun warms the
air, water, and land.
5.2.2.A Properties of Matter
2. Identify common objects as
solids, liquids, or gases.
Light moves and travels in
straight lines, and can be
reflected.
5.2.2.B Changes in Matter
1. Generate accurate data and
organize arguments to show that
not all substances respond the
same way when heated or
cooled, using common materials,
such as shortening or candle
wax.
The stars and moon seem to
change in the sky over time.
5.2.4.C Forms of Energy
1. Compare various forms of
energy as observed in everyday
life and describe their
applications.
Sound is produced when an
object moves quickly back and
forth known as a vibration.
2. Compare the flow of heat
through metals and nonmetals
by taking and analyzing
measurements.
Fuels give off heat when they
burn. Wood, natural gas, and
oil are fuels.
The moon reflects light from
the sun at night and the
moon‟s phases are a result of
how much of the lighted part of
the moon we are seeing.
The frequency of the vibration
determines the pitch of the
sound, how high or low a
sound is.
Instructional Actions
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Utilize a flashlight during the
day to comprehend why stars
can‟t be seen during the day.
Brainstorm objects of varying
pitch. Try them out. Categorize
high pitch items from low pitch
items.
Observe the path light takes as
it shines from a flashlight.
Explore reflection using mirrors
and flashlights.
Draw pictures of the moon over
their home at three different
times during the night.
Explore vibrations and their
sounds using three cups and
strings (Cup Guitars).
Demonstrate, in a bar graph,
object with lowest pitch to object
with highest pitch.
Manipulate objects to discover
loud and soft sounds.
Brainstorm/record activities
which need sound vs. those that
do not need sound.
Make a list of sounds heard in a
few minutes. Describe each
sound.
Investigate other objects that
sound can travel through.
Discuss ways to keep your
hearing safe. Create class charts
and posters.
Research underwater animal
sounds and communication
using those sounds.
Assessment Check
Points
18
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Heat, Light, & Sound (Physical Science) (cont.)
Core Content Objectives
Cumulative Progress
Indicators
Concepts
What students will know
Skills
What students will be able to
do
Instructional Actions
Activities/Strategies
Technology Implementation/
Interdisciplinary Connections
Assessment Check
Points
5.4.2.A Objects in the Universe
1. Determine a set of general
rules describing when the Sun
and Moon are visible based on
actual sky observations.
5.4.4.A Objects in the Universe
2. Identify patterns of the Moon‟s
appearance and make predictions
about its future appearance
based on observational data.
Resources:
What‟s That Sound? Sundance/Newbridge- Big Book/ Teacher Guides
Heat It Up - Sundance/Newbridge- Big Book/ Teacher Guides
Light and Shadow -Sundance/Newbridge- Big Book/ Teacher Guides
Sounds All Around -Sundance/Newbridge- Big Book/ Teacher Guides
Changes All Around: McGraw-Hill Science-Teacher Guide, Student text book, and Teacher
Resources for Practice and Support Materials
Instructional Adjustments: Modifications,
difficulties, possible misunderstandings
student
Consult IEP‟s and 504 plans to differentiate instruction
based on individual needs.
Assign roles or specific tasks for group projects.
Provide study guides.
Recommended Resources:
Teaching Gifted Kids in the Regular Classroom by Susan Winebrenner
Videos:
Magic School Bus Gets Energized
Related Literature:
Energy: Heat, Light, and Sound, Jo Ellen Moor
Janice VanCleave‟s Physics for Every Kid: 101 Easy Experiments in Motion, Heat, Light, Machines,
and Sound, Janice Pratt Van Cleave
Light, Melvin Berger
Light Magic: And Other Science Activities About Energy, Trudy Rising
Shadowy Science: All You Need is a Shadow, Planet Dexter
Utilize peer tutors.
Curriculum compacting for Gifted and Talented
Provide support for independent study for Gifted and
Talented.
Differentiate products/presentations to accommodate
multiple intelligences and Gifted and Talented.
19
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Heat, Light, & Sound (Physical Science) (cont.)
Sound, Lisa Trumbauer
Sounds All Around, Wendy Pfeffer
Sound, Heat & Light: Energy at Work, Melvin Berger
The Moon, Karen Edwards
Using Energy Wisely, Dina McClellan
Internet Resources
(General Information)
www.lawrencehallofscience.org/gems/
(Properties & behaviors of heat, light, and sound, kid-friendly)
http://www.usoe.k12.ut.us/curr/science
(Animated introduction to light, links)
http://www.k12station.com/k12link_library.html
(hands-on activities with sound)
http://www.smm.org/sound/nocss/activity/handson.htm
(Elementary classroom web-site on heat, light, and sound)
http://www.geocities.com/mrsjacksonsclass/heatlightsound.htm
(sound video clips)
http://www.brainpop.com
(Light & Sound thematic units)
http://www.kidskonnect.com/LightSound/LightSoundhome.html
(teacher resources)
http://www.alfy.com/teachers/teach/thematic_units/Sound/Sound_1.asp
(General Electric site on light)
http://www.gelighting.com/na/home_lighting/gela/students/index.htm
(Information/Donations/visits – Edison Memorial Tower)
http://www.menloparkmuseum.com
(general information - Thomas Alva Edison)
http://www.wikipedia.com
19
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
Public Schools of Edison Township
Divisions of Curriculum and Instruction
Draft 14
Essential Instructional Behaviors
Edison’s Essential Instructional Behaviors are a collaboratively developed statement of
effective teaching from pre-school through Grade 12. This statement of instructional
expectations is intended as a framework and overall guide for teachers, supervisors, and
administrators; its use as an observation checklist is inappropriate.
