Animals 2 x 2 Big Ideas
Systems
Inquiry
Application
LS1 Structures
LS2 Ecosystems
LS3 Hereditary
Part-Whole
Relationships
Making
Observations
Tools &
Materials
Plant &
Animal Parts
Habitats
Classifying
Plants & Animals
Answer questions
by making
observations or
trying things out.
Use simple tools
and materials to
solve problems in
creative ways.
Habitats are places
that meet the daily
needs of plants
and animals.
There are many
different kinds of
plants and animals.
Identify parts of
living and nonliving systems.
Plants and
animals meet
their needs in
different ways.
Why Big Ideas: Research shows students learn science by building on a limited number of unifying ideas.
In Life Science they include:
What does it mean to be alive?
How do living organisms interact with their environment?
How are all living organisms related?
FOSS
Goldfish & Guppies
The Structure of
Goldfish
Standard
LS1B Identify External
Parts of Animals and
Plants
SYSA Living Things are
Made of Parts
Caring for Goldfish
LS1D Using Body Parts
LS1E Obtaining Food and
Water
Goldfish Behavior
LS2C Humans Change
Habitats
Comparing
Goldfish & Guppies
LS3C Features are Used to
Classify Animals
Land Snails
LS1B Animals have
External Parts
SYSA Living Things are
Made of Parts
Snail Races
INQA Investigating
LS1E Obtain Food & Drink
Observing Water
Snails
INQC Explain & Infer
LS1B External Parts
LS1D Functions of Parts
Focus Question/ PE
Focus: Systems
What are the parts of a goldfish?
Name 5 parts of the goldfish.
What parts of the goldfish get
them the things they need to live?
Describe the function of fish parts
that help it obtain food, air, water
and respond to its environment.
What can we add to improve the
habitat?
Describe improvements that would
help fish stay alive.
Do guppies and goldfish have the
same parts?
Describe those parts that make all
animals part of the fish group.
What parts make both snails and
fish animals?
Describe the function of fish parts
that help it obtain food, air, water
and respond to its environment.
Inquiry Focus
What can we learn about snails
from racing snails?
Ask questions and make
observations.
Explain how water snails can live
in water, but not land snails.
Describe parts that keep snails
alive in water.
Big Idea Question
Is the goldfish an animal?
What makes it an
animal?
What does it mean to be
alive?
How do living organisms
interact with their
environment?
How are all living
organisms related?
How are all living
organisms related?
How do you find answers
to questions you have?
Do you have evidence for
you explanation?
Animals 2 x 2 Big Ideas
FOSS
Standard
Shells
INQD Communicate
LS1B External Parts
LS3C Classify
Structure of Red
Worms
LS1B External Parts
Red Worm
Behavior
LS2C Human Changes
Comparing Red
Worms to
Night Crawlers
LS3C Classify
Isopod
Observations
APPA Tools
LS1B External Parts
Identifying Isopods
LS1B External
LS3C Classify
Isopod Races
LS1D Compare
Animals Living
Together
LS1E Obtain Food & drink
LS2B Habitat
Focus Question/ PE
How many kinds of snails are
there?
Scientists have collected and
recorded data on many snails.
Focus: Systems
What parts get the worm food,
water and air?
Worm parts are connected to their
living function.
For what reasons do worms like to
be wet?
Water provides some of the
worms’ needs to stay alive.
How many kinds of worms are
there?
Scientists have collected and
recorded data on many worms.
Focus: Application
What tools will help us learn
about isopods?
Connect a tool to its useful
function.
What helps us tell pill bugs from
sow bugs?
Connect procedures to what is
learned from the procedure.
What would we need, to see
which is fastest, pill bugs or sow
bugs?
Select tool and procedures that
help determine speed.
Focus: Design Challenge
Use what you have learned about
the needs of animals to build a
habitat for all of the land animals
or an aquarium for all of the water
animals.
Big Idea Question
What are the many ways
scientists share
information?
Is a worm an animal?
How do living organisms
interact with their
environment?
How are all living
organisms related?
How do scientists use
tools to learn more about
the world?
How do scientists and
engineers solve
problems?
Is there more than one
way to solve a problem?
In what ways do
scientists and engineers
work together?