1. Planning which Sets the Stage for Learning and Assessment
Does the planning show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
units and lessons directly related to learner needs, the written curriculum, the New Jersey Core Content
Curriculum Standards (NJCCCS), and the Cumulative Progress Indicators (CPI)?
measurable objectives that are based on diagnosis of learner needs and readiness levels and reflective of
the written curriculum, the NJCCCS, and the CPI?
lesson design sequenced to make meaningful connections to overarching concepts and essential
questions?
provision for effective use of available materials, technology and outside resources?
accurate knowledge of subject matter?
multiple means of formative and summative assessment, including performance assessment, that are
authentic in nature and realistically measure learner understanding?
differentiation of instructional content, processes and/or products reflecting differences in learner
interests, readiness levels, and learning styles?
provision for classroom furniture and physical resources to be arranged in a way that supports student
interaction, lesson objectives, and learning activities?
2. Observed Learner Behavior that Leads to Student Achievement
Does the lesson show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
learners actively engaged throughout the lesson in on-task learning activities?
learners engaged in authentic learning activities that support reading such as read alouds, guided
reading, and independent reading utilizing active reading strategies to deepen comprehension (for
example inferencing, predicting, analyzing, and critiquing)?
learners engaged in authentic learning activities that promote writing such as journals, learning logs,
creative pieces, letters, charts, notes, graphic organizers and research reports that connect to and extend
learning in the content area?
learners engaged in authentic learning activities that promote listening, speaking, viewing skills and
strategies to understand and interpret audio and visual media?
learners engaged in a variety of grouping strategies including individual conferences with the teacher,
learning partners, cooperative learning structures, and whole-class discussion?
learners actively processing the lesson content through closure activities throughout the lesson?
learners connecting lesson content to their prior knowledge, interests, and personal lives?
learners demonstrating increasingly complex levels of understanding as evidenced through their growing
perspective, empathy, and self-knowledge as they relate to the academic content?
learners developing their own voice and increasing independence and responsibility for their learning?
learners receiving appropriate modifications and accommodations to support their learning?
20
SCIENCE – GRADE 2
3. Reflective Teaching which Informs Instruction and Lesson Design
Does the instruction show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
j.
k.
l.
m.
n.
o.
differentiation to meet the needs of all learners, including those with Individualized Education Plans?
modification of content, strategies, materials and assessment based on the interest and immediate needs
of students during the lesson?
formative assessment of the learning before, during, and after the lesson, to provide timely feedback to
learners and adjust instruction accordingly?
the use of formative assessment by both teacher and student to make decisions about what actions to
take to promote further learning?
use of strategies for concept building including inductive learning, discovery-learning and inquiry
activities?
use of prior knowledge to build background information through such strategies as anticipatory set,
K-W-L, and prediction brainstorms?
deliberate teacher modeling of effective thinking and learning strategies during the lesson?
understanding of current research on how the brain takes in and processes information and how that
information can be used to enhance instruction?
awareness of the preferred informational processing strategies of learners who are technologically
sophisticated and the use of appropriate strategies to engage them and assist their learning?
activities that address the visual, auditory, and kinesthetic learning modalities of learners?
use of questioning strategies that promote discussion, problem solving, and higher levels of thinking?
use of graphic organizers and hands-on manipulatives?
creation of an environment which is learner-centered, content rich, and reflective of learner efforts in
which children feel free to take risks and learn by trial and error?
development of a climate of mutual respect in the classroom, one that is considerate of and addresses
differences in culture, race, gender, and readiness levels?
transmission of proactive rules and routines which students have internalized and effective use of
relationship-preserving desists when students break rules or fail to follow procedures?
4. Responsibilities and Characteristics which Help Define the Profession
Does the teacher show evidence of:
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
MQ/jlm
7/2009
continuing the pursuit of knowledge of subject matter and current research on effective practices in
teaching and learning, particularly as they tie into changes in culture and technology?
maintaining accurate records and completing forms/reports in a timely manner?
communicating with parents about their child‟s progress and the instructional process?
treating learners with care, fairness, and respect?
working collaboratively and cooperatively with colleagues and other school personnel?
presenting a professional demeanor?